Merry Christmas to you!

Usually I take the time to organize my pics...but blogger really is a pain isn't it! I am over it today. So here they are, out of order. Christmas this year was simple and sweet. I would have loved to have been home in Idaho or even spent more time with the Watkin's side. However, that isn't what happened. So once again, we spent Christmas with our small sweet family. We didn't get much for our kids this year, so there wasn't a lot of stressing out or crazy last minute shopping. We spent a lot of time with our children and hopefully these memories will be as sweet for them as they have been for Jake and I.

Christmas night we enjoyed the sparklers that Santa brought in the stockings! It was lots of fun. Aubrey and Weston got their long awaited LONG BOARDS! Weston is loving his and Aubrey is tentatively trying to start to like hers...

Spencer got a set of new wheels himself and is loving them.

Weston was his usually energetic self this Christmas morning. What would we do without his "fainting from excitement" and long screams and runs around the house.

Before they opened their presents Christmas morning. These three boxes had all the Santa presents wrapped inside.

So here is Christmas eve. We did the nativity and food and singing all before 6pm and Jake and I were getting bored. The children were getting annoying (too excited and all.) So we decided to look at our list of all the things we planned to do before Christmas. One of them had been to sell Hot Chocolate on our street (our street is very highly Christmas lights adorned.) Anyhow, it was Christmas Eve and all so we new we didn't want to charge anything...but we could give out Free Hot Cocoa and do a good deed. Not many cars stopped...but those who did made our night. Plus the Bishop even stopped by and got some and the kids sang for him. It was great!

Here are pics of the Nativity. So cute. I love our Savior and I love the Christmas story. It really never gets old. It was wonderful to see Aubrey and Weston understanding it more and Spencer kissing the baby Jesus.

Our costumes were simple and lacking...but we felt the Christmas Spirit at our house this year...and I hope you all did too. Merry Christmas!

Crap! I thought that was the end.....still too lazy to move pictures. A few nights before Christmas we went with the Watkins to Organ Stop Pizza! It is this old wonderful place in Mesa! There is a huge organ and some organist plays Christmas songs while you eat. There are lights and full house every time we have gone. This is a Watkins' tradition that we haven't done for a couple of years.

So here we are.

Spencer and Max's first time. They loved it! Thanks Grandma and Grandpa Watkins!!

University of Phoenix Christmas Party

Last year for Jake's Christmas party...it was very fancy. I loved getting all glamed up and having a wonderful DATE NIGHT with my hubby. Anyway, this year his work decided to make their Christmas Party a "family party...!" So I was a little disappointed, but the kids were so excited. Well, I have to say, it was WONDERFUL. It was all about service and I was pleasantly surprised the whole night. There were hundred..maybe thousands of build a bears there. Each child was able to pick their own bear, then dress it and give it to a policeman or fireman. All of the bears are going to charity and our kiddos got their own smaller versions for themselves. We decorated cookies and then ate a wonderful dinner. My kids didn't want the "kid food" and chose steak. It was just as fancy as the year before, but a lot less drinking (by others of course) and so family oriented. After dinner there was daycare for all the kids. So in the end we still got to have our couple time and dance and hang out with Liz and Kurt. It really was a great night. Without even having to pay for a sitter in the end...it was perfect. Thanks University of Phoenix!

Here is Kurt and Liz...these are some of our favorite people. Always so much fun to hang out with.

Black Friday.

I didn't step foot into one store today...but it was a good day none the less. The Watkins (Hatch) have a tradition of bowling on Thanksgiving. This year we ended up doing it the day after. We haven't done it for a while but it was a lot of fun! The kids are getting older and really are trying to do it now. Weston was so competitive and kept trying to beat the other team. We lost. Our team was Aubrey, Weston, Maya, Jake and I and Cicily and Spencer and Max rotating between them. I don't know how we lost as a team...because I actually WON! My score was 132... No one really kept score...but I did of course (I wonder where Weston gets that from?)

Anyhoo...it was a fun day. Started out with Brunch and Norm and Sue's house. Lots of goodies...then off the the bowling alley!

