How is she 7 already?

I swear, it was just last year that Scott and I were going to go to a movie but I started having contractions. We still tried to get to the movie when they told me I wasn't far enough along to get admitted. They kept us there so long, we missed both the early and the late shows and just went home and watched "Law and Order". The next morning, I progressed far enough that they admitted us and we welcomed our little Jade.

It really couldn't possibly be seven years ago that we held this beautiful little angel in our arms for the first time.

So early on, she would look at you with those eyes and you knew that she cared about you and knew all about you.


It couldn't possibly be six years ago that our little one year old sang at the top of her lungs and danced to whatever music was turned on. She has always wanted to perform for anyone that is willing to sit down for a moment and watch her and cheer her on.

It couldn't possibly be 3 1/2 years ago that our little sun kissed princess brightened every one's day. She started gymnastics at All-American and has never stopped being upside down. She began swimming and diving and showing us that she has no fear.

Now she is seven. She still cares, performs and has no fear. But now, she is so much more. She's beautiful, smart, caring, funny, strong, loving, silly, stubborn, daring, and fun- just to name a few. We love her and we love watching her grow into a wonderful big girl.


Happy Birthday Jade.

Happy Birthday Jade

A month ago Jade informed us that she has 5 favorite things in the whole wide world. They are...
1. Mom
2. Dad
3. Ivy
4. Chocolate Malts
5. AVATAR

So for her birthday, we decided to put together a family show to the IMAX. We missed a few family members that were out of town but we are very glad that we got most of the family there.


Wow, it was AMAZING. I understand now why Jade has decided it is her all time favorite movie. In fact, I'm guessing it will stay right up there at the top for a very long time.

Jade had a wonderful party and was so glad that everyone could come.

We couldn't find the girls....

The girls were set up at the kitchen table with their lunch. Scott was working on a computer project and I got in the shower (it was Saturday- lunch time is a perfect time of the day for a shower). The girls were being very quiet so Scott headed down to check on them. He couldn't find them. He went down to the basement, out in the garage, and yelled everywhere for them. He found them all bundled up and outside playing in the freshly fallen snow.

Sisters

I love when our little girls "nuggle" and fall asleep together. Even though they weren't supposed to be in our bed. Could they be any cuter?

Blissfully Domestic Latest Post

Check out my latest post on making scary things fun.

Hump Day...

Saturday night I learned that February 1st is officially "hump day." Hump day for what? The boating season.

In celebration of the season, I wanted to share one of Scott's videos. This video shows how to get in the boat when the swimming platform is not attached to the boat. We give a shout out to Jason for being such a good sport and for being willing to let us all laugh "with" him every time we watch it.

Game Night...

Lately we've been having some friends over for game night. Our last game night started later than normal so the kids cuddled up on the couch and watched two movies. They had a great night and look forward to doing it again. Ivy keeps asking when her friends are coming over again.

I keep asking Scott the same thing- I'm ready for another late night game night. Carcassone with multiple expansion kits.

Ivy at Primary Children's in Riverton

I truly love Primary Children's Hospital. I am very grateful that we have such wonderful child friendly facilities near by. Ivy had to have a test to see if she has kidney reflux. The test is a very invasive test and one that the hospital said we may have to reschedule and do it with sedation.

I started preparing Ivy, letting her know that she was going to have a potty test- where they take lots of pictures of her. My mom talked to her about how I had the test when I was her same age. She didn't act nervous at all and was smiley the whole time.

In the waiting room she played and giggled.

When it was time to go back to the radiology department she remained all smiles. The nurses started to explain to Ivy what was going to happen. She jumped in and explained to them that she was going to have a "potty test" and that she wasn't worried about it.

She got to hold her teddy bear the whole time they prepped her and the whole time she had her test. His name is "Dr. Bear E Ball". She loves cuddling with him.

I loved her cute little body in the hospital gown.

My mom took several pictures of her while they were performing the test.

Afterwards, Ivy had a good time showing us the mural at Primary Children's and she showed us the fish that direct you down the halls to each department.

