Sleepover Time!

We were so lucky to be able to spend so much time with family over the past month. Kristalyn, David, Mason, Carter and Kacianna, came out about a week before Christmas. David has a new job working at the emergency room at Provo Hospital, and unfortunately was required to be on call on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. We were so sad that they wouldn't be able to stay here for Christmas, but since they came out early we took advantage of the time we did have to spend with them. Even though things were quite busy with the wedding, the kids actually got quite a bit of play time in. One night we invited Mason to have a sleepover at our house. This was Levi's first sleepover, and he was so excited. It took quite a bit of begging, but his sisters talked him into letting them sleep downstairs in the basement with them. Carter really wanted to stay too, and crawled up right in bed with Alexis. It was so sweet, and broke our hearts to have to tell him he wasn't staying. (He still likes to climb in bed with his mommy and daddy in the middle of the night, so we thought he might get scared if he woke up and they weren't there)The kids set their beds up, watched a movie for a little bit, and then were fast asleep. =)

They all did great and had such a fun sleepover together. It's so much fun when cousins come to town =)

Handmade with Love

I am an activity days leader inour ward. we planned a Santa's workshop for the girls this year.We provided tons of different materials and ideas, and they were left to use their own imaginations to create presents for each of their family members. It turned out to be such a fun activity. Alexis loved creating her gifts. She was so excited to put her gifts for us under the tree. Seeing how much she enjoyed this, I thought it would be fun to have the other kids participate as well. They each got to make a present for each other that would be opened o Christmas eve. I didn't get many pictures, because they really did everything on their own. But since I had to help Levi a little I got a few pictures of him making necklaces for his sisters.

Since Alexis already had her gifts made, she decided to make presents for some of her cousins. She put a lot of thought into each one, and did them all on her own. She made mittens for Benji.....

Coloring books for Mason and Carter........

And dolls for Kacianna and Lyla. I loved how happy Alexis was as she watched each of her cousins open their present.

On Christmas eve, after we got home from Nana and Papa's house the kids were so excited to exchange gifts. Alexis made Tori a potpourri sachet and Levi some reindeer food for him to sprinkle on the lawn. Tori made Alexis a bracelet and painted Levi a wooden figure of an airplane. Levi made Alexis and Tori both necklaces. Hre they all are with their gifts.

This was such a fun new tradition that I hope we will keep up over the years. It was so much fun and so meaningful for them to create their handmade gifts for each other. It was a wonderful start to Christmas =)

A December Wedding

On December 22nd. My little sister Katie was married to a great guy! Forrest Clark. What a special and fun day it was. Katie met Forrest a year ago at school. He is so perfect for her and a great addition to our family. I had the pleasure of helping to plan a lot of the wedding with my mom. Katie has been dreaming of her wedding since she was little and had a lot of the details planned out in her mind. With her being in Utah at school, it was up to my mom and I to make sure all those details came together just as she dreamed for them to be. It was a lot of work (especially for my mom), but so much fun, and the day turned out so wonderfully! Katie was simply beaming all day long. She was truly a glowing bride and it was so touching to see her so happy and in love.

Alexis and Tori were so thrilled when Katie asked them to be junior bridesmaids. When Alexis found out that she wouldn't be able to attend the actual ceremony in the Temple, she was devastated. We were able to have several conversations about the Temple and what a sacred and special place it is, and a place that she should always strive to go to some day. She was very excited when we told her that when she was 12 she would be able to go there to do baptisms. After the ceremony as Katie was getting ready to come out of the Temple, Alexis and Tori waited anxiously outside. They held her bouquet all ready to hand it to her as she came out. I love this picture of them standing and looking towards the Temple doors. As they stood there a couple walked out. Alexis said to them, "Can you open that door a little wider so I can see in? I can't go in until I am 12!" What a tender moment. I hope that she will always be excited and look forward to attending the Temple someday.

Being a December wedding, it was quite cold outside! The sun was shining but boy was it freezing! The kids were such good sports as we took pictures outside the of the Temple.

Daniel and Charbel had to take turns standing with Benji the the annex, because he was shivering so much =(

We are so happy for Katie and Forrest. Katie has always been such a wonderful example to me. Although she is 7 years younger to me, I look up to her so much. As she was in high school she had her share of trials, and I found my heart breaking for her as she went through some of the things that she went through. What impressed me so much was how her faith and testimony never wavered. She was never afraid to stand up for what she believed in, and was such a shining light amidst the darkness. As I watched her go through the Temple and be sealed to Forrest, I just knew that her faithfulness had paid off and she was being blessed for her faith. I have never seen her so happy. It was a true pure happiness. We love you Katie and Forrest. Congratulations!!

Birthday Celebrations

On December 6th we got to celebrate 2 special birthdays. Michael, and my Grandpa Barker. We started out the night by heading over to my parents house for dinner and cake to celebrate Michael's 14th birthday. The kids were so excited to help him celebrate. We had a yummy "breakfast for dinner" and then watched him open up his presents.

He liked the shirt we got him =)

After that we hurried over to the rehabilitation center that my Grandpa has been to surprise him. We met some of my aunts, uncles and cousins there and then my grandpa's wife Emmy wheeled him out. He was so surprised and touched to see us. A few times throughout the night he would start to cry and say how surprised and happy he was. Emmy bought the two birthday boys some festive Christmas hats to wear.

