25 Questions: Holiday Style

I saw this on a friends blog and had to do it!!
1. Eggnog or Hot Chocolate? I have never tried eggnog, it smells and sounds like it would not taste very good. Hot chocolate it is!!
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Wraps most, leaves the big ones unwrapped.
3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? White on the tree and none on the house. Our house is too steep to put up lights (at least that is Colin's excuse).
4. Do you hang mistletoe? Nope
5. When do you start decorating? I tried to wait until after Thanksgiving, but we were pretty bored the Saturday before so we broke down and decorated early.
6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? Ham and Funeral potatoes.
7. Favorite holiday memory as a child? Christmas eve with just my family. I loved it!!!
8. What is on your Christmas wish list? I just want to be surprised.
9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? The kids open pj's and an ornament.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? Blue and silver ornament w/white lights. Plus the personal ornaments they get each Christmas Eve.

11. Snow, love it or dread it? I like it if I can just be at home safely with my family.

12. Real tree or fake tree? Fake

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? Colin got me a pair of XXL pajama pants from Alco one of our first Christmases. Isn't he thoughtful??

14. What's the most important thing about Christmas for you? Spending time with family and making the holiday fun for my kids and really trying to teach them the true meaning of Christmas AND to teach them to think of others during this time of year (its not easy)

15. What is your favorite holiday dessert? hmmm.....I dont have one favorite.

16. What is your favorite tradition? Still Christmas Eve. This year I am going to have the kids sleep in our room...I think they will love it!!

17. What tops your tree? A star

18. Do you prefer giving or receiving? Definitely giving, I love buying people gifts. And of course I also really like to receive gifts!!

19. What is your favorite Christmas song? The First Noel and Carson singing Glory to God.

20. Candy canes, yuck or yum? The non-peppermint ones are ok

21. Favorite Christmas movie? Elf and I love watching all the cheesy Christmas movies on Hallmark and ABC Family

22. What do you leave for Santa? Cookies

23. Do you have a Christmas morning tradition? Get up early open presents and head over to Grandparents for breakfast.

24. Do you prefer to shop online or at the mall? Both, I think Colin and I have spent the last three Saturdays at the mall.

25. Christmas letter or Christmas card? Both, I love to hear and see what people have been up to over the past year.

Random Christmas Pics

Beautiful little Angel at the Lyman Family Christmas Party.
And the handsome Wiseman
Another Santa visit. They have seen Santa four times already. Carson just walks up to him, turns around and waits for Santa to pick him up.

During quiet time she was trying to be sneaky and watch tv from the stairs.

Family Pics

We did family pictures with Colin's family a couple of weeks and got a few taken of just us. I tried to upload them all, but wasn't having much luck, so this is all you get.

Thanksgiving 2011

We had a really great Thanksgiving weekend this year. We ate Thanksgiving Dinner with Colin's family and of the course all the food was delicious. I made yams, fruit salad and a couple of pies. All of my food turned out to be pretty tasty, so that made me happy. We mostly just spent that day eating and sitting around...just the way it should be.

Friday we got up early and went shopping for a few hours and then splurged and went to Olive Garden for lunch. :) I love their soup, salad and breadsticks. hmmmmm!!!! Later on in the day we took the kids to the mall to see Santa. Hayden was really excited and ran right up and sat on his lap. I thought Carson would be scared of him, but he wasn'tt scared at all. He was thrilled to sit on his lap and even talked to him a little. I was very proud of both of them.

On Saturday Lee and Leah offered to watch the kids so Colin and I could go to a movie. We went and saw Tower Heist, which actually was a pretty good movie but had a little too much inappropriate humor...why do they do that????? After the movie and naps we headed up to Salt Lake to see the lights at Temple Square. We rode Trax up from Sandy and went out to eat at a really good restaurant. I cant remember the name, but it was a southwestern grill at Gateway.

