Good-Bye 2011

Wow I can not believe that 2011 is over already. This year has flown by! (they say the older your kids get the faster time goes) Well I have to say I totally believe that!

2011 was a good year for us.

We finally got our truck up and going and ready for camping season.

We took our cab-over out and went camping several times.

We even took our 4-wheelers out on a few day adventures and with us on all of our camping adventures.

Shawn and I celebrated 12 years of marriage.

The boys turned 8 and 10 years old and graduated from 1st and 3rd grades, and are now in 2nd and 4th grade.

We were able to take the boys to Disneyland, Universal Studios, Sea World, and the beach this year

(thanks to Mom and Roger) That was a fun vacation!

And we all have survived Shawn going back to shift work.

(well he only works the day shift but its rotating 5 days on and 5 days off this is much different then what he was doing before. It used to be Monday - Thursday with all weekends off. This new change is for the best. Its going to get him to where he wants to be in the long run)

And believe it or not I survived having a hysterectomy. (at first I thought that I was not going to survive cause I could not walk up and down stairs for a week. I could not drive for 2 weeks and I could not lift anything for 6 weeks) It was crazy but I survived! And thanks to my Dad, Step-mom, my Mom and Roger for taking the boys for me so that I could recover fully. The boys had a great time hanging with everyone!!

These are just a few highlights that happened in our lives in 2011

All in all 2011 was a great year for us!!

I hope that 2012 will have lots of fun adventures, good health, success in our jobs and school and lots of happiness in store for us. We look forward to a New Year!!

~Christmas Morning~

Our Christmas Morning was a great one!! Bry woke up at 3:00 am to see if Santa came to our house. Then after snooping a little he went back to bed. Shawn and I got up at 5:30 and waited around until 6:00 then we decided we should get the boys up. They were so excited they could hardly stand it.This is what Santa left us. Lots of fun stuff!!

Kode opening up his gifts

Santa even left our dogs even got some bones.

Kode digging under the tree

Shawn and Kode looking at the Wii games Santa left

I got a new helmet from the boys and Shawn. Its awesome it is purple color and when you are looking at it under the light and when you look at it in the sun the color turns green!!

Shawn got a new Starbucks coffee cup and some of his favorite coffee

Our new Mickey Mouse Shirts that Grumpy and Mimaw sent us.

(they are for our Disneyland trip)
Bry just opening up his gifts

We had a great Christmas this year!! I just can not believe that Christmas is over already!!

Christmas Eve!!

For Christmas Eve this year we just laid low. We cooked steaks, baked potatoes, green beans for dinner and then we jumped into the car and looked at Christmas lights

(well Kode didn't want to look at lights so he stayed home)

Then after looking at lights Bry just wanted to sit at the computer and track Santa.

So at about 7:30 Bry said we better go to bed cause he felt that Santa was getting close

(needless to say they sure didn't go to bed at 7:30)

So while we were gone Kode tracked Santa and put out cookies and milk for Santa. He wanted to make sure Santa had a treat when he came to our house.

We had a great Christmas Eve just chillin' around the house! They boys are so excited for the morning. They can hardly stand themselves.

Acts of Kindness!!

So for My dad and Step-mom's Christmas Present to them this year they sent us some money and asked that we would take the money and use it towards acts of kindness! (they said that they didn't want anything they just wanted us to do nice things for other people) So Mimaw e-mailed me some ideas of different acts of kindness and I read them to my family and asked them to think of something that they wanted to do to use the money to do nice things for others. Shawn came up with his own idea (I will share that in a later post) and the boys wanted to go and purchase gift cards at the store and then attach them onto various items around the store. So here is what we did throughout the store!

Well first before we went into the store the three of us brought in 2 shopping carts each back into the store. (now I realize that 2 shopping carts is not much but those things are hard to maneuver) That was a fun thing to do!

OK back to my story!!

So the first thing we did when we got into the store was purchase the gift cards. (Kode was being a little grumpy and did not want his picture taken well at least not right then. I got lots of pictures of him throughout the store)

Then we were off to find the perfect places to attach the gift cards to. On each gift card I wrote (from) Acts of Kindness! Enjoy! and then $ amount

(just so no one thought that the card was a blank one)

Bry choose to attach one to the back of a pack of Hot Wheels cars

Then Kode wanted to attach one to a Nintendo DS Lite.

