Our Christmas of 2008

We knew this year would be different, being that this is our first christmas without Grammie and the anniversary of her passing. December started out pretty hard for us all. Last christmas may not have been the best but we have had many christmas's before that to look back apon with happiness. We kept good memories in our minds and had great company to make our Christmas Very Merry.
We had Grandma Bobbi in town, which was unexpected but very nice. And The Perrys came to stay with us at the house. They are great friends and we always enjoy there company. As always we celebrated Christmas eve with Jasons side of the family. We had a get together here at our house and had lots of yummy drinks and treats to eat. Guests were ...The Verbecks, The Bryan Sledges,The Perrys, The Deals, Papa stopped by too! We all had a great time visiting and opening gifts. So many nice things and good memories made.
Then on Christmas Day we did Santa stuff with just us and the Perrys, then Nana , Steve'O, and Bobbi came to have christmas dinner. We had plenty of snacks again (What diet??), a delicious roast dinner, and of course tons of sweets. Both days were filled with fun times. We all stayed very happy and were able to enjoy the holiday.
This year we decided to tone christmas gifts down. Each year the kids get older and are always wanting bigger and better. Jason tends to want to go overboard since he didnt have christmas when he was little, which is understandable. We love to get the kids new things and see their joy. But we dont want them to become spoiled to the point that they dont appreciate what they get. So this year before christmas I had the kids help with cleaning out the toy room. We cleaned out 6 big black trash bags of toys. They were very generous and got rid of nice things, that will make some other child very happy ( I hope ) . We took them down to the Goodwill. Which I think was a good experience for the kids. I want them to learn to give along with recieve. To know that Jesus is the true meaning of the season , and that family around us and the times we share together are to be cherished.

Last christmas the kids actually got tired of opening gifts, so this this year I only got each kids 5 gifts each, their stocking and of course the gift from Santa. With the gifts they get from all other family members they got a ton of stuff and didnt seem to notice the "downsize". Everyone was more then happy , even Mommy and Daddy. My highlight was the Red Mixer Debbie got me, The "Quickcooking" items mom got me and the New Couches Jason got me. LOVE Them!!! Jason got himself a new HD TV that he had been wanting, along with a new airplane and other hobbie things. Oh and a new robe since his old one is without a tie and Im tired of him using that as an excuse for it popping open all the time...Hahaha!

So...Merry Christmas, we hope you all enjoyed yours as well as we did !


The kids upstairs in front of Grammies old christmas tree

Christmas morning, santa left the gift from him to each kid down stairs. Haden got a Remote control mustang he wanted

Jordan got the PSP he asked for

And Trea asked for a new race track

And Lindy asked for this FurReal Kitty and a new baby buggy

This is a picture of all the cousins opening gifts on christmas eve , Such sweeties!

Sissy and I waiting for our company to arrive on christmas eve

Debbie visiting with the boys one evening
Sweet Bobbi and mumzie

Lindy enjoying her learning toy and dressed in her Oh so cute outfit Debbie got her


Kent looking in on the santa gifts... I think it was like 7:00am

A peek at my couch, This is the love seat the couch looks the same just bigger.

I know its just an appliance but Im a kitchen appliance nerd. Im so excited to have this mixer...Isnt it Purty!!! Plan on making lots of yummy stuff in this for years to come!!!

Where does the time go???

Well I havent blogged in a while so Ill do a little bit of catching up. Here are a few of the things weve been up to.

This is a picture from the musical christmas show Jordans grade put on. They sang so well . We all enjoyed watching. Even Grandma Bobbi and Grandpa were in town to see him in the performance.

I revised the Christmas village, we added a train. Oh so fun!!!



Just a quick add of the night we had cole spend the night. The boys had a great time.
We decorated the sugar cookie like we do every year. It was fun as usual, just one difference we used a new sugar cookie recipe from my friend Holly. Its sooo yummy!

Below, the kids decorating...
We visited with the Lybrook family, some good friends of ours on the 20th for a pre-christmas party. We all had a great time laughing and eating all the treats we put together.

Sis and Brynly at the table having sum treats
The 1st snopw of the season...the kiddos having a blast
Me with my Rascall, He LOVES to wear his antlers...NOT !!!

1st Tooth

Haden lost his 1st tooth. here he is showing it off so proud!!!

Hair Cut

Well I did it...I cut Lindys hair. We love her hair its so long and curly, BUT it is very thin and is extreamly tangly. She hates to have me comb it and usually cries the whole time. So today we finally gave in and cut it. Is her 1st haircut. I put it in a pony tail and seriously felt sick as I cut it off. I cut off 5 inchs!!! It looks very cute though and shes so happy cuz now she has hair like Aubs! One of her bestest friends. I think it even makes her look older. My baby is growing up!

