The Nutcracker

A few weeks ago I took Emma to see the Ballet Etudes performance of The Nutcracker at The Mesa Arts Center. This is the 2nd year we have gone. I remember going with my mom and want to keep that tradition going. Emma loved it! Grandma Trafzer and Aunt Stevi went with us. I am amazed at what a great show it is for being done by students. They really do a great job. After the ballet we stopped at Dairy Queen for some treats. It was a fun day!

Visitng Santa

The Saturday after Thanksgiving we took the kids to Bass Pro Shops to see Santa (and Jon wanted to look at bows). They actually have a pretty nice Santa set up there and there were only about 5 people in front of us in the line. Derrick was so excited to tell Santa that he wanted a Spin and Fix Thomas and then he threw a fit when it was time to go see him. Luckily I was able to get him to go up, but then he was a little worried after because he only told Santa he wanted a train and he wasn't sure he would know which one to bring him! Emma asked for a Pony play set (after some coercing from mom) and a fairy princess. The kids love going to Bass Pro Shop, they call it the "Big Animal Store". We looked around and had some fun. The kids begged for toys...Derrick really wanted a boat play set and Emma really wanted a pink gun (she said she had a dream that she got one for Christmas) and a pink Hummer Camping play set. I told them to wait until Christmas. (Emma got her Camping set, but Derrick was already set for presents!)

Waiting to see Santa

Derrick still looks a little scared in the picture!

Emma shooting a pink gun!

And on a pink quad!

Derrick on a green quad

Emma with a pink bow (do you see a pattern here?!)

I told Jon this would be his dream Christmas tree...all decorated with antlers! (Ha, not in my house!)

Thanksgiving

I am posting this a little late, but we did have a good Thanksgiving this year. We went up to Young to spend it with Jon's family. The kids were so excited and I was very excited for smoked turkey! Jon has been into frying a turkey the last couple of years, but I knew his dad would smoke one. (Jon fried one also) It was a great weekend where we were able to just relax and have a good visit. It was a little hard for me to not be any where near a store on Black Friday, but I survived! :) I did do a little shopping online and bought myself an iPod touch for Christmas. Jon and I decided to buy for ourselves this year. He wanted a new bow and I wanted an iPod, so it worked out. I absolutely love it! On Thanksgiving Emma wanted to tell everyone what she was thankful for because they made special bags at school that had turkey feathers where they were suppose to write what they were thankful for and put it inside the bag. My favorite was when she said she was thankful for polka dots! She worked very hard on her project and it was cute to hear her tell all the things she loved and was thankful for. Happy Thanksgiving!

The kids having fun outside...

The boys having fun outside (frying the turkey)...

The kids had their own fancy table that they thought was so special...

Emma loves olives...(I still remember my brother teaching me to do that!)

The beautiful table...

Carving the turkey...

Emma and Derrick cuddling with Grandma watching t.v.

This is what I am most thankful for...

Emma had a little Thanksgiving Feast at school on Wednesday. They sang songs and had treats. She was a Pilgrim and told me all about them!

Family Pictures

It's that time of year again. Last week Melissa Jackson took our family pictures for us. She is amazing as always! I loved our pictures this year. I especially loved the location. It was a grove of trees and it made for some pretty shots. I was stressing as usual about what to have everyone wear, but it all came together at the last second! Here are some of my favorites!

State Fair

A few weeks ago Kelly Clarkson was at the State Fair. So I asked Jeni and Stevi if they wanted to go with me. The concerts are free with fair admission, so it wasn't a bad deal to see someone who I would have paid full price to see anyway! We got to the fair and had to stand in line to get into the concert. There weren't too many people there, but this old couple walked up behind us and we were quite surprised to see them going to the concert! Maybe I'll be that way when I get old, who knows!

The concert itself was really good. I love Kelly Clarkson! It was also very entertaining to watch some 30 year old guy dancing on the floor. He was dancing his little heart out! I should have taken a picture of him!

After the concert we walked around the fair for a bit, got some delicious treats and rode the giant Ferris Wheel. Jeni and I split the biggest funnel cake I have ever seen. It was topped with strawberries, whipped cream and chocolate sauce! It was SO good! Stevi opted for a chocolate ice cream cone.

Riding the Ferris Wheel was truly scary! The bucket was swinging a little too much and we were going fast! But it was a good laugh! It was a fun night out with the girls!

Happy Halloween!!

We had a fun Halloween this year and the kids were so excited that they got to wear their costumes 3 days in a row! Thursday night was our ward Trunk or Treat, Friday was Emma's school party and of course Saturday was Halloween. This year Emma was a bat and Derrick was a green skeleton. If you know Derrick you know this is perfect for him, since he is obsessed with the color green. I was trying to talk him into being Frankenstein, but then he saw the green skeleton costume at the store and it was all over! I think Emma's costume this year has been my favorite of hers so far. It was really cute and fun! Thursday was fun and it gave us a good run through with the costumes. Jon got Derrick ready...makeup and all. He had a mask with his costume which he wore on Halloween, but not for Trunk or Treat.

Scary Skeleton

Emma's tough bat face! :)

Emma's school party went well. Surprisingly, Derrick did really good just playing cars at the table I was at for 2 hours. I was in charge of face painting, which was really just using makeup sticks that were very hard to work with. Thank goodness kindergartners are easy to please!

Emma with some of her class

Emma with some of her friends

Derrick in his corner!

Saturday night we went trick-or-treating in our neighborhood for the first time since we have lived here. Earlier in the day Derrick twisted his ankle a little and was limping all day so he was a bit of a crippled skeleton in the stroller. He is fine, and it was almost easier to have him in the stroller so we could go faster! The kids were tired after 3 streets, so we had them home, showered and in bed by 8pm. Not bad after they were eating candy all day and night! It was a fun night, but I'm glad I do not have to dress any more kids up for another year!