Happy Happy Happy!!!

So Christmas is now over and I have a lot of blogging to catch up on, but I just needed to jot a memory down for myself today. Tyler and I were talking this morning and saying just how happy we were and how nice it has been being together with just our little family. The best part about it though was when Lauren came up to me this afternoon and said, "Mom I am so happy, I am the happiest I have ever been." I then became even happier than I was before. I am so glad that Lauren can feel the happiness that Tyler and I have been feeling the past week. I love my family so much and there is nothing better than seeing them happy.

Treehouse Museum

Yesterday for the kids countdown bag, they got to go to the treehouse museum. They have been wanting to go back there forever so I figured that would be a good surprise for them. There was quite a large group of us that went, with five moms and thirteen kids. The kids absolutely love it there but after about two hours I have had enough. There is so much to see and do that I end up chasing them around the whole time to try and keep up with them. They really could spend all day there if I let them. We happened to go during toddler time and they had their annual Christmas party going on, so it was a good day to go. They had story time with this really fun elf and they even had a special visit from Santa. After the story time they each were given their own coloring book.

After story time they had cookies for all the kids upstairs in the art room, another bonus.

They have so many fun areas for the kids to dress up. Lauren was pretty excited to be the mail lady.

Logan the astronaut.

They had all kinds of new exhibits since we were last there. This one was my favorite. The kids actually got to milk this cow. They thought it was so cool.

Lauren really wants to be a cowgirl when she grows up so she was SOOO excited to see this new area. Logan really liked it too.

Another great day with great friends!!

All Wrapped Up!!

I have been hiding all of our Christmas presents over at Tyler's office this year, because the kids are getting too good at finding my hiding spots in the house. I was thinking it would be nice to wrap them over there too, but it is kind of a dark scary place to be alone at in the dark, so I decided to turn it into a little ladies night out wrapping party. Everyone brought over all their loot along with all the wrapping paper and bows you could ever need. All that teamed up with goodies galore, hot chocolate, and Christmas music and we were set. I never knew wrapping presents could be so much fun. I am the type that normally waits til Christmas eve to get it all done, but I think I like this way much better now. It feels good knowing that I am all ready when the big day comes.

Thursday Lauren had her Polar Express party at school and I got to go and help in the classroom. Logan was lucky and got to come and help me as well. They started the party with refreshments of hot cocoa and cupcakes.

After they had their refreshments they went to Conductor Hatch to pick up their passports. Mrs. Hatch was so cute all dressed up. The kids really got a good chuckle from the conductor.

After all the passports were handed out the kids went and climbed on board the train. They took a trip around the world and visited Mexico, China, Holland,and back to the U.S. At each stop they learned something about the different Christmas traditions from that country. Logan and I made it half way through the party when Logan decided to have a complete and utter meltdown. One little thing didn't go his way and there was no turning back. I had to drag him out of the school kicking and screaming. The principal even came out of the office to see what all the commotion was about. I think in the future I will leave Logan elsewhere when I go help at the parties. He is just not quite ready for it yet.

Saturday night we had our annual family Christmas party for my dad's side of the family. We alsways have a great potluck dinner followed by a special visit from Santa. My aunt Jean hires a Santa to come every year and even provides a toy for each of the kids for a gift from Santa. It really is a lot of fun.

Here is my cute Grandma and Grandpa Perschon.

Lauren was picked to be one of Santas helpers to sing Jingle Bells

Lauren on Santa's lap. This is Lauren's first year sitting on Santa's without crying.

Logan on Santa's lap. He was a little more shy and wanted daddy to go with him, but eventually made his way up there by himself.

Lauren got this cute music box from Santa.

Logan got this awesome set of Lego's from Santa

I can't believe how fast this month has flown by. I guess time really does fly when you are having fun. Only four more days to go, lets see how much more fun we can have between now and then.

Happy Anniversary!!

Today Tyler and I celebrated our 9 year wedding anniversary. I am such a lucky gal to have married my best friend. Tyler is such an amazing husband and father, and I truly don't know what I would do without him. He works so hard for us and always puts our needs before his. He is truly one of the most unselfish people I have ever known. I have been thinking a lot lately about our past 10 years (including dating). and came up with a few fun pictures of the early days. Each picture brings back so many fun memories Tyler and I have shared together. I look forward to years and years of good times to come.

Engagement picture

Alpine Loop

Sundance

Cascade Springs

Cascade Springs

Snoqualamie Falls
(One of the first pictures of the two of us)

Outback Steakhouse
(Our first New Years, dating)

First Jazz Game

December 16th 2000
Salt Lake Temple
What a glorious day!!

Today we decided to go back to the place where it all started. We arranged for sitters for the kids and went to Salt Lake for the day. We started out by going to the temple and doing some sealings. It was so nice to be in the temple with Tyler today. We haven't been back to that temple since our wedding day, so it brought back some great memories. After the temple we went and got an early dinner at The Macaroni Grill, one of Tyler's favorites. It was nice to go early and have a quiet meal. There was hardly anyone else there and we had our own little corner to ourselves. After dinner we went and did a little bit of Christmas shopping while our food settled and then went out for ice cream.

