8 Years

8 years ago I married this guy.

I knew then that I'd have a happy life with him, but I had no idea it would be this good. Love you babe!

The Kids Must Have Been Good This Year

Christmas morning was full of fun and playing and and all that Christmas morning should be full of. The kids all had little Christmas trees in their own rooms this year throughout the season, and Santa was so nice to leave Parker and Natalie a new leapster game and a case for their leapsters wrapped under the trees in their rooms. So, when they woke up they got to play those new games for a little while until everyone else was ready to wake up too. Mom & Dad thought that was extra smart of Santa. Once we were ready the kids went in to find that Santa had in fact given them just what they wanted.

Natalie consistently throughout the whole season told us, Santa, and anyone who asked that she wanted a car with music for Christmas. Yes, she is 4, not 16, and yes, we know we're in trouble. Parker said he wanted a blue jeep, but that changed at times, and some things took higher priority, but he was pretty excited about his jeep. Dylan was thrilled about his train track and his cars especially. He's becoming somewhat cars obsessed lately.

So, of course, it wasn't much more than 10 minutes before the kids wanted to take their new toys outside for a ride. Normally, I would be wishing for snow, but we were really happy there wasn't any, and it wasn't super duper cold either.

The rest of the morning was filled with more presents than anyone could imagine, and my kids especially were unbelievably spoiled by grandparents and aunts and uncles and cousins. Brad & Catherine didn't wake up early to see what Santa brought, but they came upstairs a little while later for presents. And, David, Jill, and Chace came over in the morning for presents and breakfast too. It really was so great to have everyone here, and we had a great lazy morning.

Natalie got a really cute vanity filled with make-up and jewelry from Nana & Papa. She was in complete heaven with that, and I think my Mom was too. Parker and my Dad spent a good portion of the day putting together the k'nex race track they got him too.

After that we all got ready for church, and since I'm the choir director in our ward I left early to meet with the choir before church started. I loved watching my whole family walk in before it started. They looked so good, and I felt so blessed knowing they were my family.

I really loved having Christmas on Sunday. It was so nice to go to church and remember the real reason for Christmas. It especially worked out nicely for us because church was at 1pm. I sat on the stand with the choir, and as I directed the choir (who sounded fabulous by the way), and listened to the musical numbers and speakers, and looking out at my adorable kids, amazing husband, and the rest of my family, I was a bit overwhelmed with gratitude for mySavior and His Atonement that makes it possible for us to be together into eternity. And, I felt so much gratitude for the blessing I have to be a mother and a wife...the good and easy parts of that as well as the bad and the hard parts.

We came home from church, and the kids saw their car and jeep outside and headed straight for them. They rode around still in their church clothes for a good while, and had the best time.

We spent the rest of the afternoon watching the Laker game and playing and hanging out. It was a wonderful Christmas as always.

Sadly, Natalie's car stopped working the next day, so we took it to Wal-mart and even though it was from Santa they gave us money for it, so we could buy a new one. Natalie picked out this pink and purple jeep, and she was thrilled because it has a radio in it. Remember she asked for a car with music, and the white car Santa brought didn't have music in it. They look so cute zipping around in their jeeps, and they've been having so much fun every day with them.

Christmas Eve

We spent the day hanging out with ALL of my family and cooking. My parents, and my sister and her husband were here, and my brother and his family live close by, so we had so much fun being together.

We had a delicious Christmas dinner, with Catherine's amazing rolls and Jill's super yummy desserts. So, I may have gained a pound or two over the last 2 weeks. Somehow, that dinner ended with my Dad at the table by himself with a napkin on his head...love it.

After dinner we had a small program, which included Natalie trying to sing I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus but getting very frustrated by the boys taking her limelight.

Then, we attempted a Nativity. It was more humorous than anything. This picture and Catherine's original caption sums it up perfectly.

This picture does a great job depicting the actual chaos of the Nativity: Natalie & Parker taking the whole thing very seriously as the adults try to contain their giggles and keep Chace & Dylan from running wild.

After the nativity the kids opened their new pj's and got ready for bed, but not before we opened a few more presents. Last year I started a new tradition with the kids. They make their presents for each other. I LOVE this! I love seeing how excited they are to make them and the joy they get out of giving. Parker made playdoh for Dylan and a hopscotch mat for Natalie.

Natalie made jet packs for her brothers, and they love running around in them.

Dylan made letter paintings for Parker and Natalie.

Then, after a long and exciting day they were off to bed, and surprisingly they all fell fast asleep.

