This year we weren't sure what to do on Christmas Eve day.......we thought about a movie, but Brooks and Branson aren't big fans of movies, so we decided to go bowling! We invited Jess and Mike and we all had a lot of fun. We all knew that this year would be different because mom and dad decided to surprise Randi and her family in Denver since it was everyone's year with their in-laws. But usually we still see my parents even on the off years. Jess's doctor told her that she couldn't travel to Idaho, so Donna said that they could spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with us!

Chantry was a little nervous about bowling and Sairee and Meah were very excited. Once they all got the hang of it, they of course wanted to play another game!

Wow look at that nice form.........haha

Jess didn't bowl, but cheered us all on!

These names above are the adults....Brooks was "Dave".. Branson was "B-Dawg"..I was "R-Dawg" and Mike was "Buck"......as you can see I came in 2nd place! woo woo! Well.....this was our 2nd game and I got killed in the first round:)

The girls did great and had a lot of fun throwing the ball and then we would hear a big "BAM" right on the ground......but it always made it to the pins! haha. Meah's ball would sometimes take awhile to get to the pins, but it was so funny to watch her because she would stand there with her arms folded saying..."come on, come on"until the ball knocked something over and then she would say...."YES!" and she was so excited. We had a lot of fun and ended up seeing 3 other families from our ward there......Looks like we all had the same idea!

THE NUTCRACKER......

Oh my..... it was so nice to FINALLY see all of the girls hard work pay off this year! The girls tried out for nutcracker in August when I was in Denver.......so my awesome husband and friend Amanda made sure my girls were ok and she helped get their hair all done. Kristi was also out of town so I was so glad that Amanda was there to help. We found out that Chantry made BLUE SOLDIER.....and Sairee wasn't quite tall enough for mother hubbard, so she was a BABY MOUSE again.....and loved every minute of it!

The soldiers get to have pretty cute make-up so Chantry was excited. The reason I have no pictures in costumes is because you aren't allowed to take camera's backstage! Sairee is hoping to grow because she gets pretty bummed that the baby mice don't wear make-up! I helped backstage everynight and for the matinee. It is so much fun to get to do this every year with my girls. Every year I always say that we aren't doing it again, but watching them perform always brings a tear to my eye and I get excited for the next year. All of these girls that are involved in the production work so hard and spend TONS of time.......but it always pays off!! I love to watch my girls dance and feel so blessed to share this experience with them!!

Love You Girls:)

IT'S SNOWING!!!

When the kids woke up on December 12th........IT WAS SNOWING!! They were all so excited, but Meah is the only one that got to go and play in the snow. Branson had been getting over being sick and he had a 3v3 soccer tournament that weekend so I didn't need him sick again. The other 2 girls had 3 performances to go in The Nutcracker and I couldn't have them getting sick either, so Meah enjoyed it for all of them. She couldn't wait and she ran outside in her pj's! I atleast threw a hat and coat on her.......and do you think we could find any of out gloves???...NOPE.....so she wore socks on her hands!! We just aren't very prepared for this kind of weather! It snowed last year when we had nutcracker too.....it is kind of fun to see this in St. George!!

Last year of Flag Football........

Well I was just going through my pictures and forgot that I took these pictures at Branson's last footaball game. We had a lot of the kids that are on his soccer team sign up together so they could all play football and soccer and Brooks could make sure that the practices didn't conflict. Well they never lost a game and they are SO READY TO BE DONE WITH FLAG FOOTBALL!

It makes me sad because my little boy is growing up so fast! There are a lot of kids that start playing tackle football in the 3rd grade!......well Brooks thinks that it is CRAZY! We have gone as long as we can and we have avoided many hits to the head! But after this season, we all decided that it is time for tackle next year......our team just killed everyone and Branson started getting bored. I am excited to watch Branson grow in to a young man.....watching him play any sport is one of my favorite things to do!! Love ya Buddy!!!

don't you just love the gloves and socks......haha!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY MOM AND DAD!!

This post is also really late but now I am almost caught up!!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO MY AWESOME PARENTS!!! It was on November 25th and they are the best parents and grandparents that anyone could ask for!!

Thanks for all that you do for me and my family....WE LOVE YOU SO MUCH!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO TAYA!!

Taya turned 5 on November 24th and it was fun to get to celebrate it with her!! I am so late getting this post.... just trying to caught up! Randi made the cutest little barbie cake and I think that Taya loved celebrating with everyone!!

Taya also had her first SLEEPOVER while she was here! Branson slept at my mom's so it was just all of the girls! They stayed up pretty late and my girls actually fell asleep before Taya.....and she is use to going to bed at 7:30!! It was fun to have her come......can't wait to see them again!

Thanksgiving Tournament........

The Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving, Branson's soccer team was in a tournament here. They did a great job and it was a good experience! I don't know why but everytime there is a tournament, they end up having to combine the brackets so we always have to play the older kids and we have a pretty young team! But they held their own and did a great job against the older kids! One of my favorite things to do is watch Branson play soccer!!

