Here Today Gone Tomorrow

Time sure does fly by. It seems like we were just getting ready for Christmas and then it's over. We had a great Christmas as always. We had our Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve with Steve's parents and his sister Jenn and our great, great friends, Bryce and Keri (we joked and said they were my side of the family). We had a Honey Baked Ham, twice baked spuds (yum) and Steve made homemade creamed corn (double yum). Keri brought her incredible homemade rolls and Jenn brought chex mix and muddie buddies. We had a wonderful time playing games and being together. Christmas morning lasted all of 15 minutes. Devynne and Dylan both got new cell phones and Dakota got an XBOX 360 plus other little gifts for all three, Santa was good to them. The kids left around noon to spend the rest of Christmas and the following weekend with their dad. They stayed in a cabin in Cedar City and had a great time. Lots of snow fun for them. Steve and I went for a triple feature (yes, I said triple) at the movies with Steve's parents and Jenn. It was so much fun. We've never done two movies in one day, let alone three. We saw Benjamin Button, Marley and Me and Valkyrie (spelling? not sure), Marley and Me was my favorite however lots of tissue was needed. Steve and I enjoyed our weekend and many times we said "so this is what it's like to not have kids" or "this will be us in a few years". I must admit that I did miss the activity of kids coming and going, though. Anyhoo, I hope you all had a great Christmas and I wish you a very happy new year. :)



Wake up!! Time for Christmas!!!

Santa left stockings.


The kids with their dad

Happy New Year!!!

Ready for Christmas!!

I can officially say that I'm ready for Christmas. My shopping is done, my baking is done, the presents are all wrapped and under the tree and our deliveries have all been made including the out of town ones. Yay!!! I now get to enjoy this week with my family. This past weekend Steve and Dakota went to Utah to see Cadie, Cody and Carson. They hit major snow on the way Friday and it was a little tense for them for awhile but they arrived safely. Steve took the kids shopping for Christmas gifts and brought them stockings that we had put together for them. (Dakota said it was torture for him and we told him his day was coming). They played together and watched movies. A good time was had by all (Cadie looks like she had too much fun). :)

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow

Yes, it did snow in Las Vegas. It was very exciting around here yesterday. It snowed for hours. I have not seen it snow here like this in the 20 years that I have lived here and I never thought it would snow like this on our side of town. We even had a snow day from school if you can believe it (family in Wyoming). Crazy, I know. :)

Whacky Emotions

I'm not sure what is going on with me. First, I told Steve that we should start saying family prayer at night. We say it in the morning with the kids but we haven't said family prayer at night in I don't know how long. Anyhoo, we decided that yes we should start saying it at night so last night was our start. I could not stop laughing. We're gathering together and my kids are teasing and messing with each other, Steve is "scolding" Devynne for bringing her cell phone, Dakota is getting aggrivated because we're taking too long and he is missing his show(hmmm, too much TV for that kid) and I said "Maybe this is why we stopped saying family prayer at night". For some reason I was thrown into, not just the giggles, but HYSTERICAL laughing. I could NOT stop. And I was the one who was supposed to say it. We would finally get quiet, then the quiet would start me up again. Steve finally said "Can you just laugh silently and I'll say it?" So I "silently" giggled through the whole thing. When we were done I had tears running down my face and my entire abdomen ached from my "hysterical giggling". Then this morning I'm driving to the gym to work out and I'm listening to Christmas music and "Little Drummer Boy" came on and I started to cry. I never cry during Christmas songs. But for some reason it just touched me. Oh well, now you know that I some times have whacky emotions and I sometimes laugh during the most inappropriate times. :D

Anyhoo, we had a great weekend. Surprise party for my closest and dearest friend Friday night, Ward Christmas Breakfast Saturday morning (it was great), lunch with Dylan just the two of us (I absolutely enjoyed having alone time with him), dinner Saturday night with Steve's parents (we always enjoy time with them) and a great day at church on Sunday and a family movie (The Grinch Who Stole Christmas). Again, life is good. :)

The Token Family Picture

It's been two weeks since we took family pictures and I'm just now feeling like I can blog about it. It's typical to want a nice family picture to send with Christmas cards so people can see how lovely your family is, right? Do you think that would be an easy feat? Not for our family. Let's just say Mom (me) was so over it really, really quick. I wanted to do a couple of really cute and maybe even silly poses and I was shot down every time. Steve: "No, that won't work, the lighting isn't right" or "No, that won't work because I don't like the back ground" or "No, that won't work because lack of background" The kids: "No, that's dumb" or "No, we'll look rediculous" (did I spell that right?) or the ever whining "Mommmmm, Noooooo" After a few takes, Mom: "That's it, I'm done!" So anyhoo, here is a the first snap, and yes I'm on the phone, and the best snap with a couple in between. Crazy I say. :)

Golf Anyone?

Yesterday, Steve played golf with his dad, brother (Mike) and sister (Jenn) to raise money for the Silverado H.S. Girls Volleyball team. They played at the Sienna Golf Club. It was a beautiful day and they had a great time. We won't say how they placed, oh ok we will. They placed in last place and not only were they last, they were the only team to be over par. But they look cute, don't you think?

A Must Read

My sister suggested I go to a mommy blog and read the latest entry. So I'm passing it on. If you have 5 to 10 minutes you must read it. It is a story that reminds me of the real meaning of family, life, love and faith. As I read this story about a woman (Nie Nie) and her family, it's her sister that is amazing to me. When you go to the website and read this story, you should click on the sister's link and read some of her entries. Go to damomma.com and read the entry "A story of a girl named Nie"

A Great Day for a Birthday

Yesterday was my birthday and it was wonderful. Steve took the day off from work and helped me decorate the house for Christmas. He also took me out to lunch and we had fantastic conversation. All three of my children remembered my birthday and said "Happy Birthday" before I realized it was my birthday. My sister called, my dad called, my mom called, my step mother called, my best friend called (and her family, they sang to me over the phone), my visiting teacher called, and my sister in law sent me a text, as did Dylan's friend Corin. We had a great family home evening (which isn't always the case) and Steve made a delicious dinner of homemade turkey noodle soup (and yes, the noodles were made from scratch) and homemade rolls. And guess what, he is still taking me out to dinner Friday night with our closest friends for my birthday. Life is good :)