Christmas Cruise

About 12 years ago my parents went on a cruise at Halloween. Well as kids we were pretty upset that we did not get to go on the cruise.  Like most kids we complained about it.  One day my dad was going through the mail and in the Val-pac ads there was a coupon for a Christmas cruise.  He got really excited he thought this was just the thing to silence the kids about a cruise.  So he and my mom talked about taking us on a special cruise.  They told us not to pack anything and we were buying all new clothes once we got on the cruise.  As you can imagine we were elated.  We were so happy and they refused to tell us anything about the cruise so we let our imaginations go.  Well the day came that we were to leave on our trip.  We got in the car and my dad told us he had a last minute errand to run for work before we left on our cruise.  When we got pulled up to the Provo river cruise site you can only imagine how confused we all were.  I don't remember how mad we were or how hard we laughed or how much harder my parents laughed but to this day more than 12 years later we still go on our Christmas Cruise. Despite the cold and whining from the adults (my siblings) the little kids love the lights and they get to see Santa too.

Libby and Haley sitting in front of the should be fire.

  Marshall and Brittany standing in the cold.

 Santa came around the boat on gave all the kids a high five,

Just like before she was hiding from him.

 The pictures at night are hard to take there are like 6 flashes and then the picture is

taken Marshall couldn't keep his eyes open to save his life.

Family Christmas Party # 2

Marshall's Family has a Christmas party every year.  This year we had family pictures before the party and that was a lot of fun. At the party a number of things take place.  The children made a igloo, and an ornament.  They listen to a story centered on Christ, sit on Santa's lap, get their presents from Grandma and Grandpa and then the adults get to play pictionary, boys against girls.  The girls Won this year Yahoo.

I did not get a picture of the ornament making, but they were snowman made out of socks that they got to color.  I also did not get a picture of the Igloo that she made before she ate the entire plate of marshmallows.

Marshall's family picture

This year the kids read the story in the basement where they did a mad lib type story and they all laughed hard.  Everyone participated by picking the next word when there was a blank word.  The favorite word was sandpaper. Who knew. 

 Santa Showed up and we all got to sit on his lap and tell him if we had been good or bad. 

Here is a picture of the camera girls.  You wont usually see any of us

in the pictures because we are the ones taking all the pictures.

Libby was excited to see Santa! Until she had to sit on his lap and she just would not do it.  Grandpa went with her and as soon as they walked away she was ready to watch him again and ask for her candy cane.  

 2 year olds can be silly.

 Once she got her present she was thrilled.  Santa brings a present for all the little kids.

 Here we are sitting on Santa's lap.  He asked when our last date night was.  We both had think about it.  I think is was the night before we went to the festival of trees.  After that weekend it was the last week of school and then finals and then graduating.  So we were a little busy and promised to be better and go at least once a month but preferably more often.

Family Christmas Party

Like most families at Christmas we have a few Christmas parties we get to go to. 

Brittany's grandma has a party at her house and takes care of everything. We eat sandwiches with a fruit and veggie tray, but best of all are the pies.  We did miss out on all the pies at Thanksgiving this year so grandma made sure that I got my choice of pies first.  After we all stuff our faces with wonderful food and conversations.  We gather everyone together and hear from grandpa about the story of Christ's birth found in Luke.  This year we all went around and told what we were grateful for.  It really hits home some days when you have all your family together and they all doing well.  Knowing that the Lord does bless families with what they need.  It may not be what you expect,  but he still takes care of those who ask for his blessings. 

  

Brittany's Parents.  My mom was saying she was grateful

 for my dad.  He was getting a bit choked up.

The Wall of Christmas Presents!  (behind us)

We love having opportunities to sit together and talk at family gatherings

we look forward to being together for the holidays. 

 Every year my grandma gets everyone a bag of presents to open.  We really have fun opening the gifts and I know grandma loves to see everyone open them.  The following pictures are of us opening some of the presents that we get.  It is a lot more fun to watch the little kids open their gifts, and get really excited over little things like hats and gloves and coloring books.

 The Little kids got to shake the Bells for Jingle Bells. 

Libby had lots of fun carrying her bells everywhere.

Christmas time comes with a lot of little traditions that make it memorable. 

I Hope that we can create more memories each year, that our family with talk about forever.

Festival of Trees

This year we decided to go to the Festival of Trees.  I thought Libby would love to see all the trees and lights.  We invited my brother Joe and his family to join us.  They have a 3 1/2 year old and a 1 year old.  Libby loves to see them.  So as we walked around the festival we saw amazing trees.  Libby loves Toy Story and so we thought a picture by these tree's were a great idea, until after the picture.   I did not realized that she did not want her picture taken that day.  To bad for you, she really was happy and enjoyed some of the lights.  We hope to make this a tradition for our family.  It was nice to have the time together and see all there is to see.  Even though we did cut it short due to nap times and whining children.

At this wonderful time we remember that the season is about Christ! 

Please bring him into your life and embrace the true meaning of Christmas.

Thanksgiving

Our traditions  First let me tell you all that I do have good intentions of taking lots of pictures at every family gathering so that I have pictures to blog about our traditions but I forgot so when I get some from the extended family I will put them up. 

Thanksgiving day

This day like all holidays are busy. Marshall gets up and goes to play in the annual turkey bowl.  he has been doing this for as many years as we have been married.  They have a couple of trophies that are awarded by votes from all the players.  Marshall did have the trophy at one time and I can say I am glad he did not get it this year (I love you babe but its ugly and does not match even the jazz room Décor).  Not to mention it was very cold and Marshall was triple layered, I think.  But he had lots of fun.  I am glad that they have that tradition. 

We get all dressed up in weather(house temperature) appropriate clothes and head to the families for the day.  This year we ate lunch with Marshall's family.  It tasted amazing and we were glad that we can all get together.  I made Yams this was a first for me.  I think next time I make them I will make a much smaller batch.  We had BYU rolls and they are the best.  The spread was as good as it looked and I love thanksgiving food. 

After lunch the men took the children downstairs to "watch"  football.  while the girls did dishes and played scrabble.  I lost in scrabble like I always do, but playing is fun and that is the most important.  come to find out the men were all asleep while the toddlers were playing downstairs.  After "nap time" for the men we headed out to go see my family.  We skipped dessert since they were waiting for everyone else to show up for movie and dessert time. 

When we got to Brittany's families house the dessert was all gone.  Sadly...we did not get any pumpkin pie.  but for our diets sake that might be okay.  At my parents House all the extended family had left and it was just my 3 younger siblings and us. So we scoured the adds to find what we would be shopping for on black Friday.  This year we decided that it was way to cold to sit and wait for "maybe" items on our Christmas wish list.  So we spent the evening talking and relaxing after the yummy holiday. 

We do remember the many things that we are grateful for.  We are so blessed to have a job,  one that provides well for our family.  We are blessed to have the Gospel in our lives.  We are blessed to have wonderful and supportive family.  We are blessed to have a daughter and thank God each day for her.  We are blessed to have a home.  And we are blessed with wonderful friends.  We are thankful for so much more and pray each day that our family can be blessed by adoption.  Happy belated thanksgiving.