Merry Christmas!

We had a wonderful holiday! We spent it between Bountiful and Provo and loved every second of it, especially seeing Trent's brother's family in Indiana on the webcam. Our favorite Christmas tradition is when Santa gives us a fly by and drops a road flare with a sack full of pajamas on Christmas Eve. He is nice enough to do it every year and we all LOVE it! Santa was very nice this year. Tyson got a bike (he can pedal backwards!!!) and an abundance of Ben 10 toys, Cameron got his puppy (stuffed) and lots of legos and playmobil and star wars guys. Kaylee finally got a scooter (three wheeled, like I'm allowing this cute klutz anywhere near a razor!) and dolls and a purse full of girly goodies she won't put down. Very nice Santa, thank you. We had several good talks about Jesus' birthday and why we celebrate Christmas, and we were lucky enough to be able to help out a little with some service projects in our neighborhood. And I got to hear about a firsthand miracle (Congrats to the Grants!!!). A very blessed Christmas, truly.

Also, an update to our update, just when I was finally feeling comfortable in my church calling (Enrichment (whatever we are calling it now, RS Meeting/Activity) Leader) I get a new one. Just goes to show, Heavenly Father wants us to grow and we can't do that if we're too comfortable. First counselor in the Primary. Never been in an auxiliary presidency before, kind of nervous (which is good, I guess). The new president is wonderful and I am excited to work with her (especially since she knows what she is doing! She was the old first counselor). Shellee decided to keep the same secretary because she rocks (love you Kari!), so the new second counselor and I will be the rookies. A new adventure to give me more grey hairs (and more smiles, I am sure). I am sad to leave Relief Society though. I love my committee and doing Enrichments/Midweeks, even when they stress me out! I love the sisterhood and the girl time and the spirit of being in a room full of women who know SO much more than I do. Thank Heaven (literally) for visiting teaching and Enrichment. Heavenly Father certain has got meeting our needs checked off his lists. So grateful for that.

Glad I'll get to work with the Primary kids and their fabulous teachers (primary teachers should be nominated for sainthood). Glad I'll get to see my cute kids a little more on Sunday. Glad I still have a wonderfully supportive husband and family. Glad I have sweet friends and family who will read my blog vent sessions. Love you! Merry Christmas and Happy 2010!

It wasn't from me.....

Just a heads up to my Facebook friends. If you got any messages from me in the last few days, just delete them. DO NOT DOWNLOAD anything from me!!! Evidentally, while I thought I was downloading cute pics of my friend's family from youtube, I was actually downloading a virus, which not only has been bombarding my computer with popups about (ironically) viruses, but sending porn to my friends on Facebook and infecting their computers. The best part is eventually a popup appears saying, "Hey! We'll fix all these popups you have for just $49.95! Give me your credit card number!" Do I have "idiot" tattooed across my forehead? I think Trent has the viruses finally taken care of, but I'm not taking any chances with the Facebook thing. I'll probably get ride of that account. We'll see....

Hope you are all having a very Merry Christmas Eve! Are you kids as giddy as mine? Santa's coming....TONIGHT!

Christmas Update and Card

I don't like ecards for Christmas. It's a tradition to mail out an annual update with pictures. Pictures are a requirement. I like the cards, but I love the pics. It's nice to hear from family and friends we don't see all the time. I know, some people think they are annoying and loathe this holiday tradition, but I love seeing who shows up in my mailbox everyday and hanging beautiful pictures of your children on my card tree and reading all about your life and knowing my sweet friends from the past are still out there and are mostly well.
This year...I am behind. I've had a lot going on and just haven't gotten around to mailing this particular tradition off (truthfully, I haven't gotten around to mailing anything! I am dreading going to the post office). So, despite my particular objections to cold, no effort ecards: here is my Christmas post....just in case.... But I am going to suck it up and get down to that post office right away...really.....

