Holiday Art Work

 Serena's art work treasures from the Christmas season.

Carter's art and school work.

Christmas Eve Celebration

This is the only picture I took-Spencer with his cousin, Esther.

It has become tradition to go to the Dearden's for a New Year's Celebration.  Anela serves Hawaiian food and tells about one of her ancestors.  I learned this year that her grandparents always made a big deal about New Year's, so I think it is a nice continuation of tradition that she is the New Year's grandma.  This year they also had fireworks, which Carter loved.  Aleeya watched through the window and Serena hide in the basement, she doesn't like the noise.

Ute Game Mania

 As previously noted, Carter is obsessed with the Utes.  Here is proof of the intense focus he gives the games.  He comes up with a new face paint design each time.

This is the second poster he made for the game, as his sisters ripped the first one.

Layton "Lights Before Christmas"

 We always enjoy the amazing light display put on in the park by Layton City.  For the last three years, we have gone to the lighting ceremony where they have local school choirs sing and then we all go to the park and give a count down and the lights go on!  This year they had the added bonus of Santa visiting, so this was the first chance the children had to sit on his lap. 

 We drive through the park many times during the season.  In years past the number of times we visit has gotten into the double digits, but this year we only went through four times.

 All of the pictures are courtesy of Carter.

Hoppie Family Pictures-Again

We had pictures taken on December 17, but we were unsure if they would turn out, so when we got together for "Hoppie Christmas" mom had a neighbor girl take pictures again. 

Loot Pictures!

 Serena with her many presents.  Her big Santa gift was a DS.

 Aleeya showing off her prizes!  Santa gave her a lego piano that really plays.

 Taylor's items-the big joke is he got car air freshener, which is not pictured because the girls have hidden it.  It thought this was a good gift-since he always is buying it!

 Spencer's gifts.

 Diana's presents.  My big gift was a Kindle Fire from Taylor, maybe that is why air freshener seems lame!

Carter, so happy he received a Wii.  The magnet board in back was decorated by Carter and is for his room to display all of his school items.  The girls also got cute display boards for their rooms that didn't make the pictures.

Best present under the tree!

 I wanted to get pictures of this darling outfit that Carter gave Spencer for Christmas!

This is Serena's favorite pose, probably because we always go "Awww, how cute!"

Christmas in Logan!

We have the tradition of declaring a different day in December as Christmas Day in Logan so that we can keep the fun going!  Carter is sitting by Kim and Kody putting the personalized letters on  his new art kit, their gift to him.

Serena opening her "My First Princess"Ariel doll.   Aleeya got Cinderella.  These are the only pictures I took, but the kids got AMAZING presents from everyone and we got so many!  Kim had the good idea of giving each kid a box to keep their presents in so that they didn't get lost in the wrapping and boxes.  Aleeya was hilarious, she would just open her present and then go right to put it in her box.  It looked like she was just opening the presents so she could store them.  A girl after my own heart!

Christmas Day!

 The "Before" picture.

 Carter went for this present first.  He had gotten up at 6 a.m. and I was feeding Spencer so he came down and looked at all of the presents and had found the present from him to Santa.  I made him go to bed again, but he didn't fall back to sleep and just did a count down of time.  Finally, at 7:19 a.m. I told him to wake Taylor up so we could get started.  He also woke up the girls.  Lucky for him Santa came through and he opened up a Wii.

 Aunt Staci stayed overnight with us and enjoyed the morning festivities.

 Carter got Serena and Aleeya jewelry and purse sets.

 Carter has been asking for a watch for months and kept setting deadlines; I need a watch by this Ute game, or by this school event etc.  But his mean mom made him wait until Christmas.

A Ute teddy bear was Taylor's gift to Spencer.  He loved it!

Dearden Christmas Party and Nativity

  He just looked so cute I needed a picture.  He spent the day on the counter by me as I got food prepared for our Alan Dearden Christmas party.

 Acting out the Nativity Story.  Taylor read the story, amid Carter storming off and general chaos of many childen, but it is the early years and I am telling myself that one year this will be really spiritual.

 The Shepard, Aleeya, visiting baby Jesus, Mary and Joseph.  Alana, the Angel, looks on.

 Angel telling the Shepards!

 Serena was really excited to be Mary, earlier in the day I had tried to convince her to let her cousin be Mary since our family would have the Joseph and Jesus parts, but she really wanted to play her. 

Picture taking in Logan

 We meet in Logan for family pictures.  We were taking them outside, so we would return to the van if we didn't need to be in the shot.  So here are pictures of us getting pictures taken!

Improved Polar Express Post

 These are some darling pictures taken by Lynette Curtin during our Polar Express outing.  So fun to see the girls greeting their friends.

 Holding the Polar Express Ticket.

 Spencer had a great time and was perfect the whole trip!

BFF's Hailey and Aleeya have been playing together for years-and that is cool to say since they are only three!  Here they are listening to the Polar Express story.

Polar Express (the cheap way!)

 Dressed in pajamas and ready to go on the Polar Express, also know as Front Runner.  For the third year in a row we have created our own Polar Express on the Front Runner.  We wear pj's, have cookies and hot chocolate, read the story and sing songs.  We get off in Woodscross and are met by Santa Claus who gives us bells and then rides back to Layton with us, where Rudolph picks him up. 

Julie and Jackson McBride came with me and were super helpful!  Each year we get better at coordinating and this year my favorite part was Steve Smith punching the golden polar express ticket that each child receives.  He had a cool light that would shine a red line and he would scan the ticket, punch it and then shine the light again and it would show a different shape.  (I know I am easily amused!)

Playgroup at Shellsey's

Shellsey coordinated a great playgroup.  She had a Christmas Story and crafts and cookies for them to decorate.  When we get together I always am amazed, we have so many children!  It is awesome!

 Trying to give Spencer some tummy time.  I am worried about a flat spot on his head so I am taking advantage of having him sitting right by me and letting him sleep on his tummy.

Shellsey had covered the kid tables with wrapping paper, what a cute idea!

Christmas Carol

 My sister, Kim, and her husband, Kody, started their own theater company-Four Seasons.  They are producing four plays a year-one each season.  Christmas Carol is the first and they did everything-set, costumes, casting, advertising, sound, lights etc!!!  It was wonderful!  The kids sat so good during the whole show and the acting and singing were great!

 Kody was the ghost of Christmas present and he was great.  He has a wonderful voice and the costume was so good I didn't know it was him until he spoke. (This is his costume as a citizen, not as a ghost).

Kim had many roles in the play and it was so fun for the kids to see her up on the stage.  I am in awe of their talent!

Lincoln Christmas Concert

We went and saw the Lincoln Christmas Concert because Jenni McBride is the choir director and we love seeing Jackson and Julie perform.  It was a great concert and many of our friends and ward members were a part of the fun.  This is the only picture I got and Carter is pretending he is getting hit in the head.  Aleeya is less than impressed!



NDPA Cheer Clinic

 Carter and Serena participated in a cheer clinic that is a fundraiser for the NDPA cheer squad.  Carter was so good at the cheers and helped with pyramid at the end of the song that they did.  Serena did well at following the cheerleaders, in between giving them hugs, and at home they both can perform the cheers.