It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas

To help us get into the Christmas mood, we went to see Gingerbread Houses. Maceys' (the grocery store) had a gringerbread contest. Some of them were really awesome. My favorite was the barn.

When we got home I took a picture of my cute boys. Notice the gate behind them that surrounds the Christmas tree. In our house, a protective tree barrier is a necessity, not a luxury ;)

Giving Thanks

This year we drove the kids down to Las Vegas and had Thanksgiving with my family at Alison's house. Everything worked out perfectly with my school and work so that we could make the trip. My kids did FABULOUS on the drive down and home. They were so good and didn't cause a minute of problems. I am really grateful for that!
I took the boys to the park in Las Vegas. Notice the beautiful, plush, green grasss? Well, don't get too jealous, the grass is all fake. But, so much cleaner and softer than sand!

On Sunday, Alison had her new baby, Emma, blessed. Here is a picture of all the cousins together. Getting all five kids to look at the camera and have a pleasant look on their faces was quite a challenge.

As we left Las Vegas and drove through the canyon between Mesquite and St. George, I took this picture. I thought it turned out pretty good since I took it in a moving car through the windshield.

I want all my family to know how thankful I am to all of them. Going to school and working has been one of the greatest challenges of my life. They have supported me, been patient with me, and helped me emotionally and financially. I could not have gotten this far on my journey without them. I am also so very greatful that everything worked out just right and that we could go to Alison's this year. I am so thankful I was there! It really was the hand of the Lord that made that little trip possible and I wouldn't have traded it for anything! Love you Alison!

Daddy, what's this?

Today, Porter and Joshua were sitting in the front room watching a movie. After a few minutes, Porter picked up something from the floor, and holding it up said, "Josh, what's this?" (because heaven forbid that child call him dad!) Josh looked at him in confusion, thinking it was a leaf or something carried into the house from someone's shoes. But, after turning on the lights and a more careful examination, he saw that it was a DEAD BIRD!!! We aren't really sure how the carcass found its way into the front room, since it looked to have been dead for a while. But, we were all sufficiently disgusted! I scrubbed Porter's hands with a vengence. It was so nasty!!!