A Fun Filled Christmas and day after

Just a small recap (ok a medium recap): Christmas Eve we just played and made chocolates for Santa. Daddy to come home with Sugar House BBQ. Daddy turned on Christmas music while we ate dinner and then all snuggled up to watch the Grinch. Etta and I we constantly tracking Santa to see where he was. Etta thought that was pretty cool ( I can't lie so did I). Etta and Gibson than opened their present of pj's, we read Twas the Night Before Christmas and then left a plate for Santa. Patted the kids heads and sent then to bed. Etta got out of bed at least 8 times. She drove me crazy. Than Andy and I opened one present from each other and headed off to bed.
Christmas morning woke me up at 6:00am with Etta saying she had peed the bed. I cleaned her up washed her bottoms and put them in the dryer. Then we headed up stairs to start breakfast. Gibby saw his basketball hoop and went over to his box of balls, grabbed the football and continued to through it at the basketball hoop, just darling. Etta helped with breakfast and clean up and then came stocking and present time.
After playing for a bit we all got dressed and headed off to my mom's house. It was a little wet outside but nothing bad. As we got closer and closer to Utah County the snow was coming down harder and harder. When we drove up to my parents house there was A LOT of snow.
Andy and I dropped the kids off and headed to see Marley and Me (we sneaked in Scosia). I loved the movie, loved the book more. Jennifer Aniston is my all time favorite actress. We headed back to my parents to eat and open presents. We had a great time and left just after 8. The snow was coming down again. We had a very slow drive home and saw a few spinning cars. We made it home safely and went straight to bed.
Saturday I still think of as Christmas because it is the day you get to actually play with your presents. The kids enjoyed playing with their little tikes toys from grandma Peggy and grandpa , their darling kitchen from Jenny and family and mickey mouse karaoke from grandma Donna and Papa Don.
Early evening we went to dinner at a great little Mexican place in Fort Union then hit target for gifts from uncle Scott (he gave them a gift certificate). Gibson of course got balls, soccer, basketball, football, and a baseball. That boy loves sports! Etta picked out darling snap beads and had fun making necklaces, rings and bracelets.
Thank you to all our Families for the wonderful presents and love!

We took so many pictures so enjoy my little slide show.

Merry Christmas

Here is a video with some of my favorite pictures of our family (mostly the kids) from 2008. Just a little Christmas gift to my family and friends.

Early Christmas Present

We have received an early Christmas present and a new addition to the family. Daddy and Hatcher went and picked up our new darling little 5 week old blue weimaraner. She is a big hit and we all love her.

Her name is Scoscia!

Meeting Santa Claus

We headed over to the Mall to meet up with Santa Claus. Etta is full into the Santa Claus, reindeer and elves it is just darling. Gibson is up for whatever his sister is doing. We got there and only had to wait a little bit for Santa to come back from his break. They both did great on Santa's lap and just loved it. Gibby kept saying "HO HO HO" the rest of the night. We are all excited for Christmas now. Not like we weren't before but only 7 more days!

Waiting patiently to see Santa

Just the Happiest little Boy ever!

Telling Santa she wants a Camera and a monkey

Gibson went up so great and gave Santa a kiss on the beard, then he wanted a prize

and now he is done!

Playing in the Snow

We all know about the snow we have here in Utah this past weekend. What a fun time to go play in it, right. Once we were done eating breakfast we pulled out all the layers of winter clothes out to keep us warm. We waiting until the snow had stopped for a while and headed out to play, throw snow balls and make snow angels. The kids had a great time and Andy loved using his Snow Blower.

The kids looked so cute eating their breakfast up on the breakfast counter

Etta all ready for the snow

Hatcher's new profile picture

Gibson all ready for the snow too!

Throwing snow is fun to do, to do, to do, to do

Big happy smiles

Catching Etta eating the snow (her favorite thing to do)

"Uh oh"

Snow ball fight!

Go Daddy go

Andy was so excited to use his snow blower he couldn't even wait for it to stop snowing

Playing in the snow does wear you out. Just precious!

Christmas Lights and a Christmas Tree

The first part of Dec we headed to Temple Square to look at Christmas lights. Etta loves Christmas lights and was in heaven seeing so many Christmas lights in one place. Gibby enjoyed them too but his favorite part was when sister got out of the chariot and he had it all to himself.

Loaded up and ready to go

Snuggled up enjoying the lights

Etta and mommy in front of our favorite orange lights

Happy Gibby and Daddy

My cute little family

Christmas Tree Time

We get a real Tree every year. The smell just can't replace the pre-strung, money saving fake trees out there. I wanted to go up into the Mountains to get it this year but Andy says not yet. Once the kids are older that will be a fun little tradition. We headed over to the forest of Robinson's trees from Montana. We searched high and low and found one we liked.

Daddy and Gibby in search for the perfect Tree

Etta loved all of them

Found the one we want!

Daddy loads it in the Truck

Gibby playing with the Tree already

What a great Daddy doing all the work

Etta and daddy finishing the tree with the Star on top!

Gingerbread Cookie Making/Eating

Every Year at the first of December our city Library puts on a Gingerbread activity. We sing gingerbread songs and listen to gingerbread stories. Then we get to do the most funnest thing of all... decorate and eat gingerbread men. They are the best cookies ever and the kids have so much fun. Our favorite Librarian Lisa always lets us parents have an extra one or two.
(I forgot my camera so my phone pictures saved me even though they aren't the greatest pictures)

Etta spreading on the delicious frosting

"My cookies is all done now I am going to eat it up!"

Off goes the buttons and candy...

Off goes the Head...

and now the arms.

Gibby's turn:

Frosting the tongue not the cookie. "Why take the extra step it is going to go in my mouth anyway."

One bite...

Two bites! That cookie never had a chance!

Thanksgiving Week

The week of Thanksgiving was fun and easy going. We had Andy's Brother Jason in town from Reno and instead of Turkey and all the trimmings we had Sushi with all the trimmings. We rolled our own sushi with salmon, tuna, avocado, tibiko, lemon and sushi rice. It was delicious, fun and easy clean up.

Our Thanksgiving lay out

Ready to begin the rolling of the Sushi

Etta and Gibson's Sushi rolls

Jason Rolling the Sushi

Gibby loved the rice, cucumber and tofu- not to found of the seaweed wrap, but he did try it!

Etta loved looking at it, the miso soup and pulling the avocado out of the middle.

Etta had a great day and feel asleep after she had put every doll to sleep using every blanket. It was so cute, oh yes and she had to dress up like snow white to put her dolls to sleep.

We had so much fun with Uncle Jason. Etta keeps talking about how she misses him and loves him. We can't wait 'til he moves out here. YEAH!

Daddy doing what Daddy does best- teasing the Hatcher!