Christmas Morning 2013

We had been staying with my sister, Audra when we first arrived to Utah.  But Christmas Eve, we loaded up and went to my parent's house, which was about 15 minutes away.  My sister, Angela and her three children, Courtney, Carson and Lindsey came out as well.  This was so exciting for my children to be with their three cousins on Christmas Eve tonight and to all wake up together at Grandma and Grandpa's house Christmas morning!  So, enjoy the chaos, as you can imagine, there was plenty!

The calm.......
before the storm......

 I made them take a group photo before going up stairs.  Two sneaky little boys had already been upstairs and were dying to tell what some gifts were.

 Seth took the camera and quietly took about a gazillion pictures!  This is complete role reversals for us.  I'm usually the one behind the camera, but this morning, I was the one opening the gifts and setting them up.  It was really fun to look through all the pictures later that Seth had taken.

 Mom has made stockings for each family, and hangs them every year!  My girls thought this was so cool!

 I love this picture that Seth took.  That is the beautiful view that Mom and Dad see from their kitchen table.  And Kim, my sister-in-law is very talented and made them that awesome family birthday plaque.

I love my sister, Angela!  She is so good with all of our children.  She has such unconditional love,  loves them like they are her own.

It was such a happy, Christmas morning and definitely a morning that my children will always remember.

Family Christmas pictures 2013

I had decided that since we were going to be in Utah, a few days before Christmas Day, that I would wait and let my sister take our Christmas card picture.  We have never sent one out with us in snow, so I thought this would be a really cool idea, get it, "cool, cold!"  Well, let me just tell ya, it was a very cold idea but my sister got some cute pictures.  The children were freezing and complaining and my vision of turning it into a family photo shoot, quickly vanished.  But she got these and I really appreciated her patience. She even took down some of her Christmas ball decorations and strung them up in the trees behind her house.

 I forgot to mention that Seth and I celebrated our 13th wedding anniversary in November.  I love this man of mine.  He is such a good sport.  He wore a sweater, with his shirt left, "un-tucked" and all, just for me!

Christmas 2013/ The Beginning

I'm pretty sure Christmas of 2013 ranks at the top of the list as our favorite Christmas ever!!
Let's begin.
Seth and I finally committed to the 30 plus hours drive to Utah.  Yes, we were going to finally take the plunge and drive our family of six, across the country, to spend Christmas with my family.  We have only spent one Christmas with my family since we have been married, so this was pretty exciting.  Laurel was two and Savannah was a newborn, so neither one of them remember that one time.
Laurel, Savannah and Landon had been saying for months that they wished we could go to Utah for Christmas.  They wanted to see lots of snow and they wanted to make snow angels.  They wanted to see their cousins.  They were a little concerned about how Santa would find them.  I just kept saying, "maybe one year we will be able to go.  We aren't going to be able to go this year though."  I was just giddy inside, anticipating their reaction of  finding out that they were actually going to Utah for Christmas.  I called my sister, Audra and asked her to make a video of Kayla and Karly doing something, saying something, to let my children know that they were going to Utah for Christmas.
Friday morning came, the last day of school before Christmas break.  Laurel and Savannah thought they were going to school as normal.  They sat down to eat breakfast and I pulled up emails on the computer.  As they were eating, I told them that they had a message from someone.  Their eyes got so big and all 4 kids ran to the computer. Kayla and Karly did not disappoint.  It was the cutest, most perfect way of letting them know our true plans for Christmas.

Kayla and Karly were singing a cute Christmas song and then at the very end of the video they are standing outside in the snow and they stop singing and  say,  "Guess What?"   "You aren't really going to school today!  You're coming to Utah!!" as they jump up, throwing snow in the air.  Oh my goodness, the looks on Laurel and Savannah's faces were priceless!  Laurel gave herself whiplash as she yelled, "we are!?"  Savannah said, "today!?"  Landon just started screaming and jumping up and down yelling, "we're going to Utah!!"  Sawyer started yelling, because that's what everyone else was doing.  Seth and I said, "yes, we're going to Utah!!!"  Then we looked at each other and said, "tomorrow!"  We had planned all along to leave on Friday but decided that we didn't have everything together so we would get the car completely packed and leave on Saturday morning and drive as long as we could.

7 am Saturday Morning

9:30 Sunday night

We made it to my sister's house Sunday night!  Seth is a machine.  I tell you that boy keeps going and going. He pulled over in Colorado, got about a 3 hour nap, woke up, and drove us right on to Utah!  He does not mess around!

The children did really well!  Even our little Sawyer.

These were deer that would walk down the middle of the road in my sister's neighborhood.  

Laurel and Savannah the next morning!  They could not wait to see the snow!  And right after breakfast they couldn't wait to go sledding!

