What a Wonderful Christmas

We had a wonderful WHITE Christmas! It was a busy day with lots of fun! We didn't get a chance to see Jared's parents because a TREMENDOUS storm was supposed to come. I felt bad that we didn't get out there. We did wake up to about 8 inches of snow! How wonderful to be snowed in! We hope everyone else had a great day.

I didn't get to posting pictures and things of the last few days of Christmas for Jared so I will just post here what happened.

ON THE TENTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, Jared's true love gave to him, ten Lords-a-leapin'. After the Lords get done leapin', this is what they use for their sore muscles. (I left hime some muscle cream.)

ON THE ELEVENTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, Jared's true love gave to him, eleven pipers piping. Here is your very own harmonica to join in with the pipers. (I actually didn't do this one. This day was busy and I missed the store to get him a harmonica. Horrible me!)

ON THE TWELFTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, Jared's true love gave to him, twelve drummers drumming. No drummers, I thought he could use some quiet time so he just got some yummy sugar cookies to enjoy.

On the Ninth Day of Christmas

Jared's true love gave to him, 9 ladies dancing.


Well, these are the canes the ladies used to walk home after dancing all night.

On the Eighth Day of Christmas

Jared's true love gave to him, 8 maids a milking.


That is just TOO many girls, so I hoped that a game of Old "MAID" and a "MILK" chocolate bar would do instead.

On the Seventh Day of Christmas

Jared's true love gave to him, 7 swans a swimming.

Since all the swans have flown south for the winter, Jared will just have to use the ducks as targets.

On the Sixth Day of Christmas

Jared's true love gave to him, 6 geese a laying.


I didn't want messy geese around my house, so Jared got the geese's eggs.

On the Fifth Day of Christmas

Jared's true love gave to him, 5 GOLD RINGS.


I couldn't afford the rings, so these had to do for his fingers.

On the Fourth Day of Christmas

Jared's true love gave to him, 4 calling birds...

Well, I couldn't find the calling birds, but they left 4 "wonderful" notes for Jared before they flew off.

On the Third Day of Christmas

My true love gave to me...


3 cans of Chicken Noodle soup courtesy of the 3 French Hens!

My Little Girlies

My mom bought the girls these super cute dresses. I wanted to wait until next Sunday for them to wear to church, but Kylee just wouldn't have it. I got lots of comments on them at church.

On the Second Day of Christmas

My true love gave to me. . .

Two dove ice cream bars

On the First Day of Christmas

My True Love gave to me....


A cartridge and some pear candy!

Family Pictures 2008

We finally got our family pictures taken. Jared's friend took them for us. The day we took our pictures, it was FREEZING! In some of the pictures you can see the girls have red little noses. I think they turned out pretty well. I was nervous because the girls were so ornery and did not want to have their pictures taken.

Kylee

JaycelynEmily

My Little Dancers

At Kylee's last dance recital, her teacher gave her a CD off the songs from her dance class. It has been really fun to listen to. Jayce gets into the dancing too. She went to dance class enough that she knows the songs herself! Here is some cute videos that I have taken over the last couple of days. (You might want to turn off the music at the bottom of our blog.)

Jump Down Turn Around


Shoo Fly


5 Little Monkeys


I'm A Little Teapot

Jeffs' Family Party

Saturday night we had the "Jeffs' Family Christmas Party." I have been wanting to plan a party for my dad's side of the family. His brothers and their families. We just don't see each other as much as we need to! I have also been working on my personal progress for Young Women's and decided in September to conquer 2 birds with one stone. I would plan a party for the family and do it as one of my 10 hour projects. I think that I did spend 10 hours getting this party ready. I decided that we would do a "Service Auction." Auctions are so fun!! The idea was that each person over the age of 12 years offered a service that they would be willing to do for someone else. Here are the services that were provided:

Fishing trip
Boating trip
Marginally satisfactory hunting trip with dog
Shooting excursion
Homemade dinner and dessert
Thanksgiving Advent Calendar
Christmas Advent Calendar
Oil Change
cookies
Christmas jammies (you provide material)
Home movies to DVD with music
Knitted dish rags
Car detailing
Babysitting
Making/catering fancy Chinese dinner
Name on blocks
2 hours of manual labor
Motorcycle/dirtbike this summer while he is in Hong Kong
Washing someone's car inside and out
Snowmobiling trip
Snowshoeing trip (lunch included)
Pedicure

Eyebrow wax

Eyelash tint
Pizza and movie night at Jeffs Theater
Computer scrapbooking (you provide your digital pictures)
Date night with Danny and Taush, dessert and movie included
Birthday cake

Backpacking overnighter in Uintahs

4 Wheeling trip

Everyone was so great and offered so much! I felt like the auction was a hit! There were a couple (snowmobiling, babysitting) that went without any bidding really. People just offered their $250.00 to start off. It was a great night. We had a simple dinner of hamburgers and hot dogs and brownies and ice cream. We did have a hot chocolate buffet. It wouldn't be a Christmas party that I planned without hot chocolate! As you will remember, I am a hot chocolate buff! We had 4 different flavors and had them going in the CocoLatte machines. If you don't have one of these, you need one!! It is great! I will even froth your hot chocolate!

