Christmas 2011

Our traditional candle light Christmas Eve Dinner.

Even the boys got candles (battery operated).

We get to open on gift on Christmas Eve (PJs). 

Reading the Night Before Christmas with Grandpa

My mom wanted to open a gift my grandma had given her on Christmas Eve. I beautiful picture of my grandpa playing his sax. Love, Love, Love it!!

Joseph and a big baby Jesus.

My brother Tyler's family was also there. Here is his son Tyler and daughter Sky. Tyler wanted to hold a baby too. 

 Christmas Morning!

My brother Tyler, his wife Stormy, and their son Tyler.

My sister and her TOMS.

Mackey Sibling Party

This is one of the things I look forward to each Christmas. The time when Orrin's family gets together to exchange gifts/ play the gift exchange game.  Its the time we all get to see each other at the same time for Christmas. 

Wes  and his Grandpa Mackey

 This year the kids 5 and up did a gift exchange too.

 Then they watched Elf while we did ours.

We are so lucky to have such awesome Families! We love spending time with them all.

Mesa Arizona Temple Lights

I grew up going to the temple lights each year. My parents (in different singing groups) are often singing when we go but not this year. I think even my brother and I have song there in our Jr. High Choirs. Its so much fun now bringing my kids.

The wise men in the front and back of the picture. :)

 

Wes was so excited to see his cousin Brinlee!

What a funny picture of the two of them. 

My brother and his beautiful wife and kids.

When we came home we had a hot cocoa bar with all the good toppings. The kids had a blast adding things to their hot cocoa.

Yummy!

Traveling Home for Christmas

This was the first Christmas that I was not traveling alone with the kids. I usually have gone a few days to a week before Orrin so we could use flight miles. Orrin  would then come later after school got out. It was so nice to have Orrin with me the whole time! He even sat by the kids and took Kyson for a lot of the trip so I could relax and sleep a little. It was so nice not to be stressed and out of my mind by the end of the trip. This was also Kyson's first time on an airplane and he did great.

(I couldn't get anyone to look at me at the same time so this is the best picture I have. 

Story of my life. arrrrg)

Christmas Ship Parade

Our awesome neighbors, the Threadgills, invited us and some other friends to come and watch the Christmas Ship Parade that they do each year on the Willamette River. We drove to Vancouver, WA (15 mins away) to a restaurant  right on the river. It's a great way to watch the parade and not have to sit in the cold outside.  It was so much fun. Thanks Threadgills!!!

 Randy White occupying the kids until the ships came.

They treated us to desert and then we were able to watch the parade from the window. It was such a nice way to start the holiday season.

The kids had a blast. 

Check out the boats we saw here. 

Not Scorpions.... Frogs

So growing up the only animal type thing that we would find in our house were scorpions and on some occasions mice (which still creep me out).  I am so happy we don't have to worry about that here and all we find in our house are frogs. They actually are pretty cute. We find them very often especially with colder weather. We found this one, one night while the kids were going to bed. Brad fell in love and played with it for days. He took it everywhere we went. We finally convinced him to let it go. But now every time we go outside he asks us "where's my frog?".