Christmas !!!!

The weekend before Christmas we went down to Arizona to Grandma and Grandpa Smarts house for our annual Christmas party. The kids got to play with cousins. Sierra and Hunter got to ride Grandpa's horse by themselves! Are these guys related or what? Mom went shopping to finish up for Christmas....yikes! Saturday night we went Christmas caroling on the hay wagon, talked about what we are grateful for, exchanged gifts and had a visit from Santa. Quite a night! We came home Sunday night, so it was a quick trip.

Christmas Eve we sang Christmas carols and looked at Christmas lights. We also had Chinese food from Pick up Stix (fah ra ra ra ra: Reference -The Christmas story). We also read the story of Jesus' birth of course. The kids also had fun tracking Santa on the NORAD web site. Of course every Christmas Eve they get to open one present...which is always pajamas!

Christmas for us was really fun! It was exciting for the kids....So exciting that those stinkers woke up at 3:00 a.m. Some went back to sleep. Others were yelling that they were hungry at 4:30 and yet the rule still stands...don't come downstairs until 6:00! I really think that is quite fair.They got presents they didn't think they would get because Mom already said no....especially to the turtle. I mean come on we are about the farthest thing from pet people. Animals are to eat. I told Sierra she should name her turtle "soup". My sister and her family and my brother came to dinner on Christmas night. I love Christmas! What am I going to do now without my Christmas music?

SNOW DAY!

Snow day! So whats the big deal? Well the big deal is that we don't get snow days in Vegas, but apparently MY Christmas wish has come true.....Snow, and lots of it. It is amazing. Yesterday it started snowing tiny little flakes, and I was in heaven. We had to hurry to get the camera! We didn't want to miss it. Then it continued to come down. We had huge, fluffy, soft, quiet, white flakes....real ones! The kind you see in places where it really snows. Then it started sticking.Then building up. Next thing you know, we have a snow man in the front yard. The pool started to turn a little slushy. The poor trees here are not meant to uphold tons of snow. The kids loved it....Sierra eats it. Zane is ready for rogue snow balls. Alanna is forever cold. Hunter is wet and happy.I'm am totally in heaven. The next miracle....school is canceled due to snow....in Vegas. I love it.

Family Vacation

Each year around August or September I start working on Craig to convince him to go to Washington D.C. So far it has worked! Of course this year we had to inlist my brother in law John, to help convince him. I think the tables started turning in my favor when John started the innocent texting campaign! Well it was beautiful. I love going in the fall. I love the weather, kicking and crunching trough the fall leaves, smelling the dry leaves, and the cool fall air. Sorry but we just don't have that in Las Vegas. We had a great time. We stayed with my sister and her family. We got to visit with my Dad and go on a beautiful walk with him. We spent 10 wonderful days together as a family and it was my idea of Heaven! One day we went to see the Washington D.C. temple and the leaves started blowing down on us. It was beautiful. We had so much fun trying to catch the falling leaves. The leaves are surprisingly wily! We enjoyed visiting the sights. As usual we were the touring maniacs. We saw everything from National monuments to nature's monuments! Of course we couldn't miss the zoo and the Amazonia building!We had to go look for "The Awakening" since it is one of the kids favorite things to see. The sculpture had been moved since last time we saw it. I think one of the main reasons I love going to D.C. in the fall is because it really is some of the best family time we have together all year.

Halloween Week

It's strange how one little holiday has turned into a week long celebration. It seemed as if it would go on forever. I just hope my kids had fun. We went to a fun Halloween party the weekend before Halloween, as well a some lame Halloween fest at the University of Phoenix. Then the next week of course was trunk or treat at the church... in which fun was had by all. Maybe too much fun. Then we had a Halloween Party for the kids on Thursday. Lots of kids....lots......and lots.....and lots of crazy. We played games....and more games....well you get the idea! Finally, Friday was Halloween. Now for the most gruesome of all Halloween tales...brace yourself for the following and advert your eyes for the weak stomach. 10 stitches from a scissor accident. Sierra was sewn up in time to still hit trick or treating!

Can I go to bed yet?

What a day! Craig is out of town ....yet again....on Tuesday, which is the nightmare day of all days. It all started with a 4 alarm headache. 4 alarm meaning I pop 4 ibuprofens without a 2nd thought and am glad I did 30 minutes later ahhhhhh. I finally took Alanna for pictures today. She is the poor 4th child who has been ripped off in the professional picture department. No one year old pic, no two year old pick, nope...no 3 year old pic, ok finally 2 months before she is 5 she got the 4 year old pic. ooooo bad mommy. I've already had a discussion with her and begged her not to hold it against me later in life. Anywho...later in the day she wanted to take a nap so by all means she did. I cleaned a bit and got ready for my cub scouts. Well long story short on my way to school to pick up the scouts and my boys, poor Alanna blew chunks! I went home called moms cancelled scouts. Alanna showered with her clothes on first; it was a shower by layers. Cleaning out the car was fun or not...I finally took the garden hose to it...yep inside the car. Then I rememberd I could take out the seats, which I did, which are still on my front lawn; by my Mccain/ Palin yard sign, and finished the job. I doubt it's dry yet, and actually the inside of the car probably isn't dry either from the phase one washing. I also called our friends (soccer coach) and said we won't be going to Zane's soccer practice and please pay the picture guy for me. (Come on I'm good for it!). Now it is 9:42 the kids are in bed (mostly) and Craig walked in the door. Can I go to bed yet?

Happy Halloween!

So today is October 1st. Guess what? I love October....mainly because I love Halloween. Of course I also love October because it can finally cool down (which we still are waiting for)! I'm excited because I'm finally figuring out some of the things to add on to my new blog here (thanks Laura, the blogging guru!). Happy Fall! Happy Halloween!

My Cute Kiddies

Hunter
Zane
Sierra
Alanna