Soldier Hollow

I can't believe that we have lived here for 9 years and have never been to Soldier Hollow. It was a blast! I was really nervous that it would be frigid cold, but the weather was not bad at all! My dad was able to come with us while mom stayed home with Trenton. For those who have never been, there is a cable that you hook your leash to that pulls you up the hill.
Grandpa the robber and McKay
I thought Madison looked so cute in all of her snow gear. A little snow bunny.The handsome hubby being towed up the hill. (We tried to get a picture of us coming down the hill but it did not turn out.)

Christmas:round 2

A couple days after Christmas my mom and dad came up to Utah for a visit. Of course my mom showers the kids with fun things. The kids were so happy to do a little more present opening.
Grandpa doing the burrito wrap. Grandma made all three kids fun blankets with minky.
She also made McKay this cool vest.
Trenton received a darling matching jacket. I could not believe how well made they were. They looked so professional. I hope to be able to sew like her one day. Perfection.
We all paid a visit to Temple Square after gift opening. All I have to say is BRRRRR!
Chris' older brother Steve came for a visit with their kids as well. They all had a great time playing together.

Santa came!

Like many of you out there I can't wait till Christmas morning and count down the days right along with my kids. Here are some pictures from our special morning: Santa wrote us a letter thanking us for the cookies.

We put out water for Rudolf. We know he had a drink because the water turned red from his nose! It froze too! We have a tradition that if the elves see the kids being extra good, they get a gift from the elves Christmas Eve under the tree. They got BYU pjs.
They were so excited to open their presents Christmas morning, we had to beg them to take one picture before the madness. A BYU cheerleader barbie for Madison. You can't tell we are fans can you?
All morning Trent would say, "Santa bit me bike!"
Watching their faces is priceless. It is so fun to see the magic of Christmas through their eyes.(McKay took off his pjs, he said they were to tight. Of course mom was sad because they didn't match. This is probably the last year Mom could pull it off.)
Trenton really got the hang of unwrapping. He kept unwrapping everyone's gifts and didn't know how to wait his turn. So funny!

Pumpkin Crunch

Whenever I discover something that is delicious I have to share it with everyone. A friend of mine discovered this recipe at Canyon Ranch in Arizona which is a spa and retreat for women. It tastes great on vanilla yogurt( my favorites are Mountain High or some greek yogurt.) It is also good just to snack on, or on oatmeal. Of course it is healthy and very pretty too! You know what they say, we eat with our eyes first.

1 C raw pumpkin seeds that look like this:
1 1/2 t canola oil
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
1/4 t allspice
1/2 t sea salt
2 T maple syrup
1 1/4 C cranberries

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a small bowl, toss pumpkin seeds with canola oil and evenly spread coated seeds on baking sheet. Roast for 20 min. or until almost dry.

Place seeds in med. bowl and mix maple syrup until coated. Combine spices in a bowl and add pumpkin seeds. Place back on baking sheet and return to oven. Roast for 15 min. or until dry. Be sure not to burn. Set seeds aside until completely cool, for about 30 min. In a bowl, combine seeds with dried cranberries.

Silly Kiddos

I just had to share a few laughs I had last week.My little piglets.
Trent dumped all of McKay's dirty laundry out, then filled it back up with cars. He carried it all around the house for a couple hours.My neighbor invited us over for sloppy joes and a special visit from Santa. It was so fun to see all the kids surprised faces when he arrived. One of my favorite Christmas memories is when Santa visited my house when I was a little girl before Christmas. It was so unbelievable to me that he came down from the North Pole to make a special visit before all his Christmas deliveries.
This was a very generous Santa. He visits children during the season but only wants donations to give to the Angel Tree. Each parent came prepared with wrapped books for their own children for Santa to hand out.
Of course Trenton wouldn't sit with Santa just yet, he was happy to take his gift though.

Mama and Grandpa Bill

I know those are a little unusual names for a grandma and grandpa, but that is how they do it in Texas. We were so excited to have them come for a visit. We usually see them once a year. The first day they arrived the snowed dumped big time on Utah. It was fun for them to see how pretty it is after a fresh snowfall.
Decorating the gingerbread house.
On day #2 we headed to the luxorious Grand America Hotel to see the gingerbread house displays that were auctioned off for children with diabetes.
Grandpa Bill and Mama's favorite. It was a music box inspiration. Grandpa Bill doesn't look like he's from TX at all, does he?
My favorite; an Italian villa.

We also spent time doing a few other activities but I forgot the camera. We were able to see the holiday lights at Thankgiving Point, see The Magic Fish at the Childrens Theater, and see The Christmas Carol in 3D! I am so thankful for such special in-laws. They are wonderful people with hearts of gold!

It's Christmas time!

Oh how I love this time of year, who doesn't? It truly is such a magical and special time. Family is one of the most special parts of it for me, especially these little guys. It is so fun to see the magic of Christmas through their eyes. I am so grateful to be their mother. Having a wonderful husband and the most perfect extended family are such a blessing in my life too. Most importantly I am so grateful for the Savior who's birth was of the most importance on this earth. I know Mary and Joseph went through many hardships to help get him here, and I am grateful to them. I can only imagine the spirit that was in that stable when Jesus was born, and the overwhelming feelings that Mary had being the mother of the Son of God. I know he came to earth to die for our sins and to be an example for us of how to live our lives and serve others. I hope you all have a wonderful holiday!
Merry Christmas!