Luke was lucky enough to get to attend his class party, Emma didn't get the chance because we were headed to Utah the day of hers. (Sorry Emma...but we had enough parties in Utah and Idaho :) I always love to go in and help with the kid's parties, they are all just so excited and I love to see them interact with their friends and teacher. Mrs. Lipsit has to be the greatest teacher ever! Luke's class had a wonderful party!
Morgan had to come to town for an interview for his Residency and I begged him to bring my little sis and their cute kids...it worked! It was a short visit, but it was SO fun! My kids loved to see their cousins, they couldn't get enough of cute little pudgy Max! MMMMmmmm what a cute little (big) baby :)
Our ward had one of the sweetest Christmas programs/parties ever! I will forever remember that special night. It started out that our Activity Day leader wanted to have a live nativity at her house in her barn with her girls and invite the parents and then all the different organizations were trying to do something and the holidays get so crazy there just isn't enough time for everything and so we all combined our efforts. I say "we", but I didn't do anything but attend and enjoy the evening. The Activity Day girls made invitations and invited tons of friends that are not members of our church. So we had at least 30-35 friends not of our faith there. It started out at the pavilion at the Hawkes home and the kids could make ginger bread houses with graham crackers. Then they had us all move to the barn. We walked in and it was a beautiful sight. They had hay bales for us all to sit on, there were lights up on all the rafters, and then there was a cardboard scene that looked like a little city across the side on the stalls. The program was so beautiful with touching music by many members of the ward. There was someone on the violin, Matt and a few other men sang in a quartet, there was a trumpeter, and many other awesome voices. Then the Activity Day girls acted out the nativity complete with goats, ponies, chickens, etc. Mary and Joseph slowly came in and knocked at each of the doors and were turned away and finally the last door the inn keeper led them to a stable. When they opened the huge back doors to the barn there was the sweetest stable that they built of wood. In came the shepherds, which were about 10 of the girls who each had a goat on a leash. How cute. And the wise men came in with a pony. Such a spiritual, sweet night. I am so grateful for my Savior that came in the most humble of circumstances, and yet was and is more powerful than us all. Heavenly Father must really love and care for us to send his Only Begotten Son! Merry Christmas!
I of course forgot my camera and had to steal these pictures from my friend Amy's blog! Thanks Amy! :)
I can't believe how time flies! It was 10 years ago on December 10th that Matt and I were married in the Salt Lake Temple for time and all ETERNITY! Here we are 3 kids later and we are still in love. Matt is always making me laugh and smile, and he always makes me feel good about myself. He still gets my door when we are on dates and makes me feel like a queen. He is a wonderful father, the kids adore him. In fact if I had a penny for every time that Gavin asks me where daddy is during the day I would be RICH! I love that he honors his Priesthood and gives his all in his callings. He works hard so I can stay home with the kids and I really value that. What a wonderful man I have!
We celebrated this year by staying the night at one of the hotels downtown called the Grand Bohemian. It was so nice. We ate dinner there at the hotel restaurant called the Boheme. It was quite fancy. In fact their menus would light up when you opened them!!!! I told Matt that they just needed the sound effects of a light saber and that would finish the effect :) The next morning we had breakfast in the same restaurant and at the table next to us was the Olympic swimmer Dara Torres. She is the one that is famous for being 40 and still able to be competitive. I was so excited. I was dying to talk to her but Matt said if he were famous he would want his privacy....darn! After breakfast we went and did all of our Christmas shopping for the kids, a tradition we just started and that I love. It's nice to have someone with me to shop :)
What a fun anniversary! Matt surprised me with a BEAUTIFUL necklace that has the December birthstone. How sweet! I tried to surprise him with new shoes but failed because they look IDENTICAL to a pair he already has that I totally forgot about. Bummer! I tried. :)
Emma, Emma, Emma....what can I say....she is the most precious little girl full of sugar and spice! This girl is such a determined, independent (when she wants to be), amazing little girl. I love her to pieces. Of course we have our moments of butting heads, but I think it's because we are both stubborn :) I can't believe she is now 6 years old. She is really 6 going on 16. She can be so helpful and I can give her jobs that would usually require someone older to do. There were times when Luke was younger that he couldn't get his water bottle open and as he is asking me for assistance, Emma leans over, grabs it and opens it for him. :) She learned to ride her bike without training wheels the same day Luke did. I don't think she liked that he was getting all the glory. So while we were at the park cheering Luke on, I guess she thought we were paying too much attention to Luke, so she took our wrench and took her training wheels off herself and started to learn right along side of him to ride and she mastered it in a day! She amazes me. I love to watch her at gymnastics, she is so coordinated and flexible. Such a fun little girl that gives me a run for my money. I wouldn't have it any other way, she makes my life so exciting and fun! I love you Emma. Happy Birthday!
