The No T.V. Challenge

A few weeks ago in FHE we read a story from "The Friend" called "In the Zone". It's a cute story about the all too familiar repercussions from watching too much TV. Something my kids know a little something about. It's really been bothering me lately and I thought the story was perfect for my kids and very easy to relate to. After the story I extended a challenge to them to see if we could go one week without any TV in the mornings while they are getting ready for school. Which majorly slows them down! And no TV after school. Which was interfering with their homework and them choosing TV over friends. Can anyone else relate?? The TV could only come on AFTER dinner. They were a little reluctant at first, okay...maybe a lot, but I'm happy to say we're going on 4 weeks now and they don't even seem to miss it. The house is quieter, the kids are getting out the door to school on time and they are rediscovering board games, coloring books, puzzles, friends and actually playing with each other. I love it. Maybe most of you moms are more on the ball than myself and are already implementing a similar rule in your home. But...if not, I challenge you to do the same on some level and I promise you, you will be asking yourself the same question I have,

"Why didn't we do this years ago?"

Christmas 2010

What a great Christmas season. I sometimes wish the Christmas season lasted just a bit longer because there is such a great feeling this time of year and there is just so much to squeeze in. And this year was no exception. For starts there was no shortage of baking on days on end...

And there has no doubt been a shortage of snow playing and sledding. Anyone else's doorways look like this...

And the Christmas countdown couldn't start quick enough at our house this year. I made a fun advent calendar which was a real hit. Every night (or day, depending on the activity) we would draw a scripture from the envelope that related to the Christmas story. There was also an activity for us to do as a family included as well. We did all sorts of things, such as: watch a Christmas movie, read a Christmas story, bake Christmas treats, sing Christmas carols, etc. The kids looked forward to it everyday! A new tradition for sure.

Christmas Eve was spent at our house and we had lots of family and friends to share it with. We had hot cocoa, egg nog, and enough treats to make you sick! We had a nice Christmas program which included the kids acting out the nativity scene.

We even had a visit from Santa Clause!! Wow, our kids must have been really good this year to get a personal visit from the big guy himself. As you can tell, Landon was thrilled about the whole thing...

Later that night, the kids got their annual Christmas pajamas from "Mrs. Clause". This year Mrs. Clause opted for just pajama bottoms. Gotta put all those t-ball and softball shirts to good use somehow...

Christmas morning was the best. I've decided that Christmas is so much better as a parent than it ever was as a kid. Anyone's family room look like this Christmas morning....

For breakfast we had over some great neighbors, Josh's parents and sister. We had the usual ham & egg puff, creme brule french toast and the much anticipated monkey bread...

This Christmas of 2010 will be a Christmas our family will not soon forget. We have been so blessed with such great family, friends and neighbors. Although I am not too sad to see 2010 end, our family looks forward to a great 2011.

Happy New Year!

A Few of My Favorite Things...

It's the most wonderful time of the year. And the season brings a few of my favorite things...

Halloween 2010

Okay, so I'm just barely getting around to posting Halloween pictures. But there are a lot of them so I've sorta been dreading it. Anyway, it was a great Halloween! A couple weeks before Halloween we visited a pumpkin patch with family. We went there last year and it's so much funner when the kids get to pick out their own. They love it!

Outside our front door we have a little bail of straw, pumpkins, a scarecrow and this cute little pumpkin trick-or-treater. It looks like a little kid. Well, Landon took a liking to the little guy and just had to give him a hug every time he went outside. So stinkin' cute....

We decorated pumpkins...





We made all kinds of Halloween treats. Mummy pizzas, caramel apples, eyeballs (made out donuts, Gummy Lifesavers and Junior Mints) and over 40 dirt cups for Emma and Mason's class Halloween parties. ( I forgot to take a picture)

Josh's parents threw a Halloween party for everyone. Here is a few of us after the Mummy game....

Mason during the donut game...

My kids had some pretty good costumes this year but I'd have to say my favorite was Emma's. She was determined to not be what Katelyn was the year before. She's getting kind of sick of that. So she went in her room and came up with one totally on her own. A nerd. And let me tell you, she certainly played the part. By the end of Halloween my kids had made out with tons of candy! Of which we are still eating. Halloween still remains one of my kids most favorite holidays!

Happy Birthday to my Riley Mae!

A few weeks ago was Riley's 4th birthday. (I know, I'm slow to getting pictures up these days). But it was a much anticipated birthday for her. You know how kids talk and talk about their upcoming birthday for weeks and weeks? Well, Riley has been talking about her's for months and months! Every commercial on TV that has some sort of girl toy, she has to pause it (yes, I'm embarrased my 3-year old knows how to work the DVR) and come and get me and show me what she wants for her birthday. Now that her birthday is over, you think that would stop, but now she needs to show me what she wants for Christmas!

Anyway, it was a great day with her cousins and family. I made her a really fun rainbow cake I saw online that I've been wanting to make for awhile. Let me tell you it was a real labor of love. But it turned out so cute and Riley loved it!

I love how every day since Riley loves to come up to me with a big hug and remind me, "Mom, did you know I'm 4 now??"

Family beach pics....

I know I already did a post with pictures from our vacation at the beach in California, but these turned out so cute, I thought they deserved a post of their own. My sister-in-law Melissa took these family shots for us and did an amazing job....








I took these ones of my kids. Not as good as quality but pretty good none-the-less...

California Vacation 2010

So we just got back from the best family vacation in California. Josh had a family reunion in Newport Beach, and we decided to make a trip of it and visit my family as well. We had such a great time. Our first day there was Emma's birthday! So we wanted to do something fun. Something we couldn't do in Idaho....so we went to the Santa Monica beach! We first walked the Pier for awhile and rode the Ferris Wheel. Which was actually a first for me! Then we just played and ate lunch at the beach. On the way home we stopped at a pizza place and had cake and presents. We had the whole place to ourselves! All in all, one of my favorite days.

The next day for dinner we went up to a campsite I went to as a kid and had foil dinners and s'mores. Two of my all-time favorite foods ever!! Then we just hung out and played hide and seek. So fun for the kids.

The next day we made our way down south to Newport Beach for Josh's family reunion. The first day we hit Disneyland. We got to use our free tickets we got from doing the "Disney Give-a-Day Give Away". We got a babysitter for Landon so we were really able to enjoy ourselves. Riley could go on every single ride, except one, so that made it really fun for everyone. She didn't really like every single ride, but still....We were there ALL day. I don't know how people do Disneyland for 3-4 days in a row! I spend all day there and I don't want to see that place for a LONG time!

Then the next couple of days were spent at the beach! There's something so relaxing about just sitting on the beach. The kids made sand castles, played in the water, collected sea shells (which we got to smell in the car the whole 14-hour drive home), and just played with their cousins. It was honestly one of the best beach trips I've ever had. They were great beaches! I seriously could have stayed another week. On the way home, Josh and I were saying that we wish we could freeze time and the kids could just stay the age they are right now. They are all so much fun-I don't want them to grow up.

I took so many pictures, I figured a slide show was probably the best way to show them. Here are just a few...

(Click on the "X" to close out the the annoying pets game that is covering up my captions on the slide show.)