Happy 7th Anniversary!

December 28, 2000, Tory and I were married in the Salt Lake LDS Temple. I can't believe it's been 7 years already! But at the same time it seems like it's been much longer. One thing I DO know is that the last 7 years have been GREAT! I am so thankful to be married to such a great guy and can't imagine my life with anyone else. Tory made our day very special yesterday even though I was very sick. He got me a beautiful plant (I LOVE plants) and some chocolates and made us a delicious steak dinner with salad and the works! He even made a fire pit to cook the steaks on! Very tasty! Thank you, Tory! Wish I was feeling better so that it felt more like "our" anniversary instead of just "mine"!

Tory and I met at our church in Colorado Springs. He had returned from his mission in December 1999 and was sitting on the stand when I gave my mission homecoming talk at church February 27, 2000. (Why was he up there anyway? I have no idea...) He talked to me afterwards and that was that. My parents had a little party for me after church and I remember my bishop came over to me and said he heard there were a couple guys who were interested in asking me out. One I didn't know but the other one was Tory. I knew who Tory was but I didn't really KNOW him. I remember meeting him once when I was home from BYU during a summer break a couple years earlier and I knew our families knew each other but that's about it. In fact my sister Amy was his age and knew him much better. (The funny thing is that she was pretty much the ONLY girl he never went out with in the entire ward...she always wondered why...and now we know!) Well, March 2, the other guy asked me out. (Tory's still upset that that guy beat him!) It was pretty much miserable. In fact it got so bad that my Mom and Amy had to respond to the CODE word! Ahhhh...thank goodness for moms and sisters!

On Thursday, March 9, Tory finally asked me out. It turns out he had to wait that long because he wanted to make sure he could drive his car. He had broken his collar bone skiing the month before. So his right arm was in a sling. Kind of hard to drive a stick without your right hand! Our first date was right after I reported to the High Council about my mission. Tory's Dad was on the high council. Some how, between my Dad and his Dad, the news was spread that Tory and I had our first date that night. It was a little embarrassing! But when it was all over, off we went. He took me out to Grady's for dinner. It was very fun and Tory was so easy to be with and talk to. We were going to go see a movie but by then they had all started and we were too late. So we went to my parent's house and watched Prince of Egypt. Ha! It was a really fun night getting to know him. We went out the next day, and the next day, and were together every day from that moment on.

On April 19, Tory picked me up from work during my lunch hour. He said he was starving and told me to pick a place to eat. We were driving down Academy Blvd. where there are lots of options. I named a few and then we passed by Grady's and Tory said, "Oh, let's eat there! That sounds really good." As we were walking in I said, "Tory do you remember our first date was here?" He said, "Oh yeah, that's right! How do you remember all these details?" So we went in and Tory asked for a table for two, non-smoking. The waiter led us to a dirty booth and said he could have it cleaned up for us shortly. I told them there was a clean one right next to us. Couldn't we just sit there? Tory said, "It's OK. They'll have this one cleaned in no time." We stood there waiting and I just couldn't figure out why all the fuss? Why couldn't we just sit in the other one? Then the waiter even said, "It's OK. I've got this one. It will be ready in a second." We stood there watching and finally it was ready. (It really didn't take that long and I'm really not that picky normally!) As we were sitting down I noticed a white napkin sitting on Tory's seat and told him to make sure the waiter got that before he left. "You don't want to sit by someone else's dirty napkin the entire time!" (Man! What was my problem?!) He said, "Oh, OK." and kind of smiled. We ordered our food and had a good time talking. Then all of a sudden he asked me to close my eyes. I thought I had something on my eye and asked him what it was. CLUELESS! I tell you what! He said there was nothing and to just close my eyes and not open them until he said. So I closed my eyes for what seemed like FOREVER! He finally told me to open them and when I did he was holding a red rose in front of me. How nice! The first flower he ever gave me! I was looking at it and admiring it (and still oh, so clueless...) and noticed there was a ribbon tied on it. I thought that was strange. Why would a flower have a ribbon? I got to looking closer and there was a ring tied to the rose! As soon as I saw it Tory asked me to marry him. Wow! I totally didn't see that coming! Of course I said yes! What a fun day! He had gone there earlier and set it all up. The messy table, the rose under the napkin on his seat (whoops!), everything! He said he tied the ring onto the rose while we were talking. I never even suspected! And the reason I had to keep my eyes closed for so long? Apparently right when he told me to close my eyes he was going to go kneel down beside me but at that moment people kept coming and coming and he was losing his nerve and finally just had to ask me sitting down! That's OK! It was still romantic! :)

