1:00 CHURCH

While I LOVE the fact that I can get all the kids ready and look somewhat decent myself, the kids miss their very much needed naps!

I left Owen reading his spider book to go cook dinner and this is what I found when I returned!

Owens 4!

Owen turned 4 on the 31st of January but we had a party for him before that because we thought Blake might be out of town. We had it at Bouncin off the Walls and it couldn't have been better. Lots of fun and no mess to clean up.

This is Owen opening presents...he was sooo into it this year!

He is a little Michael Jordon with that tongue sticking out!

So much fun! Even the adults were sliding down. I may have gotten a rug burn on one of my trips down.

Ella says daily, "I love Lance." He comes from a good family so we are okay with it!!! All in all it was a great party. Thanks to all our family and friends who helped celebrate his big day. I can't believe he's four! Can you hear my heart breaking??? I use to say all the time "I can't wait till he is older." I don't say that anymore!

Teaching Tessa how to do a superman!

Can't get enough of this smile.

She is looking at Owen here..she loves him!

Ella is always willing to get a shot this days.

I'm just throwing this in because everyone tells me she looks just like Ella..sorry folks I just don't see it!

Rusty!!!

I'm pretty sure I'm getting rusty at taking pictures! My kids were playing in Ella' s room today so I decided to grab my camera and take some shots! I think winter has me in a funk because I didn't enjoy taking the pictures as much as I normally do!!

These moments are payback for my mom!

December Happenings

Wow lots happened in December and I'm now just posting them. All I can say is that since Tessa has been born it has been crazy and I hardly have my camera anymore!

This is Owen at his preschool Christmas program.

Owen and his class only sang two songs for this program and he had been practicing so I was so excited. When it was his classes turn they got up and I started recording. Owen said to me that he needed to go to the bathroom (right at the start of the first song) and I told him to wait until after he was done singing. He apparently did not like that answer so he refused to sing and turned his back to the crowd and crossed his arms. It was pretty funny. I took him to the bathroom and he sung the second song just fine!

This is at the Zoo Lights. Owen has started breaking the law at a young age. He was not suppose to be on the grass!

This is at our ward caroling night. You get on a huge trailer and go around singing in the neighborhood! It is great fun. Thanks Katie for taking this picture and remembering to bring your camera!

This is Zoo lights again. We went with our friends and once again I forgot my camera so thanks for taking these Katie

Ella and Tallie!


Our family + Mr. Lance!

This is Christmas Eve in her new jammies!


Our tradition (which Owen did not want to be part of this year)!

New jammies....Owen said the other day,"Mom, I love Ella..she is my best friend!" Isn't that sweet!



All of us in our jammies.

Ella playing Mary.

Our Gingerbread houses!

Blake and I celebrating Christmas with my mom before she left to Canada.



Blake and Ella at Temple square.

Owen and I at Temple square.

Owen loved the lights this year!

Blake and I before his work party..which was awesome this year!

OH MY!

I'm so in love!

The kids had to get in one.

Saturday fun

We decided to go up to Midway on Saturday. They were having there Swiss Days Christmas. It was free and they had tons of gingerbread houses to look at, boutiques, an interfaith nativity (which was done beautifully), and lots of goodies. The nativities were set up in a local ward house and it may be the most beautiful ward house I have ever seen..REALLY!

Owen is getting sick of pictures the older he gets! Ella was a lost cause!

The best part of the whole day came when we were actually leaving to go get lunch. I spotted this little buggy hooked up to a horse parked outside this little coffee shop. I asked Blake to go inside and ask how much for a ride around town. The gentleman inside said "we are just taking donations." So before we knew it we were on this great buggy ride. It was awesome.

This was the horse who pulled us. Isn't he just beautiful.

This was the buggy driver. His name is Dave "Skinner" Collins. Isn't he great. He is one of those men who knows a million facts about EVERYTHING. He grew up in Canada and was in the circus for a while, helped construct buggies for the Amish in Pennsylvania, and worked in Park City before ending up in Midway..he has lots of stories. We loved him.

This is the buggy. It was an Amish one he helped build.

This is the smile I got from Blake after we found out our driver was Canadian!