It's a Boy Thing

I am trying to catch up on the rest of 2011.  I found these photos of the boy when they went shooting last January. I  never thought I would have boys that LOVED guns but all three of them can't get enough of them.  I do think they look really cute!

Hyrum and Walt are the most abscessed! 

Time Flies When Your Having Fun

I think we must have a lot of fun in the month of December because it always go's by REALLY fast. I am posting this New years eve, it is 11:30 and the three oldest children are still playing hoping to stay up until midnight!  I can't believe how fast they are growing up.  I thought I would sum up our december with the few photos I have.  We did way more stuff I just didn't document it with photos.  

This year we had our biggest tree yet.  It was so much fun.  Matt of course did an over the job with the lights.  It looked amazing!

Lotty and Hyrum making gingerbread houses at Grandma and Grandpa Garners.

Decorating gram cracker gingerbread houses is one of my favorite holiday traditions.  I loved it when I was a kid and I still love it today.  I think all the kids had a good time.  Eli and Hyrum ate their houses the next day.

The kids do a Christmas program every year the last day of school.  I couldn't get any good photos of the kids on stage but Jane came and said hi to us after the program.  Eli looked so cut in his p.j's.  My favorite thing about Janes group was the musical instruments.  They did such a great job singing.

We went out to dinner at the kids favorite restaurant, Chuck-a-rama and then to temple square.  The kids were remarkably good at the restaurant.  and it always fun to see there sweet little faces in aw over all the beautiful lights.

My 10th ward friend had our annual lunch at Paradise bakery.  I always love getting together with the girls.  I hold a special place in my heart for each of them.  We missed Nikki this year.

Christmas Eve the kids always are so excited when they hear the knock at the door and find their p.js left there.

We always take a photo of the kids in front of the tree in their p.j's.  I love looking back on all the years and seeing how the kids grow.  I think this is the first year Walt has been happy in the photo. That smiling face makes me so happy.

All the kids were so sweet and grateful on Christmas day.  I think this was one of my favorite years.  Every one was patient, kind and sweet with each other.  I love watching my kids open gifts but What I love the most is seeing them excited for each other and so loving to the one they received the gift from.  Eli was so excited for this angry bird he got from Jane.  Hyrum got lots of star wars stuff.

Walt was in heaven with his big tractor.  He loaded all the paper in it and made a big pile.

Jane with her doll in their matching p.j's.  I have many more things I could list but I am a bit sleepy and it is almost mid night.  Hyrum is still going strong.  I need to go check on Jane and Eli and see if they have fallen asleep.  I am betting Eli is a goner. We really had a wonderful december, I think we are all sad to say good bye to 2011 it has been a great year!

Dinner with G&G McConkie

We always ook forward to this day in December.  The kids have more fun with it each year.  Mom and Dad McConkie come to our house for dinner and to give each other Christmas gifts.  We always set the table nice and light candles.  Eli wanted all the lights of this year.  After the party he said "I want to have a candle dinner for my birthday dinner."  This year for dinner we had one of my favorite meals, spicy griled chicken over salsa and rice.

Grandma and Grandpa with Hyrum and his new Star Wars gift they gave to him.

Walt sleept the entier time they were at our house.  I felt bad, he was so excited to see them and give Grandma her gift he helped wrap.  He woke up right after they left and opened a super soft new doggie.  He loves stuffed puppies and dogs.

Now this is just pure craziness.  I was holding walt on my lap while he was sleeping and discovered he had about a three inch long hair growing out of the middle of his forehead.  Jane, Matt and I could not stop laughing.  I was surprised he didn't wake up and get mad at us.  We decide to take a photo of it before we pulled it out!!

