Winter Fun

SLEDDING
We took the kids sledding on New Years' Day and it was so cold! The thermometer in our car said 2 degrees. Brrrr...We still had a lot of fun though.

Don and the kids headed up the hill

Easton had it all figured out...Sled down the hill and then have dad or mom pull him back up. Pretty smart plan!

I love this kid!

Hot chocolate break

Me and my little girl

SNOW SHOEING
We went snow shoeing up to Miners Fork Canyon with our friends and had so much fun! We have gone quite a few times but this was definitely one of our favorite trails. It was so beautiful and there were switchbacks all the way up. It was quite a work out so we took a shortcut to get back to our car and slid all the way down. We're just lucky none of us ended up with a bruised bum. It was SO fun!

Don, Sum, Alan, Jill, Bill, Tanna

SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL
Even though I've lived in Utah for about 14 years now and we live just 15 minutes from Park City, I've actually never been to the Sundance Film Festival. I've always wanted to check it all out but somehow always forget about it until its already here and there's no way to get tickets to anything decent. Same thing happened this year. Life is just busy, and although it would be fun to see a show, it's not really a priority. We decided to head up to Park City with friends anyway. We had dinner and just wandered Main Street in Park city. We had fun but it was REALLY cold. The problem is my fingers turn totally white when I get cold and I can't feel them. I mean, I really can't feel them. You'd think I would learn by now to always bring gloves when I am going to be out in the cold. Nope. Somehow, I totally forgot gloves. Halfway up Main Street, my fingers were numb and totally white so... we invested in some mittens. Small price to keep my fingers, I guess. As much as I love Utah and playing in the snow, I keep telling Don that someday we may have to move to a warmer climate, like maybe...Hawaii? He's not really going for it. :) It was a fun night!

Jill, Alan, Scott, Molly, Don, Sum

Boy Time and Big Foot

Don and Easton got to go to the Monster Truck show and have some quality boy time. Easton was really excited to have time with just Don and he couldn't wait to see Big Foot and the other trucks drive over cars and crush them! He was a little nervous when he found out how big the trucks are. He kept asking if they were going to drive over the seats to where the people are and we kept reassuring him that he didn't have to worry. He chose to go to "Hot Dog on a Stick" to get cheese dogs for dinner and then they were off. They got to see some of the trucks up close and were excited to find out that row 6 was actually the front row so they had a great view. Don said Easton loved it until about half way through and then he was falling asleep. I don't know how you could fall asleep in all that noise but I'm glad they had fun! I love my boys!

Big Foot

Don and Easton

The tires are huge!

Looking back on 2010

When I look back on 2010, I have to smile. We definitely had our share of bumps in the road, but overall, it was a good year. We learned a lot, we grew, we laughed and had a lot of fun!

2010 is the year...
-Jayne learned to army crawl...cruise around furniture...and then scoot on her bum. Yeah!
-Elle started piano lessons and she is rocking it!
-Elle took sewing lessons and learned to make a pillow, hot pad, doll, bear and bag
-Easton got to play spring tee ball again
-Easton started soccer and made a goal at his first game!
-Easton finished his first year of preschool and started his second year (sniff, sniff)
-Easton lost his first pet, "Stinky the fish"
-Elle perfected her toothless grin by losing all her front teeth
-Elle learned to ride her bike without training wheels (finally!)
-Cousin, Sammi, came to stay with us from Chicago, during Spring Break, and made a new best friend in Easton
-We learned how "valuable" (or maybe not) bug spray is when we took our kids camping in Goblin Valley with the Hansens and got eaten alive by tiny bugs. We still had a blast though!
-Jayne learned how to get into everything and can make a mess in 5 seconds flat and we love it!
-Easton and Elle learned about Star Wars and their world has never been the same :)
-Elle started back in dance and got to perform in the festival of trees
-Don's home office got remodeled with new wood floor laid by us and new furniture
-Don and brother-in-law, Glenn practically rebuilt a 100 year old house, on their own
-I went snow skiing for the first time with friends
-And...Don and I made it to our 10 year anniversary! Woo hoo!

2010 is the year we learned how grateful we are for doctors but how much we really don't like going to see them. Jayne had to get a 2nd set of tubes put in her ears and Elle got a 3rd set of tubes in hers. Elle got her tonsils removed. Jayne got 2 iron shots and lots of blood work done to check everything. Jayne got bacterial pneumonia. Jayne got viral pneumonia and had to go by ambulance to Primary Children's where she spent 3 days on oxygen getting her nose and throat sucked out. It was a hard few days but just reminded us again how blessed we are to have her. Now, our bulb syringe and pulse oximeter are always close by. Yep, we are grateful for doctors but hopefully we won't have to see them much in 2011. :)

2010 is the year we were reminded of how blessed we are to have amazing family and friends and how much we love getting away from the daily grind of life. We went on an amazing vacation to the Mexican Riviera with our friends, the Foxes and Fletchers, and will look back on it for years to come and laugh! We got to spend time with extended family at a family reunion with Don's family in Aspen Grove and a reunion with mine in Idaho to celebrate my Grandma's 80th birthday. We went on our yearly trip to Lake Powell and had so much fun soaking up the sun and playing in the water with family. And then, we got lucky, and got to go to Laie, Hawaii and stay at the Hukilau house for a week. The kids loved the warm ocean water and the beautiful beach to play on and we had so much fun with Don's parents. I asked Easton the other day where he would rather go on vacation--Disneyland, Lake Powell or Hawaii? You'd think any 4 year old would say Disneyland. Nope. Easton loves Hawaii "because you get to dig for big crabs on the beach."

