Christmas Eve

Here is my favorite pic of the night. Do you think they are excited?

Christmas Eve

Okay...just ignore the placing of this pic...it is supposed to be some where in the middle. I am loosing my brain, lol!

We had Christmas Eve dinner over at my parent's house this year. Here is the table o' fun: Steph & Frank & Dizz

Mom(the scrumptious cook) & Brinks, and yes her face is stained orange from her dinner of carrots, yum!
Ryan was entertaining the boys while the adults ate & enjoyed some quiet. My boys LOVE Uncle Rye-Rye, can you see why? My mom had a box of over 1,000 straws...and guess who got in to them?


Ryan was also getting his work out throwing Caleb on my parents bed.


Layne & Brinks, see I did wipe her face off eventually.



After we ate at my parents, we stopped by the Peterson's. Here are the Peterson men trying to get the movie to play....

Sweet Gran Marie & Layne

Everyone watching Transformers on Blue Ray...we can't wait until Santa comes!

Neighbor Goodies

Our mission: Making goodies for the neighbors

I wanted to make some treats for my neighbors. I wanted to get them out early, before every one was all sugared out. Sooooo....I made this EASY, YUMMY recipe my friend Natalie gave me. The best part is it looks like you put a lot of work in to them but they are so simple(shhh don't tell my neighbors). See the recipe below:

OUR WEAPON:

Chocolate Mint Cookies

2 chocolate cake mixes

1 brownie mix

3 eggs

3/4 c oil

3/4 c water

Combine the above ingredients. Roll in to balls & cook at 350 for 12-15 minutes. When cookies come out of oven place an Andes mint on top. Wait a minute until mint melts, then spread mint around. Makes 60 plus cookies.

If you LOVE Andes mints you will LOVE these cookies! yumm... I wish I had saved a plate for me...they are so fudgy & chocolatey!

Then Carter and I assembled them on Christmas plates and I of course had to add some more chocolate.

Carter insisted we tie the plates with a pretty ribbon. He found my big bag of ribbon & has been obsessed with it ever since. He is my decorator, who knew? He also let me borrow his finger every time I made a bow.

We made about 15 plates full of cookies.

The transportation of choice: Papa George's tractor & hay ride

We have been keeping the hay ride at our house until Papa needs it & the kids have been in HEAVEN.

Brody doesn't like me very much these days...he is COMPLETELY a daddy's boy. I call him Layne's little shadow. Do you see the looks he gives me when I come around? Now I have proof....I feel so loved! Some day he will forgive me for having another baby!

Here's my little elves & all the goodies...Caleb looks a little cross eyed...yikes!

Look at the cotton candy sky, so pretty!! I could just eat it up, I love Az sunsets!

Month of November

I can't believe it has been a WHOLE month since I've blogged. November flew by & here is what we did during my blogging hiatus.

FAMILY PICTURES-(big sigh) Well our good friend Rachael Earl took our family Christmas pics this year. Right when we got there, Carter fell & got a huge, BLOODY lip(see below). He kept screaming "I can't say cheese, I can't say cheese". All the hair spray, make up, gel, grumpiness, and bribing the kids for nothing. But, we did a re-take & Rachael did awesome! Here is our little family, I mean BIG family full of little kids.

FAMILY TIME-Grant & Amy came down & we PARTIED hard! The kids LOVE their cousins. We ate 2 Thanksgiving dinners, lots of Neilson's custard, and did some Black Friday shopping, my FAVORITE...we missed you Steph! We also went to see the Temple lights, here is a pic of Carter & Noah....Carter ADORES Noah!
A WEDDING-Brett & Jenifer got married & it was so BEAUTIFUL! Grant did an amazing job, he's a natural just like George. My camera battery died right as we got there, so I didn't get very many pictures. Here are the few I snapped:

We LOVE FAMILY!