2012:a pretty good year

Its hard to believe we are at the end of another year. They come and go so quickly, its hard to keep track of everything that happened this year! I have been the biggest blogger slacker ever this month. 3 posts?? That is sad for me. Hopefully I can get back into it in the New Year.

Here my kids are on christmas sunday, my favorite sunday of the year. This year was different though. I was singing in the ward choir and had to be at church at 9, so my kids helped eachother get ready, celine even did aliahs hair. They all look so good!! I can't match them any more, but I still try, here they  all are in purple. I decided to go away from traditional christmas colors, and I love it!! Church on Christmas Sunday was wonderful, it never dissapoints. That night was the Griffin family christmas party at my house! The best part, besides it being a pajama party, was that we ALL were here. All 13 adults and 16 grandchildren and a few extra guests. 

 This has been a tradition since my parents first got married,doing the nativity. 

 Another tradition, SOMEONE(we secretly all think its my dad!) puts a random gift under the tree for someone in the family. This year it was too luke from sean. No one will own up to who it is. This years gift, golfers crotch hook, we all were hysterically laughing.

 We don't get very many of these pictures, and I am always happy when we do. The six griffin girls.

 My nephew Ryan gave grandpa a silly gift, fake body parts. And we can always count on grandpa to play along. We had "santa" come, had lots of good food, opened presents and just hung out. Its always fun when we are together.

 I don't have pictures yet of christmas eve, we spent it at Kalebs parents house. We ate lunch, the kids played in the snow, we ate dinner, opened some presents, and then Quinn had the adults play a game of Deal or no Deal. If you don't know the basis of the game, its trying to pick the briefcase with the most money! There was a $1000 for each couple to win. Sadly, me and kaleb only won $40, Jamie and Luke won $20, but Kwinci and Todd won a thousand dollars!!!!! Gabe won $500. It was super intense and so much fun!!!! We are all looking forward to next year. ;)

Another tradition, christmas jammies.

 Even for me and kaleb this year. :)

 Santa finally came at 2 in the morning. The kids woke up at 8. Defintiely a short night sleep.

 The kids all come in together on christmas morning, they can't look at the presents yet. Kaleb always pretends to be grumpy at having been woken up. 

 And dad always drags it out a little and makes the kids squirm!!

 But finally, its time to open stockings and gifts. Santa wrapped EVERYTHING this year, even stocking stuff.

 What they got:

Celine: IPHONE!, clothes, clothes, lotion, hair stuff.

Tage: HALO LEGOS, new coat, ds games

Aliah: IPOD TOUCH, monster high, novi star, concert outfit, ds games

and as a family we got an IPAD. I am pretty sure we were all super spoiled this year.

It was a great, relaxing christmas and I have enjoyed having the kids home. Tonight we celebrate the end of a good year and the beginning of a great one, we hope.

Happy New Years!!!

My christmas spirit doesn't come from a store...

Here we are, one week until christmas eve. Another christmas has gone too fast. I love this time of year. But this year brought another one of my children to the age where they KNOW.

Tage questioned me one day, He said, Mom, I want the truth.

I told him, but then I told him, I will ALWAYS believe.

And I will.

The magic of christmas is believing, and not just in Santa.

Believing that so long ago, a baby was born in a manger.

And he would grow up and give us the greatest Gift of all.

His love and His life. 

I am so grateful for My Savior. I am grateful, that through him, I can still feel the Christmas Spirit at 33 years of age. It doesn't take presents, and trees, and movies and getting to feel the Spirit of Christmas, you can feel it in your heart by giving to others, and carrying on the magic in your own home. By spending time with those you love, and remembering those less fortunate than you.

By saying Merry Christmas! Instead of Happy Holidays. To remind people the Reason for the Season.

HE is the reason.

Merry Christmas to all!! From Me. :)

You're never to old to sit on Santas lap. You are never too old to Believe.

a few of my favorite (christmas) things...

I can't believe it is December 10th, and I have done not ONE christmas post!!! This christmas season has been rushing by, and I feel like I haven't done anything christmasy with my kids yet!!! I want to enjoy every second of this season, I love it so much, but my days are so filled and busy, I need to slow it down and enjoy the next 15 days as much as I can.

