{December 25th 2010}

Christmas was beautiful.
family. food. sunshine.
& especially remembering the birth of our savior.

I know that we have a loving father in heaven.
He sent his son to live & die for us that we may return to
live with our beloved & merciful Heavenly Father.

I cannot imagine a better reason to celebrate.
My heart is full after this christmas season.

Britt loves his chocolate. no doubt about it.

4 sweet sweet little ones this christmas.

lucky me!

Matching jammers for boys & Rod. Rod was such a good sport

about it. that silly santa! The boys thought it was just too neat to

match their Dad!

Santa was very very generous this year & got T an iphone touch with movies, music & games. T has been taking pictures & videos to record

his christmas at Omah & Opahs.

For My mother I knew just what to make her this year. A calendar with smiley faces

of her grandchildren throughout. I think she loves it.

Presley got her first dolly....

Pre-dinner snacks.

cheeses, cocoa, & sweets too...

The weather was perfect. We played outside most of the afternoon.

My mother loved having her son home! We all really enjoyed Brad & Kalen's company!

My baby's 1st christmas!

For weeks we have been reading to the boys from the scriptures about the birth of Jesus Christ. Rod & I had heard of a family having a birthday cake to remember the birth of the savior. We thought it was a great idea to show the children why we celebrate christmas. the next morning my mother suggested the same idea. Great minds think alike. After christmas dinner Tre read the story of the savior's birth & Britt held a photo of Mary & Jesus. We then brought out the birthday cake. I felt the spirit & Tre & Britt both seemed to understand just how special christmas is apart from presents.

Hoping your christmas was lovely too!

{Christmas Eve = Rod's Birthday}

Christmas has come & gone & Im left with 2,345 pictures to view.
Some mine, some Tre's. Some My Dads.
Its a hefty task for certain. But no complaints here.
I cant get enough of these faces.

Christmas eve...
always busy as its Rods birthday also.

We were happy to be up because Uncle Brad & Aunt Kalen had arrived early that morning.
They even were good sports when the boys decided to be extra loud in the morning.




We made massive gingerbread boys to give the hyper cuties some busy work...& the family a break from the superhero/jedi maddness. They bit right in to them. They were extra sweet. Just what christmas anxious boys need---sugar.



Rod HATES his birthdays.
The guy is anti-attention!
I happen to LOVE his birthday because..well...I love him!
He did not get away without a party.
A fiesta of sorts in honor of the birthday boy!
We had one of his favorite meals & I think we all over ate.
The festivities were topped off with chococolate cake with Oreo frosting.
(The man loves some oreos!)




Rod is the kind of guy you fall for instantly.
He has a happy disposition taht is contagious. I love watching the way people respond to him. They warm up right away. He has a silly sense of humor & subscribes to the idea that you whould always leave people happier then when you met them.
As a daddy he is cool & collected (except maybe during church when the kids are going BANANAS!) He has an eternal perspective that helps him decide what can be laughed off & what needs a consequence. I am often surprised by the husband he has become. He is better to me each day. He encourages my intrests & is my cheering section. He is patient & endures my emotional high maintance days with a smile.
I love him...even if he was a spoil sport on his birthday & hid in the bedroom wrapping presents to avoid the birthday wishes & extra love.

*********

After Rod's Fiesta we all trucked out to the Phoenix Zoo for lights.
We met up with our Cousin Owen. Always fun to have around!
The children loved it & even got light swords again this year.
Oh & let us not forget---the GIRAFFE even sang to Rod again this year!!
How many men can say a giraffe sings to them on their birthday each year?!
Another BIG deal this year was that we got another birthday rap from the Sowby family.
We loved it! This may be the last one we get--I dont know how they could ever top it!
& && another musical family, the Jones' sent us a hilium sucked version of happy birthday!
We feel so spoiled by our friends &...the giraffe too.





After the zoo we returned to Omah & Opha's house to find Santa had delivered new jammies.
So we changed & Opha gathered the boys & Presley around & read a story before bed.
It was a special moment for all of us. I love these pictures of my Dad & my Babies!
Particuraly our littlest as it was her first christmas.





The children went to bed tuckered out with bellies full of sweets.