Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Christmas festivities 2015

I am so grateful for the Christmas season and to focus so much of our month talking of Christ and rejoicing in his birth and life. I loved talking to the kids about how Jesus came to earth and the life he led and ultimately sacrificed for us. I also feel blessed that we were able to have a wonderful Christmas with family and friends. I love this growing family of mine. At times it tears at my heart that things are going by so fast, but I am trying to learn to make every moment count and to be more patient. Being a mother of four small children is no easy task but it is with out a doubt the most rewarding thing I will ever do! 

Our Family on the Sunday before Christmas
Bailey 5 yrs
Bentley 6 yrs
Sophia 1
Wyatt 3 yrs
Christmas morning. Wyatt and Bentley both love Star Wars 
Bailey the cowgirl, with Wyatt and Bentley Christmas morning
Bentley was excited to see that Santa brought him a new bigger bike!
Wyatt showing Sophia the candy canes and other surprises in her stocking.
Wyatt really had the hang of opening his gifts and giving gifts this Christmas.
With the help of her older siblings Sophia also tore into the wrapping paper!
Love her smile. She was excited about the little tikes car.
Love this picture of Wyatt excited to give Bentley his gift he picked out and wrapped for him.
Bentley with his new star wars shirt. Can you tell he was excited.
A little blurry but loved this picture because she was so fun on Christmas morning!
Bailey checking out the sweet Crayon set Wyatt got her.
Our sweet Bailey girl is always so quick to give to others.
Sophia
Now Sophia can play hockey with her older siblings and not steal their sticks.
Can you tell she was excited!
The crew minus Sophia
Bailey's number won wish was to get a Kitty Surprise doll. Yay, Santa came through!
Wyatt is my child that likes to dress up/play with figurines more than any other kid. He was so intense with his new Storm Troopers mask on.
Benltey is the best big brother!
Sophia was loving her new lady bug tent and teething necklace.
Here she is inside.
Jon was pretty excited to show the kids their new basketball hoop! He couldn't wait!

Surprise. They loved it and have already played on it lots!
Wyatt and Jon even got new basketballs so each person could have their own.
Even Sophia was excited. It as such a beautiful morning! The weather was perfect!
Dunking it with a little help from Dad.
Shooting hoops!
I love these three and am lucky to be their mom! Although we all but heads at times, I can't help but be so grateful for each of them and their unique personalities. Bentley: smart and obedient, Bailey: Giving, Free spirit, Wyatt: sweet as he is tough and has a great imagination.
Bentley and Bailey have a sweet relationship most the time and often I find them helping on another or comforting the other.
Our family at Grandma Curtis house for Christmas lunch.
I title this the many faces of Bentley. haha. He is turning into such a character and likes to make these goofy faces like the one below.


This one is my favorite!
We went on a hike to the wind caves with some of the out of town family that was visiting. It was a good hike with good company!
Merry Christmas Wyatt boy!
Christmas Eve. They set out cookies and milk for santa and sprinkled reindeer food outside our front door. I love that although they were super excited for Santa to come, they still were focused on the fact that we were celebrating Jesus birth. They all were given a gift box in primary to put under the tree for Jesus. For FHE we each wrote down gifts we could give the Savior and wrapped them up and read them Christmas morning. I loved the special spirit it brought and will definitely be adding it to our traditions .
Sophia trying out the cowboy hat Bailey got.

Pleased with the gifts they got one another:)

Sophia loves playing hockey with the big kids. She is actually really good for a baby and has great balance.

The day after Christmas all the adults in my family got together to have lunch and to spend some time playing games. It is not very often we get all of us together especially without kids so this is a Christmas miracle to me and I loved every minute of it.
During the kids time of school we took them one night to go ice skating with their cousins. They all had so much fun. Except Wyatt.... he ended up deciding he just wanted to watch the hockey games going on in the other ice rink.
New pajamas for Grandma and Grandpa Anderson
A funny video of Jon and I playing a minute to win it game we won at our friends Ugly sweater Christmas party. Our friend shaking his wife upside down that he would for sure win faster that way but in the end it was in vain.
We hit up the bike park with uncle Kyle and cousin Trey.

Wyatt and a few rough spills but loves this park.
I was nervous to let the kids climb this huge tower but they were all so proud of themselves. Even Wyatt went up.
Bentley boy almost made it to the top but the ropes get wider and more spaced out for his little legs.
Bailey taking a break from climbing.
I love this cute boy. Wyatt is a big 3 year old and no one believes he is that young because he is the size of most 5 year olds.
Sophia loves to get in on anything the big kids are playing. Lets just say Candy Land didn't last for too long. They are great to be patient with her for the most part.
Had to take Justin, Becky, and their kids to Crazy Air over Christmas break. Fun was had by all even if the dodge ball game got a little intense.
Becky and Justin's son Ethan (who leaves on his mission to Budapest, Hungary soon) was so good with Bentley. I don't think I have ever seen such a good listener and had Bentley talk and open up like that before. They were talking about the new Star Wars movie in this shot and I just love how intense Bentley was about their conversation. It reminded me that I needed to slow down and listen more to Bentley and actually have the patience to let him talk and get out what he wants to say. Sometimes as parents we get to busy and forget to take the important time to just sit and be still and listen to our children.
Bailey had grandpa Curtis show her the art of wood burning. She thought it was pretty neat!
We have had some gorgeous sunsets lately. This is one I captured but of course picture never do them justice.
Some of the family on our hike.

Sophia did great and even took a little snooze. Jon and I were pretty sore the next day from carrying kids and back packs but it was still all worth it!
Bentley with his new favorite buddy Ethan again.
Bailey and Wyatt admiring the beautiful views.
Bailey and Bentley had fun exploring the caves at the top. 
Christmas Eve we all went to my Aunt Corina's house and had dinner, treats, and played fun minute to win it game. We are all quite competitive so it was a lot of fun!
My dad trying to win one for his team!
Heidi, her friend Bennett, and Wy guy relaxing at the top of the cave.
This was a fun game where the contestants had to blow up the balloons stuff them in panty hose and make antlers out of them all while being timed. 
Bailey trying the antlers on.
Christmas Eve
Christmas morning opening their stockings.

The three musketeers.
They all loved their Star wars light Sabers.
Sophia loved riding around in her car.
Bentley devouring these yummy dessert my Aunt Dianne made for Christmas Lunch
Wyatt loving the gift my parents got him. Can you tell he is excited:)
Sophia likes to steal my hair brushes and run away with them while we are all getting ready. She likes to try to do her own hair and comb everyones else's as well.
Our beautiful princess Sophia
Christmas Sunday
My dad made this chair for Sophia and she loves it. She loves chairs and this one will always be so special to her since her grandpa made it!
Ice skating as a family and with cousins
Sophia just had fun wandering around with Baileys helmet on.
Even though we were freezing we couldn't pass up going to get some Frozen Yogurt. The kids love picking out their own flavor and toppings.
For Christmas Jon got the kids a game called Bean boozled. You spin a spinner and it lands on a color of bean to eat. Well the tricky part is that the bean has a chance of being good or tasting terrible. for example one of the peach colored beans could taste like peach or barf. It it was funny to watch everyones faces as they chewed the beans to see if it was good or bad. I got a disgusting barf one and had to stop playing it was so gross. It was a lot of fun though and the kids loved it.
Sophia had fun watching us play:)
Bailey gave us a thumbs up when her bean was good and clearly Wyatts was a bad bean in this picture.


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