A New Year

2008.

Goodbye.

Where did you go so fast?

My kids grew inches before my eyes.

I have a kid in jr. high. Wasn't I just in jr. high?

My baby's in kindergarten. She's not a baby. Wouldn't mind a baby, but it's not going to happen.

Another year of the ponytail. Someday I'll win this fight.

Some hard lessons were learned.

Lot's of laughter, usually at Mike's expense.

Nothing was more fun than watching the kids do what they love.

Blessed  in so many ways that we wouldn't normally think of as blessings.

A lot of projects left undone.

A lot more on my list of things to do.

Grateful for friends in my life that make me smile and feel loved.

Grateful for family that I take for granted.

Grateful for a new year to try and do better, feel better about me, be nicer, more patient and loving. More sympathetic, not good at this one. A new year to look forward to. 

We rang in the new year at home pretty quitely except for the singing and dancing from Kristin and Michaela. They sang a rendition of Bleeding Love that had the dogs in the neighborhood howling.

Mike made Cajun shrimp pasta and then we just ate way too many treats.

After that there was a lot of boxing on the wii. Amy got into it a little too much.

Reagen knocked Jeff out in round two.

Nana supplied the firecrackers so we ended the night with a bang!

Cupcake Date

Reagen got a cupcake maker for Christmas and we hadn't tried it out, so Monday night, while Dal and Kayla were at TKD, we had a little cupcake party. Honestly, at the rate that this thing kicks out cupcakes, you could starve before you have two made, but we still had a good time. I was in charge of washing all the parts, putting it together and reading the instructions. She was in charge of stirring, filling the cupcake liners, frosting, sprinkles, and licking the bowls clean.

December

December was a crazy month, but I got to do quite a bit of something I love.  Photos.  No, my kids didn't make it into many pictures, but I wanted to post some of the families I shot.

This is my cute friend Chelsea and her husband Chris. Chels loves to take pics, too so I'm going to get her to take some of my fam when it warms up. I think Reag was only one years old in the last family photo we have.  Sad, huh?

The Rhoades Fam with 3 well behaved kids. I'm used to chasing little ones

around so it's weird to have someone sit still when you get them where you want them.

My friend Kass welcomed this little guy into her family on Nov. 29th 

and I was lucky enough to get to visit and take some pictures.

She has waited a long time for him and she's such a cute little mom.

Freezing temps, but my sweet friend Angie's family were troopers. I think

by the end they had blue lips and a little frostbite.

My bro and sis-in-law's family. 4 kids and 12 grandkids...you have about 2 minutes until someone's crying or fighting over who gets to sit in the tree.  LOL!

Look at these cuties! Nathan and Kambree. They braved the cold to have a couple pics snapped after the family wimped out and left.

Christmas

I can't believe it has come and gone. It snuck on me this year, maybe because it was warm right into the beginning of December. In 2009, I am going to start preparing in July, seriously. The house didn't get decorated, the yard didn't have lights, and I was shopping right up to the day. I had a lot of anxiety and next year I'm hoping to avoid that and enjoy the season more. The kids love Christmas and started out the excitement at Debbie's Christmas party on the 19th.  Santa came to make sure everyone had been good. Dallon was a little questionable. He seems to be getting a little of that teen 'tude.

Here are all of the cousins. We are getting to be quite the big, rowdy crowd. Little 

Gabe was having a nap so he's not in the picture.

All though this looks like the seven dwarfs, it is actually the annual 

re-enactment of the manger scene.

The kids slept in until 8:00 Christmas morning. I guess keeping them up late all week paid off. We got a Wii for the family and the kids love it. It is a great workout. Reagen takes her shirt off to box. It is the funniest thing. They're driving the Mario Cart here. Not quite as physical, shirts required.

Is this a happy Christmas morning face, or what?

Reagen wanted Biscuit, the interactive dog that wags his tail and moves his head. I couldn't see paying $159 for Biscuit, when you can get Spots for $30. He doesn't make noise or wag his tail, but we have a cat that lives in the garage that does all that.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!

Pigskin Tournament

Mike and Dal went to Las Vegas for the Pigskin Tournament over Thanksgiving. This is the fourth year to go, but the first year that we haven't all gone together. Me and the girls stayed here and had the traditional dinner with family, watched lots of movies, and ate lots of pizza and junk food...good times. I'm officially back on my daily fix of Mtn. Dew and I became a brunette. They were the ones in Vegas, but me and the girls were living the wild life. Anyway, they won their first game against San Diego and lost their second game by one point in overtime to Dallas. Here are a couple of pictures that a friend emailed me. The first picture is with Randall Cunningham and no, I have no idea who he is, but Mike said that he will be inducted into the hall of fame eventually.  He also signed Dallon's football, something Dal can treasure for years to come or come home and immediately want to sell on Ebay. No action shots because the girl with the camera was home admiring her Mtn. Dew belly. The second picture is of the team. Dal is #12.

Home Sweet Yummy Home

On Saturday, Debbie had all of her grandkids and my kids over to make gingerbread houses. She has made this a fun tradition for the kids. They absolutely love it and they all make their own little masterpieces.

Doesn't Michaela look so excited?

Grammy Deb helping Landon...patience of Job.

Little Lincoln was dressed for the occasion.

Concentration.

Look at the grip on this girl.

Braxton working on the shingles.

I think Ky was sneaking a little frosting. The proof is on his cheek.

Kaeson trying to figure out how to get the frosting on the house instead of his hands.

