Christmas Eve!

We had such a great Christmas Eve this year! Vaughn didn't work and so we spent all day finishing projects and even starting some new ones! The kids were so excited for Santa to come and were so good! 

We decided to start working on Sam's dresser.

She got this dresser when Grandma Linkenhoker bought a new one. 

This is the before of her dresser.

While Vaughn was working on that, the kids and I started making sugar cookies. We needed to take some more treats to some friends and the kids were just given Star Wars cookie cutters. They had so much fun and made a boat load of cookies!

The lighting makes a huge difference on this color! It looks really lime in this picture, but it isn't! I need to get a better picture in natural light. It actually is really cute and she loved it! 

Sweet girl!

We had a great Christmas Eve and the kids really didn't want to go to bed! We finally were able to convince them that they had to sleep in order for Santa to come and they finally settled down 30-45 minutes later! 

Cute Taysom!

Christmas Lights

Every year we go over to the South Hills to see the lights and this year I started getting worried that we might not make it. Time just got away from us. We finally figured that we could get over there for FHE the day before Christmas Eve. 

While we were waiting for Vaughn to get home the kids and I played some games. The boys and I had fun and Tays was so content to sit and watch! He cracks me up!

Once Vaughn came home we packed up the kids and headed to Twin Falls first where we had a yummy dinner at Cafe Rio. 

The lights were in Hansen this year and it was a nice change at the location. It seemed like there were more lights and they actually had parking! Oh and bathrooms! Sam was so sad and wanted to go all the way home just so she could go potty! There is a gas station right there and thank goodness for Sammie's sake!

Christmas Pictures 2013

I always have these ideas of grandeur of getting nice pictures of the kids in their Sunday clothes at Christmas time. Ha, it never happens! I will continue to try. Every year, until my kids are gone! Here are the best attempts!

Projects

Vaughn had almost the whole week of Christmas off. It was nice to have him home, but I must be the only crazy wife to say that I would have rather had him working! Anyway, we were able to do a couple projects that we've had on the back burner for a the past few months. 

The big frame goes to a mirror we redid. Not going to lie. I don't like how we did it. We need to take it down and choose a different color. Maybe sometime next year! :)

Grandma Hixson found this night stand at the DI and it looks as good as new after a few screws and some new paint! Drew loves it!

This was another DI find. This one is for Sam! I wasn't too sure about the color, but it has grown on me!

This is how the mirror frame looks hanging up. I thought we chose a good color, but seeing it up I just feel Blah about it. And we need to figure out how to hang it back up once we take it down to repaint it. It is so old it is almost falling apart in the back!

School Parties and Concerts

Sammie brought home a note saying they were having a Christmas party and the whole family was invited! It was during school, so I just stopped in with Taysom for a few minutes and I got there just in time to see her sit on Santa's lap! She was so excited! She was super surprised to see her daddy come for a few minutes as well! It totally made her day!

Santa and Sam and his elf, Lauren!

Taysom could have stayed at the pre-school all day! He was loving it!

Awe!

Tays just chillin' like a villain! 

We were there for a few minutes, but then we had to run over to the elementary to watch some Christmas concerts. The boys were in two different ones, so we did a lot of running back and forth. 

First was Mason's. He did a great job and was so cute in his Santa hat! This was a great concert and the kids all did a fabulous job! They have had a different teacher this year and it was nice to see things spiced up a little bit! The teacher is just awesome and I hope that he will be a permanent addition for the school!

The kids all loved the songs and he just had them out there just groovin' and movin'!

Mr. Lindley.

He is amazing!

This year Drew has really thrived under the new teacher. I know he liked the old teacher, but he just talks nonstop about music and how much fun he has. During practices for the concert I guess Drew just hammed it up! He was groovin' and having fun and he must have really impressed Mr. Lindley. Drew was asked by Mr. Linley to play the part of Blitzen for the concert. After a few days, he approached Drew again and asked if he would do it for the other 2nd/3rd grade assembly! He loved the way that Drew could boogie down and knew he'd do a great job! 

The day of the concert he was so nervous! The teacher had told him what moves to do and when to do them and I think that added to the pressure! He had a little piece of paper that he kept looking at throughout the performance and he was worried he would do the wrong thing at the wrong time. Poor kid. I think he would have done a great job just winging it! 

Here is his performance! He did a great job, but you can tell he is nervous! He is definitely a performer! I am so proud of him for doing it at all!!

School Activities

Ok, so I've realized that I have a bad habit....

Hmmm, maybe I need to work on putting these away!

I usually go in to Drew's class on Wednesdays to help and it was great timing that I got to go on his "Trip Around the World" with his class. All the 2nd grade classes go visit other "countries" aka classes. While I was with him we visited Germany and Switzerland. They learn about the different countries Christmas traditions. It was fun to tag along and I think Drew enjoyed having me go on his trip with him!

Mason made this sugar overdose ginger bread house! He did a great job on it and it of course started digging in as soon as I snapped the picture!