Merry Christmas to ME!

My Favorite Piece!

The view from the family room

The view from the entryway

So back in September I was shopping with my very good friend Kelly at Taipan Imports, when we came across the perfect Christmas tree for me.  After a 15 minute conversation, I had committed to buying the tree, the ornaments, and hiring the two very talented women who had designed and decorated the tree in the store to come to my home to replicate it.   I am very fortunate to have a great husband who loves Christmas and was willing to let me spend a ridiculous amount of money on this endeavor.  I am thrilled with the final result!  It may be up until Valentine's Day! 

Orthodontics 101

Looks painful!

Tuesday morning Taylor began her journey to a straighter smile.  She had her expander cemented to the roof of her mouth.  Monday, Wednesday, and Friday I get to stick a wrench in the middle of the contraption and widen her palate.  Tate says it looks like a water skeeter!  She has some discomfort and is really struggling to find things she can eat.  Most days she threatens to rip it out!  I just keep telling her it will be worth it in the end.  

Happy Birthday Mom!

In honor of my Mom's birthday I thought I would list a few things she has taught me:

-The importance of patience

-The meaning of sacrifice

-The strength in faith

-The love of motherhood

Thanks for being my Mom! We love you!

I am a Utah man sir!

After squeaking by New Mexico the Ute's are 9 - 0!   I just hope we were saving up our talent for TCU on Thursday night.  GO UTES!

Happy Halloween

Our holiday started Sunday night with pumpkin carving.  Here's a little known fact about me - I love to carve pumpkins.  It is the one artistic thing I enjoy doing.  Wednesday the kids went to the Ward carnival with the Mortensens, I was home sick, yuck. Friday began with the elementary school costume parade, then trick-0r-treating at Omniture, and finally neighborhood trick-or-treating.  The kids came home with quite a haul.  I'll give them a few days to enjoy it and then offer to buy their candy for a nominal fee.  They usually go for it.  No more wrappers on the floor and no more cheating on my diet!

UEA Weekend

Last year we decided to take a "staycation" and stay up at Stein Eriksen Lodge for UEA weekend.  It was so nice that we decided to make it a tradition.  We drove up Thursday evening and stopped for dinner at Red Lobster - it is the kids favorite place to eat.  The kids promptly hop in to the hot tub we had on the deck of our room.  It was way too cold outside for Bill and I to join them.  Friday  we woke up and had breakfast to the restaurant in the Lodge.  The bacon there is tremendous! We did a little shopping in the morning and then spent the afternoon at the well heated pool.  We ate dinner again at the lodge restaurant and again went back to the pool for some night swimming.  Bill and I did jump in the pool, it sure was a cold walk back to the room.  We packed up Saturday morning and headed down to the Utah game.  It's our little get away, we can't wait to go again next year. 

Happy Birthday Tate!

Presents!

Blowing out candles on a pumpkin pie

Tate & friends at Jump On It

My very talented neighbor Stephanie decorated this cake for me

I know this is long overdue, but I had to wait for Bill to be available to teach me how to upload the pictures to the computer from the new camera.  Anyway, on Friday Tate had a great "friend" birthday party at Jump On It - a place full of connected trampolines to jump on.  The kids seemed to have a great time.  On Sunday we had a birthday with Grandma, Grandpa, Joey and Chris.  They came down for dinner and pumpkin pie.  Finally on Monday night, we had an official present opening for family home evening.  His official birthday was on Tuesday. He brought laffy taffy sticks for his classmates and presented his class with a new book to celebrate.  We are so lucky to have Tate in our family.  He is a such a good boy, very kind and loving, and can always make us laugh.  We love you Tate!