Ward Christmas Party

We had a wonderful ward Christmas party this year. We had it outside in the freezing cold weather (after a week's worth of rain) at the Bowman's house. The decided to do a live nativity scene and asked me to be in charge of getting it together. We had some amazing costumes from the Bowman's (like this wise men costume that Mikey is so fashionable wearing) & an amazing (every time I use that word now I think of Kelly from The Office).... Anyway- an amazing stable that they made. We had some beautiful songs- Aaron Ballard singing "O Holy Night", Rebecca Barney with "Mary's Lullably", and Katy (and she made me harmonize on the chorus) on a different and pretty arrangement of "While Shepherds Watch their Flocks". It was a spiritual night....just what a Christmas Party should be about.
And then Santa came....a little too late too....the kids were all very tired and cold by the point.
Jackson was a little leary of this whole "Santa Claus" thing!
And Olivia didn't even make it.....out cold before Santa even came. It was so sad because she was SO excited.... I guess there's always next year!

Christmas 2007

So Christmas was the best this year! Seriously....it just gets better each year with the kids growing up! We were so lucky to have a big fun group at our house this year. Annie, Doug, and Callin spent the night on Christmas Eve since they would just be too lonely all by there lonesome! And then Grandpa & Grandma Slade showed up at the exact moment we were waiting in the hallway to come and see if Santa came! And then Chris & Katy stopped by for a wonderful breakfast after we opened presents. It is such a blessing to have family so near...and dear! The big highlights included Olivia's Butterscotch horse that actually makes sounds and responds to her voice! (Buddy was going crazy the night before...completely afraid of it!)

Oakley loved his knights castle and had all the neighhood boys over playing with it shortly after. And Brent was completely surprised by the motorhome.....a really old one....we named her Betty the Bounder! It was a miracle that I pulled that off, especially since he always knows or finds out what he's getting. So yes....a fun Christmas!

And of course, Christmas Eve was so much fun over at my mom's / Annie & Doug's. We had a wonderful dinner & the best ever Nativity story. The next day Josh & Heidi came in stayed for a week or so. It was SO much fun with them! We had them over for a few days at our house and had some good times swimming in the jacuzzi!

Santa Baby!

Olivia is in a little dance class with her friend, Elli Baker and she loves it! It is a tap / jazz/ tumbling class so she learns a variety of things....and one of those things is how to shake her booty to "Santa Baby!"

She was the 2nd to last class to perform (a bad idea with 3 year olds)....so she just couldn't wait patiently to get up there. By the time it was finally her turn, she was jumping up and down when she got on stage because she was so excited to start!

She did such a great job....she turned and looked at her teacher on the side the whole time & her skirt was hiked up to her armpits, but it was still so cute! Brent was so mad because he was stuck in the worst construction traffic ever and missed the show by just a few minutes.

Good thing we have video cameras!

A Proud Joseph

Wow.....he was SO excited to be Joseph in his preschool play! He's the oldest (and by far the tallest as you can tell by the picture below) ... :) He was counting down the days! We arrived really early and he took us on a tour of the room, saying "This is where I knock three times". He even memorized other kid's part...he always said, "Mary, God loves you!"

His little buddy is Ezra (just to the right of Oakley in the picture). His teacher, Miss Nancy says that all the kids like Oakley (probably because he's the oldest and that means you're cool!)

Yep....that's a whole head taller than his friend Ezra!

The Proud Parent Moment

Livi's Joy School Christmas Play



So I am sure more than one of you parents out there has experienced this very moment.....

We were SO excited for Olivia's Joy School Christmas performance! She knew all the songs and practiced "Ding Dong...Ding Dong...Christmas bells are ringing" a millions times with spoons for the bells....she was ready. I dropped her off at school and came back an hour later with Grandma Packard to watch her be the cutest little innkeeper ever! But lo and behold...right when I walked in the door, she pulls off her costume, whines, and says she doesn't want to do. So after begging turned to pleading and then pleading turned to threats, and then the threats turned to bribes- she finally decided she would participate if she stood right next to Grandma.

....so Grandma was suddenly her best friend and I was her worst enemy.

After the best & most hiliarious play in the world...Livi finally started singing on the last line of the last song while sitting on my lap!

Is this worth all the effort? I hope so!

Thatcher...here we come!

NlightN Thatcher Concert 2007

It's Monday, December 3rd, ....the biggest day that's Thatcher/Safford's had in a long time! NlightN is coming to town! They are coming home.....home to their roots that gave them wings! (I think they originally did their first concert here?...I think).....but I do know this...they love them! How could you not?....5 cute guys with musical talent! They got me!




Backstage before the show started, Jack-Jack had to wish his daddy good luck! (6 months old!)

The NlightN groupies of course had to take a trip! We were front and center cheering on our hunks! (That would be (left to right) Alissa, Jami, Jenica, me, & Lauren....in case you didn't know) We had so much fun...especially on our drive down. Lauren let me and Jami tag along in her Suburban with our kids too. We had a fun trip there and got to do a little bonding time!

Okay.....after all the autograph signing calmed down, we finally took a picture of the group together (I think it's been a few years!) But seriously, I think the girls were a little hopeful still....even after 5-7 years of marriage each & 12 1/2 kids between us all!

