We had a very Merry Christmas!

A week and a half before Christmas we took the kids up to the Willard Bay light display and to see Santa!  It was awesome.  We didn't have to wait in line or fight any crowds.  They each got to sit on his lap and remind him what they wanted for Christmas.

 This picture is deceiving because about an hour after this we were in Ogden at Christmas Village listening to an outdoor Choir when Dallin threw-up all over Jared.  He was being so sweet and good and just letting us carry him around everywhere, we never even suspected that he was sick!  Poor little guy!

 Then the weekend before Christmas we headed to Duchesne for a little Christmas party with Jared's family in the morning and then we were going to go to Salt Lake for a Christmas Dinner with my siblings and parents.  Saturday morning I woke up not feeling very well and it slowly got worse and worse as the day went on.  I threw up on the way home from Duchesne and Jared had some serious "other end" issues, so we called and cancelled our babysitter (my Grandma - she was heart broken, seriously) and headed straight home.  Jared threw-up later that night and we just layed on the couch all night and poor Camille had to take care of everyone for us!  Good thing we have her.  So I missed 2 of the best dinners of the year!!  Darn it!  I guess it could have been worse and been on Christmas Eve or Day.  We still had a good time in Duchesne though:)  Mason and Hazel playing in the loft before the "fall".  Hazel broke her arm a few minutes later.  So Jason and Melissa had to make an ER run too!  It was an eventful Saturday.

 This is our mischevious little boy who loves to tear apart the Christmas tree and presents.

 I couldn't resist this cute picture of Mason going to get the eggs!  He looks so cute in his apron and cowboy boots!  What a farmer!

 On Christmas Eve we went to Grandpa Homer's annual party!  They have a dinner and act out the nativity and then Santa comes.  My mom happened to be in charge of it this year, so it was in Ogden.  Jared's parents were nice enought to join us this year!  We got to have them stay at our house for Christmas this year!  It was so much fun!  We were glad they made the trip to see us.  Mason didn't want to dress up as a shepherd or wiseman, but he did want to be an angel!  He was so proud of himself too!!

 Christmas morning is so magical with kids!  Mason got a "real" drill with some pretty awesome trucks/tractors made of wood that he can take apart.  He was in seventh heaven.  Garet got a brand new bike with gears and hand brakes.  Watch out Moab!  Camille got her "American Girl" doll, and Jared and I got a new laptop!  Yipee!

 I was in charge of our ward's sacrament meeting program since Christmas was on Sunday this year!  It actually went really well and made Christmas extra special this year.  Camille got to sing with 3 other girls, so it was great to have both sets of Grandparents there with us.  Then later that night Nate and Terra and Nate's parents came for dinner.  This time I was able to eat it and it was delicious!!  I ate way too much:)

 Grandma and Grandpa Taylor with the kids.

 This is G & G Homer on Christmas Eve!

 Cute little "Angel Mason"

 The day after Christmas my family always goes up to Grandpa Homer's cabin to snowmobile.  Since their was hardly any snow this year my uncle brought up some golf cars and Jared brought some ice skates.  Between the two we had a great time!  Garet and Daddy in the meadow.

 Camille trying out the ice skates.  She did pretty well for her first time!

 Who needs a snowmobile when you've got Dad to pull you around!

 Loaded on the gold car with Uncle Ray.

 Mischevious Dallin, getting into trouble.

 Kaylyn, Me, Dallin, Kaydi

 While Jared was shoveling the snow off the ice Mason was standing right in the path and got a shovel full of snow right on his face.  He did not like that one bit!

 Me and Jared having fun!

 Yesterday we took the kids up by Snow Basin and hiked over to this Yurt.  Jared is camping there with his scouts tonight, so we needed to check it out and make sure everything was ok.  We pulled the kids in the sled most of the way down.  They had a great time.

