SLC "Two Day" Whirl

On Saturday January 23rd I received a message from my sister inviting my children to her daughters Chuck E Cheese birthday party that Monday the 25th. I thought about it for awhile thinking "I could have gone if I had know a little earlier and had some time to prepared for it" but then I also thought "They are going to Chuck E Cheese and Parker would love that!" So I made an impulsive decision and decided to head to SLC Sunday after church. I Had already commited to an opening prayer and to help with Nursery or else I would have left first thing Sunday morning. I ended up leaving Quinntin with some peace and quiet and packed up the kids for a two-day adventure. (Boy, was it an adventure!)
The moment we arrived in SLC we went to my sister's house to have cake and ice cream with my parents. It was a fun surprise for, Samantha, the birthday girl.

We ended up at my parents late that night and were all in for a good night sleep. We started off the next morning to Discovery Gateway with Nana and had a blast! I would recommend this place to anyone. (It's a little pricey but if you can find their 2 for 1 coupons it's not as bad). The kids played with balls in a tunnel system, played with water and little rivers, bought play food at the grocery store and so much more.

Four Weeks of Christmas

Wow! What a holiday!

It all started weeks before Christmas. First was Quinntin's family, we had a great turkey dinner at Quinntin's sister's house. We ate and talked and the kids ran around without a care. They had fund giving each other presents and then running off to play with them.

We also got a great family picture with only two tries.

Because Quinntin works retail we had to work around the shopping holiday. The weekend before Christmas we were able to spend four days in Salt Lake with my parents and a had lots of fun. We dipped all sorts items in chocolate from caramel to pretzels, from almonds, to cashews, and pecans. They tasted as wonderful as they looked.

(especially the pecan/caramel turtles! MMMmmm)

On Saturday we went to my extended families Breakfast With Santa Clause. Can I say he was the best Santa I have ever seen, authentic from his goulashes to his beard. He even read a story "Twas the Night Before Christmas" where the pictures had been drawn using him as the model.

The kids swapped presents and even helped each other open them Thanks Cayde and Kaetlyn.

Parker got to catch up with his 2nd Cousin Cambrie.

Kora and Cambrie posed for the matching outfit picture.

It was a fun morning, thanks Aunt Leesa, as always, it was wonderful!

Later that evening we exchanged presents with the grand kids in my family. They loved being able to give each other presents and had a blast.

Our Own Christmas was a lot of fun Parker kept asking " When Santa come?" and When he finally did the kids scored! Aside from the clothes and socks, Parker got a cool drill and airplane set from Grandpa and Grandma Reynolds and Kora got a cute red soft teddy bear. The kids also got Connect Four from Grandma and Grandpa Gray (They love "checkers")


Quinntin got a Guitar for his PS2 and my kids made me this cute duck! It was so cute.



Continuing on through the month for New Year's Eve Nana and Papa got to come and stay with us! The kids loved waking up and finding Nana a Papa in the mornings!
We opened more wonderful presents, made laying down snowmen and just hung out. The kids are still talking about what Nana and Papa left them.




In short we are truly blessed to have such an amazing family!

Frontier Homestead Night

I heard about the Frontier Homestead here in Cedar from the Newspaper. That do a few Christmas Activity Nights that you can go and do old fashion holiday stuff, and see Santa Claus so we went Monday night for Family Home Evening.

We walked around the cabins and heard a Christmas Story by firelight, made Christmas Cord (rope with Christmas colors) and made cloth dolls. In the last house we saw Santa Claus and traced around the kids heads and made silhouette.

It was a really fun experience. The cabins are usually history exhibits but while we were there the stoves were warm, fireplaces lit and oil lit lamps everywhere. We also made Christmas cards with the printing press and wrote with feather and ink quills.Then of course there was Santa. Parker asked for trains and Kora only got close enough to get the Candy Cane.

Gingerbread Tradition

We weren't able to do the big Gingerbread house party at my Aunt's house this year but no worries, my mother helped me make the gingerbread during our trip for Thanksgiving.

We brought it home to put it together with the kids and . . . Well . . . it's a much simpler version this year.

We were doing great while the kids were making their cookie trees, the walkway and putting up the Christmas Lights but then they crashed! It was fun while it lasted and boy did we have a sugar rush afterwards.

Dancing in Pink

Kora was dancing around all pink and pretty with her Tu-Tu. Pig and pink jammies.

We all got a little laugh out of all the fun she was having. Notice the purse, the baseball and Parker's Flip Flop on the right foot. We weren't sure if she was going out or putting on a show.


It even rubbed off on Parker.

Potty Lessons

Today Quinntin and I learned a few important things about potty training Parker.
Number 1:
Parker "Do it myself"
Number 2:
Kora wants to help her big brother.

Let me explain. . .
Tonight we were doing our nightly routine of rounding up the children changing their diapers and putting on pajamas. Kora was easy, she held still and let the process happen. Parker on the other hand was enjoying the "catch me" version of the routine. After three catches I had removed his pants, his shirt and his diaper. Unfortunately Parker would not be "caught" to get his diaper put back on. Out of frustration I told Parker "Then go stand by the potty." (by the way Parker has had a new found interest in pottying like his father, standing up but that's as far as he's ever taken it.) Well Quinntin and I got distracted by something else and Parker disappeared (remember he's still naked.) Then I heard Quinntin exclaim "Parker did you just potty?" Fearing the worst I looked to the bathroom and saw Parker climb off the bathroom stool with a grin on his face. HE POTTYED!!! For real without mom and dad, without a mess, and with no tears. That was lesson #1.
Next we were still working on getting his diaper on. He ran around giggling and Kora picked up his new diaper and held it out to him. Quinntin gave up and said "Kora why don't you put the diaper on Parker." So Kora stands up and proceeds to chase her naked, screaming brother around "trying" to put on his diaper. Lesson #2, It was so funny I had to write it down.

Aargh.... Hand Over Your Candy Boooty

We spent Halloween in Salt Lake with our Nana and Papa.

We were swash buckling pirates and boy did Nana do a fantastic job at that.

Thanks Nana!!!