Christmas Eve 2013

We stayed as close to our ivy girl for Christmas break as much as possible.  The kids loved

staying at the Grand America for Christmas and it was so nice to switch off sitting with ivy.

  

Christmas eve was spent making totally different, but still magical memories.  

The kids all got dressed in their jammies that Buddy the elf dropped off to them at the Hotel.  

They came up to see Ivy and visit in her room for a while then we went to dinner

and swimming at the Indoor pool. The Grand also had the coolest Gingerbread houses

all throughout the Hotel.    

They mostly loved jumping from Bed to Bed while watching our favorite christmas movie

"Home Alone!"  As hard as it was leaving Ivy for the night, my other kids needed me too.

She was out for that whole week, sleeping because she was intubated. Which kind 

of made it a bit easier to leave for a bit. I still struggled not having her home with us.

One of the hardest things we've ever had to go through.

We didn't make Santa cookies, but we left him some nice chocolate covered 

strawberries and sparkling cider. ha!

I adore these sweet letters... especially Hayes' {sniff sniff}

buddy's shenanigans...

We love getting a real tree every year, it smells soooooo good! We like to wait until closer to December first to put the tree up, but kids were dying to get one.. {So was i} 

We had a good time picking out that perfect tree, we decorated, ate some 

cookies and hot cocoa, and then set up the train.... always the highlight of the night.

the next morning buddy surprised us hanging upside down on  a candy cane.

here are just a few of  buddy's adventures this christmas season...

we watched "frozen" in the movie theater that day before, so the kids thought

it was pretty funny to see that Olaf was here with buddy.  Cutest movie EVER!!!

 Buddy put himself in a "Jib Jab"video on the computer. Ha!!

Thanksgiving!!

Our Thanksgiving Feast was spent with the Taylor's this year, at Jake and Andrea's. It was 

delicious!  Cory and Shea decided to both make the turkeys, cory's traditional and shea did his Smoked.  both were amazing!!

That morning the boys played their annual football game at the Hansen's 

and then they all went skeet shooting.  After Thanksgiving, we played Bingo with the kids.

They loved their dollar prizes, which kept them entertained for hours.  

That night at 7pm we went with my sisters to see Disney's "Frozen"  it was possibly the cutest

show i've seen in a while.  Kids loved it and then i sent them home with their daddy while 

my sisters and I went "Black Friday" shopping!! 

We picked out our Christmas Tree on friday and decorated it, while making Hot chocolate

and listening to christmas music super loud!  I love Traditions!!  

I love how my little miss asked for the turkey leg! hahaha!  

***BINGO***

Our perfect tree!!  we love getting real trees it smells so wonderful!

my cutest little elves....

  Then on Saturday we went to Temple square with the Johnson cousins to see the lights 

and shoparound and then eat at "Red Rock"  it was  a perfect Thanksgiving break!

The Lakehouse!

 

Our annual lakehouse trip to Lake Couer D' Alene was a blast this summer!  My kids are in heaven with tons of cousins and plenty of fun on the water. My sister  Rachel and her hubby are the ultimate Host's!  She always makes the best food, has plenty of activities for everyone and we actually all sleep there!  This year we had the most we've ever slept. It was a COMPLETE blast! 

 I love the memories we make and especially for my kids.  What an amazing experience to play and enjoy all the family time.  We all went to a wedding just a few days later and met up again.  I love traditions and family memories.  

This year Olivia and Hayes got brave and went cliff jumping!  So much fun to watch them grow up year by year and get more aggressive with water sports.  Boston of course was in pure heaven.  Ivy even went crazy tubing a bit and enjoyed it! ha!

Diaper babies!

 The all time favorite lakehouse activity, well besides the trampoline of course was tubing!  

Everyone loved crazy tubing... ivy did lots of baby tubing with the other twins.

Boston tearin it up on the wakeboard!

Hours of entertainment were had on the new tramp and launch!

  Hayes

Olivia

   I love this picture of Boston trying to encourage Hayes and Olivia to jump off the lower rock, 

which was still very high, this picture does not do it justice!!  love how brave the twins were!  

 Boston

Grandpa and Grandma Johnson arrived a day later to spend the rest of the week with us.  Love how I caught this moment with these cute cousins... They love their Indiana Jones Grandpa.

We had a bridal shower for Victoria who was getting married to my

 nephew Garrett the following week! 

just some of the johnson girl cousins... we are quite the bunch.

Cory fishing with the kids.

Our traditional cousin picture at the Lakehouse!!