Ornaments and Santa (December 9th)

One of my favorite traditions that I have with the boys is going to a local pottery shop to paint Christmas ornaments each year. This year we went to the As You Wish studio in Glendale. We always return the following week, as part of a second date night to get dinner and pick up our ornaments. This year, we combined pick-up with a visit to see Santa, who parks his sleigh across the street. This year the boys both did an amazing job on their ornaments. They were very patient, focused on the details and creative. This year it took us about two hours in the studio; unlike previous years when we barely lasted 30 minutes. My hope one day is that by the time they move out into their own place, they will have a nice set of beautiful ornaments for their own trees that help them remember this fun family tradition we have.

 Lincoln painted a Santa.

 Logan painted a round ornament and turned him into a blue snowman head.

 

Visit with Santa. They asked for Legos, Lincoln asked for a new bike. Logan asked for a trash truck. 

Ward Christmas Party

We have really grown to love our La Loma Ward. Certainly there are individuals that we get along with better than others but overall I feel like we have an eclectic ward that for the most part is pretty genuine. We try to participate in the ward activities when we can. This year, our boys were asked to each play a role in the story of the Birth of Jesus that was acted out by primary children for the ward breakfast. Logan was a shepherd and Lincoln was a wiseman. They both did a fantastic job! Breakfast was made by our Bishopric and it turned out to be a really nice event.

Elfie is Back!

We missed our little friend and the boys were thrilled when he made his grand debut back in our home the day after Thanksgiving. He came in on an airplane and landed it in our dining room chandelier. As always, he was up to no good during the night, usually making a mess and clearly having some fun. The boys talked with him, gave him presents to take back to the North Pole and Logan even tried to match him one day. I love that they love Elfie.

 First night back he came in on a styrofoam airplane. 

 Fishing with a pole and a life saver gummy ring. 

 All on his own, Logan came up with the idea to dress like Elfie....boxers on his head as a hat, socks for gloves, a white collar around his neck and a candy cane sash. This kid is so creative and funny. 

 Elfie left some minion arwork on our bananas. 

 Bedtime story from the mini nutcrackers while on a bed of soft marshmallows and a papertowel blanket. 

 Elfie brought a Elfie shaped cookie cutter and I think it's pretty clear, he wanted to make cookies.

 We had a weekend trip to Idaho in December and the boys wanted to make sure that we brought Elfie along. I think Elfie also wanted to make sure he wasn't left behind because he planted himself in items that could easily be carried by the boys without being touched. This was a picture of Logan carefully taking care of Elfie at the Pocatello airport. He talked with him, checked on him regularly and made sure he had plenty of air. 

Elfie's last night with us. He dressed up in his new tuxedo to watch the boys open Christmas presents. We can't wait to see Elfie again next year!

November Misc.

November was an incredibly busy month for our family. Birthdays, Logan's baptism, Tutu's in town for the whole month, hosting other family, school activities, piano lessons, cub scouts, homework, my regular work, Thanksgiving and the start of holiday activities. I love this time of year but there is no shortage of things to do and memories to make. Here is a snapshot of some of those things.

Lincoln's goal when Tutu's was here was to try lobster. Since Ricky and I don't like it (or even know how to do it since it grosses me out) I figured this was a perfect to let Tutus introduce him to. We planned a special trip to Red Lobster with the intention of completing this goal. It was a success - he tried lobster! He liked it at first but then after several bites decided he had had enough. He hasn't wanted to try it again since then and he now agrees with the rest of us...it's rubbery and doesn't taste great. 

Logan was more excited about playing with the dead lobster shell then anything. I was super grossed out by it and he thought that was funny - as he jabbed out the eye ball trying to dissect the thing. 

Lincoln 2.0's mom had lunch with the kids one day at school and sent me these pictures.

Logan is a good kid and the kids in his class seem to really like him. I think partly because he's quick to make people laugh. 

This time of year there's a lot of great movies that come out. The boys and I end up at the theater a couple times a month. We love dates to the movies! This time we took Papa Tutu with us to see Thor. 

We found a new Lego Bricks and Minifigure store by our house. The boys like to go and get specialized hard to find guys and weapons. 

We've tried to FaceTime with our cousins more regularly. Oliver is holding the blue BBBT. 