We had a busy summer getting our "cottage" fixed up to live in after we were married. It was a work shed/garage behind my parent's house that we turned into a cozy little cottage. I went back to BYU and finished all but one semester of classes. And finally on December 28, 2000, we were married! It was always my dream ever since I was a little girl to get married in the Salt Lake Temple and although not everyone was happy with our decision to travel that far, it was absolutely perfect for us! It was so fun to be on Temple Square at Christmastime with all of the nativities from all over the world and the Christmas music playing in the background. So magical! But FREEZING! Let me tell you! It took several hours to thaw out after pictures! We had a lovely reception at my Grandma and Grandpa Mac's church and then left for our honeymoon. We stayed at the Anniversary Inn in Logan, UT the first night and then drove all the way back down and over to Las Vegas where we spent a couple days. It was a BLAST! Then we drove down to see the Grand Canyon which I had never seen before. Wow! We finished the loop by driving back to Colorado for another reception there. And then we moved back to Provo, UT for my last semester at BYU. We moved back to our little cottage in Colorado the end of June. And of course life has truly been lived since then!

We have gone through the best times, hard times, good times, and sad times but we have made it through and it's been wonderful to spend it all with my best friend! I love my Tory! Happy Anniversary! Looking forward to the next 7 years and then some! From Here to Eternity!

Another Christmas Survey

25. How many more days til' Christmas?
5…Wow! Is that all?

24. What color is your Christmas tree?
Green

23. Bought any gifts for anyone yet?
Everyone I was planning on.

22. Are there any Gifts under the tree?
Some from Grandma & Grandpa, Nana, and Grandpa Mac

21. Will it snow this Christmas?
Only in our dreams. But it is supposed to be cold! That’s exciting!

20. How many family members live in your house?
2 parents + 3 little boys=5

19. Is Santa coming?
Oh yes!

18. Have you been naughty or nice?
I try to be nice….

17. Favorite place to get presents from?
Tory’s workshop. I love to see what he makes for me. It’s always a surprise.

16. How many places do you go to celebrate the holiday?
This year we won’t be going anywhere and nobody’s coming to us *sniff, sniff*

15. Ever 'peeked' inside a present?
I did once when I was younger and felt terrible about it. I could never bring myself to do it again.

14. Ever tried egg nog?
Yes, and it’s good stuff!

15. How cold is it now?
I don’t think “cold” is exactly the right word for today. It’s around 70.

14. Decorated your house yet?
I hope so! We never did get the outside icicles up. How come we get them up the years we leave for 3 weeks but when we’re actually here to enjoy them we don’t quite manage? Oh well!

13. Do you still leave the cookies and milk, just for the fun of it?
For the fun of it…and because Santa does need a snack!

12. How many presents would you say you got last year?
I have no idea. Never have counted.

13. Name 3 things you asked for this Christmas:
I haven’t officially asked for anything. I really would rather be surprised.

12. Ever watched The Christmas Story?
Yes. It’s a good one.

11. Have you ever been sledding?
When we lived in Kansas we would make some good sled runs down into the creek. Where else do you sled in western Kansas? Being pulled behind a pickup on an old truck roof was fun, too. More speed!

10. Do you get more money, or clothes for Christmas?
I don’t know if I’ve ever really gotten money for Christmas. Just from Grandparents when I was younger. But I haven’t really gotten clothes for Christmas since I was younger either…hmmmm. That’s a toss-up!

9. Ever had a snow ball fight?
Of course! But I really don't enjoy them.

8. How many stockings will hang from the fire place?
5-one for each of us. Stockings are my favorite part of Christmas.

7. Does your dog/cat get a stocking?
When we were younger we put up a stocking for our dog Grizz once. I think he got a leash! Wow Santa! Pretty good for a last minute stocking!

6. How many people would you say you buy for a year?
Our family, parents, and the family we draw for in Tory’s family.

5. What kind of food do you celebrate with?
Clam chowder & carrot pudding on Christmas Eve, cinnamon and orange rolls Christmas morning, and a turkey or ham dinner Christmas evening. But since we’re doing our own thing this year we might change it up a bit!

4. Did it snow on Christmas Day last year?
Yes, we were in Utah though.

3. Do you have one or more trees that are decorated for a specific theme?
No. I like the good old-fashioned miscellaneous trees.

2. Do you go to Church on Christmas Day?
If Christmas falls on a Sunday. Those are my favorite Christmases. Otherwise our church always has a special program on the Sunday closest to Christmas.

1. Merry Christmas!

More Pictures from Graduation

Boy these are a little spaced out but today's the first chance I've had to get them posted. Just a few more pictures from Tory's graduation.

