50 cent pictures

Ashton rarely cooperates for pictures. In fact, to get these pictures I had to bribe him with a quarter. He said he would do it for a dollar. I said no. Then he said 3 quarters? No. We compromised on two quarters. I think he looks so handsome with his hair cut short. I like a clean cut kid. I am not into the shaggy look. Besides, Ashtons hair never gets shaggy, it just stands straight up and makes him look as mischievous as he is. At least with his hair short he looks a little sweet. (He needs all the help he can get) I don't want to forget my little boy at this age (or any age). He gives me a run for my money and leaves me feeling utterly exhausted at the end of each day. Yet he also has the capability to make me smile and feel so loved. He says things every day that make me laugh and I feel grateful that Heavenly Father entrusted Matt and I with this strong- willed, clever boy.

Precious

This pictures makes me feel peaceful. This girl loves her blankies, pillows and stuffed animals. I love to see her snuggling with them. Her crib is full of all sorts of fluffy friends.

Mazzi's Favorite Snack

Mazzi is enthralled by the air pop popcorn machine at Grandma and Grandpas house. She will ask for popcorn for breakfast, lunch and dinner. She enjoys munching on it, but her favorite part is watching it pop. She sits on the counter right next to the popcorn machine and says "wow" and giggles when the popcorn starts coming out. She is mesmerized by the process. We love our little popcorn gal!

Christmas Cuties

Meet Survivor

The kids have been really interested in exploring on my parents acreage lately. They will spend two or three hours straight outside building forts out of twigs or bow and arrows out of branches and string. I love to watch them play outside. I decided that's where kids belong. I wish we could always live somewhere that they could have room to wander around.


One day when they were exploring, Ashton, Tera and their friend (aka my second son) Riley found this lizard hibernating under a log. I don't know if Lizards hibernate, but this experience made me think they do. The kids captured the lizard (that was barley moving) and put him in a little cage with grass. I told them I thought he needed bugs to eat so they went back out to look for bugs but they couldn't find any. Riley took the lizard home for one night and then Ashton and Tera got him the next day. When the lizard was still alive after them not finding bugs for it they wrote "Srvivr" (Survivor) on the lizards cage. When I asked why he was a survivor, they said "because he is still alive after not eating for two days!" They enjoyed their pet lizard for the afternoon and then I had them return him to his wilderness home. When they got Survivor out of this cage he was very wiggly and quick so his little hibernating body had warmed up. Hope we didn't mess him up for life! Ashton and Tera took the wriggling lizard back to his log and said his goodbyes.

Scrouging for a Snowman

We woke up New Years morning to snow. Not a lot of snow, as you can tell by the green trees and bushes, but enough that the kids were very excited about it. They insisted that we build a snowman. So Matt, Grandpa and the kids went around with a wheelbarrow getting all the snow off the top of cars and other places that it was sticking better than the grass. With the pitiful amount of snow they scrounged up they were able to build this little snowman. And while it is a little pathetic, the kids could not have been happier. They loved their little snowman and checked on him every couple hours to see if he was still around. Two weeks later, there was still the tiniest little bump of snow where our snowman once stood.

Christmas Morning

Christmas morning was spent at my parents. (Where we currently live) It was a nice morning. My favorite memory is Ashton passing out all of homemade gifts to us. This is the rocket ship he made for Mazzi. She loved it and knew just what to do with it.

This is the airplane he made for me. He made stockings out of paper and yarn for everyone in the family and each was filled with little goodies.

Tera's favorite gift of the year was her new pair of roller skates. Unfortunately Miss Tera is a bit of a wimp and is too afraid to use them except on the carpet. But she still loves them. We had a very Merry Christmas.

Christmas Eve

We had a nice Christmas eve at the Thompson's.

Mazzi enjoyed spending time with her Aunt Kari- we think Mazzi looks like she could be her daughter
Kari made scarves for all the girls.

We surprised Peggy with the first part of the Willow Tree nativity. She got each set for me for three consecutive Christmas' until I had the complete set. I found out that she wanted it for herself so Kari and I went in on it together and now will give it to her each year for the next three years.

Tera gave Grandpa these ornaments, which he wore as earrings. I love how silly he is for my kids.

Tera and Mazzi received Pillow Pets from Grandma and Grandpa Thompson. After opening it Tera said "That's just what I wanted!" They both love them and have slept with them every night since.

I loved seeing how excited the kids were to give the Grandparents the gifts they had picked out. Taking them to the dollar store to let them pick out gifts and have them wrap them is one of my favorite traditions. Ashton was especially into giving and making people presents this year. He is such a sweet guy.

We had a wonderful night with our wonderful family!

Snow is fun (for a while)

Matt and I took the kids up to enjoy the snow. We lasted about an hour before Mazzi had enough. Ashton and Tera were having so much fun and weren't ready to go, so I told them we could come back with Uncle Trevor and Aunt Sandra when they came to visit. Nana and Alaina also joined us. We spent an hour packing and getting dressed in our winter gear. Drove the hour to get there, and then lasted about 20 minutes in the snow before all the kids were whining. We are definitely a So Cal family and are not used to the cold. But, it was nice while it lasted.