Oh Christmas Tree

On Monday night we got out our Christmas tree and all the decorations so we could get it set up for family home evening. Last year Ryker really wanted to put the star on top but couldn't because of his broken leg, so this year it was his turn.


Rylee really got into the spirit of decorating the tree and was very precise about where she wanted the ornaments to go. I enjoyed watching her examine each ornament and see her really get attached to those she liked best.



The kids had so much fun opening boxes and pulling out the decorations. We heard alot of cries like "Oh I remember this one" and "Oh look at this it is so cute". It is fun to see how excited they were getting about it all.




Avynlea took a picture of the tree and it looks like we still have some decorating to do. It is so fun to have the tree up and to get ready for this fun holiday month.

Let the spirit of goodwill and giving begin!!

Our foxy friend

Every year the second week of November we go up to McCall to stay in the Timeshare condos in Aspen Village. We go up other times throughout the year to stay in the Peterson House but always the second week of November is spent in the condos. Lots of fun was had this year. Keffords brother Jeremy and his family were right next door to us and so we got to get together to do many fun things. The kids got to go ice-skating, hot-tubbing, swimming, they played basketball and racquetball (kind of :0)) at the club, I went and worked out with my sister-in-law Gwen. We just had lots of fun. SO guess how many pictures I took? I can't hear your guesses but I can tell you this, you are so wrong. I took two! Yup that's it, 2! Can you believe it? I am not sure what I was thinking, maybe that I was just picture taking out! Or maybe its because I need/want a new camera and was rebelling? Whatever the reason I only took two and here they are.

You have to admit it is a cute picture! Every year that we have been there there is a little fox that runs around behind the condos. This year we saw him sitting on the side of the condo just staring at us. So I gathered the kids together and snapped a shot.

Our foxy friend!

Someday her prince will come.

I had this fun little chat with Avynlea the other day while driving in the car.

Avy: I just saw a pink pickup!!
Me: cool. Do you want a pink pickup when you grow up?
Avy: Yea! And my hunny-bunny will drive an excepition (expedition)
Me: Your hunny-bunny?
Avy: yup
Me: who is going to be your hunny-bunny?
Avy: I don't know him yet.
Me: well what name do you want him to have.
Avy: (with no hesitation)Derek!
Me: why Derek?
Avy: I just like the name.
Me: Very cool!

She was very matter of fact in all of this conversation and it was very cute and fun! Love this girl!

Ryker is 7!

I copied this from my sisters blog cause I thought it was a good idea! Thanks Emily!

Rykers Favorite things:
Color: dark green
church song: Follow the Prophet
WIIgame: Star Wars Clone Wars
friend: Baiden Jones
Place to visit: Baileys house
food: Chicken nuggets and french fries
drink: kool-aid
toy: Nerf sword
treat: cupcake with brown all over (i believe he means chocolate LOL)
thing to do: play the WII
thing to do at school: recess
favorite thing about being 7: That it is close to 8 when he can get baptized!

7 things I love about Ryker:
1)out of the blue he will give me a hug and kiss for no reason other then he loves me.
2)his excitement for things and how excited he gets when he talks about things that thrill him.
3)likes to surprise me sometimes by doing things without me asking.
4)doesn't complain too often about not having a brother and plays really well with his sisters!
5)how much he loves babies. He will sit forever holding a tiny little baby.
6)how much of a boy he is. This kid is ALL boy.
7)how excited he is to turn 8 and be baptized!

They say it's your birthday!

Yesterday we celebrated my 31st birthday and Rykers 7th birthday. Here is the rundown on what went on.
Ryker was very anxious about opening his presents from the moment he got out of bed. He would not stop talking about them, so we let him open one present that his Aunt Erin sent him!

The greedy little thing really wanted his present!

What is it?

A cool Star Wars book, he was very excited about it!

birthday girl and birthday boy!

Love this little guy!

finally after church and after we ate dunch we were able to open our presents! I was showing Ryker his baby scrapbook when I was forced to stop and start looking at the cute cards my kids made for me!

Ryker got candy and money from Grandma Bonnie. He was thrilled with the money and annouced that this cash was for sure going to go into his wallet!




