Christmas and 2009

It has been a while since I have updated...
Here are a few pictures to share:) I don't know how to put them in the order I want, so I think most of the older pics are at the bottom. We enjoyed our Christmas and New Year. I think we are ready for a vacation because the last two years we have been on a cruise in December or January. With the crazy economy we will have to pass on the cruise this year:(...Instead we will stay here in the freezing fighting some type of illness! Lets just say we have spring fever and it is only January! I am just so grateful that I have a cozy home, a job and a loving husband!


Playing with our new camera


My daddy and I! We were all headed to a funeral, my dad got to speak at it...he did great!



My Favorite Brother...Jadon!



Jadon and Whitney...aren't they cute??



I love Colter all dressed up!



My adorable parents...



My mommy...can you tell it was picture time before we left?? Addie was at dance, and Kira and Tyler had already left for the funeral...so they missed out on the pictures!



Christmas Day...Colter loves this game! Anyone want to play?? It isn't too fun just the two of us playing:)



The mess after everything was opened...Colter spoiled me!



Watching Colter's Grandma open her present...a nice watch!



We let Colter open this on Christmas Eve...He was pretty excited..


Not the best pic...can you tell he wanted to watch TV??

PS...can anyone teach me how to make my pictures cute by making the edges "blurred" or by adding cute text in the picture...or even teach me how to do the digital scrapbooking stuff?? Or at least tell me where to go online to read about it? :)

My cute sis-in-law had this on her blog...so I will give it a try!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping Paper. But I don't make them all pretty with ribbons and bows...I guess I mentally think it is too much work:)
2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial. We actually got a new tree from my parents for xmas this year and I love it!
3. When do you put up the tree? Right after Thanksgiving.
4. When do you take the tree down? Sometime around New Years.
5. Do you like eggnog? Nope...But I guess I have never tasted it...
6. Favorite gift received as a child? Santa brought Kira and I a big barbie house! We loved it and my mom is actually saving it for us in the attic!
7. Hardest person to buy for? My parents...they don't even give ideas!
8. Easiest person to buy for? Colter because he looks at the Sears magazine and circles what he wants...it doesn't get much easier than that!
9. Do you have a nativity scene? I made a ceramic one a few years ago but I don't really have anywhere to put it without it getting broke, so my mom gave me a smaller cute one that I put up.
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Well...I didn't grow up doing xmas cards, so I have promised myself that I will start sending cards when we have kids. But I love getting cards in the mail:)
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I really can't think of any bad gifts right now...
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Christmas Vacation. It is a classic with my family and also Colter's family! And The Grinch is really cute too!
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Probably sometime in the Fall.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas Present? I'm sure I have, just can't remember.
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? My mom's cheeseball
16. Lights on the tree? Of course...the new tree has clear lights, but in all years past we have had colored. I love to have only Christmas Tree lights on and stare at the tree..
17. Favorite Christmas song? I like a lot of them, but I really like the Unforgotten Christmas Carols.
18. Do you travel or stay home at Christmas? We get to do the every-other-year with my family and Colter's. This year we are staying in Utah.
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? Yes, but I would have to sing the song in my head.
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? A bow..but I want something new, maybe a star.
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Growing up we always got to pick one present from under the tree to open. Kira and I had it figured out because we always got the same things, so we would each pick presents that were shaped different and then we would know 2 things we were getting:) Good memories!
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Working at a bank...I get to hear a lot of "sad stories" about how people don't have any money and want all their non-sufficient fees refunded......
23. What theme or color are you using? Red, White & Silver
24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? My mom always makes a big dinner (roast, turkey or ham) and always makes Raspberry Cheesecake..yummy! And we get to use all the pretty Christmas dishes.
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? If I could ask for any one thing it would be that my sister would be healthy again. I love you Kira.

Weekend in Salt Lake City

This last weekend we were able to stay a few nights in Salt Lake. We ate at a few yummy restaurants, went to a Jazz game, went to a family Christmas party in Bountiful and I even talked Colter into stopping at Target:) Most of the pictures are from the game..sorry!


At the hotel, Little America


At the hotel they had this big Gingerbread House, I can't imagine how many hours were spent putting this together!


Colter loved these flapper things at the game...


Dana and Colter going crazy with the flappers as foul shots were being shot...notice Ann's face :)


Dana caught the Taco Bell flyer that was being dropped...yea..a free t-shirt...not even a free taco!

Before the big game started...

So so Thankful...

I just want to say that I have the best family in the world! I would never be able to endure lifes many trials without my family.
This year I spent an entire week in Idaho for Thanksgiving. It was great...I wouldn't trade it for the world:) My dad came and got me on Friday night (before Thanksgiving) and Colter was able to come up Wednesday. It worked so perfectly! I forget how crazy life is with so many people in one house...but it was great!! A few pictures from the week...


Addie & Kira


The whole family...except Kira's husband, Tyler



Me and my Daddy! My grandpa wanted a lot of family pictures, some included tractors and combines


Little Addie had a kitty die while I was up there...it was really sad...


Jadon has been working really hard on painting and shining the semi's up


Dad and Colter on Thanksgiving Day

Mom and Dad on the farm


Sisters by choice...I think...just kidding, I love Kira!

After Thanksgiving dinner Colter fell asleep in the chair...and Grandma thought it would be funny to dump some cold water on him...hehe...Grandma is full of it


Grandma and her favorite Grandchildren...


Making Thanksgiving Gravy...yummy!


Colter was looking at the Sears Black Friday Ad.....oh great...


Mother and Daughter


We were headed to a 50th Wedding Anniversary party for my dad's uncle...don't my parents look great dressed up??

Big Birthday!

We decided to throw my mom a Surprise Birthday Party. It was a lot of work and I want to thank my family for all their help. After she got over being mad at all of us, I think she had fun! Thanks to everyone for showing up! There were only 2 couples that couldn't make it! And a special thanks to Brad and Kevin for taking over grilling the hamburgers! It was like old times, they all sat around the fire laughing and talking until 11:00 pm! Mom...I hope you know how much I love you!!

This is my mom as we are pulling up and there are a ton of people waiting to sing Happy Birthday! I can't quote what she was saying...







Brian and Terry patiently waiting for the line to go down so they can eat! (This is not like them!)

Puppies!

This post is for Melanee...she wanted to see a few pics of the puppies. Tafi had puppies on September 9th. She had 11 and 9 of them survived. You can see in the first pic how miserable Taf was! I think she is ready to get rid of her puppies...they will be 6 weeks on Tuesday. They like to sneak out of the kennel and eat A LOT of dog food. They also like to bite and play. Colter really wants to keep one...I am not so sure of the idea:)

I love their little wrinkly faces!

This was the runt, my favorite. We named her Balto.

Colter is trying not to step on them.

Weekend In Idaho

We went up to Idaho last weekend. Colter got to help on the farm so it worked out perfectly that I got to be with my mom all day! It is harvest time...which means there is a bit of tension in my house. But it was so good to be able to spend some time with my family. I went and rode in the combine with Jadon. He seems too little to be running that kind of equipment...but he did great:)


Mom and Addie at Garcias


Colter gets to help with Sunday Dinner too!


That's my Dad!



Look who is taller:)