TRENT: Still keeping overly busy in his eighth year at Xactware. He's been blessed with lots of side work. Yes Virginia, there are decent, hardworking, honest contractors out there, and I'm just lucky my husband's one of them. Word of mouth advertising has been good to us. He has mostly been finishing basements, but every once in a while he gets a project building furniture, which he loves and is extraordinarily talented at. When our ward split he was called to serve in the YM, helping with the Deacons quorum (12-13 year old boys). He and his brother have joined a photography group online and enjoy competing in the challenges and editing photos.

TYSON: Turned eight in November and got baptized the first week in December, which was a great opener to the Christmas season for our family. He is a great big brother who loves reading to Kaylee and building Legos and forts with Cameron. After two years of "patiently" waiting, he finally got a DS for his birthday (Top that Santa!), which he is obsessed with and we've had to limit severely. He is in second grade where his favorite subjects are math, lunch (aka trading card time), and recess.

CAMERON: Will turn five in January and is in his second year of preschool with Mrs. R. His teacher is fabulous and he is just starting to sound words out and read. We've been shocked by how much he has gotten out of going to school with this particular teacher. She is worth every penny and then some! He carpools with four girls from our neighborhood and loves "his girls"! He has the best imagination and can turn anything into an adventure. His favorite is building with Legos.

KAYLEE: Turned two in August. She will wrestle with the big boys and has a great time, but adores her dolls and tutus, and informed us just last week that earrings are "pretty" and she wants some. She is a great sleeper and eats more than both boys combined. She isn't really a baby anymore; she is a full-fledged little girl, which means in January we are going to try potty training!

AIMEE: Has been keeping busy with the normal mom stuff. I did Red Ribbon Week at Tyson's school for PTA this year. Thank Heaven it was only one week (and three months of prep)...but a really fun and important week. I learned how to digital scrapbook this year and have been slowly, but surely trying to catch up the kid's baby books. I love doing it and have been able to design invites for several baby showers and a few Christmas cards and birthday invitations. I got called to be the Enrichment Leader at the beginning of the year after our ward split. Several nervous breakdowns later, I am thrilled that the RS General Presidency has scrapped the midweek program and gone back to just once monthly activities. This year I am most grateful for my family and friends, carpooling, good, old-fashioned playtime that doesn't involve any form of technology, and chapstick. Oh, and I lost 110 lbs. since February. It's been a big change, but I still (sadly) have more to go and am looking forward to jumping back on the horse in January.

We are so grateful for our family and friends who so often rescue us and support our family continually. We have been nothing if not blessed. We are so grateful for the gospel and this wonderful time of year when the Savior is ever present. May it last throughout 2010!

Love you,

Aimee, Trent, Tyson, Cameron, & Kaylee

You're It!

ChRisTMas TaG
1. Have you started your Christmas shopping? Started yes, finished no. Cameron is done, Kaylee is probably done, Tyson is no where near done, Trent is maybe done, neighbors are done (I should clarify. In our neighborhood a few families are awesome enought to collect food from everyone and take it to the food bank; we do this instead of neighbor gifts), but extended family...my nieces and one nephew are done, but that's it. However, I already do have Mike's birthday present for tomorrow.
2. Tell me about one of your special traditions.
My favorite is when Santa flies over on Christmas Eve and drops pajamas and a highway flare in the backyard and leaves a note telling us that he's flown over once and if we're not in bed the next time he flies over we're getting nothing for Christmas. (Santa's notes were more and more obscene the older we were. You MUST believe to recieve). And I love that we open the presents one at a time. This is my sister's answer, but these are my favorite parts too. Those and the nativity that Mom made when I was little. I love seeing it every year.
3. When do you put up your tree?
Right after Thanksgiving. Usually the Saturday after, this year it was Sunday.
4. Are you a Black Friday shopper?
Completely! I love watching the "Crazies" every year at Walmart.
5. Do you travel at Christmas or stay home?
We swap years. One in Bountiful, the next at our house with Trent's family (we do it at our house because we have room for everyone to sleepover).
6. What is your funniest Christmas memory?
I remember Grandma yelling at Brandon to stop riding the porcelain elephants they got when they lived in Indonesia and sit down and open his present. She probably threw in a, "Crimany!"
7. What is your favorite Christmas movie of all time?
I love the original Miracle on 34th Street with Natalie Woods in it. Dad always has to watch It's a Wonderful Life and Trent starts watching National Lampoons Christmas Vacation on Thanksgiving and doesn't stop until he's forced.
8. Do you do your own Christmas baking?
Duh. It's another Hannaman tradition. Piles and piles of gallon sized plastic bags filled with fudge, butterscotch cookies, and divinity (I don't like divinity, but I love that my grandma and mom and aunt always made it. I might try it this year). Plus, Trent always makes magic cookie bars (his favorite).
9. Fake or real tree?
FAKE! For sure. And it wasn't our tree that had the spiders, it was a guys at Trent's work. We just found an unhatched egg sack one year (the next year we bought the fake tree). Plus, you have to love the whole prelit thing.
10. What day does the actual panic set in to get it all done?
This year...two days before Black Friday when I realize I had zero shopping done.
11. Are you still wrapping presents on Christmas Eve?
You've got to have something to do after the kids go to bed right?
12. What is your favorite family fun time at Christmas?
We read lots of books at our house, and at Christmas we add a Christmas book every night. Of course I have that many Christmas books. Don't you?
13. What Christmas Craft do you like the best?
I love the stuff the kids bring home from school.
14. Christmas music? Yes or no, and if yes, what is your favorite song?
Big YES! I love the BNL/Sarah McLachlan version of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen and the Judy Garland version of Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas and the Josh Groban song from Polar Express.
15. When do you plan to finish all your shopping?
Before Santa gets here.

