Alexa's 9th Birthday

I can't believe Alexa is 9 years old. She's getting so big!Opening presents. It's scrapbooking material from Grandma Linda!

Excited about her new Taylor Swift CD

Here's the party crew!

Alexa's pink poodle birthday cake (Again, sorry it's sideways.)

Alexa's Birthday Party

Alexa planned her entire birthday party this year. She did a great job! The girls had a blast! We went down to the church and had a treasure hunt, which led them to the gym where there was a pinata. Inside the pinata was candy and tons of foam stickers for them to create a name card for their room.Enjoying cupcakes with her friends.

Here's Alexa with all her party friends.

Getting ready to open the presents from her friends.

Alexa wanted reindeer cupcakes for her party since her birthday is just three days after Christmas. (Sorry it's sideways. I can't figure out how to flip it.)

Christmas Morning . . . The Best Day of the Year!

Eating Stocking candy and opening presents. . . What more could one ask for?
Modeling her new Pinkalicious dress-up dress that Santa brought.

Landon loves to pretend to be Spiderman. Thank heavens Santa brought him two new suits because he has completely worn his old one out.

Santa came!

Here Comes Santa Claus

Getting ready to open their one Christmas Eve gift. Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, everyone was stirring!
We went a little overboard on our outside Christmas decorations this year, but hey, Christmas only comes once a year, right? We really enjoyed having our house so lit up. We didn't enjoy, however, the power bill. These lights used up so much energy that any time I ran the vacuum cleaner while they were on, I blew a fuse. Maybe it's a good thing Christmas only comes once a year :)

Christmas Celebrations

Christmas Eve at Grandma Kathy's and Grandpa Bill's. Here's Grandpa giving the kids the Nativity lesson using a Nativity scene that Aunt Bethany brought back from Jerusalem. It's carved from olive wood. Please be careful, kids!"Chestnuts roasting on an open fire" . . . or at least in the oven. We tried our hand at some chestnuts this year on Christmas Eve at Joe's parents' house. You have to be sure to cut a slit on the top before you roast them or they will explode! Thank heavens we didn't experience this. They were very unique tasting. Not your average nutty taste. But at least we can say we tried it.
Joe's birthday is two days before Christmas and Alexa's birthday is three days after Christmas. So we become quite the party animals during the month of December! Here's Joe with his birthday gifts.

And here's Joe (and our goofy son) with his birthday pie. Happy Birthday, Joe!

Here's the kids in front of my Mom's Christmas tree at her house the Sunday before Christmas.

I love you Daddy!

Sometimes the Lord asks us to do things we never thought were possible and then He gives us the strength to endure and we grow in ways we never thought were possible. If you were to have asked me just two years ago if I could handle the trial of losing my beloved Dad at such a young age, I would have said, "no way." This past year has probably been the most difficult year of my life. I never in a million years would have predicted that I would be asked to live more than half of my life without my Dad here on earth with me. But as of today, January 12th, I have survived one year. I miss my Dad more than words can express, and it pains me every day to know that my Mom is alone and lonely, but I have made it one year, and it has flown by. Before I know it, it will be two years, and then three. I have had the opportunity to spend more time with my Mom this past year and have been blessed with some spiritual experiences that have helped me to know that my Dad is not far from me. Thank you, Daddy for being the amazing Dad you were on earth and for still being with us and watching over us! You have indeed left behind a legacy!

December Updates

Alexa at her Christmas piano recital. She played "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" and "Angels We Have Heard on High."

Making Christmas goodies to bring to our neighbors and friends.

Notice how Andrea is about to lick her finger even though she had been told many times not to.

Here's Andrea licking her fingers again. I hope none of our friends who we delivered these goodies to see these pictures. :)

Sitting on Santa's lap at the Ward Christmas Party

Andrea sure wasn't shy this year. She even gave Santa a kiss. By the look on Santa's face, I think he enjoyed it!

Decorating the Christmas tree was quite an experience this year. Rylan thought that all of the sperical ornaments were balls and needed to be thrown. He was undecorating and throwing the ornaments faster than we could put them on the tree. Needless to say, all of the "balls" were eventually hung on the top half of the tree. It sure turned out pretty though!