All Crammed into ONE...

I have procrastinated this for long enough. The holiday season is so fun and so busy and I always have so many pictures to post! So I'm just gonna overload and do it all in one big fat blog post.

Tradition says we spend Christmas Eve at my parents and Christmas Morn at Jer's parents. It's always fun and the kids know exactly what to expect. Games, food and gifts at the B's followed by grapefruit, breakfast casserole and gifts at the J's. It really could be a whole lot of nothing and the kids would be happy because they love being with their cousins.

I think Erin is WAY baby hungry. It must suck being the youngest. Good thing she has lots of cousins that are younger than her. This is Bryson and Erin. He's gotten so big already.

This year we gave my mom her blog in a book (or two) and my dad The Pacific on DVD.
We entertained each other this year with Minute to Win it games. So funny. This one we had to grab the bag with your mouth and set it on the table without using hands. Notice the bags get smaller and smaller making it harder and harder to get that low.

It's hard to see, but Alexa and Josh are trying to get the ping pong ball into a shot glass by rolling it down 4 feet of a tape measure. Most "normal" everyday people could get one or two balls in the glass in 60 seconds. Josh got all three in the glasses in 37 seconds.

We also tried stacking golf balls (it is possible) and stacking cookies. Made for some good laughs.

The cousins always do a gift exchange and this year Cambree had Erin's name. This gift was bigger than Erin. It was so fun to watch her face light up when she found out "the BIG one" was for her! I didn't think it would matter what the gift was because just the fact that it was bigger than life was awesome. But, it was an easel with a white board on one side and a chalk board on the other side. She hasn't been able to walk away from it the whole Christmas break.

My mom and dad spoiled all of us this year. Jer and I got ladders (probably because I am always asking to barrow my dads), a babycakes griddle, money, batteries... what else? A lot. They just kept bringing gifts in from the garage. It was like a Mary Poppins bag.. bottomless.

All the kids in their Christmas jammies!

Emma has been asking for a guitar for Christmas her "whole life" and this year Santa finally got it right. She got a real guitar! It came with lessons and a case, too. She was just a little excited.

This is Josh's crap from Santa. It's amazing how little space it takes when you're kids ask for electronics for Christmas. The i-pod Touch is hiding in there somewhere.

And my little secretary, Erin. She turns everything into a desk and chair so Santa thought to bring her a little pink thing to replace the cardboard box. She also got a bike and a walking/barking dog fur real. Love those toys that take batteries.

After we open all the garb from SC, we go to the J's for breakfast. Jer and I went and got Grandma Johnson so she could join us. I had to snap a picture of Jer, Darrell and Virginia. It's not often enough that they are all together.

I spent the morning laughing right out loud at the chaos. It's so fun when we all get together and the kids are high on Christmas. Grandma started passing out the gifts and the kids just went for it. There was no rhyme or reason to the gift exchange this year and the kids loved it. It was the year for the Pillow Pet's. Grandma was probably thrilled to get rid of the pile of "pet's" by the time Christmas morning came.

I was inside with baby Trey, but here's the rest of the grandkids (thanks, Steph, for taking my camera outside to get one of these).

We did do a few fun things between Christmas and New Year's but not a lot. We took the kids to see Tangled and did a little shopping, but mostly we have all been sick with colds. Fortunately, we had plenty of new gadgets and games to keep us busy.

We played a lot of Rock Band during the break. This is New Year's Eve .... notice April's ability to harmonize with the two microphones. She's amazing. Have you ever tried to harmonize Drop it Like it's Hot? We did eventually figure out how you're supposed to "harmonize." We weren't exactly awesome, but anytime it didn't flash the word weak or messy we were content.


Here's a bunch of wild kids (minus Josh, Logan and Sam). I love getting together with these friends because the kids all play together so well. This was near the end of the night and they are all still smiling!

We ended 2010 with Rock Band and started 2011 with Rock Band... and a little Dance Dance Revolution. Below is Emma trying to teach the rest of us how it works.

This was a highlight for Cari and I... not only did we talk my dad into playing the drums, we got him to sing! My dad DOES NOT SING ... ever. But, he sang for us! It was great.

Jer always brings in a new year with amazing cuisine. This year he made Thai food. It was so yummy! We had bon me sandwiches, Massaman curry , fried spring rolls, Nuea nam-tog salad and lettuce wraps. We were pretty excited that he figured out how to make some of the dishes at home since it's never cheap to go to a Thai restaurant with the kids. I think we were missing sticky rice and chicken sate. Maybe next year.