So, if you read all this, TAG! You're it! Copy and post on your blog with your answers. Don't be a party pooper.....you know who you are. Just do it.
Merry Christmas!

"Ssshhhhh...."

Just thought I'd share. I'm trying to get into the Christmas Spirit inspite of our current lack of snow. The end is my favorite because I've actually seen Cameron do this...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGzQFYaUHSQ

It reminds me of high school. Memories.....

Pics at Star Mill

About a month ago we went to Star Mill (antique store/junkyard) with our cute neighbors and attempted to take some family pics. They got some really adorable pics because their boys actually tried to smile and didn't pout the whole time (I suspect they had naps that day). Our kids...not so much. Trent took something like 600 pics and our beautiful children were making faces and looking everywhere but at the camera in almost all of them. We've been waiting for some snow so we could go back and get some in their Christmas clothes, but so far Mother Nature wishes to be sunny, clear, and absolutely frigid. Christmas cards may be very late this year.

I'm glad someone in our family knows how to handle a camera! Good job Trent!

This last one is my favorite. They're all smiling! A Christmas miracle!

Werewolves and Vampires, Oh My.....

I went and saw New Moon with some beautiful friends yesterday. It was good. I was shocked because the first movie was so

....low budget.

Is that a good enough reason to not like a movie? Blame my dad. I always spend the whole movie admiring or disapproving of camera angles and watching for bad continuity. This is what comes from growing up with parents in the AV industry. I remember having dinner conversations about editing mistakes and continuity errors in movies when we were younger.

I actually liked this movie better than the book, though I feel slightly ashamed as a former English Lit. major to admit that. OH! Is it sacrilege to admit I didn't like a Twilight book? Sorry, I hated the second one. The whole reading I had this overwhelming desire to drive Arizona and give Stephanie Meyers a good swift kick. Seriously, how long does it take to describe a whiny, selfish, love sick teenager? I like how the movie did it: two minute montage. However, they flashed the months of the year up on the screen so you know for sure that time is passing. Please! Viewers are not that dumb. We can see the leaves changing and the snow falling outside the window. You don't have to spell it out....literally.

Plus, if you haven't read the books...they don't explain anything. Like why these werewolves walk around shirtless all the time. Loss of wardrobe is an occupational hazard when you are exploding out of your clothes every time you change into a wolf.

The best part of the movie was the audience. Every time the male leads would walk in (shirtless or not, but I think the many pec-counting opportunities didn't hurt) half the crowd would let out uncontrollable squeals and screams. The other half of the audience would giggle at the first half. It made the movie! Go see it in the theater; the audience is hilarious!

Tyson is Official!

