What Matters Most...

12.19.2009

MWAH!!!

Very cute way to start off the Christmas break!

12.05.2009

A visit from the North Pole...

We have a visitor spending his days with us until Christmas....

It is Zach our elf.

His first visit 12.2.09

He stopped by to make sure we are all behaving. Zach leaves each night to report to Santa. He is magical, if you touch him the magic stops. Every morning he comes back, always sitting in a different spot to watch another day...

12.3.09

12.4.09

12.5.09

12.02.2009

We have the BEST dentist!!!!

We have the BEST dentist ever. Not only good, but generous!

Dr's Chris Hammond and Todd Ellis have the best practice & parties around. This past summer they had a back to school blast that included Fat Catz, prizes, and face painting....

They also had a great winter party at Seven Peaks Ice Arena. Ice skating, hot cocoa, donuts, prizes (Ash won a gift cert to Toys R Us) and a visit & picture with the BIG guy, Santa.

(the pic gets sent to each home as a Christmas card).

I love this office.

I wish my childhood dentist was a fraction as good.

PS....Did I mention they have a ZEN room at the office. You can sit in the most amazing massage chair while being left alone in a private room with dim lights and candles,to listen to music or watch TV.... Bliss, pure bliss. I will NEVER run errands while Ashlyn is at the dentist again. I am sitting in the HAPPY chair from now on!

11.29.2009

Our Traditions....

Sam and Ashlyn LOVE setting up the train.
In college I worked at a Christmas store, and was lucky enough to buy an expensive LGB train with a smoking engine. I never imagined I would let my 8 year old put it together and PLAY with it, but I do.... She loves the train even more than Sam does.

Setting up the track.....

Playing with the "people".....

Oops! This guy was trying to fix the tank, and fell in!

Dobie supervising, and wondering when he gets a turn.

11.28.2009

A must see...

This has to be one of my all time favorite movies. Made me want to be a better person, and love unconditionally.
I laughed, I cried...

The best line was: " Who would've thought we'd have a black son before we met a Democrat?"

So funny, especially if you know people from the south!

11.26.2009

Many Thanks....

Our little pilgrim...

This was the first time(that I can remember) that it was just our immediate family for Thanksgiving. I was supposed to work from 6am to 6pm, which meant I would not be there for dinner. I was blessed to be given the chance to go home early and have dinner with my wonderful family.
I have so many things to be grateful for. I have an amazing family and a loving husband who is so talented and helpful. I have a beautiful, fun daughter who enjoys life to the fullest. Wonderful friends and coworkers. I am grateful for a job that I love. I am blessed with parents and parents in law that love me, and who serve me unconditionally. I am blessed to know I am loved by my Heavenly father and I know I have him to thank for all my blessings.

11.19.2009

Midnight, New Moon....

Can you believe we fought the crowds and stayed up....WAY up.... past our bed times to see a MOVIE???
Yep, We did! And it was SO worth it!

11.06.2009

It's a ZOO out there...

What a great time to go to the zoo! In case you have not heard.... It is baby time at Hogle Zoo.
The main attraction is ZURI, the most adorable & playful elephant. She was born 8/10/09 weighing a mere 251lbs and 36 inches tall!

Off to the giraffes. Guess what? A sweet "big" baby! Here is a pic of a giraffe doing something I have never seen. He kept slipping... I was so afraid he was going to snap one of those long legs in half.

Sweet "baby" 7 feet tall. Mom is 16 feet tall. Beautiful creatures!

Then off to the cats. My favorite was the snow leopard and her cub. I was so in love I forgot to take a picture( here is one courtesy of Utah's Hogle Zoo website :).

While I was wondering if I could take the baby snow leopard home, Sam snapped these pics of momma tiger and one of her three cubs.

Baby did not enjoy having its picture taken!

We got the biggest kick out of this squirrel storing up at one of the many bird feeders . Smart guy figured how to get from the tree, and sort through finding all the sunflower seeds.

Star Wars Halloween...

Well, after countless hours of questioning and a blog poll, Ashlyn chose to be Padme'. Sorry to all of you that voted for Cleopatra, but this girl loves her Star Wars.
Dobie, on the other hand, did not enjoy being an Ewok

Protecting the universe and shooting a zombie.

11.04.2009

FriGHtFuL FeAsT....

Mummy Meatloaf...

Vampire Blood...

Witches Teeth & Mashed Potato Ghost's...

Skeleton Bones....

Graveyard Dirt...

This is my attempt. I wanted to do something fun for Halloween dinner. After a LONG google search, this is what I came up with. I just wish my planning included a much better estimation of how much time the meal would actually take to prepare. (I am amazed what a little "Focus" can do to ones energy, thus speedy cooking.) The meal was ready WAY before Sam and Ash finished visiting the grandparents. In return the bones were quite brittle and the mummy was petrifying in the oven.... Oh,well! A girl can try...