Tory with my Mom-Bonnie and his Mom-Val

James and Tory

Tory and his Dad-Nolan

Dallin having fun

Austin's turn

Grandma and Grandpa with the kids...and Tory

Nana with the boys

The BIG Day - Tory's Graduation

Saturday, December 15 was the big day! The day we've been waiting for for the last 7 years! Tory's graduation! Their class was the 67th graduating class of Parker College of Chiropractic. They had 76 graduates. They were also the first ones to hold the commencement exercises off-campus. It was held at a church in a big auditorium. Usually they hold commencement in Parker's gymnasium. So this was much nicer. The commencement address was given by Ed Foreman. He is 73 years old but you'd think he was 40! He was really good! Very positive and inspirational. Of course the most exciting part of the program was when they announced Tory's name and he received his degree! I'd never been to a graduation ceremony where they award doctoral degrees (except for when I was 4 and my Dad graduated from dental school...I remember some of that but not much!) and thought it was very interesting. For a doctorate degree the robe has velvet on the front and three velvet stripes on each sleeve. The hood has the color representing the degree-grey for chiropractic. And the colors on the back of the hood represent the colors of the school. Parker's colors are blue and gold. Also the tassels are metallic. Very interesting! I never knew that! After they confer the degree to the graduate they then unfurl the hoods as part of the ceremony. After the President's congratulations they take the Chiropractic Oath. That was pretty cool and from where I was sitting I could see Tory. I took a picture but I had to really zoom in! Tory's parents and my Mom were able to come for his graduation and it meant so much to him, and to all of us! It was a special day! Quite an achievement! I am so proud of Tory and all the hard work and dedication he's put into his schooling. But most of all I'm so proud of how he balanced the rest of his life at the same time. We never felt shorted. He was so good about spending whatever time he could with us. He also has been a teacher at church through this all! He is one amazing man! He has a few more patient requirements to squeeze in and then will be finishing up his National Boards! Wahoo! I seriously never could have imagined this day 3 1/2 years ago when we moved to Texas! It still feels kind of like a dream. Congratulations Tory! I knew you could do it and am so proud of you!

Tory's Graduation Banquet

Thursday evening Tory and I were able to go to his graduation banquet party. My mom was here and stayed with the boys. It was so fun! We got to get all dressed up and everything! It was held on the 48th floor of one of the buildings in downtown Dallas. We had quite the view! When we arrived at the parking garage, Tory started to go on in when we noticed a guy waving at us. We stopped and rolled down the window thinking it was for a parking ticket. The guy did give us a paper and then kind of just looked at us (and we looked at him). Finally he said, "Would you like to get out so I can park your car for you?" Oh! Now we get it! Valet parking! Never done that before! Ha! Should have cleaned out the car! When we arrived it was "cocktail hour". Of course we don't drink so we had our 7-up with a cherry in it. The bar tender was having a bit of a problem finding the cherries and then a dish to put them in and said to us, "I'll bet this is the longest you've ever had to wait for a 7-up!" Well...yes it was. But it sure was tasty! 65% of Tory's class here at Parker is LDS so when it came time to vote on whether or not the class would pay for the alcohol drinks...the majority ruled. There were a lot of cherry 7-ups going on in there! We also had some lovely appetizers that were quite tasty. It was really fun to finally be able to put a face to the many names of the people I have been hearing about for the last 3 years!

We then had a very nice dinner including salmon and wild rice, chicken stuffed with stuffing (or it might have been pork. Half the table thought pork and half thought chicken. Interesting that we didn't know!), asparagus, green beans, cheese tortellini, a great green salad, and rolls. They then had the awards and presentations to the students and teachers to give out. They ended the evening with the 15 min. slide show that Tory put together. It was great! They then had a live band and dancing. The band was really good and sang a little bit of everything. They also had a dessert bar at this time. We had some cheesecake that was pretty yummy!

It was a really fun evening. We spent most of it with James and Rachael and left at the same time. While waiting for our cars we realized we didn't have any cash to tip the valet guys. Oops! Hey! They're not doctors yet! LOL We came home to a clean house and carpet! My sweet mom spot cleaned our entire front room! And let me tell you...the spots were numerous! Thank you Mom! It was so fun to have a nice night out!

Busy Days

We've had some busy days lately! Friday evening and Saturday afternoon Tory, James, and I assembled all of the snowflakes for our ward Christmas party. Wow! I am sooooo glad we did that. The craft never would have worked otherwise! We arrived at the party about 30 min. early and the place was PACKED! The activities committee lady in charge came running up to me and said they'd have to start feeding people first instead of doing the craft first. So Tory quickly got us a couple plates of food to share between the five of us. About 15 min. later the kids started filtering in. We had planned for 100 kids. I had called several ladies to help me...only two showed up! I had the MC announce that if possible a parent should accompany their children. Thank goodness! The craft room was going non-stop the entire time. Finally at the very end, when Santa's bells were ringing in the hallway, we closed shop. And not a single ornament kit to spare! Whew! We'd been in there a couple hours! I cleaned up a bit and got to make it into the main room just in time to see the boys on Santa's lap. (Unfortunately I forgot to bring the camera.) The place was so crowded! Our ward is HUGE! I guess they ran out of food and there wasn't enough seating for everyone. I've been to two other parties in this ward and that's never happened. Normally we come in, the kids do their craft for the first 30 min or so and then everyone sits down for a nice dinner and program, we sing carols and then Santa arrives. But since then I think our ward has almost doubled! Sooo many people. I think it's to the point where we just can't feed everyone. It would probably work better to just do a dessert and program and skip the craft and dinner. But that's just my opinion...All in all it turned out really nice though. The decorations were amazing as usual and the craft went pretty smoothly. But I can say that I am very glad it's over.