You may wonder why I would take pictures during a hospital procedure. Picture taking means we're expecting to have a good time and make memories. What better way to make a child feel comfortable then set the expectation of something being positive and fun? She did great and the best part about it is that she does NOT have kidney reflux.

Don't forget the Valentine's Day Special---

Call or email me soon to book your session.

Field Trip at Sara Lee Bakery

Jade's school class got to do a tour of the Sara Lee Bakery. They don't typically do tours for a school group (but they do for small groups). The kids were all really well behaved and they had good questions for the team that was taking us on the tours.

Everyone had to wear hair nets and earplugs. I didn't get any great pictures of the group with the blue hair nets but I tried. They were so darn cute with their uniforms and the hats. I think the pictures of the kids in the plant could have been some really fun promotional pictures for the plant, but they have a lot of really strict rules about photography.

We took groups of 8 or 9 and we had two staff members and two parents for each group. I actually think the adults were more in awe by the whole thing than the kids were. I was blown away by conveyor system. It reminded me of the truck plant in Kentucky. Just everything flows and it is amazing when you see the start of the process and then all of the bread packed up ready to go, it's just amazing all that goes in to it.

One of the machines pushed out 140 loaves of bread per MINUTE. The Grandma Sycamore bread machine only does about 30 per minute. The mixers are huge and can hold up to 2000 lbs of dough. The bread is moving constantly as it goes through the kneading and then the forming. Then it moves through the big steam and warming box to raise for 20 minutes. From there it goes into the oven, where it keeps moving through the oven for another 20 minutes. Once the bread is baked, it moves through the plant for an hour while it cools. Then once it is cool, it gets sliced and blown into bags.

The kids got to try the dough from Grandma Sycamore bread, they had several pieces of the bread and buns through the process and then they were all given a loaf to take home. Plus Burger King donated kids meals to them all.

One of the things that I thought was really neat was how hard the crust of the bread was when they put them in the bags. I actually liked them better with the hard crust, but they don't stay hard in the plastic bags.

The kids had a blast and really learned a lot.

Thanks, Sara Lee Bakery team for letting the first grade experience bread making in bulk. I think they will remember it for a long time.

"It's So Very Cheri" is a blog I frequent. Yesterday she posted about her three year old daughter and scissors. She refers to the mullet her daughter now wears with grace- so I just had to share Jadybug's adventures with the scissors when she was three. For those of you who aren't aware of the cut she gave herself, go here. Cheri was so blown away by the stories she received of other kids that today she posted about the top three. Any guesses on who won first?

Visiting Grandpa and Grandma Great

To conclude all of our Christmas festivities, we went up to visit Grandpa and Grandma Great. The girls love when we go visit them. They dance with the singing Santa, give big hugs to Grandpa and Grandma, eat chocolate and when they are lucky, they get to play an instrument.

While Scott was helping Grandma Great into the living room, Grandpa gave the girls their presents and said to go ahead and open them. Rather than me thinking about being thoughtful and waiting til Scott and Grandma got in the room, I scrambled to get to my camera. Bad mommy. Jade was just finishing opening hers when they got in.

Both girls LOVED their "Animal Clay" that doesn't dry out nor does it fall apart- unlike Playdoh.

There were multiple spontaneous hugs from Ivy to Grandma Great- unfortunately I didn't get any of them.

Jade asked Grandpa Great if they could play the trumpet. As an old band teacher, he is always willing to help out a budding musician. Ivy has a much harder time with it than Jade does but she still enjoyed it.

In case you were wondering how well she sounds while looking so cute, I included a little video clip. Enjoy!

Going on a hike...

Sometimes we tell the girls to play with themselves and to let us have a quiet adult conversation. We realize that when we do this, we might never know what messes we are going to find or what mischief they are going to get into. Although there was a mess it was awfully cute.

