Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Christmas 2014

I forgot how much better my pictures turn out when I use my real camera instead of just my phone!  Christmas was so much fun this year.  I love the ages of the kids and their excitement. 
When we moved into the house, we took all the drapes down and I stored them away for a time when I could sit and sew nativity costumes out of them. The kids were thrilled with them!  
Belle as Mary, Bug as Joseph, and Bear as a shepherd.  
We had the Elders and a couple families from the ward over on Christmas Eve to eat dinner and participate in a live nativity with songs. The missionaries were kind enough to fill in as an angel and wiseman.




We decided to opt out of Christmas pajamas this year (except for Belle) and got BYU gear instead.


 My dad starting trucking a month or so ago and had to work over Christmas, but my mom was home to celebrate.
 We told the kids they couldn't come out of their rooms until 7:00 on Christmas morning.  Bug was so anxious and excited the night before that Bond finally had to go in and sleep with him to calm him down.  In the morning he informed me that he couldn't get Bug to sleep until after 1 am.  True to form, Belle woke up around 6:55 so we headed in to wake up the boys.

Ready to head into the living room for presents (Belle is holding her "first dollar bill" that Bug had given her as a gift on Christmas Eve.  She slept with it all night and told me that morning, "I have my own bank account!" :

Bear's picture perfect faces when he catches a glimpse of his gifts.




 Bond got a Carhartt jacket for his farm chores.
 The kids got loads of gifts sent from Bond's parents in Tennessee.


Bond surprised me with a tablet.

The boy's big surprise was an Xbox.

The boys posing with the gifts they picked out for each other, The Game of Life and a Patriots jersey.


Sunday, December 28, 2014

Tenth Anniversary in Charleston

Bond and I have never left our kids to travel together. We decided our tenth anniversary called for a trip, just the two of us. We had a great time touring Charleston, South Carolina and eating delicious food, and spending time together.

Saturday, December 20, 2014