So.....apparently I do not know how to stand like a lady! Someone please help me!

I LOVE THATCHER!

Thanksgiving Fun!

Brody, Callin, and Jack-Jack....all practicing sitting up at almost 6 months old!

I couldn't be more grateful for such a sweet boy!

Me & Aimee making yummy quiche for our Thanksgiving Brunch!

Silas & Oakley- proudly receiving their Thanksgiving Turkey Trot certificate...we did our own 2 mile run (which I can proudly say that I finished last- out of the people that actually ran the whole thing!)

My cutie bright blue-eyed Jack-Jack, trying to figure out crawling!

After the run....looking a little scraggly....but always having fun with cousin Ava!

Yea! I LOVE Thanksgiving! It was so fun to have all of our family over for Thanksgiving. We had the Packard clan in the morning for our own Turkey Trot, brunch, badminton, and horse rides. And then the Slade bunch came over in the afternoon for a wonderful Thanksgiving feast! I actually got to use my china for the first time ever! Then we ended the day with a fun game of RISK with Chris & Katy, Ben & Emily, and me & Brent. And I'm proud to say that after Brent fell asleep and Ben & Emily left, I finally won a game!

Check out my Slide Show!

Halloween

We had such a fun Halloween this year! We went to our ward carnival the night before and played games and did a trunk-or-treat. Then on Halloween, Oakley and Livi got to wear their costumes to school, and then we had a fun cousin night at Wally & Debbie's. Oakley was Wolverine (from X-Men...which he hasn't even seen...he just liked the claws!) Livi is a princess (which was the completely wrong costume for her!) She wouldn't wear the crown or the earrings and hated putting the dress on and having her hair done! Maybe I'll just stick witht he cowgirl costume every year! Jackson is either a cow or a dalmation....you pick! Either way, he's a cutie!

Check out my Slide Show!

Conference

What a fun weekend Brent and I had up at Conference! Neither of us have been since we've been married, so we thought we'd go up with just our little Jack-Jack who was only 4 months old! This was the beginning of October and usually it's not too cold that weekend up in Utah. I thought I was totally prepared with my little cotton jacket. But Mother Nature always has surprises up her (or His?) sleeve! It was only 38 degrees for the high the first day; 20 degrees below normal! ...freezing cold rain when we went to and from conference on Saturday!

Man, I love Arizona!

Eager in September

Sorry I'm not posting this until November, but that's only because it was the end of September, and all of October was filled with pain from my kidneys! (I had surgery October 19th to get another nasty stone out that I tried to pass for a whole month...just in case you didn't know!)

Anyway- so it all started in Eager. We went up- just our little fam- September 20th. We had such a nice relaxing time. Oakley wanted to play baseball every minute with Brent. And Olivia loved exploring outside. The weather was beautiful- we couldn't have asked for anything better! It all ended a day early, though, when we decided to leave at 9:00 at night when I realized the stone was coming. Of course, I thought we could hurry home and then I'd pass it.....I'd never have thought it'd take another month and a surgery to get it out!

Brent's new do!

So I bought some new buzzers....thinking, "Hey these are nice....they don't have those attachments anymore- it's just automatic...so they've got to be easy!" Lo and behold....this is what happened. The blade wasn't quite on all the way, so the very first cut, cut the deepest! Yes, that was less than a "1", so we had to practically bic his head!
Poor Brent...as least it has grown back within 2 weeks!


I figured maybe I better put some pictures of us on here too and not just our kids! So this is from this weekend, the 7th, when we went with Wally and Debbie, & Chris and Katy to our favorite restaurant in the world...Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. Nothing is better in the whole world to me than their ravioli as an appetizer, the felite, and then their creme brulee as dessert! Ahhh! And they even let us bring Jackson since he was being a stinker that day and I didn't want to leave him with a babysitter. Man, I love that place!

Jack-Jack

Our little newborn is suddenly becoming the cutest little infant ever!

This is when he really started smiling...around 2 months. Notice how skinny he is! His cousins, Brody and Cal both completely dwarf him already. He definitely long, but he's just so skinny! Just like his daddy was as a baby!

Livi just loves her little brother! Although she has tried to pick him up (and dropped him before)...she still is a big helper!

This is Jack-Jack on September 6th- just over 3 months old. He has the cutest little smile and the biggest blue eyes! He's a keeper!

All About Livi

Well, I had to dedicate a whole entry to all of her cute pics!

This first one is my favorite! She started a jazz/tap/tumbing class at a little dance place right around the corner her and she loves it! She takes with her little friend Ellie Baker every Monday morning for an hour. The footless tights are my favorite!

Then there is the cutest pictures of our family scripture study and prayer. She just bought these "shark" goggles and insists on wearing them all the time!

And, though I was mad at Brent at the moment for taking this picture during our family prayer, it just has to be shared. Call it sacreligious, but it's just the cutest of her saying a prayer! Brent insists it was okay just because they have pictures of it in other church things! :) But don't worry, we won't keep doing that!

And last but not least is her ghetto outfit she likes to wear.... She got this D-backs hat at a game with Brent, and then the rest is her Halloween outfit from last year that obviously doesn't fit! :)