Snow Fun

The kids thought is was fun to throw snow at dad while he was shoveling the driveway.  I think this picture says it all.

Jake pulled his clubs and bucket of balls out of the garage and started playing a little golf in the snow.  I guess he's a little thirsty too!  Someone needs to explain to him what the winter sports are.

For Emily it's all about the snow angels.

 

 It's never too cold for the tramp.

12 days of Christmas

Our favorite Christmas activity this year was the 12 days of Christmas. We wanted to try and do something that focused on giving rather than receiving.  This was our first time doing it and it ended up being the highlight of the season.  We picked an elderly couple in our ward who always shake Emily and Jake's hand at church each Sun.  We just love them. Plus we figured if the kids couldn't run away very fast that they would play it cool.  We had fun coming up with and making different things for each day.  The kids just loved leaving the present and running away in the snow. It was 12 days of pure fun.  It turned out that they had never had anyone choose them before and this year they had someone else choose them too!  They said it was the best Christmas and they looked forward to each evening and the surprises left at their door.  

Devo is helping the kids make chior angels from marshmellows,  since it was his idea.  It turned out awsome and just might be a keeper.
                               The kids enjoyed making and painting bread dough ornaments.

Keeping up with the Smiths

My sister and her family came and stayed with us for Christmas.  We always love that.  After all the snow and the stomach flu, I'm sure they wished they stayed in CA.  Terri got sick Christmas day and then Troy and Emily and Jake were sick the next night.  Luckily the rest of us somehow escaped the terror.  Devo  calls it the worst Christmas ever.  I hope someday they'll come back.

Terri spent months putting together Britney's life of 18 years into two shutterfly books.  They turned out great. She has me excited to get started  too.
All I got for Christmas was a new car.  Just their new lease car but still. We sure like teasing them about how lucky we think they are.
All I want for Christmas is a car.  But I can't drive it until March.  It helps when dad works for the car company.  We all take advantage of that one too.  Thanks Troy!

Christmas fun

                                                                Christmas Eve (pajamas)

                                                   For Emily it's all about the Princesses

Santa brought Nail polish!!!  Her favorite activity to do with anyone who is willing.  She loves painting Grandma Skinny's. 

       These little dinosaurs were the hit of Christmas.  Thanks Grandma and Grandpa Skinny.

      All I want for Christmas is a big daddy dinosaur.  We had to charge the batteries 3 times.

Hospital stay

Emily gave us quite a scare the second week in Dec.  She had been sick for a few days and was breathing kind of hard.  Devo came home from work and we took her to the clinic.  We thought she just needed some meds to get better.  Well, her oxygen level was at 80. Which apparently is quite bad.  The Doc says we're sending you to x-ray, and to get labs, and she'll need an Iv,  and Stay at the hospital. I was freaking out because this all sounded bad, especially because I thought she was getting better, and Devo wasn't around because he had gotten called to do a c section.  Any ways she ended up staying for two days treated for phnuemonia. It was a rough couple of days but she is good as new now.

She loved getting a ride out to the car in the wheel chair

More Thanksgiving fun

A trip to the bowling alley.  The kids are always excited to go but get a little frustrated because it is not as easy to get a strike as it is while playing the Wii.  Jake was just happy playing with his green ball.

Emily was too big to use the ramp.  I kept waiting for her to drop the ball on her toes. Then we waited and waited and waited as her ball slowly went down the lane.  She had a good time.
We had a lot of time to wait while we all took our turns. Devo ended up the weener! 
Emily loves Lauren.  I don't think we were at their house 10 minutes before Emily was asking her to paint her fingernails and toenails.  Best Buds!

Thanskgiving fun

I'm a little behind.  We went to CA for Thanksgiving.  The boys went golfing in between the rain and Terri and I went to see Twilight.  Of Course no trip to Aunt Terri's is complete with out a trip to the lake to feed the ducks.