Kathryn's Christmas Program

 The 2nd grade put on their Christmas performance earlier this week and it was great.  She did wonderful and always puts everything into her singing--it's quite cute!  Kathryn insisted that she didn't have to wear a dress or anything fancy that night(and I believed her!) and she was the only girl in pants which she thought was awesome and I thought was completely Kathryn.

 Here she is hurrying to her spot and illustrates perfectly her tongue that hangs out when she is in a hurry.

 Her class sang "I Am So Baroque At Christmas" and "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" and recited the poem "Now Close the Windows" by Robert Frost.

Ornaments

Every year the kids get a new ornament to put on the tree when we decorate it.  They get so excited waiting for the tree to get up so they can get their ornaments.  

 I always try really hard to find ornaments that are meaningful to them and represent something from their lives this past year.

 This year was a different story.  I searched high and low for the perfect ornaments and wow!...crap.  That's all I could find.  I guess except for Hallmark but I have moral reasons against paying $16 for one ornament.  Anyway....

 So after searching more we ended up with letters.  The kids were excited for them (or at least pretended to be) and we got the tree up, which is another story in itself.

 You see, I LOVE real trees.  That's what we always had growing up and after having a fake one for the 8 years of marriage, we started going to the mountains to cut one down.

 Well this year Sam was not going to do that!  After much pleading and cajoling and still not being able to talk him into it I gave in and went with him to look at fake trees ( I tried to tell him now was not the time to buy them but he was quite set on getting an artificial one!).

 So after a tour around Wally World he changed his mind about that fake tree and we headed off to a tree lot to buy a tree and make a donation to charity.  

 It wasn't quite the cutting it down in the mountains experience I was hoping for but we have a real tree, it's beautiful and it makes the house smell AMAZING!!

 Here is the beauty in all it's kids did the decorations glory!

Basketball Girl

 Sarah just finished her basketball season.  She was much improved and made at least one basket in the last 4 games.  She was so excited.  She is actually not the shortest girl on the team either.  For years she has always been the shortest.  At school, at church, on any team she plays on so it's quite a big deal to not be the littlest anymore!

 Here they are getting their wristbands and warming up before the game.

 Getting ready to play.

 Sarah is quite the defender.  She sticks to her girl like glue and does of great job of keeping her hands in the air so they can't shoot.

 Jump ball.

 Taking a breather and getting her turn as point guard.  Her coach was very good at teaching them basic, simple plays so most of the time the girls scored when they brought it down the court.

 Shooting a basket and making it.  Yeah!

Thanksgiving

We got to visit Sam's family this year for the big event.  The day we were leaving this little guy fell down the stairs trying to be fast and get his shoes.

After a trip to the doctor, the hospital for an x-ray, and all over town trying to find a brace small enough for his wrist we came home and wrapped it up and stuck it in a sling.  He did great as long as no one touched it and after swelling hugely for two days we finally heard from the doctor.  He broke a small bone in his wrist and only needs to be in splint for 2 weeks.  

 While we were in SLC we got to stay with one of Sam's sisters and her family.  The kids were in heaven to be with their cousins constantly.

 The weather was beautiful everyday and they had a blast being outside.  Tag was a favorite as was playing with the dogs.  Sarah and Kathryn thought that part was especially awesome.

On Thanksgiving day we had a wonderful dinner with the family that was in town.  Everybody pitched in and helped (and no Jessica doesn't normally look like this--she is just being silly).

 The guys (at least Sam) enjoyed watching all the football games and then we spent the rest of the night playing some serious board games.  So fun to play with everyone.

The rest of the weekend was filled with so much fun I forgot to bring the camera.  Friday the ladies and I hit IKEA for some sweet deals then we met everyone at Sugarhouse BBQ for some A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. food.  If you are ever in the area--WOW--you should give it a try.  We loved it!

Afterwards the whole family (like 40 of us) went to the Davis Rec Center for Charlotte's Birthday party and some seriously wonderful swimming.  They have a great area for the kids and a super fun waterslide.  We swam for 3 hours straight and had a blast.  Then it was back to the house for some yummy dinner and more board games.

Saturday the kids played to their hearts content with their cousins while Katie and I made cute hair things for her girls.  The guys all went to help another sister move so we visited and enjoyed the quiet time.  We had to play the mandatory Risk game before we could leave (Sam spanked us all in 15 minutes--we were playing the missions version) and then it was on the road to home.

We had a wonderful time.  Thanks Katie and Fred for hosting us!

Roller skating

 One of our favorite things to do in the winter is go skating.  The kids ask repeatedly to go so we finally gave in and went last week for fhe. 

 We had lots and lots of fun.  The kids are getting a lot better and now only Luke needs our help.  Which is not to say they don't fall down (which Sarah did a lot and hurt her wrist quite bad) but they don't need to hold our hands anymore.

 Yeah!

 Here is Kathryn with her good friend Ashley.  They had a grand time together.

Two of my cute, handsome boys.