The Holidays with Our Family

Back to our home in Ohio! We miss our family but it's always good to be in your own home!

Right!! Do you think they are really asleep?
They were having so much fun playing in Jaxson's bed.

Force Feeding.

So, hardly anyone knows jay WITHOUT a beard in Ohio. I really didn't think he was going to shave it but. He did. He was such a good sport, letting me document as comecally shaved his beard in stages. He should own a harley with this one.

Hello . . .? Do I hear the 70's calling.

I have to say this is a pretty good Hitler face. Oh, wait, he still looks too nice :)

Jensen had had enough

On of my favorite things to do with the family!!

Game on!

We took our kids on a hay ride through Layton park to see the lights. It was sure cold but worth it.

Two of my sisters Beth and Steph with their babes Indy and Alec.

If you couldn't tell in his eyes, Jay loves his boys

My cute parents with Beth's Lauren

The whole clan at the end of the ride. It was so short that we didn't want to get off. The driver actully decided to take us around one more time, fee of charge. I thought that was very sweet of him.

Christmas in Layton/Family Party at the Canterbury

Opening up some presents with Jensen

Jasen vs Lennix. I just didn't take a picture when Lennix took him out! :)

Christmas Jammies

Opening presents on Christmas Eve

Lennix and his cousin Ash wrestling. I think we've taught Lennix how to wrestle a little too well but Ash loved it! Her face is classic.

Singing Christmas Carols at my parents on Christmas Eve

Love those blue eyes

One of my favorite traditions. Playing the Christmas Carols with Chimes

We never make it through a song with out someone forgetting their number and everyone laughing

A little smooch in the back yard by the forrest while we had a bond fire and burned all the boxes and wrapping. I love my Jay Baby!

Troy and Daph. Such a great couple

This is my cousin's son after he volunteered to be dressed up like santa. I think this was one of the best games that I have played at a family party. My sister Beth gave each of our groups three rolls of crate paper -Red, White, and Green. She gave us a certain amount of time to dress our Santa. . . May the best Santa win.

I am still kicking myself for not getting my Grandpa in this picture. He won best santa with no contest. But, I have to say he had some pretty tough competition. Those are some of my neices and my cousins kids and yes, that is my Bro. Jasen Rock'n out as Santa in the back.

This was the best part. They basically mauled Jasen and tore his "santa suite" to shreds. It was so much fun to watch.

Steph came up with our other game. Each of us was a letter and Steph had a list of all the words that could be made out of these four letters. As she read the word we had to place our selves in the right spot to spell the word. It was really confusingly funny. We got pretty competitive :). I love games that involve everyone.

A darling picture of my sister Daph holding my Jensen

I love my little family!!

My mom was so cute to take our kids home after the family party and told us to go out and have fun with my siblings. We decided to go bowling.

My sister Beth and her Lauren. She loves her momma.

After we realized that every lane was taken at the bowling alley we decided to go to my brother Jarem's house to play rock band. Way better anyway!

It was probably pushing 12:00 and Lauren was awake as could be. She's a partier. I thought this was so cute as she wanted to play with the boys.

Another picture of the family band

Our Own Christmas Eve in Ohio

We were so lucky to be able to go for the holidays so Jay and I decided, before we headed home, we wanted to celebrate Christmas with our little family and establish some of our own traditions.

I can never go wrong with adding a tie to Jay's presents. It is the one thing that I think he would never tire of receiving. Such an easy pleaser.

Lennix loved his basket ball hoop so much that it didn't last that long. At least it got some good use before we headed home for the holidays.

Ever since I can remember, my family has had a pinata on Christmas Eve. So, of course, it was only natural for us to carry on the tradition. Well, I had this great idea to try to make one myself. As you can see it was not as great as I imagined but how much fun the boys had  was way better than expected. 

Lennix accidently saw this present before I wrapped it and for days he could not stop talking about his basket ball hoop. We were very excited to give it to him. 

Who ever said COSI was just for Kids :)

As we walked in, Jay and I saw people on this high wire bicycle and of course we had to try it.

Inside the submarine

When I saw this picture for the first time I immediately thought Jensen looked  like my Grandpa Werrett

I think this was Jay's favorite part. Plus, his beard looks pretty sweet in this picture

Ugly Sweater Bunco

Oh Yes, we are looking pretty hot in our sweet sweaters. It makes me miss our little bunco group.

Shepherds Dinner

This was the finished product. It turned out really well and we did it on a very slim budget. I thought that the coffee tables in the middle, so that people could sit on the floor like they probably would have in Christ's time, turned out really well. We had a short program about how the Shepherds were the first to see the star in Bethlehem and how we are all "Witnesses of Christ." We handed out the dinner and explained the meaning behind it and then a sister in our ward, Brittney Harper, sang a beautiful song to end the night. It really was a wonderful activity. I was very glad to be part of it.

Our food table was really fun. They wanted to actually eat what the Shepherds would have eaten back in Jesus' time and we served them in these big baskets. It kept the feel of the whole night.

My good friend Leah asked me if I would help her decorate for the Christmas Enrichment night. I was so excited when she told me that they were going to have a Shepherds dinner. I was very new to the ward and this was a great time to get to know people. Leah and I took a drive and actually pulled dead and dried weeds and branches and everything else we could find and asked many people if we could use some of their vases they had in their homes. That is what we used to make the centerpieces. It was great and we had many laughs while pulling weeds. We went to Panera bread and they gave us all of their unused bread and we served it is baskets that we rounded up. We even went to wal-mart and got those battery operated lights so it looked like we had little candles on the tables, and the potato sack fabric that we found was a great finishing touch. So much fun.