Anyway, we had a great time! We had some people missing at the party, but I am hoping that we can make this a tradition and do it every year! Jared and I came away with the 4 wheeling trip, a strawberry pie, and 1 dozen cookies. I didn't really tell him what I wanted and forgot by the end! Oh well! The cookies and pie are delicious!

I Don't Want That....

My little Emily! Emily has learned a new trick of shaking her head at you. Almost like she is dancing. She plays games with Jared and I. Jared will be holding her and I will hold out my hands to take her and she turns away from me and grins! Such a funny little girl!

She has been eating foods for a couple months now. I am a slacker mom and usually start them on solids around 6 months. At first I thought she was going to be an eater like Jayce. Jayce didn't like ANYTHING but sweet potatoes. Not even rice cereal. Emily has turned out to be quite the little eater. As long as I put some peaches in with the food, she will eat anything. Well, that is until yesterday. I tried feeding her peas. Now, peaches and peas, what a combo. No wonder she didn't want to eat it. She shakes her head at me. At first, I wondered if she knew she was saying no or if it was just a new trick. Well, when I tried to feed her the peas and peaches, I think she knows what she is doing!

My Little Babe!

Jayce, Jayce, Jayce. Yesterday, we had the early intervention program come by the house and check out Jayce. She doesn't talk a whole lot and there is a program out there that will help her and me to help her along. A nurse came to make sure she was healthy, wealthy, and wise! She healthy and wise!! :) The speech therapist said that on the understanding level, she is at a 27 month's age and on the speech she is at a 17 month's age. An occupational therapist also came, but she won't have her results until we meet again. They have to do this testing to see if she qualifies for early intervention, which she does! I hope that we can help her. She gets so frustrated when she can't get across what she is trying to say! I can only imagine how hard that would be.

On a side note, she is above and behind the growth chart on height. She definitely is taking after Jared in that area! To compare, at her 2 year checkup, she was 37 inches tall. Kylee was 33 inches tall at her 2 year check up and 37 inches tall at her 3 year check up! I told Jared that we might be buying new clothes for both girls next year (Jayce has always been wearing Kylee's hand me downs) and then the year after that, Kylee might be wearing Jayce's hand me downs!

Jayce is a little sweetheart. Such a tender child and so loving! Always ready and willing to give hugs and kisses to anyone in the family!

The Season for Hot Drinks

I LOVE HOT DRINKS!

If I was not a mormon and knew that we need to follow the Word of Wisdom, I believe that I would be a true coffee drinker!! I love the smell of the coffee aisles at the grocery stores, I love to walk by the coffee spots in the airport and smell their fresh coffees. When I served my mission in Chile, they drink coffee ALOT. We would be offered coffee all the time and for breakfast we would drink something that is similar to what we have here called Postum, a coffee made from wheat and not a coffee bean. At first, I didn't like it at all. Then I became accustomed to it and LOVE it. That is probably where I first came to love the coffee flavors!

At this time of year, I like to have a good variety of hot chocolates in my cupboard. Little side note, Stephens has a GREAT new flavor, Cherry Chocolate hot chocolate. I am in love with this one! Their marshmallow flavors are excellent too. I was a little skeptical about the marshmallows. How many of you have been satisfied with the amount of marshmallows in the little packets with marshmallows. They just never teem to have enough of the shrinky dink marshmallows. Well, Stephens has a TON of marshmallows. In every spoonful of chocolate, you get lots and lots of marshmallows.

I love to stop by the coffee spots and get myself a good hot chocolate. I believe they have the BEST hot chocolates ever. I used to go to this local spot and get hot chocolate, but I believe that I won't be stopping there anymore. A couple weeks ago, on my way to work, I had to stop and get my "Cup O Joe" and asked for a chocolate hazelnut hot chocolate (my very very very favorite). When I got to work, I took a sip and realized that it wasn't hot chocolate, but coffee! The next time I went to work I decided to try the spot one more time and see if they could get it right. Well, they did, but there was a slight hint of coffee. I was not impressed. So, no more for there I believe.

This morning I have was craving a nice cup of hot chocolate and they have built a new Starbucks down here and I decided to try it out. OOOOLALA! They have some yummy hot chocolate. I have been hesitant to even try it out because I like to support the local shops. But, when I get coffee instead, I am just not a satisfied customer! So, on with the story. Starbucks has their regular hot chocolate, a hazelnut cream, and a salty caramel. I got the hazelnut and it was divine!! At this time of year, they also have a peppermint hot chocolate. I am dying to try that. I have to limit myself to ONE hot chocolate a day or I believe I would have a sugar rush and when I am trying to lose 5 pounds BEFORE the New Year instead of AFTER, it isn't really much of a help.

