It is time for catch up!!!

If you are a follower of my blog you know that I haven't been able to find my cables to hook up my camera and download my pictures. Well good news!!! I found them!!! (Picture angels singing the hallelujah chorus right now) So bare with me, because I have pictures clear back from THANKSGIVING!!! Since this is my makeshift journal, I figure that I need to document these events....so here it goes!

TWILIGHT!!!! I can hardly believe that I have yet to post anything about such an anticipated event! It was so anticipated that I had a Twilight party with some of my friends from my ward. We played 'Twilight Jeopardy' and ate food and then of course we all went to see the movie. We had such a great time! As for the movie....I really liked it. I did like it better the second time that I saw it, but the first time was just fun. It was fun being in an audience full of starry eyed people that cheered when Edward first came on screen. It was a blast!

Thanksgiving is here! It is a family tradition from when I was little to make our Thanksgiving turkeys that we use as place card holders...they are so cute and fun to make. My girls really look forward to making them each year. Aren't they darling?! We enjoyed the day with my family (there was about 40 of us) at my Gma's house.

After Thanksgiving dinner my girls entertained the group with a skit that they put together with music from 'Into the woods'. Sienna sewed little costumes for each of the kids (way cute!) and they sang and danced their little guts out. At the last minute Tae got stage fright and hid behind the couch and cried...sigh.....

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas..... The day after Thanksgiving I put up Christmas! Just had to share a few pictures from our decorated home.

It's dance recital time! The girls each got to perform at their studio's Christmas concert. Sienna DID NOT want to get her picture taken in her outfit...hence the look on her face! I also added a video of Sienna's dance, she is the one in the pink top.

Our neighbor invited us, and another family, to dinner after church on the 14th. We enjoyed a lovely meal and then all of the kids re-enacted the Nativity. Sienna was too crazy about doing this, but she did agree to be the donkey.

My dad really wanted to take all the grand kids up to see the lights at Temple square, so we decided to take Tracks up downtown and then walked around Temple square. After that we made our traditional journey to Crown Burger for dinner. My dad loves that place! It was a very fun, but chilly, evening!

Sienna says goodbye to her teacher. Sienna's teacher Mrs. Mabry is moving back east because her husband got a job back there. She will miss her teacher so much, she really loved her.

Christmas is here at last! Did it seem like Christmas just zoomed by??? We had a great Christmas day. All of my family came to our house for brunch, which was nice not to have to drive anywhere, especially since it was snowing like crazy! Santa SPOILED the kids this year! Ana got a kitchen set, Tae got a huge Barbie house, Faze got a train table and basketball hoop and Sienna got a sewing machine. This year I really tried to be creative with gifts that I gave the kids and I tried to make them things. I made Ana, Sienna and my mom an apron that turned out DARLING! I also made the girls a TON of hair clips for them to wear in their hair, which also turned out awesome. Chris made my dad a huge jar of his specialty....'pico de Chris', which is one of my dad's favorites. The girls help make some clips for their friends as well, a great idea for anyone looking for an easy and inexpensive gift idea for little girls. Later that night we went to my brothers house to play games...it was a very relaxing and fun Christmas day!

A video of the kids when they first came into the room on Christmas morning.

PHEW! I think that I am all caught up now!

MY love song, written by my one true love

I FIGURED IT OUT! Well alright, Chris helped me. But yep, this song that is playing right now is the song that he wrote for me. He is the one playing all of the background music and vocals as well as the singer....what an amazingly talented man I am married to!!!! My sister-in-law said that it sounds like a song that should be playing in the Twilight movie....Wow, I totally agree! Take a listen and enjoy.... now I am off to cuddle with this amazing man. Does anyone have any mistletoe that I can borrow??? LOL Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

Merry merry Christmas to all who read this! We had a wonderful day today. We actually got to sleep until 7:30 and then our alarm clock (Faisal) started chanting mommia, mommia, mommia. It was a fun time opening presents...Santa did a good job this year. I took pictures, but can't find the cords to hook up the camera to the computer, so hopefully you will see them soon!
Chris gave me the BEST gift ever...it is actually something that I have wanted FOREVER, he wrote a song for me and went to the recording studio and made a recording of it. It is the best song ever and means so much to me! Gosh I love this man! I am going to try and figure out how to put the song on the blog so that you can all hear it.
This Christmas has meant so much to our family. We have had so many acts of service and love shown to us these past few weeks. It has really put the Christmas season into perspective. I am so grateful for family and friends and especially a Heavenly Father who watches over and protect us, especially in our time(s) of need. We love you all so much and feel so blessed to have you in our lives.

2008 Family Newsletter

Merry Christmas and a Happy New year! 2008

Can you believe that 2008 is almost over??? This year has FLOWN by! It has been a year of many milestones and great memories, here are some of the highlights

January- We welcomed in 2008 and looked forward to a new year! Jenny is busy with her calling in the Primary Presidency...wow, that is hard work!

