Christmas activities

This year we went for a ride on the Santa Train in Boulder City.  Mark of course Loved all the extra attention!  It is interesting to see all the things they have for people in wheelchairs.

 They had a fun Santa and Mrs Claus.  Everyone who works on the Santa Train are volunteers. It only runs for two weekends and you have to get your tickets weeks in advance.

 This is the picture we sent out in our Christmas cards.  Everyone looked at the camera and looked somewhat decent. Miracle!

 We have had the funnest time with this little guy this year.  We bought him at Hallmark and he comes with a book explaining what he does.  He is an elf who watches what the kids do during the day and then flies back to the North pole and reports to Santa on how the kids acted.  So every morning he's in a new place and the kids have to find his new watching place.  When you get your new elf you have to decide a name for him, let me introduce you to Frank the elf.  I have never laughed so hard as the first time Tyson prayed at the dinner prayer that Frank will tell Santa that they've been good.

 I took it a step further and had the elf bring a surprise for the kids each day.  I only brought him and the surprises out for the twelve days of Christmas.  I had bought tons of crafts and activities for the kids last year on 90% clearance, so each morning the kids would find the elf and the craft he brought for them right below him.  The kids would make the craft and then run over to Frank and show him.  He became a very special person in our house.

 We made snow globes, posters, pixos, zuber, play doh, necklaces, ornaments and 4 sets of foam scenes.  It was really a ton of fun.  Our morning routine was: find the elf and immediately do a fun craft.  Then, eat breakfast.  The glue gun was constantly out :)  The kids really miss old Frank and can't wait til he comes back again next year!

We love real trees and the kids loved going to the lot and picking the perfect one.  A free candy cane was also pretty awesome.

Tyson loved putting the star on the top of the tree.  He really got into the whole Christmas thing this year.

I love decorating the tree.  Not so much having my picture taken while doing it though!

This was a display at the Santa Train.  Isn't it awesome?

I will blog our Christmas soon :)

Tyson's 5th Birthday

My baby boy turned five not too long ago and here are the pictures from his party. 

 We had his party at a place called Flip-n-Out.  It's everything a five year old boy could want.  Trampolines everywhere, blow up jumpers, and slides.  It's like they've gone into the mind of a 5 year old and created this place.  Tyson had a BLAST!  I hardly have any quality shots because the boys were everywhere.

 We ended up inviting like 14 boys, it was wild.  I just kept inviting and inviting.  He is my only boy and the oldest so I got a little carried away but I figure I'm allowed to.  It was that or bawl and bawl about how big he is :)

 Tyson's favorite part of course: the presents.  The other boys just mobbed him and it was really funny.  They were so excited to tell him which present they picked out just for him.

 At home with the loot!  He still has a couple of presents he hasn't even gotten to yet!  I was thinking of wrapping them back up and giving them for Christmas but then he is too old to be fooled anymore.  My baby... (add sobbing sounds here)...I remember when he was born...(louder sobbing)...I can't believe he is so big!!! (hysterical sobbing)

Oh...so sorry you had to witness my breakdown.  I am so glad Tyson is part of our family!  He sadly runs the show over here.  He is spoiled rotten and I know it.  Just when I think I am not buying that kid one more thing or taking him to one more activity, he flashes those dimples and he gets everything he wants.  When he is not being the spawn of Satan he is the greatest boy.  He is such a big helper to me, he cares for others and is so smart.  I am excited everyday that I get to spend with him and am so thankful Heavenly Father chose to let him be part of our family.  Happy Birthday Tyson!!!

Thanksgiving

I am finally blogging our Thanksgiving.  I don't know what the deal is with the picture order so everything is a little crazy.  This year we went to Cedar City to be with Jason's Great Grandma and Jason's parents.  A week later we made Thanksgiving again at our house.  We love having apple cider with dinner, the guys laugh and laugh and think they are getting drunk :)

 When we got to Cedar this was the temperature.  I threw an actual hissy fit and wanted Jason to turn the car around!  (If you can't make it out it says 9 degrees)  Honestly who lives in 9 degree temperature on purpose?

 Jason's uncle was HILARIOUS!  Some of the kids were trying to go down the hill and then he ran into the garage and found this shovel.  He tried to get Tyson to do it but this was as close as he got.

 Taylor and her cute little smile.

Tyson loves chicken drumsticks so he Loved the turkey drumsticks as well.  Tyson is in love with KFC chicken.  He calls it chicken with the bones hanging out.  Here is a common conversation in our house, "Mom, can we have chicken with the bones hanging out for dinner?"