Moral of this post: For those of you that are out and about early in the morning, stop by a Starbucks and try one of their hot chocolates. It will warm your soul and be good to your body!

Kylee's Dance Recital

Today was Kylee's Dance Recital. It has been so fun to go and watch her dance. She did so much better this year than last. Last year she was so shy and it took her a little bit to get up and dance. This year, she has been right up there. The attention span is short and we have to keep calling her back to watch Patty, but it is really fun!


Here are some cute pictures!

Warming up and getting our muscles ready to dance

Her class all warming up


Dance, Dance, and more Dance

Ballet moves

The dance they have been practicing

Emily and I during "intermission"

Jayce was quite the happy chappy!

O' What a Day!

I LOVE the snow!!! I love when it snows and everything looks white. I think it should snow everyday during the winter and not melt so that we see the ugliness of the lawns and plants in hibernation! :) Kylee had dance today, but afterwards I told her we would make some hot chocolate and donuts! Who doesn't like hot chocolate and donuts on a cold and blustery day like today? I have been wanting to try and make donuts out of biscuits. You know the biscuits you buy in the popping cans (ps I hate those things! I get so apprehensive opening them. If Jared is around, I make him do it!!). Anyway, you can make donuts out of those biscuits. Just use a cap off of one of your spices, they are the perfect size, then just fry them up! Oh, they were delicious! I then made a glaze and just dip the top half of the donuts in the glaze and VOILA! Glazed donuts! Matthew and Addi were over and the kids seemed to like the donut holes better. I think they each ate at least one donut and a few donut holes! YUMMO!!

Jazz Game

Jared's boss gave him some tickets to the Jazz game last night. Justin and Michelle came with us and it was so fun! We had 6th row tickets and got to go to the Sponsor's Room for dinner and snacks at half time. Now, the next time I go to a game, I will feel sorry for myself! :) We left all the kids (yes, we left Emily too!) with my parents. We were going to take Emily, but it is just too noisy and I don't think we would have had such a wonderful time! She did fine and was asleep in bed when we got home! NICE! Such a great time to go and be with Jared and a fun game! The Jazz won! WHOO HOO!!

Our Pumpkins

We carved pumpkins Monday night! My mom and I cleaned out the pumpkins earlier in the day so when the guys got home from work, all we had to do was carve! Such a great idea for any of you with young kids! Cut down some of the time! :) We lit up our pumpkins last night and I took some fun pictures!

Here is a picture of me trying to take a picture of our pumpkins glowing. You have to take off the flash first! :)

Another one with the flash.

Can you see the picture in the pumpkin? Kylee picked that for Jayce. My pumpkin is in the back!
And here is Kylee and Jared's (in the back). Do you see the picture of Kylee's?

Halloween Pictures

Here are some new pictures. My mom likes to buy outfits for the kids around this time of year and then take pictures. They are always cute!

Here are my girls!! :) They are all just getting so big.

Here are all the cousins.

Jaxon was done with pictures! He had enough!

Later that day, we went to Jakers Pumpkin Patch and got pumpkins! Here is Jayce trying to find her way in the pumpkin patch!
My girls picking their pumpkins! It was beautiful!

Kylee would RUN around the whole maze. Such a great aciton shot!

Jayce, my Jayce!
Kylee again. I had a hard time getting pictures of her! She is so FAST!

Happy Birthday Kylee Maureen

Happy Birthday My Little Kylee!

What a sweet little girl we have and I have been so blessed to have her as our first little girl! It has been so fun to see her growing up and becoming her own little person. She has always been a little independent one! She is such a good little girl (she has her moments, like ALL of us!) Love you my girly girl!

Happy Birthday Jaycelyn Jane!

Happy Birthday Jaycers!

Two years ago today, our little sister was born. She was scheduled to come on the 23rd, but decided to come during Kylee's birthday party! What an event to have everyone at our house and me trying to hide the fact that I was having contractions and they were getting closer and closer and harder and harder. I was hoping that I could at least get through the party and then go to the hospital! Nope, that didn't work. We had to cut the party short and head to the hospital. They held me off as long as they could because I was on the blood thinner and wanted to make sure it was out of my system enough to have this baby! AT 3:03 she was born and we welcomed our little girl! She has been a blessing and joy to our family! We love you little one!

Happy Birthday Girls!

My girls (Kylee and Jayce) have their birthdays coming up so we had a little party for the family yesterday! WOW! It is so crazy to have their birthdays together. It is like having twins, or like Christmas around here! They had a great day and a big thank you to all that came and for the wonderful presents! We are so blessed to have such great families! We love you all!!

Sunday Pictures

Yesterday before church I decided to take some pictures of my girls. They were being so funny. I just can't take pictures of them. Some other person needs to so they will be better and not pull such funny faces and poses! What silly gals!