I tool girl Tutu with me to a special Relief Society dinner. I was so impressed with the decorations and the details...including the pumpkin bread bowls for our soup! 

Who doesn't love children's handprint art? I know I do!

Michaela is the new band director at Willow Canyon High School. This year she started the first ever band jamboree for the school district. It was a fundraiser, and a competition between schools, and we went to support her. This was the first time the boys had ever seen a band field show. 

Back at the theater to see a much anticipated movie, Wonder! It was wonderful. I loved everything about this movie and the boys loved it too. I love movies that make you think, emotionally connect and have a great message to leave with.

 This Lego set is the one Lincoln got for his birthday. It took a little while but he got it all put together. 

Festive Weekend in Phoenix (November 23-25)

Since it's that time of year that has fun and festive things to do, we tried to find some activities that would help usher in the holiday season. One of our families favorite traditions that we've started over the last couple of years is our annual trip to the east valley to Organ Stop Pizza for Christmas music and pizza and then a visit to the Mesa temple to see the Christmas lights. This year since Tutus were here we got to include them in this tradition. As always, it was a great night and I love making memories and traditions with my little family.

Over the weekend we put the finishing touches on the decorations inside the house and the boys all together hung the Christmas lights outside. This was the first year that the boys were old enough to help and they wanted to each take a turn on the ladder hanging the lights. This was an especially big deal for Logan who is afraid of heights but constantly tries to over come it and not let it hold him back from doing things he wants to do. I was very proud of him and thankful that I have lots of guys that are going to be putting up Christmas lights for years to come!

Happy Thanksgiving

After hosting Thanksgiving at our place the last couple of years, and after just hosting the birthday party and baptism, we were happy to have a low key, no stress, Thanksgiving dinner. We decided to make reservations at the Hyatt Hotel in downtown Phoenix. The neat thing about this place is that the restaurant at the top rotates slowly providing 360 degrees views of the valley while you eat. We had never been here before so we decided this would be a fun experience for Thanksgiving dinner. We didn't have to cook or clean and could spend the day together enjoying each other and resting. It turned out to be a great plan because the food was delicious (the boys loved the buffet style and ate a ton) and the views were amazing. This may become a tradition!

We are so blessed! I know that I work hard to provide for our family but I recognize that I have also been blessed with great opportunities and guidance throughout my career. We are blessed that Ricky is able to be with the boys and as involved as he is in taking care of their day to day needs and activities. We are blessed to have incredible little boys that fill our hearts and lives. We are blessed with love, health, friendships, faith, a savior and Father in Heaven who loves us and so much more. I often tell the boys to count their blessings because it's so important to recognize all the we've been given. I am grateful for Thanksgiving and the day to stop and count our blessings.

We spent the afternoon at the movie theater watching a movie, we watched football and we decorated the house for Christmas!

Grand Canyon with Tutus (November 19th)

After exploring the caverns the previous day, that afternoon we drove into Williams for the night. We walked the main drag, did a little shopping and ate a yummy dinner at a local restaurant. It was a chilly winter night there and the next morning was just as cold. Early the next morning we headed to the Williams train depot for a fun day to the Grand Canyon. We watched a Wild West Shootout show before boarding the train. We then rode the train for a couple of hours up to the Grand Canyon. The boys, especially Logan, loved being on the train. We sat in coach on the way there and listed to the guide talk to us about the park and also we listened to an entertainer who sang songs and played guitar. At one point we went to the snack car so the boys could experience that. 

Once we arrive at the Grand Canyon, we boarded a bus that gave us a tour around the National Park. Our first stop was s buffet lunch at one of the hotels. We proceed with a couple of other stops around the western/south rim. We even stopped and learned about some brothers who were photographers in the early days and would take pictures of the travels hiking the trails of the canyon. 

At the end of the day we boarded the train once again for our drive back to Williams. This time we drove home in first class, with a bubble window to allow for great views. They had cheese cubes, crackers, fruit and veggies for us to snack on. They also provided us with sparkling cider so we could participate in the toast given by our train hostess. The boys loved having a fancy train car to ride home in. After a long train ride to Williams, we piled in the car and had a long car ride home to our house. It was a fun-filled, adventure packed weekend. 

The boys patiently waiting on the train wheel bench at the train depot. 

Having a little fun at the depot. 

This was our train car for the ride to the Grand Canyon.

Trip to the snack car.