Christmas 2010

So here we are at the end of January and I'm finally getting around to blogging about Christmas. Not because I haven't had time, but because I was overwhelmed by pictures. So I did my best to narrow it down but there are still a ton. Its better than the 500 I had to choose from, not to mention that I forgot my camera on several occasions! We had a fabulous Christmas, we spent before and after up in Huntsville riding the sleds behind the 4-wheelers, playing in the snow building snow forts and enjoying family. My Brother Dan and his family came into town just after Christmas, it was fun to see them and its always fun for the grand kids to catch up and play with cousins! We are so very blessed and I'm so grateful for my savior, this year has been rough for us, but it has definitely strengthened my testimony as well as my relationship with my Savior. A picture is worth a thousand words ...right, so excuse to excess amount of pictures, but most people just look at the pictures and could care less to read the print so here it goes...

What Christmas would be complete without a sharpie war......it wasn't hard to pick the winner!

With the Cousins on Christmas morning.

The chub with his light

Tate loved the skateboard, and the sexy man behind him would be my Jer!!!

The boys and their toys!! We are going to be very self surviving this year, the boys wanted a fishing pole, a bow and arrow, a gun, and a skateboard!!

Waiting to go open presents...

Everything they asked for and under 10 bucks, that's my kind of Christmas!!

It didn't take long to have all of our presents opened!!

Tate enjoying the spoils!

Merry Christmas!!
Jer having help opening his stuff.

Every Christmas Eve we act out the Nativity scene, the kids love it and I like to think it helps them remember the true meaning of the season.
My leading donkey!!

Cole started as a Shepard, but had to fill in for Joseph when Tate got bored!More Shepard's and a Soldier??

Our beautiful angles!

Three wise men!Huntsville....

The best buds!!

Carter trying to pull Lainey.....

He didn't make it far!

The boys built a fort and this is then giving their tough guy stance!!

Zoo Lights!!

For FHE tonight we headed out to the Zoo to have a little Christmas spirit and freeze our behind off. Even thought there were not a lot of animals out the lights were really pretty and the kids didn't seem to care about the cold. The reindeer and the cats were the only animals other than the reptile that we saw, but my whole family came so we had a good time regardless of the weather...at least it wasn't raining right?? All the kids at the end!! Jensen didn't want in cause he had made himself a little hut in the stroller and was not going to give up the warm!
My younger sisters, Mom and Lainey!

Me and my chub!!!

The girls....+Tate!

Tom and Jen and their crew!

Family shot

Its hard to even see who anyone is through all of the layers!

Lainey having glove issues!

The boys holding one of the reindeer antlers....Carters not so sure!

The Tim Tam SLAM!!!!

Jeremy served his mission in Australia and they have a cookie called the "Tim Tam". He has always joked about bringing them to the United Sates to sale and make a killing but Pepperidge Farms beat him to it. I had found them in the store and was so excited for Jer to do what the Aussies call a "Tim Tam Slam". You bite opposite corners of the cookie and then suck chocolate milk through it like a straw. Its really good, but talk about a sugar high!!! So Friday night after we did some partying for Kristen's birthday my sisters came over and took part in their first Slam!!! Brecken in her Chocolate glory!!

The awkward pose!

The Slam essentials!

Christmas Program

On Thursday Tate had his Christmas program and shocked us all. He did all of the actions and sang all of the songs..and surprisingly knew most of the words! He is our little sweetheart and loves preschool. He is not excited that he has to go two weeks without school (and I can't say that I am either). I just hope that he can keep that attitude when he gets further into school!

Santa's belly! They love the instruments!

Family photo and I didn't realize that Jers eyes were closed till just now, but I am to lazy to change it...Sorry love!!!

Tate with his teacher Mrs. Wing and one of his little buddies Boston.

How many spoons does it take???

The other morning I was on the treadmill, but had set the boys out some yogurt and cottage cheese for breakfast. They were eating so well...or so I thought. When I finished I came over to discover they had used a new spoon for every bite! I couldn't really get mad cause they let me get my workout in and they did eat their breakfast all gone (even if it did take every spoon we own)! Love those boys!!!

Ready, Set, Wrestle.....

We signed Cole up for the little Braves Wrestling through Bountiful High School. It has been an interesting experience to say the least. My Dad and brothers wrestled in high school so I thought it would be a good idea! Cole picked up on it really fast and actually turned out to be a pretty decent little wrestler. I just don't think that he is emotionally stable to continue wrestling, I don't think I can be a wrestling Mom either I have my own little match on the outside of the mat hoping it will help! Cole won every one of his matches, but every time he pinned a guy he would be the one crying. Jer asked him why he would cry and he finally told us that he didn't like hurting people. Tate absolutely loved it going and loves wrestling so I might make Cole do it one more year since Tate will be in Kindergarten and can sign up next year. We'll see we might just have to stick to the sports that are more team oriented!:) We finished out the season tonight by going to the BHS Wrestling meet and watching all of the boys who helped out wrestle. Bountiful lost, but it was still fun to go watch the big boys and see Cole root on his coaches!

The future wrestlers of BHS.......... Well Maybe:)
The kids could wrestle and play all night, they loved going to the practices and the meets!

Cole with one of his little buddies Spencer.

Cole throwing the kid to the ground.

Trying to get the half Nielsen!

Happy Halloween!!

The boys made Halloween costumes pretty easy on me this year. We just had to choose a weapon and the rest just followed. The weapons of choice this year were guns (ever since Jer shot his dear the boys have been obsessed with them! So naturally they were Cowboys! Every time they changed their minds I would just have to tell them that they would not be able to carry their guns (not that they could at school anyway)...So cowboys they were! We went to dinner at some friends house and then headed out into the pouring....miserable rain. I made the boys take off their costumes..except for the guns of course to do any trick or treating! So the neighborhood just thought the boys were gun crazy kids! The rain may have slowed them but it definitely didn't stop them, we made it around the block and that was good enough for me and gratefully for them too! Here are some pictures of them when they actually looked like Cowboys! Jer and I got dressed up Friday night for our friend party...I'll post more on that when I get all the pictures from it....Robin! Tate smiling but not looking at the camera...even with a gun at his head!:)
Here is the Chub next to what was left of his green pumpkin! He loved that thing and it showed, he had it inside more than it sat on our porch!

Cole trying to be a tough guy! He was mad because he didn't get the hat of his choice!

Tate had a little Halloween program, his Teacher was nice enough to do it on Tuesday so we could go the the elementary parade on Thursday. I don't think he is going to be the performer of the family. He sang and knew all the words, but did none of the actions! I sure love him and his "I don't care attitude." Here he is with Brecken, Grandma and Carter.

A rare shot of Tate looking at the camera!