Not a creature was stirring....

On your mark, get set....GO!

Just what he needs, to be encouraged to hit!

Jake and his truck

Emilee's look-a-like doll, "Kit".

Wonder pets...a favorite at our house

Princess "jazmint", as Gracie would say.

Haydn has turned into quite the bookworm.

Yeah, wii got the wii!!

Garbage collector..

Aftermath...

One of Gracie's many Fairy costumes.

Yeah right! My kids were up at the crack of dawn....I guess I'm just not that motivated by gifts anymore. :) But I do love to watch the kids' reactions as they open their gifts. Our Christmas was not as big this year, (Grandma and Grandpa Hillesheim took us to Disneyland for Christmas) so we didn't have the usual mountain of gifts piled up by the tree. It was kind of nice to keep things simple...less garbage to clean up and haul out! Of course we finished in record time because they only take turns for the first few presents and then they're opening everything all at once. It was a good day....but this year was a little different for me. I think because we were so busy and gone a lot the month of Nov., I didn't have as much time to prepare myself or even get excited for Christmas. The older I get, the more Christmas means something different...which is good, I guess that means I'm growing up. :) Of course, it will ALWAYS be my favorite time of year......(with the exception of those quiet moments when I'm walking in the fall and can hear the wind catch the leaves on the ground and swirl them up into the air)....okay, okay, guess I should enjoy a little spring and summer first. But I do hope that everyone had a good Christmas and enjoyed the time spent with family and friends.....besides, that's really what it's all about....isn't it?

Silent Night

We have a tradition, like many others, where the kids are given one present to open on Christmas eve....PJ's! They always know what they're getting, but it's still fun for them. Who doesn't want new pajamas?!

Riley's Christmas Program

Riley with his gingerbread house and kazoo

Riley up on stage...good job bud!!

Riley had his program at school and wasn't very excited about it...until I told him Delon and I would be there. The entire kindergarten class made reindeer t-shirts and sang several different Christmas songs. At first I thought it was your average Christmas program, especially coming from a group so young. Little did I know it would end up being so entertaining! The best part was watching Riley and a couple other girls from our ward get so incredibly bored with singing, that they resorted to yawning...staring...stretching and waving at mom and dad. Gotta love it!

Cherie...need I say more?!

Okay, Cherie. I told you it would happen again sooner or later. This morning I was on the treadmill and Gracie comes running down the stairs with a pen yelling" Mom, Jake wrote on the computer!!" So of course, I'm thinking, no big deal, he's usually got a pencil in his hand. Then I look at the pen she's holding and realize it's a ....SHARPIE!!!!  Oh yeah...all over my 20 in. Mac screen....everywhere! So of course I start hyperventilating, and run to go and find a cleaner that will do the job. Fortunately it was on the glass...after a little Clorox and window cleaner, and a lot of scrubbing, it was gone.  Okay, so maybe I overreacted, but c'mon...a Sharpie...that never comes off anything. So Cherie, this is for you and for those days you wonder if it's ever going to get easier.....

Thanksgiving, better late than never....

Just wanted to let all of my family know how much I love them. This time of year is a great time for me to reflect on those things that make my life "full".