Merry Christmas

Emma with her new Elmo doll. She loves it!

Andrew and Eli were Grandpa's "elves" and helped pass out presents.

Emma loves her new seat!

Eli had been waiting for a scooter for months. He was so excited.

We woke up to a rainy, cold Christmas this year. That has not happened in a very long time. It was nice though, it made it feel more like Christmas. Those 80 degree days don't feel very festive to me. It was nice to snuggle up with hot chocolate and enjoy our morning.

Santa brought us a Wii this year. It's been a big hit at our house. I can't wait for the boys to go back to school so I can get a turn :) Just kidding, they do share with their old mom. I can still beat them, so I haven't lost my touch just yet. Eli got a scooter, which he had been asking for forever. Emma got a new car seat. She loves being able to see where she is going.

In the afternoon we headed to Jeremy's parents for some present opening. Then after that we went to my parents for dinner and more presents. Yes, my kids are spoiled! We had a great time being with our families. We had a busy couple of days and went home and crashed! Jeremy was lucky enough to have the day after Christmas off this year. We all got to stay home and play with our new toys.

Christmas Eve

Aunt Kari with her nephews and Emma!
Emma loves any chance she can get to flip light switches.

The group is gathered around.

Andrew getting ready for his turn to "fish".

Ethan helping Emma with the fishing pole.

Emma and Jackson playing under the table.

Every year on Christmas Eve we head over to Jeremy's parents for our annual Mexican food feast. All of his brothers and sisters (except Aimee, we miss you!) and his grandparents are there. We have a delicious dinner. Everyone brings a Mexican food dish and of course all of Kari's yummy goodies were there. The boys love her Tiger Butter!

After dinner we gathered around to watch the Luke video about the birth of the Savior. Then the boys always look forward to the "fishing pond". Every year Gram gives out a few prizes that the boys have to fish for behind the curtain. The LOVE this game! At the end of the night Aunt Kari gave all of her nieces and nephews new Christmas pajamas. She does this for them every year and they can hardly wait to wear them. Thanks Kari!

We headed out on the long drive home, hoping everyone would fall asleep before we got there. Not a chance! Emma was the only one. Even Eli stayed awake until after we got home, but fell asleep by 10:30. Ethan and Andrew were still awake at 12:30 waiting for Santa to come. They tracked him all day on the Norad Santa tracker and very so excited. Needless to say, Santa came very late that night...

Motorcycle Fun

Jeremy spent Saturday morning riding, so in the afternoon the kids were excited to get their turn. Emma loves going on rides as much as the boys did. It's fun to see Jeremy taking her around on the little 50! Andrew is enjoying it too. He is still nervous to take the training wheels off, but is getting more comfortable with each ride. Eli wanted a ride on a bigger bike, but not on Jeremy's because he thinks Jeremy's bike is way too loud. Everyone had lots of fun!

Bed Time

Emma loves to snuggle in with the boys before going to bed for the night. Eli wasn't so sure about sharing his bed with her though. :)

Arizona Sunset

I've always loved sunsets in Arizona. This is last night's sunset from our backyard. It's been such beautiful weather lately. It almost makes the summer heat worth it!

Cub Scouts

Ethan had a cub scout pack meeting this week. After many months of waiting, he finally got his Wolf badge! Although you can't tell from this picture, he was very excited! He got his Wolf badge, 2 arrow points and 7 belt loops. Way to go Ethan! He is having a great time in scouts this year. (That could be because his awesome mom is the Bear leader :) He is doing fantastic passing off requirements. He's even gotten one of his friends to join. Way to Ethan, we're proud of you!

Let's Dig!

The boys have been having a great time digging some holes in the back yard. I am amazed at how many hours they've been working at it. Monday they connected two of them and a had a big tunnel! It was very fun. For safety reasons, we collapsed the tunnel and put a board on top, so they can still use it. It's so nice to have good weather and be able to be outside. You can't beat digging holes! Ah, to be young again...