7 years old today

  I finished decorating, making the cake, rainbow jello and wrapping Elis presents around 1:00 a.m.  and hit the hay around 1:30 but my mind could not turn off.  I think I fell asleep around 2:30.  4:30 a.m.  I hear Eli and Hyrum up and about. They turned on all the lights, started the fire.  Eli was ready to start his day!  Matt took them back to bed but they sat down there and played so Matt brought Eli up stairs to sleep around 5:00.  7:30 a.m. Eli is back up and at em.  He was so sweet opening gifts he let Walt and Hyrum open their gifts to him and he hugged everyone after opening their gift. This year for Eli's birthday Matt, Eli and Hyrum went to the flow ridder in Ogden with the Barber family.  After they were done everyone came to our house for pizza, rainbow jello and cake.  When Eli came home and saw Jane he gave her a big hug.  I think he missed her at the flow ridder.  Seriously, it is such a rewarding moment for me to see my kids love one another.  Eli has such a sweet sensitive spirit.  He is always thinking of others.  He is so hard working, inventive and creative.  He can do anything he WANTS to do.  Key word being wants.  For example he dose not want to do his reading homework, so he thinks he “can’t “ but ask him to put a pumpkin three times his weight in the big garbage can and by golly he will find a way.  I love to listen to Eli pray.  He shares his testimony every time.  We had a lesson in primary one time on the resurrection, now he always asks that we can die.  I know that sounds odd, but he just means that he knows we will live again and that we can live together.  Eli just makes me so happy I could burst. Man I LOVE this boy.

Eli work'n his piñata we strung it up in his room.  

Phineas and Ferb Birthday cake

Eli, Happy birthday!!!!  Thank you for making my life so wonderful and full of joy, I love watching you grow and follow the example of our brother Jesus Christ. I am excited to see what new things you learn this next year. XOXO, Momma

Thankful Hearts

We have a tradition to go to the zoo and see the elephants eat giant pumpkins on thanksgiving day. We also switch years with each of our families.  This year we were with the Garner crew. We started off the day with the zoo.  The weather was great, it was unusually crowded.  Maybe because the weather was nicer.  After the zoo we went to a lodge in Eden to have dinner with the big Baird family.  After dinner thoughts who wanted to shared a talent or a thankful thought.  I was so impressed with my Grandpa Baird.  He is in his seventies but that didn't stop him from making a violin.  That's right, he totally made his own violin.  And has been taking violin lessons.  He played some songs for us, my favorite was some of the music from the last of the mohicans.  I love that movie.  I felt so blessed to be a part of such a wonderful family with so many amazing examples. I happened to get really sick thursday night.  I was so crazy sick!!  I mean, I have not been this sick for well, I don't know.  I was super sad, we had planed a lot of fun things to do. Kali was in town and I had not seen her cute little family for two months.  Viv is gown up so much.  I cried a lot.  As I was laying in bed feeling like I was missing out on everything, I thought what a blessing it was that I got sick this weekend.  Matt was so incredible.  He missed the last Utah game of the season to be with me, he held my hand while they did a spinal tap, he brought me clean dry p.j's and sheets every few hours threw the night when I would soak them with sweat and he took care of the kids.  I didn't change any diapers, make any food, bath any kids.  He did EVERY thing!!   I had help from our AWSOME neighbor who is always there for us too. She watched the kids, made me a delicious cinnamon roll and did my dishes to name a few.  Then there was my Uncle Brad.  He gave me some moral support, tidied up my house, yah, he even made my bed, and watched the kids.  Well it turned out I had strep.  I felt like a bit of a baby, but man, I can't believe how hard this hit me.  At the end of this experience I was also very thankful for the power of the priesthood and that Matt could give me a blessing, and I am also very thankful for antibiotics.  By monday Hyrum and Eli tested positive for strep and Walt had it by Wednesday.  Needles to say, my life is filled with blessings even when I don't recognize them at first.

Here are a few photos from Thanksgiving day at the zoo.

Just a sweet, thoughtful side note.  I had a SuPer FanTastic time with Dallen when he was building the bunk beds.  I am so thankful for that small amount of time we had together.  Dallen is really observant to details, he always tells me I look nice.  He knows my love of old things, he had this old cooler that he decided to give to me.  While I love old things I love things that are given to me with thought even more.   I will cherish this token of thoughtfulness always.