#1: favorite thing, this handy little tape dispenser!! Now I have the use of both of my hands while wrapping. I discovered this little baby at the dollar store and I am hooked!

 #2: christmas tags

 #3. my secret stash of wrapping paper. and I looooooove wrapping presents.

 #4. christmas music!!!! you will find me listening to nothing else.

 #5. christmas stories. have barely even scratched the surface of all the stories I love to read!

 #6: My christmas tree and presents under the tree.

 #7: chocolate advent calendar. This has been a tradition since celine was very little.

 #8: SNOWMEN!!!!

#9: this christmas video, it makes me feel the christmas spirit every time and I love to pass that on!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXh7JR9oKVE&feature=player_embedded

Hope your having a very merry christmas season!!!

blogger slacker...

I have been feeling forever that I have been seriously neglecting my blog, but then I look and its only been 11 days, not too bad, but seems like an eternity to me!! I am so caught up in christmas and shopping and all that, that I have been neglecting things I normally do. Like pinterest, my blog, reading, ect....ect.... But the good news is, I am done shopping!!!! My goal every year is to be done by December 1rst so I can really just enjoy the whole christmas season and I reached my goal!! WOOHOO!!!! :) I am sossosososo excited for christmas. I love this time of year.

Here we are almost a month ago, when we got that one huge snow storm!!! The kids had fun going out and playing in it and then of course coming in for some hot chocolate. But.....the weather has been awesome ever since! 50's and 60's. Now this is my kind of winter. But I do always wish for snow for christmas and then wish it gone by new years. :)

Thanksgiving was so perfect. We had it at my mom and dads and we just ate and relaxed all day. Then me and my little sister april did some serious black friday shopping that night!! from 830-230 in the morning. It was so much fun, and not too crazy! :) The day after thanksgiving we packed up and headed down to st. george with jamie and luke and their kids and kalebs parents and sister kwinci. Another great time just eating, relaxing, shopping and playing cards and hanging out in the sun at the park. Perfect. Other than that, life just keeps flying by every day. I finally put up christmas today, wasn't so much into the decorating this year, wont' get our tree til monday. BUT- and this is BIG- I got kaleb to put up some christmas lights outside our house!!!! This neverevereverever happens. I am so happy. :) 1 more day til december, life is good.

I am most thankful for him...

Today I want to write a post about the person I am most thankful for in this world, Kaleb. I don't feel like I express my thanks to him hardly ever, I guess I hope that it is just unspoken that I appreciate him and all that he does. Since we found out I was pregnant with celine, every decision kaleb has made about his life has been for me and her, and then later Tage and Aliah. He is so selfless. He does so much for our family, even if it means never thinking of himself and what he really wants. I have never known anyone who works as hard as Kaleb, and who is so amazingly talented. He impresses me often with his skills. He chose a job that maybe wasn't his first choice, but one he knew would be able to support our family and  provide for us. Deep in my heart I have a wish that he could've picked a job that was his passion. I appreciate every morning when he wakes up and goes to his job so that we can have a beautiful home and food and clothes and all the other things in our life.We come first to him, no matter what. No matter if he is sacrificing his own happiness, because if his family is happy, he is happy. People ask kaleb for help all the time, and he always gives it. Even when I am telling him not too!:) Yes, sometimes I try to get him to put himself first, but he won't. Kaleb is so funny, and so friendly, he has this personality that instantly makes everyone his friend. I have learned so much just by watching him. I am a little bit shyer with people that I don't know and I see kaleb reach out to anyone and everyone and it inspires me. Another thing I am so grateful about Kaleb is his inability to be offended or hurt. He always gives people the benefit of the doubt, no matter what their actions, and he encourages me to do the same. But I am one who gets their feelings hurt and is sometimes not forgiving of other peoples faults, and Kaleb is always trying to help me be a better person. I really appreciate that, even when  I am fighting against it. :) I know that there are people in Kalebs life who don't see him the way he really is, who don't appreciate the amazing man that he is, and it makes me sad.  I feel bad for the people who don't take advantage of knowing who Kaleb really is and appreciating him and everything about him.  It is definitely their loss. Anyone who knows Kaleb I consider lucky. And I am lucky that half my life ago, he chose me to be his other half. I knew when I was dating him that he would be a wonderful dad and a great husband, and that he would always be my best friend. I know now that whatever hard time we go through, we will make it through. He is the best dad and husband, and I love him and am so grateful for him. Every day I thank my Heavenly Father for this amazing man. No, he's not perfect. I may write that list another day...haha. But today, I want to share with the world, or whoever reads my blog :), what a great and amazing husband I have and that this Thanksgiving, I am most thankful for him.

