An Okotoks Christmas

We headed to my Dad's on the 27th to stay for few days. All my family was there. I forgot my camera, so I'm sorry to say there are no pics!

Here are the highlights of our stay:

Santa bags!

Shopping

Lots of yummy food

Swimming at the wave pool and water slides

Taking McKenna to Beauty and the Beast! It was so good and so much fun! It started at 8:00pm though so it was a little late and long for Kenna, so we left a little early, but we both loved it.

Playing games in the evening

We had a great couple of days!


When we got home I was feeling sick and ended up being sick for New Years. Ryan took the kids out to my Grandma's for a few hours while I stayed home in bed. It's a little weird that it's a new year because I didn't party or celebrate, but we had a good 2011 and are looking forward to 2012!

Happy new years everyone!

Boxing Day

This year we were able to get together with some of the guys and their families that I grew up with. We met at the Pratt's house and had an amazing breakfast with tons of yummy food! It was so nice to see everyone and we had a really great visit. It had been too long since I had seen any of them.

I went to school with Taylor since grade one. We were good friends all through school and he did me proud when he married the most fabulous girl and we became fast friends. She is one of my best friends and I love her to piece's. Sadly they live in Provo while Taylor is in school so we haven't been able to spend much time together. It was so nice to see them and their family. Love you Smith's!

Gotta love the spot of baby drool on my shoulder!

Here is a pic with all the kids. What a great looking bunch don't ya think.

Christmas Day

Highlights of our Christmas Day:


It always seems that I take a billion pics on Christmas eve, and then hardly any Christmas Day...well, that is the case again this year, so this post won't have many pics.


There is something so special about Christmas morning. It was so fun this year to watch the kids's excitement and joy as they opened their presents. I especially love stockings! 

The boys were so funny when they'd open their gifts. They would have to close their eyes until all the paper was off so they wouldn't get any sneak peaks.

Getting a Disneyland and Wipeout game for the kinect! Both are so, so fun!


Not feeling rushed in the morning to meet up with my family. We didn't end up getting together till 1:30pm.


Staying in our p.j's ALL DAY.


Singing songs and talking about Jesus birth all the way to Raymond!


Lunch at my brother's. We had homemade soups and grilled cheese. Something new we did this year...might have to be a new tradition. 


Playing wipeout with my brother's and Ryan, then again at my Grandma's with my uncle and cousin's! I've played 3 times and so far, have won all three times! Guess I'm the wipeout champ so far! It is definitely a work out though. I am still sore from it.


These two cute lil cousins. I can't wait to watch them grow up together.

Visiting with my Grandma. I LOVE spending time with her!


Singing Away in a Manger with my whole family. I again, feel so blessed to be apart of such an amazing and wonderful family! It was a great day!


My resolutions for next year: take more pics Christmas Day. And take one of me and my Grandma.


Hope you all had a fabulous Christmas!


ps. check out our new couches in the pics. They were mine and Ry's Christmas present.

Christmas Eve

Highlights of our Christmas Eve:

Gingerbread houses! I especially love that I don't have to help my kids decorate them!

Jode finally holding Hayley! 

These two cuties...they read like this together for probably a half an hour.

This little bean! It was so fun sharing Christmas with her for the first time!

During the fish pond where the kids fish for some little gifts from Grandpa and Grandma, Ty complained about the first gift he got so for his second gift I told Shan to put nothing in the bag. He was surprised when he opened it to find nothing in it. I told him that's what would happen if he complained instead of saying thank you. I think he learned his lesson and we all got a good laugh!

The Nativity. I especially loved how sweet Joseph (Ben) was with Mary (McKenna). He had his arm around her the whole time and kept touching the baby. It was so precious!

Hayley loved it too...

The kids excited faces as they got ready to open up their gifts from Grandpa and Grandma.

The kid's blankets that Grandma made for them! Each one had the first letter of their name sewn onto it. They are awesome!

That we got a picture of all the kids sitting still for their Christmas P.J picture!

That I got to spend the day celebrating with these amazing and wonderful people! I am so blessed to be able to call them family!

Xbox Party.

Nate's birthday started Friday night when Ryan and I took him and his cousin Ben out for dinner at Moxie's. Its always fun and special to do things like this with one child at a time, and we really enjoyed our dinner with the two boys. We sure love Ben and were glad he could come and sleep over as well. I really hope the two cousin's will be best friends forever. Nate was especially happy he got to have two glasses of sprite! Saturday he had his birthday with his friends. He invited 3 friends over to play xbox. They had fun playing Kinect adventures and sonic racing. We're grateful that Nate has such good friends. My friend made him some Xbox cupcakes which were rootbeer flavored and delicious! Thanks Megs! Nate loved them and had two eaten before his friends had one eaten. On Sunday, we had mine and Ryan's immediate families over for supper and dessert. Nate wanted ichi ban so I compromised with a white sauce spaghetti. I messed up on the sauce and had to fix it and there ended up not being enough for anyone to have second's. I'm still not good at feeding lots of people and had  moment of frustration where I was really wishing my Momma was here to help me, cause of course she would have known exactly what to do. We had skor cake and apple pie for dessert and did a pinuata for the kids. It was so much fun! We are very blessed with two amazing families! Nate got spoiled, especially by his Grandpa Jim and Penny. The boys had been asking for DS's for Christmas and I flat out told them no, not this year. Well, my Dad found one on sale on Kijiji that came with seven games. I don't know who was more surprised, me or Nate! I think he had a really good weekend! I always hope that my kids feel really special on their Birthdays.

Nathan James

This little guy...

Is 7 years old!

I can hardly believe that my baby is that big! He is such a smart boy and is so much fun to have around. We have enjoyed watching him grow and can't wait to see what the future holds for him. 

8 Years.

Ryan and I celebrated our 8 year anniversary on November 28th. Last year we went to Florida for our anniversary so this year we had to do something a little more low key. We planned to go out for dinner and have a night with no children. My amazing Mother in-law took the boys and Hayley, and McKenna was supposed to go to my Brother's, but that morning McKenna had a fever and had puked a few times (this was the start of our never ending sickness, which we're still enduring). So we ended up keeping her and my sister watched her while we went out to eat and then we did all our Christmas shopping for the kids. We picked up McKenna and that was that. Seems like a short way to celebrate 8 years of marriage! It was nice to spend some time together though. We haven't had much time since little Hayley joined our family.

I always joked with Ryan about the 7 year itch, but we did it and made it through our 7th year. I think that's quite an accomplishment! After 7 1/2 years of marriage we were finally able to buy our own house. It feels great! We feel like we're real grown ups now. In all seriousness, Ryan is really an easy guy to be married to. He is such a good Father, and he respects me and treats me way better then I deserve sometimes. I feel like we've accomplished quite a bit together and am excited for our future adventure's together!

Love you lots and lots Ry!