Today we went to Joel and Jamie's ward in South Jordan for Bryson's blessing. It was a great way to end our Holiday week. I love all the time we get to spend together this time of year. Now if my nasty cold would go away and take the cold weather with it! I think tomorrow I will make a countdown chain for our next Disneyland trip. . . gotta have something to look forward to.

Happy Birthday, Bless You and Merry Christmas

So many fun things this time of year! On December 4, we went to Stansbury for Trey's baby blessing. What a sweet boy and isn't his mom gorgeous? Melinda was trying to lean out of the picture but why would I want to crop her out? She is an amazing mom and I love them all to death.


My girls love can't get enough of this little guy.

{ben} {jer} {trevor} {brady}

These boys are impossible to get a picture of. This was after several attempts and Brady is breastfeeding his two year olds baby doll and Jer is grabbing Trevors butt (which Ben thinks is pretty funny). What can I say? At least none of them are flipping the bird. They look like coffee drinkers. Mmm ... a hot chocolate from Starbucks sure does sound yummy right now.

{front row: Cameron, Erin, Collin, Livy, Sadie

back row: Emma, Trey, Elliot, Josh, Seth, Hanah, Aiden, Noah}

This little clan keeps multiplying and becoming more and more difficult to photograph. They are a cute little group though, aren't they?

The next Saturday, December 11, we had a little Luao Birthday party for Erin. My baby is 6. I'm not sure which is worse... her being six or Jer being thirty-seven. Ouch. We decided to change things up a little this year and make it feel like summer in our home for a day.

{Tally, Aislyn, Ashly, Cambree, Erin, Avery, Hana, Hanah, Noah}

How many kids can you fit into one hula hoop?

As soon as the birthday party was over, we started cooking ham and green beans for the ward party. Jer was released from the Activities committee a while back, but since he is such a good sport, he helped out in the kitchen again. It was probably the best Ward party we've had in a long time. The food was great, the program was well done and the live Nativity was a really neat way to start the night off.

My parents came over to see Josh dressed as a wiseman in the Nativity. He's so funny. They were allowing the kids to pet the animals and have pictures taken all night so Josh did a good job of keeping his head down. Pictures are not his thing.

He is the wiseman in the purple bathrobe. Isn't this a cool scene? I loved the idea of having a live nativity. At 6:00, they moved everyone inside and had dinner and the program. Emma was part of the angelic choir and was thrilled to be a part of it. She is so funny lately. She loves being in the spotlight. Fortuneatley, her white dress still fit from her baptism that was nearly 2 years ago.

On Monday, December 13, it was Erin's "real" birthday. We decided to ditch out on dance and actually spent our Monday night together as a family. We road trax downtown to see Temple Square and ran into Jer's bff from work (okay so that was planned). It was fun to actually hang with other adults while chasing all the kids around. We ate dinner at the Garden Resteraunt at the Joseph Smith bldg. TIt couldn't have gone better. The kids were great, the food was great, the company was great and the weather was great.

{Haley, Emma, Kaetlyn, Max, Erin, Karly, Stuart, Jonah, Josh}

Santa gun fine you!

Okay, so Emma was sure that this was not the real Santa. Why? Could it be that this Santa was from South London? Look at those teeth! Did he just finish a coffee? Who's got a beard that's long and white? Who wears boots and a suit of red? Cap on head, suit that's red, special night, beard that's white, smile that screams look at my bad bad teeth... must be Santa. Somebody needs to cut back on the cookies and try some toothpaste for a change. I guess if you take your kids to Valley Hood Mall and allow them to sit on the ghetto Santa's lap, this is what you get. That's the best they can do up in he-ya.

p.s. I want chicken pudding for Christmas, Santa. I've been good.

Thanksgiving Day

We had Thanksgiving dinner at our house this year (which only happens about every ten years). It worked out this year because we didn't have a soccer tournament in St. George for the first time in a few years.

Jer and I can host for 12 without much stress (my brothers and their families were with other family this year). We had lot's of super yummy food, great homemade pies, treats, crafting and a little Rock Band (of course). It was so nice to chill all day with the fam.

This is Jer's happy place. If he isn't sitting with the drums, then he is with the keyboard on RB3.

Our favorite way to get to know someone is to make them play RB with us. Poor Rob. We made him try every instrument. He was a good sport and must have actually enjoyed playing a little 'cause he came back the next day.

Bryn is great with the vocals. She did okay on the drums too, but my favorite is her dancing.

She makes me laugh! She wanted me to put on Josh's shoes and I was busy cleaning up. So, I told her to try them.. and she did. And, she could even walk in them. She is so crazy.

