Happy Birthday Grandma!

Happy Birthday!!! We had a blast celebrating Grandma's birthday with her. The kids were so excited about the celebration. They made Mom a cute apron, and definitely helped her blow out the candles. We love you Grandma! Thank you for all you do.

Fool Proof Ice-Skating SLC Dec. 2010

O.K. so my kids didn't suddenly develop physical disabilities, it's their first time ice-skating. With their protective gear, they were all set. Michael and Kailee took to it likes champs, Preston on the other hand was feeling quite sick in the car on the way and had to skip out. We're definitely going to be trying this at home.

Once upon a flood... Dec. 2010

We arrived in St. George just a few days before Christmas. There was warning of severe rain and melting snow, which meant... watch the river.

The river had flooded surprisingly just 5 years before. Following that flood there were several precautions made that would prevent similar damage if another flood occured. So we waited. We watched from my parents property up on the hill, as the water kept rising. The river which on the average day is mild and easy to cross, was now a beast. The animals in the field were wailing, and the river rumbling... Rescue time. The boys went down to the farm to free the cows, birds, and gather the horses.

It was a terrifying, emotional and bonding time for our family. We were grateful to be together and extremely grateful the rain subsided.

Now: Operation clean-up. The farm was left covered in mud, fences down, and trees a mess, but for the most part the property stayed in tact. We'll see what spring brings to this child wonderland. It's a favorite place for my children to go.

Truly wish we could have stayed longer to help out... seriously.

December 2010 in SLC

Michael and Grandma V. (I think their smiles are very similar)

Preston, Grandma Sharp, Kailee, Michael

Grandma and Grandpa Copier with the kids.

Cuz Brooklyn

Cuz Corbin

Corbin and Kailee

Michael and Mason

One of the greatest blessings for us during the holidays is the time we're able to spend with family. Each December seems to fill our void of missing family, which only lasts shamefully until mid January... then the kids start asking to see their cousins again.

Sledding at the V's 12/2010

Thanksgiving 2010

We had a fun Thanskgiving this year. We were lucky to share it with the Williams and Palacios families. Great company, great food... I vote we have Thanksgiving more often!

We had an awesome time together. It is always fun to see what people bring and share new recipes. The big hit of the day was Macaroni and cheese... and those orange malt balls you see in the picture. Don't worry, we did serve other things like turkey, potatoes, pie, stuffing, yummy!

Every Turkey Can Tango: Kailee's Thanksgiving program

Adorable Pilgrim! The kindergarten kids put on a Thanksgiving program each year, it's very impressive. Kailee had a blast, and we loved watching her.

BYU VS UTAH Nov. 2010

BYU left us slightly disappointed after their game against UTAH, but no one can say we didn't try to help them win with our awesome rivalry party! Thanks friends for joining us. It was a blast! Our UTAH friends left just a little happier than everyone else :(

Happy Birthday my Man!

Somewhere between My birthday and Thanksgiving falls Adam's Birthday. The poor guy is usually smothered with chaos. He celebrated his special day by... none other than putting wood f

loors in our Master Bedroom. They look GORGEOUS! I must say I married quite the handyman. Though it was a lot of work, Adam has wanted our room done for a long time, and it made for a great birthday.

That night we had Adam's favorite BBQ Chicken pizza and of course some Rice-Crispy Treats for dessert. The kids and I gave Adam golf lessons at a nearby golf course, which I know he's excited for.

Look Who's 30!

Who would have thought turning 30 could be so much fun??? I woke up at 6:00am to a knock at the door and a beautiful rendition of "Happy Birthday" from many of my friends gathered on my doorstep. They decorated my front yard, brought me gifts... and Breakfast!!! Yummy. I can't believe I am surrounded by so many thoughtful ladies. I had others pop in throughout the day with additional birthday wishes! Adam surprised me with a new camera which I will try to put to good use. I'm sooo excited!

Trunk Or Treat... Halloween!

This year for Halloween, my friends Andrea, Heather and I put together a Trunk-or-Treat for our friends. We had about 110 people in attendance. It was such a BLAST! We started off with a potluck soup and bread, next was the costume parade, followed by CANDY! This was my favorite Halloween with my kids. We had such a fun time together and awesome company. Thanks to everyone who helped out and came to celebrate with us. A special thanks to Anakin SkyWalker, Cinderella/Rapunzel, Kip, and his Lil Man.

My favorite moment on Halloween was when I created a beautiful updue for Kailee to be Rapunzel. After making an extremely long braid and attaching it to her head, she informed me that when the braid was behind her, she looked just like Cinderella. She then said, "Just cut if off." I laughed, and sighed. Of Course, Kailee is full of surprises.

Until Next Year... Happy Halloween!

School Begins...

Preston and Kailee began their school year with Smiles. Both of them had kept the smiles going. Preston entered 2nd Grade and is Loving every moment. He is extremely kind to everyone and is a great helper to the teacher. Preston loves to read, especially his Star Wars books! He has been playing Baseball, Football, and will start basketball in a few weeks. He is a great kid.

Kailee started Kindergarten this year. She was so excited, and very brave... even forgetting to hug Mom before she ran into class. I did follow her in and made sure I got my hug. She is enjoying school and seems to already know everything... so she says! Kailee loves playing with her friends Cara and Maria during recess and is having a blast. She just finished her first season of soccer... her first sport actually. She played with her friend Cara. After watching soccer on the computer, Kailee insisted she didn't need to practice. We loved watching her play and pick sequins off her uniform. What a fun daughter Kailee is!

Michael was thrilled to do a Preschool playgroup. 4 Moms near us rotate hosting a playgroup once a week. Michael is having a lot of fun and is enjoying his 'lil buddies. Michael is talking up a storm and making us laugh constantly. He loves to ride Kailee's pink bike (I'm determined not to buy him a bike before Christmas). He loves to eat pizza and Macaroni, play with his friends, and go to nursery at church. He just loves just being around others.

I am loving the experiences our children are having here. They are truly having a wonderful time, though missing their Grandparents and cousins constantly. We can't wait for Christmas to come when we'll see them all again.