His birthday was yesterday. He's eight years old. I figured in honor of my baby turning eight, I should let you in on all the reasons he is marvelous.He is silly. He has the best sense of humor and loves to laugh.
Just look at that face! I remember when he was born, they took him out (c-section) and showed him to me and my first thought was, "He's beautiful! How am I ever going to say no to that face?" Truth be told, I frequently don't.
He is a good friend. He includes everyone. I am so proud of him when I see him include his brother and sister when his friends come over. I love it when he and Cam will play for hours with the Legos and never fight, too busy building.

He keeps us on our toes with his wit and his mischief. He is always ready for fun, but is willing to pitch in when I ask him to. I especially love it when he takes Kay and finds a nice place on the carpet to read to her. He is so sweet.

I can't believe he is eight! We are so blessed to have him in our home!

Happy Birthday!

It's like free money....but only if they pick you.

Who doesn't want to save a little this season?
How about a $100 e-card to Target.com?
http://thefrugalfind.com/giveaway-target-100-egift-card/comment-page-6/#comment-3814
Check it out. I hope one of us (mostly me....) wins!

K's First Haircut

K has been sporting a mullet for way too long. About half way through September, I'd had enough. The poor girl has inherited my thin hair, so it statics up if you look at her wrong...not a good look with a mini mullet. I asked Aunt Lissa to chop it all off (I am crossing my fingers that it will grow back more evenly and not so thin....fat chance!). K was pretty good about the whole thing, if not a little wiggly.
Loved the sucker. Best trick in the world.

Final result: cute little bob, however a month and a half later....I think we need to do it again! Sorry Lissa!

Halloween...Round one?

Are you still scared from Halloween? It's over, we can all calm down now...oh wait, Christmas is coming (insert ear piecing scream here)! So, I would have put these later in the post, but we all know how Blogger is about moving pics around. My two new favs for Halloween books. C's class read Frank and then played a relay race game where they put a monster that looked a little like Frank back together again.

At Ty's class party, they made bat finger puppets (thank you Family Fun.com) and then I read Big Pumpkin to them (the bat is the hero) while we waited for the glue to dry. It is my definite new Halloween favorite! Give it a read.

Ty's class Halloween party was a blast. We made spider cookies, heard the scary story with all the squishy, icky props (see above pic), made bat finger puppets, played Halloween bingo, and had a spooky good time!

I almost missed Ty's Halloween Parade! They changed the time this year. Since B track doesn't show up until 9:15 AM, I figured on about 10 before they did the parade. Luckily, I happened to check the school's site...at 9:02 AM...to discover that the parade started at 9:15! We ran, from the street above the school (parking was fun), me dragging C and K and trying to pull my camera out and get it running the whole way. I literally walked in the gym and snapped this pic. We made it by the skin of our teeth! He's Ben 10...not my fav, but he's seven and it's what he wanted. He's cute, even when he wears commercially driven character wear!
C was Indiana Jones this year. I am not sure why he desired this so much. He has never seen the movies (are you kidding, I can't even watch most of them...5 words: ghosts, aliens, monkey brain soup). I think he likes the whip.

His class was so cute all dressed up!

We went to Gardner Village and did the Which Witch scavenger hunt. The boys loved it and had a great time running all over the place. If you complete the hunt, you get a cookie for 25 cents in the bakery...of course my kids don't want that cookie, they want the donuts with the Halloween sprinkles.

I had to throw this pic in. We went to a pumpkin patch for our nephew's birthday. In the middle of the corn maze, K decides she's not walking any more. This is her attempt to pout without laying on the dirt.

We made spooky ghost brownies for FHE. The night before I made brownies and then scooped the warm brownie goo into balls and froze them (thanks for the idea April!), then I let the kids spoon white chocolate over them and put the chocolate chip eyes on. Scary enough to eat!

T and I at our sweet neighbors 3rd annual Halloween Bash. T was a hunter and I was his hunting widow (lame, I know...what do you want?). We dressed up true to life this year.

More to come. The actual Halloween pics are on the good camera, and technically, I've never learned how to off load it. I just make T do it. Hope you had some happy haunting this year!