February- Chris hit the magic 3...5...! Our children got a new cousin...Kyler was born! Jenny began competition season with her colorguards. Her and Brianna are coaching at Riverton High and American Fork. They both had great seasons and both teams were promoted into a new divisions. She is so proud of these kids!

March- Sienna begins competitions with her dance team and they place 1st or 2nd in all of the dances that she is in. She is such a beautiful dancer, we are so happy that she has found something that she enjoys so much.

Easter Sunday in their new clothes.

April- A new cousin is born...Adelaide was born! My first niece on this side of the family! Jenny and Bri become the directors at AF high and hold auditions for the new team... looks like it will be a great year! Jenny is introduced to the world of blogging...what a fun way to keep family and friends updated with our family! Jenny was also able to go on a fun girls trip to Arizona with all of her Aunts, grandma and cousins over 18.

All of us on our girls trip in Arizona.

May- Faisal turned two! What a big boy he has become! Jenny made him this darling fire engine cake that turned out so cute! Ana graduates from pre-school, boy will she miss her teacher Miss Liza. Jenny quit teaching at Riverton due to a difficult working environment. She loves those girls so much and will miss being able to work with them.

The amazing fire engine cake

June- A new cousin is born... Tyler. So now we have a Kyler and Tyler in our family. School is out! Hip hip hooray! We are so excited for a relaxing summer vacation. Parade season begins. Jenny loves working with the girls from AF, they are a great bunch of kids.

July- Ana turns 5! I can hardly believe that she is going to start Kindergarten this year! Each of the kids did a few sessions with swimming lessons. Tae and Sienna are great in the water, and Ana is becoming so much more comfortable in the water. Faze did a mommy and me class and was not such a fan! Taelynn turns 8! What a sweet girl our Tae is. We went camping with my Aunt and Uncle and their family at our favorite spot in Huntsville, what a great time we had!

Taelynn on her birthday

Ana on her birthday

All of us on our family camping trip in Huntsville

August- Taelynn makes the important decision to be baptized, we are so proud of her for making such an important decision to become a member of our church. Jenny attends a week long band camp and is happy to report that she survived! School starts! Ana begins Kindergarten, Taelynn begins 3rd grade and Sienna begins 5th grade... all of the girls really love their new teachers. Dance class begins for all three girls.

Taelynn in her baptism dress

Taelynn and Chris. We feel so blessed to have a dad that honors his priesthood and can bless our family with it.All the family at Taelynn's baptism

Tae and Sienna on the first day of school!

September- We celebrate our 12th anniversary! What an amazing 12 years we have had! Unfortunately Jenny and Brianna's time with AF colorguard comes to an end. Over the past nine months that they worked with this program they grew to love these girls and will greatly miss each and every one of them. Jenny is looking forward to being a full time mom! We loved going to all of Chris' races over the summer, he placed in the top three at all six of the triathlons that he competed in. Over Labor Day Weekend we went to Las Vegas to cheer him on in a race. Faisal goes potty on the big potty for the first time...hopefully the end of diaper buying is in site!

Tae and Chris right after he finished his race in Vegas

Chris and Jenny at the Vegas race

Faze sitting on the BIG potty!

I guess that I had a birthday this year also.



Our anniversary.,.It is so WONDERFUL being married to someone who is such an AMAZING kisser! (Can you guess who is writing this???)

October- We enter Jenny's favorite time of year!!! A dream comes true for her.... Chris went to Paris on a business trip and Jenny gets to go due to having enough sky miles! This was truly a trip of a lifetime! We love being able to travel as a couple, a special thanks to my brother and mom who watched the kids while we were gone. We made it back just in time for Halloween, we had a great time trick-or-treating.

Seeing the witches at Gardner Village

Three little ladies

Our trip to Paris....oh la laaaaaa!

HALLOWEEN TIME!

November- Sienna turns 11! She had a big mystery party with all of her friends from school and had a great time! Sienna also made the decision to get her ears pierced! Jenny lives in the moment as TWILIGHT comes to the big screen, she had a big party with her friends and went and saw the movie together. Thanksgiving was spent at Jenny's grandparents, it was a small crowd of only about 40 people! We had a great time visiting and playing games with all of the family. Sienna on her birthday
All of Sienna's friends at her birthday party

And here we are in December... as you can see we have had a great 2008. This month we have had a few very special 'blessings' happen to our family, of which we are so thankful and feel so blessed. We are so happy that we have the gospel in our lives and have the Savior as an example of how we should try to be. We feel truly blessed to live in such a great ward and neighborhood... we have made soooo many wonderful friends here. We love you all and hope that everyone, who is STILL reading this VERY LONG POST, will feel of the Saviors love like we have. Have a Merry Christmas!