Brian- our Christmas Miracle!

A few months ago, I blogged about my brother Brian who was very sick and not expected to live longer than a few more weeks. He was expected to need oxygen and a feeding tube when he went home. We had hoped he'd get another Christmas with us this year. After lots of prayers and fasting, he is doing well and had a great holiday with us. You can see by the pictures how happy he was. So far so good! Thanks everyone for your thoughts and prayers for Brian.

Photo shoot

I took Addy to JC Penny for her 2 year old pictures and when we got home she wanted to take more. So we changed outfits and she posed and posed and posed. She kept asking me to take more and to see them. Fun!

Grandpa's knees are fun!

Grandpas are always good for a laugh. Addy's grandpa (my dad) had Addison chasing him around all week clinging to him. She just loves her grandpa, as do all the kids. He is so much fun. I remember as a kid he would give us piggy back rides and do bucking bronko in the living room. The kids love when he twirls the chandelier and pushes the button on the fire alarm (Grandma doesn't so much). We had fun at their home and the kids made a lot of fun memories! Thanks Mom and Dad!

Christmas Morning

 

Favorites of 2010:
Mom: Camcorder (our 4th one- we can't seem to keep them working!)
Dad: Garmin Running watch with GPS
McKenzie: solid silver flute - hoping it to last through college!
Bradley: Digital camera
Sydney: American Girl Doll- Felicity
Nathan: Race track and Marble track
Addison: Rose Cottage play house

Sledding Party

My sister, Corinne and her husband Darrel have a wonderful sledding hill on their property and they invited us over the day after Christmas for a sledding party (or did we just assume the invitation?) It is becoming a fun tradition. We have soup and buttermilk scones, go sledding around her circular road with the truck and huge sled Grandpa and Mike made, then the kids head down the sledding hill with the tubes and sleds and moms watch nervously when things get a little crazier and more daring. We survived all the fun and even played some games and Corinne, Erika, Jen and I practiced a trio for Sacrament meeting. Thanks for the fun times, Corinney!

Christmas Eve 2010

Don't you just love traditions? For Christmas we do the SAME THING every year, just slightly different talents for the program, and the kids are bigger every year (and louder :) Here are some images of our Christmas in Utah and Grandma and Grandpa's:

Boy cousins opening gifts from grandparents...Airhog helicopters for all!


Acting out the Nativity...


An unhappy angel...Addy cried the whole time and wouldn't go up front for some reason. She was exhausted all evening and finally went to bed early.


McKenzie playing piano for the talent program.


Brian enjoyed every minute. He was right there with us the whole time enjoying the food, family and especially the opening of the presents. He couldn't wait and kept going over to the presents and shaking his finger looking at us longingly as if to say, "Can I open them now?" He was very patient though!


Men hanging out in Mom's new beautiful family room chatting. Nothing better than catching up with family over the holidays!


Grandma and Grandpa King waiting for the white elephant game to begin. That's Grandma's favorite. We are blessed to have them still with us.


Crafts with cousins. Something to keep them busy while dinner is cleaned up.



We had so much fun this year- it was a quick 6 day trip, shorter than normal for us, but we seemed to fit all our traditions in, including the stomach flu on the last day!

A view from our family room window...Look at our backyard visitor!

Mike snapped this shot of our backyard from our family room picture window. I knew when we built this room we HAD TO HAVE a huge window facing our backyard. It's our favorite place in our house!

Snow Day!

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A few weeks ago we woke up to snow. In California! Well, we get snow here every couple of years but got it last year and it usually melts by afternoon. This year was different- it snowed early Monday morning (that's why it's still dark in the pictures- the kids got up to it at 5am to play in it) and it lasted until Friday. School was cancelled Monday and Tuesday and we didn't go anywhere because we needed new tires on the van and Mike said we better not drive in it. So Wednesday, he got new tires for us and we were back to normal. The kids played in it forever. Even Addy kept crying to "go owside". Fun times!

Stitches...Bad day...and wise words from a 7 yr old...

My crazy Nathan- 7 yo- fell on the playground at school- on his chin...so I picked him up, called the insurance who made an appointment at the clinic for 2 hours later, after I told them he needed stitches. Then I ran an errand, came home and while I was taking the sleeping 2 yr old to bed, Nathan came and said, "Mom- I locked the car so the burglars don't get your purse". Well, I had my only car keys- (Mike had my other set) cell phone and purse and groceries in the car. I wasn't sure I could get him to the stitches appointment, but Mike came home and saved us, only to get to the appointment and the clinic said, "Oh- why did they send you here? We don't do stitches!- You'll have to go to ER!" So Mike had to come get him and take him- because I had parent teacher conferences and YW in Excellence to get ready for and the ER is 40 minutes away! CRAZY! But I had to laugh in the end and our YW in Excellence was nice, so it made for a good ending. I should have stayed in bed that day. But it's one for the journal!
Best part was when Nathan was disappointed he couldn't get the stitches at the clinic. I asked him why he wanted stitches so bad and he replied, "Well, Mom, I just figure I need to experience everything in life, and I haven't had stitches yet, so I really want them!"

Terrible 2's once again!

More putting on makeup- (at least she knows mascara goes on the eyes), and something new: climbing on the bathroom counter playing in the water- includes an almost flooding of the bathroom! Yippee for 2 year olds to make us laugh!







Don't mind the blue and green toothpaste in her hair- she loves Aquafresh!