Christmas Day

Christmas day is always full of fun.  First  - PRESENTS!

Then fun with the cousins at Grandpa and Nana’s house.

A nativity play.

And more PRESENTS!  Dallin was especially happy and grateful to be given a guitar by Grandpa.

Christmas Eve

After some nice simple soup and salad, for Christmas eve we watched a video of Savior’s birth and then we sang!  It was fun having Mandy and Dallin play the piano.  Plus we had the special treat of Grandpa playing the guitar for some of the songs. 


We ended the evening with Nathan reading us this story:

It was quiet simple evening with special moments touched by the spirit.  To me, these are the kind of family gatherings that make Christmas so wonderful.

Pictures with Santa!

What is Christmas without a photo with Santa!

Best part – after we left Layton asked, “Was that Brother Mueller pretending to be Santa?”  There’s no fooling that kid!

Best e-mails ever….

I know reading someone else’s e-mails is kind of like eavesdropping, but when it is your own child, I think it is ok right?  Nathan and I had such a great laugh at the e-mails that Mandy sent to her cousin Breanna yesterday.  I highlighted some of my favorite parts.  I sure love that girl!

First one gets a high five for the longest run on sentence ever…..

Email #1 -

Hi Breanna this is Mandy I want to know what you want for Christmas and what Haley wants for Christmas because each one of us got one of you so if you read this please let us know what you Haley and Kate would like and since I have’nt seen you in a wile maybe if you come to my baptism we can get in touch or you can send me E-mails so we can talk to each other because I really do miss you and hope to get in touch so I hope you have a merry Christmas and a happy new year and please try to call me my phone number  is XXX-XXXX so I hope we can get in a conversation.and I give thanks to you for the present I really love it I mean 10 bucks is a lot  I hope we can have a sleepover if you come for Christmas.by the way can you tell me  if you are coming for Christmas because I really,really want to see you for Christmas .well anyways I love you.

Email #2 -

Hi its Mandy I’d  like to talk to Ryan now and tell her that I got the pinkie pie equestria  doll.I hope you have a merry Christmas oh and by the way have you ever heard of animal jam

It’s  a good way to get in touch and don’t worry it’s a oppropereat website I’m just so stressed out because I really want to see you it’s just a bummer I can only see you on June and December.I’m so glad your coming for Christmas are you?Anyways I’m trying my best to make you happy atleast I can give you E-mails and mabey you can call me I just hav’ent  seen you

In a long time. So please just either call me because my phone number is XXX-XXXX so do that or you can send me E-mails if you want to talk to me so merry Christmas to all  and to all a good Night.merry merry Christmas.

 

Seriously – that girl is a trip.

Mandy’s “Spa”cial Birthday Party

For her 8th birthday Mandy wanted to have a spa party and do manicures, pedicures and facials.

They did a yogurt face mask:

Soaked their feet and did pedicures.

Then buffed and cleaned their nails and painted them!

While they did all this they had special treats served to them, including strawberry smoothies!

And then of course there were presents!

Mandy loved it!

Family Portraits

I love getting a new family picture every year to put up above my piano.  It sits right across from my favorite spot on the couch.  Each time I look up at it, I am reminded of how much our children are growing and how grateful I am for Nathan, Dallin, Mandy, and Layton.  I can’t wait to take a new picture this year with Lily in it.

Thanksgiving 2013

Because we were not having a traditional Thanksgiving meal at lunch time like we normally do with extended family, we decided to have our own special Thanksgiving lunch.  Cajun turkey breast, roasted vegetables, homemade cranberry sauce, wild rice broccoli and mushroom casserole, green beans, and orange slices.  It was super yummy!

We have so much to be grateful for.  Elder Wirthlin said, “Gratitude turns a meal into a feast and drudgery into delight. It softens our grief and heightens our pleasure. It turns the simple and common into the memorable and transcendent. It forges bonds of love and fosters loyalty and admiration.”  I feel my greatest moments of love and joy when surrounded by my little family.  They make me beyond grateful to be a mother and wife.

So Tired

It is unusual for Dallin to ever take a nap.  But after a hard day of baseball, we found him passed out on the floor.  Baseball in the heat will take it right out of you!

No Training Wheels

Layton can’t stand to be the “little kid”, he wants to do everything that Dallin and Mandy do.  So it comes as no surprise that he is our youngest to learn to ride a bike with no training wheels.  He’s not perfect at it and he gets better all the time.