Random Christmas picture

This was common scene this December, Parlee adding presents to the tree as decorations. If you look at about her foot level you can see a blue present in the tree too!

New Years Games

 Here are some pictures of how we spent our New Years eve, chillin' on the beach :-)
Smoothies complete with an orange slice and an umbrella to go with our dinner

 For this game the kids took turns standing on a chair, they tried to see who could fill up the cup on Joels head with water. Taran won this game, Joely almost peed her pants laughing while she was playing!

 Life saver game (we had two life saver games, because 'lifesavers' are a beach thing :-) For this game they each had a bowl with water in it, and they were 'bobbing for lifesavers' Kyler won this and did a major happy dance after that we did record, it was great!

 Balloon volleyball, Yes I had lots of better pictures, but none of them showed the die hard must win spirit that Joel has here as he is thrusting Keegan to the balloon. :-)

 This picture of Parlee had to be used for several reasons. 1. She was in a swimsuit all day getting ready for the 'skimboard party' as she called it, then got this sweater on for the pictures! 2. I did her hair several times during the night because I knew we would take lots of pictures, but she kept pulling it out, leaving her with a classic Parlee look 3. It shows our fish bowls we each got, each person had their own fish bowl with little swedish fish swimming in them. However Joely was really excited to add the swedish fish and we did them a little too soon, so most of them were swimming on the bottom of the bowls :-)

Below, enjoying the beach scene, complete with Kyler in his swim suit!

New Years Decorations

 The dinning room set up (check it out, the shower curtain I made and no longer use got a second life)

 Front Room: Yes, the flag I made from girls camp 3 years ago also found a new life in the decorations.

 Beach Balls from Marg's store window display. Serious, we found anything we could for our beach party!

 Joely and I made these awesome decorations, they kind of remind me of jelly fish, they are crepe paper hung on a paper plate then attached to the ceiling. And below is the entry.

We decided to do a beach theme for New years this year as it was the first year we have ever done New Years Eve as a family at home. It was way fun. I can only post a few pictures at once so Im going to do another post of our games.

 

A visit from Santa

 This Christmas season was extra special, because Santa stopped by our house to make sure the kids were all good this year, luckily they all made it on the NICE list. Th next day Kyler confessed that he was really glad he wasn't on the "Middle" list....I'm guessing he was feeling a little relieved.   ;-)

Parlee on the other hand was just so happy to see Santa that she couldn't stop talking about it for weeks!

Little crippled hand

 I should first mention, that Kyler is quick to point out...This is moms fault. So, with the preface that this is my fault...here is Keegan with his little wrapped hand.

As to be expected, it was a Sunday, we have the 9:00 church, it was time to leave and we were all quickly scambling to get last minute things together and leave. I was the last person in the bathroom and had the straightening iron on. I obviously didnt shut the door after me, and Keegan walked in and grabbed it. Luckily the burn wasnt as bad as it could have been, it was a nasty little burn but it only burned the skin between his thumb and first finger.....Needless to say we missed sacrament, and Joel just brought the other kids down after for primary and YW, while I stayed home with Keegan.

He had to wear this little wrap, but after the first day, he figured out how to take it off, so once we put it on, we then had to secure it with duck tape, it looked so trashy! But, you do what you gotta do, right?

He is now all better with just a pink scar of where he was burned.

Fun with the Gosiks

 We have had such a priviledge of spending so much time with the cute Gosik kids while their parents deal with medical issues. It really has been such a joy for us, the kids spent a LOT of time trying to come up with pranks to play on one another. During their stay in November, the girls sewed scripture cases, and the boys made a helicopter with a motor that Taran had. I hope that our kids continue to stay close friends.

Progress

 First Walls going up

 Trusses being placed and roofing

It's fun to see the progress of the new addition, true its going much slower then either of us ever expected, but with all that happens in or lives, Joel only has a limited amount of time to work on it. I hope so badly that its done before the baby gets here!! I cant image the stress of building with a new baby! But things are moving along and it's nice to be able to see the house and start imaging what it will look like completed!