Sundays we don't get out of church until 5:00 pm. We're on the late schedule. We rushed home to tidy up for Home Teachers and fix dinner. We hoped our Home Teachers wouldn't be late because at 7:30 a girl from Tory's class was coming over to get help with a graduation project that no one else in the class seemed to be able to do. (A computer project...one of Tory's specialties.) So we waited and waited and soon Nicole came with her project. No Home Teachers. Oh well. At least our house was good and clean! While Tory and Nicole worked on their project, I made a poster for Austin's class. He was chosen as "Student of the Week" for this week and they like to have a poster with pictures highlighting the "star" child. It was really fun and Tory finally had to tear me away with a reminder that "it's only Kindergarten!" LOL

Monday we had a fun FHE lesson and activity put on 100% by Austin. It was all his idea. He sat us down in the living room and talked about baby Jesus with special emphasis on the manger. He then led us to the dining room where he had assembled glue, scissors, paper, glitter, and yarn to make Christmas Trees. It was a blast and we stayed up way too late for little school children. Thanks Austin for such a fun evening!

Today we cleaned up Coen's room and moved out his crib for the air mattress. My mom is coming tomorrow for Tory's graduation this weekend! Yippee! I'm so excited for her to come. The last time she was here I was 9 months +1 week pregnant with Coen and waiting patiently for him to arrive (which he never did while she and my two sisters were here...but that's another story.) I feel like I didn't even get to enjoy anything that time. So I'm really looking forward to having her here again!

I think that about sums up the last few days. Feels busier than it looks typed out! Ha! But that's usually the way it is I think. We've got some more busy days coming up though! I'm sure we'll make it through though.

Falling Leaves

Some of you may be way past this stage but we're still enjoying the changing colors and falling leaves. Last Monday we had our family pictures taken and then went to the park to go on a walk and play in the leaves. It was lots of fun! I just love these of the boys and thought I'd share.

Big Problem With Little Snowflakes

Tomorrow is our ward Christmas party for our Church. I am on the activities committee and was put in charge of the children's craft. Last year I did the same thing and it was really fun. It was a "Country Christmas" theme and I bought the supplies to make little rope lassos tied with a bandanna bow with little sprigs of greenery tucked in. Then in the center was a little wooden star hanging down. I loved them!

This year the theme is "Winter Wonderland". I instantly thought of snowflakes but couldn't think of anything easy to put together. So I hit up Oriental Trading Co. and ordered some snowflake kits. They looked really cute online. White stick outline with little buttons in different blue colors. They arrived in plenty of time. Last night I decided to assemble a few to see how they'd go. Disaster! I opened two kits and both of them had broken pieces, one of them was missing the big button for the center, and another one was short like 3 buttons! And on top of it all...they don't hold together very well at all! Did I mention the party is TOMORROW?! So I'm thinking I'll probably have to pre-glue all of the wood snowflake outlines first and then just let the kids glue on their buttons and bows. Otherwise it will be a mess trying to help 100 little kids put together their lopsided snowflakes with 1 million little pieces. I should have just thought of something myself. It probably would have been easier and looked better in the end. Oh well! Guess that's what I get for taking the easy way out! All I know is when Tory gets home I'll have a job for him! And his friend James is coming home from Costa Rica today and will be staying with us for a few days...I'll put him to work, too!

A Snowball Fight

Non-Crappy Starring You! eCards on JibJab

After watching this a hundred times with the boys...I guess we'll share it with the rest of you. Pretty funny! Turn off my blog music and watch a great snowball fight. Mom & Dad versus Austin, Dallin, & Coen! This is the only way we'll get a snowball fight in this year I'm afraid!

A Free Caramel Give-Away!

If you love caramels or want to taste the BEST homemade caramels ever...then you've got to go visit my sister's blog! On December 17th she is going to pick a winner for a full pound of caramels! All you have to do is go to her blog and leave a comment about your favorite Christmas tradition. Easy! She's been making these caramels for as long as I can remember and has truly mastered them! Soooo good! Click HERE for your chance to win some smooth, creamy, buttery, chewy goodness!

Dallin's Birthday Clip

I just have to share this video clip from Dallin's birthday. Such a cute little fella! Pay no attention to the lovely singing...we just all do our own thing! Ha!

