Merry Christmas to me!

Merry Christmas to me! This was my present from Doug. Christmas morning I opened this tiny little present. Inside was a camcorder tape case with a piece of paper in it with this picture of a 18oo (something) pump organ. At the bottom were the words: Coming to your home soon. Merry Christmas! Love Doug. Jeremy and Jo found it at a yard sale, bought it, and decided they really didn't have room for it - so Doug bought it for me. Isn't it so neat! And it really works - gives your legs a workout too!

More Christmas morning part 2

So - I kept hearing that I wasn't keeping my blog updated. Can't say that now. 4 in one day. A record for me. Are you tired of our Christmas yet?

Here is Dani with her rollarblades. Isn't that a happy smile!

Kristi is very excited to get an MP3 player - a 4 GB one.

Jason loves his paintball gun. Watch out everyone.






















Carson isn't sure what is going on - or what to look at next. He was so interested in everything going on - and into everything!

More Christmas morning

EmmaLee enjoys presents too - even wrapped ones. Just something to play with.














Kendall and Matt enjoy their morning.














Jo with a new CD!














Jeremy with his daughter and his little brother.


















Now, here is Doug enjoying being both Dad and Grandpa on Christmas morning. Aren't they cute all together! (Doug is wearing the new hat Matt gave him!)

Christmas morning part 2

When kids get older - stuff just gets too expensive, so they get less presents. Here are Mikel and Matt - sharing their gift left out under the tree from Santa, a 6 pack of IBC rootbeer!















Jeremy, Jo and EmmaLee were able to come over early that morning to open presents before getting together with her family. Santa left them a nice gift!




















One of the gifts Mikel opened was Guitar Hero 3 to go with her playstation 2. It was a hit!














Matt wanted -and got an Ipod - and even the red one he wanted.



















Most of you don't know that Doug is really funny when he watches "Deal or No Deal". He thinks the banker is always low-balling the contestants - and is always figuring out the odds of whether they should keep going or not. So, Santa left him the game to play on TV.

Christmas morning

Here are the kids with their gifts that Santa left unwrapped on Christmas morning. Aren't they cute in their new pj's! Carson like his new truck to ride!



















Dani loves the Littlest Pet Shop things and was happy to get this big playset for them!



















Kristi worked this summer to buy her own Wii. She is very happy to get another controller and game to play!



















Jason loves the Command and Conquer games and got the 3rd one. He was disappointed later though when we realized ou computer graphics card wasn't big enough - that we have to go get another one before he can play the game!



















Smelling good for the ladies is important - right Kendall! He got some "good" cologne - none of that cheap stuff for him!

The before and after of Christmas

I love Christmas! I love the sights and sounds of it all. I love the music and the lights. I love the decorations and the smell of the tree. (Every year Doug tries to talk me into a fake tree and I just haven't been able to do it!) I have a small Santa collection - wish I had more. I love all the different kinds of Santas. This is the Santa's I have in my entryway to my home. The one thing I don't like about Christmas - all the work. Or should I say - all the work I allow it to be. I stress about if my kids are going to like what I get them, stress about getting my packages sent in the mail, making my cards and writing my christmas letter and getting them sent, getting all the treats made for the neighbors and friends. I get so busy with all this stuff - that sometimes I forget to just stop and enjoy it all!


Anyway - here is our house on Christmas - before and after the opening of the presents.





It may look like a lot of presents - but remember, we do have 8 kids, one daughter- in- law and a grandbaby.





The clean-up begins - or should begin anyway. It's a lot of work after Christmas too!

Stunt man

Tuesday was a really hard day for me. It started off with a phone call letting me know a good friend of our family had been killed in a car accident the night before. She had recently just moved from our ward, but the family decided to have our ward do the funeral since she had lived in the ward for over 10 years. The meal will only be for 250 family members. (This is the 3rd funeral in a month that I have had to do as Relief Society President). I had to make a lot of calls that day. I felt like the phone was permanently attached to my ear. At one point - when I was talking to Doug - I could hear Carson in our closet. Oh - oh. Doug had all his hunting stuff still in there - he hadn't had a chance to take care of it. I look in and see Carson. He had pushed over one box and was standing up on the other! I think I have a climber.

Here he is after climbing down. His shirt was so appropriate that day too. It says "I do all my own stunts".












Later that evening as Doug, Matt and were finishing cutting up the elk, Carson decided he was hungry. We keep the cereal in a small cabinet my the table. He has figured out that if he gets a box a cereal, bangs it on the floor, the top will pop open and out comes the cereal. I think I will need to put a lock on the cabinet!



So when I am having a rough day - this little boy just brightens it. I will have to post some pictures of his happy, smiling face.

Here comes Santa Claus!

Here is Carson's first time meeting Santa - and no crying. Dani and Kristi didn't cry either. Imagine that! Of course, Carson doesn't hardly cry with other people anyway. This is at the ward Christmas party. See what Doug misses by not coming? Or course - being out of town was a pretty good excuse. We'll let him get away with it this time!

I'm back!!!

It has seemed forever since I have posted on my blog. Well, it has been over a month - since Nov. 7th. So sorry! Things have been crazy around here. I have so much to catch everyone up on. I will be doing the catching up in random order - just whatever I feel like telling you about that day! Doesn't December seem like such a crazy month. Not only does Christmas cause so much time and effort - but it seems as if everyone has to schedule something big during the month too! We had school concerts, dance recitals, piano recital, ward parties, work parties, wrestling tournaments, and don't forget - Doug's elk hunt! It makes me tired just thinking about it all. Here are a few pictures of couple of the events we attended. Enjoy.

It started off on Dec. 1st with Kristi and Dani's dance recital. Here is Kristi doing one of her clogging dances. She has only been taking for less than a year and is pretty good! Way to go Kristi. (Kristi also had a school choir concert. The gym was so packed though - we were standing in the hall and couldn't get a picture!)














Here is Dani at the recital. She is taking tap and ballet. Here she is getting ready to start the tap dance. *She's the one in the red skirt - in case you couldn't tell. It is hard to get a good picture sitting in the back of the auditorium - and with most of the lights off. Our camera is good - but not that good!














Jason had a school concert in which he was in both the band and in the choir. (Good thing they performed at different times during the concert!) He plays the French Horn in the band and tried out for the concert choir for the first time ever - and made it as a bass. Good job Jason!
*Jason is the one on the farthest left on the back row.


















It seems like everyone year when it is time for the ward Christmas party - Doug is never around. This year he was at a banking seminar in Las Vegas. I think he planned it that way on purpose! It is just me and the kids that go - or at least some of the kids. Here is Dani performing as an angel in the Nativity. Can you find her?














Last - but definitely not least - is Dani's piano recital. I was very proud of her to get up there and perform. Dani has only been taking lessons since that last week of October. She played two songs and did so good for being just a beginner.
Hooray for Dani!








I will try and get a few more posts done in the next few days - around all the Christmas shopping, wrapping and baking still left to do!