Where are your parents???

What's this? Silence in the house. Something is not as it should be. Tayten's hands were dirty so we told him to go wash them . . . minutes went by. . . and the fun was on. This is what we found.

"We were just getting a drink of water Daddy, and brushing our teeth", they said.

The bathroom doesn't get this wet at bath time.

Christmas 2008

Christmas this year was so exciting with the kids. We had the lights on the house, tree up and house decorated by Dec. 1st (that's a first for us). The anticipation the kids have for Christmas gives us renewed Christmas spirit.

We have been establishing our own Christmas traditions for our young family for a few years now. Some of them include:

• Gingerbread House/Tree building


• Cookie baking


• Christmas PJ's on Christmas Eve


• Reading "Twas the Night Before Christmas" to the kids on Christmas Eve


• Picking out our new annual Tree Ornament


• Sharing a Christmas message about the birth of our Savior on Christmas Day


• Seafood Dinner on Christmas Eve (a family favorite)


• Countdown to Christmas and Jesus's Birthday


• Letters to Santa

Tayten had been asking Santa to bring him a "baby mouse" for months. As for Aryn, she wanted a "baby doll". Santa delivered as promised, of course the "baby mouse" came in the form of a hamster (good thinkin' Santa). Let's hope a lesson on hamster heaven is a few months out. It was pretty obvious though that Mommy was more excited about the Christmas mouse than the kids were.

"Big Papa" and "Big Nana" came up Christmas Eve. Ken, Kamille, and Kayden were here too. We enjoyed Christmas dinner and family gift exchange Christmas Eve. After getting the chocolate milk and cookies out for Santa we got the kids to bed.

This was a great time for us to refresh our spirits, remember the importance and blessings of the Savior in our lives, and to enjoy one anothers company. Daddy took two weeks of vacation, and didn't have to travel for work which made the time even more enjoyable. We had such a memorable time and look forward to Christmas time next year.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night. . .