Pictures From the Party

Dallin had lots of fun opening his present from Nana. The first thing he spied in the package was "Candy!!!" He was a good brother and shared with the other boys.

We got him a Lightning McQeen car. He was VERY happy to say the least! Thank goodness for those good "Day After Thanksgiving" sales! Who says everything has to be for Christmas?

Dallin ordered a pizza cake (actually a pizza cake with Lightning McQueen on top but I didn't have that extra accessory). It was pretty fun to make. I colored coconut for the "cheese" on top so I wanted a cake flavor that would go with coconut. What better than a coconut cream cake! Mmmm...one of our family's favorites! I used giant gumdrops and squished them flat for the "pepperoni, onions-cut out the center, and spinach" and junior mints for the "olives". I couldn't find black jelly beans at the store I went to. Voila! A sweet pizza! Dallin chose his own ice cream flavor...and brand. The most generic vanilla and orange sherbet swirl you can find! (And all that Blue Bell ice cream just sitting there right beside it...*sigh*) He loved it though!

It was a fun day for everyone! Now we just need two more of everything so that Austin and Coen will be happy....

Happy Birthday Dallin

Today our Dallin boy is 4 years old! What a fun little guy he is. He adds so much to our family and I'm so thankful for him. He's our little blue-eyed, brown-haired, smiley boy with freckles-just like his Momma. Dallin was born in Colorado Springs but has lived in Texas since he was almost 9 months old. I was so excited that he would be born in December. I just thought it would be such a fun time to bring a new baby home! And I have to say it added a bit of "calm" to my life as I sat in the living room watching the Christmas tree in the middle of the night as my contractions started. One of my favorite songs is off of Robin Spielberg's "In the Heart of Winter" album. It's the first song-Jolly Old Saint Nicholas". Love it! I listened to it over and over again waiting for Dallin to arrive. To this day it's still one of my favorites. I like to think of it our song.

Dallin tipped the scales at 8 1/2 pounds and had the chubbiest newborn cheeks you ever saw! He was such a good baby and still is such a quiet and content little boy. So quiet and content that he wasn't really concerned about learning how to talk until around age 3! This last year he has really taken off...sometimes making up for lost time with things Austin never would have said! (And things he shouldn't say either!) He has always been about Austin's size from about 6 months old! Austin's finally taken off and now Dallin actually looks like he's the second child who is two years younger! Dallin loves to draw and create things and is very patient. His big attachment is his "white blankie" which used to be MY big attachment...until I went to college and thought I'd better leave it behind! I brought it out when he was just a tiny little guy and he's never let it go since!

He is also absolutely obsessed with anything Lightning McQueen. We got him a Lightning McQueen car for his birthday and he was in heaven. (That's one of the things I got up early to get on Black Friday! Great deal!) Dallin loves his brothers and is especially great pals with Austin. He looks forward to 11:00 every day when he can finally play with Austin. I love the awkward stage he's in right now while he learns how to master his body and do all the smooth jumping and moving around he sees Austin doing. He had a pizza cake today for his birthday and went to Albertson's with Dada and picked out his own ice cream flavor-vanilla & orange sherbet. I am so thankful for my peaceful, content, easy-going little boy. Can't wait to see what this year brings! I love you Dallin! Happy Birthday Tookers!

Christmas Traditions-A Survey

1. Christmas tree up yet?
Yes. Although it doesn’t look like it did a week ago. Lots of rearranging has already taken place!

2. Any Christmas decorations up yet?
Almost everything. I still need to clear off the top of the TV cabinet to put up my village and Tory needs to hang the icicles on the roof. But other than that we’ve got it all up.

3. What are you asking for for Christmas?
I haven’t officially asked for anything. I like it when Tory surprises me. I know he’s been working on some sort of project on the computer for me lately. He pins a blanket up to the ceiling so I can’t see what’s going on. The suspense is killing me!

4.What do you usually do on Christmas Eve?
Watch “Mr. Kruger’s Christmas”, eat Carrot Pudding, open our family present which is always a game, sometimes play our new game (if it isn’t too late), sing Christmas carols by our tree, read the Christmas story, set out the milk and cookies and head to bed!

5. What do you usually do on Christmas Day?
Wake up as early as the kids do, check out Santa’s presents, then take turns opening family presents under the tree. We usually have cinnamon rolls and orange rolls for breakfast. Then we just spend the day relaxing and enjoying the day. A Christmas dinner comes later in the evening.

6. Do you own any Christmas clothes or jewelery?
I have a Santa pin that I’ve had ever since I was a very little girl, a sweatshirt I made in one of my BYU wards, and a sweatshirt my Grandma made me when I was in high school. Can’t say they all get worn…but I do have them.

7. Do you use white or colored Christmas lights?
Multi-colored all the way. I do like white lights on twiggy trees outside but other than that I love the colored ones. And no spastic blinking ones either!