Soccer Stars!

We've been running all over the valley for soccer this season with both boys playing. It hasn't been too bad with soccer stuff only three or four night a week, but I have no idea how people with three or four or five kids in soccer do it! Ty finally got the hang of it about half way through the season. He almost scored a few goals and loved playing goalie the most (probably because he didn't have to run as much). His team was called the Red Lasers!
C was on the Blue Jets (which was the Blue Dogs previously, until half way through the season). He scored his first goal and really likes soccer, though we think we might be better suited for football. He spent most of the games making "plans" with his teammates about how they would push down the other team and take the ball!
They both had so much fun! Can't wait until spring season starts!

A Hunting We Will Go....

Well, not we.... We stayed home and watched Conference and hung with Grandma, Grandpa, J, and the Hursts all weekend. T went hunting with my cousins. They were frozen and muddy all weekend, but came back with two four by fours. Pretty good! Congrats to Tom and Chris who actually got to shoot the poor elk. T is bummed he didn't get a chance to kill Bambi's very large cousin, but hey, at least they got two for the group. Pretty good. And they had fun. Like I always say, "Nothing says home sweet home like a dead animal carcass on the wall."

Monkeys?

Everyone has seen that picture with the monkeys doing hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil, right? This is what my kids learned during General Conference! During the Sunday Morning session their was a big thunderstorm (we were hanging out at the grandparent's home in Bountiful) and the power went out for about an hour; no satellite, no Internet, no Conference. So in between down pours, Aunt J took the kids outside for some fast pics. We got some cute shots, but this was the funniest. They were copying each other and playing peek-a-boo and this was the only shot she got where they were each doing something different. I think it's hilarious!

Diva Tantrum

Tonight K was hanging out with Dad while he was vacuuming out his truck and after a while she started getting into trouble, so T sent her inside. I was in the kitchen doing homework with the boys. She came in SCREAMING! She was furious that T made her come in. I'm surprised she didn't immediately come over to the table cry to me. Instead she flopped down in the entryway on the stairs and shrieked. Then she ran into the great room, flopped down onto the floor and shrieked some more. Then back to the stairs for more screaming. Ty and I were giving each other practice spelling tests, so I was only watching her out of the corner of my eye. I think she was frustrated that she was making all this fuss and no one was really paying attention. Finally, she literally head dives back into the carpet in the great room, grabs her quilt off the floor, and.....silence. Nothing. I got up from the table to check on her. Had she hit her head on the floor or choked on something? Nope. She was asleep. Completely passed out and snoring slightly. She's such a delicate little thing.

First Day Revisited with Correct Gear!

Sorry about the sideways picture. So way back at the end of July I ordered backpacks online for the boys. C's came right on time, weeks before school started. Ty's was on back order until early September. I asked him if he wanted to order something different, but he stuck to his original pick. He's a big fan of the blue camo. Two days before his back order was supposed to ship, I got another email saying the back order had been back ordered! He would have to wait another month until the end of October. Still he wanted to wait, despite his disappointment. Today it came! He was so excited. Ironically, he had on the same shirt he wore on the first day of school. Of course I took it as a sign that this momentous moment should be documented for all to see. So here's Ty's long awaited backpack...may it last at least until the end of the school year, hopefully beyond!

Last Camping Hoorah!

Last weekend, among the million other things we had to accomplish over the weekend (i.e. soccer games, baby shower, birthday party, and family pictures), we also went up AF Canyon for a little overnight adventure. It rained almost the whole time. I like camping, really. I just hate the getting ready and the cleaning up. Especially the mountains of laundry that await because every single item you take camping will end up smelling like an ashtray (this from the lady that just put a fire pit in her backyard). Can you tell? T thinks he's funny! Or gross? I can't tell which?!
We went for a drive and a "picnic" (see the above pic. We just stopped at a turnout and literally tailgated lunch) on the way home and wore K out.

Ty loves the out doors and can't wait to go camping again. He asks all the time when we are going to set up the tent in the backyard.

C had to show me how he could climb up and down this rock by HIMSELF about a dozen times. So proud!

So since I went on this trip, I don't have to go again for at least another year, right?

