Winter Pictures

I was Waiting to show these until Christmas cards got sent out.
Thank you Jessica for taking the time to take our pictures so often it is simply wonderful of you!
The Pictures where difficult to get but the few we got are in my opinion well worth it.
Thank you again Jessica.

The kids got to play a bit and we all had a blast finding the Pine Branch in the Lake. Just the Size for a Christmas tree! It just floated up to shore while we where taking pictures and the kids really wanted to get it out of the water. So there you have it our Christmas tree fishing trip. A rare catch indeed!

Ward Christmas Party 2014

Last weekend we went to the annul ward Christmas Party. It was a lot of fun to take the kids a little early yo the party so that they could meet Santa (who is really a nice elderly man in 34 ward). The kids where astonished. It was pretty fun. And I love having them meet Santa at the ward party instead of at the mail because... well ya I probably wouldn't let my kids meet Santa at the mail so this way everyone's happy.
Also I forgot that their is a nice gentleman in our ward who always volunteers to take pictures of the kids with Santa so my kids are NOT dressed up nicely. Here I sigh.
They dinner was actually gluten free so we didn't have to bring a whole other meal for Mitch and Kay so that was a nice break from dinner preparations. The musical number where so pretty! They had someone 9 a friend of mine actually) play "O come Emmanuel" on her viola.... so BEAUTIFUL!
The kids had a blast.

After the kids meet Santa He gave them candy canes and as we walked away Eli told me in a quiet voice "mom, Santa is really nice!"

The story of a carmera

So you all know that my boys have a thing for picture taking, they learned from their mother (me) so I cant complain, not that I want to, I think its cute.
Well the other day at my parents house the kids found my camera and began to play with it.
No problem, they do that all the time. Worst case sanario is that they run the battery down and take lots of pictures of the ceiling
but no
I was off
you see kayden loves "papa"'s fish.
I don't know if he was trying to take a picture of the fish or if he was trying to share the camera with the fish but either way the camera ended up
in the bottom of my dads fish tank
. SO I have no pictures.
My SD card and camera are in the bottom of a big bag of rice now.
Not sure how much hope their is for the camera but I have high hope for the SD card making a full recovery.
cross your fingers.

One good day

I have had a good day so far. I love these kind of quite days.
We woke up and tidied up the house a bit. Then we made and decorated sugar cookies. Then we wrapped the gifts the boys picked out for their cousins , we went Christmas shopping for other people for FHE activity last night - I love these boys.
 After we finished the cookies and the gift wrapping (which took several hours) we went on a run to the park. Wonderful.
I ran with the kids in the double stroller and then after a while Eli got out and ran with me. So peaceful.
We came home and cleaned up all the plants in the yard. Better late then never.
Now lunch, nap time, laundry, addressing Christmas cards and dinner.
Then later I am going to my book group to talk about this months book- A Christmas Carol.
what contentment.

(Pictures updated soon)

Thanksgiving break-Satuerday

Saturday we got up and left pretty early we had to be gone by 9 am because we had stuff to do. We pack and at the cheesecake I had made the night before. (yummy breakfast)
on our way out of Utah we stopped at NPS which is a crazy cool store.
Then we just drove and drove,
and drove.

We got home and unloaded cleaned up the rental car and then Mitchell took the rental to the airport in Boise to turn in
 and i followed in the focus with the kids. Mitchell turned in the rental and then jumped in the car with us and we drove to sand hollow for the last part of the West family round robin Thanksgiving meal. They had all started at my parents house and 12 noon and then gone to a few other relative houses, we met up with them at my Grandparents house at around 5:30.
After turkey, ham and rolls their we wen tot my Aunt Doreen and uncles house for desserts and games. We played scum.
PS my aunt day made these amazing caramel toffees chocolate chip cookies things- WOW they are GOOOD! (i need to make up a GF recipe version)

Anyways then we headed home by way of costco since we didn't have food.
We got home and got the kid's in bed and then i headed over to my parents house to watch The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty with Jessica, my mom, and Joseph.
Then we all sorted through boxes of stuff from my grandpas house. Which was so nice to do with us girls.

The next Day was Sunday and we Rushed in the Morning to get pictures taken with Jessica Before Church. It was not something huge because of the day and the time restraint but i am SO glad we did it!

Thanks Everyone for and amazing Thanksgiving Break!

Temple Square

We went to see the Lights at Temple square.
We parked up the hill across from the capitol building.
It was so beautiful.
The view, the lights, the weather, most of all the beautiful Temple.
I loved being there with my children and husband.
It was amazing.
Truly.
Eli loved the lights but mostly he wanted to go inside the Temple.
It brought tears to my eyes to hear him ask over and over to go inside the Temple.
I told him he could someday and we talked about Heavenly Father and Jesus and families.
Later in the visitors center He sat still while the missionarys talked and he just looked at the Christis statue.
Kayden sat quietly too, he folded his arms.
Without being told.
I know they felt the Spirit Testify to them that God loved them and that Jesus Christ is our Savior.
I love my Boys.
We talked more on the drive back about Temples and how they are sacred. We told the Boys that we all wanted to be a family together forever.
What a great way to Start the season that Celebrates Christs Birth.

Always my favorite sight 

Thanksgiving Break- Friday

On Friday morning we got up early and went shopping really quickly to JC Penny's to get me some new shoes because I had kinda hurt the only pair I had brought on the trip.
Then we headed to Allison and Ron's house to spend the day with them. the kids where so excited. First we stopped by their house and they gave the kids the gifts they had gotten them in Jamaica.
Then we followed them in our car to the surprise place they had planned for the kids.
we soon arrived at the aquarium!
BIG HIT with the kids!
they kinda have this thing for "fishy s"
So my camera dies as soon as we got their but Allison had a phone with a decent camera so that ended up working fine.

