Happy Birthday to Lance!...

We had a party for Lance with just our little family on the night of his Birthday.

He just got presents from the boys because me, my parents, and his parents already gave him ours (the cruise!)

He loves the rainbow chip cake with rainbow chip frosting. I always want to make him a fancy cake but this is all he ever wants to have. Even our wedding cake was rainbow chip! :)

I wanted the boys to be involved in planning the party. Lance choose what we would eat (pulled pork sandwiches) but the boys helped me make it and set the table completely on their own.

I know this is a super random assortment of things, and looks like I used a bunch of leftover stuff from past parties. But I promise that everything was purchased new, and especially for this party. This is what you get when you let a 4 year old choose! :)

The party blowers are always the boy's favorite thing.

Again I let the boys choose whatever they wanted to give to Lance as a present. As a result Parker gave Lance a whip... I've never seen him whip his horse, but ok... I guess he'll use it for the cows. :)

Layton made Lance a super cute little card.

And gave him a lead rope that of course, is red.

It was fun to really let the boys choose what they wanted to do for their Daddy, and really fun to have a party just for our little family.

Happy Birthday Honey, I love you!!!

Birthday Cruise 2011...

Happy Happy Birthday to Lance today!!!

For his birthday this year we went on a weekend cruise! It was so great to get away to some warmth. We left on Thursday and drove to Long Beach and stayed in the Queen Mary, which was built in the 20's (i think :) and turned into a floating hotel in the 60's. So it was really neat to stay in such a piece of history.

We didn't take any pictures while we were there though, so we hurried and got a few with the Queen Mary in the background while we were getting on our cruise ship.

We were docked in Long Beach, we got on the boat on Friday afternoon. We got there right at 12:30 as the boarding was just starting and it was so so nice, there weren't any lines and we just walked right on and of course headed up to the buffet for some lunch. :)

Saturday morning we pulled into Ensenada, Mexico. I was trying really hard to just be relaxed, so I didn't have any shore excursions planned for us. We just decided to get off the boat and see what our options were.

We ended up renting a 4-wheeler to drive around and see the sights. It was really nice weather, but we were dressed for a day at the beach not really for a day of 4-wheeler riding. So it was a little cold zooming around the city. The traffic was super fast it was like driving a 4-wheeler down Bangeter Highway. Lance of course did great driving around and even found a wal-mart so we could get some sweaters (which they didn't end up having).

Then we turned down a little road to get to some sand dunes and the beach, it was then that we discovered that our 4-wheeler wasn't 4 wheel drive :) I so wish I had taken a picture of Lance up to his knees in mud without his shirt on, trying to get the 4-wheeler unstuck. Hahaha. eventually a guy who spoke a little English came by in his truck and pulled us out.

Lance didn't want to return the 4-wheeler to the rental place all covered in mud so we found a little car wash. All they had was a little low pressure hose, it took them like an hour to get it cleaned off.

While we waited for it to get washed, we found a place for lunch. Very much a local spot, not geared for tourists at all. :)

 After we cracked the code and figured out (kind-of) what were were ordering. We had hands down the best Mexican food we have EVER had, Lance got a beef burrito and I got a Hawaiian empanada. I have been craving another one ever since!

The waves were huge, again the biggest waves I have ever seen. We were still freezing so we didn't get in the water, we just soaked up some sun and watched the surfers.

Sunday was the "day at sea" we did lots of laying around. In the 3 days were were gone I read 2 books. Which is heaven for me, Lance was content to watch the football games that were on.

It was also the formal night, there are little portrait studios set up all over the boat, so of course we had to stop and get a quick picture. :)

Everyone knows that the best part of cruising is the food. Our dinners were always amazing, but I look forward to dessert the most. Every night I get the warm chocolate melting cake, I know its a little 2001. But that doesn't bother me :) it is DIVINE!!!



This is just a picture of the deck on the last night, it always makes me so sad to leave. :( 

Our boat. "Carnival Paradise"

We had such a great time, thanks so much to our parents for the present! We LOVED it!!!

The family photo on Chritmas Morning...

Ohhhh, why oh why can't there be at least one good one in the bunch??? The photographer in me really wants to mix these together so we can end up with one that at least we are all looking. But... thats not real life, and this is. :)

Christmas Morning 2010...

Christmas Eve we slept at my parents house. We are still going to wait a few years before we go to our own house, for now it is the older kids that make it fun for the younger ones. The kids got us up at 4:45 am, they couldn't wait another second. :) We have to wait for Scott and Nancy to come over so all the kids wait (not so patiently) on the stairs.

I love the annual "picture while waiting on the stairs"

Then they run in, and find their piles...

Parker is going through a "don't take my picture" phase, so this is about as good as it gets with him :)...

They take turns opening from youngest to oldest, and Parker is the youngest in our family. So he gets to go first...

Layton got a spiderman dvd in his stocking, we have watched it almost every day since ...

Of course lots of loaders and dump trucks...

Haha, he also got a pair of binoculars in his stocking, for hunting with Daddy...

All Parker wanted for Christmas was a gas pump, it was the only thing he asked for. Who knows...

The only thing Layton asked for was a remote control motorcycle. He was so so SO excited about it (if you can't tell :)...

They got snow tubes...

and Buzz Lightyear wings...

...and lots of other fun stuff, except for the gas pump and motorcycle they had pretty much identical Christmas's. Santa must know that we need 2 of everything in our house :)

We had an amazing day. I am so grateful for my wonderful family!!!

Christmas Eve...

We had a great Christmas Eve this year!

Another wonderful prime rib dinner by my Amazing mom...

The tree. It is such a blessing to have a warm house, delicious dinner, and presents overflowing out from under the tree. I am so grateful for our families and all of our blessings!

Haha, Lance doesn't take pictures. So this is about the only picture I'm in :)...

The grand kids all acted out the Christmas story for us. (except Parker, who would not participate :) Layton is the shorter shepherd in the front...

In my family the kids all open the presents that are under the tree, on Christmas eve. The cousins draw names for each other and their gifts (a big truck with a trailer and 4wheeler/motorcycle behind it) were the big hit for my boys.

Layton ran over and gave Isaac a huge hug after he opened his present from him...

In their Christmas Eve jammies, playing with the cousins...

Haha, can you tell he is ready for Christmas!!!

Monkey Bread is a long running Christmas morning tradition at out house. Nobody makes it like my mom does! (With Parker's help of course :)

Then all the kids have a big sleep over together in a spare room at my parents. 8 kids in one room... need I say more?!?

Oh I love Christmas!!! Maybe that is why it is January 7th and I still have my tree up!