Baine.........6 months

Kelsey wanted some six month pictures of Baine and so we decided to take some with my new camera. I think we did okay for extreme amateurs. These are some of my favorites. We really wanted to get some documentation of his fat rolls and his cute dimple.

Baine can go from happy to full out scream in 0.2 seconds!

Incredible Evening!

This is our niece, Lindsay Tarbet. She is seventeen years old and she performed with the Salt Lake Symphony last Saturday night. We were able to attend and I must say that it was very enjoyable!! What talent! There is a video recording of her on face book but I couldn't figure out how to download the link so if you want to watch it, go to face book and to my wall and you can find her there. We are so very proud of her and especially happy that we could share the experience with her and her proud parents and siblings. Great job Lindsay! We love you!

Finally!

The Big Mess!

That's right, I am finally getting my Christmas decorations put away. Today was the day. Only one other year in my married life have I left my decorations out sooo long, but that year I really enjoyed them and I wanted to keep them up for a while. Not so this year. I am sick to death of them! I honestly haven't had time to put them away until today. It took me all day and my back is really sore/tired from standing on my head all day while bending over but everything is packed up and put away. It feels really good! I sometimes wonder if I would be happier to simplify more and get rid of a bunch of my decorations. I gave some away to my girls but I still have the more time consuming stuff. A few years ago my mother gave away a lot of her really nice decorations and I thought she would regret it but I don't think she has. Now I am wondering if I should do the same. It takes me two days of hard work to get everything put up and in place. I love it once it's up but at the same time, I was really dreading putting it all away because of the work. The biggest part is the trees and the village. Maybe I should just get rid of some trees and the village. I guess I'll see how I feel about it next year.

A little this and that

Kelsey and Brady went to the last Bronco game this last week and we helped keep Baine for them. He's a really good baby and it was fun to get to know him a little better one on one. I think that Brady is really becoming a "huge" Bronco fan since he brought Baine a Tim Tebow jersey home.

Here are a few pics I took with the kids during the weekend Baine was here. I wanted to get one picture with all of them in it but Brynly was at her other cousins house.

Grandpa was giving Molly and Jaxon rides on his back. The picture was blurry because Molly was in mid air. We took her shirt off so she didn't get dirty while eating.

Baine and Bo had the same PJ's on so I had to get a picture of them together.

He is really a sweet little boy.

Christmas Day (and the day after)

We had another really enjoyable Christmas this year. Christmas day all the kids came to the house at about 11:00 AM. We opened presents, watched the kids play for a while and then Brooks and I cooked a prime rib dinner. We decided to try something different. Kade isn't a big beef fan but I think that the rest of the family enjoyed it. Brooks' mom and dad came and had dinner with us and spent some of the day at our house. My dad had surgery a few days ago and so my parents weren't able to join us but next year we will insist even if we have to kidnap them! I was spoiled with a new camera and so this post is mostly pictures. I don't think that I took enough. I don't have any of Brynly with her toys or Jax with his. I mostly got their back sides while they were opening them. Some day I will learn how to get a good picture.

Baine with one of his new toys.

Molly got a new baby and she was giving it a big kiss in this picture.

Jax got iron-man at the Tarbet party.

I thought that this was a really cute picture of Baine.

Molly with Great Grandma and Grandpa at the Tarbet party.

Bryn looks exhausted!

This was part of our nativity at the Tarbet party. Kara was the narrator, Molly and I were angels, and Lindsay and Lauren were shepherds.

Bryn was Mary and Jax was the donkey that Mary rode to Bethlehem.

Bo is playing under his new toy. I think that he looks pretty happy here.

Jax was showing me his missing teeth. He lost three in the last few weeks.

Jax and Molly in Molly's new Mini Cooper. I don't think that Molly got out of it at all once it was put together.

The kids opening more presents but of course you can't see the gifts.

Bo in his cute snowman PJ's and his new hat.

