Our Christmas

This year, we couldn't get enough lights in. We decided to go to the Zoo Lights for the first time. I must say, I was impressed. When we first arrived the zoo parking lot was full, so I was a bit worried, until I saw the sign for overflow parking. It turned out to be a good thing, though, because the kids had the experience of riding on a city bus and the bus dropped us off right at the zoo entrance. The lights and the bus were a joined adventure for the kids.


Who can celebrate Christmas without eating cookies? Madeline ate as she frosted. Maybe next year, she'll have the willpower to actually wait until it's time to eat the cookies...of course if she takes after her mom, maybe not.



Every Christmas Eve we sing numerous songs, like 'Away in a Manger', 'Silent Night', and so on. In conjunction with the singing we read from the Bible about the Birth of Jesus. Joshua was Joseph, Madeline was Mary, Cameron was a Wiseman, and Zachary was a Shephard. Madeline must have realized the grandeur of her roll and took her part with much importance.


And the stockings were hung on the stairwell with care.......


Madeline unwrapped her big gift with great excitement! We didn't capture a great picture, but she absolutely loves to play with this doll house.


We couldn't get enough Temple Lights! We went back with Mike's parents and it was really nice.


Unbelievable!!! Cameron was a bit dissapointed on Christmas morning when there was no snow. He had specifically asked Santa for snow and he was very very sad, so sad in fact that he said he was going to sue Santa! Where does he learn these things? The next day we went outside and low and behold SNOW! Our neighbor had a truck full of it! It had snowed in the mountains on his way down to the valley. Cameron made a snow ball and yes, it is STILL in our freezer.


We went with Mike's parents to visit the History Museum here. The boys had a fabulous time panning for gold.

Grandma and Grandpa Schoeny's visit

The Holiday season arrived and things were so busy. I simply did not have much time to relax, even though the memories are great and can't be forgotten. Now all family has departed and I have a moment to play catch-up and blog about a few highlights.

My parents spent some time with us and we had a great time together. My kids call them Oma and Opa. Madeline loved her days with Oma and Opa when all the boys were in school. We took a trip to the zoo, which was very entertaining, mostly due to Madeline. For me the true amusement is watching the kids get so excited about the animals. Madeline was unique, though. She placed each animal into a family. She would point out who was the Mommy, the Daddy, and the baby. It was simply adorable. She especially loved the goats and was not afraid to go brush them, in fact she didn't miss one. We were in there for a while watching Madeline make sure that every goat was well cared for.





On our way through the zoo Madeline noticed this Monkey Statue. She immediately yelled "DAD!" We all had a good laugh about it and she wanted her picture taken with Dad. I'm hoping she really meant it was the Daddy monkey.


We also visited the beautiful Temple Lights. They don't really compare to the Washington D.C. Temple lights, but it's still an impressive sight and a little warmer, which is a plus.


I can't forget the real reason for my parents visit. My oldest boy, Joshua, turned 12 in December and he was ordained to the office of Deacon in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. My Father was able to be there and participate. This is the wonderful three generation picture of Dad, Joshua, and Opa.

I'm still alive!

I fear that the longer I wait to post something to this blog, the more overwhelmed I will feel. Things have been very busy for us lately. We drove practically across the whole country with all of our kids in tow to my grandfather's funeral. We had a wonderful time together. It's so powerful when you have the time to reflect on what is most important in the grand scheme of things. I really love my family:)

Happy Birthday Joshua!

I can't believe Joshua is 12 years old already! How swiftly time flies when you've been busy. We are so proud of Joshua and his many accomplishments thus far. He is an outstanding athlete, a straight A student in his gifted classes, an incredibly hard worker, an avid reader, a great musician, and the list goes on. He really has an outstanding mix of talents. Joshua is also the best big brother, ever. He is very conscientious of the needs of his younger siblings and he's always right there to help me anytime I need any help at all around the house. He cleans and he's learning to cook too! Let me just sum it all up. His future wife will be one lucky lady:) We love you Joshua!

Mad Dog

My brother, Joseph, came up from San Diego to run this Mad Dog race with me in Scottsdale. It was a 16 mile race around a lake. They call it the Mad Dog because you run around the lake 7 times. I thought for sure I would feel like a Mad Dog after running around in so many loops, but it was surprisingly pleasant, especially since the weather was perfect and the scenery was optimal. Here we are sporting the great shirts we were given.

Halloween

I'm finally posting my kids Halloween pictures. They had a great time this Halloween! Joshua was Napoleon, Zachary was Pedro, and Cameron was Kip. Maddie dressed as a fairy. The boys received lots of laughs! They were excellent actors too. It was so funny to listen to them repeating lines from Napoleon Dynamite!

Cameron's Christmas List

This morning I came downstairs and found a captivating list on the kitchen table. It said:

Dear Santa,

I have been such a good boy this year.

I want..
A long carit. (carrot)
Lumps of coal.
A black hat.
2 twigs from a tree.
A HUGE ball of snow.

Poor Cameron. How is it that a list so uncomplicated, becomes so difficult? It's just a little too warm here for this to be feasible. Ahhh, Cameron is a true treasure! I love his fervor for the simple things in life. We might just have to take a trip to visit the snow:)