The girls decided to go on a pretend hike. They got their backpacks, their baseball caps, sweatshirts and flip flops- the perfect hiking shoes. They also put their pajamas in the big pill bug stuffed animal bags- because you have got to have those two things with you whenever you go on a hike. Think about it. You might need a stuffed animal that can double as a pillow when you put your pj's on. They also gathered purses and webkins. Again- they really know how to prepare for a hike.

To join in the fun, Scott let Jade use the GPS and Ivy used a "pretend flashlight." "Pretend" because there weren't any batteries in it.

Then the girls were off for their hike...

Jade used the GPS to help them get to the mailbox and Ivy shed little light on the path. Ivy got cold and came in before they made it to the mailbox.

Such funny little girls. I think this summer we'll have to get a bit more hiking in so that they learn the real things a little girl needs on a hike.

Think Someone Feels Cute?

Recently we decided to make Jade a little blonder. She was SOOO excited about it and has been looking forward to it for weeks. Our friend Brooke did it and did a wonderful job. It looks very natural and her cut is fantastic. We cut off at least 4 inches.

Ivy just got a little trim. She felt special and as you can tell, she feels adorable with her cute little cut.

Here's the final result on Jade. She's worn her hair down every day since. Finally her buzz cut has caught up with the rest of her hair.

Birthday Dinner at "OUR" Restaurant

Our little birthday girl has a very unfortunate time of year for a birthday. The 3rd of January is really difficult because we've just celebrated Christmas, New Year's Eve, New Year's Day and this year the Sanford Oyster Fry. Somewhere in there we need to make the day special for her. We had a yummy breakfast of German Pancakes and bacon with Grandpa Bob and Grandma Janet. She got one last birthday present. It was her little terrier webkin that she absolutely adores. That night, for dinner, we went to "our" restaurant with Grandpa. (Grandma was in California).

As much as we loved dinner- it was a little less than our perfect family dinner. Ivy got burned by the chef and Jade choked on her shrimp that the chef threw at her.

Neither girl ate much and they both ended up being hungry once we got home.

According to Ivy, she had a wonderful birthday.

Let's get this party started

The house was all dressed up and then we had the Sanford Family Annual Oyster Fry.

Everything went well- the kids got a long great. They had a wonderful time playing in the playroom, playing the Wii and the XBox and eating.

While the kids were doing well playing together, Scott headed up the team of cookers. There were two grills going with oysters being dipped and fried.

The menu was huge and delicious. We had...

fried oysters with homemade cocktail and tarter sauces

shake and bake chicken

sweet potato and brown rice casserole

roasted pototoes

crab and artichoke dip

salad

and coleslaw.

For dessert we had pies, gingerbread and amish bread.

I'm so glad that we were able to have everyone get together for Oysters. It is probably the most anticipated and talked aobut tradition in Scott's family. And somehow, we haven't had the whole group together for 3 years.

Scott's grandparents, Jay and Vod, had an annual oyster fry for Grandpa Bob's birthday and Christmas. The menu always included Shake and Bake chicken and fried oysters. Jay and Vod both died years before I met Scott, but it has been a tradition that I am grateful they have continued.

All dressed up...

This is my house when it is dressed up for a holiday party...

...these are the tables all dressed up ready for a holiday meal...

...this is our Christmas tree that will still be up on the 9th of January...

...because that is how it works when you have a holiday party on the 2nd of January (oh, and work full time).

PS- adding a few additional pictures...

Ringing in the New Year

I love New Year's Eve at my parents. The food is always wonderful and the games are always enjoyable.

I love watching my family enjoy one another. There was no tension this season, no eye rolling, no grumpiness and no moral debates. I think it is because we all decided to just have fun and play games. For us, I think the biggest difference was that we just resolved to be okay with the girls being out WAY past their bedtimes. Typically, around 8:00 we are rushing to get on the road so that the girls can have their bedtime routine. Doing this means there is stress to make sure everything gets done quickly and smoothly. Plus there is the tension when the girls are whining about not wanting to go home yet so Scott and I both get cranky. Which, of course, makes everyone else cranky.

