ChRiStMaS....

Christmas was a lot of fun this year! I love how excited the kids get, and how almost every night starting after Thanksgiving, Kayston asks if Santa is coming that night!
I love being able to use the excuse that "if you're not good, I'm going to call Santa and tell him not to come!" (a little mean, I know, but whatever works, RIGHT?)
I love buying and wrapping presents and watching the kids shake them and try to guess whats inside! I love all the yummy food that's associated with it, I love everything about it!
This year was pretty much the same as every year! Except, on Christmas Eve, we decided to start a tradition to have my family over for a turkey dinner. (my parents used to take us to "The Roof" on Christmas Eve but we started feeling bad about spending that much $ on one dinner.)
Anyway, so my parents came over for dinner and then after, we watched the Nativity! After that was over, the kids got to open a present from Gramma! Probably the same present every other kid gets to open on Christmas Eve...Jammies! Kayston got Bakugan jammies and this year, she added a new pillow and skeleton pillow case for Kayston. Bry got her "pretty" jammies and a new book! (sorry, no pics of dinner) Christmas morning was so much fun! Santa got the kids each a tent and then had put all their other presents inside! The look on their faces was priceless! Brylee LOVED the baby stroller she got and I think if that were the only thing she got, she would have been perfectly happy!
The only thing Kayston really wanted this year was a skeleton head! I know, kind of strange but ever since Halloween, he has been obsessed! So, luckily Santa got the message and was able to find him a pretty cool skeleton head.I have to admit, I was pretty spoiled this year. Preston surprised me with a new pan set, plus new baking utensils, new cookie sheets, he made me a couple of signs and picture frames that I have been wanting and last but not least...a brand new digital camera that I have been wanting for quite a while! Him on the other hand, well he got 2 new books and new G's!
Don't you just hate that feeling where you're opening up your super cool presents and you're thinking to yourself "boy, I sure wish I would have gotten him A LOT more stuff than I did?!?" That's what I was thinking pretty much every present I opened! Sorry babe! After we were all done opening presents we packed up and headed over to my parents for our yearly Christmas breakfast and to open more presents! My dad made the little girls cribs for their babies and they turned out SO cute! The girls LOVED them! Then my mom made bedding to go in them and also matching hats for the babies! SO CUTE! Kayston got a case of Bakugans that he absolutely loves! Not sure if a lot of you know what Bakugans are but they're pretty weird! He doesn't even play the game he just like the little figures! (I guess I didn't get a picture with his Bakugans...Sorry Buddy!)

We had such a great Christmas and we feel so blessed to be able to spend it with the ones we love!
We hope everyone else had a wonderful Christmas too and we wish you a Happy New Year!

(P.S. Sorry my posts are so long but I consider this blog to also be a journal/scrapbook, so bare with me!)

Post OVERLOAD!!! ......sorry!

All I can say is.....WOW!

Today I had the AMAZING opportunity to join my hubby along with some of his co-workers to go shopping for Toys for Tots! (Some of you probably remember me writing about this last year so sorry if it sounds like a re-run!)
So, every year around Christmas, the company that Preston works for (Wadsworth Brothers) makes a HUGE donation to Toys for Tots! Last year was Preston's first year going and after I heard about how amazing it was, I couldn't wait to tag along this year!
Our first stop was Walmart! At first, I really didn't know what to expect. I mean, people were telling me to just grab things, but for me, being a person that won't buy something unless it's on sale, it was kind of hard to look past the price and just throw things in. Well, it only took me a few minutes to realize that they meant what they said! I couldn't believe what I was seeing! They had extra workers there just to take our filled up carts to the front and to hand us empty carts! They had like 9 check out lanes that were just for us!
And the stuff we were getting wasn't the cheap stuff either! They were throwing in digital cameras, bikes, Ipods, movies, huge doll houses, clothes, shoes, guitars, just about everything a kid could want. Just at Walmart we filled up a Semi truck and a huge trailer.
Our next stop was Costco! They opened early for us and had everything ready. They even had doughnuts, muffins and drinks waiting for us! =)
They had all the big orange carts lined up ready for us to SHOP! We pretty much cleared out Costco! We were grabbing books by the stacks and clothes by the piles, tons of diapers and wipes, boxes of toys, coats, shoes, movies, basketball hoops, sleds, dolls, EVERYTHING! You know the racks of dresses they have in the middle? Well, that was empty by the time we left! People were just standing around staring and thanking us! It was hard to fight back the tears! It felt so good to be a part of such an amazing thing! Even if it wasn't my $!
After we finished up at Costco, (and over $150,000. later) we drove all the toys up to the U to drop them off at the army base! (I finally broke down and cried pretty much the whole way there) I thought it would take FOREVER to unload but with all the marines and workers it didn't take long at all!
I am so proud that my hubby works for such an amazing company! This really is what Christmas is all about! =)

Walmart shopping
Costco Shopping

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Temple Square....

We decided last minute, to take the kiddos up to Temple Square. We have been wanting to go for a while but it has been SO cold lately. We're glad we waited cause the weather was perfect! We took Trax up and the kids loved it! Well, for about the first 15 minutes then they started to get bored after that! The lights were pretty but it seems to me that there weren't as many this year. Anyone else feel the same?? Anyway, we still had a great time! We went in to see the statue of Jesus! Kayston had never seen it before and I couldn't help but tear up when I was explaining to him about the holes in His hands and feet. I felt the spirit so strongly in there, I could have stayed all night!************************************************************

Sugar Cookies and Friends

We had some of our friends over the other night to make sugar cookies! The kids loved decorating them and seemed as if it were a contest to see who could get the most sprinkles onto one cookie!

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SnOw FuN!!!

We had gotten a lot of snow over the past few days and the kids were DYING to get out and play in it! Kayston, being the trooper that he is, hopped right back on the sled behind the 4-wheeler! Crazy kid! The sound of it made my stomach turn! Bry preferred the front with daddy!

After sledding, they decided to build a snowman! Bry was pretty much done at this point, but Kayston has so much love for this big fella made out of snow! He looks at it everyday and gets sad to see that he is starting to melt! I was the picture taker, warm, inside! =)

A visit from Santa!

Last night we invited some friends over for a movie night since Daddy was out of town. As we were sitting there we heard a noise outside. It sounded like a "Ho Ho Ho, Merry Christmas!" The kids ran to the door and sure enough...Santa was standing on our porch! He came in and had the kids sit on his lap and tell him what they wanted for Christmas. My friends daughter ran right over to him and said she wanted "presents" and Kayston said he wanted a "skull head" and "Bakugans"! Bry was a different story, as soon as the door opened and she saw this strange man, she dove into my friend and clung onto to her for dear life! I put her on his lap but she wanted nothing to do with him!
After he was done he gave us all a candy cane and left on his magic sleigh! We are so lucky that Santa Clause made a special trip just to come see us! All night Kayston kept saying that he was his most favorite Santa. (I wonder why?) =) And now, all I have to say to Kayston is.. "you better or else I'm going to call Santa!" It works EVERY time!!!
Thanks Santa!! (AKA Grandpa)


This only lasted for about 10 minutes and then everyone was up running around and dancing! This is the look Kayston gave me after Santa told him that his "elves" have been watching him and that he needs to listen to Mommy and Daddy better! Not quite sure what she was pointing at but she definitely wants PRESENTS for Christmas! Ummm, Yeah! I think Brylee would have given up all her presents just to get away from him! =)
P.S. A word of advice to Santa....WEAR GLOVES!!! Ha Ha! (notice his middle finger, I'm surprised Kayston didn't notice!)

Merry Christmas from our family...to yours!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

P.S. Don't hate us because we're BEAUTIFUL!!!

you can scroll down to the bottom and pause other music!

O' Christmas Tree

So, I'm a little behind on blogging due to my new obsession with the Twilight series so bare with me. =) We put are Christmas tree up the weekend before Thanksgiving this year. We used to do it Thanksgiving weekend but it always seems to go by way too fast. This year was a lot more hectic than usual. Kayston wanted every ornament to be his "treasure" and Brylee just wanted everything! So, I started decorating the top half of the tree while the kids decorated the bottom half. And then I redecorated the bottom half after the kids went to bed. =) Kayston wanted a skeleton tree!
I'm almost regretting our decision to put it up so early. These kids can't leave the thing alone for one second. I've already had a few of my favorite ornaments broken and it seems that everyday more keep disappearing. (which reminds me, I need to go search Kayston's room!)
Besides that, I LOVE having the Christmas tree up! I love this time of year. However, (I might regret saying this later) I do wish it would snow soon. It just doesn't feel the same with all this nice weather we've been having!

This year, we decided we would go to Idaho for Thanksgiving. Even though it wasn't our year to go there. We had a good time visiting Preston's parents and eating a lot of yummy food! This year, I decided I wanted to brave the shopping. I used to work in retail and I swore that I would NEVER be a part of Black Friday!!! Well, I guess all I really needed to change my mind was a good sell! =) So, Thanksgiving night my mother-in-law and I decided we were going to go to Toys R Us at midnight. But first, she wanted me to go with her and my SIL to see New Moon. Well, all of you who know me well know that I had NO interest in all in this vampire crap! I hadn't read any of the books nor had I planned to. So, I was just going to stay behind and meet up her later. The last thing I wanted to spend my money on was a movie I had no interest in seeing. Well, she told me she already had my ticket and to lets go. So, I went! And I loved it! And, I read the first book in just a couple of days (witch explains my blogging absence) and, I am now reading the second book and, I just watched Twilight today. I know, I am just as shocked as any of you! So, thank you to my Mother-in-law for talking me into seeing the movie! I have to admit, I have never enjoyed a book like I have this one. I've never really liked reading at all since I have ADD and it usually takes me 3 times to read one sentence for me to realize what I have read. Not this one! So, if any of you are like I was, take it from me...it's good! =)
Back to Toys R Us. When we got there at 11:45 the line was wrapped clear around the parking lot. But, we decided we would give it a shot! The first 25 minutes or so were fine. We moved quite fast through the line and it wasn't too cold. Well, when we were about 3/4 of the way through, the line seemed to just stop for about 45 minutes! By this time we were FREEZING! So, my MIL brought her car around and we took turns warming up. We were about to leave then we decided to wait just a few more minutes. I'm glad we did cause about 10 minutes after that the line started moving and we were able to get in. We were able to get most of the things we came for. They had one more thing of what I wanted most and it was misplaced so I lucked out there!
After Toys R Us we were going to head over to Walmart but there were cars lined up on the street just waiting to pull in, so we bagged that idea! Overall, it was a fun night! Thanks to my MIL for standing in line with me in the freezing cold for almost 2 hours! And also for introducing me to Edward and Jacob! Ha!
Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures of our Idaho adventures. I am getting so bad at taking pictures! Ugh!!!
Anyway, sorry, this ended up being way longer than I had intended! We hope you all had a Happy Thanksgiving! Love you all!

Putting up the Christmas village! (yes, I know it's probably not a good idea to have our son lifted up while on a chair while he has a fractured skull! )
I don't think she can cheese it any bigger if she tried! But, isn't she so cute?!?
Kayston's skeleton tree!He even put the lights through his eyes!