It's about time!

Since we've moved into our house

we had my brother-in-law install

some bead board in the kitchen

and frame the bay window out.

It has taken us a long time

to get everything painted.

But we're finally done

and can check the kitchen off

of our "To Do" list.

Also, now that our new couch

has been delivered,

we painted the family room

and hung up some pictures.

I love having a family room

dedicated to our family.

A place to play together and

to watch Lyla's new favorite show

I must say that

"Dora's Christmas Carol"

made Jason and I look like

fabulous parents tonight.

We're sitting in Tithing Settlement

and the Bishop starts talking

to the kids about the

Christmas Story.

How neat it was that the angels

visited the shepherds in the fields.

The town of Bethlehem was so full

of people paying taxes and

census workers.

The Bishop asked,

"Why do you think the angel didn't visit

all of the people in Bethlehem,

but instead visited the

shepherds in the fields?"

Dallin said,

"Because they didn't have

the true spirit of Christmas."

Wow, was the Bishop impressed.

And we have Dora and her

Christmas Carol to thank.

The joys of life during this season of joy...

To begin this lengthy update

I have to start with the couch.

Well...um...lets just say it sprung a leak.

Every time we wanted to watch TV,

we had to pump it up first.

It got so bad that by the time you

were done watching TV, it was flat again.

It went on for about a week when we found

out that our couch was going to be

on back order for ANOTHER MONTH.

Yeah, I couldn't wait, so we went out

shopping for another couch.

Third times a charm, because we found

this beauty that was half the price.

To give you an update on the chillins'...

******

Carter has always loved trains,

it started when he was two.

Dallin has loved them as well,

but lately its been all about light sabers and Star Wars Lego's.

Just when I was thinking about packing them away,

I caught them.

I guess classic toys like trains never get old.

Carter woke up one morning in

a lot of pain. Come to find out

he had a molar pop through.

(bottom left in the shadow)

Then about a week and a half later,

he lost his first tooth.

Yup, 7 years old and finally lost a tooth.

Dallin has been busy saving the world.

Just when we thought we couldn't

rake another leaf,

he showed up to save the day.

Lyla and I went to a little

program that Dallin's preschool

put on followed by a Thanksgiving feast.

One day Dallin was downstairs

and he was yelling up to me,

"Can I play with that Elmo toy?"

I had no clue what he was talking

about, I couldn't think of any

Elmo toy we owned.

So after much yelling back and forth

up the stairs, he finally came to find me.

Then it hit me...

we have an Elmo sprinkler.

He had to hear,

"Sorry, not in November."

Lyla discovered that Granny's house

really isn't that far away,

when you get to watch a movie.

She was so involved.

Lyla finally noticed the

toilet paper.

She wasn't satisfied with

the big squares of toilet paper,

so she had to rip them up into tiny,

hard to clean up, pieces.

My favorite Thanksgiving tradition is

shopping with my sisters the day after.

We weren't out for anything major,

just to have a good time.

And it was a great time!

I look forward to this day every year.

Sister bonding at its finest!

(But I forgot the camera. Nothing great to see at 4am but a bunch of crazies!)

Jason's favorite Thanksgiving tradition

is cutting down our own Christmas tree.

(Look at that hunk lifting the tree with such ease!)

Too bad this isn't a scratch and sniff picture.

I love the smell of a fresh cut tree!

Happy Holidays!