But this season we stayed late and the kids were exhausted and we paid for it every day, but it was worth it.

The morning of the Nutty Nutcracker, Jade came into our room and said that she was just too tired and that we were doing too many things at night. She asked if we could spend a night at home going to bed early. When she found out that we had the Nutcracker that night and New Year's Eve the next day, she asked if she could take a nap before the ballet. Sweet girl. Tired girl.

Anyway, back to New Year's Eve....

The evening was enjoyed by our family, my parents' neighbors- Gary and Jeanette, their youngest and his wife, the McBride family and briefly my aunt and uncle. It was a full party with great games and conversation.

I'm sure you recognize the game from previous posts.

The kids were excited to get their noise makers and their bubbly.

The adults prepared for the new year by turning on the TV to watch the ball drop.

Dad poured the glasses of bubbly.

And everyone celebrated.

Finally, around 3 in the morning, the two youngest were done celebrating. Mom and I joined them and crashed until the games were over- around 4:30.

Jade and Asher were pretending to be asleep but didn't score a sleep over.

It was a great night (especially since I finished with my end of quarter phone calls just after 7:00 PM- which isn't always the case).

The Birthday Party...

Sweet little Ivy combined her birthday with New Year's Eve. With end of quarter/year, New Year's Eve, Oysters and her birthday all being on the same weekend, we had to consolidate somewhere. She is so sweet that she didn't mind at all. She had a cake and got to open presents and that is really all that mattered to her.

She had so much fun opening presents and loved every single thing she got. And she was extra glad that Asher and Kieran were still in town for her "party".

Daddy presented her cake and she blew out the candles, one by one.

Happy Birthday little Ivy. We love you.

Dinner and the Ballet

When our family goes to Salt Lake, there are two restaurants that we always want to go to- The New Yorker and Greek Souvlaki. When kids are invited, Greek is the way to go. Everyone loves it and eats a ton.

Why were we in Salt Lake? The "Naughty Nutcracker" of course. Okay okay, it is really the "Nutty Nutcracker" but we all like the name Ivy came up with for it. This was our gift from my parents. It was a wonderful idea and a great activity for the whole family. Everyone had a good time and was entertained.

One thing that we neglected to prepare the kids for was men in tights. Why I didn't think about it before the ballet, I'll never know. But when the first male dancer came out in his light colored tights, all of the kids from 3-17 years old were giggling. "Look at his bum."

Oh heavens!! It is a good thing that we went to the nutty version of the Nutcracker because you were expected to laugh at parts, not parts. Half way through the second half, I moved next to Jade and would gently pinch her leg as a reminder that she shouldn't be laughing. It didn't work.

In the end, the ballet was a wonderful family activity and I'm glad we went. I don't think we've converted that family to ballets but at least they have all been to one.

An evening at the cottage

During the break, our family got to go up to my aunt and uncle's cottage. I always love going up there and escaping from the valley. The cottage will always be special for me, because that is where I said "I do" to Scott.

When Uncle built the cottage, he took every detail into consideration: the most impressive is his fireplace. Because I always love looking at it, I took a few pictures of it.

The kids had a great time up at the cottage working on their Christmas scrapbooks. (The scrapbooks and materials were part of their gift from my parents). I was amazed at how involved each of the kids were and how much effort they put into them.

The older family members played more carcassonne.

Here are the faces of the Carcassonne players. (Mac sat out this game).

Game night(s)

My favorite part of having the Andrus family in town was the multiple late night game nights. The game of choice this season is Carcassone. There were nights they played until 4 in the morning.

I'm just glad they all had so much fun.

Especially this smile made the late nights worth it.

PFAPA update

In the past, I've shared about Ivy's periodic fever syndrome. It has been quite a while since I've given an update.