This is the "Yurt".  It is like a big canvas tent with a stove, table, and benches in it.  The Forest Service owns it and anyone can stay in it.  It was pretty sweet.  I think they'll have a great time in it.

 The hike back was all uphill, so Jared rigged up these ropes around our waist so we could pull the kids back up.  It was an adventure.

Dallin fell asleep and Mason held him on his lap the whole way back!  What a good brother. 

We were surprised at how little snow was up there.  On the "old snow basin road" there was only 4-5 inches and the south facing slopes were bare.  Hopefully we get some snow soon!

Decorate, Celebrate, Play, Crawl

We set up our tree the day after we got home!  Jared thinks it's too early, but if I'm going to go to that much trouble I want to enjoy it for at least a month or so.  The kids LOVE helping!

I celebrated my 30th birthday on the 30th of November!  Wow, I'm getting old.  Jared and I went out and left the kids home!  It was a perfect birthday.  Jared even took the day off because he knows that is what I like best!  The kids even made me breakfast in bed:)

 Most of you know we found a swing set on KSL a month or so ago.  Well, we finally got it installed.  It was a "major" project.  We had to cut the sod out, dig down a couple inches, get curbing poured, cement the posts in, haul in 6 cubic yards of sand (Jared shoveled it all by hand from the trailer to the sand box) - 2 yds at a time.  It took forever it seemed.  Now the boys love to go out and play in it even though it is 20 degrees outside.  Next summer......oh boy!

 Dallin is officially mobile!  He gets up on his hands and knees and then falls to his belly and army crawls to whatever he can find - the Christmas tree, plugs, cords, door stops, tiny pieces of who knows what, leftover cheerios, tiny toys, pine needles, you name it.  Watch out - he is busy!

 He is still as smiley as ever.

 My three favorite boys!  They are growing up much too fast!

I'll have to dedicate a post for Camille since she missed the photo shoot due to school:)

Thanksgiving in Toquerville

We headed down with the whole gang this year (my family anyway), minus Carly, Andy, and Scarlett.

Here is some of us.  Bryan, Amelia, Kaydi, Braxton, Mary (cousin going to BYU), Mason, Jared, Dallin, Crystal, Owen, Kaylyn, Jake, Kendra, and Luke.  It was a pretty tight squeeze in that little house, but we had a good time!  The weather was awesome (65 degrees), so we had Thanksgiving outside.

 The men re-shingled the roof on Wednesday and part of Thursday. 

 Mason and Owen - wishing they could join the big boys.

 Their is a pomegranate tree/bush in the backyard, so they kids loved picking them and eating them.  Jared had a few also!  He is a sucker for anything fresh:)  They are yummy, but very messy, especially on the clothes!

 Camille, Elle, Garet, and Isaac were "old" enough to go up on the roof for a little while.  It's not very steep and not very high off the ground, just perfect for 5 and 8 year olds.

 The backyard has a tree house that my cousins built several years ago and Garet and Isaac spent sun-up to sun-down everyday pounding and building and playing in it.  Little boys' heaven.

 One morning Jared and I took the kids for a little hike up the mountain across the road to the famous "Toquerville Rock".  It's quite a climb for little legs, but they all did great.  No one even whined and they said they wanted to do it again!

 We made it!

On the way home we stopped in the Cedar City area to chop down a Christmas tree.  This is a tradition that we love and miss when we don't go to Duchesne for Thanksgiving.  It wasn't nearly as fun as being with the entire family, but still memorable.

Sweet Baby Dallin Boy!

My sister Collette took some pictures of my sweet Dallin while we were in Toquerville for Thanksgiving!  They turned out sooooo cute.  Of course, why wouldn't they, when he is the smiliest baby ever!  He is a picture taking champ.  We love this boy so much!  He makes me smile all the time.  Another good thing - he is still not crawling, so life is still easy at our house.  I'm sure it's only a matter of weeks or days;  that Christmas tree is calling his name.

9 1/2 months old!