Christmas vacation

 We had a great Christmas this year. Most of our Christmas holidays have been spent recovering from jet lag and spending time with family. This year we got the family without the jet lag which was so nice. We had Christmas morning at home and then traveled to Utah. We went to see the lights on temple square and visited with lots of friends and family. It was fabulous. After we got home, we were so excited that my sister and her family were coming to visit but they came down with the flu and their trip was cut short. We were planning to go the hot springs that night so we went without my sister's family and had a lot of fun. We rented our own private pool (more like a hot tub) and had tons of fun. Sorry Tyson has no clothes on in this picture. He had already started to change his clothes when I wanted a picture. Don't worry, everybody else has clothes on!

The only picture we took of our anniversary date. We went out for Brazilian food and then took a trip down memory lane in Provo. It was fun. Love this boy!

The Falls are pretty cool in the winter. The big falls wasn't flowing but there were tiny frozen waterfalls all over the place.

New Year's Eve was spent at Aunt Joy's house. We had fondue for dinner and played games with Joy, Karey, Emily and her cute family.

I met up with my roommates for lunch one day. It's so fun to catch up.

Another roommate lunch. Lexi joined us and LOVED Steph!

Tyson's Kindergarten concert. He is the reindeer on the back. He did great. He has made a lot of improvement this year in behavior and learning to sit and listen. We're proud of our 5 year old!

Christmas day

We had a Christmas party on Christmas Eve. It was so much fun. We played decorate dad in to a Christmas tree, musical present game, a dice present game, hide the snowman, snowball fight, and had intermissions for some dancing. It was a blast and I want to make it a family tradition.

Christmas Eve we went to a Mexican restaurant in town. It was so good. This was our first Christmas at home. I LOVED it.

Lexi and Kenz got a dollhouse.

Kenzie unwrapping her diapers. I wrapped a ton of stuff that she uses all the time. She loved wrapping paper.

She is sooo excited to get a piggy bank like her brother and sister.

Cool new cape from Aunt Gwen. Aunt Gwen gave awesome gifts. We all LOVE the marshmallow guns.

matching aprons

Christmas food

We did some fun breakfasts this year. Thayne makes pancakes most Saturday mornings and they are delicious. My favorite were our Santa pancakes on Christmas morning.

things we do

On Sundays we go to the nursing home and visit the elderly. At first I was going to stop going because it didn't seem like we were doing any good but then we met Mary. Mary waits up front on Sunday mornings until we show up.  She loves the kids and they love her. We try playing Candyland with her but she has a hard time seeing so she needs Lexi on her team. 

Kenzie loves Mary's pretties.

This is one of the other ladies at the nursing home. She is 96 and spunky! Mary says she is BOSSY.

Trying on hats at Wally World

Donuts and hot chocolate with our friends from Buffalo

Kenzie's favorite thing. If she hears the dishwasher open from the other room, she comes as fast as she can.

I love this place. We're living the dream!

Thayne eating a flavored cricket at his work party. Gross!!!

Group picture

Thanksgiving and such

 We went to my brother's house for Thanksgiving. It was fun to see their new house and have everybody fit. The food was good and it was a good time. They showed us around the dairy farm. Thayne is not a farm guy and is pretty funny around animals and poo. He kind of freaks out. There was poo everywhere but it's a farm, what do you expect? I married myself a city slicker.

The pooper scooper!

 

The kids sometimes talk about poo being in the milk after visiting the farm. They don't really have a problem with it. They just state it like a fact.

Pepper makes the cutest baby calf!

Late night selfies on our new phone. Haha!

The week before Thanksgiving we went to Utah to go to the baby blessing of some of our wonderful friends from Buffalo. We loved seeing the Leighs and wish they lived closer. Their baby boy is adorable and the older kids picked up right where they left off.

Lexi made Thanksgiving turkeys with daddy

The rest of these pictures are from around Thanksgiving time

My kids do love each other even if they don't show it most of the time.

Tyson is really into drawing recently. He can draw and draw and draw. He will fill up a piece of paper so there is no room for anything else. He loves drawing zombies, toys, trains, Christmas stuff, and anything from a game.

Kenzie is 9 to 10 months in these pictures. She's super cute and very easy going. She's starting to get more difficult at church and I know her easiness will change in the near future but we are enjoying it while we can.