The Mortensen Family

Thursday, December 31, 2015

New Years Eve

We love hosting a family New Years Eve party. This year we had the Genthers, Barajas, Donovans, Roseners, Jacksons, Veirs, and Winsors join us. We popped a balloon each half hour to see what the activity was going to be. The best part this year was the big balloon drop at midnight!

8:30 Just Dance

9:00 Nerf War (kids vs. dads)

9:30 Minute to Win It

10:00 Glow Stick Dance Party

10:30 play a game

11:00 exercises...going for a run and a plank contest (Lexi Veirs won)

11:30 Photo booth and New Years Resolutions

12:00 Happy New Year balloon drop

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Just for Fun

Beautiful beach day

We took the tram to Downtown Disney...It was a fun ride!!

At The Nutcracker

Uncle Todd making sure the boys go to sleep!

Cute cousins

Scooter races down the driveway...Todd on Grandma's walker

Cute cousins

We filled four shoeboxes for the less fortunate. Samaritan's Purse

It was a busy Christmas season with all the advent days and watching all 6 Star Wars movies as a family to get ready for the new one. But we managed to see them all!

The girls got pedicures

We all went to see Star Wars VII. I think we saw it 4 times over Christmas break!

Tuesday, December 29, 2015

Family Sandwich

Best part of vacation...morning snuggles!! We like to make a family sandwich in bed. Today's was pepperoni, cheese, pickle, and jello open face on rye bread with Tums on top!!

Sunday, December 27, 2015

Annual Swing Pictures

Saturday, December 26, 2015

2015 Christmas Card

For the Mortensen family, 2015 was amazing!! I think that I will define our year by sharing with you a list of “firsts”.

As a Family we had our… first Christmas without Grandpa Ted. The kids’ 1^st trip inside a temple and hiking to the Hollywood sign, 1^st night in our new house, 1^st time at the Lego Land Hotel, Lake Tahoe and LARPING (what?!). 1^st time smashing coins with a train and watching the kids catch shrimp at Benihana’s. We also got hit by golf ball sized hail and we even saw the rare Super Blood Moon Eclipse.

Amy–The 1st advanced degree for our family. 1^st time to see Garth Brooks. 1^st time choreographing a glow in the dark family dance routine. 1^st time forgetting a child a home when she went to church. Finally being able to leave the kids home alone without a babysitter! Not her 1^st time being amazing!

Carson–1^st time attending middle school and 1^st game at the Rose bowl. 1^st time having a birthday trout instead of a birthday cake. Winning a pinewood derby (1^st for any of us). 1^st school dance. First pick-6. First taste of intramurals (he’s got a long career ahead of him if he’s anything like his daddy). 1^st time kayaking in restricted naval waters (oops!) and beating mom in a 5k. 1^st time giving a talk in church that he wrote on his hand.

Emma–1^st time playing volleyball, 1^st time with braces and 1^st time learning about the Birds and Bees (ahem...), 1^st time as a cheerleader and singing a solo in church. 1^st time wearing mom’s shoes (her feet are ginormous) and learning how to roller skate. 1^st time ballroom dancing in the plaza of the Tijuana temple (with Wyatt).

Wyatt–1^st time standing on a boogyboard, 1^st time leading the entire school in AR points. First time getting kissed by a biker chick! 1^st time telling Santa, “Make it easy on yourself, just send money!!” 1^st season playing football and shooting dad in the face (accidently?) while playing airsoft...right before family pictures. He has also mastered the art of scrambled eggs.

Owen–1^st time out of the country, playing basketball and soccer. 1^st time starting Kindergarten and eating school lunch. 1^st kiss...wait...I mean his third. 1^st time seeing a Star Wars movie, sleeping in his own room (which his older brothers are still afraid to do!) and riding a bike (kind of).

Me–1^st time all 4 of my siblings and their families visited us in SoCal. 1st time having my own weather station online (I’ve always been a weather nerd!). 1^st (and hopefully the last) time drilling a hole in the new home’s fire sprinkler line...that water can really shoot!

We love and appreciate all that you and your families have done for us. We hope that peace and joy will fill your year to come. The peace and joy that we know comes from a hope and a faith that we have in Jesus Christ. That is what makes this the most wonderful time of the year.

With Love, The Mortensen’s