2010

We did well on our 2010 list of things to do. We will roll over a few item to 2011 (maybe not visiting aliens on Zebnar 7!). We had a great year! Watch for our new list sometime next week.

• New Bedroom Furniture - Greg
• New kitchen table - Greg (Jul 1)
• Geocaching - Enoch
• Train Show - Greg
• Make a Quilt - Tresa (Oct 15)
• Make Ice Cream - Tresa (Jun 20)
• Boating - Enoch (Jun 12)
• Make a Sword - Greg & Gavin
• 4-wheeling at Goblin Valley - Greg (Oct 9-10)
• Cabin - Greg (Jul 9-10)
• St. George - Tresa (Nov 25-28)
• Family Readathon - Gavin (Nov 24)
• Zoo - Enoch (Dec 24)
• visit Pet Store - Enoch (Jan 30)
• Rock Hunting - Tresa (Sept 24)
• Make S'mores in backyard - Tresa (Jul 3)
• Get a Haircut - Kate (Feb 16)
• Visit Randalls in Fairview - Gavin (Sept 3-6)
• Go to California - Greg
• Build a Fort - Enoch (Dec 5)
• Build an Igloo - Gavin (Dec 18)
• Eat Fried Chicken - Gavin (Jun 28)
• Visit Aliens on Zebnar 7 - Gavin
• Make Brownie Pyramid - Gavin (Dec 29)
  
• Shuttle Launch - Greg (Nov 2-6)

Christmas 2010

When I was scrapbooking, I had a hard time doing my Christmas pages because I felt that they needed to be spectacular (and they never were). I'm having that same dilemma with my Christmas posts on my blog. I just can't capture the excitement. And my pictures are always bad - the wrong angle, snapping them a second too late, bad lighting in the basement. And then I feel greedy when I list what we got, but I want to remember what gifts we received that year. Oh well - here's goes.
Christmas morning started at 6:30 am. We had to wake up Kate, but everyone else was ready to go. We met in the upstairs family room to read a few scriptures about Christ, say family prayers and put the baby Jesus in the manger on our nativity advent calendar. We try to make it a spiritual way to start Christmas, but the kids are very excited and it doesn't always turn out the way Mom and Dad want!
We filed downstairs, youngest to oldest. The first present spotted was our new play table. Greg and I have been calling it a lego table, but really it's for a lot of different toys. Greg is so clever - he built it himself with some help from Ikea (and Grandpa and Uncle Jarom, who assembled the bookshelves from Ikea). On top of the table was the Playmobil pyramid. The kids have had so much fun with this. I'm super impressed, so detailed and so much to play with.


The kids then ventured over to their stockings. They included things like pillow pets, scripture marking pens, chocolate oranges, toothbrushes and flying slingshot animals that make noises. Gavin found a pig hat in his stocking, which we wore the rest of the day (except when Mom demanded he take it off).


After riffling through our stocking, we went back upstairs for breakfast. Mom had it baking in the oven, so it was ready to go. We ate a yummy meal of breakfast casserole, caramel pull-apart rolls, grapes, orange juice and milk. It was good, but the kids were anxious to get back downstairs, so we didn't linger long.
Gavin's big present was snowboard gear and lessons. When he picked out his snowboard, we told him the bottom was pink. He shrugged his shoulders and said, "I like pink." He also got some camping gear and a new school backpack.

Enoch has had so much fun with his Saxoflute. He also got the Playmobil camping set and a camera (which he has used constantly).



Kate is in love with her wooden princess castle complete with furniture and princesses. She also got some fairy wings and a princess and the pea set (with a dozen mattress, a princess dress and a book).



Mom got a calendar, candle and sewing things while Dad got some clothes, dutch oven gloves and a finish nailer.

What a great Christmas morning!

