Two Christmases

MERRY CHRISTMAS!  Our very fortunate kiddos got to open presents twice so it was really like having 2 different Christmases.  A friend from Jason's work, Jo, loves to spoil our kids.  She had told Jason that she got them a present or two, but we had no idea what she had really done until Jason came home with all those lovely presents under our tree at home.

Thanks again Jo!  Our kids have never been so spoiled!

Can you feel the anxiousness as they wait to get started?

Finally, they got to start opening!

Even Danny got pretty excited once we showed him how to tear into the wrapping paper.

Then, it was time to head up to my parents house, where we got to have a WHITE Christmas.

Danny just getting used to this stuff.  I love going to my parents house because they know us "desert dwellers" don't usually invest in snow clothes, but my mom always tries to provides something to let our kids not get too cold.  We don't mind the pink!

Tod doesn't mind what he's wearing either, as long as he gets to play too.

Jack getting a good lesson on how to make a snowman.  He just got done rolling out the body.

I love Jacks pose, always so cool. 

And what's a trip to Nana and Papa's, without a ride in Daisy with the cutest kids and husband EVER.

Every Christmas we attempt to put together the Nativity.  This year the characters were played by our kiddos and Cally and Nates kids. With Baby Evey as the Baby Jesus.

Danny had too much fun trying to be the inn keeper.

It will be a sad day when Kimball has to share the role of Mary.  She loves being Mary, and totally plays the part.

Tod was all about the "Good tidings of great joy!" As the angel.

Finally the real Christmas morning arrived, and pictures of the some of the joy and craziness!

Jack with his crazy faces!

Tod getting excited over toothpaste and a toothbrush from his stocking.  Our kids really love getting a new toothbrush from Santa.  I wonder if it confuses them with the Tooth Fairy?

Happy times with anything princess for Kimball.

Jason, I mean Danny has some of the most random facial expressions.

And, more fun with these two!  I swear Tod and Danny share a brain sometimes.

And more fun outside!  Anything to burn some energy to lessen the effects of "cabin fever."

I finally went outside to join in the fun.  Jason pulled us around in a tube behind Daisy, and managed to cover me in snow.  Thank goodness it was pretty warm, so it melted off our faces quick.

Danny harnessing his cuteness.

And our fabulous chauffeurs that drove around the back yard all day!

It was a very fun Christmas this year with good times with some of our family.  Aside from the presents and good food and company, during the Christmas season, it's always amazing to think of the "reason for the season."  My testimony of Christs birth is very special to me as I think about Mary and her experience during the Christmas season, especially as I just found out I'm pregnant with baby #5.  I'm grateful for my Savior, for His birth on this earth and for all that His life, death, and resurrection means to me and to my beautiful growing family! 

Hiking the Mesa and a Family Photo Shoot

 A new park was just built that has a couple of different trails that lead to the top of the mesa behind our house.  I got brave one day and took all four kids up one of those trails.  Up at the top was a nice little sitting area where we ate our snacks.

Tod is trying to figure how to far down the path he wants to go.

Enjoying snacks and the view from a top the mesa.

Kimball telling me to save the boys as they are heading down a path that leads to the edge of hill.  Always the older sister looking out for her little brothers.

 A self-portrait of Danny and I.

My fabulous sister-in-law Kim and my brother Abe found some time to do a family photo-shoot of our family.  They were awesome, and got some great shots.  These pics, do not give them justice because these are the funny outtakes that I wanted to put on the blog.  The nice pictures will go on the side of the blog on a more permanent spot.

 Love this boy!  This is one of the faces Jack willl make if he's trying to trick us, or if I ask him if he's done something he doesn't want to admit to.

I saw a cute picture of a family posed  with the parents laying down and their cute little kids sitting very cutely on top of them.  This is as close was we got.

Tod looking very concerned before we got a good smile out of him.

So glad to have this little girl as our oldest.  She sure keeps me entertained and is the best big sister!  

Harnessing her inner "free-bird."

When we told Jack and Tod to come climb on top of us, to try and set up a pose, they decided a flying leap was the best approach.

Danny caught mid laugh or snarl... can't tell which!

Thanks Abe and Kim!

Best Week EVER! Disneyland here we come!!!

 How do you start the best week ever?  Get together 3 sisters (we missed you Abs) and husbands, 1 Nana and Papa, and 11 cousins under 5 years old and all to go Disneyland for 3 days.  We had the best time!

Group meal times outside were a easy way to contain the mess.

But every once in a while we did had to let them inside.

Danny and Tod rode around in style!

We took Jack and Kimball on  the Madderhorn.  Jack made it very clear afterwards that he didn't like that ride.

We ate as much sugar as we could.  Papa also joined us for that.

Kimball and her cousin Ashton (aka Ashbug) having fun in a portacrib.

We all loved the new Cars Land ride!  Thanks to Cally and Nate who let us mooch off of their "special kids" passes so we never had to wait the full line.

Kimball and Jack loved this ride, and I have to admit that I love this ride too.

Danny enjoying his crib with his new sleeping buddy.  He picked out Pluto.

Tod became very attached to Donald Duck and to this day, has to have Donald in his bed.

Kimball and Jack are definitely not Disneyland virgins, but we still found new things for them to do.  Jack looks a little too happy with this rifle, don't ya think?

Our attempt of a family picture in front of the castle.  I remember my dad saying "for posterity sake" as he tried to get us all in one pictures.  So, here's our "for posterity sake" picture.

Kimball learned how to throw peace signs, we don't know where she got that from. 

Who knew they had rock climbing at Disneyland?

I feel like I have to explain why my #2 son was walking around with a pink hat on.  We had watched Alice in Wonderland a couple too many times, and Tod loves the Chesire Cat.  So when he saw that hat, we couldn't talk him out of it.

Another new fun ride in Cars Land.

I just liked Tod and Kimball's face in this picture.

Dad and Danny enjoying some Ghiradelli's icecream sundaes.

Kimball and Tod borrowing their Uncle David's hat. His wife just laughed as her husband walked around all day with this hat on.

 

Souvenirs galore!

And the best pictures of all the kiddos in their ears!

It was the vacation of all vacations.  And we enjoyed ourselves to the max.  THANKS to everyone that came with us, AND everyone else who helped us get there (you know who you are!)

Halloween Fun

Between the Halloween carnival at Kimballs school, the ward Trunk or Treat, and actually Halloween made it seemed like it lasted for 2 weeks this year.  And we made the most of it!

The kids all got their faces painted at the school Carnival.  

Kimball stayed "in character" the whole time, and Tod decided to join her.

Here's the whole crew.  I keep trying to embrace the "home-maker" part of being a stay at home mom, and made 2 of the costumes this year.  

What do you do when your son says he wants to be a "bad guy" for Halloween?  Cut out a felt mask, and buy some electrical tape for a white shirt, and make him look like this!  The red juice on the shirt is optional. 

 

 

The kids got more candy than I should admit,  (may or may not still have some up in the cabinet as I'm blogging about this in Feb.) and were very happy about it.  But I tried to be a good mom and ration how much they could eat. We had a great time!