Christmas vacation fun

We had a great Christmas break. It started the Friday before Christmas with the kids getting the wonderful flu bug that was going around. Wesley came down with it first Friday night during our family movie night, however he was done by Saturday Morning. It was Camrie's turn though for Saturday, but once again just threw up once and she was done. Was praying it was going to be over, but both boys threw up early Sunday morning. I stayed home Sunday with everyone and it was no fun missing church before Christmas. But come Sunday night everyone was back to normal and fine, minus runny noses and a stupid cough. I will take that as long as I don't have to deal with throwing up!
We were then able to enjoy Christmas and the time with Josh home. He was able to not go back to work until after the new year, so we had lots of fun with dad at home.
 Jarom got to spend some time with Papa, as he helped us make the homemade gift for Josh. I had found on Pintrest a long time ago this tape dispenser made out of wood that I thought would be fun for Jarom to make Josh for his Christmas gift. I had showed Jarom the box and he liked the idea. Jarom and I went to home depot and got the wood and all the supplies that Jarom needed to build it. I thought it looked simple enough that we could put it all together, but as we started to put it together i thought it would be best to call in some back up.

 I am so glad I did because it was so fun watching Jarom and papa together and of course it turned out way better than I could have helped Jarom do.
When it was all done Jarom was so proud of what he made!

We got to enjoy warm fires at Josh's family house! I love this picture! I walked in and Cole was just sitting there watching the fire. So cute! Most of you will laugh when I say this, but it actually was pretty cold this Christmas break. The kids got to still ride bikes, but me I stayed inside because it was too cold for me!

We got new games for Christmas and so we played lots of games. Our new favorite it Monopoly Deal! Its so fun and its even better cause Cole and Jarom can play with us. Another favorite that we played this Christmas break is SPOT IT!! If you haven't played either of them you have to try them!

The kids all got new shoes from Em-ma this year also. That was the one thing that Cole has been asking for for a long time and it just ended up that all the kids could use a new pair and so Em-ma did a great job at picking some good ones. I also got Jarom a fake pair of glasses but just days before Christmas when they came in the mail and opened them they were way too big. someone I didn't get what I thought I was ordering. But I still wrapped them and gave them to him. he is so cute, he loved them and didn't want to send them back. We should be getting the new ones in the mail any day and so I will post a new picture of his glasses. He loves to wear glasses. He doesn't need them but I think wishes he did! There is a website online with super cheap glasses and so I finally ordered some for fun. Now he doesn't have to wear glasses made out of pipe cleaners!

 Then we planned a trip to the snow! Josh was not happy about the idea. But I did all the work in finding snow clothes and making it happen. We drove the hour and 45 minutes to the snow and had a blast. we played for 3 hrs before the kids started to cry and complain about being cold. We found a great place thanks to a friend that was perfect. we pretty much were there all by ourselves and the kids could slide down the hill, make snow angels and throw snow balls. For a while Cole and Jarom just went over on the side and explored in the snow where the rocks weren't all the way covered.

      

           
       Camrie loved the snow. She did better than I thought she would. She loved to sit and eat it and she would go down the hill and want to go right back down. Probably because she was the only one that couldn't walk back up the hill and so she got the free ride back up. Man that is a workout and even more so when you have to carry some one.

      

I was worried about Wesley staying warm enough. We couldn't find anyone that had snow clothes for a baby and so we just put on a footy pajamas, a pair of sweats and then another set of footy pajamas. I also only has a pink beanie and so he had that on as well. Poor kid glad he isn't old enough to remember! He kind of just hung out on our laps. I did take him down the small hill a few times and he seemed to like it. he didn't cry so that is good. His favorite part was eating the snow! 

  

Didn't get too many pictures of Cole and Jarom they were always off playing! At one point Cole just threw himself into the snow and started to swim in it. It was so funny. He also was the one that by the end was in tears because snow had gotten into his boot and gotten his socks wet and he was DONE! Jarom even though he had snow pants on that were too small and boots that we found out after we got back home were two different sizes a size 11 and 2 and also the same foot, had a great time and didn't want to leave when it was time to go.

My favorite part was as we were heading home, everyone warming up with a hot cup of hot chocolate, Josh turned to me and said..." you were right that was FUN!", we need to do that again!  Its fun having kids at an age where we can go and do trips like that and have everyone enjoy it. 

This is the car ride home, the boys watching a movie and both Wesley and Camrie napping. Yay for a successful snow trip, Cant wait to do it again!

We then ended our Christmas break with a fun white elephant game on new years eve and of course fireworks. It was freezing out side but we all were though and watched the fireworks and then warmed up with hot chocolate. we ended the night early cause people weren't feeling good and the kids are still too young to party till midnight! 

Wesley was a trooper thought and this is who I celebrated New Years Eve with!

  

After getting everyone else into bed about 9:45, Josh fell asleep and I had to finish my goal of reading the whole Book of Mormon before the end of the year. I of course am the worst when it comes to reading, but wanted to be able to say I did it. So I read as much as I could through out the last few days and then I reading from 10:45 pm to 12:10 am. I know I am pretty crazy, but  actually it was really neat to end a year reading Moroni's Promise and start a new year reading Moroni's Promise. Right as I finished though Wesley woke up and then we were up until about 2am hanging out!

 We did our tradition of a trip to the park with the family on New Years Day. We always love being able to be outside during the winter because here in Arizona its perfect weather, but once again we were all really cold so it wasn't the funnest. We love being able to watch Papa fly his plane.Its also fun to have Whitney and  Jason around.  Camrie if you can see in the picture below decided that during her nap she wanted to put a whole tube of chap stick in her hair. I was so mad! It took 4 washes to get it out of her hair. This girl there is never a dual moment with her! 

Then to wrap it all up we ended with an Adult Night at Josh's Families house. It was so nice to get a babysitter and leave the kids behind and have a nice dinner without having to worry about the kids and to play games and talk without having to tend to kids. think this needs to become a tradition as well!

I am now grateful to be back into school and back on a schedule. Having all 4 kids home all day everyday starts to get a little hard. Its nice to be able to get back to some of the one on one time I get while others are gone to school! 

Well here's to a great 2013! ready for what the year brings and for more great memories and adventures