I love Christmas time.  It is my favorite time of the year.  But one thing I don't particularly like is getting our family Christmas pictures.  It seems some one is always complaining (and Troy can be quite the offender), but this year our friend, Jeni, took the pictures and I loved how they turned out.

We could have chosen any of the five great choices to go out in our cards, but we chose the one with the kids hanging off the tree.  Not because the lighting was best, or even because we all looked the best, but because that is a true representation of our house.  A loud, crazy, fun place.  Although, Zach scratching his leg and looking like a crazy man were definite runner ups.

About a month after pictures Christmas was finally here.  Santa definitely spoiled everyone and the kids made great pipe cleaner crafts to put on the ornament hangers.  It was a great Christmas.

Halloween 2010

The elementary school the kids go to does something fun on Halloween.  Instead of dressing up in their costumes, the kids have crazy hair day.  You should see some of the things people come up with.  Here is our version for Josh and Matt.

Is it just me or does Matthew look a little like Ronald McDonald?

That evening the kids dressed in their finest and loaded up on candy.  I love this picture because it says so much about the kids at this age.  Zach (the preteen who is into being scary), Josh (who loves video games), Matthew (who wants to do anything Josh is doing) and Emma (the sweet preschooler who is an adorable lady bug if I do say so myself).  Sometimes I wish they would stop growing so I can keep them at this fun stage.  Other times......I don't!

BYU vs. TCU 2010

Every year that BYU plays TCU we have to make the trip up to Dallas.  I mean, you have to start them young, right?  The day was warmer than we would have liked, but the kids enjoyed themselves both by having their faces painted and eating all the junk you can buy at sporting events.  Each kid had their own style on the face painting.

Emma went for the subtle, don't-you-know-I'm-beautiful look.  By this point she had accidentally wiped away most of it.

Matthew went for the all blue face with just white BYU letters.

Josh went for just letter across his face.  If you can't tell that is a white Y across his forehead and nose.  He had sweated away quite a bit of it at this point.

Zach liked Matt's quite a bit, so he started doing his own version.  Only a slight difference being the flesh outline around the white letters.

Overall, it was a fun day spending time together.  We only wish that the team had been able to pull out a win.  Next time, for sure.

Little Girls!

Long ago, I had only three little boys.  Then I became pregnant with a fourth and wanted another little boy.  You see, I KNEW boys, I had everything I needed for boys, I lived, ate and breathed boys.  It seemed like the easiest thing.  Then I found out I was having a girl and, quite honestly, it made me quite nervous.  What was I going to do with a little girl?  And now I look back on all that and think, "What was I thinking?  I don't know what I would do without a little girl."

Who else would let/beg me to put pink curlers in her hair to sleep on so that she could wake up....

Like this?

Who else would take a dance class at the cute age of four?

  

Who else would want to take judo just like the rest of her brothers and then love it for the social aspect?

Who else would have so many cute little girlfriends and LOVE each and every one of them?

Josh's 9th Birthday

Just days after school let's back in, Josh has a birthday.  It happens this way every year and I'm sure he wishes his birthday came during the summer.  In my defense, his birthday was supposed to be towards the end of September, but he just couldn't wait.  Okay, that wouldn't really change his birthday being in the summer, but it would give him a month of school before his birthday.  This year he only wanted Heroscape and bakugan.

When we stayed with Rick and Sarah, their boys played Heroscape with my boys.  It was such a hit, that my boys came back talking about all these plans to get it.  Josh's birthday was a quick means to getting quite a bit.

Bakugan were still important to the boys, so Josh couldn't resist getting just a few more.

And with presents open it was time for the cake.  Notice how sweaty Josh is (did I mention August is hot here in Texas?) and not only that he is giving quite the look.  But, oh how I love this kid.  His sensitivity and fun loving nature are a joy to be around.