Ski Days

Parker and I were able to get a couple of ski days in over Christmas vacation, and we were so happy about that. The night before the first time we went, which was before Christmas, I had told Parker we were going to go when I was putting him to bed. The next morning before I had even opened my eyes, he came to my bed and said, "Mom, I'm so excited!" I said for what, thinking he was referring to Christmas. He said, as if it was so obvious, "Skiiiiiing!" I love that he loves it so much.

That day was a special treat too because we got to go with my best friend from college and her little girl. Elizabeth and I spent many many days together skiing whilewe were at BYU. We were usually joined by Rachel, who we missed that day. When we got there and put our skis on and I think we both felt like we were 20 again.

Our 2 little ski bunnies. I think we're hoping that this will be in their wedding video someday. Really, is there anything wrong with arranged marriages?

After Christmas, Parker and I took an afternoon to ourselves, and remembered how much we love it.

Gingerbread Houses + Friends = FUN

One day while school was out before Christmas the kids had friends over and we still hadn't decorated the gingerbread house, so I asked the kids if they all wanted to do it. They had the best time.

These 3 were a little silly.

These 2 took their work a little more seriously.

We let Dylan decorate the gingerbread man.

The finished product...The kids did it all. I put the frosting on, and they did the rest. It was so much fun for all of us.

The Nutcracker Ballet

Parker and Natalie have been taking a Kindermusik class this year that teaches them all the fundamentals of music, and they're even learning how to read notes and play the glockenspiel, which is like a xylophone. They're teacher took them to see The Nutcracker Ballet just before Christmas. I got to go with them, and we had a great time. They even got to meet some of the dancers after the show.

{sorry about the photo quality...they're straight from my phone.}

A Night Out with the Reindeer

One night we went out to eat at Thanksgiving Point and stopped by to see the Reindeer. The kids were pretty sure they were Dancer and Prancer, and definitely not Rudolph since their noses were black. I love seeing the magic in it all with them at these ages.

Cute Kindergartners

I got to help with Parker's Christmas party, and it was so fun to see Parker with his cute friends. It was a perfect Christmas party too, and the kids loved it. They wore their pajamas, ate donuts and hot chocolate, and then laid down with the pillows and blankets and stuffed animals they'd brought to watch a movie. I loved being there with my little boy!

Christmas Singer

Natalie loves to perform! She loves to sing, she loves the attention, and she's pretty fun to watch too. She was beyond excited for her Preschool Christmas Concert, and she did fabulous. Brian and I both had no worries about that, and she didn't disappoint.

{this is Natalie's friend, Sophie. She lives down the street from us, and they love any chance to play together.}

Those kids sang their little hearts out, and so well that Santa even came to say hello. They were unbelievably thrilled about that.

Our Newest (and my favorite) Christmas Tradition

There is a Live Nativity just 10 minutes from our house that they have done for several years. They only do it for one weekend, and we had never gone. This year, I knew we needed to go. My kids are at fun ages for Christmas because they truly understand the tradition of Santa and they believe all the ins and outs of what he does, but along with that I really want them to understand why we have Christmas. We've spent a lot of time talking about the story and reading scriptures daily to try to remind them of the real meaning of Christmas. Along those lines, I felt that going to this Live Nativity was important for our family.

So, we planned to go on the last day they did it and it was no more than 20 degrees that night. As we were getting ready to go Brian was sure I was crazy forwanting to go in that cold weather, but we all bundled up in complete snow gear and went. I was so impressed by the whole experience. We walked up a lit path past donkeys and shepherds, and as we walked in we were stopped by a Roman soldier on a horse asking if Dylan was a boy, to which I quickly replied "No."

We then walked into the city of Jerusalem and it was loud and bustling with people and animals doing all the things that were done in the city at the time of Christ. The kids loved walking around in there seeing the 3 wisemen with their gifts, the animals (well, Dylan liked the animals, but not when that donkey got too close), and learning about all of the things the people did during that time.

And then we left the city and walked down to the stable. As we walked the kids asked me where we were going to find the baby Jesus and Parker said that maybe we were going to lots of places before we found room in the inn for the baby Jesus. Then we did walk into the stable and there was such a quiet reverence in the room especially in comparison to the busy city we'd just left. We all loved being in there and thinking about that night so long ago that He was born. Natalie especially didn't want to leave there, and she really loved seeing the baby Jesus.

I think the best part was as we were walking away Parker and Natalie both looked at me and said, "Mom, it was just like we were IN the story." I knew then that they really got what it was all about and how amazing that was and still is. We talked about the importance of that night as a family and on the way home, Brian said, "I think we have a new Brown family tradition."