Santa came

Before we say goodbye to 2009, just wanted to let you know that Santa did make it to our little corner of the WORLD.

Look at the build up of excitement on the faces of the children!!!!

Camilla did receive a Baby Alive, Eric did get fitted shirts....15 1/2 neck, 34/35 sleeve!

I love the scarf Lisa gave me and Spencer loves his new MADDEN wii game.

Neal now drives his very own "Lightning Maqueen" and yes, that is Sponge Bob!

Now that Neal is walking, talking, climbing and running all over it was time to turn the Christmas clean up duty over to my new little house boy....

Goodbye 2009......

Join us for a few adventures in 2010!!!!

Some Christmas Eve Clips

Karoake at the Kern's.....Jeremy and Ashlyn singing. Emiley and Camilla taking a turn.

Chad and Eric performing Kool and the Gang's "Ladies Night"

The kids in their new p.j.'s all ready for Santa to come!

Happy Birthday Mom!

Mom is having a birthday!!! She's celebrating it this year with her son's and their families in Las Vegas/Henderson. My mom is great; she's an amazing woman who is generally upbeat and cheerful. She keeps herself busy doing some kind of hand work, crafts, sewing, crocheting, etc.
This Christmas season she made all of her kids some hot pade, homemade bread and some cookies that we all grew up eating at Christmas time, it was sure a lot of fun to share those with our kids. I'm so thankful for my mom and the example she is to me of an Eternal Mother!!!! Mom spent alot of time this year helping My sister, Bev, when she had her twins, helping my brother, Danny, and then she had knee surgery and has worked the remaining part of the year strengthening herself so she can walk. Now dad's hopeful that she'll spend more time in the kitchen cooking him some yummy food!!!
Here is a picture of Neal, Spencer, Mom, Dad and Camilla just a few days before Christmas. Camilla does not have a bloody nose, she insisted on wearing a foam red nose to be Rudolph, it just was not cooperating with her.

Mom said she missed holding Spencer on her lap, so he gave a try and I snapped the picture.

Mom made the clothes for her little Christmas doll. Just one of her many talents.

We all hope you have a very Happy Birthday Mom! We love you!!!!

Happy Birthday Scott!

SCOTT IS 45!!!!!! Once upon a time at BYU, I met this boy, his name is Scott, and I thought he was realllllllly CUTE! He treated me nice and we had fun times. We became friends and learned how to talk and talk and talk to each other. we also did a few other things like go to movies, take walks, go on a few hikes, river raft down the Green River, eat lotsa food together and dance. I don't remember the first time we met and I have come to realize that it's because it's not that important. What I do know is that he has been a big part of my life from the time I was 18. I could write a love story about us and some day I just might.

It's Scott's 45th birthday today, and I have always celebrated his birthday in some way because he is a celebration to me. See he's my bbff...I think that means best boy friend forever....at least that's what it means to me. When you have a bbff, sometimes you tell them things that you don't tell anyone else, or you say it in a way that you wouldn't say it to anyone else. Sometimes you laugh about things together that no one else thinks is funny. Sometimes you stay up all night long talking to each other just because you want to. Sometimes you share the hardest things in your life. Sometimes you go on trips together. Sometimes you hug, eat, go to concerts, through snow or mud at each other, dance, play games, send cards, write emails, call each other on the phone and visit each other.

I've learned from my friendship with Scott that you ALWAYS support each other, give each other encouragement, listen, make time for and think the best of each other.

I look forward to climbing a mountain or two with my bbff and making many, many, many more memories. I've learned that Scott has alot of patience with me and I believe that, if he has to, he will push me and pull me up Mt. Charleston; because I told him I wanted to climb that mountain and he wants me to reach my goals.

Happy Birthday Scott! You are the BEST!!! May you have lots of Cake, Chocolate, Dr. Pepper, Hugs and Kisses from Tess, Cameron, Collin and Steph, a moment to reflect on what this year has been for you, count your blessings and DANCE! And always remember:

YOU TAKE MY BREATH AWAY!!!

Christmas trees

Here is a portion of our family Christmas Tree. We've had this tree for many years and enjoy putting it up each Christmas. Most ornaments have a memory attached to them. Several were made by my mom. Some were made by the kids. Some were made by their Aunt Stacy. Some were given by friends. It's great to look at it and just enjoy how the kids arranged the ornaments.

I remember growing up with real pine trees for Christmas, which I loved. I also remember a few times driving with my family to a place in Nevada to cut trees. Sometimes for church fund raising and other times for family and friends and to make a few extra dollars. Trimming the tree was always fun and exciting growing up and even as a grown up. I remember my mom handing out ornaments, dad put on the lights..etc. Now it's that way in my own family. Eric puts on the lights, now Spencer helps, and I hand out the ornaments to my kids.

