Christmas 2010

Well, Christmas eve started off with breakfast at Mom and Dad's

then we went to play in the snow with Mark and Coleen's family!

We always have a great time with them...the kids have a blast together!

( got a totally cool shot of stephen jumping over devyn

 while she was sledding down the hill)

Then the guys worked on the house for a while.

Christmas eve dinner consisted of a yummy lobster and steak dinner with

Mom, Dad, Brad and Jamie and kids.

Doesnt this look good?? 

Me Bridger and Reese...Brad and Jamie's kids..they love me what can I say!

I love them too!  They are so stinkin' cute!

Here's Jamie, my cute sister in law...I didnt get many pictures that night.

But we had a good time and the food was delicious!

Thanks to Jamie and Brad!

We tried a million times to take a family photo by our christmas tree

but someone always ended up with their eyes closed, blurry, with a goofy face

 or out of place so we finally gave up!

Christmas morning we got up and started opening presents and this was the only picture

 I got when my camera battery went dead! This was Mike's gift from Stephen

pj's with the Spanish Fork Don's logo..the high school Mike graduated from. 

The guys got some warm comforters to use downstairs while they watch movies in the basement since it gets kinda cold down there...because we finally broke down and got a tv!

We've had it since Thanksgiving but it was our main family gift! 

It is really nice to be down there at night with all the lights off watching a movie

It's like being in the theatre!

 Grandpa couldn't wait to get out there again and work on the house! Yes, even on Christmas morning.

The weather was so great both Christmas eve and Christmas day...

he just couldn't let the day go to waste.  (Mike a says Dad is celebrating life and the fact that he can still work and do what he loves most!) The boys went out and helped before we left for Theresa's for

our Stephenson family get together.

First we met my family at the theatre where we saw "Tangled" 

Such a very cute Movie!

Then we headed over to Theresa's

Here's Mom with her newest grand daughter Monroe...Rickie and Krista's baby.

We ate and hung out with everyone there...it was great

except we missed the games because Michael called about that time and we must have talked to him for 2 hours.  That's okay, next year he will be here for Christmas and we can play all the games we want to together as a family....AGAIN!

As we drove away from my sisters to head back home I felt like someone was missing.  As I thought about it I realized it was because we had been talking to Michael for so long and it was as if he was with us again. So, as we were heading home I could feel that void again.

So, we drove by the Draper Temple on our way out

It was very beautiful!

All in all it was a very nice Christmas!

 

So what if I cant go shopping....Let it snow!

So yesterday we got some SERIOUS snow!

Here is view from the side of the house out to where our house is being built!  Dad keeps shoveling that snow off of the floor every time there is a break in the weather.

I love the way Mom and Dad's house looked yesterday.

  Look at all that snow!

Isn't it beautiful?

Here is a view from Mom and Dad's front door out to the job site.

You can see just where the house will sit ...look at all that white stuff!

I loved the way the gazebo sat out there behind our house...so pretty isnt it?

Stephen had his first REAL experience shoveling snow.

  I was even sore after helping out.

Then his buddy Karson helped out too...

of course they were anxious to go play in it.

So Karson decided to use his truck to clear the area

 from the driveway to the road for me and got stuck!

So, our neighbor Dana pulled him out with her 4 wheeler.

 I would love to have one of these!

Then Stephen and Karson took off to go play...

And Bryce followed behind while they threw snowballs at eachother!

Here's a view of our house after it finally stopped later that afternoon.

Well, I didnt get much of my christmas shopping done in the past couple of days.  But we did go out last night!  The boys were thrilled to get so much snow...especially since they cancelled school yesterday. I guess this was an historic day since it was the first time in at least 20 years that they have actually had to cancel school in our school district.  Well, I guess we will be having a White Christmas!

We have a floor!

]

The project for the week was the floor to our home or the roof to the basement

which ever way you want to look at it!

Brian waving...i think he really loves to have his picture taken

Okay, yes, he definately loves it!

Dad and Mike this morning after shoveling the snow off of the floor.

(view from the side door of our house)

(the veiw from Mom and Dad's front door,

yes our house will sit right in front of theirs..I know weird)

Stephen being attacked by an ice sicle...his idea...

And here is the cute little seat Bryce made in the snow this morning!

Since it is too wet outisde to work on the house today,

Mike and I are off to pick out cabinets, carpet, tile , hardwood and plumbing!

Woo Hoo!

Faith and Football = BROTHERHOOD

Last night we attended the Springville High School Football Banquet

which was held in Provo at the Marriot Hotel.

Mike and I have attended many an athletic banquet in our years of raising boys.  And I just have to say how impressed we were with this event.  It wasn't how nice the place was where it was held, nor was it how good the food was, nor the entertainment of the evening.  Instead it was the caliber of people with whom we have the pleasure of associating with and how inspiring the event was both for the parents as well as for our boys!

First of all they started out by having a prayer.  I mean that right there set the tone for the evening.  This would NEVER have happened in California...at a High School Football Banquet.  Then as the head Coach got up to speak and as the many assitant coaches got up and gave out awards, it was so inspiring and heart warming to see so many of them become emotional and express their love for eachother.  It truly was a night to be uplifted.  What Mike and I loved most about the evening is the way the coach summed up the game.  How Football is really a metaphor for life!  "The way you play the game and the committment you give to it shows the kind of man you really are". There were many players who were such great examples of committment and devotion and most of all "Brotherhood".

This year the "BC 30" award was introduced for the most inspiring player.  Which went to Brandon Curtis.  Coach Mitchell says this award will continue to be given in future years to the most inspirational player.

Lots of tears were shed as they played a tribute to Brandon Curtis.

I have to say that I am so thankful to have raised my boys outside of Utah ,because living here now that they are older, they can truly appreciate how blessed they are to be surrounded by so many wonderful members of our faith.  It is such a blessing to all of us. 

 And to think we moved to Utah pretty much as a last resort... or were we led?

There is no doubt in my mind that we were!