A First for Us

This is the first time we have had someone do the 12 Days of Christmas to us. We are all loving it!! I am pretty sure it's someone from our ward. Since we all pick a family or two to do something nice for this Christmas season. 

 

Every night we get a new character for our nativity. It comes with a little scripture that goes along with the character. 

The nativity set is from Jerusalem and made of olive wood. Justin and I have both mentioned, prior to us recieving this gift, that we would love a nativity made out of olive wood from Jerusalem. So we are so very grateful to whomever is doing this for us!!

The kids love getting a new character each night. It's become something we all look forward to!!

#feelingblessed #loveournewnativity

Peppp is here again!

I know some people like to argue weither or not you should have an Elf on the shelf for your kids.  They like to add how materialistic it is and how it takes away from the real meaning of Christmas. And I do get it. 

But for me it's all about finding balance in things. I don't claim to be perfect in any way and I am far from being one of those awesome parents who make every moment a spiritual one. I want to make life as well rounded as it can be. I want to fill my kids memories with the serious stuff, like buying Christmas gift for other children and raking leaves at an elderly persons home. But I also want them to have just simply fun memories and I want them to be able to look back over there childhood and see that we provided both for them. So that's the reason I like the Elf on the shelf, just because it's simply fun and doesn't always serve a purpose doesn't means it's a horrible thing to do. 

In all honesty, I am just a kid at heart. We love the appearance of Peppp. He often does simple things and most of the time he just ends up moving places when he comes back from the North Pole. But sometimes we find him doing silly things.....like drinking orange juice like this. 

I spy Peppp. Do you? 

There he is. He brought us a note and everything! 

 

Even I was surprised to wake up and find Peppp like this!

 

We all loved finding him hiding with the snowmen above the kitchen cabinets. He even had little glasses to be incognito! 

It's been great fun having Peppp visit us. When your teenagers mention to you how much they enjoy finding Peppp each day, that to me means it's a tradition worth having. 

And I have to say sometime teenagers have to be the "helper" when mom falls asleep too early, if you know what I mean. 

Oh Hell No!

So the enevitable happened.....

We came home from church...

Hunter saw that the squirrel had chewed through the roof of the aquarium.....

It had made a mess of his room. 

So with Logan's help they tore apart the basement to find it. Once they found it they tried to capture it using a towel. Then Logan jumped on top of it but it got out from the towel. After chasing it around the basement a bit, they were able to catch it again using the same towel technique and this time shot the squirrel with Hunter's pelet gun. 

Oh My Gosh!!!

 I might or might not have scream like a 10 year old girl when Logan came up the stairs holding the dead squirrel!! 

The only thing I can say is that I am so grateful I found all this out after the squirrel was found and killed!!!

I wondering what was taking them so long to get changed out of their church clothes and why they were so dang loud down in the basement. I even yelled down for them to stop being so loud....lol.  Now it all makes sense. 

I would have been a total freak had the boys told me the squirrel got out and they couldn't find it. 

Thank goodness Hunter is a sharp shooter. 

Three shots fired...

All three hit the squirrel! 

Oh good hell these boys really are going to be the death of me!!!

Hot Well Dunes

Isaac Rogers invited us to go riding out at our dunes. Justin was under the assumption that it was just Isaac and Gavin going out. So I told him that the girls and I wouldn't go if it was more of a guys trip. 

The boys were THRILLED to say the least!!

Justin rarely, and I mean rarely, like I can count on one hand rarely, has ever taken the boys out to do anything without it being me who plans the whole thing. And then really it's a family outting, not a father son outing. So the boys were extra excited that just their dad was taking them to the dunes because it's a rare occasion. 

It ends with that Terry and Shaylyn Earp and their kids were there. As well as Ashley and Cole. If I had know that all those people were going I would have gone as well. But looking back I am glad Justin just took the boys. Maybe he will realize he can do that more often. 

Justin had a blast!!! And so did all the boys!

 

Grant is now riding the 90 quad and he did always making it up the big dune!  He was pretty excited about that. 

 

Gavin and Logan were on 250 quads. They love it!

It was a gorgeous and warm day, perfect for riding at the dunes!

 

Of course Hunter took Brody with him. Hunter had to ride Uncle Spencer's 700 quad. That's A LOT of power for a little guy like Hunter. But he did awesome, Justin said. He really respects the power and doesn't get too crazy when riding. 

They ended the day with a soak in the hot tubs. They got home around 5:30 which was good because Hunter had dance friends arrive at 5:45 at our house for the party he had planned. Fun filled day for sure!!

So grateful that Isaac invited us and that Justin is feeling good enough to go do that on his own. It's such a blessing!!

Elf Christmas Party

Hunter and the girls in his dance group planned an Elf Christmas party. Of course Hunter offered for it to be at our house!  Good thing I really love all the girls in his group! 

Started the party with an Arizona snowball fight!

  

Everyone enjoyed it I'd say! 

 

I didn't stay downstairs for the whole event but from the screaming, yelling and laughing that I could hear, I'd say it was a great snowball fight! 

 

Then of course they had traditional Elf spaghetti!!!

 

These girls are the best!

 

Hunter's friend Brody decided to stick around for the party with the dance girls.  I believe he told Hunter, "Now I know why you do dance!"

Yep cute girls are the real reason!

 

Now this looks like a kids paradise!

 

It was sure fun to listen to these kids giggle and talk as they had their dinner of pure sugar. I think a few of them got a sugar high! 

 

After dinner they had a white elephant gift exchange!

 

Keira Turley was such a good sport.  She got all of her gifts stolen from her.  Including this Pony beanie that Hunter gave as his gift.  I was so impressed with how she handled having the gift she picked being taken from her.  She ended up with the least wanted gift but never complained a bit.  What a sweet girl!

 

They watched the movie Elf in the theater room and then finished up the night with 30 minutes of laser tag.  It was an evening full of fun!  Glad they are such a fun group of kids!  Brody was really glad he stuck around for the party....hahaha!

Squirrel?

So we had a squirrel living under our play house.  Hunter decided to trap it.

He said he is going to train it and take it on walks.

What the crap?!?

I had to explain that it is a wild animal and could possibly have rabies!

Obviously he didn't understand the lecture I gave him because....

Him and Brody spent today making a "house" out of wooden popsicle sticks for the squirrel.

You know whats going to happen right?

One of two things...

either it is going to end up biting one of them OR

it is going to get loose in MY HOUSE!!!!

Either way I will be pissed off.

Gosh this is an adventure having boys.  Not sure how long I will let them keep it....

probably not long.  I did tell them they could try to walk it.  But after they attempt that I think it will be time to take it out to the woods and release it.

I do have to say Hunter and Brody made the cage really nice for such a wild animal.  If it was smart it would get trained easy so it could stay in the luxury hotel.

These boys are going to be the death of me!!!

Christmas Concert

DPA's Christmas concert is one of my most favorite performance that they do.  

It's so fun to hear the choir sing while being accompanied by the orchestra.  They really do a wonderful job together!

Mr. Grant is just to the left of Mrs. Rubacava.

Grant did a wonderful job and really looked like he was enjoying singing while he was up there.  He also had a little speaking part which he nailed!

Sure love this kid!  And we love Mrs. Rubacava too.  She makes music so fun for all the kids and she has the sweetest personality!

Rigdon Claridge and Grant are the best of friends!

It was a good performance and just the perfect amount of time.....right at 30 minutes long!