Good job boys!

Thanksgiving Feast and Fun!!

I AM FINALLY POSTING THANKSGIVING PICS!!

Doesn't the table look BEAUTIFUL!

Here we all are getting ready to stuff our faces at the "adult table"

Kids are stuffing their faces at the "kids table"

Crazy people!!

These girls love the camera!....The picture at the bottom with Elle and Justin is so cute! Justin was trying to reason with Elle.....wonder who won?? haha

HAVING FUN IN THE LEAVES!!

More Leaves.......

The adults had to get in on the action too!!

Our neighbors purchased this bus and we always joke about how it is "the ward bus" Brooks called to see if he could borrow it and take the family out to look at christmas lights in it!!

We had a fun time singing christmas carols while we drove around!

Jamie and Kit were not here for this adventure and I don't know why I don't have any pics of dad on the bus!!??

"The bus driver" drove us the KRAVE!!

Meah and Sairee love going to Krave.....

more fun pics.........

YUMMY!!!

We had an awesome Thanksgiving and hope you did as well!!

CHRISTMAS TREES..........

Christmas tree hunting!! Something Brooks looks forward to every year. We started years ago when we would go with my Grandma and Grandpa Evans and my aunts and uncles.We went with Brett and Kristi a few times also. But the past couple of years, Branson has been in a soccer tournament the day after Thanksgiving and that is when they all go. So Brooks and Justin started going on Thanksgiving day at 5:30am! The brother-in-laws decided that it would be fun, so they all went.

Justin and Brooks learned from their last years experience that it would be smart to take a 4-wheeler!.......Justin and Brooks' backs were so sore for a long time last year from hauling our tree all the way back to the truck!! I don't know what it is about boys and chainsaws, but they get really excited and can't wait to use it:)

I think that they were all a little tired seeing how 2 of them in this picture were up all night playing x-box because they got a little crazy with the camera!! haha.......Aaron was there with them but didn't bring very good shoes for the snow, so I thought that he was taking these pictures............BUT when I found out that they set the camera on the 4-wheeler and set the timer, I about peed my pants laughing so hard!!!! They had alot of fun and plan to go again next year!!!!!

I will post pics of the 15.5 tree that stands very tall in my house!!! To bad I can't say the same for Justin and Kasse's tree.......they got it all decorated and walked away for a minute.........came back and the tree had fallen over!!! They ended up going with a fake tree this year!!

BRONCOS GAME!

For the past 3 years, Brooks has taken Branson to Denver to go to a Broncos game. This is some of his Christmas present. They stay with Brooks' brother and his family who live in Colorado Springs. These are pictures of him accepting a dare to jump out of the hot tub and run around the snowy yard!! They left on a Thursday and the game wasn't until Sunday, so they got to just hang out with cousins and have a good time!

Here are the boys getting ready to go to the game!

Branson and his funny looking Broncos hat! Usually they go right after Christmas, but this year they went right before Thanksgiving and Branson said that the weather wasn't as cold as it usually is!!

The big Broncos head in the top corner is what the players run through before the game starts! This is a fun tradition that the boys do together and I want to thank Hillary for letting them come and stay at their house and have nerf gun wars all day!!! Eventhough they are the pickiest eaters ever.......haha! Well next time just make it easier on yourself and hand them a box of cereal!.....Hillary made them crepes one morning and they both just sat and looked at it and said that they didn't like crepes! (DORKS) But she made them try them and they ended up liking them.......See what I deal with everyday??? haha!

Im glad that my boys can get away and have some fun together!! Love you guys!

SHE CAN BE SO SWEET!!

Well the boys left yesterday afternoon for Denver......they are staying at Joel and Hillary's house and going to the Broncos game! So I decided to let the girls stay home from school since it was a short day and we decorated their Christmas trees in their rooms and went to Pirate Pizza. We had to drop Chantry off at the temple to meet her Activity days group there, so we were walking around the temple grounds waiting and Meah asked if she could go up the stairs. She kept trying to blow this whistle that she won at Pirate Pizza and I kept telling her that she couldn't blow it because we were at Jesus' house. So when she walked up the stairs, she yelled down.."Mom is Jesus home?" How cute is that??? and then she hurried down the stairs and said..."I don't want to see Jesus!" It was so funny and cute! I then had a good little chat with her about Jesus and who he is and why it wouldn't be scary to see him:) I just thought it was so funny that she wanted to knock at those big doors!!!

BUS ACCIDENT!!!

This is a picture of the truck that hit Branson's bus on Friday the 13th!!! That morning Sairee came in and handed me the phone and said that Branson was on it......I thought that he had forgotten something. Well he was calling from his friends cell phone telling me that their bus had been hit by a truck! He said that he was fine and was excited that he might miss 1st period......of course!! But 3 girls were taken by ambulance, so Im sure all of the kids were a little shaken up! I was so thankful that day that Branson and all of the other kids were ok.....the kid that hit them was texting!!! 2 girls checked out with some bruises and bumps, and 1 girl did fracture her ankle:(.......but for the most part they were pretty lucky....love ya bud!!

