BYU Bowl game

Wow! Letti helped us get hooked up with the Sorensen's family tickets because they couldn't make it to the BYU Bowl game at SMU. 

It was the Armed forces Bowl so they had the whole fly by and smoke jumpers and armed forces moments. It was so neat. This was basically my first college football game. I went to one in San Diego but I can barely remember it was so long ago. It was Amazing.

 The game was super exciting. and it was really fun seeing Danny and his cousin out there doing awesome and we were in the family section so everybody was super passionate..especially the Ogletrees sitting right in front of us

 

and the whole Dallas mission...

 who got sat right in front of the cheerleaders

 Somehow this combo ended up on my lap

 The weather the game and the company were amazing. That's Jill Stewart and my Dad, who were cracking me up all game. Thanks a gazillion to my Mom for watching the grandchildren.

 and the Gandys from our ward

yeah Cody and I totally wore the wrong color blue. which happened to be the Okies team color. oops.

The Cougs pulled through to win in the last 4 minutes. It was super exciting.

Thank you very very much Sorensens and Letti. That was neat

Great Wolf

Yaya and Papa treated us to the Great Wolf Lodge. Its so fun (and embarrassing) to go swimming in the middle of winter :) We had a great time.

We couldn't help imagining next year fun with Locke & Katie family

My Dad called Ezra the lone wolf because he could have the best time all by himself if he wanted to.

Elliot's little hand-me down bathing suit was so cute on her.

 

She has sprouted! Look how long she is

Ezra looooved these little shoot'em up jet skis

 

and surprised us by waiting in line so patiently for the mini water slides.

 

Rowdy had a blast and even passed the general eyeball height test and onto a bigger water slide with his Papa and Dad. unfortunately the later lifeguard was a stickler for the above the line policy and so they waited a long time in line fer nuthin', but Rowdy had a blast he was everywhere. He is such a good boy. I have no doubt he was polite in all his adventures. Its nice to be able to have that kind of trust in a 4 years old.

 

We just stayed one night but had 2 days at the water park. 

Thank you Papa and Yaya for the fun.

Christmas part deux feat. Yaya & Papa

My Mom and Dad got here on the eve of the 26th. It was like Christmas!! They even brought Rowdy's requested hand puppets for Elliot. It was so nice to see them and get some QT

but then we always get so spoiled its even harder to let them go back home

Elliot adored Yaya. If Yaya wasn't holding her she would crawl through the house calling her

Aunt Katie MADE Elliot's hat!! Isn't it so cool?! It looks so professional. The top is a little flower stemmy bud. It is adorable and Elliot totally leaves it on! Thanks Aunt Katie.

We had lots of fun trips to the parks W Papa & Yaya

Rowdy has a style all his own :) 

I love that he is so independent in getting himself ready

Elliot loves trying to ride Bikes w her bros. She just scoots along

Feliz navidad

Since our bedroom is on the other side of the house we decided to utilize the underused, but full of potential, baby monitor. Rowdy had some fun with that before finally falling to sleep. He is super excited about Santa Clause this year. He wrote a sweet letter to Santa asking for smash and crash cars, a dinosaur, transformer shirt and a hand puppet for Elliot :)  At 7:00 he woke up and we just woke up Ezra & Elliot.

 We went to church at 11:30. Its was practically all music. It was Beautiful and it was super cool the Tad and Amelia Bowlers were there and Lynda and Paige and Zoe and a lot of our YW were in the choir. plus it was Christmas! IT was soo neat to go to church on Christmas. I loved it and the choir was Amazing. I know they worked really hard but it was like their efforts were being magnified. It was so cool. and I was especially glad they let us join in on a few songs. It was goosebumpy.

 We came home and opened our presents. Ezra and Rowdy love angry birds so they were pretty stoked about the beanies, and also the razor scooters Rowdy had seen earlier in the month and told him they were for someone else :)  Thanks for everything family and friends. Especially my new beautiful blogalicious macintosh :) It was a great morning. We finally got to put baby Jesus in the manger on the felt calendar my Mom made for us kids when we were little. I love that thing. I love my testimony too. We are thankful for Christmas.

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve morning we had Biscuits, gravy, Fresh orange juice and the cousin gift exchange at the Carmacks

  New tights!

Rowdy loved his new transformer costume

So did Ezra

& We were all fans of Paigee's reusable sticker tie

 

That was fun. and before we knew it it was noon. 

We went home and made dinner for a family in our ward who had just had a baby. Then we headed over to the Brown's (as in Karin & Jill Stewart for you San Berdoo peeps). They really didn't know what to think about my Christmas jumper. Bryan was thinking of disowning me as a friend and Karin thought I should've come over with big hair so I would look like a sister wife. Anyway I forgot my camera but we enjoyed a fabulous Christmas Eve fiesta with delicioso Mexican food. Brian and Karin are such good cooks. And all the kids had fun together. It was a lovely evening. They pointed us towards an amazing Christmas tree on the way out of town. Wow

A couple of houses down had "Happy Birthday Jesus" written in Christmas lights. That's what its all about right? We've had to keep reminding Rowdy of that this year, and therefore ourselves. but what a lovely day, and a lovely time to remember. 

Happy Birthday.

Beiber Ward Christmas Party

...as in the Justin ward.

Something about this picture reminds me of American Gothic.

 

Maybe its my amazing Christmas Jumper

My First pie won the Best "Non-Traditional Pie" ...I knew the Dinos were a good idea

 Elliot, loving life at the table of Lynda & Livee

It was really nice. They did a little Christmas around the world. Rudolph in French was pretty funny. My favorite tradition that I heard was in Mexico the children would go from house to house symbolic of Joseph and Mary not finding room at the inn. But at each house they would get a little treat and end up at a Christmas Eve Celebration.

We are loving our sister missionaries; Reynolds & Hawkes. Our ward got "pink washed" last transfer and it has been so so awesome for the YW in our ward to go on splits and just be around them. and plus Rowdy is now probably going to marry an RM.. (he'a mega-flirt)

Cody had to recoordinate his fingers trying to button up this lovely lady snowman shirt

Blessed are those who stary and clean up. Good man.

This picture had such potential.

Ah well Merry Almost Christmas everyone.

elliot gives him another chance

Pre Production Christmas card

"Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy"

Got a new computer for Christmas. Hopefully I will get my act together transfer files and remember to post our real Christmas card up here soon. The real one came out cute. Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas