Our Family Nativity

Our family Nativity this year I found a script online and I was the director, and cast selector person. (I can't remember what that is really called) Anyways I sent out an email with the script and letting everyone know their role. Tunda was adorable about being Mary and said she had to ask Steven if it was ok to be Joseph and for Isaac to be Baby Jesus.
Aidan was SUPER excited to be a shepherd and he loved that he got to have Eyore in the play, since that was one of his sheep.

This is me welcoming everyone to our humble reenactment of the night of Christ's Birth. I was in charge of holding Baby Isaac, until he made his debut in the manger.

DeEtt, Juli and Nicole were the angels that came and told the shepherds of the baby's birth.

Here are the shepherds visiting the Baby Jesus.

Madisyn was a wise man with Michelle and Becca. She had one line and loved saying her line in the play.

All in all it was wonderful, and a great tradition each year to again remember why we celebrate Christmas.

Temple Square

I love going to Temple Square on Christmas Eve, and especially watching the Nativity, and listening to the prophet's message. It's a great way to remember the meaning of Christmas.
I wanted to go to the top of the Joseph Smith Memorial building to look down at the lights, because I had never done that, and Mike was super concerned we would get stuck in the elevator, but it all worked out beautifully. Look at that view. It was wonderful.

The restaurant at the top had a beautiful Nutcracker I made the kids standby, because I thought it was cute.

A nice couple took our picture Mike's Parents, DeEtt, Juli, and us. I love how bundled up Nicole is.

Aidan loved the shepherds, because latter that night that is the part he was going to act out in the Nativity. He liked pointing them out.

In the middle of the reflection pool there is a Nativity scene of Mary, Joseph and the Baby Jesus. It is always so beautiful.

Christmas Cookies

I love the sugar cookie recipe I stole from Adrianne. It is GREAT, and the kids loved making the cookies.

Aidan loved it.

Nicole loved it.

Even Madisyn loved it.

Work in Progress--Madisyn Ballet

Earlier this Fall a friend of mine came to me and asked if I could take over the Power Tap in her studio. She remembered me from College SUU and the Tap piece I had choreographed there. She said she has been struggling to find a teacher to teach and the caliber she needs. I was honored and said SURE. Then I found out that my kids get to take for free, FREE, that made things even better since I had been trying to find a place for Madiysn to take, and just DID NOT like any of the studios around. This studio is Ballet Based and focuses on the Art of Dance and not the Competition of Dance. I loved that and it seems Madisyn has too.

Here she is doing work on the bar. The teacher does not show them just says in Ballet language what they need to do and then they have to do it. GREAT for REAL WORLD Ballet companies, because that is how it is. She just needs a cane to smack on the ground and it would be a NEW YORK Ballet Company.

Here is some more bar work...

Then they did center and across the floor. I was super impressed and feel so blessed that Madisyn gets to get such a wonderful education in Ballet.

LTF Rockclimbing

I thought it would be great for the kids to check Nicole in at the daycare and then take Madisyn and Aidan rock climbing. They were super excited and ran from wall to wall wanting to make it to the top faster. I timed them to make it more fun. They both are little spidermans.

Aidan didn't want to get past this crazy part of his climb, but he worked through it. I loved seeing him NOT GIVE UP. He loved ringing the bell.

Madisyn can scale anything, she is a natural rock climber, and with her flexibility in gymnastics it makes her even better.

Kim's Funeral

Kristine's Husband Kim passed away from Cancer. We went to the beautiful viewing and then the funeral the next day. We showed up late to the funeral, and rushed in for the closing of the casket and the last prayer. Kim's youngest daughter Kimber is Masdisyn's age and they became really close. Madisyn took Kim's death pretty hard and so I am glad we made it in for the casket closing, so she could have a little closer.

This is Kim's granddaughter and she is the same age as Nicole. They were sitting next to a statue they had in the front, and I had to take a picture because I thought they looked so cute.

Last Year for Christmas Utah

We had no idea, but there is a house in West Valley that goes CRAZY for Christmas. She has announced that this is her last year, she said she is just getting too old, but she does a really good job. So we drove to see this house and yes it was really cool. We also found a really great neighborhood that decorated all to the Night Before Christmas. It was a fun night.

Madisyn's Christmas Gym Performance

Madisyn impresses me more and more every year. This year she got to do all of the calling out for the other girls. She is so great at gymnastics and I love our gym.

I thought her outfit this year was super cute too.

The Polar Express-Our Ward Party

The Ward put together a really cute Polar Express Party, but NO PJ's that was kind of weird, anyways they asked if I would read the book, and so I read the book out loud, Mike made me practice and there were a couple of words and I had to say multiple times to make sure I said them correctly, but I think I did a pretty good job. Madisyn was my assistant and she held the book while I read. We knew Santa was coming so we prepared Nicole and she was all excited about asking him for a baby, but when we got there, NO WAY, she did not want to see him.

Aidan and Madisyn though skipped the line and went right to the BIG MAN without Mike or I and had to go again with us. After you visited Santa you got a bell from his sleigh.

Nicole's New Dresser--She Had to Help

Nicole's little dresser/changing table was falling apart and we needed to get her a new dresser, so Mike and I bought one a Target and Saturday Mike and Nicole put it together. I couldn't help but take pictures of how cute she was trying to help Daddy put it together. She thought she was REALLY helping.

She's a Big Girl.

Letter's To Santa

Jenni two years ago gave us this beautiful Disney Christmas Choo Choo Train decoration. I latter had to move it because everyone got a little too touchy, but this has become a FAMILY favorite during Christmas time. Nicole couldn't get over Mickey in the train and Pooh and Tiger on the bottom.

We also wrote our letters to Santa and left them in our boots for Santa's Elves to pick them up, and we got our first ELF on a self, we named him Zach.

Tree Lighting at Lakes of Las Vegas

I had heard on the radio and saw a bill board for the tree lighting ceremony at Lakes of Las Vegas, and thought that would be fun. So I talked everyone into going, but no one was excited. So we packed up and headed out.

Kai and Madisyn as elves.

Everyone waiting for the tree lighting.

The tree that they lit. It really wasn't very spectacular. So I had to apologize for my dumb idea, but I got to see Lake Las Vegas for the first time.

Trip to Redman and then The Hospital

Thanksgiving this year was with Jeff and his family in St. George. It was wonderful weather and a chance for all of us to get outside. Mike and I were going to take the kids to a driving range, but Jeff invited us to go hiking. We decided that we were here for him and we should do as the St. George-ians do. So we jumped in the car and we were off to a fort that the pioneers built to protect people on the honeymooners trail. This is also a source of a spring. So we get to the fort and then Jeff said there's this little hike that is so cool from here and we get to see "the REDMAN" he was super excited, and really wanted to go, so again we were off.

This was not a path at ALL, we got a little lost in the dry creek bed and we were dodging bushes and my hair that I had done up nice and my BLING BLING pants were not up to a hike like this one. But we were off.

Madiysn and Aidan had a ton of fun. Here's Madiysn at the Fort.

Here are some petroglyphs we found.

WE MADE IT...The Redman, It was pretty cool, but really not a set hike more of a WONDERING. Mike stayed behind because Nicole was asleep.

The boys dug up a poor lizard that was hibernating. It was a pretty cool lizard though, we also got a ton of bones, cow bones, and little bird bones, from a coyote den and a lion's den.

It really was one big lizard.

Here we are starting the hike down. Aidan thought Jeff was the COOLEST ever.

OK so that rectangular rock just left of my head is where REDMAN is you have to just boulder your way up. Right after this picture disaster struck and Madisyn tumbled down a pretty good size hill and her chin ran right into a rock. Splitting her chin wide open. WHAT WERE WE THINKING... Anyways we hiked her out and carried sleeping Nicole out to then head to the hospital on Thanksgiving day.

Jeff tried to help with Nicole, but poor Madisyn just had to keep going with her jacket (cute justice jacket) catching all the blood from her chin. AGAIN WHAT WAS I THINKING...

When we got to the car her biggest concern was being able to have Thanksgiving Dinner with everyone, but with all of our pleading they ate without us, and we had to scarf down our meal super fast so we could make it to the Muppet Movie. This was probably the WORST Thanksgiving EVER, from now on we have decided that GOLF is a much safer activity for Thanksgiving Morning. Sorry Madiysn we should have just gone golfing.

She was super brave and sadly thats because this is her third time getting stitches. My beautiful girl and so many scars. Oh well.

Pinnacle 5K

Mike's work puts on a 5K every year to raise money to send a group of college kids to help build schools, or build houses in third world countries. I liked the idea that the money stayed within the company and gave people within the company such amazing opportunities.
Here we are in Mike's office where we stashed items we didn't want to get lost or stolen, and I had to take a picture. I was so excited that Mike was running too.

Here we are lined up at the start line. We had decided that I would actually run the race, and that Mike would stay along with Madisyn. At the beginning of the race though Madisyn came up to hold my had, because that's what we do when we run races, and I had to explain to her that I was RUNNING the race and would be unable to run with her. I felt really bad, as she walked away and back to Mike. I think she thought she could run as fast as me, and was sad that I didn't want her with me.

All the kids recieved medals. I LOVE THAT!!! Madisyn loved going up and getting her medal.

I placed 2nd in my age division, not bad, with a time of 21:13, ONE DAY I'LL BREAK 21...

Aidan Gets A Blog

Madisyn is jealous, but I wanted to turn Aidan's crazy Lego Building into something. So I let him borrow my iPhone and take pictures of his lego creations. I then in turn place them on his blog named...http://legodudepictures.blogspot.com/
This is just one picture we have added to the blog.