A Few Christmas Favorites

Our stockings. My mother made all of these to match mine, it's the same one I had throughout childhood. There are a lot of fancier or more beautiful stockings to be had out there for sure, but I could never bear to replace these. This is my very favorite thing to get out of my Christmas boxes each year. (I especially love how Matt's is bigger than all the other ones - I think that was subliminal crocheting)

The pickle ornament. Matt's family has a tradition of hiding this ornament in the tree on Christmas Eve. The person who finds the pickle in the tree on Christmas morning gets an extra present. My kids love this tradition.

Our Christmas book collection. Each Christmas Eve we get in our (new) pajamas, drink cocoa, read a new Christmas book, then read the nativity story in the scriptures. The book on the top of the pile is the first one we got (1996) it was a family favorite in Matt's home. The "Three Trees" book is my very favorite.

The "Holiday Express." Matt and I set up this train around the bottom of the tree after the kids have fallen asleep on Christmas Eve. When they wake up in the morning it's racing around the track. Last year, Will wasn't interested in anything else but this train.

What are some of your favorite decorations or traditions? I'd love to hear in my comments or through your posts.

Thanksgiving

Family - We were a strange little band of characters trudging through life sharing diseases and toothpaste, coveting one another's desserts, hiding shampoo, borrowing money, locking each other out of our rooms, inflicting pain and kissing to heal it in the same instant, loving, laughing, defending, and trying to figure out the common thread that bound us all together. 

~Erma Bombeck

Thanksgiving dinner (it was at actually at 1:00 - does that qualify as lunch?) was at my house this year.  I really enjoy hosting this event, it forces me to get a lot on my to-do list accomplished.  Everyone brought yummy food and the kids had a great time with their cousins.  We visited, played football and board games, watched a couple of movies, and played a lot of Wii, there was even some "inflicting pain and kissing to heal it."  I was so involved in the events of the day that I didn't take many pictures.  I didn't even take pictures of the table settings with the cute oreo turkeys that Lauren and I made (what kind of a blogger am I anyway?!)  Anyway, it ended up being a good day.  Love you guys - Happy Thanksgiving!

Lauren's Gymnastic & Piano Recitals

Forbidden Fruit

Owen loves to eat apples. His first experience was over a month ago when we were on our bike ride with the Turners in Zions. We'd stopped to have lunch and I was checking on the older kids who were building "fairy forts" about 30 yards away. When I came back I was nervous to see that Matt was letting our little one have his way with a red delicious. After my initial worry, it was pretty entertaining to watch him chow down; he did surprisingly well with it. Since then, he gets excited when he sees me hand apples out to the bigger kids because he knows that he'll get a few bites of mine. Even though he may be a tad too young for them, I've got to agree with Owen, apples are most desirable.

Misc Fall Fun

Weekend Update

I know I'm a little behind on this blogging thing but I wanted to quickly share our weekend pics with everyone. Halloween was a lot of fun: Matt usually takes the kids door to door while I pass out the candy but this year we switched. I forgot how much fun it is to go trick-or-treating. (Ya gotta love poor Will getting used as an arm rest for "Captain Rex.")


Saturday morning we went to my brother Dan's wedding in Garland. He married a sweet girl named Goldie and the wedding and luncheon were really nice. It was great to visit with my family (we missed you Amy) and we're all excited to have Goldie and her daughter Madison as part of the family now too.

Busy weekend, but lots of fun!

October Fun

Pumpkin Patch with neighborhood playgroup.

 Neighborhood playgroup at our house:

 Halloween