During the spring we took Ivy to an infectious disease doctor, Dr Russ Osgathorpe. He is a wonderful pediatric specialist. When we went, Ivy had just finished an episode two days before. When he looked at her throat he saw the typical ulcers a child with PFAPA gets. He said that while we were talking about her, he was questioning if PFAPA was the right diagnosis. But after looking at her throat, he was 95% certain that that is what it is. He convinced us to try the prednisone treatment and said if she responded to the prednisone then he would be 100% confident in the diagnosis.

Three weeks later we got to give it a try. When she spikes to at least 101 degrees, we are to give her 1 tsp and then again 12 hours later. The several times we have given it to her, the fever breaks within the hour and doesn't return. Her fevers are less frequent now and with the prednisone, they never get above 101.

We are thrilled with our results.

During the Christmas break, she had an episode. We knew two days before the fever hit that she was starting. As you can see in the pictures below, her eyes start to get a sad looking and she drinks a ton of milk. This time, she enjoyed a root beer float.

Our next step is to get her tonsils and adenoids removed. There is an 80% chance of a cure- which seems like pretty good odds- especially now that we are comfortable with her diagnosis.

If you know of a child that has recurrent fevers that start to fit into a schedule of every 3-4 weeks, suggest they talk to their doctor about PFAPA. The doctor will run a few tests, to rule out anything else. The first test will be blood work measuring their sed rate during a fever and when they aren't fevering. They'll also run a urinalysis and culture to rule out a urinary tract infection. If their tonsils are affected, they'll run a strep test.

The gift exchange...

After we had a quiet Christmas morning and home, we headed down to my parents house for hours of holiday fun. We had a very nice gift exchange where everyone was gracious and excited about their gifts.

This year, Jade asked us if we could wrap an empty box for Grandpa and Grandma. So we did, and when they opened it Jade and Ivy told them that the box was full of kisses. So kisses and kisses and kisses are what they got.

My parents gave everyone in the family tickets to the "Nutty Nutcracker" at the Capitol Theatre. Ballet West does two performances of the with some funny little additions. When Ivy opened her ticket she was so excited and announced that she too gets to go to the "Naughty Nutcracker". Tom exclaimed that he wanted to go to the same show Ivy got tickets to.

Birthday Girl!

I can't believe it has already been 4 years since Scott, Jade and I were walking through the mall in Dearborn Michigan trying to get Ivy to join our family before the new year. Considering I had been on bedrest since week 24 of my pregnancy, you would think a walk around the mall would have kicked me in to labor. Oh no, nothing. She held until just hours before her due date.

When she entered this world, I knew she would be a special little angel. A tender and sweet little girl. When she was days old she found her voice- loud like a raptor. She continues to be tender and sweet and LOUD.

Some of my favorite things about our little Ivy are...

1. Her little closed mouth smile that reminds me of Lucy Little

2. The songs she sings in bed when she's trying to keep herself from falling asleep

3. The funny little ball she gets into when she's trying to do a cartwheel

4. Her squeaky little voice that calls for me whenever I leave the room

5. Her "nuggles" before bed and in the middle of most nights

6. How she can carry on a conversation with herself for a 20 minute drive

7. She has several imaginary friends- Tinka, Linka, Locka, Pinka to name just a few

8. The way she remembers every one's names from church, dance, Jade's school and anywhere else she meets someone

She is such a funny little character and we are so lucky and blessed to be her parents. She has brought us so much joy, love and laughter. She is a wonderful baby sister and she loves her big sister more than anything.

Happy Birthday Princess Ivy. We love you!!!

Jade, dance clothes and a belly button

Scott's parents came over Christmas morning to give the girls and us presents. The girls got dance clothes and loved them all. Jade and Ivy posed by them and asked that I take their pictures. Jade posed (notice the cup behind her)...

... so she moved the cup...

...but then her belly button showed...

...and daddy teased her...

...so she pouted.

Why does teasing almost always end in a pout?

Christmas Morning...

Christmas morning began at 9:00 when the girls wandered into our room. We made our way to the stairs by 9:15 for the annual stairs picture. Ivy was not excited about the picture- she said she was really tired. Good thing Jade was cooperative.

