Snow Day!

So to us Northern Utahan's today's events are pretty hilarious but to St. Geogians it was a miracle! We had snow stick for more than a few hours, over night in fact!! Over four inches so of course no school SNOW DAY!!! We don't have snow tires on the school buses or snow plows for that matter, it never snows and sticks here! The kids thought it was great along with all the poor born and raised snow deprived kids! Me on the other hand, HATE the stuff, I moved here for a reason! I still remember the shoveling, the bulking outerwear, and driving in the winder wonderland. Brielle still had school and I had to help with her Christmas party ( which went really well.) So when we got home we played in the snow a bit. In St. George we use cookie sheets as sleds until you can dig out the sleds, and regular shovels in place of snow shovels. Brielle didn't like wear tons of clothes and didn't want to play in the snow, instead she would run outside grab a handful to eat and run back in and drink coco. Hunter on the other hand I didn't see all day! I came home from girls night and my hubby and kids are making a snowman at 8pm! He is a kid at heart and I got out of the house so I can't complain that the kids should be in bed not making Frosty! The kids have on their pj's and coats and nothing else and TJ is wearing shorts and a t-shirt and latex gloves, Sophie was in a hat, coat, and blanket in her car seat and nothing else!!! So I helped finish Frosty and Brielle puts a carrot down there and says Frosty needs a pee-pee. I know what child thinks of that!! I am going to have my handsful with her! Frosty looks great and the kids went to bed with visions of sugar plums dancing in their heads!

PJ day

Brielle was able to wear her pj's to school and bring her blanket and pillow to watch a disney movie. She was really excited about getting to wear her pj's and watching a movie at school, she is like her Dad she could watch movies all day but her mean Mom won't let her. So this morning she is drinking her coco after breakfast and I noticed binks (my old robe her blanket) and her pillow on the couch ready to go. I wanted to spare her the chance of getting made fun of by bring a robe so I asked her if she wanted to take her soft blanket or princess one. She replied no and said her teacher told her to bring her favorite blanket. We are at school and I am helping but together the treats while all the kids are on the floor getting ready to watch the movie and an obnoxious boy grabs Brielle's binks and says "This is not a blanket its a robe!" Brielle grabs it and says its my binks! He continues to make fun and pull at it and so Brielle stands up rips her binks out of his hands and starts walking away. She turns around and says "YOU ARE RUDE!" and sits down by her girlfriends. I smile and think to myself I am just thankfull she didn't pop him one which I secretly wanted to do. I was so proud of her though she loves that robe and didn't care if it was different or not the popular Hannah Montana or Princess blanket like all the other girls had. I am so thankful she stood up for what she loves and didn't let him get to her. I love you Brielle, you are such a spunky girl and at times it drives me crazy, I also love that no one can change your mind or get to you and you always make life fun!

Caroling Caroling through the snow....

So I must admit I get these crazy ideas that sound good and then turn out well... interesting! I thought it would be a fun activity to go caroling at a nursing home with our families. We went with our neighbors awhile ago and the kids had a blast and it was a really good lesson on helping others. So it was the kids and I, TJ's cousins wife and her three kids, and TJ's parents and sister's two girls. It was snowing while driving there and we were practicing in the car, really getting into the Christmas spirit. Well, Mom played the piano and I made jingle bells for the kids and we sang six or so songs and my niece played a song on the piano too. But, seriously I hope they didn't have their hearing aids in that night!! We were awful and it was hilarious because they didn't care they were clapping and singing and we were just trying to sing to the off key piano! The kids had fun though and then we had hot coco and cookies after. So here are a few pic's of the Bentley Bunch (our chosen choir name! hee hee!) Note to everyone if you cannot sing well make sure you invite people who can!

Sophie month 8

Sophie is now 8 months and I just love this stage. She has so much personality but isn't into everything yet! She has learned how to clap her hands and give slobbery kisses and has gotten up on all fours and scooted. She isn't close to crawling yet which I am thankful for! She just rolls everywhere, even in circles! She loves food and yells if anyone is eating and she isn't! Her new found love for suckers was introduced to her thanks to her big brother and she held onto that stick as if her life depended on it!