8. Do you bake Christmas cookies?
Oh yes. Sugar cookies are the best at Christmas time. They just taste better with red and green sprinkles and crushed candy canes I guess!

9. Do you buy Christmas presents for your whole family?
For everyone in our family, yes, and then for Tory’s family they have a rotation system where all of the siblings rotate and “draw” one family each year and then each family gets a gift for his parents. In my family we haven’t really done an official drawing until last year when almost all of us were actually together!

10. How many friends do you buy presents for?
Not many. Our close friends that we are with during the holidays-just something small and fun. I do make Christmas goodie bags for our neighbors and the ladies I visit teach and for the families that Tory home teaches. So I guess that counts.

11. Is there a Santa Claus?
Oh yes! And all the magic that comes with him!

12. Favorite Christmas Carol?
“Bring a Torch Jeanette Isabella”-the version on a tape we used to have growing up by Lex de Azevedo. I would give ANYTHING to have a copy of that! Can’t find it anywhere! I also love “Silent Night”.

13. Would you rather it be a white Christmas, or a warm Christmas?
White. I miss snow! I’ve never really had a warm Christmas until moving here. The nice part (trying to look for the good here…) is that the kids can actually play with their toys outside!

14. Was last year a good Christmas?
It was wonderful! The first Christmas I’ve spent with ANY of my family since we’ve been married! The last time was the Christmas 3 days before our wedding. That was a long wait! LOVED it!

15. Which Christmas color do you like better? RED or GREEN?
Red

16. Do you get a real Christmas tree, or is it artificial?
Artificial but we’d like to get a real one someday for fun…and for the smell. NOT for the mess though!

17. When you get older, will you get a real or artificial tree?
We’ll probably stick with artificial.

18. Do you hang stockings?
Yes. Our stockings were hand-knitted by my Grandma. I love them. Just wish we had a real mantel to hang them on!

19. When opening presents, does your family all open them at the same time?
No!! One at a time. I can’t stand it when several people are opening at the same time. A lot of thought and effort, time and money goes into each gift! Plus I love to see each person’s face when they open their gifts. In my family we always wait for the hugs and the thank yous before the next person takes his turn. PLUS…it makes the special day last a little bit longer!

20. What is usually in your stocking?
My stocking is my most favorite part of Christmas! It always has been! All the fun, unexpected, little stuff is found in the stocking. Over the years I’ve found everything from makeup and hair stuff to watches and cameras. Usually an orange, a “special” candy, etc. LOVE stockings! Our first Christmas after we were married Tory didn't put ANYTHING in my stocking! Nothing! Zero! I had a kind and gentle talk with him about the importance of the stocking and what was to be placed in it each year and he has never left it empty again! (A little stretched out maybe...guess we need to have the talk about what size is appropriate for the stocking!)

21. Do you get up early on Christmas day?
My siblings and I always had a huge slumber party downstairs in the room I shared with my two sisters. All 7 of us kids would sleep down there. My parents would barricade us in so we couldn’t come upstairs in the morning without them knowing. That wouldn’t stop us from waking up early and yelling up the stairs for them to hurry and come! Hours we’d call for them! (Or so it seemed!) Now…I just wait until my kids wake up. We still have the same rule though. They have to wait for Mom and Dad. It’s all part of the “don’t dive in at once” rule. I want to be there to see their faces when they see what Santa brought!

22. Does your family eat breakfast before or after opening presents?
After

23. Do you have a favorite ornament you hang on the tree?
I love them all. I have all of mine from when I was little and Santa still brings one ornament for everyone in the family each year. But I do love the one we got for our wedding present that is a little time capsule. There is a little scroll of paper rolled up inside that says what we did that year, who we were with, what we received, etc. I think it’s a great thing to do for every Christmas! How much we forget each year!

24. What Christmas movie do you like to watch the most?
Home Alone I & II, Polar Express, and the Santa Claus movies I, II, & III! But on Christmas Eve…Mr. Kruger’s Christmas is a MUST! I can’t watch it before or after that day!

25. What do you like better, Christmas Eve or Christmas Day?
Christmas Eve. For me it is the climax of the entire holiday season. All the fun traditions, the magic in the air, the expectations for the next morning…just the best! Christmas Day is fun, too, but then you know it’s over. And that’s sad.

A Visit With Santa

Saturday we grabbed our chance to go to Cabela's to see Santa and have pictures taken. The boys were so excited...so excited that they forgot to tell him what they wanted! Austin did manage to get "scooter" out but that's about it. They thought of many things afterwards though. I reminded them that they still need to write their letters. That seemed to satisfy them. They got to see Mrs. Claus as well. She was very nice and they had lots of fun talking to her while waiting in line. They did tell her what they wanted so one way or another I'm sure Santa will get the memo. Coen, on the other hand, did not enjoy one second of the outing. He has the classic "screaming-baby-with-his-arms-straight-out" pose going on. And forget a shot all by himself! At the end Santa gave them each a candy cane which made everyone happy! They were very small little candy canes so Austin figured they were straight from the North Pole made especially small for tiny elves. That made them soooo much better!