How I enjoy having a Christmas tree real or fake, it brings so much joy to the season!

Conversation with Santa

Santa, "Have you been a good girl?"

Camilla, "Well, Yes I have"

Santa, "What would you like for Christmas?" Camilla, "I don't know." Santa, "Okay then...let's get our picture taken together." Camilla, "Thanks for the Candy Cane." Santa, "You're welcome."

I asked Camilla what she told Santa and she said, she didn't know what to say, her mind went blank.....

December 11th

It's been hitting o degrees here in Payson, very chilly weather. It's so cold that I found my snowman bundled up with a nice fleece jacket and along with his black top hat and bow tie!!!

Camilla has her Christmas concert with TaVaci tomorrow, Spencer is being evaluated for placement on a basketball team tomorrow and Neal is trying to get over a sinus infection. The world just keeps on turning, even when it's freezing cold outside.

December 10

I enjoy Christmas decorations. These are two of my favorite Christmas Decorations this year.

Correction..

Oops...Donny is 52!

December 9th

Happy 51st Birthday to DONNY OSMOND!!!

We have had very cold temperatures!!! Zero and below...right now the temp is 9 degrees and 6:30 pm. All those years I lived in Nevada, Mt. Charleston or Las Vegas, Donny Osmond was in Utah....now that I live in Utah, Donny spends the majority of his time in Las Vegas...hmmmm. Guess I'm not really destined to be his best friend....oh well. I love him anyway!!!!

December 8th

We woke up to more SNOW!
Just wondering if anyone would like to join me for some wintertime swinging?
Eric took this picture after his morning of shovelling. He hurt his back this morning. Spencer is going to have to relieve his dad in the snow shovelling dept, at least half way through. I went out 40 minutes ago and just came back in the house from shovelling again. Yes, shoulders are sore. I hope I am building at least a little bit of muscle. I do not want to clean my house now ...nope don't want to do it, just want to SIT. Maybe Linde could send over a house cleaning angel like the one she posted on my email; that would be oh so NICE!!

December 7th

A DAY OF SNOW!!!!

I know it was snowing when I looked out the window at 4am. This was the first picture I captured this morning. Neal noticed Coal and I opened the door, they took some time to visit and love on each other. Coal is an outdoor dog but today I think he would have liked to have been an indoor dog and Neal would have liked it too, but I'm just not that kind of girl. I do love watching Neal with Coal though, it's very sweet.

This picture was taken about 4:30 pm. Eric shovelled snow, I shovelled snow and Spencer shovelled snow. I have not shovelled for two years, pregnancy and then a hernia kept me from it, but I HAD to today just to get out of the garage. Boy I can sure feel it!

Camilla in the snow.

Eric took this night shot of our house lit up for Christmas and the front yard filled with SNOW!

Eric snuck up on Camilla and I as I was reading her a few bed time Christmas stories. I love reading bedtime stories. Good night...I wonder if tomorrow will bring more SNOW. We'll see. I'm VERY TIRED and a big SORE. It's sure is beautiful though.

December 6th

This photo was received a few weeks ago on the email and it made Eric and I laugh, so I thought I'd share it on my blog.

We are enjoying a nice Sabbath Day. It did snow a bit this morning and it's been cold today, so thankful for a nice warm home.

December 5th

The first snow of December!!! It's beginning to look more like Christmas each day.

I found Neal on top of the our kitchen table yesterday re-arranging a Nativity. Yes, he has now mastered moving the chairs just to the place he needs them to be to climb up on the chair and then on to the table. December is proving to be lots of fun so far!

December 4th

http://http//www.culture.gouv.fr/culture/noel/angl/gui.htm go to this link and learn a bit about kissing under the mistletoe. Have you been kissed under the mistletoe? We used to hang mistletoe in our home as I was growing up and I can remember playing games where we'd kiss each other if we saw someone standing under it. We'd find mom and dad kissing under it at times and giggle. I have been surprisingly kissed under mistletoe when I was growing up, in my college apartment and a few other areas where there was mistletoe. It is a fun tradition. I better run and buy some mistletoe and see if Eric notices when he comes home!

Camilla kissed Neal today as he was finishing up his breakfast. She has been asking about kissing a bit more recently and laughing if she sees anyone kissing and say's "They're in love" or "Ewwww" those kind of things. Well, today she told me, "I'm just giving Neal a little kiss, because he is so cute, not a big MOOCH!" LOL..she said, "Mooches mean you are in love, I can't be in love with Neal, I just think he's so cute." I said, "It's okay to give kisses to each other in our family because we do love each other." She said, "I know mom, but we shouldn't be MOOCHIN on each other." Ha, ha.