I think Angie enjoyed this just as much as the kids.

Michaela's finished product.

Reagen's house. You know that I love my girls because I haven't eaten 

their houses and that has taken real will power.

Border Warz

Our football season ended with a couple of heartbreaking one point losses, but that wasn't the end of these seventh graders. We got entered into the first annual Border Warz tournament which includes three games against teams you don't play in your normal league. Last Saturday, we played a team from Pocatello, ID and beat them. Last night, the boys got to play Springville in the Rio Tinto Stadium where the Real soccer team plays. They got to use the locker rooms and run out through the tunnel as they announced our team. We had a 6:30 game so they got to play under the lights. We couldn't have asked for a funner, more exciting game. We won   in overtime by one point. The boys were so excited. We were going wild in our seats. This is something the boys will always remember.  This picture is of Mike and Dal walking off the field for half time. It's not easy being the coaches son.

This is the boys after the win. They all huddle together and jump up and down saying something. My tired brain can't even remember what they say right now.

I love to see them get emotional because most of our

 boys don't show their emotions on the field.

This is my favorite picture and my kid isn't even in it. We have twins on the team, Alex and Nick. Nick hurt his knee the last game of the season (he is he one in the front of the pic with levis on and a brace). Alex got to play and Nick cheered from the sidelines. You can see Nick giving Alex a big hug here after the game.

So Busted!

Do you see anything wrong with this picture?  Look closely.  Besides the dust and the sconce not being hung straight, look at the glass holding the little decorative pebbles and candle.  I was vacuuming yesterday and noticed a few little pebbles on the carpet and went to put them back in one of the sconces. I looked at them both to see which one had more so I could even them out and I thought, what the heck. They aren't the same size. About a year ago, the kids broke one of the sconces throwing a ball in the living room and so I had to buy a new one from Home Interiors.  For half a second, I thought, crap, I got the wrong size and never noticed it and all this time they haven't matched.  As I looked a little closer, I noticed that if I turned the glass sconce it had a handle on it just like the little glass mugs I have in my cupboard.  Oh, someone is so busted!  I knew right away it was probably the oldest kid in this house because he is quite ingenious. I started laughing because he was pretty darn smart to use this mug and I could just picture him panicking when it broke and trying to figure out what to use so I wouldn't find out. If he wouldn't have left some of the pebbles on the carpet, I probably never would have noticed it because the handle was facing back so you couldn't see it. I couldn't wait for the kids to get home from school. I knew he had some partners in crime or someone would have tattled by now. When they got home, all at different times, I asked if they had anything to tell me about. Reagen wasted no time telling me that Dallon did it and gave me full details. The other two giggled when I asked them and they realized I knew. I tried to be mean, but I started laughing and then gave them some lecture about how not telling about something is just like lying. I don't know how seriously they took me. As for the mug, I just turned the handle back around and eventually I'll get another sconce or use another mug so I have a matching set up there.

Blessing Mix

If you haven't done your visiting teaching this month, I found a cute idea for a "Blessing Mix" that is perfect for November on this blog http://chicnscratch.typepad.com, a most crafty lady. Actually, my friend Kass found it and shared the goodness with me.  

You need pretzels, bugels, peanuts, candy corn, and orange slices. Mix them up and throw some in a cellophane bag and print up the tag. I think you can read the saying in one of the pictures. If not, let me know and I'll get it to you.

Hello...my name is Gail.

I feel the need to introduce myself. I use to be a blogger, but lately I really suck at it. I can't even seem to squeeze in a "Thankful Thursday". Pretty pathetic.  I wish I could say it's because I've been too busy, but that wouldn't really be the truth and I'm always asking my kids, "Is that the truth?", whenever I think they may be fibbing. I give them the look of death when I say it, like if I look really scary, they'll for sure tell me the truth. Anyway, I just haven't felt the mojo lately. I sit on the couch eating bon bons (not really, it's usually cheesecake) as my need for stretchy pants grows and my chance to write about what my kids are doing while it's still fresh on my brain passes me by.

Football ended and I didn't even post about the last three games. Michaela has become a little career woman and babysits at least a few times a week. Then there's Reagen. The other night when I told her that she needed to bath, she explained to me, "Mom, I don't mind smelling like trash". Priceless. I don't want to forget all these great times so I'm going to do better.

Proud of these three today.

This one for getting up yesterday at 5:30 am to go to the temple to do baptisms for the dead. Not one complaint from him, he was actually excited to go. It may have had something to do with the all you can eat breakfast buffet after, but I'm still proud of him. 

He also got set apart as the Deacon's President today. He's becoming such a young man...still goofy, but a goofy young man.

This one for memorizing her part in the Primary Program and being brave enough to do it.

This one for speaking on family today in the Primary Program. Of course we had to make a deal that the hair could stay in a pony instead of being down. She said if it was down, it would be in the way and she wouldn't be able to see her talk and that would be disaster.

A girl and her cat.

Boo to you.

Amy, Kristin, Michaela, and Reagen.

My little vampire. She said that next year she wants to be a cheerleader. (Yeah!)

There's a long story behind this, but the condensed version is

that this was pretty much a dare. I never dreamed as I pulled old 

costumes out of the bin, that he'd actually wear them. The belly

shirt is from when he was a ninja at age 4, the red furry cuffs are from 

a lady bug costume and his hair piece is from a Spiderella costume, 

and to top it off, a pirate robe. This is soooo not Dallon. I guess that ended

up being the not so short version of the story.