A Different Thanksgiving.

This year for thanksgiving we went to Flagstaff AZ. A good friend of the family
(Jasons moms best friend Debbie Perry and her husband), invited our family and Jasons sisters family to go to the "Little America" Hotel. That is where they go every year and love it. We were very excited to do something different this year and to be celebrating Thanksgiving with such special friends. The Hotel was beautiful and they put on the biggest and most delicious Dinner ever! We felt so spoiled !!! We stayed for two days and took in some of the sites in the area. We went to the Lowell Observitory. The train station, 125 trains pass through that station everyday! And put pennies on the tracks, the kids loved that. Ate at several very neat places. One was an old saloon style place Black Barts, that the waiters sing and put on shows in between serving you. We had a great time. And we're very thankful to have such loving and great friend to of shared the holiday with.

Getting ready for Christmas

Christmas is a BIG deal at our house. We usually decorate the day after Thanksgiving every year and enjoy the decorations all December.This year we put them up a little early since were going out of town for Thanksgiving. The kids decorated "the kid tree", down stars it turned out really cute as always. Then we decorated the rest of the living room and the kitchen and dinning area. I also put grammie Lynns tree together up stairs. We put out the blow ups out front (froze our buts off!!! ) and some of the lawn ordernments. Daddy will have to put the ones on the roof though. But its starting to look very christmasish and colorfull with what we have out. Cant wait to have some parties with friends and then family on christmas eve. Then ofcourse christmas morning. Jason always spoils the kids and goes all out, since he didnt have santa when he was little! My favorite is the stocking!!!

This is a Nativity Scene that Jasons mom, Lynn had painted. Shes had it for years and now that she is gone I am proud to add it to my colections of christmas decorations.

Here is a Angel Lynn painted, and the angel and mini village the kids used to love to play with at her house. Along with a candle center piece that we picked out together. It was the year she decided to get ALL NEW christmas decorations. She was crazy like that. We had such a good time picking everything out at her favorite store TJ Max. Every year we would shop for christmas together like crazy. Nobody could out shop Lynn, and she spoiled us all like no other! I miss Lynn everyday But christmas makes it all the more apparent that shes gone. Christmas just wont ever be the same again...But atleast I have all the wonderful memories and some of the decorations to help remind me.

And I couldnt leave out the tree. She had this huge tree and I always dreaded putting it together for Lynn. It is fake and had a milllion branchs that scratch you. But still every year I put it together for her, decorations and all. It made her so happy. I remember the Angel had to be just right. after fixing it over and over she'd finally be pleased. This year I put it up just to rember her, I think iwill every year. I just think its funny that I used to dread it and now I do it on my own accord! I have to mention that 1/2 the decorations got ruin over the summer by mold! I dont know how they got wet but they did. I was so bummed! She had a ton of the most beautiful victorian decorations. I was able to save a handfull and I decorated as best I could. I looks so nice and is a warm reminder of Christmas at Grammies

Oh.. and here is the village that I also inherited from Lynn. I used to always put it up for her also. Its so cute and looks so neat all lit up.

We babysat the Lybrooks kids the other night to so they could go watch Twilight. The kids all had fun they watched WALLE, and played up in the toy room. Little Bryn must have been tired cuz she wanted me to lay with her in sissys room and watch a movie. So since all the other kids were busy having fun I enjoyed laying with and loving on her. She was being so sweet. I tickeled her back and her eyes would roll back, she was sleepy. She so tiny. I miss having a tiny one around like her!
Of course Rascall had to be right in the middle. But Bryn was loving that too!

Oh no...

... I think Sis has found a "model" to try her fashion experiments on.
Lets just do a quick once over...Fluffy tasel slippies, Robe tie, tie! and a mismatched pair of socks as gloves. Shell need alot more practice if she wants to see her name in lights!!!! :)
Same robe tie but in a bow ofcourse since shes a girl!

Maybe not... Looks like shes going for the traditional tie look here! And Im sure the pot holder has some purpose!?

A Beautiful Fall Day For Family Photos

We had our Family pictures done this October by a long time friend of the family, Tosha Inman. Shes such a sweetie and she always does a great job. It had been tradition to have our family pictures done at christmas in the past. We would all go to Grammie Lynns, her house was always decorated so beautiful and all the rest of the family would be there too! But as you know Grammie wont be here this christmas except in our hearts. So we decided to do it differently this year. Jason and I have always loved fall. Haden was born on the first day of fall in 2002, and we thought it would be a nice change of sceanery. We had a great time getting them taken . It was a beautiful day down by the river at Burg Park. So anyways heres your peek I will send out copies soon. :)