Happy Birthday Jared

Happy birthday to my dear sweet hubby!! When the kids woke up they walked in our room and started wishing him a happy birthday, then they ruined the surprise that friends were going to come over. Then they started back tracking and told him that the people called and suddenly all got sick and couldn't come any more. He secretly bought it for the kid's sake.
  I went to his school and instigated a mass happy birthday song with his students during lunch singing it "Weber" style, which, if you haven't experienced the song being done "Weber" style then you just haven't lived!! It was horribly wonderful!
  Jared got home and we had pizza hut, salad, and bread sticks. Dessert was ice cream drum sticks with the Carmel or fudge in the center, he's not really a cake type of guy. The Wentworths came over and we had a great evening together. Happy birthday my love!!


Sharon, my sister, gave Jared an awesome present. 
A snuggy with the body of super man on it. It looks so real and so funny. 
Nice job Sharon
!

Santa

We had our ward Christmas party and Santa came to visit.


We also got to see Santa at the 
Virginia Theater just before a performance too. 

Never hurts to remind the big guy what you would like to recieve. Santa asked 
Lex if she's been good and she said, " 
I've been naughty and nice but mostly nice. " 
Santa laughed and said i can appreciate your honesty. 

A Christmas Carol

A few months ago I had a feeling that it would be a really good thing to let Alexis try out for the play A Christmas Carol. When she was trying out Eli decided he would like to try out to and then the director said they could use more women in the play. So I ended up trying out to and we all landed rolls. I ended up with Mrs Cratchit, Eli got Tiny Tim, and Lex got Cratchit child number 4.  It's been a long chaotic process but fun for them also. We are now in the performance mode, which is always more fun.

We have a really big cast. Our director, Ronnie Jaynes, double casted all the children, which has been hard because all the kids and all their personalities make the dynamics of acting and blocking and getting the scenes down, really really hard! I have the most kids in my scenes and so I have to be on my A game in case a line is dropped. On the other hand, we have backups every night in case someone gets sick, which happens a lot during this season! It's been good and bad, but mainly good!

Here is a whole cast picture, one of us in our costumes, and a few of Eli and I back stage waiting to go on. And one with my friend leah picanco as a missionary with me just before the show started, and one of lexie getting chummy with the ghost of christmas future. 


We also have a few pictures of us Cratchits setting the table for our 
Christmas dinner. And a few years later poor 
Tiny Tim has died and we are mourning his loss. 
I sing a lulabye for my children, What child is this, which was so scary to do but i conquered my fear and was able to do it. 
And finally,
(eli
)Tiny tim lives after all. 
Scrooge repented of his selfish ways and became like a second father!

Christmas ornaments

Jared and I have decided to make a tradition of making a new ornament every year with the kids. That way, they will have some of their very own when they leave and start their own families.

That was one thing that was hard for Jared and me when we first got married was that we didn't have any thing to decorate with and we were too poor to buy anything. So, we hope to give our kids a decorating boost someday.

This year we are creating them out of play dough. I hope they last, we've had done casualties already.

The recipe:
1 cup baking soda
1/2 cup corn starch
3/4 cup water

Mix and cook on medium heat till it turnes to the consistency of mashed potatoes. Remove from heat and cool in a bowl with a damp rag. Form into shapes, bake at 175°for 30 minutes then flip over and bake another 30 Minutes.

Here is the before pictures...we will paint them hopefully tomorrow!

Christmas Tree Decorating

It's that special time of year again where we get to decorate our home with festive wreaths and lights and surround ourselves with good food! We are so blessed to be able to have this time together as a family!

Merry Christmas everyone!!

First snow outing of the season

I'm so glad that my kids can find joy in that horrible stuff! Just kidding...ish!

I love that Jared will go out and play in the snow with the kids and I can be in the warm house making a nice hot meal for them; no, I really did do that. I also had hot chocolate ready for them as well!

Thanksgiving

I love the Thanksgiving holiday, I feel like I've been so blessed! I have arch an amazing family, my husband is so kind and loving and works so hard for us. My children make me smile and warm my heart and help me grow, and my friends are just as much my family as my own sisters!

I have the true gospel of Jesus Christ in my life. I know I am a literal child of God and as such, have a divine potential far beyond what I can truly comprehend. I'm so grateful to know that I can be with my family forever and not just for this time on earth. My Savior died for me and everyone so that we may be able to have joy and peace and hope!

Here are so pictures from out Thanksgiving.

Kenzie basting the ham, cheese ball (not me but the actual cheese ball), family football, Uncle Byron and Aunt Jemayla coming early to help set up, and Jared with his brothers after too many bites of what i can only suppose to be spiked pumpkin pie!