BearWorld & BYU-I

Chelsea (my cousin Tami's oldest daughter) came to visit for a few days on her way to her first semester at BYU-Idaho. Saturday the kids and I met Mom, Lis, Jen, and Chels at Gardner Village. The boys went home with Mom and the crew and K and I went home to meet T and work on the yard all weekend (which actually didn't happen, but I got the basement sorted!). First stop was the beautiful gardens at BYU-I, where the boys made friends with all the ladybugs. C is pointing to the one on Ty's nose.

Just chillin'.

Dad, C, Ty, Chels, and Mom. Good luck Chelsea! Have a great semester!

Ty convinced Chels to go on a few rides with them at Bear World. C said, "It was totally AWESOME!" He really used all caps and everything.

Nap time at Bear World.

My favorite pic from their adventure. They had so much fun with Grandma and Grandpa. Thanks guys!

Back to School!

C went back to preschool yesterday! I can't believe he is so big. He is back with Mrs. R. for the second year. We love her to pieces, and we're excited for the year to start. Almost half of his class are kids from our ward, so we are in good company with lots of friends. Ty started almost two weeks ago. He is also with a Mrs. R, who seems like she is going to be great. He has become a very good reader over the summer. He helps me out all the time reading stories to K and C. We've had a little homework this week, which only continues to show us what a math whiz he is.
We also put our back lawn in a few weeks ago thanks to some very nice neighbors and friends. Thank you! We are planning on working hard over the Labor Day weekend, and hope to get a good portion of the backyard finished. I'll post pics later.

Playing Catch Up...

The last few weeks have been hectic to say the least and blogging has been way down on the list of things to do. So, here are the top ten from the last month:

10-Ty finished his reading class and is on his way to being a super reader. He has been helping me out a lot lately by reading stories to K and C.

9-I pinched that ridiculous spot in my back (AGAIN!). It has taken about three weeks, one trip to the ER, T taking three days off work, and one really nice physical therapist neighbor (Thanks again Jeremy!), but I am finally starting to feel better. It probably wouldn't have taken this long, but you know me, I'm a klutz. I have fallen twice and re injured myself (once while battling weeds in the backyard, and once over my cute little neighbor (sorry Kira!)).

8-Speaking of the backyard, someday soon, we're getting grass....REALLY. Next weekend! Pray for nice weather!

7-T and the deacons have been all over the place: scout camp, bike rides, and even a few runs. T is loving it. He gets his runs and rides in and does YM all the the same time; what a multitasker!

6-Kids all got to do swim lessons this year. The boys loved it. K and I did a mom and tot class. It took almost the entire two weeks for her to get over her fear of the other parents and kids in the class.

5-We had some very good experiences teaching our kids about fasting and praying for others.

4-T and I spoke for the first time in about five years in Sacrament meeting. We did it with our usual flair. I rambled for way too long and the fire alarm went off about two minutes into T's talk!

3-C brought the total ER visits to 12 (or 13, I've lost count). Four stitches in his chin when he tried to get marshmallows out of the pantry. He didn't want to ask Mom because he knew what the answer would be.

2-Oquirrh Mountain Temple Open House with the Robinsons and Hursts (see pic).

1-K is 2! Our baby is an official toddler. How did that happen so fast?!

HAPPY SUMMER!

It's nearly over....

Not So Terrible Twos

I can't believe my baby girl is two years old! She has been a little firecracker from the very beginning. We can't believe how fast she has grown and how much she is learning every day.

She's big enough to know how to blow out her own candles!

K picked out this doll that crawls and giggles months ago. Saturday, T wrapped it and put it up on the mantle, and every time we walked by it, it would giggle despite the layers of paper around it. Each time it went off, K would get excited and say, "OOO, baby!" and point to the package. No fooling this little girl!

Tea time with Aunt L. K is thrilled to finally have some certifiable "girl toys" around here. For the last few days her favorite thing is to wrap up her new baby in her new blanket, put on her fancy smanchy shoes, and push the baby around in the stroller.

Has anyone discovered a way to keep these kids from growing up so fast?!? Anyone?