It is seriously a cool aquarium they have there! we all had a great time.
pictures say it best:

3

After the Aquarium they where kine enough to treat us to lunch at Red Robin. After that we decided to go to the mountains- (I may have had something to do with that) The mountains had been calling to me since i got there! It was great we drove fast on a great mt highway and then we did a little hike it wasn't too bad so the kids cloud do most of it. It felt so good to just be out a bit. After our hike we drove down past a lake to get to a stream that has some good fish and we all looked around and took a few pictures. The kids loved it.

In the background of these last few you can see Carlin pretending to throw Eli into the river. It was pretty darn funny at the time.

That Night we wen tot Temple Square with Jon and Diane. Eli LOVED it. I had some very proud mommy moments when he kept wanting to go inside the Temple. I told him someday he could. Then we went to the visitors center so that he could enjoy a bit of quite and peace. 

 Again pictures say it best. It was fun after we got back form Temple square we played more games with Mitchel's siblings and watched the old cartoon movie of Batman.

Thanksgiving Break- Wednesday & Thursday (THANKSGIVING)

Wednesday was pretty low key. We spent the day with my mother-in-law Diane because she had the day off work.
We spent the morning running errands and then us girls made lots of pies in preparation for thanksgiving. We had a "who can make their pie look the most beautiful contest" I won. The other contestants where the boys who didn't really try so the victory wasn't that sweet.
Then in the afternoon the girls went to Ikea so I could get some of the fabulously inexpensive wonderfully simple things they sell there- like drapes. :)
I got some great things- I love IKEA. besides drapes i got a comforter and pillow slip set for each of the boys and I got some new pillow covers for our living room (finally).
Diane got the kids a fabulous toy they they played with all day.
Mitchell and his brothers went to see interstellar.
In the evening we all made homemade individual pizzas and played games.
We played Ticket to Ride- I won. (I know shocking)
Anyways Wednesday was all good and fun and Wednesday night the kids played with Uncle Ron.
when it was time for bed Eli said "NO! I want to keep playing (points finger at Ron) with that guy"
It was awesome and Mitch recorded a great video of the kids playing with him that hopefully we can get up hear someday. We lost the thing to transfer pictures from our tablet so we are on hold for a lot of pictures currently.

 THANKSGIVING
I slept in -Thank you honey- but everyone else was up and moving early early morning.
We all ate breakfast and then us girls took over the baking. to save time I will just share the menu and then you will all have an idea of the time we spent in the kitchen etc.
We had a Ham with Honey glaze
A Turkey seasoned with fresh herbs and lemons
Delicious gravy made with the goodness that comes from a turkey neck that simmers all day.
Pecan Apple stuffing- this was The Best Stuffing I have ever had!
Sweet potatoes- mashed with maple syrup and salted butter
A huge mound of mashed potatoes.
Fresh Green Beans pan fried with bacon and olive oil.
Green salad
The pies (made the day before)
also brought by Mitchell's sister Allison there was
stuffing
a fluffy jello marshmallow salad- actually Ron made that
two kinds of rolls
more pies
...I feel like I forgot another side dish but nothings coming to mind so I am moving on.
We set the table beautifully with Diane special china and vintage linen table cloth,  cannot believe it but I forgot to take a picture of any of the food , table or eating.Sorry to my future self I know you will be saddened by that.
After the dinner (we ate at 3) everybody watched football for like 6 hours. Honestly the meal went way to fast for me everyone just ate fast in silence- that okay just not what I am used to. The meal took probably 20min and for all the hours of prep it felt like i blinked and it was nothing but dished to be done. It was all great and dandy though his family is really chill about holidays so it was fairly low key.
After dinner we cleaned everything up and Jon and I did dishes- he is a dishes washing machine  whenever my in laws visit he always does our dishes.
I spent the rest of the afternoon helping Diane and the kids move her living room furniture around and set up and decorate the tree. Mitchell came and helped for a little bit too (thanks hon). We also set up Diane's Christmas village which the kids adored.
I put the kids down early since they where still tired from the day before.
Later that night Diane and I rearranged her bedroom furniture and then we talked with Jon about awesome deep intellectual topics.. Yikes I was tired the next day. I have no idea when the guys all went to bed because they where till playing computer games when we all shut down for the night at 2.

Thanksgiving week Monday-tuesday

we spent thanksgiving with my in-laws in Utah. It was a long and fabulously fun week.
So without further ado i will begin.
Monday was spent primarily in the car. We rented a really nice one to travel and it was fun for Mitch to drive.
Anyways we got to Nana and Papas house around 3:30 and made dinner for my mother in law. We went shopping and talked. That's pretty much it.
 Also while we where out shopping Mitchell and the boys got a bouquet of flowers for Nana- they are such sweet awesome boys!

Tuesday was BUSY. we stated the day pretty relaxed and then we headed out to Lehi to visit Grandpa Durrant and Grandma Linda. We visited with them for an hour or so but headed out around ten because grandpa had to go to dialysis.
 Then we headed to American Fork and spent the day with Uncle Darrel and aunt Marla's family. They treated us to a trip to the museum of Natural curiosity and lunch at Thanksgiving Point.
That museum is AWESOME. we where there for several hours but we only saw 1/2 of the things there. It was so much fun. The kids and adults loved it.
The kids also loved playing with their cousin (who is my cousins daughter).
after all of that fun the boys went to see the new Disney hero movie and my cousins and I went to Provo to see the art Exhibits and my cousins art studio.