As we sang happy birthday to the two of them, my grandpa grabbed and held Michal's hand. It was so sweet.

Grandpa let Michael blow out the candles =)

I was so grateful that we were able to spend this night with my grandpa. He has been quite sick over the past month. When I had one to see him the week before when he was at the hospital, he wasn't doing too well. It was really hard to see him like that, so I was so glad that he was feeling so much better now and on the road to recovery. I love my grandpa so much, and am grateful to have been able to spend this special evening with him.

Levi the Wrestler

For the past little while we have been trying to find a sport to put Levi in. Everything that we mentioned, Levi would show no interest in. One day, Brandon brought up the idea of wrestling, and Levi loved that idea! That very day he found out about a junior wrestling team at Columbine High School. He got a hold of the director, and found out that it was starting that same day! So Levi started wrestling that night and hasn't looked back. He absolutely loves it, and never complains about going to practice. He practices two nights a week at the high school in the wrestling room. Brandon has been able to assist in coaching, and he is having a blast doing that. This past weekend was Levi's first wrestling tournament. It was at a high school in Cherry Creek, and around 600 other wrestlers participated. Here is Brandon helping Levi put on his wrestling shoes. Here is Levi doing his wrestling stance. This cracks me up! He always gets so serious and puts on his "mean face"

Levi's friend Nicholas from school is on his wrestling team. Here they both are before the tournament.

Each wrestler had two matches. They match them up with another wrestler of their same weight and ability. Levi won his first match! It was so fun to watch him. I was worried about watching him, and I thought I would be upset seeing him fight, but it actually was so cute! haha. For the second match he was matched up with a different wrestler that had also won their first match. He pinned the other boy within the first 10 seconds and won that match too! Since he won both matches he got a first place medal. Here he is walking back with his medal after the second match.

Here is Levi with one of his teammates who also won first place in an older age group.

Here he is showing off his medal =)

This new adventure has been so fun for Levi, and especially for Brandon! Brandon is one proud daddy, and will talk for hours about it. I video taped Levi's matches and Brandon has watched them over and over analyzing each move. It is so funny! Brandon was a wrestler in high school, so it is so fun for him to teach Levi.

Here is a video of part of the first match that Levi was in.
For some reason I cant get any of the other videos to load, but I am still working on it.

This has been such a fun new adventure for Levi. We just have to remind him, that he can't wrestle his sisters!

Getting ready for Christmas

I love Christmas time. It such a fun time of year! My kids were so excited to set up the tree and decorate the house, so last Sunday after church,I passed on my normal Sunday nap and dug out all of the Christmas storage boxes from the shed. Our kids favorite part is going through the ornaments and separating them into piles of whose is whose. While they did this Brandon set up the tree, I attempted to fluff it, Brandon fixed my fluffing job, and put on the lights. After that the kids went to town putting all of the ornaments on. I tend to be a little controlling about where the ornaments are placed, but the past few years I have learned to just sit back and enjoy watching them have so much fun putting the ornaments on (I fix them later =) ).

Levi was in such a silly mood, and I was so glad I caught this picture of him. These poses are very common for him, but he rarely will show anyone but us =)

The kids take turns every year, putting the angel on the top. They look forward to this so much and never forget whose turn it is. This year it was Alexis's turn.

Now Brandon just has to put our lights on the outside of our house and we will be set! I have them in the entry way in a big green box so it can remind him. But to tell you the truth, I think it is just becoming more of an eye sore for me, having to stare at that big green bin every day! He promised he will put them up tomorrow =)

Every year December goes by so fast, and before I know it Christmas is over. I always try and do something with the kids to remind them of the true meaning of Christmas. I will always spend hours making some elaborate thing for us to do every day and then after a few days we never do it becaue it is too elaborate. I really wanted to do something this year, but keep it simple. I have a block in my kitchen that says SIMPLIFY, and I have really learned this past year that simple is always better and more effective. So I was excited when I saw this cute activity in the friend.
http://lds.org/friend/2010/12/scripture-ornaments?lang=eng

Each night there is a question about the story of Jesus's birth. There is a page of ornaments with scriptures written on them that go with that days question. After reading the scripture and answering the question you then glue the ornament on the tree that they provide in the magazine. It is so simple yet so effective, and my kids have loved it so far. The questions are really simple. It starts at the beginning, asking "Who visited Mary and told her she was going to have a baby?" I just thought I would pass the link along, in case anyone struggles like me with things like that =)

I am so excited for Christmas!! =)

Medevil Day

Alexis has been learning about medieval times at school, and the culmination of the unit was medieval day. I took someones advice this year and shopped the Halloween costume sales to find costumes we would need throughout the year for different days like this one . Brandon actually spotted this one for Alexis for Medieval day. It was perfect, and she looked so cute. She was a little unsure about the hoop at the bottom of the dress, but once she put it one she loved it. She had a blast playing the part of medieval royalty. Her favorite part was the feast they had for lunch that they got to eat with no utensils!

By the time I signed up to help, they didn't need any more volunteers, but I did stop by to see her at lunch. The teachers did a great job at making this day fun for the kids. We will definitely be keeping this costume on hand for when Tori has medieval day =)