Finally, 2010 is the year I made it back to my "lucky place." I finally stopped worrying about each little step Jayne made in her development and just enjoyed her. I pored through blogs and cried and cried. And somehow, through the tears, I felt like I could finally "see" more clearly. I knew I wasn't alone and everything I felt was real and ok. It's funny feeling so much gratitude to people that I've never really met but feel like I know so well through their blogs. I can't thank them enough for their stories and honesty. I went to DS play groups and met other moms and the most amazing kids and realized just how lucky I am to be part of this club. Jayne has changed us, made us better, and opened our eyes to a whole new beautiful world!

Here's to another great year in 2011!

Christmas and Family

We had such a fun Christmas! My family came into town and we had the best time playing games, watching movies, staying up late talking, playing with the kids and just being together.

Lots of hanging out (The laptops were always close because both my brothers are in 3 different fantasy football leagues and had to follow it all.)

We played a ton of Blokus and Settlers of Catan--the girls totally dominated! Thanks Heidi!

Elle and our adorable nephew, Alec

Easton with Alec

Jayne and Alec

It was so nice to spend time with my dad. The kids love their grandpa and love that he always takes them to Target to pick out a toy when he comes.

Playing with my sweet little nephew

Christmas Eve Dinner-My dad, Josh, my mom, Don, Scott, Heidi, Connie

We had a little program on Christmas Eve. Elle was so excited to play Christmas songs for everyone while we sang and she did a great job! Jayne was right there with her. She LOVES music!

Elle hand wrote programs for everyone listing the songs she planned to play and the verses. It was pretty cute!

My sister, Heather, lives in Texas and was really bummed they couldn't come for Christmas too so she wanted to be with us through Skype. We missed them tons!

It has been a tradition since we were kids to act out the nativity. Usually Elle always wants to be Mary, but this year, she insisted on being an angel. So, I was Mary and Easton was Joseph. My brother Josh was a wise man and my brother Scott got to be the donkey. He was thrilled, of course. Doesn't he make a great donkey?

We always open a present on Christmas Eve and the kids have caught on that it is always new pajamas. They love it though!

Elle and Easton were so excited for their new Star Wars pajamas

Jayne loves her new princess pajamas!

All the kids

We got the book "Elf on the Shelf" this year and the next morning, Christmas Elf appeared on top of our kitchen cupboards. Every morning after, the kids would rush upstairs to see where he would be sitting next. Christmas Eve, they were really surprised to find him hanging from the ceiling. Funny little Elf! Elle and Easton loved having him around and were extra good because they knew he would report back to Santa. We hope he comes back next year.

We left cookies and milk and a letter for Santa. Elle has learned in school how it is good to ask questions in letters and not just ask for things. I think it is a pretty cute letter.

Christmas morning after Santa came

Elle and Easton both asked for Star Wars Legos from Santa so they were excited! It was definitely a Star Wars Christmas.

Jayne and her new Little People doll house from Santa

We draw names for sibling gifts in my family and we had my brother Scott, Heidi and Alec this year. We were so excited to get Alec this little dog, Scout. Jayne loves hers so we hope Alec will too.

Elle REALLY wanted an Ipod for Christmas! Her face was priceless when she opened it up. She was so excited!!!

Elle with her Ipod Shuffle and new purse (She looks way too old in this picture! Stop growing up!)

What Easton wanted very most for Christmas was a Star Wars bed. He saw a picture in a catalog that came and I told him that he already had a bed. Then he said, "Ok, well not the hard stuff, just the soft stuff." So, we got him some Star Wars sheets and wow does he love them! He was hugging them when he opened the box! It was so funny! Worth every penny! Now, I don't know how I will ever wash them because he doesn't want them to ever come off.

How cute is this?

Hugs from my baby girl!

Easton's is obsessed with two things right now--Star Wars and BYU--so he was really excited that he got a BYU tie from Don

He changed right away into his new BYU football gear too!

Now it's on! Scott just happened to be wearing his Utah shirt. My brothers both went to the U so Easton argued the whole time with them that BYU is better! At one point he was crying because he got hurt and he said that he would only feel better if Josh would like BYU better than Utah. He was being serious too!

Elle and Easton got spoiled by their Uncle Josh who got them remote control R2D2s which they both chose to take to their show-and-tell for school.

Grandma Irene knows how much they both love Star Wars and got them perfect gifts

Jayne got Elle a R2D2 action figure but I think she may want to keep it

Easton got Jayne this cute Blackberry phone to teach letters. She loves it!

Don surprised me and got me a new Ipod too because mine hasn't been working quite right. I love it!

Don's mom and Natalie (Jay's daughter) compiled this book with journal entries and letters Jay wrote in his life. Jay was constantly trying to better himself, which is why it is entitled "Change Me." It is an amazing record of Jay's life and has been fun to read.

The best presents are the ones the kids make for us. I love them! Elle colored this picture for Don and made us a hot pad at school.

Easton colored a picture of BYU cougars for Don and painted this picture of a Christmas tree for me. I love it! He is such a good little artist.

My favorite part of Christmas is after the presents are all opened and we just get to relax and play with the kids. We don't go anywhere or worry about a huge dinner. We just get to be with our kids and enjoy their new toys. I love it! (Playing Ice Breaker)

Don and Elle playing Connect 4



I think after an hour of putting together Lego ships for the kids, Don was wondering what in the world Santa was thinking getting this for them. Aren't they supposed to be putting them together?

Heidi was so sweet to play game after game of Ice Breaker with Easton. It made his whole day! Hmmm...Favorite aunt?

SNOWSHOEING

We wanted to do something outside with my brothers while they were in town so we took them snowshoeing by Donut Falls. I'm pretty sure they loved it! How could you not with this view?



Don and Sum


Scott and Heidi



The boys--Scott, Josh and Don


Sum and Heidi



Heidi and I stopped to make some snow angels

What a great week! I love being with my family!