Ward Christmas Party

I took the boys and Jace's friend Isabel to our ward Christmas party.  I kept thinking how brave I was for taking 3 kids by myself.  Curtis was going to meet up with us later at the church.  We had a wonderful dinner.  The kids totally chowed down on everything.  So far so good.  They were being surprising lee well.  Curtis finally arrived just in time for the primary kids to go up and sing a few songs.  Jace and his friend Koda were being such clowns.  Making faces, pushing each other pretty much  doing anything you can think of that 2 boys would do in front of a crowd.  Then Jace jumps off the stage.  By this time I told Curtis to get up there and grab Jace.  It was getting pretty embarrassing.  While Curtis was en route to the stage, Jace leans over the edge of the stage and his friend pushes him and all I see is Jace going head first to the ground and then a BIG thump.  They stop the program and it is dead silent and all i can hear is Jace screaming.  Am I a mean Mom because i didn't rush up there.  This happens at our house on a daily basis.  So of course I'm sitting in the back.  I get up slowly make my way to the front as everyone is staring at me.  I get up there and I guess he landed on his knees.  This was good because I was expecting blood everywhere from a face plant.  I take him out and look him over.  I was so embarrassed!!! The funny thing was everyone that knew Jace was like "we weren't to worried, it was Jace and he is tough.  He is the kind of kid that bounces right back."  What an eventful night.  So now everyone is going to remember this  ward party as the party were the kid fell off the stage!  After we got him settled down Santa came with Mrs. Clause and 2 elf's.(2 of my beehives volunteered for the job)  The kids were so excited.  When we got up there Jace and Cade and Isabel went right up to him and told them they have been good(hahahahaha) and what they wanted this year.  Jace wanted a lego, Cade wanted a car that goes beep beep and Isabel wanted a Barbie.  After this it was so time to leave. Everyone kept coming up and asking how Jace was.  Oh man I just wanted to get out of there.  What a night to remember.

Jace and his best friend Isabel

This is the start of the goofing off. Jace is on the right flapping his arms

Jace

Cade

Isabel

Ginger Valora and Erin Richards

Erin Richards and KaAolana Ufford

After seeing Santa they got goodie bags full of treats

Gingerbread Fun

I love to make gingerbread houses. Every year we try to make one .Usually they come from the kits that you can buy at the stores.  However this year my Grandma Cunningham called and asked if I would like to make her homemade ones.  I was so excited because I have always wanted to learn how to do them.  She has made them every year for as long as I can remember.  As a little girl I can remember getting them in the mail from her.  Yes they would survive the long journey from California.  Grandma told me that she has been making these houses since her kids were little and she doesn't want the tradition to die.  She wanted me to learn how.  It was really fun to go over and have her help me. Jared and
Aimee also went over too.  It was a competition to see who house was the best.  Aimee and Jared put a driveway in front and brought a NASCAR car to park in it.  I was laughing so hard.  Their house by far turned out the best!!  My house didn't turn out awesome but I tried!!!LOL   I put way to much candy on the roof!! Next year I will know better.  Curtis also made a house because their was an extra.  He ended up giving it to his mom and dad.  They couldn't believe that he decorated it because it was really good.  I had to laugh!!   I cant wait to start making these houses with my boys.  Its a wonderful tradition to pass on.  Thanks Grandma for sharing it with me.

My A frame Gingerbread house

Black Friday Fun

On Thanksgiving night I went with Aimee and Jared up to Wal Mart to do the whole black Friday thing! We went up at 9:45 pm and it was a zoo!!!  I was amazed at all the people up there.  It was so crowded that you could only squeeze your way threw.  I was getting a little claustrophobic.  I hate being in places with alot of people.  We finally made our way to the toys by 10pm.  I was scared for them to say GO!!  When they did all heck broke lose!!  Jared was diving his way in to get me some Lego's and was getting pushed away by some lady.  It was really funny!!  Finally Aimee got one and we moved onto the game boards.  We got what we needed in the toys and than headed to electronics.  There was no shopping carts and so people had garbage cans and totes and they were just throwing stuff into them.  So we got this big blue tote and Aimee had the back and me the front and we pack that threw the store.  We had to wait until midnight to get the electronics that we wanted.  So we put our tote right in front of the line and Jared sat down on it and me and Aimee went out and did more shopping.  It was so much fun!!  We finally got home at 1am and than I went to bed and got up again at 5:15 am. My mom came to my house and we met up with Jared and Aimee and Curtis mom up at Cal Ranch.  I was so excited because I got what I wanted there!!! I cant wait to give them to the boys!!!  After that we headed to Basin Sports and that place was a little crazy!  We got what we needed though so that was awesome.  We than hit McDonalds for breakfast and than headed home around 8 am.  I was so tired!!!  I told the boys we would put up the tree so we did that.  After that Curtis made a dump run before winter and Jace lost my new cell phone there!! I couldn't believe it!!!  By the time Curtis got back to the dump the tractors were already pushing our stuff away! Thank goodness for cell phone insurance.  At 5 we headed up to watch the Christmas parade.  My parents and jerika and Grandma Horrocks, Jared and Aimee and Easton were all up there too!  It was bitter cold!!  The parade was OK.  The kids favorite thing was someone made a replica of Mater.  It was so very cool! Afterwards we went up to Pizza Hut for dinner.  Than we went up to the Western Park and let the kids play on there blow up slides they had set up.  Then we walked threw Trees for Charity.  Aimee helped decorate the tree her work did.  It was so beautiful.  There were some awesome trees this year.  We voted for our favorites and than headed home.  We watched the fireworks from our backyard.  The kids loved them.  We were all so exhausted by this time that we all went to bed!!  It was such a fun day!! What a great way to start off the Christmas Season.

The boys getting ready to head up to the parade

Dad and Jace

Mom and Cade

Jared and Easton

My little sister Jerika

Jace braving the cold!!

Thanksgiving

We celebrated Thanksgiving this year at my parents house.  It was neat because Curtis parents also came so we had one big Thanksgiving with both families.  My grandparents made the turkey and my Mom did a ham and than everybody else filled in with there favorite things.  It was so nice to only be in charge of a couple of things.  I made stuffing, which turned out awesome, thanks to Grandma Ruby Valora.  She shared her family recipe with me and than helped me make it!! She is an awesome lady.  Than I made a choc cream pie and a pecan pie.  I was really nervous because I'm not a pie maker!!! LOL They turned out pretty good or so my Dad said.  I was hoping I wouldnt  need to go buy back up pies!!  It was nice to be with family and have a good time.  I'm so very thankful for my husband and children and all my wonderful family!! Without them holidays like this would not be as meaningful. Here are some pictures of the family!!!

Jace, Aimee and Easton

Jace

Cade

Easton

Konner

Grandma Becky and Jace

Jared and Curtis

Me and Curtis

Jared and Aimee

Me and Mom

Me and Aimee