Flashback Friday

This flashback picture is from New Year's Eve 2000-New Year's Day 2001. We had a pretty fun group come over for fun, games, and to bring in the new year. In this picture is: Matt Printy, Allison Pearson Jensen, Curtis Strobelt, Tiffany Smith Redd, Becky Oveson Forbes, Marla Oveson, Wendy Oveson Strickland, and Spencer Strickland (And I think that might be Brenda laying on top of the group that you can't really see her face).

The 48 year old light fixture

The house we are living in was built when my dad was 8-years-old. When this house was built there was a light fixture put into the kitchen, and it wasn't changed out until 48 years later. The old light fixture didn't work any more, and was a little bit out of date. I am so happy that we now have a working light fixture in our kitchen. So, I have provided some pictures of the 48-year-old light fixture, and the new light fixture. Sorry, I am not providing a picture from when my dad was 8 and moved into this house. You will just have to use your imagination.

Before:


After:

Merry Christmas - 2010

This year we had a VERY Merry Christmas! Gabby woke up at 7:30 and came in our room to tell us that Santa DIDN'T put the presents under the tree. He put them all over the couch, and the ottoman, and the floor. It was pretty funny. Gabby woke me up, and then Paul up, and then she went to get Kaylee up. Once everyone was up and ready to go Kaylee and Gabby examined the piles of presents and were impressed...then they started to tear into them. Kaylee was making pretty quick work of all her presents. She looked at the gift, set it aside, and quickly moved onto the next gift. Gabby was easily distracted and took her time opening her gifts. She opened a gift and had to thoroughly examine it before moving onto to the next one. By the time Kaylee was ready to open stockings Gabby was still working her way through her pile. While opening their pile of presents they each found a few Nintendo DS games...but neither one of them found a Nintendo DS in their gifts. After moving on to stockings the girls each found a "Wallet" sitting in front of their stocking. When we asked them what was in the wallet they decided to investigate a little further. They opened up the wallets and discovered a Nintendo DS for each of them. They were beyond excited, and played with them ALL day wherever we went.

After opening presents, and making a total disaster in our living room we headed over to my parent's house for breakfast, exchange gifts, and Christmas activities. We enjoyed crepes, waffles, bacon, sausage, and fruit for breakfast. It has become one of our family traditions. After we got breakfast cleaned up we all gathered together to open our family exchange gifts. We always open exchange gifts from youngest up to the oldest. Gabby and Kaylee both got accessories/games to go with their new Nintendo DS. I was happy to get a new laundry basket (yes, that's really what I wanted, and needed, so I was very happy), and Paul got a new tool bag with tools in it. We can't find a bunch of our tools with all our moves. Our family had Roman, Wendy, Israel, and Savannah's names...we got them Roman: a Disney Cars scooter and Duplo Lego Blocks, Marla: books and a rubber ducky nativity set, Israel: hair gel and a gift card, and Savannah: pink Build-a-Bear and Barbie movie.

This year for my mom's Christmas present all of my sister's, and my dad, and of course me went in together to get my mom new cushions for her window seat in the family room. Her old cushions were 16 years, and were beyond dead, and they didn't match the new paint. So, for 2 weeks Wendy, Marla, and I worked super hard first to find fabric, and then in putting together the new cushions. After the cushions were done for some insane reason we decided to make throw pillows too. It all came together beautifully, and even though my mom didn't notice the new cushions at first she loves them.

Happy Birthday Kaylee!

Kaylee woke up on her birthday (December 24) to find a little pile of presents on the couch. She was so excited to open her birthday presents. She turned eight this year and will be baptized on January 1st so we gave her a new set of scriptures. We also gave her a Lego set, a set of books (she LOVES to read), a multiplication mastery wrap-ups set, clothes, shoes, and a coat. She was so excited about everything she got.

After getting ready for the day we went to the new Disney movie Tangled for Kaylee's birthday. It was a really cute movie, it was so much better than recent Disney movies have been. I loved it, my kids loved it, and will be getting it when it comes out on DVD. We laughed the whole way through the movie.

Christmas Pictures

It has been quite a while since all of the grandkids on my side of the family have been together for pictures. My mom wanted to get her wall updated, and we were all more than happy to get some new pictures of the kids. Wendy has a friend that is a photographer that agreed to attempt the madness of 8 kids together in some pictures, so we all gathered at Wendy's house and had a photo session with Heidi. I got out my kids Christmas dresses early so they could wear them for pictures and I think they are so cute!

Here's some shots she got of Kaylee and Gabby:

Here's a few of my sister Janeene's three kids:

A few shots of Wendy's boys:

and finally, the pictures of all of the kids together:

Afghan from Great-Grandma Pearson

For Kaylee's Birthday my Grandma made Kaylee a beautiful afghan blanket. My grandma just turned 89 years old in August. I think it is so amazing, and so special that she made this special gift for Kaylee. Kaylee loves her afghan, and has hugged it so many times and said that she loves her blanket from great-grandma. I hope that she will always remember just how special that gift is from her great-grandma. The first picture is a picture of Kaylee, Gabby, and I at my Grandma's birthday party a couple months ago.

Lights at Temple Square

Last Tuesday we went downtown to Temple Square to enjoy the Christmas lights, the nativities, and the Christmas Spirit downtown. We stopped by the reflecting pool and as Kaylee was tossing some coins into the pool she also lost her bracelet off her arm. Paul was awesome and fished it out for her.

We went and listened to the story of the nativity, and went up to see the Christus (it was really, really crowed up there so I didn't get any pictures). Then we strolled through all the lights at Temple Square and enjoyed it. Then we headed home. I love remembering the true meaning of Christmas and walking around Temple Square at this time of the year.