Hayden's Birthday

Today after I took Morgen, Max & Markus to the dentist this morning, I took them over to visit their cousin Hayden. Lara had a little party for his birthday today since he is going to be with his dad tonight and they wanted to play the Wii and needed some more controllers. So the boys played with him for a little bit and we had cake. Then we went to see the Curious Case of Benjamin Button movie. Monet invited me over tonight to Rocco's house to play games with them and hang out so I will post some photos later. Until next year...

Resolutions

I was thinking about my new year's resolutions today since the new year is right around the corner. I don't like to make long lists of them since that hardly ever produces any results. I usually just pick one or two things that I really want to focus on to improve or change or even just be more aware of, but I haven't done that yet. So I will keep you posted.

Winter Games

A few of my students are getting ready for the Winter Games competition coming up next month and so they are taking a bunch of extra lessons this week to get ready for it. Since they are out of school, it is a good opportunity for extra practices. So I was teaching a lot again today. I also went swimming this morning.

Primary Class

I am going to miss the cute kids in my primary class. They were all saying that they were sad to be going on to a new class as well. We didn't really have a lesson for today, so I just brought treats and we played hangman with a list of words from previous lessons. I am not sure how much they learned but I know they had fun.

Ice Skating

I taught ice skating for 2 hours this morning. Max also had drop in hockey this morning as well. He had a great time and invited one of his friends from his team to come over afterwards to play and have lunch then go skating with us again this afternoon. They had a great time skating and playing tag while I was teaching and he didn't want to leave when his mom came to pick him up.

Then Max won a free ticket to the Grizzlies game tonight so I took him to it and bought another ticket for me. It was a great game against Idaho and the Grizz were all wearing NY islanders shirts for the game. Afterwards they had an auction for people to buy the shirts right off the players backs and have them autographed. Max and I stayed but didn't buy one. The bidding started at $500 and went up from there, a little old lady next to me spent $1000 on the shirt that she purchased. I had no idea they went for so much money. Anyways, it was all for a good cause as the proceeds all went to St. Jude's hospital. I took some photos with my phone, I will try and see if I can post them out here. Later.

I figured out how to download the photos from my phone so here they are, not the greatest quality but you get the idea.

Christmas Morning

Morgen was the first one awake yesterday morning (luckily not as early as a couple of years ago at 2:17 a.m.) He woke up at 6:25 a.m. and promptly woke Max up as well. I wouldn't let them wake Markus up...

So he woke up at 8:20 and was so excited to see what Santa had brought him! He loved eating candy colas for breakfast.

Max was ecstatic about his iPod Nano and ripstick.

He downloaded songs and games on to it right away...with a few tears because of course the computer wasn't working but we finally got it figured out and he was happy.

Morgen only asked Santa for games this Christmas! PS3 games, DS games, Wii games and a W.O.W. game. He loves to play games!!!

I honestly think that all three boys were spoiled for Christmas.

Joyeux Noël

One more sleep 'til Christmas

Markus has been SO excited all day today. I took Max & Markus sledding today while Morgen stayed home because he wanted to play his game. When we came home from the park, Markus put his pajamas back on so he would be ready for bed, he can hardly wait until tomorrow! I have a tradition that started when I was little. We always used to open one present on Christmas Eve at my house, and it was always new pajamas. So I carried on that tradition with my own kids. Here is a photo of them in their Christmas p.j.'s...

The reason for the season

...is love

Amazing Christmas Lights

Family Christmas Party

Tonight was the family Christmas party at my parents home in Heber. It was loud, wild and crazy as usual with so many people packed in a little space. But I think my boys had fun. My parents gave us a family trip to Moab in April, which I am excited about. Monet drew my name for Christmas and gave me a fabulous pair of boots that I have wanted for a long time. I love them and had to post a photo of them. I think it would have been fun if Adam and Darlin could have made it to the party this year, however, everyone else did.

Max's Hockey Game

Bulldogs 2
Lions 3

Max had a great goal though and an awesome assist. His coach gave him the paperwork for the game afterwards and told him it was still a great game and that you can't win them all. This is only the bulldogs second loss of the year.

Holiday Sing Along

Max wore my Santa hat today for the annual holiday sing along at Oakridge. He sang two songs and did a great job on both, especially ringing those bells.

Markus sang great as well, pictured here with his teacher Mrs. S

It was fun to sit by my friend Nicole at the program and talk in between the songs - and sometimes even while the songs were being sung!

Max is on the first row, 4th from the left, singing the mistletoe song that was new this year. Most of the other songs I have heard for seven years running.

Cousin's Christmas Party

Diane, Scott & Denise at the cousin's Christmas party tonight at Aunt Penni's home.

We all were supposed to bring a white elephant gift to exchange and Monet gave me this idea... to put a live lobster in a Victoria's Secret box!

Spinach Salad

Spinach Salad by Kelli

1 bag of spinach
1 qt. strawberries, hulled & sliced
Feta cheese, crumbled
1/2 c. pecans, caramelized with sugar & butter

dressing:
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. oil
1/4 c. red wine vinegar
2 T. sesame seeds
1 1/2 t. dried onion
1/4 t. Worcestershire
1/4 t. paprika

Oh Christmas Tree

Lunch

I went to lunch with my cute friend Nicole today. She is such a sweetheart and we had a great time talking for over 2 hours. I know that she is super busy getting ready for Christmas right now but she still took time to spend with me. It is so nice to have friends like that in life. She has an always positive outlook on life, despite battling breast cancer three times since she was 21. She has always been such an inspiration to me. We met almost 13 years ago when our oldest children were just babies. We have been friends ever since.

