Christmas Part I

Of Course Christmas-Time is one of our favorite times as a family!
We did our traditional Christmas Nativity Pageant for Christmas Eve
(L to R bottom: Ryland the Donkey, Dacie as Mary, Big John as Joseph, Rhett as Baby Jesus, Sterling as a wise man, Colton as a king-fu wise man
L to R top: Dan the angel, Cara as the shepherds
Not pictured: Mom as the narrator)

We rang the bell for Salvation Army one warm evening as a family, all adorned in Christmas hats and all!

Saw some beautiful sunrises

Had church parties and programs to get us in the mood

Just Relaxed & Hung Out!

AND goofed off

AND ate

Had Sleepovers under the tree with friends

(Ryland filled his jar and had his friend Ashton sleep over as a reward)

Made Grandma Roth Sugar Cookies

and sweets and presents we delivered to friends

This is probably my favorite picture from Christmas...Cara was so "afraid" of the angel of the Lord.

The angel

Caroling and a Family Home Evening at the "light house" show in Cornville

Our holidays lacked nothing

We were happy!

A UTAH THANKSGIVING

(the church office building where my brother works)

My brother CHAD and his cute fam moved from Burbank, Ca. to Salt Lake City to pursue a job working for our church in the audiovisual department. I have been only able to briefly visit them when lots of other family was in town (as Utah is a meeting spot and half way point for many vacations) (the infamous Temple Square church headquarters address)

I felt like it was time to see where he works and his "life".

Considering he provides the ONLY cousins my older kids ages- and BOYS at that...

Thanksgiving was a perfect time to go and check it all out.(especially since Dan was drawn for his hunt then- NO HUNTING WIDOW)

I packed up all 5 kids and my sisters Amberlyn and Cara in the car and headed out!
We did a ALOT of things while there, and our 4 day trip turned to 5 because of snow!
My mom and Dad decided to join the fun, as well as our BYU co-ed sis BREANNA
Our first stop was a tour of my brothers stomping grounds.
Where he spends a majority of the day!
Good thing they are "family friendly" we had the whole wrecking crew (kids), wheel chairs and all taking the tour!

(the sound box where they make some of the advertising recordings...maybe if we lock the kids in one of these we cannot hear them fighting!!!!)

(my brothers cubicle)

His office is on one of the highest floors (even above the viewing platform), you have to take 2 elevators to get too it.

Colton was not such a huge fan of that!

We made a little stop at the genealogy library

It was cozy and had some fun kids activities

Although it was quite freezing for my native Arizonan boys...we were able to get a "photo shoot" in and announcements made for Sterling's up and coming baptism

Here are some of my favorites!

Excessive...maybe?!

BUT you are ONLY 8 once!

The Joseph Smith Building did not get MISSED!

The rest of vacations was filled with ALOT of S'SSSS...

Like clapping which rhymes with SLAPPING

Game playing (with family and friends)

We got together with one of my favorite cousins Lizzy who has recently gotten married and I had not met her husband

as well as, Melinda Baum

one of our dearest friends from Maryland that we saw baptized and were friends long before that (who now lives in Utah).

We also had hot chocolate and a chat with another one of my favorite cousins The Finch's (I was part of setting her and her hubby up)

We also watched movies and the Macy's Parade to make it complete

OF COURSE...there was lots of SLEEPING

considering we had two LONG car rides (9 plus hours each way) AND because we never got enough of it (sleep that is)!!!

There were bodies everywhere and never did the kids to bed before 10pm!

There were SHOWS

Dacie got to see her first showing of Tangled (LOVE)

and go to lunch for filling her jar at home

The boys went with the cousins to Despicable Me for the 2nd time at Utah's CHEAP MOVIES!

There was SNUGGLING

COUSINS and SIBLINGS We stayed at Dan's Sister's new home the first night there.

Dacies BFF cousin Lola was a HIT for sure

We {heart} the new house!

Rhett and Azure were TROOPERS

they were the babes of this whole "playcation"

They are only 2 months apart and always love getting together for family photo shoots

they even passed a little "bug" onto one another, I think!

and UTAH would not be UTAH without

lotsa' SNOW and SLEDDING!!!We hit a blizzard coming in and one the day we were suppose to head out.

We had a few "experiences" with our traction and sliding while the kids sat panicked, screaming in the back seat.the boys were in heaven being able to sled right down the street and could come in when they were coldnot gonna lie...they are kinda' SNOW WHIMPS!AND BOY did we do some SHOPPING (at least I did)I tried my luck at BLACK FRIDAY at TargetIN UTAH!!!!

Was I NUTS?

Y-E-S

(My sister in law is the traditional black friday shopper and she has done it in many many states...she says Utah by far, is the worst)Mormons are frugal by nature, get really good deals and it is "fight to the death",I am afraid.

There were matching t-shirts, walkie talkies, mapped out plans...you name it.

I am glad I got in good with a couple who had their own system and hooked me up with quicker check out and a present I could not find.(I almost bought us one of these for "time-outs at our house)

My SIL intorduced me to THAI PAN decor store and I fell in love....and what would Thanksgiving vacation be without the Thanksgiving DinnerWe had so much to be grateful for.

I was grateful I was in a house full of bodies and love and filled with warm food!THE KIDS TABLE (McCoy thought he needed some more garlic salt on his plate! He is the one we ALWAYS have to know where he is at and what he is doing!)
The GROWN_UP (act like a child) TABLE

I am grateful Chad and Beth did not act like we had "worn out our welcome" (getting snowed in with 5 extra adults, and 5 extra kids...can you imagine what their food bill was?)

&

I am grateful we don't live in snow, as we shoveled our way out the night before (we got our snow for the season)

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! 2010