Mark, loving his second round of Thanksgiving.

I love that the kids will wear these hats and do these activities I have for them.

Isn't she the cutest thing?

Here are two of Jason's uncles. Too funny.

We had such a fun time in Cedar City.  It's nice to see the snow for a little while and makes me so grateful when we come home to the desert :)

Halloween and stuff

Jason is such a good Dad.  I got this haunted house kit for the kids to put together and he stepped in and finished the project.  I thought it was going to be fun and easy, but it really stunk.  Thanks to Jason it has been completed and on the kitchen table as our centerpiece all month.  Thanks, Jason!!

 Taylor does not take naps anymore but still needs them, some days I find her passed out in the craziest places.  I guess she's taking after her big brother :)

 Carving pumpkins was super fun.  The kids thought they looked great!

 I was trying to get a picture of the kids in their Sunday clothes but they wanted to be nuts so this is the best I got.  They both decided to wear boots to church and thought they looked awesome in them.

 Tyson being a nut.

 For Tyson's birthday we are having his party at this fun place called Flip-n-out.  We went their as a family to check it out and see if he would like it.  He LOVED it and can't wait for his party.  I can't believe my baby is going to be 5 years old.  I told him I am going to cry all month because he is getting so old, he just says, "Mommmmm!" and walks away.

 Tyson's preschool class went to a pumpkin patch for their field trip.  Taylor, Hayden, and I tagged along.  Hayden cut her first tooth on the 1st of November, I am so sad!  I do not want these kids growing up!  I really don't want another Taylor is the problem.  The years of 2 to 4 are the worst and I just don't think I can take two girls in those ages at once!!!

 Taylor was NOT a fan of the animals.  I think Tyson's scardey pants ways are wearing off on her.  Last year she was so fearless and running after all the animals.

 Tyson spent the entire field trip on this climbing wall/slide thing.  As we are leaving he is saying, "but I didn't get to see the animals or ride on the ride or jump in the bounce house..."  He had fun anyway, he loves that dang slide.

 My attempt at a picture with all three.  Always fun :)

 Trunk or Treat was fun.  Tyson finally gets it and will walk up and say trick or treat.  Taylor had to be dragged but she had fun.

 Hayden is just not getting into the costume and dressing up thing yet.  She did not like the poodle head on and kept trying to rip it off.  Poor girl :(  Isn't she a doll?  Oh I love dressing the kids up!! 

I hope everyone had a fun Halloween.  Can you believe Christmas is just around the corner?

Fall

 I am not a huge fan of fall but I am trying to make my peace with it.  I made a really fun wreath for the front door out of silk flowers.

 I also made a wreath out of candy corn for the closet door.  Yes I placed every single candy corn on the wreath, I think it equaled out to 2 bags of candy corn.

 I also took the kids to Gilcrease Orchards and we picked pumpkins off of the vine.  Pretty awesome!

 They had a cute little hay maze.  We are going to go again, we felt totally rushed and didn't even get to pick any apples!

 Taylor and Bryson, aren't they cute?

 Tyson has decided to be Wolverine this year.  I sat him down and asked him what he wanted to be and he told me he wanted to be a "half shark with a laser beam eye and half monster that flies".  I am VERY HAPPY with wolverine.  He saw it in the store and said he liked it so I grabbed it, before I had to figure out how to get him a laser beam eye.  Seriously, this kid is a NUT!!

 Taylor is going to be Minnie Mouse but she loved running around in Tyson's old Nemo costume.

 Tyson is playing soccer for church and loves it.  He has really surprised us with how aggressive he is in going after the ball.  He still won't fight kids at baseball over the ball but loves to be in the middle of the action at soccer.

 We went to a Disney Magic show at the Orleans (for some reason I thought it was Disney on Ice, but it was just a show).

 I know my kids are spoiled but I figure this is the age for this stuff.  Pretty soon, Mickey Mouse isn't going to be cool anymore and for sure going anywhere with Mom and Dad will be really uncool.

 Hayden is not spitting she is discovering the wonderfulness that is cotton candy.  The problem was she was on a major sugar high after and couldn't stop waving her arms and legs like a nut :)

 They had all these awesome magic tricks and one of them was that Cinderella went into the pumpkin in her rags and then came out in her ballgown.  Too fun!

I  figure we just had one of the worst summers on record with our family (thanks, Mark) so we deserve to get out and finally have a little spoiling :)