Christmas Card

View our Christmas Card...click here!

Thanks!

A big thanks to Gary! He got me a new navigation deck for the Sequoia. It does everything! Has GPS so I can plug in an address and it will walk me there, help me find the nearest Target, or whatever we're looking for. It plays movies, and runs a whole bunch of stuff. I know I'm not doing it justice with all that it can do! It's been a HUGE chore to get it hooked up! We have so many wires and cables going every which way. From the TV to the deck to the DVD player to the stereo, to the steering wheel controls. It's not an easy job! He's been working on it all day!

Thanks Gary! We're so excited to have it!

One picture from the web to help Gary hook up all the right wires. Looks like fun huh!

Feeling the Spirit?

What a nice relaxing weekend! We've had nothing to do, just hanging out. HA HA HA HA HA HA! Nice joke huh?

We had the 3rd annual Tony Tobin Holiday Open House on Thursday. The last day of school before break our elementary school invites all the parents and families to join in several Christmas activities. Each grade performs a few songs and poems, and each class does some crafts. Sydney's class this year started the day with a waffle breakfast. Kaycee got to decorate an ornament for the tree. Lauren's class did gingerbread houses (they did theirs the day before). Matthew and I got to see all the kids sing at different times, AND Kaycee had her dance recital that afternoon.

Here are a few pictures of the girls at school.



Friday was baking day. We baked from morning to night. We made 4 different kinds of cookies. We made up 30 boxes to give to friends and neighbors.

Speaking of neighbors, one quick story--Jesse, our little neighbor across the street came over to play with Matthew yesterday afternoon. He saw the hundreds of cookies all over the kitchen and asked what they were for. I said "They are to give to our friends and neighbors." He looked and me and said "I'm your neighbor"!

From left to right:Peanut Butter cookie with a Milk Chocolate Kiss, Chocolate Crackle cookie with a Candy Cane Kiss, Chocolate Gingerbread cookie with a Hug, Orange Peel cookie with a Dark Chocolate Kiss.
The finished box all ready to give out.

Hope you are all finding some peace during these last few crazy days!

Sky line

I walked out to get the mail and this was how the sky looked. I just thought it was cool, so I took a picture of it! I love the clouds rolling in from the ocean, and the clouds rolling in from another rain storm that is supposed to hit us tomorrow. Doesn't it look like a second coming picture?

Gingerbread houses

This seems to be the year for Gingerbread houses! All made from graham crackers of course. Lauren has gotten to do this several times this year. I had fun helping her class make them today.

Fun Visit

We had a really fun visit with Peter and Annie. They drove down from Seattle and spend a day and two nights with us. The kids played, we decorated sugar cookies, ate at Rosa's and talked and caught up on each other lives. Here is a picture of the kids on the trampoline.

Bideo Games

Lately Matthew has been obsessed with video games, which he calls bideo games. He plays them on the computer and X box. He got in trouble today because he was pulling the keyboard away from Sydney and not letting her play. His punishment is that he wasn't allowed to play video games for the rest of the day. He later went upstairs, and when I came up he said,
"Mom, to put the motorcycle game on you just push the red button. I can do it. "
I said,
"Matthew, you are not allowed to play any games today because you wouldn't let Sydney play."
He thought about that for a minute then turned to head back into our room (where the Xbox is) and said,
"Don't hear me Mom".

Christmas Card preview

I have been scrolling back through all our pictures this year to try and find one for Christmas cards. I wish our Hawaii ones turned out better. I couldn't find one, so I tried to get the kids together and take some a few days ago. I took about 20 different pictures. Here are a couple of them. Kaycee kept singing, so she has weird faces in the pictures, Matthew kept jumping up and down, so I either had him up too high or couldn't see him. I'm going to try and get cards mailed out by Monday, so you'll be able to see the one we chose soon!

Christmas Party

We had our ward Christmas party last night. I know, it seems early, but it's nice to have one item already checked off. It was POURING down rain last night, and truthfully I wouldn't have gone but the Primary Presidency called to see if I could lead the kids in a few carols. Lauren came home from school yesterday with an extremely sore throat, and she has a fever today. So she didn't come with us last night.



The toy candy trains the kids made:
Kaycee asked for a new bike:

Don't you love how Matthew put his arm around Santa?

Matthew asked for a truck, trailer and motorcycle:

Sydney asked for a green ipod,(what happened to asking for stickers?)

Pictures

Kaycee's kindergarten Thanksgiving feast.

Matthew is on the red quad, Jesse is on the green.

Sydney riding the 50


Kaycee and Matthew at Knotts

Waiting in line for the Calico Mine Ride


Kaycee and Matthew again


Can you tell I had the camera?

Join the crowd

I've decided to join all my family and friends and start a blog. I love reading everyones!

We had a SUPER Thanksgiving week! Our school was out from Thursday November 15 until tomorrow, Monday the 26th. We left Thursday right after school for Gordans Well. We went with our neighbors the Grasso's. We stayed Thursday and Friday night. The kids had so much fun riding this time. Kaycee and Matthew and Sydney all share the 50 quad, and Lauren has a 90. Well it got to be kind of a fight between Kaycee and Matthew so Gary picked up another quad this week, a 70.

Matthew is his Daddy's boy 100%! He knows how to start his quad and won't GET OFF! He rides for hours and hours and hours. He has amazing control of it. All I can say is that he was born to ride! He rides as well as Lauren and he's barely 3! It won't be too many more years and Matthew will able to ride as long and as hard as Gary.

On Thanksgiving morning we headed out to Knotts Berry Farm. We had so much fun! It was crowded, but not to the point where it's just not fun. I'd say for most of the rides we waited 10 to 20 minutes. We had a really good Thanksgiving dinner at TGI Fridays! The food was good, the service was great and we all got to choose what we wanted! We stayed at the Roadway Inn right across the street from Knotts Berry Farm. We walked to and from and never had to pay to park. Matthew was so cute when we checked in. He was so excited. He got in the room and said--Look, they have a TV, and a phone, and a bed! Then he walked into the bathroom and came running out and said --They have a shower and a bath! We saw the Bee Movie that night to finish out a perfect Thanksgiving.

Friday we headed back to Knotts. We got there right when it opened and for the first two hours we never waited for a ride! Gary took Lauren and Sydney to the bigger rides and Kaycee and Matthew and I raced around Camp Snoopy. Most of the rides those two could ride together. If not, then at least Kaycee was tall enough to go by herself and I went with Matthew. We all met up later for the Snoopy Christmas Ice Skating show. It was really cool. The kids loved the costumes and the skating was really good. Linus actually told the Bible Christmas story and they sang Oh Holy Night and Joy to the World. Yeah for Knotts for being brave enough to mention Christ at Christmas!

That night we headed home and packed up the toy hauler and yesterday we headed to Ocotillo Wells. We went with two families from our ward and our neighbors again. We had a super time!

As soon as I figure out how, I'll add some pictures!