ELF Party

I swear my bestie Kiran is a sucker...In a good way though...she had this crazy idea to throw a "kids" Christmas party and had a ton of kids over last Friday night. The floor was covered in blankets and they ate tons of junk food and watched Elf and had a white elephant gift exchange.....My kids had a TON of fun and Stevan and I got away and did a little shopping :) thnx Kiran!!! Anyways...I "borrowed" some pics from Kirans blog...too cute. My kids are all over this party thing and apparently we are going to host one next year........we'll see!!!


Clayton, Reese and Chloie chillin on the sofa


T making herself at home on the blankets....who knows where Chase is????


Savanah, Lindsey, Ash and Kayla...something must be funny!!!


Ash and her "white Elephant" gift....she loved it!

Merry Christmas

So we are slackers this year and JUST did our family pics.....so needless to say you aren't getting cards people....but we wish you a Merry Christmas and hope this season finds you and your families well. We are grateful for the MANY blessings we have and are grateful for each of you, our friends and family, who make our lives richer....We love you all and hope you like the photos....



Ashlen Jessica(9)
Tristen Lisette(6)

Clayton Bradley (4)
Mason Tanner (13)

A couple pics of Family

So my sister in New Zealand just sent us this picture of her with the kids - Dakota, Dredin, Montana and Braxton - very cute...


and then I saw this pic of my nephew Zander (not sure on the spelling or if he is a he or not)


and then this super cute pic of my 3 little ones before Church.....


I will try get a pic of my other nephew chillin in New Zealand with my sister-in-law Rachael :)

Breasticles & Booblets - thanks Z!!

So we are making dinner tonight and I am making sure that ALL the stringy stuff and fat is off the boneless, skinless chicken breats I am prepping for our yummy cassarole when Tristen pipes up and says....
T - "Mom - remember when we were with Zoey and she got us Pizza and we started talking about Breasticles?"
me - "Yes I do!!"
T - "that was so fun...She said that she had Breasticles and that Big T & Danica had booblets...and because we were little we had booblets too...and we said that Robbie had Breasticles too!!!"
me - "Yes - I remember....I thought Robbie had Chesticles though"
T - "Yea - We told Debbie and she said Robbie didn't have boobs - he just had a big chest - haha - so we named them chesticles!!"

Oh goody - the kids remember that conversation to this day...thanks a ton Z!!! Can't wait for the girls to have that conversation with Blake!!!! speaking of that little guy..where the heck is he?????

PAR TAY

the Whittakers came over the other night and the kids had a great time with them. Kiran and Danny had Danny's company party - a PHX Suns game - so they dropped off the girls to play with my kids while they went :) Clayton and Reese had fun jumping on the trampoline and Chase and T were doing whatever...I heard owls screeching upstairs trying to sing High School Musical songs...so that was Ash and Savannah. They had fun and are looking forward to their KIDS ONLY Christmas Party this Friday at the Whittakers :) Kiran is a brave soul!!!!

Our Ward Christmas Party

What a wonderful Christmas Party our Ward had. Instead of the traditional inside / Santa visits party we had our Ward christmas Party outside at the Stake Center by the softball field. We had soups assigned out (I actually made Chilli) and cornbread and rolls :) We had firepits set up and when we got there the kids made snowmen and played kickball. We got to eat and there was TONS of food :) The cornbread was amazing!! as were the rolls...I had my fair share. There was also hot chocolate with a huge tin of marshmellows that I KNOW the kids loved..and the candycane sticks :) We had to have a Fire Marshall at each firepit...someone who would be responsible and make sure that the kids didn't get burned and just make sure everything went ok - so we nominated Devin :) Being that Devin is an "eagle" he had a little trouble getting the fire started...and then he and Jason managed to catch the grass on fire below the firepit :) Jason and Char had some domestics which was fun for all of us...j/k Char!!! and then we had Megan snapping away blinging us with her camera flash...luv you Megan...I think we managed to have the North end Pasture Canyon crew all around our firepit :) We then gathered around firepits and listened to a Christmas story, then we ended the night singing carols altogether. The night was great - the kids had fun - and we enjoyed spending time around the fire chatting with friends. Our Activities Committee did an amazing job and we loved it!!!!



Fire Marshall Merrill



Devin & Lisette



the SNOWMEN



T & Lily



Clayton making his way over the fence to join the big kids



Jason Clawson :)



the Hunsakers cheating...we had a nice fire but it wasn't good enough for Jerad!!!


