Pic's from our Utah trip

We had such a fun time with our family in Utah. The visits are always to short though. The kids were spoiled (both with gifts and attention) as usual! Here are just a few pictures from our trip.

Their coats were somehow not packed so luckily my Mom is always prepared. Kalissa is wearing a coat that I was given from my Grandma when I was younger. I didn't ever like it very much and think I only wore it 2 or 3 times so it is practically brand new. Kalissa loved it! I think it looks to be more in style now than when I wore it.

My Mom makes ALL the grandkids new pj's every Christmas. This year she made 21 pairs! My girls pj's were made of all different Strawberry Shortcake prints. They were so cute and so professionally made of course! My Mother is an amazing seamstress!

The icicles on my parents house were HUGE! Most were about as long as my kids are tall.

Grandpa Wertz and Jaina ready and waiting to go listen to Brendan speak at church.

Santa does know where Idaho is

This was the first year we have actually spent Christmas at our home since we were married. We usually go to my parents in Utah but decided that it is just getting to difficult with more children. We were glad we stayed home though. Daniel and I were both sick all day on the 24th. We didn't do anything. Luckily we felt a little better on Christmas.

The girls were concerned that Santa wouldn't know where Idaho was but luckily, he found his way. Ate his cookies and milk and left some presents.

We didn't do much on Christmas. In fact Jaina was the only one that even got dressed.

Kalissa got a digital camera. Although Santa will probably be returning it becuase it is AWFUL!!!!! Not even one picture that she took turned out.

It's a good thing Santa paid attention to what Anna wanted. Even before opening her gift she said, "this is my Sleeping Beauty doll!"

Jaina got a ball thing that we never opened becuase we didn't have batteries. I am sure she'll like it when we get to it eventually but all she really cared about was the wrapping paper.

Daniel got the coolest marble block set, from the coolest person! It was a hit ALL day.

I was spoiled with a new camera, a Rebel XSi!!!!!! No pictures of it though but I can't wait to start playing with it.

Our Weekend

Poor Kalissa was sick on Sunday. It was not fun. Anna and I went to church and came home to the whole family asleep. Don't kids/babies look perfect asleep. Luckily by Monday afternoon she was feeling better.

Anna did her normal "look at the back of my head" when I tried to take her picture.

Jaina decided she really liked the green kid chair. She pulled it right up over her head. She loved sitting on it though.

I get to eat this?

Jaina tried her first biscuit. At first she just stared at it. She flipped it back and forth in her hand. She pounded her tray with it. I am sure she was wondering what she was supposed to do with it.

So I thought I'd better help her.

After that she figured it out.

After a while we decided to get rid of the bib altogether. It was so fun to watch her. Until she broke off a chunk and starting gagging!

Visiting Santa

Visiting Santa didn't go so well.

We had to get in line twice becuase when we finally got up to Santa, Kalissa was to scared to go up there. But finally she made it. Then she had so much to tell him that I had to tell her it was time to go.

As you can see, Jaina loved her first experience with the big guy.

Annalin wouldn't even go close to him. She wasn't very happy with me all night. Every time I tried to take her picture, this happened. But luckily her hair is pretty to look at.

It was an event at an Elementary school. The kids got to eat pizza, see Santa and do some Christmas crafts.

Christmas Presents.....from Boys????

Kalissa came home from school on Friday with more than she went with.

She had a big bag of things from a boy! He gave her a stuffed bear, a blanket and a heart necklace.

She is in 1st grade! She isn't supposed to be getting gifts like that!!!!

Daniel is so unhappy about the whole thing. I think it is kind-of funny but really who lets a 1st grader give gifts like that? She told me a while ago that the boy told her he was going to give her a present and we thought it would be some dollar store type of gift.

The picture that came with it was kind-of cute though.

So I asked her if she was going to marry him. She said shrugging her shoulders, "Maybe. He's nice." It was so funny!!!!!!!

Happy Birthday to me

I recieved my very own marching band singing Happy Birthday just for me. They were equipped with shoebox drums and pencil sticks.

All Jaina could do was laugh at them. They were pretty funny.

Always learning new things

Kalissa washed her hair all by her self. 1/2 a bottle of shampoo and 10 minutes of rinsing, I think we got it all out. Finally!!!

I love when 1st graders learn new words but they only know kind-of what they sound like. For example:

Me, “Are you finished eating?”
Kalissa, “No, I can’t eat because Anna is dis-scratching me.
Me, “She’s what?”
Kalissa, “She is DIS-SCRATCHING me!”
Me, “She is scratching you?”
Wrinkling her nose and thinking for a minute, she says, “dis-structing” me? With question in her voice.
“Distracting you?” I say.
“Yes she is dis-scratching me.”

She has also learned the K-I-S-S-I-N-G song. You know the “Daniel and Mary sitting in the tree…” only she sings it K-I-S-S-I-N-T because you know, “T” sounds similar to “G”. And don’t try to correct her, because she is right.

This one she actually used and said correctly it was just funny to hear it.

Annalin had fallen asleep watching “The Grinch” so I took her up to her room. Before I got to their room I hear Kalissa saying, “HALT!” She was on Anna’s bed cleaning up some toys they had been playing with earlier. It was so funny. I think I am going to start saying halt instead of stop from now on.

Christmas Firsts for Jaina

It is so fun to watch Jaina stare at the Christmas Tree. Her eyes are filled with excitement of this new addition to our home.

O Christmas Tree...

Yes, it is the time for the annual decorating of the Christmas Tree. This year Uncle Sam (Daniel's brother) was nice enough to cut and drag a tree down from our own Idaho forest while we were down in Salt Lake. I was the lucky one to put on the lights (they have to be just right) as I do every year. After the tree was covered with lights (only 600 this year) on came all the other STUFF that we have been collecting over the years.

Anna fell asleep waiting for the lights to be hung so I'll have to add a picture of her decorating later. We left plenty for her to hang.

Jaina enjoyed playing with the lights just as her sisters did when they were babies. It was so fun to watch her eyes light up with wonder of her new toy.

Am I am bad Mom for allowing her to taste them too? It was only for a second.

I love Christmas Time! Everything about it. Snow (I hope we get some), Lights, Music, Baking smells throughout the house, excitement about what Santa will bring, getting together with Family and Friends, and of course my birthday cause there's nothing better then getting a year older! (Let me know if you need an address to send my gifts to.)

Thanksgiving Weekend

A few things our family is thankful for:

*PARENTS

*GRANDPARENTS

*GREAT-GRANDPARENTS

*THANKSGIVING DINNER and always having food to eat

*A BIG FAMILY big enough that a church is what is needed to hold us

*BROTHERS and SISTERS

*UNCLES and AUNTS

*COUSINS and FRIENDS

*FUN GAMES like the Wii to play

*TOYS TO PLAY ON

*GREAT WEATHER FOR BEING OUTSIDE

*IN-DOOR SWIMMING POOLS

*BEING BRAVE enough to go down the big slide by ourself

*TRAINING TABLE RESTUARANT (#24's and Cheese Fries)

*CARS (and lower GAS prices) to let us travel to Utah

*BEAUTIFUL MOUNTAINS (to look at) and GREAT WEATHER for the long drive

*OUR JOBS

*OUR HEALTH

*THE TOOTH FAIRY and that after showing Grandma, cousins, everyone else in Utah and worrying that the Easter Bunny may take it(thanks Uncle Jared) Kalissa finally placed her tooth under her pillow to say goodbye.

And MUCH, MUCH, more