Awesome Brandon Basketball

Brandon is our little star basketball player.  At his game yesterday he made 5 baskets!!!  That's right, 5 baskets!!!  AMAZING!  Especially for such a little guy.  It is so much fun to watch him as I shout, "Oh yeah!  That's my kid!"

One Billion Seconds and a New Car

Alyssa (my sister) and her husband, Clayton, are living in town for the semester while he does an internship.  It has been super fun having them here.  The best part was when they first arrived.  They got us this awesome helicopter for Christmas that the kids LOVE!

 I turned 1 billion seconds old on Friday the 13th.  So Ryan made me a DELICIOUS fruit pizza to celebrate.

 Some friends gave me a countdown jar to the next billion (there are no where near a billion grains of sand in that jar).

 Ryan playing basketball (it is so hot):

 The kids made prayer rocks to help them remember to say their prayers.

 We finally had a snow day.  After I got Cody all ready, it was too much work to sit up for him so he just laid there.  It reminded me of the Christmas Story, so I had to get a picture of it.

 It took me 2 hours to shovel the whole driveway.  But it was fun to be in the snow.

 Aunt Lissa and Uncle Clayton are the "BEST BABY-SITTERS EVER".  At least that is what my kids said after we left them for the night.  They played lasers in the hall with yarn and tape.  The kids loved it so much that they keep setting them up in different halls in the house.

 Oh, and we got a new car.  It is a GMC Acadia.  I love it!  And so do the kids.  We are trying to find a new name for it.  So far the best names in the running are "Batmobile" and "Gus".

 The kids love the new car so much that they don't fight when they are in it.  How much longer can that last?

 Kathleen is sad to say goodbye to the minivan.  Drama!

 Brandon had his first basketball game on Saturday.  We had terrible seats and sat by the most rude lady who kept blocking our view.  But Brandon was awesome and scored three baskets.  He is so fun to watch. But here is my lame picture of him.

 He was sooooo cute trying to block his man.

Happy Christmas!

For Christmas this year, Ryan gave me the 12 days of Christmas.  I got a gift each day leading up to Christmas day. I think this was my favorite:

 Christmas Eve we played Wii tennis and bowling.  It was so much fun.

 We did a ton of "science".  Brandon was really into it.  Here we are "ice fishing".  We made ice stick to string.

 Before it got too dark we decided to sprinkle some reindeer food in our yard, you know, to attract the blue-nosed Rudolph.

 Then, traditional pizza for dinner:

 The nativity:

 New pajamas, then bed:

 Christmas morning:

 After church (yes I forgot to get pictures of my cute kids all dressed up for church on Christmas) we found that Santa had left a few gifts under the playroom tree.

 I got a Psych iPhone case for my 12th day.

 We opened Grammy and Pompa's gifts while talking to them on the computer.

 Hours and hours of tether ball.  You have never seen a happier boy than Brandon playing tether ball...even in freezing temperatures.

 After Christmas, our cousins came to visit.  I really think these four had the time of their lives.  At least it sounded that way by the amount of noise they made.

 We went bowling.  Ryan and his sister:

 What could be better than laying on top of your cousin?  Total comfort!

Busy Week

Kathleen had her performance in the Nutcracker last weekend.  She was a snowflake.  She was so cute.

 Sunday was our anniversary.  Ryan and I have been married for 12 years!  Can you believe it?  And he is even better now than he was 12 years ago (and better looking).  As part of my 12-Days-of-Christmas gift (not to be confused with an anniversary gift) Ryan made me Baked Alaska.  I have never had it before.  I think it very well may be my new favorite dessert.

 I know many people have rotten kids in the month of December.  I don't know what it is, the sugar or the all-consuming greed of what Santa will bring them, but my kids are the worst at this time of year.  We have an "Elf on the Shelf" that comes to visit our family each Christmas season.  Apparently mom and dad aren't the only ones who have had enough of the kids behavior.  Santa has too.  When Freddie (the elf) reported back to Santa one night, the kids had been so poorly behaved that Santa did not allow him to return.  Instead, we received this note.  After a few days of the best behavior my kids have ever had in December, Freddie returned.

 We made it snow with cotton balls and cans in Primary on Sunday.  The kids loved it so much that we set it up and played at home.

 Brandon and Kathleen had their Christmas piano recital this week.

 Grandma and Grandpa sent the kids some Christmas gifts.

Can anyone say "Christmas Morning Mess?"  We had that at our house a few days early.

The kids had their Christmas parties at school.

Kathleen's class made pillow cases for kids in the hospital.