January!

We are only two weeks into the new year, and quite a few things have happened!

On New Year's Eve, we had all six of our kids at home. So, obviously, we didn't go out! We had a little party with our family at our house. We played board games, watched movies, watched the Hannah Montana concert on Disney, had alot of snacks, and even turned the pool heater on so that the kids could go swimming! I bought them all some noise makers and whistles to blow at midnight, and all of them stayed up, except for Brylee!

On New Year's Day we all slept in! That afternoon, I cooked dinner and the missionaries in our ward, Elder Bitton and Elder Beatty came over and hung out all afternoon! We had alot of fun playing Monopoly, and snacking!

That night, someone broke into Brian's truck and stole the new GPS that I bought him for Christmas. They broke the driver's side window out to get to it. We were not very happy about that! But it is all fixed now.

Last week, Sarah Carter, one of the girls I knew from when I worked at Kolob Canyon RTC, flew in from Minnesota and stayed with us for a couple of days. It was so good to see her, I have really missed her. She is a true inspiration to me! She is one of the most incredible people that I know. I am so proud of her!

After having Sarah to myself for a couple of days, we went to Cedar City and stayed with our friend KayLyn, who worked with me at Kolob. Our friend Blaney, who was on a break from graduate school in Idaho, came for a visit as well. It was a big Kolob reunion! It was alot of fun!

Brian turned 31 on January 14! We were going to do something really fun and exciting for him, but instead me and the kids were all home sick with the flu. At least he didn't catch it! We did manage to get him a really cute cookie monster cake, though!

7 Random Things

7 things I can do:
1. Have patience with 6 crazy kids. Well... kind of. More patience than Brian, at least.
2. Cook - well at least I cook really good desserts, the rest is adequate.
3. Speak in public - but don't tell anyone in my ward. Just because I can doesn't mean I like to!
4. See the bright side of almost any situation.
5. Make a budget - and stick to it!
6. See outside of the box.
7. Read a book with 9 million distractions.

7 things I can't do:
1. Hunt - or kill anything for that matter (besides the stupid ants that keep invading my bathroom).
2. Sing
3. not get frustrated in traffic
4. conform - I like being my crazy self.
5. not miss my girls when I am gone - if even for a little while. Or even when they are mis-behaving.
6. feel good about disciplining my kids - even though I know that I have to because it is better in the long run.
7. Take a shower without being interrupted by Brian or the girls at least ten million times.

7 things I always say:
1. "I Love You!"
2. "Look! It's a baby cockroach!" to Brylee - her nickname is "baby cockroach" because she was obsessed with cockroaches when we moved to Vegas (we don't have them in our house - just outside in the summer).
3. "Chill Out!"
4. “I can't understand you when you are crying. Stop crying and then I will listen!"
5. "What would Jesus and God think about that?" :) That is my way of sending them on a guilt trip!
6. “If you tried your very hardest, then I am proud of you, and couldn't ask for more!"
7. “I am so proud of you."

7 things I always eat:
1. Raspberries!!!
2. Cheese
3. Homemade bread
4. Cheese Tamales
5. Sour Patch Kids
6. Popcorn at the Movie Theatre
7. popcorn shrimp with cocktail sauce

Ulgh. How un-healthy. I don't eat these things often! I just can't resist them if they are placed in front of me!

7 People I tag:
uhhh...
How about anyone who wants to do this?!? Okay, I know I am cheating... but so what?

Christmas!

We chose to stay home this year for Christmas instead of traveling to Gunnison. I miss seeing my Mom, Kirk, Reed, Josie, and all of my brothers and sisters (including in-laws - I consider them my brothers and sisters too), but I really just like to be at home on Christmas. It is too hard to drive long distances with hyper kids, trying to pack presents, then trying to re-pack them, and see every family member in the meantime.

I cooked a big turkey dinner with all the trimmings on Christmas Eve. I tried doing it on Christmas day before, but the kids never eat very well because of all the candy they get. This year we had the missionaries in our area - Elder Beatty and Elder Bitton - over to eat with us. It was really fun. I love Christmas Eve. Probably, even more than Christmas day. The kids are excited, the house is all clean, all the Christmas decorations are up, the tree has tons of presents underneath, Christmas music is playing, and it just feels like "Christmas". We always let them open one gift on Christmas Eve, which is always pajamas, but they get more excited over that one gift than anything else! Christmas day is always a let down for me, because it just feels like it is over way to fast!

