Christmas

Christmas Eve in our matching jammies.

This is just about the best day of the year. We had an amazingly wonderful dinner at my dad and mom's. We did the nativity then we all got our Christmas Jammies. It's a race to open them and get them on first (everyone strips in the same room trying to win). This is always a shocker when we have someone sharing Christmas Eve with us for the first time!

This is everyone who still lives at my parent's house in their matching jammies.

Boys will be boys- but aren't they cute?

Christmas Morning

Checking out what Santa brought before the girls wake up.

If Santa could only see how excited they are about all their stuff!

Bake Night

One of our favorite December activities is Bake Night. We make all sorts of yummy stuff... divinity, toffee, puffed rice ball, cookies, cake balls, snowmen, fudge, etc. We take a lot of it caroling then we just get to eat the rest!

Ward Party

Shaersti told Santa that she didn't care what she got for Christmas. That sure made his job easy! Anne took a treat from him then ran away. Shaersti got to be the Star in the ward nativity. She stood up there with her arms out through the whole thing and did a great job.

Taffy Pull

Taffy Pull This was a new thing we tried this year and we never did get the recipe exactly right. It was fun for a minute but I'm not sure we will be doing it again.
This is what my mom's couch usually looks like- full.

Let the Christmas Traditions Begin...

Gingerbread Houses

Every year we make these and although we start with a kit, my mom buys WAY more candy and the kids love to help make them. For everything we eat, I'm always surprised there's still candy left on the houses.

Shaersti's Birthday

I can hardly believe that I have a 5 year old! Shaersti is so much fun to have as a daughter. She makes everything into a party and always has to be part of what's going on. She loves learning and reasoning and can find a way to talk Scott and I into anything. She loves her friends and her sisters, playing outside, and watching movies. She is just strating to learn to read and loves to try and sound things out and to read books to her dad. She just had her first "friend" party and chose to invite everyone she knows- well, almost! We had 12 really excited kids here and they had a blast playing games, breaking a pinata, and eating rootbeer floats (yes... in December). She is such a blessing in our family.

Our brand new baby Shaersti

One Year Old

2 Years Old

5 Years Old

Halloween

We had a great Halloween with our scary witch, Little Bunny FooFoo and our cute ladybug. We went to a Halloween carnival, both grandma's houses, and trick-or-treating. Happy Halloween!