The Nerd in Action

Halloween Week

Our Halloween started off last Saturday with a Murder Mystery Party that we hosted. It was set in the 50's so we got to dress up in poodle skirts and leather jackets. We had a ton of fun, but sadly I have no pictures to prove the fun we had. I took pics on my phone and long story short they got deleted!! I am so sad, but life must go on!!

I had to dress my kids up about six times this past week. Preschool Halloween Party, Up With Kids party, BYU carnival, My parents took the kids to their ward party, our ward Trunk or Treat, and of course Halloween day.

Colin missed all the fun because he was in PARIS!!! Lucky boy! He got back Sunday so he was able to take the kids trick or treating on Monday.

The best part of Halloween was the weather. It was the first time in years that it was freezing cold or pouring rain.
Trick or Treating with cousins Drew and Jozy
Little 50's Waitress.
Does it get much cuter than this...he got A LOT of comments/laughter about his costume.
Enjoying some pizza at BYU.
Emma and Hayden eating some dinner at the BYU carnival.
Love him!!!
Cute kids. It was a lot of to dress them up this year, but after doing it so many times I am happy to retire their costumes.

Four Years Old Already!!!!!

We were able to celebrate Hayden's (and my) birthday on the 18th. Hayden had requested a zebra birthday so that is what she got. It was so fun planning and decorating this party.
She is the sweetest little girl and acts much older than a four year old. I could not ask for a better oldest child. She is such a great example to Carson and to all her friends. I love her more than words can describe. I am so lucky to have her!!
Some fun facts about Hayden:
* She LOVES playing with her friends and cousins. She could play all day if we let her.
*She loves having sleepovers. She is constantly asking to sleep at her grandparents or her neighbors.
*She is very thoughtful. For my birthday she cleaned the playroom and drew me a picture all on her own.
* She went to the doctor today and had to get shots. She was determined no to cry even though I could tell it really hurt her. She is so brave!
*She can write almost all her letters and can recognize all of them.
*She is a big time daddy's girl. They have a great relationship...I hope that lasts!!
*She is a girlie-girl and does not like most things that have to do with boys.
*She loves reading books and will just sit and read by herself for hours.
Sheylie, Jozy, Hayden, Mckenzie, Drew, Abby and Emma


Ready to open presents!
Hayden and her bestie Emma
We gave her a zebra pillow pet



The cake. It didn't turn out exactly how I planned and I had to do some last minute improvising, but all in all I was happy with the finished product and Hayden loved it.

The morning after, she wanted me to take a picture of her with her new stuff.

Our Week in Oregon

We just returned home from spending a week and half in Tualatin Oregon with my sisters family. Her and her husband went to Hawaii for six days so we got to babysit their kids. We all had a great time and their kids were so good...it made having five kids seem way too easy (I am not getting any ideas). The only hard part was the little man I brought with me. Carson decided he didn't like to share his mom's attention. :)
When Scott and Shelly got back we got to go to the BYU v. Oregon State football game. It was a great game and a lot of fun. Thanks Scott for the tickets!!
Colin intensely watching the game.
Heidi's first game. She says she wants to be cougar someday...I hope it stays that way!
Carson enjoying the hayride.



One of the few times Carson entertained himself and wasn't crying or throwing a fit.
These two played great together for half the time and by the end they argued over EVERYTHING!!



These two never really got along. Tyler was not Carsons biggest fan.

My little Pumpkin!

My kids for six days.
One of the days Colin, me, Hayden and Carson drove out to Astoria. It is the cutest little town right on the coast. We love it there. Unfortunately this is the day I was feeling pretty sick, so I didn't totally enjoy it, but it was still fun to go.
Riding the trolley.
Goonies house. Pretty cool, huh!
Our sweet ride.
Children's museum.


We had such a great time and loved spending so much time with the Williams. Despite me being sick, Nicole throwing up three times, Hayden throwing up once, Tyler teething with a fever and Carson being Carson the week really was great!!