Santa Party

Every year at Christmas time we have a Santa Party...we have been doing this the last 3 years and the kids love it and look forward to it every year. We start by everyone coming together and eating a fabulous dinner. Then Santa and Mrs. Claus knock on the door! The kids run to the door and see Santa. The Santa sits and reads a story to the kids, they sing Christmas songs and then he lets each kid sit on his lap and the kids tell him what they want for Christmas and then he gives them a little gift. Then we send him home with some cookies and the night is over. It is so much fun to do this every year!

Here is Caden and Noah welcoming Santa.


Connor was just excited to suck on the wrapping:)
The boys with Santa...Caden-6, Connor-5 mo, Noah-4
All the kiddos...You know how impossible it is to get a good picture of this many kids...but still pretty cute!!

Advent Calendar

I had to share this fun craft I did...it only took me FOREVER to do...mostly because I'm lazy and my 5 month old isn't letting me do anything these days:) This was an easy craft, just lots of cutting and gluing. There is a fabulous tutorial on what to do on Splitcoast Stampers.
Here are your materials...

5 papers for the big squares

black cardstock for the big squares and letters/numbers

3 pieces of cardstock for the scalloped circles

1 paper for the circles under the numbers

1 paper for around the tin

24 tins...I used Wiltons favor tins...for weddings

24 pieces of velcro

lots of glue

Terrifically Tacky Tape (like 4 rolls of it)

16x20 canvas

Here is what I put in my tins:

Some were filled with candy

Some have "read a Christmas book" on it...I wrapped all our Christmas books and the boys get to take turns opening one up.

The rest of the days have an event to do for that day:

Decorate the Christmas tree

Go to the Ward C-mas Party

Go to the Nativity at the Stake Center

Write letters to Santa

Go to Holiday in the Park at Six Flags

Drive around looking at Christmas lights

Decorate Gingerbread Houses

Watch Polar Express and drink hot cocoa

Make sugar cookies

Watch Grinch

Have a special Christmas FHE

Make Reindeer sparkles...oatmeal and glitter...sprinkle on the lawn

Make treats and pass out to friends

Read the Christmas story

Hope this gives you a few ideas on what to do this Holiday season!

Connor...5 Months

My sweet little man is 5 months old! Time is flying by and I love seeing more and more of his little personality. He is so mellow and patient...kinda has to be with 2 older brothers. He is always smiling and cooing. Love it. Besides...who could pass up those little dimples?
I had to post this picture...he got sick of me taking pics of him.
I guess the Bumbo chair was waaayy too comfy for him:)

Thanksgiving at Rudy's

on "Black Friday" my Mom, Dad, Nana and Brandon came for a really quick visit. We had "linner" at our favorite BBQ place...Rudy's. We met my cousin Jennie (who lives in Plano) and Leah (who was visiting from Utah) and their families...they haven't seen Brandon in quite awhile since he has been on his mission. It was a fun little get together.

Caden, Jennie, my Dad, Leah, Brooklyn, and Addy
Addy, Caden and Noah...gotta love the glasses...he got them from the movie theater when we saw Christmas Carol in 3-D.
Connor, my Mom, Noah and Nana...my mom's, mom
Check out those big blue eyes:)
I was just laughing when I saw this picture...Noah is making crazy face, Nate with his big cheesy smile, Caden trying to punch someone, Addy is so innocent and Landen cooperating...love it!
Here they were all making a funny face.
Leah with Brooklyn, Jennie with Carter, Me with Connor
The 3 babies so close together...We had a picture like this in September at my cousins wedding...they are getting so big!! And in the last picture Connor was crying as well. So not like him! He is usually pretty good!

C-mas Pictures

The day after Thanksgiving my Father-in-law was nice enough to take our Christmas picture! These were some of our favorites...

I cropped this one so you could see how cute Connor looks...I just can't help but smile when I see him:)
This one is going to be on our C-mas card

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!

