Happy New Year!!! (thank goodness)

Well January 1st, 2010 and so glad it is, 2009 was filled with lots of fun things as well as some things that we are glad have passed and thankfully don't have to do again (like turning 30!)

We had a great Holiday Season, and a lost camera to prove it. So pictures soon to follow as we recover the camera from Grandma's house. We celebrated Thanksgiving with my family, watched the boys take their annual beating in the "turkey bowl", after they are finished they all line up at the medicine cabinet for a dose of Ibuprofen..HAHA. It is tough to get old.
Wrestling season also kicked off the first of December so Josh is super busy with practice and tournaments.
We had a Great Christmas with christmas eve being at Josh's parents (our neighbors) he had 9 of his 10 siblings there with the other to come the day after Christmas. It was so great to all be together. We got some good pictures, we had a visit from "Santa" (Josh's mom bought a Santa and in return for her cooking prime rib for dinner she told the guys they had to draw to see who got to wear it. They all immediately complained about it, but dutifully drew his paper when it was his turn. The brother who drew the designated paper would not fess up-but Jake was eventually caught. He threw a royal fit saying he would not be santa to our stupid kids, he did not even have kids there! It was pretty enjoyable just watching the fit! But in the end Craig (ambers husband) gave in and was the best santa ever! He made the all but true comment "for being a bunch of world class athletes, your brothers are sure a bunch of poor sports!" and I could not agree with him more.
Christmas Day we went to my parents for a wonderful meal and more presents! We have such a great time together and I am thankful that we all get along so well
The kids were spoiled as ever, Porter getting Legos and Halle getting a Barbie house fully furnished. (Pictures to come soon!)

The last of the memories this season off hand is when we received a picture message on my phone from Matt saying that Santa came early for Maggie his 1 year old. It was a picture with Mags and her darling new kitchen...The kids immediately were saying it's not fair and why did santa come to her already. I told them Maggie must have been such a good girl she got to have christmas early... Halle looks at me and says "Mom, she still poops her pants!, that is not fair!"
Nothing you can do but laugh! Gotta love the kid!

Hope the new year is filled with as many great memories as last, all but turning 30.

Halloween- Picture Overload!!

Porter and Halle aka..Cinderella and Cowboy... aren't they darling??

The cousins had a great time and trick or treated together. Porter, Kate, Maryn, Chole, Sophie and Halle

Me and the Kids...

Porter and Halle's pumpkins...They drew the faces and then a grown-up carved them for them. Halle made her's a little difficult with eyelashes and all but Daniel did a great job. They turned out so cute!!

Another of the cousins with Maggie this time. Isn't she a darling kitty..

Porter drawing his face for carving

Grandma and Kate at the pumpkin patch

Porter trying to decide.. so many to choose from

Halle with the face she drew to be carved.. lucky Daniel was up for the challenge

Grandpa pushing Sophie and Halle in the wheelbarrow. They were the first to pick out there pumpkins.

Porter and Halle with one of the cute witches at Gardner Village. We had so much fun!

Me and the kids posing for a quick photo-- Josh was in Canada working for Halloween...

One of the witches that forgot how to fly her broom!!!

We had a great Halloween....We went to Salt Lake to spend time with Grandma and Grandpa Stephens and our cousins. We started the day at Gardner Village to see all the cute Witches, then off to the pumpkin patch for picking the best pumpkins for carving. We had some lunch then back to Grandpa's house to carve.

The kids loved getting there hands messy in the pumpkin guts, all but Halle she ran away and said she was not touching the guts!! So mom and Daniel did her dirty work.

The kids got dressed up and off we went Trick or Treating. My parents live in a great neighborhood and we were only gone for 1 hour and the buckets were full. Halle was true to charater the whole time with her wand and purse. She delicately walked from house to house, the she found out uncle Spencer would carry her so she would get her candy at the door, the yell "Spencer!" and he would pick her up and away they would go to the next house.

Porter ran from house to house, no stopping him. What a good trooper.

We had a great weekend and look forward to another great Halloween next year!!!

We had a free day and took the kids to the Living Planet Aquarium in Salt Lake. Boy did they have fun..

This was story time with Mrs. Starfish

Josh and Porter, Porter is trying to get brave and touch a sting ray... eventually he did it. They were really friendly and showing off the day we went. They were coming out of the water and up on the walls. They really seemed to like us touching them.

We spent the rest of the day shopping, and going to two movies. That is Josh's dream day is movies all day.. he got porter to go to the second one with him. Me and Halle just kept shopping and picked them up later. What a great day!!

Shout out to my BEAUTIFUL mother!!

My beautiful mother serves on the General Relief Society Board, for the Church. She is an AMAZING woman full of grace and love. This weekend was the General Relief Society meeting, which was on TV, and held in the conference center. My mom had to give the closing prayer, yes thats right pray in front of 20 thousand women in the conference center, in front of the First Presidency and some of the quaram of the twelve, and on TV which who knows how many viewers watched. She was so nervous she was going to pass out in front of the Prophet! She did wonderful and her prayer was so good. Great Job mom! We are so proud!!!

Today Porter was out of school, so we took advantage of the nice weather and went up Holden canyon to collect fall leaves. We found some pretty cool ones, all different colors. The kids collected them in bags and we came home and made placemats out of them with wax paper. Now they can treasure them for the next few weeks!!

State Fair

A real Bear at the state fair!

Halle planting her garden at the IFA booth

They are almost big enough!

Future FFA members, some more future than others-

Porter and Lucy, our red cow.

Porter and Halle show off the Udder of Lucy per grandpa's request. Too bad cows are so much like women sometimes we are more interested in their "Udders" then there faces!!

Halle posing again to show off the Udder and the ribbon the cow just won at the cow show

What a HUGE pumpkin!!!

Porter and the cool chickens, we saw some awesome ones this year!!

This ends our travels to the State Fair. Glad it is over, loved seeing all the animals- hated the stupid rides. Seen one fair, seen them all!!

Def Lepard concert

Okay I am pretty sure I will regret letting anyone know I actually attended the Def Lepard concert, I am so not a fan!! But I drug Josh to Wicked last year and he said this was payback. (I even broke my foot 3 days before and could not get out of it) So the mullet isn't it great?? Our neighbor Tyler had it and said he would wear it if I agreed to go, I held him to it, it was wonderful. We all need a spare one in the Halloween box, just for occasions like this!! All in all, the concert was not that bad, the company was fantastic! Spencer even wore a cut off shirt to add to the occasion too bad he cant keep his eyes open for pictures (this was like the 5th try, and then I gave up!)