I was bummed I didn't get a picture of us crafting while Lynsee was still here. She had a toddler under her feet the whole time so she decided to finish hers during nap time another day. My dad was a good sport and took pictures of us with our projects. We only fixed and adjusted about 30 times. There were other pictures that turned out cute, but it's funnier to post this one after all the posing. Besides, you're supposed to just look at how crafty we are.

The kids got to do their own crafts. Edible crafts. Yummy. And Josh had to cheese it up for this picture, so it will go in the wedding video stash. The kid is going to find out I wasn't kidding on his wedding day when all the geek pictures of him are up on the big screen.

Then there's Erin. Even at the end of the day with her hair falling out she is a princess. A princess with her turkey.

What a fun day... so thankful for my family and one more reason to get together and eat great food.

Perfect?

This is Bryson. Isn't he the cutest little bundle of yumminess? Bryson was born on 10-20-10. Jamie (his mama and my SIL) asked me to take pictures of him as a newborn. It took us two different days to get all the poses in 'cause this little guy didn't appreciate us moving him around every 5 minutes. But, it was worth it 'cause they turned out adorable.

I've decided my new favorite photography tweek is the gold reflector. I didn't have to touch up or photoshop one thing in these portraits. We took them inside using the natural light and the reflector. So fun to play with and I'm thrilled with the results.

I will update my photography blog soon with more of Bryson. Check back soon. :)

I'm Ron Burgandy?

I have been wanting to blog about my other half for a while. He doesn't love it when I post pictures of him and I'm pretty sure he isn't comfortable with me blogging about him. But, I am the boss of this blog and I say too bad.

I find myself using him as an example in my Young Women lessons quite often. I realized today, after telling the girls how disciplined he is, that he is an example to me in so many ways. I know I am biased and I'm sure a lot of you can say that your spouse is an example to you. But, lately I can't help but brag about him. Since I could probably go on for pages and pages about him, I'm going to limit myself and only list ten things about him that inspire me.

1. self control. In January of this year, Jer decided he was gong to lose weight. I'm not sure what inspired him, but he set a goal and has followed through with his plan. I think we all decide at one point or another (or many points) to lose weight or diet or start an exercise routine, but it is so hard to stay dedicated. He did this many times. But, 2010 has been his year. After hours and hours at the gym, miles and miles of running or biking and serious self discipline with his diet, he has succeeded. I don't think he would appreciate me putting numbers in my post, but I will tell you is stinkin' close to hitting his goal weight. At this point, he says he is in the Drew Carry stage where so many people are complimenting him that it's hard to keep going. He needs people to start telling him he looks like he is gaining so that he get's fired up again.

2. my cup is half full. Jer has always been able to see the brighter side of things. But, lately I have needed to rely on his positivity more than usual. I am a pretty optimistic person, but with the heartbreaking "event" that happened last month (refer to empty chairs and empty tables) I have needed to lean on him a little more than usual. While he is still hurting with the rest of us, he has been able to see the good in all of it. Every time I say something negative, he catches me and reminds me that we need to just remember the good and let the bad stuff go. He has always been able to stay in touch with reality and keep me from being negative.

3. Soccer Dad. The last thing on earth Jer ever wanted to do was be Josh's soccer coach. He has always worried about making it hard on Josh by having to differentiate between dad and coach. But, I can honestly say this has been nothing but awesome for both of them. He has been coaching for a few years now and Josh has never once started crying over something Jer told him. He appreciates all that his dad has to offer. I never wanted to be the keepers mom. There are moments in every game that I hate watching, but there are a lot of priceless moments that I wouldn't have any other way. The picture below pretty much sums it up.

4. his sense of humor. I love love love his sense of humor. Some may not appreciate it. He is rather sarcastic. But, I laugh every single day. Even when he is having a bad day, he finds a way to make me smile. He is a pro at quoting movies and commercials. It seriously makes me laugh so hard. "I'm Ron Burgandy?" I think sometimes people don't know how to take him. This tiny picture below is a great example of his humor. Jer is so not a U of U fan. I've been wanting to post this picture forever 'cause he looks awesome, but I can't get it to "normal" size. Oh well. Still funny.

5. father's instinct. I know most people say it's "mother's instinct" and for the most part I think I'm pretty in tune. But, I have learned to listen to Jer. He is more involved in his kids lives than some dad's. I always tell him he is a helicopter dad (a trait he get's from his mother) hovering over each of his kids. He has a gift. He can always tell when something is going on with one of his kids. He's very in tune with the Spirit and his feelings. I love that he is not afraid to talk about anything with the kids (even when Emma asks him what a tampon is). I always hope that getting through the teenage years with our kids will be less difficult because of his ability to be so in touch with them. He is a teenagers worst nightmare.

