Merry Christmas!

To all of our friends and loved ones-
We wish you the very best this Holiday Season.

Love,
Scott, Jill and the kids

Landon's Happy Birthday

Our little boy is three! His actual birthday was a bit of a flop-so we made up for it the next day by having a party after the girls dance recital. He asked for a motorcycle cake-so that's what I made. Really my least creative and intricate cake ever-but it got the job done. We were thankful to have family there to celebrate with us and make his day so special. He loves being with his cousins, even if he is the only boy!!! (There are 3 candles on the cake and they add up to three...in case you were wondering why it looks so random. It's called 'improvising.')

He was so gracious with his gifts and was really excited about each present-even the clothes! He tried everything on so that at one point he had on two shirts, a hoodie and snowboots. He was funny. We love our little guy!


As a side note, the girls did really well at their recital. Here are a few pictures of them in costume. Parker is lucky to have some wonderful friends that she dances with.

Happy Birthday to our Boy!

Just a quick post this morning (while I still have my wits about me...and five seconds to myself) to wish our little Landon a happy 3rd birthday!!!

He gets to share the day with his sisters dancing, but we'll try to squeeze some fun in there too.

My favorite things about you at this age are:
1- Your independence. I know it seems like a bad thing some of the time, but I love that you want to do things all on your own.
2- You are so loving! I couldn't go through the day without your hugs and kisses. You are very loving to your sisters as well and I love when you see them first thing in the morning.
3- Telling secrets in my ear just so you can whisper. I love the way you grab my face and turn my head so you're talking directly into my ear.
4- Your little singing voice. You starting singing before you could talk and still do! I think my favorite song to hear you sing is, "I hope they call me on a 'whit-chun'. (Mission) I know when that day comes, I will be a wreck.
5- The way you volunteer to pray.
6- Your little lisp when you say your "s" sound.

Okay, this list could go on. Just know that we love you so so much.

We'll post the traditional pictures later. I just can't believe our boy is three!! Happy birthday, buggie!

10 4 T- My To-Do List

All I keep thinking, every second of the day is: "I have so much to do this week."
Here it is-in no particular order.....
1- Pick up Christmas cards/envelopes. Get all 100 of them addressed. Type and print witty yet heartfelt letter to go with card. Buy ridiculously expensive stamps, put in mail.
2- Take Parker to dance and work at the studio. Get program ready for Friday's Winter recital. Run off 250 copies. Proof-read before printing and get all 250 copies folded.
3- Take Parker to piano lessons. Oh, practice like crazy with her the next 2 days because we have totally slacked off the last week! (Sorry, Meggan if you read that!)
4- Get preschool ready for parent sing-a-long on Wednesday and Thursday. Make sure they know songs and actions, buy good treats for them and parents, find gifts for all 20 children.
5- Go visiting teaching. Think of something fun to take ladies.
6- Think about starting neighbor gifts...then again, maybe we'll skip those this year.
7- Go on field trip with Parker on Thursday. Make sure preschool ends right on time and parents leave right after so I won't be late. (Fat chance)
8- Dress rehearsal for both girls Thursday night. OH, and it's my little boy's birthday that day too! Find time to make a "motorcycle cake" because that's what he really wants and keeps asking for.
9- Two class parties on Friday as well as a winter recital Friday night. (Two days in a row of full hair and make-up) Pictures to follow.
10- Leave for Utah Saturday morning for 4 days.

Oh, I didn't even mention finishing up the shopping, getting my house ready for our English friends who are coming to stay (HOORAY!)..... folding the mountain of laundry on my bed..I could go on, but won't.

Wish me luck. (And yes, I am typing this at nearly 1:00 am. Should I make sleep a priority?)

10 4 T- Christmas Decor

I was thinking last night, how much I love Christmas decorations. It's been so much fun to decorate our new house. I don't have a ton of things-but the things I do have, I love. So, I thought for my 10 4 Tues this week, I would display a few of my favorite Christmas "things."

1. My Nativity's. We collect them, and ironically enough most of them have come as gifts from my parents. Our Willow Tree and one my mom made years ago and gave to me are my two favorites. (It's really hard to choose) We also have one from Honduras (where my brother Mitch served his mission) and New Mexico (where my brother Matt served.) Still wondering why I don't have one from England-(where we both served.) Anyway-love my Nativity's and the hanging I always put over it, "Oh come let us adore Him." A wedding gift that I treasure.

2. My Mary Englebreit throw. I love it because it keeps the spirit of belief alive and well.

3. Our advent calendar. Yet another gift from my mom and dad. Our kids love it and can't wait until it's their turn to hang the item on the little door each day.

4. Our tree! I love having a real tree. It always smells so good. And we got a good one this year! It's super tall and pretty full. I think we'll have an artificial one for upstairs next year and put the real one downstairs....(I'll never not have a real tree...)

5. Our stockings/mantle I've always wanted a mantle to put our stocking on, and now I have one. Our stockings are from Pottery Barn (people always ask if I made them...I wish!) But each of the kids have their own with their name on it. (As a side note, Landon fit in his his first Christmas!)

6. The lighted garland on our railing. Again, always wanted a railing to decorate. I think because my mom always had hers so cute. I loved it. In fact, I may leave it up all of the time.

7. White lights. I think they look so clean and classic. I like the colored lights too, but if given the choice will always choose white.

8. The smell of Spruceberry Scentsy candle. It's my new favorite holiday smell. Though today it is Cranberry Spice and it is yummy too....

9. I love bells. I think they are the sound of Christmas. And ever since watching "The Polar Express" they have a new meaning. I found Pacie the other day looking at a bell and saying, "I believe, I believe". I'm sure glad she does.