I think that Baine was pretty happy to just watch everything.

Christmas really is my favorite holiday to celebrate. I love that the kids live close and are able to spend it with us. I will never get tired of watching them and the grand kids open their gifts. I love to have them all for dinner and to just hang out. This year we played some games and just relaxed. I loved every minute of it and I am so appreciative that my family can spend time with us. It is the greatest gift that any one of them could give to us!

Ready for Christmas?

This post is should really be named "catching up on the last few weeks with a bunch of pictures etc." I don't even know how to move my pictures into the order that I want them in. I'll just have to write about what I've been doing and explain the pictures.

I managed to get all of my Christmas decor up this year (unlike last year) right after Thanksgiving. This can be a huge stumbling block for me some years if I don't feel like I have the time. I really enjoy all of the decorations but some years it's just plain hard to get them all up. I love to have all of my lights on at night but if I'm not home, Brooks doesn't turn a thing on!

Dec 9th was Jaxon's birthday party. He turned seven this year! I can't believe I have a seven year old grandson. He was thrilled with everything he got and we had a great time watching him open his presents along with some help from Bryn and Molly.

On Saturday the 11th of Dec., we celebrated my dad's birthday and had our family Christmas party. My mom and dad had Dexter the magician come. This used to be a tradition with our family years ago when my children were young. It was always so much fun and we really loved it. The kids loved it this year as well. After Dexter we ate our dinner and then had our annual gift game. This year we got two nerf guns, one each! I gave mine to Jaxon. While the adults were opening the gifts, the kids were decorating their personal gingerbread houses. Lynette had put together one (or more) for each of them along an apron for each of them to wear. It was a fantastic idea!

This past week, Kara, Kelsey, Jessica and I had our annual Christmas treat making day. We spent all day making fudge, pumpkin bread, peppermint bark, truffles, licorice caramels, choc covered pretzels, and rice crispy treats. We loaded 27 plates for friends and neighbors. It's exhausting but fun.

Now, with only a week left before Christmas, I just have the gifts to wrap. I'm not as organized as I'd like to be. I wish I could be ready by the first week of December but I just can't seem to get it together that early. I'm just happy that I'm ready now!

We wanted to get a picture of Brooks and I with the grand kids in our Bronco gear. I've ordered Christmas cards but they are taking a while go get here so they will be late getting out.

This picture was taken at Lynette's at the party. My mom and dad with all of their great-grandchildren.

Our treats all done and on plates and in tins.

Jaxon blowing out his candles on his birthday.

Jax and Bryn after they finished their houses. I can't believe Jax was even willing to wear an apron. Bryn had taken hers off.

Bryn is quite proud of her house.

Molly even got into decorating.

Jaxon and Brooklyn both thought that Dexter was going to cut Jaxon's finger off.

Molly was at my house the day I decorated. I haven't put the Mickey and Minnie out for many years. When Molly saw them, she insisted on sitting by them to watch TV.

Slacker!!

Yes, I am really slacking. We have had a lot going on and I just can't seem to get in the mood to post it. We had a really nice Thanksgiving. All of our kids were with their in-laws so Brooks and I were with my family. We had a really yummy dinner at Lynette's house and got to visit with most of my family. Lynette always does a fantastic job and I wish I had her talents. (maybe I should just develop some of my own and quit feeling envious)

Friday morning Kelsey and I got up and left for Logan at 4:30 AM to hit the sales. We met Jordan and Suzette at Walmart but none of us could really find anything that we were dying to purchase, so we left and went to Shopko to look at Christmas trees. We couldn't find any to die for deals there either and the check out line was huge so we left from there also. After that, we went to Village Inn for breakfast. We had fun just sitting, eating and visiting. After breakfast, we all went home. Pretty funny don't you think? We'll probably do it again next year just for the fun of it. Kara didn't come because she and Phil went at midnight and Jessica was going to try to meet us after work but she wasn't feeling very well.