I got Ryker a marshmallow shooter and here I am showing him how to use it. He was impressed at first but wasn't that thrilled with it..oh well..maybe I will keep it and use it on him!

Kenedy got me my favorite candy bar..a peanut butter twix, oh how delicious!

And I got a cute little orange Ipod that I have named scallywag. Yeah you have to have a name for it and that was the name I chose. I have been wanting one for a while and was really excited to finally get it and try it out!
*little side note* I need somebody to come and give me a tutorial on how to use this. It is confusing me and when I tried to use it at the gym this morning I couldn't figure out how to adjust the vloume so there I was running with earbuds in my ears listening to a whole lotta nothing. BOO! But I bet I looked cute anyway! :0)

In this picture he just opened a little airplane thingie. He was giving really great looks while opening presents. Serously not staged at all!

Rylee just watching the festivities!

Ryker got a clone wars game for the WII and was very excited and surprised about it!

I was happy to get a gift card to Nike to get me some new workout clothes. The last ones I bought were cheapo and shrunk up 4-5 inches the first time I washed them. LAME!

We told Ryker that since he got to pick the cake last year I got to pick what kind I wanted this year. Boy was he surprised when we pulled him out his own little oreo cake! Kefford called him from the store to find out in a tricky way what kind he would want here is the conversation.
Kefford: I want to make your Mom a cake what kind should I get her, vanilla, chocolate or oreo?
Ryker: get her chocolate
Kefford: really? thats what she would want?
Ryker: yeah.
Kefford: is that the kind you would want?
Ryker: No I would pick oreo but she would like chocolate.
Isnt he a sweetie?! So of course we got him the oreo!


Happy 7th Birthday Ryker!

I picked strawberry shortcake for my birthday cake and had Kefford make it into a trifle. He did good and it tasted yummy!
Ryker and I got lots of happy birthday phone calls and texts and my good friend Candice stopped by with some yummy sugar cookies for me, my favorite, along woth her husband and her daughter Courtney one of my cute Beehives. Oh and speaking of..in Young Womens they were doing the announcements and when it came time for birthdays they said no birthdays this week..WHAT? My beehives all did a collective gasp and looking over at me began to protest, I signaled that it was fine but when we seperated into classes they all sang to me, it was really sweet and I sure do love my girls!
My vising teachers came over with treats and a gift, thanks girls, and I got cards from my sister Erin and my Mom with some spending money..WooHoo!
We sure did feel the love and really had a great birthday day!

Schoolless Days!

On Thursday and Friday the kids did not have school due to parent teacher conferences..I know right...dread those days! I had to meet with the kids teachers on Thursday morning so I left them with strict instructions to get their jobs done and behave! I was gone for about 45 minutes and when I returned I was expecting a little bit of chaos and lots of fighting. But what I found was this...




My four kids decided to play school and had set up the front room into their own little school room. Can you believe they played like this happy and with no fighting for a good couple of hours!? It was very impressive. Kenedy was the teacher, of course, and she did a good job of assigning tasks to the kids and they did a good job of listening to and obeying their teacher.

Ryker wanted to show me one of his "assignments"

It kinda made me laugh! :0)

Oh and parent teacher conferences went GREAT! Kenedys teacher kept telling me not to get a big head because of how wonderful Kenedy is. You know what...she is a GREAT kid. She is super smart, straight A's, and she is very kind to all of the other kids. She looks out for those who might be getting picked on and really takes them under her wing. She is AWESOME! Ryker is doing really great to in first grade and his teacher had nothing but compliments about him. He is at or above grade level in all the subjects and works really hard! I am very proud of my two students!

Time for a change!

On Thursday I went to the hairdresser to get some color put on my hair. I kinda had the idea that I wanted to go a bit darker with some funky red added in, but was open to ideas from my hairdresser. We talked about what I was thinking and she told me some things that she was thinking and away we went! She dried and styled my hair with my back to the mirror and when she turned me around for the big reveal. I was THRILLED! It was perfect and I loved it. YAY!
Here is the before.

And here is the after. I know the pictures doesn't really show it off to its advantage but it really is different.


I have dark streaks of red and then she added a bit of Blondie to the front! Too much fun!