I have some really good friends here in Birmingham that let me borrow all of their children's ski clothes.  It was so great to have everything we needed so we didn't have to wait to play in the snow.  All of these pictures were taken in my sister's backyard  which was absolutely gorgeous!

Nativity 2013

 One of the things the children love doing is the live nativity scene at our church.  This year Sawyer was a cow, who kept wandering off, let me add.  Landon was a sheep.  Savannah was a star and Laurel was an angel.  It was really nice being together with our church family for this special Christmas program.  There is nothing sweeter to me than little children singing about Jesus Christ.

Story:  Landon refused to dress as a sheep.  I finally gave up and we went to church in normal clothes.  Right before the program started he decided he would like to be a sheep.  Sariah, threw together this sheep costume in 1 minute.  Yep, she's good like that!

Does anyone spot a cow?  I love Laurel's face!  She is probably thinking, "mommy, what are you doing just letting him walk around!?"

The sheep holding the cow!  The cow did not want to sit still and participate.

Ooops!  The cow has escaped once again!  I finally realized it was turning into a cow play instead of the story of Christ's birth, so I quickly removed the cow from the front of the room!

All the children did a great job and this program always sets the tone for the Christmas Season!

Decorating For Christmas 2013

I relinquished decorating control once again this Christmas Season.  The children love decorating and I stood back, took pictures and let them have it!

We turned on Christmas music, I gave some direction (can't seem to let it all go!) They had a blast!  And no, my house is not the most perfectly decorated for Christmas and it use to really bug me.  Now, I love it!  It's not about the decorations right now.  It's about the children and making memories and really remembering what the season is all about.

I took this picture the next morning.  I loved how my three men were just sitting, quietly eating breakfast.  These are the moments I truly love.

Christmas School Events/2013

December is always such a busy month with Christmas events at school.  Such an exciting time of year!  Laurel participated in a Christmas program with the school choir she is involved with.  They actually had speaking parts this year.  They had to audition for the parts.  I was very proud of Laurel for stepping out of her comfort zone and auditioning.  She was given three parts and did a really good job!

I got to attend their class Christmas parties as well.

My friend Lisa is the room mom for Laurel and Savannah's class.  She has let me be her little assistant and it has been fun helping her out.  She covets the role of room mom!  I love that she does, because she is so awesome at it!  Each team had to dress one person up like a Christmas tree with the supplies provided.  Laurel was chosen to be the Christmas tree!  She makes a pretty cute one, I think! :)

Savannah and her good friend, Paige

I promise I did not coordinate the chevron prints!  I did, however, think it was pretty awesome when I saw this picture! :)
What is even more awesome, Savannah noticed it before I did!  That girl is so much like me, when it comes to clothes!

Christmas time is just such a happy time of year!  I think Savannah's face says it all!

War Eagle!

Before I leave November, let's talk some football!!!  I loved having mom and dad here to watch the Auburn vs. Alabama game.  Why did I love it so much, you ask?  Let's just say I can thank my mom and dad both for the love of football.  I LOVE it!  That is one of the reasons I love fall so much.  People start coming out in their college attire.  You go to buy groceries on a Saturday and there is just a different feeling in the store.  Complete strangers talk to you, depending on the color of clothing you are wearing.  Some talk to you to let you know you are wearing the wrong color.  Of course, all in good humor!
I grew up with a dad who was his high school quarterback.  I hear he was really good, too!  And I believe it, because that dad of mine, could put together some pretty awesome plays in our front yard.  I have such good memories of all the cousins, aunts and uncles playing football together.  Then, of course, you had my dad, the Alabama fan and his brother, the Auburn fan. Then you throw us crazy cousins in the mix, siding with our fathers.  Oh my, we would torment each other, depending on who won that year.
Then I went off to Auburn!  My uncle Tommy was so proud!

So, with all that being said, it was fun and loud up in this house watching the football game!  You have to admit, it was pretty exciting watching Auburn this year.  I mean, they could only go up, right?  They had a new coach and new life was in them!  It came down to the last second, literally!!!  Oh my goodness, Seth and I were jumping up and down, hugging and screaming!  Dad was yelling, "NO!!!!!" "What? Just? Happened?"
And Mom, I'm pretty sure was out of the room, hiding her face, because that's what she does in football games!  She has done this my whole life.  Poor thing, she loves football as much as a man.  Can quote you statistics and plays, but can not stay in the room when the going gets tough!  Too much stress for her!  She was mad.  She wanted to go home, to more neutral territory.  Did not like being in the Tiger's home!
Dad was a good sport.  He has settled down in his older age.  My parents have lived out in Utah since 1999 now, so he is a pretty good Cougar and Utes fan, as well.  Anyway, good times!  I do have fun dressing the kids in orange and blue but we aren't crazy, fanatic Auburn fans.  We have always told them that they can choose who they want to be for.  I mean, last year Laurel was an Alabama fan!  Aww... fun times!