Cicily was loving it!

Gotta get a pic in of Mari...hope we get to see her more when we move in closer to town.

Best buds!

Weston being cool as usual.

Thanksgiving!

Let us all give thanks!!! First off our Holiday began a few nights before seeing our old BFF's....The TAYSOMS! I love this family. We met them the first time we moved to Maricopa over 7 years ago. We have been on vacation with them...they came and watched us when Jake and I were on Wheel of Fortune and we have just so many "hangouts" under our belt. It was just like "old times" and the kids got along great. We had pizza (homemade) and spent the evening together. Friends like this are hard to come by and we miss them so much. Now they live in Texas!!!

Anyway...I already have my picture wall up....and I wanted to give thanks again for this. It was like Christmas for me!

Now this is actually Thanksgiving day. It is the 3rd Annual Turkey Trot here in Maricopa. I look silly in this pic...but gotta remember how we got up and ran a mile with the kids. Fun times! It was so cold!!!

Lastly...later that day we actually ended up having Thanksgiving dinner here at our house. I was feeling nostalgic knowing this is the last t-day we will have here in this home. I love and have been grateful for this home since we moved in. I love the space, the layout...the memories...the colors, the neighbors...you name it! So I am grateful we got to spend it here with Grandma and Grandpa Watkins and the Jensen family. We had all the fixings. Cranberry fluff...turkey, gravy, rolls, stuffing (homemade and sooooo yummy) and even a Peterson tradition (the relish tray.) I even made 3 pies and they were absolutely WONDERFUL! Cheesecake pumpkin with a strudel topping...banana cream and homemade caramel and chocolate cream pie! Loved it! We ended dinner with a round of kickball and watching the kids play in the street. Later that night we drove in and spent the night at The Watkins. I think I need another post with pics to show you what we did the next day.

Annual Watkins' Halloween Social!

This is something that we do every year at Grandma and Grandpa Watkins' house:

Halloween Party!

We all look forward to it and I really appreciate all the work that goes into it. Once again the Chili dogs were superb and the entertainment was top notch :)

It really is fun. This is my second time doing a pumpkin Pinata...very cool I must say so myself. Donuts on a string.

Kids in costumes.

Our family:

Easter Time 2010

Easter really isn't my favorite holiday when it comes to the traditions and Easter Bunny...However, this year was so much fun. The last couple of years Grandma and Grandpa Watkins have planned a wonderful Easter dinner with Easter Egg hunt at their house or Aunt Connie's. The kids always look forward to egg coloring, sometime cookie frosting and of course hunting for eggs. They even find dollar bills and a few eggs. The Easter Bunny brought very little to our kids this year, but it was on purpose. The true meaning of Easter is enough for me. I thought a lot about eternal families this past weekend. Even though we are all promised resurrection, I find myself more grateful for that gift because of our little Samantha. I can't help but feel peace knowing that she will live again and have an opportunity to have her body and experience this wonderful world! I am grateful for my Savior and the gift he gives us all! Happy Easter Day!

Christmas Day!

Santa brought the coolest little...well huge rock wall. Here are some cute pics of that:

Grandma and Grandpa Watkins came and spent Christmas Eve with us. It was so much more fun. They took the kiddos shopping for their own Christmas present. They loved getting exactly what they wanted. Baby alive for Aubrey and a purple lightsabor for Weston. We had a wonderful dinner with Jake's Famous Ribs! Yum. It was fun to have them as guest in our home and to use the guest room. Kids woke up bright and early. Wonderful Christmas mornings with children...their really isn't anything much better than that.

Spencer loved all the boxes. Didn't unwrap a thing.

Weston got Bakugon! It is some weird thing that reminds me of Pokemon and whenever I call it that I am reprimanded swiftly.

GPS for Jake. Isn't he looking HOT!!

Aubrey got lots of fun craft type things...we have been busy ever since.

I kept looking at Spencer under our tree and thinking he is my gift this year. I love him so much and he has brought so much love and sweetness and joy into our home this last year. Man....I am getting baby hungry again! :)