FaMiLy PhOtOs

I'm so happy we have a current family pic... it's been since I was pregnant with Jet that we've had any real ones taken :) I guess it was time!

Christmas Magic

Christmas morning was perfect!! Emri slept in till 7:30. She was dying to see if Santa came so we told her she could go stand at the top of the stairs and look, then come back to our room. When she came back in she was so happy to report, "Momma, Santa comed and he thinked I was GOOD!!" It was priceless! She was ok snuggling in bed with us till Jet woke up which wasn't till 8:10! Good boy :)

At the top of Emri's list was a "beeper" (cash register). Santa did not disappoint! 

 Santa brought Jet a shopping cart to go along with E's beeper....I guess he's hoping they'll play together?! He seems a little concerned there's a girl on the box?? Ok, not concerned, just wondering where the heck all this stuff came from!

 I've been wanting this beauty for a while now, and even though it wasn't a surprise I was still so dang excited to open it!

 Brett may have gotten ripped off... he said he'd just have the blender as his gift too (c'mon, like he really wants a blender?)!! He did get a couple other items to ease the pain! A tv mount, new sunglasses, and a projecting alarm clock so he doesn't have to ask me what time it is in the middle of the night (yeah, he got ripped off)! BUT to make up for it I've been making him yummy treats in my new blender every day since we got it! :)

 Brett's parents stopped by Christmas morning to see what Santa brought the kids. Then Ric --aka smoothie specialist-- whipped up a yummy drink for us with our omelets.

After gifts and breakfast we headed to SLC to Momma Max & Papa's house for more fun! I was terrible at taking pics there. I did snap this one of E....Papa shopped at the Harley store for all the grandbabies :) We got spoiled there! 

 That afternoon we went to Great Gma/Gpa Brklacich's for our traditional Christmas dinner of Sauerkraut and Cabbage Rolls with dad's siblings and our cousins. The kids with great Grandpa Larry and Grandma Dorothy.

 We had a wonderful day... full of magic!

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve was kind of a last minute plan for us which seems strange. We wanted to do something fun, but opted not to go to see lights because of crowds. I decided we should go bowling (some friends from Ohio had this tradition). We called around seeing who wanted to go that afternoon and there were a few takers :)

 It was us, the Gilsons, and Gma/Pa Anderton.

 We had a really fun time and I think we will stick with that tradition each year as long as we don't have to be anywhere else!

 We planned to just have dinner back at our house, but Gma/Pa didn't have anyone who was going to be there (unheard of), so we took our food to Morgan and shared with them! Which was nice because they are the ones that are always feeding everyone else! Gma had a gingerbread house that still needed to be built; so Jet, Emri and Gpa gladly assembled it!

 After dinner E & Jet opened their gifts to eachother. I think they were both pleased! 

We made it home early enough to be in bed so Santa could still make it! It snowed most of that evening and we had a white Christmas! Just as it was meant to be :)

Layton Lights

Usually I like to hit up Temple Square or The Ogden City Christmas lights, but this year we ran out of time to see them all.... we did however support Layton City's display. At the park they go all out and you can drive or walk through. We drove it on a couple different occasions, and Christmas Eve-Eve was really nice weather so we decided to walk thru. 

 The wagon was perfect for the kids to be bundled in...

 It was short and sweet and close to home :)

Anderton Christmas Madness

It was Brett's family's "off" year for Christmas, so we celebrated the week before. We started the night with grandkids caroling and treat delivery to some old folks in Morgan. I'm not sure if the loud singing was merry...or heart attack inducing, but they seemed to be grateful either way!

After caroling, a few parents and several of the older grandkids delivered a sub-for-santa stash to a local family that we shopped for. I didn't go to the delivery, but I guess they packed 18 people into Tiff/Jim's suburban and successfully and secretly delivered the goods. The little elves were so excited to do the service! That's definitely what this season is all about!

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After dinner we had a program that each family participated in (we pawned off our turn to E)...she sang a couple songs she learned in preschool.

 The kids put together a nativity (Emri and Tabitha both had strong opinions on who was going to be Mary)! Emri opted to be a sheep when the 2nd baby Jesus was going to have to be a girl baby doll. "But Jesus was a boy Momma!"

 The babies serenaded us at the piano...

 We had a cousins book exchange and this is what I loved the most! The cousins get SOOOO excited to pick a book and give it. I especially love the older cousins and how they adore my babies! Emri and Jet are quite fond of them too!

 Part of Gma/Gpa's gifts to the kids were Angry Birds shirts! Gma said it was kind of a last minute thought, but let me tell you...those kids were ALL SO EXCITED! Old to young...Jet wouldn't let me take his off for 2 days!

 Modeling my new hat. Love it! 

We were spoiled as always and so grateful for such generosity shown by our family members.

Jet @ 22 Months

Sister is good for teaching some silly faces :) 

 We stopped to see Daddy at work one day, and I always put the kids in the chair for a ride...no way I'm having kids that don't like the dentist office! Jet even let Brett look in his mouth.

 Just a little monkey, hangin' around the house.

 Christmas caroling w/ the Andertons

 Round 2: Baby Vicks this time, not vaseline. Just happy it didn't get in his eye...

 ...pretty darn close though!

 Has discovered sock lint in his toes....

 Sad, sick boy :(

 A little spoiling time with daddy while Mom and E were out.

 I think the chocolate frosting was a hit??

At 22 Months, Jet:

• has added "byees/pea" PLEASE to his short list of words
• had his first go-round ever with croup. Dang it. I was hoping that nastiness would skip this child. 
• favorite toys right now are the shape sorter, peg puzzles, and the Toys R Us Christmas catalog (we read it about 3 times a day).
• cut his 12th tooth (#k) on 12-13-12
• is obsessed with the Taylor Swift song "We are never ever, ever getting back together!" He cracks me up. The second we get in the car he starts saying "ooo-oooo-ooo" like in the chorus...and we basically listen to it on repeat.