December 2013

Yay for Christmas time! It's the best time of year except for summer. Everyone is more Christlike during that month. I'm always sad when that feeling goes away. Coleman likes to play with our decorations.

We went to the annual Hyde Park City tree lighting ceremony. The pine tree is still pretty small but hopefully we will get to see it grow through the years. They have Santa come on a fire truck as we sing caroles. Then they serve cookies and cider.

I was supposed to work an extra day this Saturday. They called me late morning and said they didn't need me. I was thrilled because I wanted to go to the Festival of Trees. We made it and here was Nelson's favorite display.

This was Elena's of course. Nelson parents and my mom met up with us there.

We then went to City Creek. This was our first time going since it opened. I could have spent a lot more time there. Evy loved the Disney Store.

I miss the city. How can you not love the city?

Temple Square. It started snowing and we had to leave before we wanted to. Evy loved all the nativities.

Meet Gidget. I found her at the DI for our McFarland family white elephant game. She stayed here a week and got lots of attention. She scared the crap out of everyone.

McFarland family party. We were so lucky to have the famous "Stacyanya" at our party this year. We have breakfast for dinner and play games. The kids also did a craft.

The candy bar game.

What a good Uncle Matt

The following week we had the Ashworth family party. We had a pinata.

Paige giving it a go.

Musical chairs without the chairs so they don't bust them. Connie vs. Darren. I think Connie won.

We picked up Uncle Leonard in Odgen and was glad he could come.

I visited my Grandma McFarland and Ray before Christmas. This nativity was on her coffee table that my Grandpa Jack made years ago. I miss him.

I worked Christmas Eve but Nelson took the kids to breakfast with his family.

Christmas morning. Coleman got a train set and he's now obsessed with "choo choos".

Nelson got Coleman a coon skin hat. What could be worse? I had no part of this purchase by the way.

Our tall, scraggly tree. Evy's already telling me what she wants for Christmas next year.

November 2013

Evy always sees Chuck E Cheese commercials on tv so we took her there when we were in Sandy for the day. Remember how awesome it was when you were a kid? Nelson swears their pizza was just a frozen pizza they claimed as their own. Well, I just added this photo because Coleman's face is priceless.

It was my birthday. I'm to the age where I don't want to admit which one. These flowers were from Nelson.

I do demand a birthday celebration but I organize it myself. Here is Coleman angry that those cupcakes are just sitting there and he hasn't had one yet.

My fam. We don't mess around when it comes to food.

Winston and Large Marge. Winston and I now have joint birthday celebrations.

My Grandma Mac is always such a dear to come. She brought me a mini cake that looked like a turkey.

Coleman. He cares more about ice cream than anything else.

Evy enjoyed our Mickey Mouse Pilgrim my Mom lent us.

We chopped down our own tree. I didn't love the tree we got but hiking in the snow with 2 kids limits where you go. We went to Idaho this year to get one.

Big, tough man hard at work.

Here's me holding it up, giving you the impression I chopped it myself.

October 2013

Nelson's coworker has an annual Halloween party. My kids were a little nervous. Nelson was thrilled about the hot dogs and nachos.

Every girl at the party looked attractive but me. Success! Halloween is meant to be ugly and / or scary. Believe it or not, my grandma gave me this old nightgown of hers. Ain't it a beauty?

Evy rocked the party by lip synching. She's not a shy child.

Pumpkin carving at its finest. Coleman is freaked around fire though. You can't lite anything around him.

We took the kids to see the witches at Gardner Village. Winston, Evy, Kate, Wyatt, Coleman and Jonas. Just give them all a sucker and they'll sit for a pic.

Evy and Kate

Mags, Holly and Kimmers

We danced on the stage to monster songs and my kids loved it.

We went to the Pumpkin patch near my parents' house in South Jordan. My kids did not want a pumpkin. They just wanted to play. Luckily Grandma Elena keeps pumpkins stocked in her garden.

I put my nephew Ben's old costume on Coleman. It was too small but I thought he was cute in it.

Evy's preschool class parading their costumes and singing Halloween songs to us.

The dentist on Halloween? Not the best choice.

A cute little dinosaur ( I like to say he was the dragon guarding Sleeping Beauty's castle)

Sleeping Beauty

Evy and our neighbor Kamryn.

My kids screamed for candy forever so we finally got rid of it. Sigh.

Evy and Nelson's birthdays, September 2013

Sweet Lil' Kim came up to gift me with her cake-baking skills. Evy wanted a Princess cake for the past two years and I told her mommy doesn't know how. So when I told Evy we were making her one, she didn't believe I could do it.

It was a super hot day so it kept melting. Evy wanted her to look like Sleeping Beauty since that is how Evy is dressing for her party.

We asked our kids to take pictures of us and they all turned out pretty bad. We were laughing. I think Wyatt told us to "say cheese".

Evy soaked up all the attention and acted like her party was to be the event of the century.

Barbie's got back.

The day of the party. Kate came up from SJ with my mom.

We played hot potato only it was "poisoned apple".

We decorated crowns and magic wands.

Cake time. The big 4. Do you love where I put the candle? I had no idea where to put that thing.

Cheers. They toasted each other and I LOL'd.

Present time.

And this was post-party. We hurried over to the River Heights parade for Apple Days.

Coleman will thrust himself into the street for any piece of candy thrown at him.

See that empty spot? Coleman was sitting there but when I put him on Evy refused to ride with him and claimed he'd freak out and ruin the ride, so the ride operator made me take hime off. I was mad at both of them and the lady behind me agreed.

Evy on her birthday. It was a Sunday this year. Here she is wearing her Rapunzel braid that she broke in half a week later. Sigh.

For Nelson's birthday we hit the Aggies vs. Weber game the weekend before. His parents came along too.

We had cake and invited his buddy Bryan Henrie over with his family since he had a birthday a few days before.

We went to Elements restaurant and to buy him new church clothes on his actual birthday. What party animals. I can't believe we are getting so old. It's unreal.