BrAnSoN iS a DeAcOn.........

Holy Cow these two are so handsome!!! This is right before we left to church and Branson recieved his Faith in God award and he did such a great job sharing his testimony! He was so funny, he said that it was the scariest thing he has ever done. But I loved that his friends were all sitting below at the sacrament table and making faces at him!

We came to our house afterwards and had a great meal. Brooks did such a great job when he ordained Branson a Deacon. I feel so blessed to have a husband that honors his priesthood and I feel like I could ask him for a blessing for me or one of the kids anytime. I couldn't believe when he walked in the house wearing a suit! Don't worry, it is a funny story. HE FOUND THE SUIT IN HIS MOM'S HALLOWEEN DRESS UP BOX! It was Buds favorite suit and now it is Brooksby's! He just cracks me up!

This is Grandpa Stafford feeding Sairee some whip cream out of a can!

Brooks and I have the best family ever, all of the ones that live pretty close make it to everything! But Randi and his brother Joel live in Denver so they can't make it to everything and we miss them and their families when they aren't with us! My grandparents are so awesome because they try to get to everything! Im so glad they were able to make it! Brooks is the one who invited them, I didn't want them to feel like they had to come down, but Im so glad he called them and Im so glad they were here!

Thanks to all of our family for making this such a special day and helping with all of the food, couldn't do it without you!!! Love you all!

HALLOWEEN NIGHT........

I have been waiting to post Halloween because I wanted to put the pictures of Brooks and I at our party the night before.......but I haven't got them yet. We went as Popeye and Oliveoil!! But on Halloween night Brooks decided to be a grandma......that is why I am Oliveoil with no popeye!!

Branson just wanted a mask to scare people this year....Chantry was an SC football player....Sairee was a Diva......and Meah was a witch!!

Brooks took the younger kids while I stayed and handed out candy.....400 pieces of candy!!!! The older kids had a great time hanging out with their friends.....Hope you all had a great Halloween also!!

PARTY TIME......FOR BRANSON

This was the morning of Branson's 12th birthday........every year when it is one of their birthday's, I make them a pancake for breakfast in the shape of how old they are. It was fun this year because Branson goes to school so much earlier then the girls now, so it was just him and I and we got to have a fun little chat without his sisters bugging him! Notice in the bottom left corner, he has a huge smile on his face because he got an ITouch for his birthday. We told him we would pay half......and after receiving all of the money from his friends, he had enough!

All he wanted to do for his birthday was have a bunch of boys over to the intermediate school and play dodgeball! Brooks got the ok from the principal and they all had a blast.....I couldn't get them to leave, they played for 4 hours!! Well they had a slight break for pizza but I had to force them!!! They had a great time and he has such great friends!!

Branson excited about the $$$$!! He had more at home that we forgot to bring to the party that 2 friends brought by.....the boys had cupcakes on their way out! It was such a busy day that day between dance rehersal's, soccer, and football, I was glad that Lins could help me out with the cupcakes!!

This is Sunday, the day before his birthday......Of course Nana made an AWESOME cake! It was HUGE......Jess also helped with it!!When we were all finished I took some around the neighborhood!!

I can't believe how big he is getting:( We are so blessed to have his little spirit in our home! He is a great big brother and I love having him around!(most of the time.. haha) He has made some good decisions already in his life and I hope that he continues to be a great boy!!

WE LOVE YOU BUDDY!!!

MY LITTLE BOY IS 12!!!

I can't believe that my little baby boy is 12 today!! Look how cute he is in his 1 year old pictures!! He was such a happy little boy and had the cutest little curls!!

This was his first haircut. Kristi held him, I cut, and uncle Justin was trying to keep him from looking away!!

Oh I just love to look at these pictures......I can't believe how fast the years have gone by! Look at the bottom picture with Elmo, he use to feed Elmo bottles and pack him around everywhere. I was getting close to having Chantry so he would practice feeding Elmo!! haha

He is such a little stud!!

He is such a good big brother and loves his sisters so much!

He is a HUGE Broncos fan and always has been!

We have fun changing his hairstyle.....and the color of his hair!

This was his 5th grade party, I couldn't believe that he was out of elementary!!

He LOVES sports......I couldn't find pictures of him playing football and basketball, but I have some good ones of baseball and soccer!

Brooks has been his soccer coach ever since he started playing and one of my favorite things is to watch Branson play soccer! I love to watch him play anything.....Of course it is not easy to have your dad as your coach, but it does push him harder and I don't think that he would have it any other way!!

This is his 6th grade picture....what a handsome young man!!

I am so happy that we were blessed with Branson in our home and our house wouldn't be the same without him. This Sunday he will be ordained a deacon and will be able to pass the sacrament and it makes my teary just to think about it. I forgot to put the pictures on of him receiving his Arrow Of Light, but that is something that he accomplished last year and he will receive his Faith in God award on Sunday. I am so proud of him and the choices that he has made in his life so far! We love you buddy!!!