**I decided to try my first actual digital scrapbook page. Pretty fun! And very addicting! I could get into this. And the best part...NO MESS!

Lovin' It!

OK, we've only had Elfie (that's the name they decided on) for a couple days now but WOW! You've got to order you one of these pronto! Give Santa a call tonight! What little angels live at my house! It's unbelievable! The boys will be playing away and start to argue and then they'll stop all of a sudden and look up at Elfie. Ah! It's GREAT! Yesterday we went to Cabela's to take pictures with Santa (I'll post pics later) and when we came back Elfie had moved! He was sitting in the middle of the top shelf when we left and when we returned he had scooted over to the far right side. Oh man! The boys were soooo amazed! They decided he probably got down to check to see if their room was tidy while they were gone. And of course this morning they had to look all over for him. They had a hard time finding him. He was sitting up on top of the kitchen cupboards over the stove. Wonder where he'll be tomorrow? We shall see!

Our Christmas Elf

A couple days ago I was at the mall and happened to see Santa himself! I decided to ask him if he would send an elf to live with us until Christmas. He was happy to send one and told us to watch for him on December 1st. First thing this morning Austin went looking for him. They found him on the top shelf of our bookcase with a little note from Santa.

The note told us what to do with our little elf while he is visiting with us. We are very excited to have him and hope that he will inspire the boys to be very good all month long! How can you not be...with an elf sitting right in your own home! Thanks for sending him Santa! Now we just have to figure out a name for him!

Here are some of the things we needed to know about our elf:

1) He is a quiet elf. He is here only to watch you. You can talk to him but he probably won’t answer you. If you have questions you want to ask me you can ask him and he’ll tell me when he comes to check in. He is a magic elf. Sometimes he likes to turn himself into a toy and pretend you can’t see him. What a funny fellow!

2) He will come back to the North Pole each night to report to me, Santa Claus, and will return to your home by morning. He will stay until Christmas Eve.

3) He doesn’t like to be touched or handled. Please only look at him. It kind of scares him when people get too close.

4) You do not need to feed him. He packs his own food made especially for him by Mrs. Claus.

5) When the elf returns he might choose a different spot in the house to sit in. Watch out for him so you don’t accidentally sit on him!

6) You may choose a name to call your elf. His elf name is very hard to say so you can pick one that is easier for you to remember.

7) Your elf is VERY nice. You don’t need to be afraid of him. He loves watching you play and seeing all the things you do!

Thursday 13 - All I Want For Christmas

Since I haven't done a Thursday 13 in a loooong time and since it's officially getting close to Christmas I'm going to post my wish list. Thirteen is actually quite a lot of things to think of! Keep in mind, most of these will forever be "wishes" but one can always dream right?

1. New furniture for my family room-Actually just a couch and chair would be nice. Something that looks good WITHOUT a slipcover!
2. A 50 inch LCD television-For that "movie theater" feeling
3. A serger-That would make so many sewing projects so much easier. And then I wouldn't have to bring my pile of stuff to Utah each time I visit my Mom so that she can help me fix everything!
4. A maid-Or someone who could be in charge of just laundry and bathrooms...OK and maybe dishes. I could take it from there.
5. A super cozy reading chair for my room-Being married to Tory, a chiropractor, I am constantly informed that reading in bed is REALLY bad for me! And I HAVE to read something before bed each night. So you see my problem? I also need the perfect lamp to go with my reading chair so I wouldn't feel like I had a spotlight on poor Tory who is always trying to sleep and "says" the light doesn't bother him...but I'm sure it does.
6. A jogging stroller-Make it a double. Cause there's always at least two of them who want to ride. I've put many a mile on my "regular" double stroller, taken it places it was not meant to be, and I've decided I'm ready for the real deal.
7. A new wardrobe-with NOTHING from even college days...let alone high school! In fact nothing over a year old would be awesome!
8. A laminating machine-I can think of dozens of projects where this little guy would come in soooo handy!
9. An elliptical machine-Because I need one! And I like them!
10. A swing to go on my patio-I've always wanted a nice cozy porch swing. I'd be out there every day! In the summer I'd just have to get out there by 6:00 am...but I'm willing to do that.
11. Some new pj's-I list them separately from wardrobe because my pj situation is in a very sad state.
12. A new kitchen table and chairs-But not just any one. Tory has it all drawn up. Now I just need it finished. We've got cloth covered chairs...and three boys. Need I say more? Oh, I do need to also say that they are on WHEELS! I'd be happy with just new chairs at this point!
13. Hmmmm....I just can't think of one more thing at the moment. I've tried and tried. Oh! I know! Someone to come to my house and give me personal one-on-one tutoring on how to do digital scrap booking. I'm sure the "real" digital scrap bookers don't use PowerPoint to make their pages! I know there are lots of cool programs out there but I want the BEST one and I want someone to come and show me EXACTLY how to use it! That's not asking too much is it?

