tradition

It's tradition to set up our Christmas tree and decorations the day after Thanksgiving (if we're in town). Daylen had a lot of fun "helping" set up and decorate the tree. Unfortunately he likes to continue to "help" even though the tree is all up and finished. I feel like a broken record, "Daylen, don't touch the tree. Daylen, don't touch the tree. Daylen stay away from the tree!" After the tree was all set up he had fun just laying underneath is looking up at the lights. Do all kids love that? I remember doing that as a girl too! So cute huh?

I absolutely love having our tree set up and enjoying the twinkling of the lights at night. It makes the atmosphere simply pleasant, and when I can smell the holiday scent burning in my Scentsy candle it just makes it all more sweeter.
Here's a smile for you from my favorite girl!

happy thanksgiving!

I've been a bit lacking in my blogging lately, but hopefully all that will change now that I finally have a camera again!

We had a great Thanksgiving at home this year. It was my first time making dinner at my own house. Brad's sister, Mandy, and I made it by ourselves about 3 years ago, but this time I actually made a BIG turkey. 20lbs! We are still enjoying the benefits of the leftovers. Rachel came over Wednesday and helped me get a few things ready beforehand so I didn't have to make everything the day of. It was really fun making all the food, I love to eat, especially Thanksgiving dinner, so I think the anticipation helped. Our party got smaller the closer it got to Thanksgiving and it ended up just being us and Rachel and Tyler. So we had a LOT of leftovers. They dwindle pretty fast even with our small family.




That's some good lookin' meat! The turkey looks pretty good too, don'tcha think?
Mmmmmm..............

Yummy!!!!!
What a sweet girl! This was the first picture I took trying out my new camera. I love Kate's smiles!

I really do have so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving season.

I am thankful for:

• My family first and foremost
• My wonderful husband who loves and takes such good care of us
• 2 beautiful children who make me smile and laugh enough to counteract the difficult times
• Both mine and Brad's extended family, we come from the best families, we don't get to see nearly enough
• My testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ
• The peace knowledge brings in these uncertain times
• Great friends
• Modern conveniences, appliances (it made cooking a big Thanksgiving dinner so much easier!)
• I am not pregnant so I could enjoy my Thanksgiving dinner this year
• A warm house to protect me from the cold. (Although Rachel might say otherwise during the winter-the part about the "warm" house)
• In Brad's words, "One handed catches by Austin Collie"

I really could say a lot more, but you probably wouldn't want to read it all. I'm just thankful for EVERYTHING I have been blessed with!

Twilight...

I finally went to go see the long awaited "Twilight" last night with Rachel and Tyler. I'm pretty easy to please so overall I loved it. I thought Bella did an amazing job, she really was perfect for the part. Edward was pretty good, I was disappointed when I found out who would be playing the part, I didn't think he was beautiful or muscular enough, I still think this. However, he did grow on me a bit and I've heard from more than 1 person that it's better the second time around so I'm already excited to take Brad to see it. I've also heard they are making the second one, hurray!

who knew vacuuming could be so fun?

If you went from a crummy vacuum that didn't "suck" very well, to this....da da-da dah!





THE FILTER QUEEN MAJESTIC!!

You too would think vacuuming was fun. It's power to "suck" is absolutely amazing. This passed week I have been vacuuming every nook and cranny imaginable in my house, and not just because I was bored out of my mind not able to leave my house with 2 sick kids, or because I wanted to pass the time while my husband was gone for 5 days to Florida. I would have done it anyways because it was FUN! I know I'm strange, but this is an AMAZING vacuum.

family picture time!

Saturday was a beautiful day to take pictures and that is just what we did. Amy Sorensen, a friend in the ward, took our family pictures out on the river trail by our house and I love how they turned out. We took them just in time because ever since then it has been cold, windy, and rainy here. She did a great job of getting some fun shots of the kids. Daylen has been a stinker lately about having his picture taken, he refuses to smile or to even look at the camera. He makes this face where he curls one side of his upper lip, I haven't got it on camera yet though. So Amy took some fun candid ones with him playing with the leaves, he was all smiles then. I've posted a few of my favorites.

Halloween

We had a fun Halloween this year, each holiday gets more fun as Daylen gets older and can appreciate it. He really liked getting candy, I kept having to tell him to put it back in his pumpkin until we got home. He did really well saying "Trick-or-Treat!" between houses, he got all excited and then he was silent after he knocked on the door. As we left each house he said, "Let's go knock on the door!" Kate was content to ride along in the stroller. As much fun as Trick-or-Treating was, the real fun started after we got home. Every time the doorbell rang Daylen ran to the door, opened it and yelled, "Trick-or-Treat!" at the expectant kids in costume. After giving them candy he would say, "Thank you!" and shut the door. Maybe next year we'll just stay home and give out candy since it was so much fun. You can see Daylen running to the door behind Kate and I in one of the pictures below, the doorbell had just rang as we were taking the picture. Daylen sported his wizard costume from last year, it fit him much better this year, and Kate was our cute little puppy. Brad went as a football player and I was a hula girl.










I just had to take a picture of Kate and I after church today in our matching red.