(He thought that someone is going to be surprised when they go to purchase this electronic and see the gift card there)

Then Kode saw a flat screen TV and wanted to attach one to it.

Then Bry decided he wanted to attach a gift card to a movie

and they attached one to some ink for a printer!

We all got a laugh out of this one! Bry wanted to attach one on some toilet paper.

(who doesn't use that)

and then Kode wanted to attach one to the back of a fish tank!

We all had fun going through the store attaching the gift cards to whatever we wanted to. We hope that those gift cards will put a smile on someones face when they realize what it is.

Thanks Mimaw for sharing such a wonderful activity with us. I have always told my boys that Christmas is not what you get its what you give and this activity was a very prime example. I hope that they are excited enough to do more acts of kindness throughout the coming year!!

The Orthodontist

I had to take the boys into the orthodontist last week for a check up on Kode and a consolation for Bry. I really like the orthodontist that the boys go to. His staff is so friendly and the Dr. is very nice and fun to joke with. (in my next life I would like to work for this Dr. It just seems like him and his staff have such a great time there)

Anyway . . . . When it was Kode's time to see the Dr. he saw that Kode had a really loose tooth so he gave it a really good push and it fell right out. (since the Dr. made his tooth fall out he gave him a coupon to go and get a free shake at Arctic Circle and they gave Bry one just so he didn't feel left out) Then he told Kode things look good and he wants to see him in 6 months to start the next faze (so whats the next faze I asked. He said it would be braces. Ooh I was hoping we would not have to do that) Kode said he really doesn't look forward to braces.

Then it was Byr's turn.

He said we could start on him now but he feels that Bry is a little to young to start anything yet. He feels that we should wait one more year. Then he will also get braces. (we have got to fix those bucky-beaver teeth) All in all their appointments went well.

I thought that this was funny. At the Dr. office they have TVs on the ceiling and they let the kids watch a movie while they are waiting to see the Dr. Bry told the lady that he was having a hard time seeing the TV cause the light was making his eyes water. So she went and got him some sun glasses. Which made things much better! Silly kid!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Merry Christmas to Everyone!!

We hope that you are all enjoying this wonderful Christmas Day and we hope that Santa stopped by and left you some fun things!

We love and miss you all!

A Little More Help Please!!

So the other night we were all talking around the dinner table and I was telling the boys that they are going to have to help out around our house a lot more (cause it looks like I am going to get myself a full time job next year) So I am going to need more help out around the house. So ever since then Kode has been asking how to work the washer, the oven (I wont let him run the gas stove top yet. He is still a little young) and he was asking how to use the washer and dryer! Heck yea I will show you! So ever since we have been on Christmas Break I have had him help me with these chores.

Kode loves to cook.

(mostly sweets. he so gets that from me.)

But he will cook what ever you ask him to

Then after he was done making cookies we loaded the dishwasher and he started it!

Then I sent him off to gather up all the dirty cloths from each room and bring them down to the laundry room and he did 2 loads of laundry! (he told me he really doesn't care for the hole folding and putting everything away part but I told him that is part of doing the laundry. You can;t just leave it all in the basket. So that something we are still working on)

He is going to be a great housewife (or what ever it is for a man) someday! Some lady is going to be very appreciative of him!

Once I get Kode trained then it will be Bry's turn.

(hes going to be my little turkey about things like this)

Student of the Month Award!

On the last day of school before the Christmas Break the school had an awards assembly where they awarded a student from each class a metal for student of the month and Bry got that award for the month of January! So when his name was announced at the assembly he got to go up in front of everyone and get his metal from his teacher Mrs. Kalaveras.

(when they return to school in January Bry will get to have cookies and milk with the principal.)(yes they are all wearing their pj's cause it was pajama day!)

and here he is with his award!

and here are both of our boys after the assembly!

Congratulations Bry on being the student of the month! Way to go!!

Thanks to Shawn for going and watching the assembly and taking pictures for me since I could not be there. I appreciate you doing that and the boys love seeing you at their school!!

Goodbye!!

Goodbye Cousin Kimney!!

Here we are eating at one of my favorite restaurants. This is Kim's last night here in Elko with us. Kim had decided that she does not like it here in Elko and is now moving back to Utah.

We wish you the best in everything you do!