She had a fun party at Broadway Gymnastics. She had about 15 people there and they were able to do all kinds of fun obstacle courses, a bounce house and jump into the "pit". What a great day!
Grandma & Grandpa Rose gave her these adorable dress up dolls. I will post the picture of the adorable dress that Grandma & Grandpa Gillespie gave her when I can get them off my computer!
Emma is very proud of the DSi she got...now she and Luke both can be couch potatoes together :)
Back row: Sydney, Minette, Luke, Nicholas, Brenna, MarinThis Thanksgiving was unlike any we've ever had before, this was the first time that we ate out at a RESTAURANT instead of cooking the big meal! I thought this would be heaven on earth, but I have to admit I missed cooking all the Thanksgiving dishes! Actually I missed cooking WITH someone :) We had such a great time at Hilton Head, SC. Tyler and Anna and their family drove and met us too. We figured out that it is almost exactly the middle point between us because we each drove 5 hours to get there. What a BEAUTIFUL place! The island doesn't let businesses have their signs above the tree line and so it just looks like mostly trees and then tucked behind them are all the restaurants, stores, etc. And everything is so beautifully maintained. The beach was gorgeous, and the funnest part is that everyone rides bikes around the island and there are bike paths all over.
We got a call months ago from a time share company trying to sell us on a condo and they said they would give us a great deal for 3 nights and 4 days. I never try those things because I know that with the great deal you have to listen to a 90 minute presentation on their property and as Matt would put it, "that is as fun as getting kicked in the mouth." :) But we did it anyway and went to the presentation and were able to tell the no. In fact we ended up going to 2 presentations, a Marriott Vacation Club representative saw us at one of the touristy areas and gave us a deal that if we listened to their presentation then we could have $100 dining gift certificate, or free golf, or 10,000 Marriott reward points. Matt wasn't thrilled but he was gracious enough to humor me and go to the presentation. Let me tell you...the Marriott timeshares are NICE!!!! If we had a ton more money I would have been sold! :) Luckily reality kicked in and again we were able to say no after the presentation. It was fun to tour their property AND they had a play area for the kids to do crafts, play video games, etc. So the kids didn't mind that one :)
Thanksgiving dinner we ate at Red Fish. It was a very nice restaurant and very good food. Then we went back to the hotel and played games. The next day we took a fun bike ride around the island and stopped at the beach and then stopped at a fun cafe for lunch. And then of course we had to hit the fudge shop and get our sugar kick. We also went to see the light house on the island and the kids had a blast playing on their playground that had a very cool tree house. It was so fun to just hang out at the room later and let the kids play games and use their funny little imaginations together, and then we ordered pizza. Saturday the boys went golfing and the girls went to lunch and then swam at their indoor pool. That night we ate at a VERY nice restaurant thanks to the Marriott :) It was hard to see the weekend end and say our goodbyes. Our kids are at the perfect ages to play together, and they couldn't get enough of cute little Brayden. (As you can tell by the pictures where they would take turns passing the poor boy around :)
I love Thanksgiving and to hear all the kids think of to be thankful for....I had the kids each hold up 10 fingers and name something they are thankful for on each finger.
Here's Luke's list:
Here is Emma's list:
And I am thankful for so many things that this post could turn into it's own novel...here is my condensed list:
THANKSGIVING DINNER....
Thanks Grandma for our Thanksgiving treat :)
It was cracking me up everytime Matt would turn and Emma would hang on for her dear life :) Of course she is very dramatic and made it look worse then it actually was :)
Gavin did a face plant right in the sand....it was too funny not to take a picture :) As he is crying I asked "Can I take a picture" and through his tears he says "Ya". 
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