We spent some time playing with our new toys. The kids were having a blast and we had to tear them away from their new presents to get dressed and head over to Grandma and Grandpa Fowlers.
We had our traditional lunch of ham sandwiches, salad, veggies and Grandma's famous fudge at Fowlers. We visited with family and let the kids play. After a bit, the kids opened their presents from Grandma and Grandpa. Enoch was most thrilled with his remote controlled car. After playing a bit more, we headed home.
A bit later, the Randalls were all at our house again for dinner and more presents. We had a yummy dinner of turkey, rolls, salad, chips and chocolates. We then opened more presents. The kids had a great time and I think everyone was very happy with what they received. Gavin was thrilled to get the game, Dominion, and Kate loved her wooden wedding cake.
After presents, Fords and Grandma and Grandpa headed home, while the Fowlers, Kellys and Jarom played games.
By the end of the day, we were all exhausted, but a good exhausted. What a Christmas!

Christmas Eve 2010

Our family had great plans for Christmas Eve. We were going sledding at the cabin. Too bad the weather didn't get that memo. There was about a foot of slush at the cabin - not fun for sledding. I spent a bunch of time calling my parents and sisters yesterday to discuss alternative plans. We came up with a great idea. A Christmas trip to the zoo!
Who knew it would be so fun - really fun. The weather was warm for December (we were still in coats and hats, but it was quite pleasant). There were a few other families that had the same idea we did, but for the most part, the zoo was quite empty. We could look at the animals as long as we wanted without crowds pushing us out of the way. Some animals were inside but some animals were very active. The apes and tigers were extremely active. Enoch was also extremely active. Not surprising, I was always looking for him. I finally told him, in no uncertain terms, that if got lost he would have the live at the zoo and Gavin would be able to open his presents the next morning. He was a bit better after that.
We spent a couple hours there and had a great time.

There was a baby monkey that was only a few weeks old. Everyone thought he was so cute.

I told you Fowlers have monkey arms!


This ape was very busy. The kids would stand at the window and make faces at the ape. He paced to the back of his cage and then back to the window. The kids were taunting him and he lurched at the window. The kids jerked way back quickly!




The tiger kept pacing in front of the fence and growling at Gavin.

After the zoo, everyone met back at our house for a pizza lunch and visiting. We had a relaxing afternoon after a full morning.
After dinner of grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup, we started our Christmas Eve traditions. We read the Nativity story in Luke, dressed in our scripture costumes and acted out the story. Grandpa was Joesph, Grandma was Mary, Lily was baby Jesus, Greg and Gavin were shepherds, Jarom and Enoch were wise men, Kate was the angel and Tresa was the narrator.

After the nativity, we opened our Christmas Eve presents. I've been busy sewing and getting these presents ready since about October. Everyone got matching pajama pants and Gavin, Enoch and Kate also had pajama shirts. Gavin, Enoch, Kate, Tresa and Grandma also opened bed warmers. Grandpa got a new pair of slippers. The kids also got three new books. I hope everyone enjoyed their gifts.


Soon it was time for bed and everyone fell asleep quite easily.

Christmas Sunday 2010

Don't the kids look adorable!

Gavin and Enoch picked out the fabric for their ties. Greg job, guys. I was planning on making Kate a Christmas dress, but she spotted her dress from last year in the closet and really wanted to wear it again (it has been her favorite dress). We tried it on and it still fit. She was very happy.
Kate was feeling under the weather, so we all went to Sacrament Meeting to listen to the choir, and then Kate and Greg went home. Good thing - Kate came down with pink eye later that night.
In nursery we did our sticker nativity again. The kids really like this activity. Kate did hers at home. I love how she put all the animals around the baby Jesus.

Greg and I gave all of our nursery kids paper bag puppets of Joseph, Mary and Jesus.


It was a great Sunday!

Gavin's Half-Finished Igloo

One of the things that Gavin wanted to do in 2010 was build an igloo. The weather hasn't really cooperated. Finally it snowed - good packing snow - but not a lot. Gavin did the best he could, but ran out of snow. He even had Enoch and Kate ferrying snow from other parts of the yard. Maybe the igloo will get bigger since this storm is suppose to stick around for a few days.