~Kode's School Project~

As part of Kode's 4th Grade assignment he had to research someone that has changed the world in some way and then do a presentation on them. Then he had to dress up like them and then be able to answer questions from other classmates and teachers throughout the school. It was pretty interesting on how this all worked!

So Kode choose . . . . . .

George Washington! So he did all the research on George and then brought me home a picture of what he wanted to dress like to look like him and we made it work. (the poster above has information on it about George Washington. Kode had to know several facts about his person and when someone would ask him questions he could refer to his poster or the paper in his hands for the answers) This assignment was a lot harder than I though it would be at least for me anyway! Kode seemed to have it all under controll. He knew what he wanted!

You could only use the resources you had at home to make up your costume of your person and the parents could help the student but it mostly had to be the students work! Wow talk about hard. Anyway here is what Kode and I came up with.

He pretty much made everything himself.

(although the scarf was mine and I helped him a little with the hat)

He did a great job with this project and he deserves an A+

We are so proud of you Kode. You are working so hard in 4th grade. I know that there are some nights that you just don't want to do your homework, you would rather just watch some TV, but it will get you where you need to be to be prepared for 5th grade. Keep up all the good work. We Love You!!

Bry's Christmas Program

The other night Bry's 2nd grade class had a Christmas Program. Bry played the part of a dragon where he had to go up in front of everyone and say 3 lines that had to be memorized. He did a great job. I really enjoy going to things like this and they really like it that we can come and watch them! We were in the very back and it was hard to see. This is the best picture I could get of him!

This is just some of the 2nd grade children up on stage with Bry

Bry and two of his buds (Bryce, and Zack)

and of course Bry himself!

Great Job Bubba! Thanks for letting us come and see you at your Christmas Program. We loved watching you!

The Snowflake Festival!!

Last weekend was the Snowflake Festival here in our town!! (This is where several of the business in town host some fun events here in town and then at dark they have a light parade and all the floats/trucks have to have lights on them. The business had out 3D glasses so when you watch the parade you see snowflakes as the lights.) Its always fun to go to but usually very cold! This year was not to bad. We just made sure we were all bundled up and had some hot chocolate to drink to keep us warm inside! This Coca-Cola truck was handing out liter sodas to people watching the parade.

Just Kode and I

The boys thought that this ATV thing was pretty cool

At the end of the parade one of the floats hands out stuffed animals to all of the children watching the parade. This is a pretty big thing to all the children.(and the stuffed animals are not just small dinky things they are anything from very large animals to small key chains for the older kids.) My boys think this is something pretty cool that they could provide stuffed animals to all the children. Bry got an angel bear and Kode got a bunny rabbit. (sorry i forgot to take pictures)

The theme this year was The Polar Express and every year they bring a man into Elko to carve something out of ice. This year he carved The Polar Express Train! It was so cool to see!

Then after the parade was over they had an AWESOME firework show that was in sequence with Christmas music. It was so cool to watch. This is the first time that they have ever done that. One of my most favorite things when it comes to the Snowflake Festival!

Kids Christmas Party!!

The kids Christmas Party this year was another success!! The boys had a great time and got so much fun stuff!

They got to sit on the Grinch's lap.

Then we were off to talk with Santa!

Kode told Santa he wanted a track vehicle, an iPad or a computer!

(nothing very expensive you know)

Bry told Santa he wanted a spy kit. (Bry said he needed a minute to look Santa over to see if he was real or just dressing up. Later he told me he was dressing up. he thinks that Shawn and I help Santa out a little and most of these Santa's we see around town are just all dressed up!)

Santa gave all the children pillow pets this year! My boys were so excited to have anther one! Thanks Santa

Kim wanted to see Santa to! She even got her own pillow pet

Then we were off to have some pizza, eat cotton candy and have a sugar cookie!

There are lots of games, crafts and blow up slides that the kids could have a great time doing. The boys were not much into any of the rides they just wanted to play all the games and make the crafts!Bry making a fun paper pad craft

Kode making a paper pad of his own to!

Bry had one this transformers toy doing the number walk game.

Kode trying out his luck in winning a toy at the number walk game

and he won this puzzle.

It has 10 different puzzles all in one small box

Kode packing up all of his loot. He sure had a great day!

Thanks to Newmont for putting on this wonderful event for the kids!! We had a great time! (Shawn had to work so he was not able to hang with us)