Christmas

Since we had just been home to AZ we decided to stay here for Christmas this year. We definitely missed family but we had such a sweet Christmas here with just our little family. A couple of days before we had a big CRNA student party with a bunch of friends. There was tons of food lots of running around and Santa even stopped by for a visit.

The huge kid's table

The adult table

All of the food

Timmy on Santa's lap

Maura and Santa

Topher and Santa

We decided to incorporate Christmas traditions from both sides of the family this year. It was so much fun. On Christmas Eve we had a big taco dinner with Drew and Cass, we opened our jammies, and then loaded into one car to look at Christmas lights. Once we got home we read Twas the Night Before Christmas and Dad read the Christmas Story out of the scriptures. On Christmas morning we made the kids line up at the top of the stairs and came down one at a time, youngest to oldest. We slowly opened all of our presents and took the time to see what everybody got. Once we opened presents the kids ate their tiny boxes of cereal while T.J. and I cleaned up some of the mess. Then T.J. made biscuits and gravy for lunch, we opened exchange presents via skype with both sides of the family, and after naps we ate dinner at Drew's and Cassie's We had a great holiday and really felt the spirit of Christmas.

The kids just put on their new jammies.

Timmy and his pillow pet (These turned out to be the favorite of all the gifts)

Maura and her pillow pet

Topher and his monkey

Santa came!

Dressed up in our new church clothes

Aren't I lucky to have such cuties?

Winter Time

Winter is here again! The kids love the snow. It means sledding and shoveling and snowmen. Well the kids are still enthusiastic about sledding but the novelty of shoveling has worn off and the kids haven't had much success with a snowman yet. At least they have quite a few months to figure it out! Here's to at least 2-3 more months of snow!

Topher after sledding

Maura and Jada playing

Timmy braving the slopes

Topher shoveling snow

All three kiddos shoveling all the way down the sidewalk.

Topher helping dad push the snow blower.

Our Thanksgiving Trip

We took a trip to Arizona and California for Thanksgiving. It was a super adventure to say the least. Cassie and I flew out with all of the kids first because Drew and TJ still had school. The kids did so great in the airport and the plane. We stayed a couple of days with Papa and Grandma Rubalcava before we picked up the boys and headed out to California.

We stayed 4 days in California doing Disneyland and Knottsberry Farm. It was super crazy but super fun. Both places were packed but we still tried to fit in as many rides as we could. Disneyland was beautiful because it was decorated for Christmas. We also got to see the World of Color show in the pouring rain. We were totally soaked to the bone by the time it was over but it was fantastic. The kids got to see all kinds of characters and ride most of the rides cause they were tall enough this year. I sat out with the babies most of the time but I still had a great time.

When we came back to AZ we stayed a couple of days with Klint and Corinne. The kids had so much fun playing with cousins and the dog. Papa and Grandma Webb came to see us and so did Rich and Liesl and Joele. It was great to catch up and visit. We are glad they put up with all of us. The adventure back through the airport was not quite as smooth. 2 moms going through the airport with with 6 kids, 5 car seats, 4 suitcases, and 2 strollers is something I would definitely not recommend, but we survived it and were glad to be home. It was a wonderful Thanksgiving and we were so Thankful we got to go.

Ranan and Topher being friends.

Ranan and Topher not being friends

Mickey Mouse pancakes from Papa.

Silly boys

Glad Uncle Alecc was home from his mission

All ready to go to Disneyland

The first ride of the trip

Maura driving her own car...she giggled the whole entire time.

Thehighlight of the trip for the boys

The whole family

So pretty

The one ride Topher and Ranan got to ride at Knotts.

Getting soaked

Rock climbing

Timmy finding out what his totem was

Brother Bear

Papa and Grandma Webb with the kids

Maura decided to play Avatar in the back yard and covered herself in blue chalk....silly girl.

2nd grade project

Timmy had to do a project on Native Americans for his class and we decided that we would make tools that they used so we made a mortar and pestle, an arrow head and a tomahawk. They turned out pretty good for a mom and a second grader with a little paper mache and paint. Timmy was involved with every step and did most of the work. He was very proud of the finished product.

Maura's New Specs

Well our little Maura had to get glasses. She failed eye exams at the pediatrician's office and at school so we took her in to see an eye doctor. He told us that she has an astigmatism in both of her eyes and that she needs wear glasses all of the time. On the way home from picking up her glasses she asked me "what are those lines coming out of the poles?" I couldn't believe that she was just noticing power lines after all of these years. I feel bad that I didn't notice that she needed glasses earlier.

So far she has been very responsible about putting them in her case at night and being a little more careful when she plays so they don't break. She is very excited to have them and her teacher made a big deal about how great she looked in them so she would continue be excited about wearing them. I thinks she looks great too and I'm glad that she will be able to see everything better too. Love you Maura!

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween! We hope you had as good of a Halloween as we did. Here are pictures of all the festivites.

Timmy as Luigi

Maura as Supergirl

Topher as "Doody" I mean Woody. (That's what Topher calls him)

Carving pumpkins

Maura's Halloween parade at school

Timmy and Topher at Timmy class party.

Getting ready to go get some candy.

Grandma and Grandpa with the Jeep's package came!

All of my little vampires.