Ringing in 2010

This will officially end my blogging of 2009! We spent the day with Chris's family as we attended Charlie's (his mom's husband) funeral. Later in the evening, everyone came over to our house to celebrate the arrival of 2010! We all are having a great time! Here's what's happening:
Jace taking his turn on the wii with Uncle Brent looking on. We spent several hours playing card games and other games. This one happens to be an old favorite of the Jackson family, PIT! This game is super fun and brings back lots of old memories of when Chris's parents lived in Menan. We would all gather there and spend hours and hours playing this game.
Here, Chris and Aunt Khris are figuring out what "commodity" to sell and which to keep while Kenna is ready to trade!

And of course, what would a family party be without FOOD? Here's Ali filling up

Kenna deciding what to eat.

Around 11 PM, the kids decided to go out and play in the snow!

Jace making a snow angel.

Kenna, Rose, Chelsie and Emily jumping on the trampoline (these girls are having a blast hanging out together. Rose lives in Boise and Chelsie in Phoenix)

Here's the girls posing for me. Molly, Rose, Ali, Kenna, Chelsie, Emily and Bella (the dog). Too fun to have cousins here!

Chris playing golf as two of his brothers wait their turn. Brad (sitting) and Brian.

We are enjoying having everyone here! This is seriously the first time in about 5-6 years that I will have stayed up to ring in the new year! I have about 25 minutes to go. I hope 2010 brings health and happiness to all of us! Happy New Year!

Big Dreams!

This past Monday, Chris and I took a load of garbage to the dump. Jace came along for the ride, and as we were there, he was mesmerized by the guy driving the tractor in the "pit." As we left the dump, he informed us that when he gets bigger, he is going to be the tractor driver at the dump! Hmmm..... I just don't know what to think, but I'll pray that he'll forget that big ambition!
(thanks Alexa for going to get the picture for me)

Happy Birthday..... to me

Yesterday, I was able to celebrate another birthday. I've always enjoyed my birthday, even with it being so close to Christmas. Since it was Sunday, there wasn't a whole lot we could go do, but Chris and the kids made my day perfect!
I woke up and Chris had made me breakfast and even remembered to serve it to me on our "you are special today" plate. Then, they showered me with my birthday gifts. Jace informed me that he picked out the balloon in the flowers, he also picked out some swedish fish, which he informed me that I had to share with him.

I have been wanting the Greg Olsen "Gentle Healer" picture for a couple of years now, and surprise.... Chris got it for me. Funny little story, a couple of weeks before Christmas, I was looking at this picture in Deseret Book. I texted Chris and told him I purchased it, and he texted back wanting to know if I was wrapping it and putting it under the tree. I told him no, I just wanted a new picture of Christ in the family room. Come to find out, after he had given it to me yesterday, he made the comment that he had already bought it and it was hiding under Makenna's bed, when I had texted him about it.

It's gorgeous!

After church, Chris went out to the freezer and got my cake. It's my favorite ice cream cake from cold stone. The "cheesecake named desire." He left it in the back of his truck thinking it would remain frozen but when he went to check on it Sunday morning, this is what it looked like, so he put it in the freezer at that point. It tasted fantastic anyway!

What a great birthday, and to be able to spend it with my awesome family was fabulous! I appreciate the effort they all went to, to make it a special day for me. I received lots of phone calls, e-mails and facebook birthday wishes from friends too. It was a happy birthday, to me!

Christmas 2009

Chris and I woke up earlier than any of the kids, I have no idea why, except that a certain 3 year old little boy and a 5 month old miniature schnauzer had made their way into our bed in the middle of the night. After that, there's not a whole lot of sleeping, just moving around trying to get comfortable enough to go back to sleep. We walked into the family room to find that santa had indeed, found us. Not only had he found us, but he was very generous. We must have been really good this past year.
This is what we found. A "choo-choo train" for Jace.

Zhu Zhu pets and accessories for Baylie and Ali.

And, digital camera's for Makenna, Emily and Lindsay.

While opening presents, Baylie got a doll. That's the one thing she consistently asked for.

Jace holding up the extra tracks. (I actually went and woke him up not too much longer after Chris and I got up) It was no fun without the kids!

Jace, making sure Chris put his train together immediately. Ali and Emily going through their stockings.

Still going through stockings is Makenna, Baylie and Emily. Santa wrapped everything in the stockings this year, just to make sure it took a little longer to go through.

