Christmas 2011

We had so much fun over Christmas! We spent it up in Logan, and there was so much fun to be had. Here are a few highlights!

This is the picture that I sent with my Christmas cards this last year.  The boys had so much fun with the dollar store Santa hats over the entire Christmas season!

The boys playing with a dishwasher hose (it was brand new, so not dirty. don't worry).  They were using it like a telephone and screaming into it at each other.  It was hilarious!

Our gingerbread house that we decorated.  We buy a kit at costco that comes with a pre-built house, and frosting and candy are included.  It's awesome!

I made cheeseball and crackers for Christmas Eve dinner, and Christmas day dinner.  They were super cute pinecone cheeseballs!  Fun and yummy!

This was our spread for Christmas Eve.  So much good food!

The loot, pre-Christmas morning

The boys got super hero capes from us and they love them!  I got them super cheap during Halloween!

Daddy trying on Steven's mask

For dinner we went out to my Grandma's house and had dinner with my mom's side of the family.  While we were all downstairs exchanging gifts I happened to look under the cushion of the chair I was sitting in, and I found someone's stash.  Who knows how long it's been there!

My Christmas card garland that I put up during Christmas.  I hang a ribbon, and use tiny clothespins to pin my Christmas cards to it when I get them.  I love having them on display!

One of Matt's co-workers made this amazing Nativity for us.  It is so cute and it fits back into the frame like a little puzzle!

Here is the nativity inside it's frame.

Steven's Preschool Christmas Program

Stevie's preschool did a cute little Chritmas program on the 19th of December.  They sang lots of cute songs and each had a little speaking part.  The at the end they all got to sit on Santa's lap! The boys had so much fun, and I loved watching Stevie show off how hard he and his classmates had all worked to prepare.

Here is Stevie with his part and the sign that he drew for it.  his part was " E is for Elf" and he drew a picture of an elf.

For one of the songs, Miss Denise, Steven's teacher, taught the kids the sign language for "Silent Night".  it was my favorite of all of the songs.  I love how they are mouthing the words while they are signing!

Seeing Santa for the first time!

Stevie and Santa

Sammy and Santa

Both boys

Thanks to Grandma's that came and supported Steven! We loved seeing you!

Thanksgiving weekend 2011

We had so much fun over the Thanksgiving holiday! We had Thanksgiving dinner at Matt's parents house and it was delicious and fantastic!  Then we went up to Logan for the rest of the weekend.  I went shopping on Black Friday with my cousins.  I have sort of created a tradition with that, and I love it!  We spent the Saturday of that weekend fulfilling our tradition of putting up my parents massive amount of Christmas lights. When it is all done, it's an amazing display (which I neglected to get a picture of) and if we all pitch in, it doesn't actually take that long.

Brian working the edge of the roof

Mom putting the light strands along the front walkway

Dad putting lights along the sides of the house

Me helping mom with the walkway

Brian throwing giant snowballs up in the air

More giant snowballs.

The boys had to throw snowballs too, because Uncle Brian was doing it

Our friend Nate comes up from Ogden with his mom for Thanksgiving.  After dinner, his mom goes back home and shops on Black Friday, and he stays with us and plays x-box with Matt and Brian.  We love having him stay and play!

Here Nate is breaking olives into tiny pieces and putting them on Brian's chocolate pie so that they look like chocolate shavings!  So funny! Brian found them before he ate them though, darn it! 

Steven's 5th Birthday

For Steven's 5th birthday we were at Grandma' the weekend before, so we opened presents and had cake with everyone there.

Loving the presents...

Uncle Brian was supposed to be taking pictures of cake candles and cutting, but instead, he was taking pictures of himself and Sammy...

Blowing out candles

Got them all!

Sammy eating "Brownies on the Moon" ice cream  ("Brownies on the Moon" is Steven' favorite ice cream)

Later in the week, on Steven's actual birthday, he opened a present from us, and we had a mini family celebration.

Reading the comics that the present is wrapped in

So excited to have his own Angry Birds game!

Playing his new game with daddy.

If you look closely, you can see the black bird flying through the air in front of the microwave. 

Overall, he had a really great birthday and we are so excited for all of the fun things that being 5 will bring!

For Whom The Bell Tolls...

At the public Library in Herriman, they have this fun bell thing. it's a bunch of little metal tiles and when you step on them, they ring a different tone for each tile.  Both of the boys love to play on it, but here is a video of Sam playing on it while Steven is at school:

I can't get the computer to rotate the file :( SORRY!

Get Excited!!!!

Prepare yourselves! 

I think that today is a blogging kind of day!

And we are just a little behind, so this should be FUN!!

Cute bags!

So... A while ago I purchased this lunchbox for myself (I had a coupon so I got it for a screaming deal).
I use it a lot.
I don't care if it's supposed to be for kids. It's SUPER cute.
And, it helps with my need for a daily owl fix.
(Note: It's made by a little company called "skip*hop".


Well, the other day we (me and my little men) were driving around Orem killing time (We were waiting to meet a friend after pawning off our leftover Halloween candy to a dentist that sends it to the trroops). We decided that a trip to the DI was a good way to waste some time. As we were wandering around, I spied a cute bee backpack.  When I got closer I found out that it was made by the company that made my little lunchbox.  So I went to find out how much it was... $1.50.
Sweet! Love a great deal!
So I bought it.
Now every time we leave the house Sam has to have his Bee backpack to carry his "M".
("M" is his raggedy stuffed monkey that he won't go anywhere without)
He is currently wearing his Bee backpack around the house, and won't take it off.
I am going to have to go and pry it off of him so I can wash it...
Doesn't he look so cute wearing it though?

Needless to say, we are pretty happy with the "skip*hop" company at our house.

As long as we don't have to pay full price...

Halloween 2011

Our Halloween was lots of fun this year! We went up to Logan the weekend before, had a school party, and there was lot's of spooky fun!

I made this fun decoration to spook up my new apartment!

We found this fun Halloween macaroni at the grocery store and the boys had a lot of fun eating it in spaghetti and with butter and Parmesan cheese on it!

We went up to Logan for the weekend before Halloween for some fun with the family.

The boys decorated sugar cookies with Uncle Mike and Aunt Lisa

Licking the cookie presses...

The Boys went on a wagon ride with Uncle Brian...

(Both of the boys really wanted a witch hat this year.  I found these ones at Target for cheap and they wore them a ton!)

And then they rode wiggle cars...

Uncle Brian had to get in on the action...

We carved the pumpkins from the pumpkin patch....

Steven wouldn't touch the guts, but loved poking a piece of pumpkin with his carving knife...

(note the rare appearance of me! I have to steal pictures from other people's cameras, or have them steal mine, so I can be in some of the pictures!)

Here is Steven carving away...

Uncle Brian

I LOVE this picture that Aunt Bonnie took! I like how Sam's little teeth are peeking out, just like the pumpkin's!

The carving line-up: The one for mom's porch,mine, my puking pumpkin, Steven's, Samuel's, Bonnie's, and Brian's. (Steven picked the face for his by saying to me "I want this face on it" then he pulled a random face, and I had to transfer it to a drawing that was carving friendly.)

Here they are all lit up!

The barfing pumpkin!

For Halloween day,we made these fun cupcakes to take to some of our friends

For costumes the boys were minions, and I was Margo from "Despicable Me".

I love how their costumes turned out! It's a good thing these boys have a super fabulous creative mom! ;)

This is their 'Uncle Brian and Aunt Bonnie" pose!

Minion hug!