Christmas morning was alot of fun. Ady and Alysa both got ipods for Christmas (that was their "big gift") and the also got games for their DS and Leapster, and alot of other little things that they wanted. Brylee got a Bike (which is so cute! She wanted a beach cruiser like mine, only red - her favorite color). She also got a Baby Alive, which she had been asking for for months (I HATE it because it now has peed all over the house) and a baby Snow White. She loves her babies.

We actually got to sleep in until 7 AM, when their internal alarm clock went off (that is when they get up for school). That was fine for me, because my internal "alarm clock" is set for the same time. However, I don't think Brian was to happy about it. He wanted to sleep in! The girls were just so excited and cute! Those few moments make all the stress and scrambling to find the "perfect gift" worth it! Brian and I, got all of the kids Rock Band for our Christmas gift to them. We have probably have more fun on it than anyone. I have a blister on my hand from playing the drums (which I must say, I am really good at). I am excited for the boys to get here, because, although, the girls have had fun with it, I know the boys will love it even more. Austin has already told me to practice up, because he is going to kick my butt when he gets here!

My mom and Kirk got all the kids a bag full of balls and sports equipment. And not just regular balls - thanks to Kirk's connections - but, the nice red and yellow balls we had in school, as well as a football, volleyball, basketball, frisbee, jump rope, a nice mesh bag to put it in, and more. Each of the kids got a bag of all of that!!! They were so excited, and I was so excited. They have been playing with those more than anything all weekend! I promised the girls that as soon as the boys got here, we would get all of our "balls" and go to the park. I am probably as excited as they are about it. We are going to have so much fun! And because we have a million (well, six) kids, we are going to be able to play alot of fun games!!! After they opened all their balls, Brian was complaining about how it was going to take him all day to pump them up, so he had better go find his big air compressor in the garage, under all his tools. Then, we opened OUR first gift from mom and Kirk - a mini air compressor! Lol! I was excited because it is perfect for pumping up, not only the balls, but the kids' mini boats, and our air mattresses! Our other gift from them was a food dehydrator. I am super excited to make dried fruit - Brian is super excited to make jerky!

Brian is leaving today to pick up his boys. I hate that we have to have two different Christmases every year. I just have to ignore my itch to clean and put up the Christmas tree for a few days longer! I am so excited for them to open their presents, though. I just know that they are going to love them!!! The boys are staying through the new year, so I have a big party planned for us. We are going to watch movies, have a Rock Band competition, play board games (thanks to Mike and Misty who game us them for Christmas - we LOVE them!), eat alot of snacks, and watch the ball drop on the big screen. I am excited! I have spent New Years Eve in Vegas (when I was in college), and in Hawaii with friends (a couple of years ago), but nothing compares to having fun and spending time with your kids - and we are lucky enough to have all six of them on New Years Eve!

Anyway... we had a GREAT Christmas! Christmas time makes me feel so grateful for all of my family: Brian, my girls, my boys, Mom, Kirk, Reed, Josie, Mike and Misty, Steve and Tina, Kiersten, Doug and Rhonda, Craig and Erika, Maren, Sammy, my Grandma Sorenson, and all of our great friends - who are just like family to us. The holiday's mean nothing without family and friends. I am also so grateful that Brian has steady work, and that I am able to be a stay-at-home mom to my girls. I have so much in my in my life! I am grateful for all of it!

Santa!

Last Friday, we went to Barnes and Noble for our elementary school fundraiser. The kids had alot of fun! They got to make crafts, hear some stories, and visit Santa!

Snowmen!

It snowed all day! I think that at least an inch stuck to the ground. It all quickly went into three little snowmen! It was really wet snow... perfect for snowman building!

It's snowing in Vegas?

Yep... it's true. I moved here to get AWAY from the snow. I guess it just followed me. It looks a little weird to see palm trees in my front yard covered in snow!

Trimming the Tree!

After listening to the girls beg non-stop, for a week, we finally broke the Christmas tree out last night! Each year they get a new ornament for the tree (although, I haven't bought this years yet - I am a slacker). They love hanging their ornaments! But their favorite one is my Baby's First Christmas (1980). They think it is soooo old! lol. Here's some pictures: