MERRY CHRISTMAS!

This Christmas was so wonderful. The whole holiday season was just so magical and beautiful. Everything from Temple Square to spending time with family and enjoying our decorated home and all the festive treats. The only thing that would have topped it off would have been if we got snow. This was Tinley's first Christmas too. I just love this time of year. I am sad it is over, but on the bright side there are only 11 more months till we can do it all over again:) Christmas Eve was spent at my parents home. We hung out all day just enjoying each others company. We had lunch and watched A Christmas Carol and did an art project (put on by my Dad- Candy Cane yard stake painting) and then we had our Prime Rib dinner with a beautifully set table (by my Mom) and opened presents and the boys painted their beards white like Santa and the kids got on their Christmas jammies. Then we headed home so Santa could come.

Painting the Candy Canes
Grams & Taos
Mikey, Danielle, & Jace
Nama, Papa, & Brox
The Santa's

The Cousin Christmas Picture
Jace, Tinley, and Broxton in their Christmas Jammies. Jace spent the night in Tinley's car seat. He pretty much loved it and didn't want to be out of it so we took their pic with the car seat:)

Christmas morning we woke up and did our own little Christmas at our home. Santa came and brought Broxton his first bike (a Toy Story one of coarse) and some snoopy golf clubs. He was so excited. Santa brought Tinley a girly stand up toy with all the bells and whistles. A tradition at our house that my Dad use to do for us when I was growing up, is a letter from Santa. Brody writes a letter to the kids from Santa and puts it with their gift from Santa. It is a letter that talks about their year and because they were good he brought them a special gift. I am saving these letters and one day will make a book with of letters and picture of them and thier special gift. I think it will be a wonderful gift one day for my kids. A special tradition.After we opened presents we we got ready and headed to Church. The Sunday before Christmas is my ultimate favorite Sunday of the whole year. I look forward to it and it was even better this time because Christmas was on Sunday. We all got in our Christmas attire and off we went.

Brox and his bike from Santa

Tinley and her girly stand up toy from Santa

Brody & Brox opening stockings

After church we went to the Chaplin's and spent the whole day with them. When we got there we opened presents, had lunch & hot cider and hung out. Broxton and I hung out with Grandma while she got the Prime Rib in the oven and everyone else took a nap. Then we had dinner and played with Broxton's new toys. It was a wonderful relaxing Christmas!

Opening Presents at Grandma's and Grandpa's
Tinley's 1st Christmas

Broxton & Aunt Malia
MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Special Present...

Today I came home from work and Brody and Broxton were so anxious for me to open one of my Christmas presents. So how could I resist? I did as they insisted and opened this awesome craft the three of them (and Grandma) did today while I was at work. It is 2 reindeer made from the footprints of my babies.


I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!! What a wonderful gift that I will treasure for always. Many thanks to my husband for making me something so special.

Happy Birthday Broxton!

Today my baby boy turned 3 years old. I cant believe it. Where has the time gone? Next year he will go into preschool! Crazy! A couple weeks ago we had his birthday party with family. Broxton wanted a Mickey Mouse Birthday so we had a Mickey Mouse brunch. It was so fun. Everyone came over for some Mickey Mouse pancakes and dutch oven Hungry Man and we opened presents and we sang Happy Birthday and then the kids had some cake. Broxton got great gifts. He got an XBOX Kinect game "Price is Right" (he loves that show), a robe, matchbox cars, Mickey Mouse coloring book, Mickey Mouse puzzle, Nerf gun, a Toy Story fishing game, and his Dad made him a tool bench, and he got the tools to go with it. Brody had been working on the tool bench for some time out in the garage and I think it turned out AWESOME! I made his Mickey mouse Clubhouse cake. It turned out pretty cute I thought. After everyone left Brody went to a football game and Broxton and I and Tinley, played with his new toys, hung out at home and then we watched the Polar Express and had popcorn, M & M's and hot cocoa with mini marshmallows. It was a great day celebrating his birthday.

Then today, December 16, 2011 Broxton's special day, he got to pick what he wanted for breakfast. He chose a corn dog, Wheat Thins, and Apple Juice. Quite the combo for breakfast huh? He got to play all his favorite XBOX Kinect games with Dad. Then after I got off work he got to pick where he wanted to go for his Birthday Dinner... Red Robin it was. He got his favorite Mac & Cheese and broccoli and then they sang to him and gave him an ice-cream sundae. He love it. Then we went an looked at Christmas lights. I think my little man had a great SPECIAL day! I cant for many more special days spent with him.

Broxton~
Mom & Dad love you more then you'll ever know. You mean the world to us. Thank you for being such a wonderful boy. Happy Birthday little man!!!
We love you for always and forever!
Love, Momma and Daddy

Temple Square at Christmas Time!

So for the past couple of years I have wanted to drive down to see Temple Square at Christmas time. I haven't seen it at Christmas time since I was a little girl. And with crazy winter weather we just have never made the trip. But this year I said we had to go and so we did. This past weekend we took a trip down to Salt Lake just to see one of the most BEAUTIFUL, sacred buildings in all the world. It was the most wonderful weekend. Ty and Malia went with us too. It was alot of fun having them tag along with us. Hope we can do it again. We left on Saturday morning turned on the Christmas music and headed out on our adventure.
When we got into Salt Lake we went to the hotel to get all settled in so that when we got back late that night all we would have to do is shower and jump in bed. We then took a trip to IKEA. What a great store! Brody and I had never been to one. We enjoyed it lots. We got a few great deals and a pan of their cinnamon rolls.They have fabulous cinnamon rolls! Then we headed to Temple Square.I absolutely love the drive around the stone walls that gate the temple grounds. It was so beautiful with all the garland and lights, just a sneak peak as to what was inside those walls.
The Temple was gorgeous as always and the lights in the trees and bushes were amazing. There was also this beautiful white, life size Nativity and Luminaries lining the reflection pool with pictures of Christ. I just love the feeling you get when standing on sacred ground. I loved the overwhelming happiest feeling I got as I was standing there with my little family having our picture taken in front of the House of the Lord. It was awesome! It took all my might not to cry, knowing that I have the most wonderful man, my other half standing next to me and our two beautiful children that we created there with us and we were together on holy ground. It was something words can never describe. It was AWESOME! The true meaning of Christmas was right there.
After Temple Square we went to eat at the Olive Garden and then off to bed. Our kids were awesome travelers. Broxton had his little DVD player and watched movies and Tinley played with her toys and we sang Christmas songs. This was also Tinley's first long adventure away from home. Then Sunday morning came and we headed home. The weather was perfect the whole time too. I cant wait to take my family back there again!

Headed out on our adventure!

Ty& Malia

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!!

We have decked the halls and our home is all ready for Christmas. There are wreaths,lights, garland, Poinsettias, and a beautiful Christmas tree to make it all festive. I just love this time of year. It is my favorite time. I wait all year long for it to come. Just the meaning and magic of Christmas is just so wonderful. People are nicer to each other and actually help each other out, Christ is more prominent in the worldly things, happy songs are played, and family and friends get together to enjoy each other company and express their true feelings. It is just a magical time and I LOVE IT!

Christmas Tree 2011

Brox making his Christmas Tree cookies. He was so excited.

Helping Mom decorate the Christmas Tree

We also went and saw Santa this year. He was a wonderful happy looking Santa. Broxton was excited to see him, he even brought his little McDonald's toy camera to take a pic of Santa himself. When it was our turn to meet him and take a pic Broxton started to cry. He cried and cried. So Santa had to pretend he was leaving and then we put Brox and Tinley on the bench in front of Santa's big blue chair and then Santa snuck up behind them to take the picture. Broxton didn't even know it. Tinley on the other hand was happy as could be (this was her first time ever seeing Santa) and she just smiled when she saw Santa. It was so cute.

Santa picture 2011

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

This Thanksgiving was spent with my family (the Tinker side). It was such a wonderful day. Actually it was a wonderful weekend. ON Thursday morning, Thanksgiving of coarse, Brody went over to my brothers house to play in a Turkey Bowl. They do this every year. My brother organizes a football game AKA a Turkey Bowl and he has a breakfast and then they play. While Brody is out in the freezing cold, I am in our nice warm home getting food ready for dinner and watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade. I absolutely love this parade. It is on my bucket list too... one time before I die,I want to spend Thanksgiving in New York and go to the Macy's Parade and then have a traditional Thanksgiving and then go to Macy's and shop. Oh, I would just LOVE that. One day!
So once Brody got home from the cold, he got ready and we headed to my parents house for some grub. It was a festive day. My mom decorated so wonderfully. The table was decked out in leaves, candles, Pilgrims, Indians, ect. I made some cute Oreo Turkey name place holders for everyones seat. We had a fabulous dinner of turkey (that my brother always carves), rolls, mashed potatoes and green bean casserole. It was so good. While we ate we played one of my Dad's many made up games. This one had to do with a band and or artist and you had to guess who it was, something like that. This was Tinley's first Thanksgiving too and she had mashed potatoes for the first time. She even sported a turkey headband and bib.



After dinner we just hung out. Kids got baths and into their PJ's and they played with the toys and then we had dessert. PUMPKIN PIE and OREO TRIFLE. It was so yummy!!! Danielle did a great job making the Pumpkin Pie. Thanksgiving just wouldn't be the same with out Pumkpin Pie.
Then on Friday Brody went shopping with his brother and then later we went back to my parents house to help put up their Christmas stuff. This is so special to me because I have done this with my mom since I was a little girl. Every year the day after Thanksgiving we decorate the house with Christmas stuff. It usually take almost all day to do, so of corse we always eat left overs for dinner. So good. Then on Saturday Brody went to the BSU football game with his brother and the kids and I met my mom at the mall to do some Christmas shopping. It was a wonderful weekend. I love the traditions we have in our family and I look forward to doing them every year.

The whole family of Turkey's

Jace and Broxton playing with the magnets on the fridge.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

HAPPY HaLLoWeeN & Pumpkins

This year for Halloween, Brody brought the kids to work to go trick-or-treating. Broxton was Buzzlightyear and Tinley was a Ladybug (this was Tinley's first Halloween). Broxton had alot of fun going around my office getting candy. Nothing scared him either. We also went to all the Grandma's and Grandpa's houses and Uncle Ty's and Aunt Malia's house to do some trick-or-treating. Broxton scored on the candy this year and I am not sure what I am going to do with it because we rarely eat candy. :)




This year we also to the pumpkin patch to pick out our own pumpkins. I love doing this as a family. It is a tradition for sure that I plan on continuing even when I am a grandma. It is so fun to see how happy my little boy gets when he hops onto the hay wagon to go for a hayride out to the pumpkins and then he gets to pick out his very own treasure from the patch, a treasure all his own. Tinley had no idea what was going on but it was fun for her none the less. Next year will be more fun because she will be walking and can pick out her very own too.

Finding the perfect pumpkin with Dad!