Their Santa present was a computer. (The monitor is a hand-me down) but we didn't think they would understand what just the tower was. The favorite thing about their computer was the super cute pink mouse that Scott found. Neither one of them expressed very much excitement over the computer. Ivy was far more excited that Santa brought her the new mouthwash that she had been asking for her "WHOLE LIFE". It's always wonderful when you can meet the needs and wishes of your children.

The girls distributed gifts and played the role of Santa. Some were a little too heavy so they were pushed.

A couple presents were bigger hits than others. For example, the Zhu Zhu's were a smash! The girls loved them and cuddled them and kissed them. I loved that neither of the girls had ever heard of them before- so they had no idea how lucky they were to get them. As many of you may know, Scott is the best shopper EVER. He finds deals in places that no one would ever expect. Several weeks before Christmas he informed me that he had ordered two Zhu Zhu's and that they were the big toy of the season. He found them online at Shopko and paid the msrp for them- while others were paying outrageous amounts for these $12 toys.

Jade's other favorite toy was a roller coaster game for the Wii. She fell over "dead" from excitement.

Ivy loved everything she got and enjoyed stacking them into a tower.

In the end, here's our display of Christmas presents.

What did Scott and I get? Scott got a really awesome Rowenta iron. I got backdrop stands and backdrops. I'm so excited to start using them.

What a WONDERFUL decade this has been...

As I look back on the last decade I am extremely overwhelmed with gratitude for all that I have been blessed with. There have been very difficult times but also the happiest times of my entire life. As this new decade begins, I would like to recap some of the highs and lows of each year.

2000- The year started out with a huge and painful loss. My grandma proved to all of us that there was something to fear about Y2K. Grandma was NOT Y2K compatible. She died very early in the morning on the 2nd of January after she threw a blood clot from a broken leg. The doctors wouldn't fix it the week before when they found it because it was considered "elective" surgery and they wouldn't do elective surgeries for 2 weeks prior to Y2K- just in case.

The year started out on a difficult note, but the rest of the year was wonderful. I started work at Novell and I taught seminary at Alta High School. I was dating more than I ever have and then I met him, the "Hottie in the office" and was excited that he didn't wear a wedding ring because he wasn't married. The courtship began in September of 2000. We went duck hunting and I got my own waders. It was at that moment Scott knew he could marry me, but it took him a few months until he knew that he wanted to marry me.

2001- Scott Sanford proposed to me. Both versions of the story are worth sharing- but I'll save those for another day. On May 5th, we were married at my Uncle's cottage in Sundance. It was a perfect day.

That fall Scott started graduate school and I continued to work.

2002- Scott did an internship with Ford in Michigan and we found out that we were expecting Jade.

We were also sealed in the Salt Lake Temple for eternity.

2003- Jade joined our little family and I learned a whole new meaning for happiness.

That summer we moved our little family to Louisville, Kentucky where we bought our first house. We loved getting the yard put together and decorating the house to be our home.

2004- Scott and I enjoyed the rainy season in Jamaica for a getaway without Jade. We got to go to the Kentucky Derby and my cousins came out to experience it with us. It was the first rainy Derby in decades.

2005- Jade and I headed to Utah where I took a job with LANDesk, Scott took a promotion and moved to Michigan. It was extremely difficult being apart but we went back and forth as often as possible. The week before we moved, we found out that Ivy would be joining our family in January.

Scott and I got to go to a NASCAR race with Josh and Lisa. We also enjoyed the luxury suite at the horse races. Soon after that Josh and Lisa tied the knot. The next day I was put on bed rest for preterm labor.

Jade and I joined Scott in Michigan for the rest of the pregnancy and we love finding the fun in Dearborn.

2006- The year started out with Ivy joining our family in Dearborn, MI. Both sets of grandparents came out to help and play in the cold of Michigan while we explored Frankenmuth.

In the early summer, our family was reunited in Utah where we bought a lot and started to build our home. We lived in my grandparents' condo for a season and were grateful that Scott got a job with Novell.

