Gingerbread house night

this was mom and dad's gingerbread house--we took the "lets load as much types as candy as possible" on to the house approach--but it was fun, colorful and a pleasure to create

oh the season of Christmas --kids wonder of the lights , and smells and sounds and it all brings my heart to be humbled at their joy
it wasThis was my 25th Year!!!!! making gingerbread houses at Christmas-
a tradition that we started when Bryan and Nancy were small and before Brad and Hayley were even born...the first ones were a disater (Faye) really they were the frosting didn't hold the roof and it colasped with the candy and all and I still remember deciding whether to laugh or cry that first time around. I had this vision of my house looking like those at festival of trees.. hum so I just kept at it and now we have it down to a science--(well almost) but nothing that enought frosting and candy can't fix --right-o??
. And every year, it is equally as fun and all the participants get more and more creative!
a first for Joe to join in the fun...so thus the first year for the
"Jacob: --gingerbread house *(hayley and joe) they did great team work --like they do on everything)_notice the nice jacob on the roof (see attached pic)Joe agreed with me --that he could see why we had to do this tradition--the kids were so very excited you could feel the energy

abbie and adrianna's

hunter took a break for a minute but he and mayley teamed up to make a great house and he was so excited about it like he is about life and it made it fun..because he feel's so passionate about the task at hand

a close up of the jacob house
...............................
a close up of Mayley hard at creating--a masterpiece
Hunter just stepped away for a moment see the hole on the
side of mayley's house--(window) that was what drew her to this house --she later made that hole the nose and added a smiley face
these two teamed up together with big plans to make their house--neat and sweet with an "A" on each side of the roof
we played a guessing game to guess the flavor of coconut m*& M's and also the flavors of different Jelly belly's--before we decorated

This time of year when family joins around is so happy --I love it when my family can get together. --
We miss brad kerri forrest and kaci--we understand--but we there is a gap that we always want to fill back up when they are away--we always pray for you Alaska Calls --we when meet that you will feel of our love for you---we sent you a house to assemble and some candy and such to help you feel closer to us --
dad did a great job selecting candy from the
winco store in the barrells, gum drops pretzles, trix cereal, bugals, licorice, red/green candy corns candy canes and circus cookies, lollipops and swedish fish were all part of the
many things to choose from--all the families--pot lucked the candy selection and it was fun to see what the kids choose to put on their house--with precision and creating smiley faces and all sorts of fun things...

I think Abbie summed it up best ...she said let's decorate--I've been looking forward to this for a 'whole year'" --Me too abbie --its one of my all time favorite nights..not just for the candy but for the company and to see the cute creations--we all ooohed and awwwwwwwwed at one another's/
Hunter deemed his and Mayley's the best --even though he knew we were all just doing it for fun
life seems good and my troubles melt away like lemon drops when we are decorating (fun pun)

pie night

pie night
it's always a treat to hang out at Keith and Carries' house--pie night last sunday was a big hit

ouch!!!! pictures of megan with her broken leg

ouch -0uch
megan broke her leg on Thanksgiving day.....we felt bad...for her.

pictures from "moving day"

Hogan trying out the new bathtub......in his new home--caption reading "shesh, grandma can't a guy have a little privacy in his own home"!
hard at work--this is a picture on the Murray -side of the move--but as usual dad worked his magic on the Tooele side of the move and loaded that U-Haul with precision...he can stack a uhaul tighter and better than anyone I've ever known...its like a "amazing" and he works circles around us all
the little kids worked their hearts out on sides of the move coming and going--they loaded and carried boxes, cleaned and organized like any adult could have done--they were troopers.



okay we didn't move but we helped bryan and brianne and family to move to Murray and it was a lot of fun --they did so much to have it all ready and it all went smoothly...glad to have them closer

pictures from when I was tending the kirks

snow bed instead of snow angel
snow fun
shooting baskets with grandpa with the hoop on the side of the house (not the one in the driveway --although they shot at the one later on) and made plenty of shots--(abbie over 100 counting at our house and the rec center) and Adrianna got over 63 from our yard , rec center and the park behind their house--over the course of 4 days
--its a new thing they are good at they didn't even realized that they liked till we started shooting balls
kyle all bundled and getting fresh air

pictures from Thanksgiving day

gather 'round the table --we ate off grandma Helen's china and the little kids used their plates from their creations last year...It was Joe Jacob's and Hogan's first Thanksgiving with us. in short A GOOD TIME WAS HAD BY ALL




dress up and miss "spanish fork, miss tooele, and miss murray pageants --uncle bryan asked them funny questions like: what service do you do
Adrianna said , rake leaves, Abbie said help my mom, Mayley said: help grandma set the table
he asked them funny questions like : what is your favorite food and are you honest? and who is your favorite uncle? and they all said that they're not allowed to answer questions like that...that they like them all the same.... Good answer girlies....they won a tie for all being the prettiest --abbie won for most colorful and mayley for fanciest and Adrianna for best pose

hanging out with Kristi Lund (the 2 birthday pals /also kerri's birthday pals)

bundling up for out of doors
raking and throwing leaves (megan g-lynda, adrianna and hunter)--not pictured here or otherwise ---was a host of pies,, heaping bowls of stuffing, orange rolls, a variety of pies, lots of Mashed potatoes soft and fluffy--and oooh la la
turkey --it was "mashed potatoes and 'turkey' gravey" Marie...(line from you know where__)
just chillin' with the main chef (grandma)_ notice Andrianna has very few teeth to eath the pizza with (all she wants for Christmas is her two front teeth, so she can with ya merry Chrithmas)_
megan happy as a lark on Stephens shoulders
brianne and Hogan
abbie and Adrianna shooting basketballs
raking and throwing leaves in the air (adrianna)
hanging out with cousins
grandpa ice blocking or ice cubing as Mayley calls it
Hayley (red) joe (in black) abbie (in blue)
around the feast of all feasts
on our walk back from bonnies house

my gratitude list

I lay in bed thinking and thinking of the many things I have been Thankful for some of which included:
*Bryan scott and family are moving in closer to us
*having a wonderful husband
*having wonderful kids
* a world wide church
* the gospel teachings
* service
* second chances
*technology
*music
* performances (especially of grandkids) even if it is only in my own front room
*un-expected letters--either snail mail, or email or Cards
*a ten cent surprise
*letters /pictures from a grandchild
*my kids and their spouses
*my grand kids
*new experiences
* a home and the comforts of home



there are two songs I really like...one I only know the chorus to...it from part of a song in the Forgotten Christmas Carols (by Michael McClain)_

it goes..."EVERYTHING I HOPED FOR EVERYTHING I WISHED FOR COULDN'T HOLD A CANDLE TO WHAT I'VE GIVEN..." that is all I can remember and I find myself singing this little ditty while I work....in my case it is soooooo very true.. The Lord has been generous with me and given me more that I could have wished (or prayed ) for....my ideas haven't held a candle to what the Lord has blessed me with.

the second song was--a little thanksgiving song that our folks sung ended with the phrase
"we could've been quite happy --had we only tried" --I am going to "try" to be "quite happy" with all that I have right before me.
.