Well, it is a great start to December! Snow! It started right before school started and I have never seen Caden get ready for school so quickly so he could play in the snow! He tried to make a few snowballs...but they were a little small and melted pretty quickly:) But hey...you take what you can get here in Texas!
You can actually see the it snowing in this picture.
Here is Noah
I just thought this was a cool picture.

Thanksgiving

This year we went to the Thatchers for Thanksgiving. We had so much fun there! We started the morning...which was absolutely beautiful!! with a little horseback ride. This was the first time Ben and I had gone with this group of horses. We had a blast! But I do know why you walk funny after you have been on them for awhile:)

Me and my Cowboy
Cute boys...Noah and Caden

I am totally loving the scruff on him...makes him look pretty H-O-T in my book;)
The fam...this was not the easiest picture to get...my horse was NOT cooperating at all. He kept walking backwards and just wanting to take off and eat some grub. Good thing I had some professionals with me to keep him in line!

After our horseback ride we went back to the Thatchers and had our Turkey dinner. Ben's parents were there, Chris (Ben's brother) and Ashley and McKenna, Logan, Cameron and Chelsea (his girly-friend) and our little family. We had a great time and ate WAY too much!!

Rollin, Rollin, Rollin...

Pretend that today is Nov. 10...This marks the day that Connor started rolling! I can't believe he is already doing this! It seems like yesterday that I had him! These pictures are not of Connor rolling (mostly because he started to the night before Ben left and the camera was packed up), they are of his nightly routine. I lay him in bed and he kicks and kicks, stops, holds his feet and starts over again. This goes on for about 10 minutes and then he wears himself out and goes to sleep. I can just sit and watch him the whole time...too cute:)

Connor at 4 1/2 months.

St. Petersburg

These are pictures from St. Petersburg...Day 4 and 5. They loved St. Petersburg, so much more than Moscow. Honestly though, I think they loved the Pizza Hut more than anything;) I really don't know what most of these things are...Ben will give his input when he gets the chance. I'm just adding what I know:)

It was snowy in St. Petersburg (in Moscow it had a drizzley mist...not cool). Ben, Mom, Brandon.

Typical B picture.
Ben along the river.
Hermitage Museum.


Mom, Brandon, and Dad

Kaluga

After Moscow, the crew went to Kaluga...which is where Brandon served the majority of his mission. He was Branch President there for 9 months. This is the one place that B wanted to go back and see. They were able to go back to the branch and go to church there.

The new Branch President (who is only 20 and has been a member for a whole 2 years), a missionary, Dad, Brandon, Mom, missionary in front of a beautiful building.
Ben said this is a typical view of what Kaluga looked like. Ain't it purty?
This is so shocking to me...This is where they held church. The Elders have a 3 bedroom apartment: one room is where they sleep, the 2nd is the Branch Presidents office, the 3rd room is the "chapel". There are 12 members of this branch. They only have 2 hours of church.
My mom, a little old lady, Brandon, dad, and Ben.

Moscow Trip...Day 1 and 2

Day 1: My Family went to Moscow first and here are a few pictures they sent me. I guess it gets dark there at about 4:30 pm every day, so they don't have much daylight...which probably works out great since they are probably exhausted walking around everywhere. The first day Brandon and the Mission President picked up everyone from the airport and then went to the Mission Office. They were then able to go to the Kremlin and the Red Square and then called it good. Their hotel is right next to the Red Square.

Mom, Dad and Brandon at Red Square, this is a museum

St. Basil Cathedral...how beautiful is this! I would love to see this in person.

Gun...this is where people used to go government shopping back in the day, now it is a "Galleria" type place with high end shopping.

Day 2: On the second day they walked around Moscow and spent an arm and a leg on souvenirs. Ben said it's pretty cold and drap and dreary. He also said the drivers are CRAZY! They will just ride up on the sidewalk if they need to. You have to watch your every move:)

Brandon in posing with weird graffiti man.
Ben in front of St. Basil Cathedral