2007- We moved into our new home and spent the rest of the year getting the house and yard put together.

In April we took Jade and explored Germany and Austria in our new car. Ivy stayed with our nanny and missed us.

For work I traveled over 50,000 miles on Delta and 25,000 miles on United- I hope I never have to repeat that again.

2008- Scott and I got to go to Saint Lucia for my company's president's club. It was a wonderful vacation and the girls had a blast with my parents.

I broke my foot on my dad's birthday and had surgery a month later.

We took the girls to Disneyland for their first time and they want to go back again and again.

For 2009 you can see the recap of the year, here.

Quite the decade- I LOVED 2000- 2009 and can't wait to see what the next decade will bring my family.

Happy New Year...

To wrap up this year, I would like to share with you some of the memories that stand out to me from 2009.

January- Ivy started dance and had so much fun that Jade decided she wanted to be in dance too.

February- Our family took a quick impromptu getaway to Midway.

March- Jade performed at a gymnastics meet at BYU and absolutely loved watching the BYU gymnasts.

April- This was an excellent month! Easter, a freakish spring snow storm, WICKED at Capitol Theater with our parents and another getaway this time to Bear Lake.

May- I finally got to wear a Prom dress to our ward prom and Jade graduated from kindergarten. Ivy and Jade had their dance recital and both fell in love with performing. We also got to watch Grandpa Great at the Golden Spike re-enactment.

June- We had a huge project where Scott put a rectangle trampoline in the ground. Jade and Ivy both learned how to ride their bikes- Ivy with training wheels and Jade without.

July- The girls experienced their first rodeo and it stormed the whole time. We took another getaway but this time to St George for a wonderful couple of days at the Sand Dunes.

August- Our life became a life of boaters. We spent weekends and nights out on the boat learning how to wake board. Jade also started First Grade and both girls made the performing companies at the VIBE dance studio.

September- More boating and a great Labor Day at the Thanksgiving Point Luau.

October- We saw several movies, rode the Haunted Train, and had a mouse problem- yuck!

November- We went to California and had a wonderful time playing with my brother's family, spent a day at the Sand Dunes and went to the top of the world at Snowbird.

December- A very busy month filled with Jade winning the reflections contest, a polar bear swim, a Christmas program and dance demonstrations wrapped up with the girls seeing their first ballet.

What a full and wonderful year! Can't wait to see what 2010 brings.

Happy New Year!

The Stockings were hung...

After Santa dropped of pajamas for all of the kids, we headed home to hang stockings and get to bed. We didn't have time to read "Night Before Christmas" because we got home so late. But we did quickly hang stockings and captured the tired moment for our posterity to see and remember.

Goofy Christmas girls.

the Voodoo Clan

My cousin, Cass, is EXTREMELY creative. She's an amazing artist by trade, but she also explores other mediums that are fun and crazy. Cass is one of my favorite people to spend time with. She makes me laugh while she makes me want to be more creative and artsy. For Christmas, she made witch dolls for each of us. The faces are our faces printed on a fabric. In the picture below it is me, then my mom, then Anne and last is Kat. Each has a very fancy dress and a witches hat.

The dolls remind me a little bit of voodoo dolls, but witches- therefore a clan. I think they are really cool and I'm very excited to have it as part of my decorations.

When the girls saw it, Ivy said that it was scary and Jade immediately said it looked just like me. So the question is, am I scary looking?

Oh Heavens, the Nativity

Part of our family tradition for Christmas is a re-enactment of the Nativity. This year we had a little bit of a challenge, none of the boys were willing to play Joseph, so we had to improvise. Asher was willing to play the part so she and Jade were Mary and Joseph.

The kids disappeared with my mom and Cassie while they learned their parts and got in costume. Then they joined the group while Sunshine read from the scriptures.

Our baby Jesus is a little old and wasn't really interested in staying in the basket.

The shepherds sat with their backs to the audience and there was only one king, who wasn't very interested in the baby Jesus. It's hard when you are 1 1/2 to understand your role in the Nativity.

