2011: Happy New Year!

One of our most favorite traditions is attending a neighborhood New Year's Eve Party as a family. We all bring food to share and a bottle of sparkling apple juice. We play games, eat and visit. Then at midnight, we watch the ball drop in New Year on television and yell, "Happy New Year!" We clink our plastic glasses of apple juice to "cheers" and throw poppers of confetti. We love that we can celebrate together as well as with dear friends.

New Year's Resolutions:

"And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man." Luke 2:52

Intellectual Goals:
Read 12 books
Play piano more

Physical Goals:
Run another half marathon
No sugar for at least 3 months
No soda for 1 year

Spiritual Goals:
Read the Book of Mormon again
Increase Temple attendance
Less t.v. watching (get rid of cable)
Update 72 hour kits and add Lucy's
Increase record keeping (journal more, blog more, take more pictures, etc.)

Social Goals:
Plan and execute a girl's trip
Publicize the postives in others, including my family

A Decade to Celebrate

We went to Vegas for a couple of days for our Anniversary. We saw the Cirque Du Soleil show, "Mystere" and indeed it was! But, we were part of the act at the beginning and that was really fun. We just went along with whatever the actor did. He gave us someone's popcorn and sat us in front row seats, kicking out the person that was sitting there. He asked me to give him a kiss on the cheek and then when I did, he hurried and turned his face, which made me catch him on the lips. YUK! It was really fun and something unique for our special day.

We also saw Gordie Brown, an entertainer that I thought was fantastic.

We ate at a restaurant for breakfast called the Grand Lux Cafe at the Venetian and fell in LOVE with their red velvet pancakes. WOW! (I say get them WITHOUT chocolate chips, but Bill says WITH. You decide.)

We went shopping and to art exhibits. It was a fun get away!

Christmas Day

After opening all our gifts, we had grandparents come to visit us through out the morning. Then late in the afternoon, we went to see the movie, "Tangled" which we loved!

Stockings

Stockings are full of little presents all gift wrapped. I try not to include candy, but there is usually 1 favorite treat for them. This year's treat was fruit snacks, which I do not usually buy because of the sugar content. They each got their own box and they were gone by the end of the day! Other gifts include a new toothbrush, fun tooth paste, a yo-yo, snowman crayons, swim suit mesh bags, fun bath drops that color the water, etc.

After stockings are opened, we eat our special holiday breakfast.

First Things First

At the beginning of December, I make a list each year with 3 columns:
"Food to Make": Danish Almond Puff Pastry, Monkey Bread, Wassail, and Party Punch
"Service to Perform": shovel a neighbors walk ways, do Sub for Santa, and donate to a charity
"Fun Things to Do": Thanksgiving Point Light Show, Temple Square on Traxx, deliver neighbor gifts and Karl Bloch Art Exhibit at BYU with dinner at Magleby's and Buttermilk Pie and Chocolate Cake for dessert (which are The Best desserts ever!)

Christmas Eve we went on Traxx to Temple Square to see the lights. We went early and ate dinner at the Nauvoo Cafe first and then as it got dark we walked around. And right as the crowds starting coming, we were done and got on the train to go home.

Once home, we watched the Luke II video (usually we read it, but the kids were so tired we didn't think they would make it through.) Then we open the traditional pajamas and slippers and Christmas book. This year's book was, "God Bless Your Way." We set out cookies and milk for Santa and Max added reindeer food to boot.

Then Bill stays up wrapping gifts he got for me while I set and decorate the table for our special holiday breakfast. This year's menu was simple: Danish Almond Puff Pastry, scrambled eggs, bacon, hash browns, Monkey Bread, orange juice, hot chocolate and wassail.

We only get 1 gift from Santa and the rest are from mom and dad. This year's gift was a Wii game for each boy and an umbrella stroller for Lucy.

Tis the Season To Be Jolly....Or Not

Karate Yellow Belts

Jack and Max,

You LOVED Karate and here are some pictures from your belt testing, which moved you from white belts to yellow belts. Hooray for you!

Thankful...

My side of the family usually does Thanksgiving dinner the Sunday before the holiday. I brought my camera, but forgot to take a photo.

On Thanksgiving Day, we spent it with Bill's side of the family at his brother, Chad's house. Again, we brought our camera, but failed to remember to capture a picture.

Every Thanksgiving I make a list of things I am thankful for and here are a few from my list this year:

Motherhood
Family
Health
America: Free & Beautiful
Running water
Warmth
The Atonement
Prayer
Perfect Moments
My beautiful children: Jack Ryan, Max Alan and Lucy Jane: I love you so!

Grandma Patsy's 80th Birthday

Dear Jack, Max & Lucy,

We took a trip to Ontario, Oregon for your great grandmother's 80th Birthday. Her name is Patsy Christiansen Wise McConkey. We traveled a little over 6 hours to be at her Birthday.

This photo is taken in our hotel room. Ontario is small, so there were not a lot of choices for hotels, but this one was clean and you guys all enjoyed the swimming pool. Grandma came over to visit us just before we had her Birthday party with friends and family at a local restaurant.

Daddy was not able to be with us on this trip because he was out of town working, but you were really good for me and it meant a lot to Grandma that we made a big effort to be there. Thank you for being so good.

This entry is for family history sake. :) Happy Birthday Grandma Patsy!

Jack's VIP Day

Along with Jack's Birthday he was the VIP in his 1st grade class. He attends Welby Elementary School in South Jordan, Utah and Mrs. Li is his teacher. Jack is very bright and enjoys school. He is an excellent reader and has gotten 100% on every spelling test so far. He seems to enjoy Math as well and is very fast at doing his worksheets.

Jack's 7th Birthday

Jack turned 7 years old on November 5th. He wanted to have a Bionicle Birthday Bash. This is the group of friends from our neighborhood showing the Bionicle they built and the certificate they won for their creative genius.

Addicted to Chocolate Already

Halloween 2010

Each year, I feel a bit timid about purchasing costumes for my kids because they change their minds so much. So this year, I purchased costumes the night before their school parties. I thought I'd be saved from the changing-of-the-mind, but I was wrong. Tonight, Jack ended up wearing Max's costume and Bill forced Max to pull something (anything) out of the dress up box in the play room. (Bill told him he wasn't taking Max trick or treating around the neighborhood unless he put something on.) So this is what we came up with. Blah!