So there you have it. OK. So pretty much ALL of them are in my dreams only. But that's OK. I do feel very selfish listing all of those "worldly" things though! Geesh! I do have a more realistic list. And I list 13 only because that's the name of my post...not because I need or want all 13 things right now. In no particular order:

1. Something made especially for me by Tory.
2. Something made especially for me by my boys.
3. New lotion.
4. A new color of fingernail polish.
5. Some new hair clips.
6. A new skirt for church
7. Nice, sturdy pair of gloves for the kitchen. I've got some seriously dry hands...always have. I'd like a pair for the bathrooms, too. I feel much braver diving into the boy's bathroom with gloves on!
8. PJ's...sorry just can't take them off the list.
9. A new pair of winter shoes. You know...something you wear socks with. (For those few short weeks we need them here in TX.)
10. A new watch
11. A pretty necklace.
12. A fun game-Split is actually what I'd like. Can't find it anywhere!
13. A snowy Christmas day! Or at least a day that is 50 degrees or colder!

That's a little more realistic. I'm really very easy to please and had to sit here and think and even ask Tory what he thinks I would want or need! LOL I am the happiest with something made just for me. I LOVE handmade gifts! Those are the BEST! And if I didn't have anything else at all...I would be happiest if I was just at home with my family! That's really the best part about Christmas for me!

**What are your top items on your Christmas list?

Remembering

Today was a special day. My little brother Jimmie would have been 26 today! It's hard to imagine! He passed away 16 years ago. I always love to stop and think about him on his birthday. He was such a fun, sweet, cute little boy. He was only 4 years younger than me so I have lots of memories of him. He was our very first brother. He had curly red hair and freckles just like my sister Amy. Even though I miss him and always wonder what he would look like now and what it would be like to have him here, I am so thankful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ that teaches us that families can be together forever. I am so thankful for eternal families and know we will see him and be with him again. What a comfort that is! And what a thing to look forward to!

The Three Wise Men

Tonight I was putting Austin and Dallin to bed and told them I'd read them a Christmas story out of the Friend (a magazine published by our church for younger children). Austin didn't realize I already had it in hand and ran out to the family room to get it. He brought back the Ensign instead (the magazine for adults). On the cover he saw a picture of the Three Wise Men.

He said, "Can you read us a story about those three men who brought prizes to Baby Jesus after he was born?"

I said, "Do you mean the Three Wise Men?"

"Yes! That's their name! Can you read a story about them?"

Oh kids are so cute! I had to laugh that in his version of the story they brought PRIZES not GIFTS. I just had to write this one down for him to read someday.

Decorate a Gingerbread House

Here's a fun activity for your kids...or YOU! I have to say I've had about as much fun with this as the boys have! And the best part...NO MESS! And while you're at it, you should check out the blog of Jennie B. Harris called "Allsorts". She's the one who created this fun gingerbread house. Her blog is super fun, too. She's very crafty! Have fun!

Great Gift-Giving

I love this quote that my Mom gave to all of us last Christmas. It is an excerpt from one of Henry B. Eyring's talks. I actually have it up on my fridge. I think it's something so important to remember. Not only can we be better gift-givers but also gift-receivers. I think this can apply not only to tangible gifts but things like service as well. We can always learn how to give and accept service from others. I just love it! And even though this can apply to other times of the year besides Christmas...what better time to share than now AT Christmas!

Deck the Halls

I love putting up the Christmas tree. It makes our house so cozy! And it's so fun to look at all of the ornaments each year and remember when each one was given. Santa brings us each a new ornament every year. When the children are grown they can take their ornaments for their own tree. I have all of mine from when I was younger. I think it's such a great tradition. Lots of memories come with each ornament. The snowflakes on the tree were crocheted by my Grandma. They are some of my most favorite things. I love snowflakes! Here is the finished tree in all its glory! We'll see how long it stays this way with curious little Coen.

Austin and Dallin hanging their ornaments. A Texas boot for Dallin and Austin's first ornament, a little teddy bear because he was obsessed with his little teddy bear that looked just like this one!

Tory and Coen doing their part.

Our attempt at a family picture last night.

Some of my other favorite holiday decorations are our stockings. Each one was knitted by my Grandma. She started with her own four children (my Dad and his brothers and sister) and has since made them for every in law, grandchild, and now the grand children's spouses and great grandchildren! She is the most talented and crafty person! It wouldn't be Christmas without these!