Brielle's Christmas Program

We are so proud of Brielle, she did such a good job at her Christmas program! You never know what to expect at their first performance and you never know what surprises Brielle will come up with. She came out and was so excited to see us and really loudly would say our names throughout the whole show and wave. It was hilarious watching her bop around and sing! She did really well with her part saying, "she like to help Mom decorate the house", she tripped while going to her seat but all and all she was so cute!! Thanks for being so much fun Brielle we love you so very much!

Gingerbread Houses

TJ's Mom does a Sunday special once a month and every week in December and this week was Gingerbread houses and magazines subscriptions for the kids. Brielle was in charge of decorating the tree's and ended up eating all the frosting, Sophie was entertained with a gingersnap cookie while Hunter and I worked on the house. TJ was the blowdryer man keeping everyone's houses from falling apart. It was pretty funny! We also celebrated TJ's Dad's birthday!! Hope it was great, we love ya!

Australia

Yesterday was a great day Heather and I went to the Dicken's Festival with my mother and sister-in-laws (didn't really see anything good) and then I got a babysitter and we went and saw Australia that night. I think they could've made it a little shorter (it was a three hour movie) but it was really good! I give it two thumbs way up! Plus three hours looking at Hugh Jackman wasn't so bad! Thanks for being my date Heather, I had a fabulous time! We should do it again sometime, hee hee!

Happy Holidays for our family to yours!

We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Tuacahn

Another tradition we do is going to Tuacahn's light festival and live nativity. The kid's love the train ride and hot coco and all the pretty lights, not to mention the fun Christmas music. The live nativity is short but sweet and you always leave there feeling so good. I am not really fond of Christmas (I know Bah Humbug) it's because everyone has lost sight of what is really important. I always stress out trying to find the perfect gift and I feel like I let people down. And in these tough times it's even worse and people make you feel even worse for not giving. Not to mention all the rude people driving and shopping all around! I love all the fun traditions we do with our kids and watching their excitement but we are always running around trying to please everyone so it's not really that enjoyable. Am I the only one that feels like this or am I Scrooge? LOL!!! Anyways off my soapbox! We had a great time together and the kid's were really concerned about baby Jesus being cold the whole time and not having walls and a roof. We tried to explain it was a prop but they didn't get it!

Family pictures 2008

We are getting my side of the families pictures done just before Christmas so my friend Amanda took these for us so we could have something to send out for our Christmas cards! She got a whole bunch of good ones, if anyone is interested email me and I will give you her number. She is very reasonable and does a really good job. Merry Christmas!

This is for all you BYU fans!!!

All is bright..

I took the kids to Nisson Park's Christmas light ceremony and parade. We had yummy hot coco and cookies while listening to the kids choir sing and then had a countdown for the lights to come on in the park. The lights were so pretty but they are the energy efficient led ones and I don't think they sparkle as brightly as the real ones. Our last stop was Santa, Hunter was so excited to tell Santa he wanted a Lego ship but he already has three ships, (Santa already made him a Lego castle) so I told him Santa only makes castles not ships. He thought about it for a minute and then agreed he wanted a Lego castle (yeah, close one!) Brielle was a little scared and wanted me to go but once Hunter sat on his lap she went right up and hopped on! She said she wanted a kitchen with a phone, and I thought for sure Hunter would ask Santa if he made Lego ships but he just asked for the castle. While we were walking to the car Hunter said "That Santa was fake!" I asked why he thought that and he said "His beard was fake I felt it!" So I had to explain the whole Santa has "helpers" since he can't be everywhere. Hunter asked "Why doesn't he send an Elf then?" Good question I said, really what do you say to that! We had a great time and the line was so long for Santa and all the kids were really excited to see him so I didn't get Sophie out of the stroller to get a picture. She thought he was great though she sat and smiled at him while Hunter and Brielle were talking to him. Christmas is so much fun with little kids they love everything about it and you can use the line.... Be good or Santa won't come!