There was no one around to take our picture outside of the temple so this is the best shot we could get of us today.

Thank you so very much Tyler for a wonderful day and even more for 9 fabulous years. I love you more today than ever and can't wait to spend eternity with you.
xxoxxoxxoxx

Fun Gifts!!

So this morning I was doing a little blog surfing and came across these cute rudolphs. I have a few friends that are avid Coke drinkers so I couldn't resist making them. They turned out so cute.

Another great neighbor gift idea that I was given today was this adorable snowman toilet paper roll. Attached to it was this cute poem:

Money is scarce and times are hard,

So I am giving you this instead of a card.

Something to use, something to share.

So bottoms up, just cause we care!

Thanks Kaycee!!

Kissletoe!!

Have I mentioned that I love this time of year. We have been having so much fun together as a family this month. I need to try harder all year to make our home this fun. It is a lot of work though, so that is probably why I can only do it one month out of the year. We had another great weekend full of count down surprises planned for the kids. Friday night was our second annual sleepover movie night in the living room. We did this two years ago and the kids really liked it so I decided to do it again this year. We bring all of our mattresses out in the living room and have a big sleepover. This year we watched all three Santa Claus movies. At one point in the movie Santa makes some mistletoe appear magically and Lauren says to us, "Oh look there is some kissletoe." She really thought that is what it is called. Tyler and I got a pretty good laugh out of that one. Lauren was embaressed but we thought it was pretty cute and now have a new name for mistletoe. We had a lot of fun and will continue to do this every year now.

These are just a few of the random things the kids got over the last week in their advent bags.

On Saturday Lauren and I got to go and have a girls day out. Lauren's friend Libbi invited her and I to go with them to see The Princess and The Frog. The movie was different and not what I expected, but very cute. Thanks again Patillo girls for a fun day.

The rest of the weekend was spent in the kitchen baking. We made fudge, rudolph cookies, white chocolate covered marshmallow snowmen, chocolate covered pretzels, three different kinds of cookies and caramel.

These are the cute rudolphs and snowmen the kids are giving out to their friends.

400 pieces of caramel cut and wrapped, my hands still hurt.

All wrapped up and ready to be given out. I bet you can't guess what we are doing for family night tomorrow!!

12 more days til Christmas, means lots more fun to come!!

Christmas Fun!!

So this year I really wanted to be done with my Christmas shopping by the beginning of December so I could really enjoy the holiday season. I am happy to say that except for a few small things I am done and it really feels good to be able to relax and enjoy the month more. I wanted to come up with some fun activities to do with the kids this month to make it really enjoyable for them as well. I looked around at several different advent calendars to make and came up with this one. They are count down bags that have different, treats or activities and such in them. I think they turned out great, and the kids absolutely love them. They are so excited every morning to see what their surprise for the day is going to be. Thanks again Liz for your help with the project.

For day one our activity was to set up and decorate the Christmas tree. What better way is there to get you in the Christmas spirit than to decorate a tree. The kids were really excited and did a great job.

Another fun activity we did the first week was go to the festival of trees. Lauren saw a commercial for it on TV and really wanted to go. We met our good friends Jacqueline, Anna, and baby Juliet there and had a really great time. It was so neat to see all the decorated trees and decorations. I could have spent all day there reading all the stories of all the people who's names the trees were donated for.

This was the tree I was most excited to see. This is Gracie's tree. Gracie is a little girl who past away this last year. I followed her blog for a year watching as she waited for a new heart. When her day finally came to recieve her heart things just didn't work out for her. Reading about her and her family made me shed many tears but it made me so grateful for my children and their health. Gracie's tree was beautiful and a favorite of mine and Lauren's.

The next day for our surprise, it was our niece Ellie's birthday so we surprised the kids and drove up to Logan to spend the day with her for her birthday. Heidi had made her this really cute barbie cake but I forgot to take a picture before it got cut into so this is what was left of it.

The kids also got to make gingerbread houses again, which of course is always a big hit.

Heidi and I had also planned to make suckers that day. Sadly out of four attempts, only one of them turned out. I was planning on coming home and trying again, but I decided to call it a failure for this year and move on. Maybe next year we will try again.

Ellie got some new books for her birthday and here is Lauren and Ellie sitting on the chair together reading them. Aren't they so cute!!

For another fun surprise, we had a pajama party with some friends. Awhile ago me and my friend Liz went to Costco together and ended up buying our kids the same pajamas. I told her daugher Gayle that it would be fun to have a matching pajama party sometime. So here it is, matching pajamas, christmas movies, and lots of goodies. Even Liz and I both had on polka dots jammies. Our husbands were both gone that night, so no matching jammies for the daddy's darn it!

We are really enjoying this holiday season and are looking forward to many other fun and surprising activities.