6. Honesty. As long as Jer and I have been married, he has been some kind of a salesman. I think we can all admit that most salesmen aren't all honest. I believe that the reason Jer is as successful as he is in his career is because of his integrity. He has always put that at the top of his priorities. He has watched coworkers lower their standards at times for an extra sale and yet he has sacrificed a "big deal" more than once because he wasn't willing to be dishonest. I appreciate his ability to stay strong (again - self control).

7. He is humble. This one makes me laugh because he is going to die when he sees that I posted a novel about him on my blog. He hates attention. I remember a time when he worked at GE (doing mortgages) and they put a picture of him and wrote up a blurb about him in the company newsletter. He had consistently been one of the top performers and was being "rewarded" for his efforts. He was so uncomfortable with the attention that brought. He doesn't like to be the center of attention yet he will go out of his way for just about anyone. In 1992, Jer and I were on our first date on our way to a BYU game. We watched an accident happen just yards in front of us. He pulled over immediately, grabbed the BYU blanket out of the minivan and wrapped it around the driver of the car that was in shock. He waited until the police got there and when we left, he left the blanket with that stranger. He has always gone out of his way for even people he doesn't know - hoping that no one brings any attention to him for it. I'm sure he will be embarrassed that I remembered that.

8. memory warehouse. There's people that have a photographic memory. And there are people with a memory warehouse. Jer has the memory warehouse. He remembers things that are insanely unimportant. And, he remembers things that I wish I could remember. I often laugh at the crap that he brings up. Like the date of a concert he went to in high school and who was there and what song the band played first and who opened... and so on... down to the very last little detail. He likes to claim that he can't speak Russian anymore because it's been too long. I call B.S. on that. He still has it. Along with what color his underwear was at the last basketball game he played in in junior high.

9. multitasking? Some call it multitasking. Some call it ADD. I don't know what to call it with Jer. He jokes that he is "mental." But, having ADD actually has it's benefits. Jer can flip channels like no other while reading his e-mail on his phone and listening to a conversation in the room. And he will remember it all. Ha ha. I appreciate his ability to multitask. I've learned that when he seems like he is doing ten other things and not listening to me, he actually is getting every word. He is amazing.

10. he worships ME! Yep. That's right. After being married for almost 15 years, he still worships the ground I walk on. He is always worrying that it's too much or that I'm going to get sick of him. But, I feel pretty lucky to have a guy like him be so in love with me. Even after years of getting to know me for who I really am, he still likes me. It's a good thing.

I could go on with many many more, but I will stop at ten. Love you, babe! Thanks for being my best friend.

Halloweeeeeee weeeeee weeeee n

I dunno 'bout you, but our Halloween started out just fine and dandy. We spent the day cleaning and getting typical Saturday crap done (holding trick-or-treating over their heads all the while). I finally caved around 3:00 and let the kids start with costumes. This darling little thing is how Erin started her Halloween:

Glinda

BUT, after only one street of trick-or-treating, Erin was soaked! Her little dress was about 6 inches too long after getting wet, her feet were frozen and her curls were no more. I gave her a piggy back ride home and magically turned her into this:

A witch (a warm one)

Josh (pre-costume), Erin (Glinda), Brynlee (Abby), Emma (cheerleader), Gauge (fireman), Kailee (doctor), Alexa (Sandy), Cambree (witch), Cari (roller derby chica), Atley (witch)

For the first time in a very long time, we had all the grandkids in costume at my moms house on Halloween! It's so fun to see how creative everyone is! That ultra cool firetruck is Gauge's wagon that hims really cool dad made into a firetruck (he has his dad's ipad in his hand ... to work the siren). And Cari's roller derby costume deserves some attention! So funny.

Of course, my favorite little 18 month old. I can't get enough of her. She was Abby from Sesame Street. Her little hair things made the costume! We took her to do a little trick-or-treating in the rain. She was more interested in everyone's pumpkins on the porch than anything. And I don't think she realized people were putting candy in her bag. But, after a couple of houses, she was saying "trick-or-treat" (or something like that).

Our newest cousin: Bryson (Frankenstein) stinkin' cute!!

We braved the wind and the rain and the cold for this? Yes, we did. So many calories.

But, it put a smile on her face.

And gave them all a little sugar high.

Funniest part: Josh just handed Jer a note while doing his homework (with candy bag at his side) that says: "There's a shoe box in my room under my desk filled with chocolate. That's where my stash went. Don't tell mom."

He knows me.