One of the kids' favorite parts of Christmas is the sibling exchange. They draw another name out of a bowl and that's who they get to buy a gift for. Makenna proudly holding up the Dr. Pepper Ali gave her. (she also got earrings and gum for her locker) Dr. Pepper is her favorite!

Sometime before we left to go shopping, Lindsay informed Jace that she wanted a new car for Christmas. When we got to the store, he was insistent about getting her a "new car!" So funny to watch her open!

(A nice new mustang! Nice job Jace)
Lindsay and Makenna with their new i-touches.

As I was busily preparing dinner, Bella was waiting under where the kids would sit hoping to "catch" some of their food!

We were able to have Chris's mom over for dinner as well as an old neighbor who we used to live next door to. We had a great dinner with lots of yummy food and it was a great day that we'll all be able to look back on with fantastic memories.

We had a turkey and a ham. Chris wanted ham but everyone else wanted turkey so, I did both.
Here's my yummy turkey.

We had a great Christmas and are so blessed to have been able to spend this day honoring our Savior's birth, together as a family. We know how lucky we are to have the truth of the gospel in our home and are so grateful for the sacrifice our Savior has made for each of us.

Christmas Eve fun

Today was a fantastic day leading up to Christmas. Even though it was freezing cold, the kids enjoyed the little bit of snow on the ground being pulled on the sleds behind their 4 wheeler. They spent several hours with few breaks in between to come in the house and warm up.
Lindsay was the driver, most of the time. Jace and Baylie were the first to go.

All bundled up and ready to go!

Kenna, Jace and Ali waiting for another turn.

Switching the sled for an inner-tube. (they said it was more fun this way)

Ali being a goofball! Notice Emily trying to keep Baylie warm? The power was out for 2 hours during their afternoon of playing in the snow. We had to keep telling them to be in or out to keep the door closed and the heat in.

When I was a young girl, we had a tradition of having hoagie sandwiches and egg nog for Christmas eve dinner. I've carried on that same tradition and added a few other yummy foods as well. Little smokies, pineapple cheese ball, guacamole..... it all adds up to full bellies! Would it even be Christmas eve without good food?

Kenna, Jace, Baylie and Emily enjoying the food!

Lindsay, getting her sandwich just the way she likes it!

After dinner, we head to the family room where Chris reads from Luke 2, the story of Christ's birth.

Finally, we have the tradition of opening new Christmas eve jammies!

Checking them out.

Posing in their new jammies. I think I took about 10 different pictures and Jace wasn't looking at me in any of them : ) Gotta love him!

Goofy face time!

Now, there off to bed where they are all having a sleep over in Lindsay's room. I think that's to ensure that we won't have to wait for any late sleepers in the morning!

Another Christmas program

Emily and Ali's Elementary school put on a little program for parents on Tuesday. I was able to make it, even though I didn't know about it until that morning, and it started at 9:30. I hurried to get Jace and Baylie ready to go and we made it just in time. Each of the grades performed a couple of songs and it was fun to watch. The principal had mentioned at the beginning of the program that the kids had been going from room to room hearing Christmas stories and then after the program they would be having their parties. I wonder why they even have them going to school on days like that.
I found Emily in the crowd before the program started. Emily was put in the back row of the bleachers and clear in the corner, so my pictures of her aren't that great but I did get a few. Why in the world would the teachers put a short little girl in the back? (notice the boy in front of her is her same height, and his head kept getting in my pictures, thanks Brennen)

The fifth grade sang one Christmas song and then did a song about the "fifty nifty United States", since they are studying US History. 50 of the students were to hold up a poster with a state as it was sang about in the song. Emily was "Massachusetts." That's as high as she could hold the poster or it would've covered her face.

Singing her heart out!

The first grade went first, even before the kindergarten. Ali was right in front and on the side I was sitting on. Here she is waving as she noticed where I was.

Belting it out!

They sang a really cute song about santa coming and I caught her just as they turned to face me! Notice how excited she is to be singing : )

This cute video is the song about santa. I thought the motions were funny and wanted to capture part of it for future blackmail!

Pre-school Christmas program

Baylie's pre-school had a little Christmas program for the parents yesterday. I was soo glad I could make it, after all, what's cuter than pre-schoolers singing? It was a cute program and Baylie was so proud to have her parents and little brother there. They also did a quick little gift exchange and the kids were super funny when opening the gift they received.
Here's Baylie right before the program was to start. Doing the hand motions that went with the song! So cute!

During one of the songs, they pretended to be playing the flute.

This video is seriously the cutest thing ever! I love it and laugh and smile every time I get to see it. Thanks Baylie for being so cute during your program, we love you!