Sledding

I wanted to take some photos of Morgen, Max & Markus sledding tonight but it was too dark and I didn't bring my camera. So ... no photo!!! But I had a great time watching them sled, and listening to them laugh and giggle all the way down the hill. I just sat up on the top of the hill, with the moon lighting the snow and drank my hot chocolate by myself. I went down the hill a few times on their sleds with them when they asked me to, otherwise I just sat and sipped.

Snow Day

Max won his hockey game again today, 6-2.

Fun memory

I had the best time tonight shopping with Monet, her girls and my boys. First we met for dinner at Hire's and then went to Wal-Mart. She was in the craziest mood and put Santa hats on all of us. Then she bought this tacky Santa and took a photo with her phone. (That is why it is so blurry) She bought two trees, one for her house and one for Rocco's. And all the decorations to go along with it. She also talked me into buying one for my house. I have never had a fake tree before, we always buy fresh cut trees. I think it is the tackiest tree ever, but now that I put it up I love it and think it will look so cute with all my old fashioned glass ornaments on it. It was such a silly night and a fun Christmas memory for the kids for sure!

Santa Claus is coming to town

You better watch out, you better not cry...

Daily

I can't even remember what I did today, but I know I was busy!

Girl Night

Nicole hosted the annual girl night Christmas party at her beautiful home tonight. She is such a gracious hostess and had made a yummy ham for dinner. She also made us these darling aprons.

Laurie also made us aprons that have hand drawn birds on them and they say "cheers".

Olivia and Nicole looking so cute

They always wrap the gifts beautifully, I had to take a photo.

I am so glad to have such good friends. l to r: Carol, Heidi, Nicole, Olivia, B, Kelli & Laurie

Bahama Mama

Monet has been in the Bahamas with her boyfriend since last Wednesday and
I have been watching her girls. They are so much fun to have around, always so well behaved (except for when Kailey was at her Dino Snores activity at Thanksgiving Point and was sent home early for sneaking in to the boys dorm rooms) (or when Aria was losing her coat and sweater and socks and ...) and so much fun to talk with. Their school is out in Draper and it was a bit of a challenge to get them dropped off and picked up on time everyday while picking up my kids from their different schools up in the cove. I think they had a fun time at my house though, at least they seemed like they were enjoying themselves. It was especially fun making dinner with Kailey last night and brownies for dessert. She is such a cute girl and I really enjoyed sharing this time with her. Monet gets back later tonight but she is going to come pick them up before school in the morning.

Molly's new haircut

So I took Molly into the groomers yesterday and they had to shave her bare because she had such matted hair. She looks like a totally different dog now and Max just loves to bring her inside. My niece Kailey made a video of her and put it on youtube. You can watch it here...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaC6W_6IwhA

Hockey

Max's game today was so exciting and he got his first penalty (for slashing) as well. His team won 6-4 and it was way fun to watch. He is having such a great year this year in hockey. He didn't try out for the Lightning team but one of the players from his team did and made it. I was talking to his mom about it and she said he has two practices and sometimes a game each week in addition to the house team practices and games. Her son is really improving so much though, so I guess it is worth it. Maybe Max will want to try out next year, we will have to wait and see. Until then he is just enjoying having a blast playing hockey!

Light the night

The silver blades skaters were invited to skate in a show at the outdoor rink in S. Jordan tonight

Since Amanda was one of those skaters invited I went out to watch. It was freezing cold but after they turned the lights on the tree in the middle of the rink Amanda skated and she did a wonderful job. I only choreographed her program to Celine Dion's -"Happy Christmas" a few weeks ago. She is such a sweet girl and a joy to teach.

Christmas Lights

Pink

When I got my haircut today I had the girl that was coloring my hair put some pink in the back. I think it looks kind of purple right now but in a few days it will probably fade to pink, I think!

Festival of Trees

l to r: Kim, Sharon, Julie, B, Susan & Sheri

Tonight I went out to help with the festival of trees.

The man that created this tree, Tom, was at the festival tonight and I was able to meet him. He has a speech impediment so his wife was doing most of the talking for him but he did tell me that he didn't create this tree, God did and he was just an instrument in his hands.

I was stationed at this tree for the entire evening and it was a popular tree. It sold for $26,000 dollars and it had the highest selling price for this years festival.

Glass Tidings & Joy was the name of the tree and it was all hand blown glass, with lights and music synchronized as well.

One year ago

It is hard to believe that one year ago today it snowed this much...
and that Max played at a Grizzlies game during one of the intermissions. I think he is going to again this year as well, as the County League usually has a night were the teams get an opportunity to do so, but I don't know when it is going to be yet.

He was so excited to meet the captain of the grizzlies team as well last year on this day in history.

Peace on Earth

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

I went to teach skating earlier this morning to my student Amanda who is going to be in the Christmas show next week. Then I ran home to pick up Max and Markus for a drop in hockey session. Markus was having a fit about some toy that he wanted, that Morgen showed him online. So he didn't end up skating but Max did and had a great time playing hockey for an hour and a half. I just held Markus in my lap and tried to talk to him about the concept of being good before Christmas, that Santa Claus is always watching, etc., but he was not listening, he wanted his toy today!

When I came home I decided to start spreading some Christmas cheer and put all the decorations out, except for the tree of course. I have to wait a few more weeks to buy that so that the tree doesn't die before Christmas.

My favorite decorations are the village pieces that I have started to collect. And my Grandma Jo's nativity scene that she made out of porcelain and hand painted and bejeweled each piece.