I always say to my little ones..."Give me a smoochie on my moochie" It was just something silly that came out of my mouth, it stuck and lasted for YEARS and so I guess Camilla has taken it in her own way and now a kiss between two people who are being romantic with each other has evolved in to a MOOCH.

I hope you get some Mooches under the Mistletoe this Christmas season..or at least a few pecks of friendship and goodwill.

December 3rd

Neal has become interested in trying to put on shoes, other people's BIG shoes. He spends time working to get his feet in the shoes and then tries to walk. Today he found my slip on shoes and I caught this priceless picture of him taking a walk in them. As you can see it gives him joy and makes for lots of laughter!

He also loves hats and sunglasses. Grandma and Grandpa stopped by the other day and even though he was sick and had his binky in his mouth to sooth himself, he managed to get Grandpa's hat and Grandma's sunglasses.

December 2nd

It's a bit cloudy here in Payson this morning and chilly. There is snow on the mountains but no snow to shovel yet, which is nice. After I got everyone off to school, I dressed Neal in his red Mickey Mouse coat that Lisa gave him along with his Mickey hat...I will post a picture soon....and we headed out for a little frosty morning walk. Neal beep bopped along at quick toddler speed and didn't want to hold my hand. I made him as we crossed the street. He headed to the park, found a light colored labrador and went right up to him, hugged him, almost kissed him and followed him to the underground tunnel that leads to the next park in our area...I stayed at a close two steps behind, just amazed at how fast he has gotten. He took a little fall as we were heading down the steep incline toward the tunnel, he whined a bit about his hand and then got right back to the task of following that "Goggie", we crossed the river and somehow lost site of the dog (which was okay by me), I turned Neal around and headed back to our park, he headed for the slides and managed to climb up the stairs, head down the slide head first. Luckly I was close by to hold on to him. There was frost on the slide so he was irritated that his hands got cold, I forgot his gloves, and he tried hard to climb back up the slide, but his hands got colder. So finally I picked him up and told him it was time to go home, as I was walking toward the sidewalk I didn't lift my foot up high enough and stumbled to the ground with Neal in my hands. Luckly he didn't get hurt and I just bruised my knee and my ego.

On the 2nd day of December I am thankful that I didn't break anything when I fell and I am so happy to see Neal enjoy being outside even when it's cold! I'm thankful that Lisa gave him a red Mickey Mouse coat, HE LOVES IT!

December 1st

It's here....December!!! I can feel it, the most wonderful time of the year. I hope you feel it too! At our house there is NO SNOW, yet. Decorations are in place. The calendar is changed the count down begins and the Magic of Christmas is on it's way.

If you receive posts on your email from my blog, please take a minute to actually click on to the blog, enjoy some Christmas music and see how it's decorated. I have loved keeping this blog for a little over a year now. I hope you enjoy reading it and seeing the pictures.

Thankful

Thanksgiving 2009 is over; but I'm thankful for pictures that help me remember how nice it was. I didn't remember to take my camera out during food prep time in the kitchen, but I did enjoy having a crowd in the kitchen helping to get the food ready to serve almost on time! We did have most of my family here at our home, just missing 5 family members. Thankful that our basement is finished and we can use it and fill it up with nieces and nephews;as well as our own children, ranging from 14 to 11 months. 36 people!! 2 sets of twins!! Blonde hair, brown hair, strawberry blonde hair, no hair, white hair, multi-colored hair (me). Blue eyes, hazel eyes, brown eyes, green eyes? Children turned in to teenagers getting TALLER than me! Children trying to get taller than me! Food being devoured by tall thin boys who don't look like they could ever eat that much food! Cousins getting in the canal water....luckly it wasn't full, wet pants and shoes. Good dinner, good dessert, good company. Family, I am thankful for family!!! Danny and Anika wins for biggest smile!!!

Michael, most distinguished pose after Thanksgiving feast.

Dad, best Thanksgiving jig holding plate in one hand and phone in the other!

Chad, winner of eating the most mashed potatos and gravy, Joseph coming in a close second.

John winner of the BEST SEAT in the house!

Bev, winner of the last person left sitting at the table...notice how many plates she has next to her...hmmm!

Stacey and mom best facial features to sum up how we all felt after dessert!

THE FRUIT OF OUR LOINS!!! See me in the background?? Don't I look like everyone's favorite Aunt??? That's because I AM!! Ha, ha.

The line to get to the food! Joseph is the tall boy trying to dish up the biggest amount of mashed potatos!

It was a fun Thanksgiving....No one was hurt...I am ThAnKfUl!