Michelle & Jada



Clayton and his 5th cup of Hot Chocolate

the gingerbread house that T built

Tristen and I got to go see the play "Junie B Jones Jingle Bells Batman smells PS so does May" It was super fun and super cute - I enjoyed everything but the ride to Tempe Arts Center on the school bus....how do they ride on these things all the time?? (well actually my kids don't) but you know what I mean...and she got to make a gingerbread house on the last day of school too...here is the masterpiece!

the tree is up

So we finally got our tree :) We met Stevan at Home Depot and picked out this lovely tree. Stevan is a tree snob...he is very particular about what kind of tree we get..so I have no clue what type of tree...you'd think I'd know by now what kind we get..but it was the first one we looked at and we loved it...we got stockings and brought it home :) Decorated it and hung ornaments...we are ready inside....waiting on Stevan for outside but its not looking good...The Hunsakers have their Chistmas lights up so they are representing for both of us...I had Halloween decorations so I was representing for the both of us in October...Gotta love our neighbors :)



Mason checking things out



Stevan checking things out



Ash holding the ornament MawMaw made for her



Little T with her ornaments



Clayton with his ornaments



Ash looking over the Loft



Putting everything on



In all it's glory :)

Big plans... not a lot of action :(

So I had BIG plans for this past weekend...big plans I say...we had Ashlen's recital and then on Saturday we were going to get up early and go to the temple with the Whittakers and then after coming home, going to take photos for Christmas cards (which by the way we are not going to end up doing now cause its too late) and then on to Home Depot to get our tree and then get out the outside decorations and put them up with the inside decorations, and then go to the Stake Live Nativity Saturday night and then on Sunday after church eat soup and fresh bread and then go see the Temple lights with the Whittakers. whew - my hands are tired just typing about it!!! So.....Stevan comes home Thursday night as sick as a dog again...high fever, dilerious I am sure, and he hops into bed. So Friday he is still sick...I see my plans being thrown to the wayside. I go with Ash to the recital, he stays home sick with the kids. I get up Saturday morning and still go to the temple without Stevan with the Whittakers and Michelle, then get home to find that Stevan had an emergency call and had to leave :( So by the time he gets home he is done again...he wants to stay down so he can make it to Church the next day cause Mason just got called as Deacons quorum president and he wants to be there when they set him apart....so the whole get a tree thing is out.....I go grocery shopping and then come home, watch a little football and then bundle up the little 2 kiddos and go to the nativity - which was awesome - and then home. So Sunday comes...we are all good to go...we get hung up after church and miss choir practice cause Mason has 5 Fast Offering routes, Stevan is a little skeptical cause its been raining and then Danny has homework..so Kiran comes over with the girls and we all eat soup and let the kids play and we watch the Cards beat my beloved Brett instead of going to see the Temple Lights......So the moral of this story I guess is overshoot and you might get to squeeze some of the things in you want!!! I had a great time and got to the temple...that's what should count right?!? I'll try plan this weekend better!!

Lets Dance

Ashlen is taking a dance competition class and they had a performance at the Johnson Ranch Annual Holiday Party Friday night. She was super excited and the cold weather did not deter her or the other girls in her group. They did a pom number and a hip hop number and they did awesome. I was bundled up from head to toe - freezing my butt off to support our little star. She was a little upset as she fell at the end of the pom routine - but overall I think she did well :) I tried to upload the videos but I suck and can't figure it out.....trust me - it looked great!

Happy Thanksgiving

We had a great Turkey Day this year. Stevan's grandparents came to visit, which is always a treat. My kids love their visits...they enjoy the time they get to spend with their great-grandparents...Mason loves to go on bike rides with PaPa, Clayton enjoys going to the park with Maw Maw, Tristen likes to make crapple with Maw Maw (cranberries and apples) and Ashlen enjoys getting hugs in and helping where she can. We also had Stevans sister visit so the kids got to spend time with cousins they do get to see very often. We had our friend Jade and her kids with us also which was a great time. The boys got up early and played football with the guys in the ward..then went dirtbike riding. The girls made crapple, Ashlen and Maw Maw peeled about a million apples together for the apple pies while sitting outside enjoying the sun, and then we baked pies and bread rolls and went to Mom & Dad's for the big dinner. We are so thankful for all the blessings we have - for our health, our family, the gospel and the jobs we have...We hope you all had a great thanksgiving too.



Maw Maw making sure Tristen is doing it right




The "crapple girls"



Its not done right if your hands aren't stained red !!!!



Clayton helped Ashlen make Fudge...she's busy taking the photos :)



This was supposed to be chocolate marshmellow swirl..too much swirling went on and we lost it!! Note the chubby hand to the left...clayton :P



Mason is patiently waiting for PaPa...just keeping the seat warm until he is ready to go.



Mason testing PaPa's bike - he took too long!!!!

Happy 13th B-Day Mason

With sooo much going on I haven't posted in a while...but we had Mason's first Walker Butte Football game, and then his Birthday and then Thanksgiving in the same week. Mason turned the big 13 on the 24th. We had dinner for hm Sunday night - Pot Roast and then cheesecake and icecream on his birthday night. He had friends join us and really enjoyed all his gifts..he made out with cash and is planning on buying some dirtbike gear. He got an awesome candygram from his friend Leah though which he thought was pretty great. Thanks for everyone making his day special - he's a "real teenager" now!!!!