SNOW FUN!!!

I love the snow!!! I am so glad that we got snow this weekend, and that we could go out and enjoy it! Stephen, the kids and I have loved sledding, snowboarding(kaleb and hailey rocked at it), and having snowball fights. I am so glad that I went and got snowsuits this year b/c the kids have been able to play longer. Blake liked it a little better today, but when we put him down in it yesterday he just cried. This has been such a fun weekend!

here are some videos!

Weekly Update

I try very hard to post stuff during the week, but it usually doesn't happen. With that being said, I think I will just post weekly updates on Sunday. I still will try:) to get some quick posts during the week, but for the most part it will be on Sundays. Ok, well Stephen's parents left on Monday and we had such a fun visit with them. It was so nice having them here and we sure miss them. My super great father-in-law did bring his camera and took some more pictures of the fun, so here a few more.

We miss you!

Some of you may notice that in one of the pictures my brother Kyle is home. He has been serving his mission out in Colorado, but injured his back and needed to come home. He will hopefully get everything cleared up quickly and is scheduled to go back in April to finish his last 9 mo. It has been wonderful having him home, and when the kids saw him, they were ecstatic. Hailey even cried, she told me "they are happy tears mommy." Kyle is such a awesome brother and uncle. He sets such a great example to my kids and I love him lots!

This last picture is of Karly. This is what Stephen and I found when we went in to check on the kids before going to bed. I guess it was too bright in her room.

SURPRISE!!

So, as I stated in my previous post Stephen had a birthday and since it was the big 3-0 I wanted to do something fun. I actually had been planning this since September and it was killing me not to let it slip. I decided to fly his parents out (who we hadn't seen in about 2yrs) and then surprise him at dinner with family and friends. Stephen thought that it was just going to be me and him at the restaurant, but he soon found out otherwise:) He didn't know a thing and it was great! It wasn't a huge party, just my family, his parents, and a couple of our favorite friends. Stephen could not believe his parents were there, let a lone everyone else and it was just awesome. We had a great dinner (which of course I took no pictures of ), and then headed back to the house for cake, ice cream and presents. I love my husband very much and I was so glad to do this for him. He is a wonderful husband and father, and he deserved to be celebrated. I do have a few pics of when we first came into the restaurant (thanks to my friend Sarah), and of his cake. A big thanks to everyone for making that night AWESOME and for not spoiling the secret.

Oh, and to make the birthday even better, Stephen had just started his new job (YEA!!) that day.

Well, we have had fun this week with Stephen's parents. On Tuesday, Stephen went up to SVU with his mom and dad to visit some old friends and watch the SVU basketball game (again, no pictures). They had a lot fun. We went to lunch downtown and then went to Marbles kids museum. Watched Hailey's basketball game. And went to a really fun park (which I did actually bring my camera).

On Friday night we had to be at church for the youth basketball games (Stephen and I both coach, and I am also in Stake athletics). The YW game that night was AMAZING!!! My mom and I both coach our girls and this game was against a tough team. I have never seen the gym so full and so loud ( I mean there had to be at least 100 people). Our girls were behind, but came back to win by 2pts. When we won the YM and other youth watching stormed the court, it was like we had won a national championship. I was so proud of the girls, they are just awesome. I look forward to the tournament in February.

This has been such a fun week and it will be sad to see Mike and Elaine go, but hopefully (cross your fingers) we can be out in Utah this summer to visit all the family.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!

My super fabulous, wonderful, talented, and extremely handsome husband is

30!!!

Well, almost his birthday is tomorrow, but I don't think I will have time to get on tomorrow. Stephen, I love you and I hope you have an awesome birthday!!!!

Catch Up Time

Again, I have let to much time slip by without blogging, so this post should catch me up:)

Ok, starting back on Dec 16th..... Kaleb had his carol sing at his preschool and he did so good. He looked so cute up there singing, I was very proud of him. Here is the video of that.

The next evening Dec. 17th, my wonderful brother Derek got everyone tickets to the NCSU basketball game!!! We are all huge NSCU fans and basketball fans, so it was a win win situation. I so wish I could afford season tickets, b/c I love going to games! The kids were great they cheered, ate popcorn and overall had a blast. Stephen and I had a fun time too:)

The weekend before Christmas Stephen the kids and I all had a campout downstairs. We watched a movie and roasted marshmallows. I think we will start a new tradition with this, because it was so much fun!!!

I guess the next thing would be Christmas. I really think this was the best Christmas EVER!!! A few days before Christmas my Aunt Ellen, Meg and Anna came down for a visit. We did something different this year with them, we had a "white elephant" gift exchange. That was so much fun and I think it is going to be a great tradition. Ellen, Meg and Anna also got the kids some awesome clothes. We did our usual Christmas Eve baking (we made peanut butter cookies w/ kisses in the middle) and then that evening we took them to are friends. When we got back we all opened one present(pj's) and took some pictures and then it was off to bed to wait for Santa Clause. The kids didn't get up till about 7:15 and then waited ever so patiently to see if Santa came. Then like a thundering herd, they ran downstairs to see their spoils. Best line ever "This is just what I wanted!!!" Santa did a good job. We all opened our gifts and then had a delicious breakfast and waited for Derek and Amber and the boys to arrive. After they got there we exchanged gifts again with the kids and then let them go off and play with their new loot. The adults did our exchange where Stephen and I got the best surprise.... We thought everything was done, but my parents told us we had one more gift. They brought us a package that looked like a new comforter (which we said we wanted), but when we opened it it was some old pillows. I thought ha ha, there must be something small in the middle, then my dad says "oh well if don't want those, this might be better." Stephen and I look up to see my brothers holding a new TV!!! I lost it, I stared crying so hard (thankfully, I don't have any pictures). Stephen actually got a little teary eyed as well. We both could not believe the love my family has for us. I loved the TV, but I was so overcome with gratitude and love I just couldn't keep it in. This past year was a hard one for us, with Stephen being out of work for so long, and a new baby. My parents have sacrificed a lot for us and I will be forever thankful. I love my family and I am so grateful for the blessings they bring to my life. The rest of the day was pretty relaxed. My brother Kyle called home, which was wonderful! I loved talking to him, he sounds so grown up. He loves serving a mission and is doing awesome. His back was hurting him, but that is better as well. Ambers parents and younger brother Taylor came over and we had a delicious dinner. After all was cleaned up, we headed to bed, to have sweet dreams of this truly blessed day! I am so thankful for my Savior, I have learned that I cannot do everything myself, but with Him I can do anything! That knowledge has helped me so much to let go of things and leave it the Lord's hands. I know that he will always take care of me and my family, and I look forward to this New Year!!

*You can click on the picture to make them bigger*