Christmas 2010

We had a great Christmas--made all the more wonderful by the fact that Caleb was home with us for 10 whole days!  We loved every minute of it.  The only downer was that right after Christmas everyone (except me) got sick with coughs, colds and weird fevers that lasted for days.

Caleb getting some bonding time with Priesie Princess

(sorry, I forgot to rotate it)

My Grandpa and Capri

Family shot

We spent Christmas Eve at my parent's house.  After dinner we had a little program with my dad reading Luke 2 and Caysja "acting" it out by moving my mom's nativity set all around.  (Originally we were going to act out the nativity story with our kids, but Crew was starting to get sick and was rather grumpy.)  Then Caleb read "the Night Before Christmas" as is our tradition.

Christmas morning was so much fun!
 Caysja really got into the whole Santa thing this year and she was sooooo excited to see what she got...

"Our Generation" doll for Kiki

Priesie's 1st Christmas

"cycle cycle" for Crewser man

Caysja made us this special ornament in preschool and kept it a secret the whole month! So sweet!

Caleb's gift from "Santa" (--big boys like guns too!)

Between his birthday and Christmas presents, Crew got 6 motorcycles!  I think he's all set now.

It's a sad day in your life when the Christmas gifts you want are things to help you do your chores!! (Thanks, Chalise, I love it!)

After our Christmas, we went over to my parent's house and my kids had Christmas #2!

Thanks, Mom and Dad--you spoiled us!

Later the next week my sister Chalise and her husband Steve came to visit and we had Christmas #3!  This is the GORGEOUS blanket she made for Capri.  Is she incredible or what?!?!  Love you, Liesie!!!

She made Caysja a smaller one for her dolls.  (She sleeps with it every night.)

Crew got some "tractoos" as he calls them.

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas too!

*S*N*O*W*

We were sooooo excited to have Caleb come home for Christmas!  We'd be driving in the car and listening to the radio and Caysja would say, "Mom, that's OUR song--all we want for Christmas is Daddy to come home!!"  It was too cute so we had to make him a sign.

He got home the day before Christmas Eve and it snowed.  It was perfect for making snowmen--and we didn't stop with one...

...pretty soon we'd made our whole family!

On Christmas Eve day, we went sledding with Caleb's brother Jacob and his family up in the mountains near Kelly Canyon.  It was so much fun!

Caysja and Mariah 

Enjoying hot chocolate in the back of Jacob's truck

Love this handsome guy!

Group shot (Crew and Capri are home with my parents)

Snow is generally not my favorite thing.  I don't like to be cold (especially after living in AZ for the last three years!) I don't like to drive in it, shovel it, or feel it getting my hair all wet.  BUT, I do have to admit that there is just something so magical and beautiful about a "White Christmas" which I haven't experienced in the past three years.  It really puts one in the "holiday spirit".

December Events

December was a busy month for us and that helped it go by fast.  Some of the fun things we did included:  my dad's "Tuba Christmas" concert at the Colonial Theater, our ward Christmas party, and the gingerbread/nativity display at the Museum of Idaho (free admission therefore we went FOUR times to get into the children's section!)

Picture with " Boppa" after the concert

All ready for the ward Christmas party (it was formal dress)

At the Museum of Idaho

My kids LOVE the kid's room at the museum.  It consists of a teepee, and log cabin with dress up clothes, etc.

Crew's Birthday Party

Crew's birthday was on a Sunday this year so on his actual birthday we didn't do much. I made him pancakes for breakfast and we put a candle in it and sang to him.  Then on Mon. for FHE we had a party for him with my parents and all our cousins and aunts and uncles that live around here.

(When I put the candles in the pancakes they didn't stand up too well, so then I stuck them in a banana and that worked much better--lol!)

Crew is really into trucks and motorcycles lately so I thought I would have the party based around that theme.  You can't laugh at my very FIRST attempt at making a somewhat "creative" cake!  (Usually I just make cupcakes and now I know why--it's MUCH easier to do that...)

Diggin' in--Yum!

Mmmm...love that doughnut "tire"

Check out his grumpy face.  He did not want ANY help opening his presents!

This is the little motorcycle I gave him. (It looks just like Caleb's and even makes noise.)  After he opened it he pretty much didn't care about  opening anything else.

Crew with his two favorite cousins--Davis and Isaac
(they are all within 6 months of each other)

I was bummed that Caleb had to miss it all, but oh well.  Maybe next year...
 We love you, Crewser man!!