Monday, January 28, 2013

Christmas Holiday with family and Happy New year 2013


This year Shannon's parents came up for Christmas.  It was so fun to have them and they even brought their dog Fred.  I can't believe we didn't get a lot of pictures.  I guess I was busy with Christmas and didn't take too many pictures.  Christmas Eve dad has a tradition to take the kids out to dinner.  We went to Teppanyaki where they cook in front of you and use fire.  It is very entertaining.  The kids loved it when they threw shrimp in the air and you had to try and catch it.  The funniest was when Grandpa got hit right on his forehead:)  
It cracked us all up.


These girls LOVED having a night out for dinner!!!



Christmas morning was nice and relaxing.  We got woke up by the kids around 6:00am and the fun began.  Santa was pretty creative with the older girls and Preston.  For Morgan he had a clue that said "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree" and this sent her to her own Christmas tree downstairs and hanging was a new Apple Ipod.  For Sydney their was a clue that said "Money doesn't grow on tree's... or does it"???  In the Christmas tree was a branch with money.  She responded with "I hope this will be my wedding bouquet someday"!  That girl loves money and loves to spend it too.  Then Preston opened a heavy box and inside was sand.  He was not happy about this.  He then looked inside again and saw a piece of paper shaped like a basketball and a clue that said, "Go outside and look where you bounce your basketball" and he darted out the front door where he saw a big red bag and he opened it up to find a basketball hoop.  He was so excited and jumped up and down.  It was so cute!!!
I think all of our kids were happy about their gifts but they were more excited about the gift they had all pitched in to get for their Grandma and Grandpa Wilson.  They couldn't wait and before we knew it the kids handed them the "red box" which was a clue to the actual gift.  Inside the box was candy and it was for them to enjoy a "redbox" movie. Sydney ran downstairs to grab the bigger gift and it was so special to watch Grandma and Grandpa when they unwrapped a new flat screen TV. Grandma cried and it was priceless!  Our kids had set aside some of their own money to get this for them and it was a very special thing for us as a family.  Thank you Grandma and Grandpa Wilson for sharing Christmas with us.  
This was a very memorable Christmas!


That same day we traveled down to St.George to spend the rest of our time there.  It was a little tricky getting out the door.  I think next time we will wait a few days.  
We stopped in and saw my dad and Hopi in Toquerville.  
Tad and Jaclyn surprised us and came over too. 
Korbin and Reggie couldn't wait to see the cousins:)
The kids have too much fun!!!


I love this picture of Syd and Papa.  He is wearing his Utah sweatshirt and Syd is NOT happy about this at all!  She got her cute BYU jacket from her Grandma Joy and Papa and so he loves to tease his grand kids:) and knew this would get a reaction.  I always love to be home because this means yummy home cooking from my sweet momma and fun times shared with family.


A day or two before the New Year I got hit with a golf club from my one and only boy!!! Preston and his cousin Reggie were in my moms front yard and I was kneeling down to tell them to be good boys for Morgan and Sydney while daddy and I went out for a little afternoon date.  Little did I know my date would be in the insta care:) My kids were so sweet!  Preston felt so bad:(  when he found out I would have to go get stitches.  They all put together cards, balloons, and all my favorites...  Chocolate and diet Coke! My mom and Lloyd were so sweet to stay right with Shannon and I.  Boy did that change every ones plans for the day.  Aunt Shelly took some of the kids to the movie and Tad watched the other ones.  I really am so thankful for my family!!!


I got to see my bestest friend from high school that never seems to age! She just turned 40 a few days before Christmas and you would never know it!  I love her so much and hate that we never get time together.  She lives in California.  Guess I better plan a vacation for this next summer. Oh darn: 
We met up over at my brothers house.  Troy and Shelly invited all of us over for a WII Dance party:)  
It was so much fun!!!


New Years was a Blast!  We had planned to come home after the baptism of our cute little cousin Kayler.  I didn't get any pictures of this either:( what is wrong with me? But the kids begged for us to stay.  Shannon had to come back for work so he brought Preston home and the rest of us stayed.  That meant that I had to celebrate New Years without him.  I didn't like this at all.  Especially when we got to go to the fanciest restaurant that I had ever been too.  It was so FANCY. Who ever gets a warm wash cloth at the end of their meal?  I was so nervous to see the prices of the lighted up menu.  I know Mr. Tightwad would not want me spending this much on a dinner but hey- gotta live it up.  So I was looking for the cheapest thing on the menu when my brother Troy told me not to worry about it.  He told us that this meal would be on his company.  He works for them and they told him to treat us.  So Nice!  It was the best dinner I think I have ever had.  The desert was so yummy.  Just wish my man was there to experience it with me:(




We came home to the Kids who were ready to PARTY!  They ran around with bright red lips giving kisses and then went out to bang all of Granny Joys pots and pans:)
Say HELLO to 2013!!!

Merry Christmas to me:)


So Shannon came home from work a few days before Christmas and said he wanted to go Christmas shopping for me.  Of course I threw on my shoes, brushed through the hair, sprayed a little perfume and off we went.  He took me to Verizon for a new phone.  
I am in love with this new toy!!!
Thanks Sweetie...

Friday, January 11, 2013

Pagent

Sofie loves to pretend to be in pagents

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Thanksgiving trip in Arizona


We were so excited to go to Arizona for our Thanksgiving break to see old friends and Shannon's Grandma Lewis who we haven't seen in close to 4 years.  Our friends were so nice to open their homes to our family.  Our first few days we spent with Jen and her family.  Preston was in heaven with some boys to play with...


I was in heaven to spend time with my friend Jen that made us feel right at home...


Sofie was in heaven stuffing her belly and playing like a mommy with her best friend Emery who is just 2 days older than her...


and Bryn was in heaven being a helper with the cutest little boy Easton!


We squeezed in a few hours to go to the movie with my friend Becky and her family on Thanksgiving morning before going over for the feast with Shans Grandma. It was so fun to see her and her family.


Shannon's sister and his parents drove up from Cedar City to spend the Holiday.



Love this picture of Grandma Lewis and our kids.  We have many memories with Grandma when the kids were little.  She couldn't believe how much they have grown up.


Our last couple of days we spent with my friend Sherena and her family.  It was so much fun to go tour this yummy chocolate factory, and get "free" samples. 


Then we went to see the new LDS Temple that is being built.


We got to listen to some very neat stories about the process and the plans.


These two girls were friends of Brynlee's and Bryn couldn't believe how TALL her friend Abby was.



We then went and visited the Barwick family and got to see the Newlyweds and Emily who was my built in babysitter while my kids were young.  Now Morgan is taller than her:)  It is CRAZY!
We enjoyed our trip and just wish we could have stopped in to see all those people who we so dearly love and miss.  We will cherish those years that we lived there and it felt so good to go back.
It made me count my blessings and I am so thankful during this holiday for my family and for the Lords hand in our lives.  I know that He answers our prayers and has given us guidance in all our decisions.