One more thought....

I don't know where this thought came from, but I have had it in my head all day. Celine is the EXACT age that me and kaleb were when we started "dating".(we were 3 months away from our 16th birthdays). Do you know how weird that is to me? I look at every boy she likes and think, nooooooooo, theres no way he is the one. I know she is going to date a million boys before she gets married. But, its like a blink and my life has passed me by. I remember being that 15 year old girl falling in love with 15 year old kaleb. wow. we were pretty stupid. :) 

Good thing we were M.F.E.O.

:)

Things I just don't understand....or in other words, people are crazy!

Here is a list of things that lately I have been thinking about, and I just don't understand:

1: Why would anyone be a Lakers fan, and even more so, a Kobe Bryant fan.

2. Why anyone voted for Obama. Do they want our country to keep sucking?

3. What is the deal with girls wearing leggings and really short shirts. Im sorry, but it looks terrible, I don't care what size you are.

4. Why my daughters Ex-boy-that-she-likes keeps talking to her about his new girlfriend that he dumped her for even though he says he didn't. so so lame and stupid.

5. Why people hate christmas. How can you hate christmas? Its the best time of the year.

6. Why people enjoy the cold and snow. How is being cold enjoyable??

yep. these are the things I think about.

I'm gonna be honest....

I am so excited for christmas. I am so happy it is coming. A month ago, I was stressing out. I didn't want it to come. I don't know why every year I think this year I won't be excited come the first of November. I always am. I love going to the stores and seeing the christmas aisles all laid out. I love to see all the christmas goodies and cookies. I love to see the rows and rows of wrapping paper and bows and ribbon and bags.  I  love seeing what new toys are out for the season. I love seeing gingerbread house kits and foods that have to do with christmas. I love seeing decorations and ornaments and stockings and christmas tree skirts. I love the smells. Orange. Cinnamon. Vanilla. Tree. Berry. All smells of christmas. I love seeing ABC family advertise there 25 days of christmas movies. I love ordering stuff on line and waiting for it to come in the mail. I love to pick out gifts for people. I love it when the lights go up all around town. I love hiding presents in my house. I love getting out my christmas music I haven't listened to since last year. I love turning the radio to KOZY 106.5 on the 3rd of November and yep, there is christmas music playing. Yep, I love all of it. I love christmas.

Halloween

Cornbellys

 Ghost Rider, Genie

 Voodoo Jazz Doll

 Secret Service, Running Zombie, Ghost Rider, Scarecrow

 Kitty

Whew. I am officially listening to christmas music now.

Family pictures

It was that time of year again to do family pictures. I really love how these colors came together. 

On Oct. 26th me and kaleb celebrated our 16 year anniversary. After our 10 day cruise last year, it was a little anti-clamatic.  But we still enjoyed a night out going to texas rhode house and a movie. And it reconfirmed to me all over again, it doesn't matter where we go or what we are doing, as long as we are together.

Aliahs 9th birthday party

Simple and easy. My two favorite words when it comes to a birthday party. Here is my fabulous decorating for her party.

 Aliahs BFF's.

We started the party by going outside and roasting smores. The girls ran around and played and had lots of fun. I stayed as close as I could to the fire.Then we went in to open presents.

 Ana.

 Kate.

 Chloe.

 Hadley.

 sarah.

Aliah got everything her little heart could have wanted. Then we had cupcakes and hot chocolate. I am not kidding you when I say this is the best hot chocolate I have ever had. I will post the recipe at the bottom of this post. The girls decorated mugs and then it was time to get in the hot tub.

They couldn't have had more fun. Every time I went out to check on them they told me to go back inside because they were telling secrets and talking about boys. Oh wow. :) Another party successfully checked off!!

Polar Express Hot Chocolate:

1.5 cups of heavy cream

1 can of sweetened condensed milk (14 oz)

2 cups of bittersweet chocolate chips

6 cups of milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

add all together in pot on stove and let simmer for 30 min.

yum.