We had to take a short paparazzi break in the middle of the re-enactment when we realized there were 3 dslr's flashing, 1 video camera filming, 2 iPhones capturing and 1 point and shoot snapping away. We took the pictures and then put our cameras down and let the spirit take over.

It was beautiful and as always wonderful to be reminded of the birth of our Savior.

Cass got some great pictures of the nativity with her iPhone. Check them out on her blog.

Christmas Eve Festivities...

I really love my extended family. I love the laughter and the stories that are heard through out the evening. I love getting to catch up on the fun things everyone is doing. I love watching the teenagers "hang" together remembering how they used to be like the little ones are now- only there were fewer of them. I love getting to spend time visiting with them and listening to the interactions between the generations.

Christmas eve at my parents is filled with soups- clam chowder and french onion soup are the traditions. But this year, we added some extra soups. I made borsch, Tom made a miso soup, Kat made a butternut squash soup and Aunt Carole made a yummy tomato basil. As always there was more food than we could possibly consume in one evening.

I think my mom looks really pretty in this picture.

I think this is a great picture of my uncle that really does captures him.

Can you tell that they are mother and son?

I love getting to see all of my family enjoying their Christmas eve feast.

Grandma and Grandpa Great

I never knew my great grandparents- not on either side of my family. My kids are luckier than I was because they have gotten to know one set of great grandparents. Scott's mom's parents are still an active and fun part of their family. The Christmas party is the biggest gathering that they always make it to- even if they aren't feeling fantastic.

Grandpa Wayne makes the party musical- he is a retired band teacher and plays multiple instruments. In fact, he still plays with a band whenever he can. For Grandma Edith's 90th birthday party, his band of old musicians entertained the family and the littles danced and danced to their tunes. Grandpa's part of the party is typically the highlight.

Grandma E has been frail as long as I have known her, but there is always a smile on her face and she's always quick to hug and laugh. Since I've been part of the family, she has been through so much medically, but she continues to fight. Most recently, she broke a vertebrae when she fell in the middle of the night. She's had a heart attack that was followed by bypass surgery. Plus she's had tummy troubles that don't seem to have a good resolutions. Each time we pray for her to be strong and for her body to heal. Our prayers continue to be answered because she is a strong fighter.

Together they support one another and stand by each other's side. They care for one another unconditionally. Their love has grown over the many years that they have been together. For our family, they demonstrate true love and why being together for all eternity is such a blessing.

We love you, Grandpa and Grandma Great. We are so grateful for every minute we all get to spend with you. Merry Christmas!

We wish Aunt Dawn and Uncle John could have been there too.

Johnson Family Christmas Party

The holiday season began with the Johnson family Christmas party. It is one of the traditions I look forward to every year since I joined the family. Each year we gather with many of Scott's cousins and siblings to celebrate the holiday. We play games, eat lots of yummy food have the kids exchange gifts. This year there seemed to be fewer cousins there, but hopefully next year more will be able to come.

Here are some of the scenes of what the kids do during the family party...

Gavin made a leaning tower of cups.

Luci scooted on her head for a bit.

Matthew just looked adorable.

Anya spent some time visiting with Grandma Great.

Then all of the kids gathered for a roaring game of B-I-N-G-O with a Christmas theme. They had a blast with it and enjoyed the candy prizes. Thank you Aunt BJ for facilitating the game.

Every year, Grandpa Great leads the kids in carols and provides the musical instruments. I love him in his little elf hat and the energy he brings to the party. The kids love getting to sing with him and have a lot of fun with his instruments.

To end the party, Aunt Kristal read a story about lefts and rights and each time she said "left" the kids would have to pass their present to the left. If she said "right" then they would pass their present to the right. At the end of the story, all of the kids got to open the present they ended up with. One of the presents our girls got was "cooties" and they have loved it. They've played it over and over again.

We had a great time and I am so glad we get to spend time with his cousins each year.