Our Forever Family

Guess who knocked on our door the other night! Santa Clause and Mrs. Claus!!  He brought Candy Canes for the kids and made sure they were being good! The kids all showed him where the chimney was so he knew how to get in our house!  He then asked Cameron if he was going to try and catch him this year!  Santa could be doing a very late night delivery.  Just to make sure everyone is asleep!  Jenna wasn’t to fond of the surprise visitors. I think we moved in to the perfect neighborhood because I hear Santa comes to visit every year!

Melanie had her first piano recital on Monday.  She did AWESOME!  She played her songs the best at the Recital.  She must do well under pressure.  She played a duet with her teacher and another girl she takes lessons with.  Then she played Jolly Old St. Nicholas.

We finished furnishing the rest of our house this month.  David’s parents wanted to see pictures since they are away on their mission. The guest bedroom.  Not sure what to do with the lamps yet.  After decorating for Christmas and rearranging they came out of the living and ended up in this room.   Melanie’s room.  She picked out her bed and absolutely LOVES it!  We will be decorating with pink and black some time after Christmas.  She has been the patient one through this.  Her room is taking the longest out of the kids.  I don’t feel to bad though since our room has not changed since we got married.  That will be the next room on the list hopefully!  For now, the dress stand by the door will have to do as far as décor goes.  Oh and a dresser is still on the list for this room! The most completed room.  This has been an ongoing project that started when we moved in though.  Jenna upgraded from her portable crib to a big girl bed.  Alyssa was so excited to sleep in a room with jus

The other night I was putting the boys to bed. By the time bedtime comes around it is usually get in bed, lets pray, good night. That is the quick way, which happens most of the time. Also David usually puts the boys to bed and I help the girls. A couple nights ago I was in a mood to talk with the kids. I love it when I get into those moods because sometimes I have the best and funnest conversations and more one on one with the kids. After talking about the normal stuff of school and wrestling I shifted gears and asked my boys what they were doing to prepare for their missions. Cameron mentioned that he had finished the Book of Mormon and wanted to read the Bible and so we talked about that a little. I asked Jason what he was doing. He said "well, I know how to tie my shoes. I need to take off my training wheels so I know how to ride a bike." I have this picture of 2 missionaries above their dresser in their room. One missionary is bent over tying his shoe with a bi

November was a fun month!  After looking at how very little pictures I have though I realize I need to have my camera OUT so I use it more! One night the boys were telling me how they didn’t have any pajama pants in their drawer so I told them to go put on some of Dad’s since their clothes were in the washer.  They sure have some big pants to fill! The girls in their new Christmas dresses.  I let them wear them early since it seems winter is almost over after Christmas.  Might as well wear them all winter long!  And this was a special day because it was the Primary Program.  They did awesome with all of their parts memorized.  I got to sit up in the stands with my primary class (I teach Cameron’s class). Thanksgiving was just our little family this year.  I don’t think it will be our last Thanksgiving alone and so I have decided to embrace this and enjoy everything about just having us.  For instance.  How often do you get to have nice china on Thanksgiving with a huge crowd?  Pap

The boys had their first competition the weekend before Thanksgiving.  It was a good learning experience for both of them and they enjoyed it to.  Luckily Dad brought the ipad to entertain between matches.  They are both wearing blue.   Jason won his first match and lost his last 2.  Everyone got a medal at that age and so by the time the 3rd match rolled around all he could think about was that.  He did great and loved it.  I was proud of him.  It was hard watching kids crying and not wanting to wrestle with the parents pushing them out on the mat.  I was glad Jason did not cry because I know I would have cried for him! Cameron lost both of his and was out.  He was a lot more aggressive on the 2nd match than the 1st.  He definitely learned a lot about what wrestling is here and hopefully that will carry over in his practices.  After the 2nd match I asked him why he was more aggressive and he said that he pretended that he was wrestling Melanie and was really mad at her.  Whatever wo

The boys have started wrestling.  They are really enjoying it although they did not want to do it before their first practice.  Jason was especially nervous.  But now that they are in practices it is a lot of fun for them.  It is only a couple of miles up the road where they practice and so it is very convenient.  I don’t have to take all the kids with me just to drop them off.  Cameron has practice every day and Jason has practice 1 day a week. This was Jason’s first match.  He didn’t care that he got pinned more than 3 times, he was just loving being a part of it all!

The kids had a great Halloween!!  We have the BEST trick-or-treating neighborhood and the kids got a lot of goodies.  I pushed Jenna in the stroller and she got out at each house to get her candy.  She new exactly what to do and wasn’t shy at all!  The weather was perfect!  I wore flip flops and a short sleeve shirt.  Halloween is always a guessing game of how the weather will turn out.  So it was fun to be able to see the costumes without the coats! Cameron- Napolean Dynamite, Melanie- Rose Vampire, Jason-Boxer, Alyssa- Strawberry Shortcake, Jenna- Ladybug

Front: Family Room: Kitchen: Master Bath: Guest Room, but for the moment my sewing room: Office, which is why I don’t blog or do much of anything that requires a computer.  Still haven’t decided on office furniture that we like in our price range.  I think we are going to have to settle. Boys’ Room: So much more to do!  I can’t believe how much it costs just to decorate a room!  It is fun, but will take time.  We still love our home!

We are having such a blast in our new ward and neighborhood!  Saturday night we went to a Murder Mystery party.  We each went in our character’s.  I was Lizzie and it was my engagement party (hence the rock on my finger!) and David was Hannibal Schecter.  He was a cannibal.  Oh it was so much fun and just hilarious!