Gavin, Enoch and Kate all had fun playing in the snow around the yard. Kate didn't last too long in the cold; she's a bit of a wimp (hmmm, wonder where she got that from?). The boys had a great time with their igloo and snowball makers.




Maybe we will have a while Christmas!

Christmas Songs

When I received the flyer about the school Christmas singing program, I purposely ignored it because I really didn't want to go. It just seemed like another thing to do. After listening to Enoch sing his songs all week long, I discovered it was something that he was excited about doing. I decided to take Kate and listen to the songs.
It was so much fun! The kids all did such a great job and it really helped me get into the Christmas spirit (I know, a little late). They mixed up the order of the grades so the kindergarteners were in the middle. By the time it was Enoch's turn, Kate was pretty restless. Each of the grades sang two songs, but then you had the down time of each grade filing off the stage and the next grade coming onto the stage and getting in their places. It was well organized, but still a bit slow.
Luckily for me, Enoch was right in front of where I was sitting (it was only half of the kindergarteners, since the morning kids performed in the morning program). He was standing next to his best friend, Jimmy. What cute boys! (I really did comb Enoch's hair that morning and even put mousse in it. His hair has a mind of it's own!)



Everyone did fantastic job singing. So great, in fact, that Kate wanted to help too. While I was filming, she ran up onto the stage and stood next to Enoch. I had to go pull her off, kicking and screaming, when the song was over. They sang Gingerbread Rock and another cute song about mom and dad getting them for Christmas under the tree.

Kindergarten Gingerbread Houses

Kate and I were lucky enough to visit Enoch's class today and help build gingerbread houses. We had so much fun. Kate behaved very nicely and felt like such a big girl sitting at the table with all the kindergarteners.
I love how they do houses. Each child gets a clean milk box and a paper plate. The mom helpers dollop a huge scoop of royal icing on top of the sealed box and the kids smear it all over their 'house' using a popsicle stick. Each table has a container of candy and the kids are free to use whatever they want. It's great! Forget gingerbread or graham crackers - this is genius.




Everyone had a great time. Some houses were very artistic, some very elaborate, some very sparse and some loaded with candy. What a fantastic way for the kids to express their personalities. Enoch's and Kate's houses were very cute.

Thank you, Mrs. Simpson, for letting us come and play!

Enoch's Winter Wonderland

Enoch learned how to make paper snowflakes this year. Thanks! to whoever taught him how. I love picking up hundreds of little pieces of paper off my floor. Just kidding (kinda). Making snowflakes has kept him entertained every day for a few weeks now. Even Dad, Mom and Gavin have cut up a few. Enoch picked his favorite ones and we hung them in his room by invisible thread. He loves them!

Our (Itty Bitty) Gingerbread Village

One of my kids favorite things to do before Christmas is decorate gingerbread houses. We usually buy the pre-made house from Costco that includes frosting and candy. This year, deciding to be adventurous, we bought a kit from...I don't remember where. But, this kit came in a bigger box and had five houses - one for each of us. I thought, "This will be great! No fighting, each of the kids can have their own house and we will made a cute little village." I didn't realize that little was the key word there.
When we opened the box, Greg started laughing and the kids were saying things like, "What!!?? They are so small!" Don't you love it when the box is about four times as big as the actual product inside. And so much for not fighting - all the kids wanted the church. Fast forward through some whining, fighting and yelling, and we finally finished our village. The kids really did have a fun time decorating despite the rocky start.

Greg's house (notice he got the church because he didn't whine about it!)

Tresa's house (so boring and traditional)

Gavin's house (still standing after the candy blizzard)

Enoch's house (he was so proud of his chimney and I'm pretty sure he already ate it)

Kate's house (most colorful use of leftover candy, with Mom's help)

Our village.