10.Christmas music, of course! I love having it on, all of the time. And I'm always obsessed with "The Forgotten Carols."

Just a few random pis of decorating the tree. The kids had a blast doing it-and even though there are no decorations on the bottom fourth or so (thanks to Presley) we are loving having it. I just love Christmas time and the spirit it brings with it. Only a couple weeks left! :)

All she wants for Christmas is....

HER TWO FRONT TEETH!

Parker would get all embarassed every time someone would sing that song to her or ask her if she wanted her two front teeth for Christmas.

I finally got Parker to want to sing that song by teaching her that you get to say the ending part with a lisp.

"Then I can wish you Merry Chrith-mith"

Now she thinks it's hilarious and won't stop singing it, which is fine by me.

Just because

I love this picture.....

My little chocolate mongers...

I just finished making brownies for our ward party tonight, and this is the scene in my kitchen.

Too cute not to share. Is it bad that my children already have such a sweet tooth?

10 4 Tues-Thanksgiving Recap

Okay, so it's Wednesday not Tuesday. But I'm lucky to even be getting a post done. Did I say lucky? I should say unprioritized (if that's a word) because my Christmas decor has exploded all over my house...and not in an organized fashion. BUT, I wanted to post about our Thanksgiving. To most it would seem very traditional. To us, it was the first organized sit down Thanksgiving dinner we've had since we've been married. Let me explain....

1. Scott grew up racing dirtbikes. And most races are Saturday/Sunday races which poses a real problem for someone who goes to church on a regular basis, which thankfully, he does! So, the one weekend a year that he could race the two day schedule was Thanksgiving because it is traditionally held on Friday/Saturday. Their family always took advantage of this and raced the two days either in St. George or more recently, Mesquite. Which means that we've spend the majority of our Thanksgiving dinners together in Las Vegas dining at the Rio. You may think that's odd, but I tell you-I would do it every year if I could. Amazing food, no clean up, ANY food under the sun...it was nice.

2. However, last year the promoters decided to change things and it is no longer a Friday/Saturday race. It once again bleeds into Sunday. Scott being the stalwart he is decided that he didn't want to do it any longer and invited his whole family to Idaho for Thanksgiving.

3. We had so much fun all just being together.

games, food, the Wii, hat knitting, puppet making, hunting for the guys, shopping and Twilight for the girls...

Even Grandma got in on the action! She's a pretty darn good bowler, I have to say!

4. Dinner turned out great-(my first turkey and stuffing) and overall it was great.

5. Scott's family isn't real big on traditional traditions. Theirs have always included the track and the bikes.

6. It was the first time Scott remembers sitting around the table with his family playing games....so I'm glad we all did it.

7-10. Here are some pics from the weekend.... 3 of our kids. Seriously! How cute are they? And number 4 completes the family. We are so thankful for our little bunch!

Scott's sister Michele helped the girls learn how to knit hats. They all were super diligent with them and really worked hard to finish them before she left. Rob and Christy were also here with their four darling kids. It was so much fun to have cousins around for the kids to play with.

Scott gave a really nice "speech" before dinner to let everyone know just how much he appreciated everyone making the effort to be there. I loved Presley enjoying her potatoes-she would shove handfuls at a time in her mouth. And then Landon and the bump on his head. (It could be a whole separate post) I'll do a quick recap. He was jumping on his bed and suddenly launched forward and smacked it right on the bed post. I thought for sure we'd be making a trip to the hospital. But it just swelled up nice and big. The bruise traveled down into his eye area too. It was a nice one! Oh, and he wasn't sneaking olives either....or maybe he was a stopped just as his picture was being taken!

10 4 Tues- Some call it spoiled...

So again, I feel like I'm playing a game of catch-up with my week! I honestly don't think I've ever been busier. But it's all really good, fun stuff that's been going on.

1- I got to go see Twilight with my mom, my sister and my brother's girlfriend, Ashley. We met in Pocatello so that Rachel could go with us. (It's the first book she's really ever read-and then seen the movie...) We really liked it. (Not loved-but really liked) I did LOVE the soundtrack...waiting for pics that Rach took that night to post.

2- My sister and I were treated to COLDPLAY by my sister-in-law and brother-in-law. I've always liked Coldplay and love the song Viva la Vida. When we went to San Francisco this summer there was a station on XM that was playing the "30 Days of Coldplay". We listened to it non-stop for about a week straight while we drove around SF and then home .

3- Rachel and I got to go to temple square and just walk around and talk.

4- Then we went to PF Changs. It was my first time going, (I know-everyone gasps when I say that) but now I can say that yes, I have had the lettuce wraps and yes they are THAT good.

5- The concert itself was amazing! We were on row 12 right on the side of the stage. We could see everything up close and personal! They played for almost 2 hours and are all so talented. I love when musicians actually know how to play an instrument, let alone several. One of Chris Martin's solos on the piano was so beautiful-not at all what you'd normally expect to hear.

6- My brother Tyler and his wife Ashlee were there too. We didn't end up sitting together-but did get to go to Red Mango afterward. (Utah's answer to Pink Berry) We all loved it...of course!

7- Rach and I were both spoiled by our husbands. They both graciously watched our kids not just Friday night (Twilight) but Saturday night (Coldplay) and didn't have one complaint or ill word to say. At least to our faces....
Thanks Scott for being so awesome about EVERYTHING-and letting me have a girl's weekend with my family!

8- Giving Thanks....
As Thanksgiving is coming up-I truly am grateful for my blessings.
My husband
my kids
my family-including parents, siblings, in-laws
my friends
our new home
the freedom to worship where and how I chose

Basically, I am thankful for my life-

9- However unstable....
10- Some call it spoiled.
I call it blessed.
Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone! Have a great week!