{Did someone say they wanted to see Santa?}

Well, after skipping a year of going to "see" Santa, Kate said she was ready to see the big man! Last year we communicated through email and that worked very well! I didn't ask, urge or even hint for her to go see Santa so I thought she was really ready. She told me what she was going to tell him and even questioned why the other children would be scared of Santa?!

So.......the moment came and........she wasn't ready! Not a word, smile, NOTHING! Luckily, I knew the people standing behind me because she had a death grip on me and I couldn't take a pic of her while holding her! Before the moment, we talked about displaying the cute pic of her and Santa. Unfortunately, there is no perfect pic but she was satisfied with her visit! Funny girl!

{happy birthday ty!}

Ty celebrated his twelfth birthday this past weekend. We were lucky enough to get Jazz tickets for the game on Friday (thanks to the Coleman's), so I took Ty and went to the game. We had so much fun and it was a great game! They were giving out t-shirts at the door and he got his picture taken with some cute Jazz dancers. He was embarrassed, but he loved it!

He was happy to receive some great gifts as well as cash! Ty is a great kid. He is so responsible, smart, and funny. He is really fun to hang out with! He seems to know everyone and is so aware of what everyone is doing. He has a great memory too! We always give him a hard time about his room because he stores anything he could ever need in his room. It's kind of like Smith & Edwards in there.....if you can't find it there, you don't need it!

I wish he could stay 12 forever, because I don't want a teenager! Thanks for being such a great kid Ty!

LoRdy, LoRdY, LoOk wHo'S 40!

Greg reached a milestone birthday this year....40 years old! Remember when that sounded old? Everyone knows he's not one for a big crowd, so I left it up to him to plan his own night. He chose Pizzeria and a Comedy Club. We went with Cody and Sheri, so they made sure to embarrass him a bit at dinner and decorate a little! It was funny and we had a great night...and laughed a lot!

We spent Thanksgiving this year with the Grandma and Grandpa Oborn. We had a great dinner and visit with the family. My favorite part was the "game" Kate wanted to play where we all told a minimum of five things we were thankful for. (The five things came from a Saturday Night Live skit that Pattie was telling us about. The girl said she was not "thankful four, she was thankful five!") Some things were normal everyday things and others were sweet and touching. Kate couldn't figure out how we were going to choose a winner for the game, but I would have to say Greg was in the top three at least! :)

All I can say is....FINALLY!

Okay, how cute is this picture? And for those of you who know me well....Kate sleeping alone in her bed is a big milestone. Yes, we have had our sleeping issues with Kate! She is officially sleeping in her own bed! What more can I say? I am very happy!

Football Banquets 2010

The boys recently had their end of the year football banquets. It is always fun for the kids to get their trophies and see their buddies. Plain City football takes in three cities, so many of the kids they play with attend different elementaries. I am always amazed that the boys are sad to see football come to an end. They practice four nights a week and play their games on Saturday, but they love it! They would not miss a football practice for anything! I am proud of both Ty and Dalton for their dedication and hard work!

GRANDMA COLLEEN

NOVEMBER 2010

We recently had a special visit from Grandma Colleen and her husband Hal. Grandma Colleen is my birth mother who currently lives is Arizona. She has been struggling with Parkinson's Disease, so this was great that she could come and see us while she was feeling good. Hal had never met my family, so we had my parents and in-laws over to eat and visit with Hal and Colleen.
It was very exciting for the kids because they haven't got to spend too much time with Colleen. We had a great visit, went out to dinner together and even had a little early Christmas with them. I am so thankful for my husband, kids, parents, in-laws, my birth parents and their families. I think my kids are so lucky to have so many grandparents in their life! It has been amazing to have a relationship with my birth parents! (You can click on these photos to enlarge them)

Jake, Ty, Aiden, Mason and Dalton

NIGHT GAMES
One of my boys' favorite things to do is play night games. We have a great neighborhood with lots of kids so they are always playing neighborhood ball or something. Dalton's friend Mason, has a fun Dad who is good about organizing some cool things. On SPECIAL nights, he has been known to take them out door bell ditching. They go early enough so they don't disturb anyone sleeping (I hope)! It is definitely a highlight of their year. Funny what makes kids happy. :) Mason's Mom took this picture of the boys ready for their big night out!

What a busy Halloween this year! We started the day at the Fremont quarterfinal game watching our cousin Tayson. It was a great game and the boys love going! Then, we went to Grandma Oborn's to eat and see our cousins. Grandma Oborn fed us well and the kids had fun seeing their cousins. Last, we hurried home for our annual Halloween party. I think we had about fifty people over this year. We have all the kids friends, their parents and whoever else would like to join us. The older kids go out trick or treating and check in for soup and cocoa every hour. The little ones help hand out candy and go to a few houses. There is a great haunted house across the street from us so we usually end up with over 200 trick or treaters! I think Halloween is becoming my favorite holiday of the year! I am not looking forward to the kids getting older because we have had so much fun with them and their friends on Halloween!

GRANDMA SUE'S HALLOWEEN PARTY

Grandma Sue had a fun Halloween party with all our cousins, Aunt Cheryl, and Aunt Holly's niece and nephew. We ate, decorated Halloween trees and went on a nature walk. They had such a great time just hanging out and playing with each other.