8 is GREAT!

I'm a little slow! Now that the holidays are over, hopefully I can catch up. We start celebrating the Christmas season with the first Advent (the fourth Sunday before Christmas Eve). Each of the four Sundays (Advent) before Christmas we do something fun as a family and light candles to count down toward Christmas Eve. It's been a family tradition to spend the first Advent going to the Mesa, Arizona LDS Temple and see the Christmas lights. It's very fun (and a lot warmer than going to Temple Square in Utah) and one of Hanna's favorite parts of Christmas. It's also a family tradition to forget our camera or run out of batteries when seeing the lights (we've tried to get a picture for several years). This year we did get a picture, but Jason was just testing to see if the camera worked and caught us off guard, so we all looked strange. Then the batteries died. But at least we have a picture at the lights! :) For the second Advent we made gingerbread houses. This w...

We had 3 holidays in one week! Lauren's birthday, Thanksgiving, and Kohler's birthday! Kohler turned the big 5 this year and feels very "Big". At one time, Jason wanted crab and shrimp for his birthday dinner~ now all the kids ask for that dinner. We didn't realize he was starting a tradition! Kohler's crab & shrimp dinner Jason and the kids like an internet site called "Homestar Runner". It has little cartoon movies on it. Strong Bad is one of the characters and that is what Kohler wanted on his birthday cake! Instead of birthday hats we got birthday masks! Now THAT is scary!! Kohler's presents He got some jungle animals from Grandma & Grandpa Wheeler And some super hero cars from Grandma & Grandpa Smith We decided to switch things up a little and get a pinata! They each got 3 swings. Hanna ended up busting it open! The kids were more excited about hitting the pinata than what was inside! Kamary found a good use for the...

My parents came down from Utah to join us for Lauren's birthday and Thanksgiving! It was really fun to have them here~ but it made me itch to move. I wish I lived closer to them! Grandpa played with the kids, talked to them and jumped on the trampoline. I think we wore him out! Lauren & Grandpa Hanging out watching a show. Kamary read to Grandpa from her favorite book "Wayside School" Grandpa & Brynlie Grandma got some snuggles too! My mom helped me make Thanksgiving dinner. It was fun to cook with her. The night before Thanksgiving, my mom and I went to dinner and saw New Moon together. I liked it a lot better than the first movie (except the vampires' makeup was hokey and distracting). When Jacob took his shirt off the theater erupted with teenage girls screaming! It made us crack up!! After our Thanksgiving meal, Kamary dressed up Brynlie and had a photo shoot... here are some of the pics. The others decided to join in! Some pictures...