Ok, I haven't been on here for 11 months now and it has changed so I have a lot of work ahead of me. Why do I do this to myself? I just need to keep up so I don't feel so overwhelmed. I keep thinking maybe I'll skip this year but this is my journal too that I actually make into a bound book and I wouldn't want to miss 2012 since it was a big year for us. Oh wait....maybe I'll just not do it since the world is supposed to end on December 21, 2012. Yes, that's been my excuse the whole time. Okay, fine. Since I know that isn't true I will just get to work. For now, I'm just glad I remember my old email address and password. I feel accomplished for the day so I will call it a day and do some actual blogging another day:-) (unless I can figure out how to do everything pretty quick right now)

Crystal Hot Springs

 
The day after Christmas we usually go sledding or skiing but this year there has not been much snow. The ski resorts have been making there own snow. Soooo, we decided to drive an hour and a half north to a place called Crystal Hot Springs. They are natural hot springs that you can go swim in. It was fun for the kids to go swimming in 30 degree weather. The water slide, however, was not so warm so the kids tried it once and that was about it for them.

 

 
I love how you can see the snow on the mountains in the background. Kinda fun. Glad we got to take the kids here before we move to Phoenix. I'd also like to take them to Bear Lake since we have never been before we leave. Hopefully we will be able to.

 

The next day we left for Phoenix where we attended Nelson's, Dave and my nephew, baptism. So sad to say that we forgot our camera on this trip so we will have to rely on Mike and Riss for pics and I don't think there were very many taken but we had fun hiking and at the park and visiting with Grandma and Grandpa Boden. Thus ends the year 2011. We have grown closer as a family through praying and fasting for many of our family and close friends. We realized that we have truely been blessed and hope that this coming year will bring stability for us and health and hope for many friends and family members.

Christmas Morning.

 
Our family tradition for about 10 years now is to put paper over the entrance into the Christmas room. The kids love tearing through and it stops little peepers from peaking too early. Ready, SET...

 

GO!!!!!!!!!!

 








Tyler with a pretty big suprise...a new iPod

 
and for Ryan's 13th b-day 3 weeks before he got a Dsi so for christmas he got a couple more games to go with it.

 
Meagan and Jenna both got bags to put all their piano and violin music in.

 
Marge came up and spent Christmas Day with us! It was nice to have some family around.

 
Dad (and Ty) got...beer mugs? Actually they are pop mugs for the big football games.:-)

 
Jenna got some more snowbabies (she collects them)...one from Chase and a couple more from Mom and Dad.

 

There were lots of suprises and happy people but I think I got the biggest suprise though with a new iPad. And, yes, I am kinda in love.

Christmas came and went quickly this year and as we look back on 2011 we feel so blessed. We have had a lot of friends and family members that have had trials to face and have had the opportunity to fast and pray as a family and draw closer through the faith that they have had to overcome these trials. We will continue to pray for those struggling with different areas of their lives and will continue to show gratitude for our health, love, Heavenly Father, and family. We look forward to 2012 when we are finally around family! Arizona, here we come!!!!!...as soon as we sell our house:-).

Christmas Eve 2011

 
Christmas Eve, like many years, was spent at the home of Uncle Craig and Aunt Claudia (Dave's aunt and uncle) in Holiday, Utah. After a yummy dinner of many different kinds of soups, salad and rolls we were entertained by some of the children. Some played piano, some sang and some played violin.
 
It was fun to see Kaylee and Meagan play violin together. When Meagan found out Kaylee played they snuck off to a bedroom to practice playing a song together to suprise us. They did really well together with barely any practice. I was impressed. Then they each played a solo too.

 
After we sang some Christmas songs we had the kids seperate into two different age groups and play a game. You roll two dice and if you get doubles you put some socks on your hands and try to get a gift unwrapped with spoons. The gift, mind you, is wrapped with several layers of paper and most of the time the kids hardly got a chance to unwrap before someone else in the circle rolled a double. They loved it! Will have to play this one again sometime:-)

 
While the younger kids played the same game I look over to see Kaylee and Meagan wrestling. It was pretty cute. Kaylee kept saying, "we're frolocking" (sp?). Meagan learned a new word that night:-)

 
Everyone together singing Christmas songs.

 
We hadn't seen Clint and Becca since they moved back to Utah and hadn't seem Clane and Laura in...I don't know how long so it was sun to see everyone again. Especailly because I don't know when we will see them again since we are moving to Phoenix.

 

The highlight of the evening for alot of the kids was seeing Devin's snake collection. He breeds different breeds of snakes and sells them. The kids all wanted to touch one but only some had the nerve to actually do it. Claudia is a very good person to let Devin keep tons of snakes in her basement. Hope she's getting a year end bonus, Devin:-)