2014 Top Ten

10. Logan Brad Clark joined our family this July

9. Brad ran a half marathon and flew an airplane

8. Emily started quilting, loves blogging, and taking pictures of her kids

7. Carson started Kindergarten, played soccer, and has lots of friends

6. Tanner started preschool, and loves to play with superheros

5. Logan is fun to tickle and is rocking on his knees ready to crawl

4. Purchased a mini van (aka the Batmobile to Tanner) 

3. Traveled to Utah, Sea World, and New Orleans

2. Enjoyed showing our families Texas's beauty

1. Brad and Emily celebrated their 10 year wedding Anniversary

Its been a wonderful year with a wedding, a beautiful baby, and spending time together as a family.  We are so thankful and are truly blessed!  Happy New Year!

Christmas 2014

Carson could barely contain himself!  In fact I don't think he slept at all that night!  Carson woke up around midnight and found  Brad watching TV.  He asked if it was morning yet! Brad told him no and to go back to bed.  Then, early Christmas morning, Carson came running into our room excitedly saying; "Santa came, Santa came, wake up!"  I woke up completely exhausted as Carson pulled me out of bed to look at the presents.  I then heard Brad say that it was 3 o'clock in the morning!  Geez no wonder I was so tired!  I still followed Carson out to look at all the presents Santa brought and to put him back in bed.  The kids both woke up at a more decent time (7:30 a.m.) to open presents.

They opened their stockings first

and had so much fun opening all their presents!  Carson's reaction when he opened up the toy he wanted (a trash pack sewer truck, yeah don't ask) was to die for!  He raised it above his head screaming "Yeaaaaaaah!"  It was priceless!  Wished I had that recorded.

Logan loved the bows and wrappers the best!

The crazy aftermath!

Brad is such a good dad!  All Tanner wanted for Christmas was a Bat Bot (its a batman robot that transforms).  We saw it at Target and thought that we'd go back to get it when we didn't have the kids with us.  Apparently the bat bot was a popular toy because it was sold out.  Target said they only had one more across town at a store 30 miles away.  So Brad rushed over there only to find that it had been sold.  It was gone.  It was sold out EVERYWHERE!  Even online.  We tried to see if stores in Utah had it so family could buy it and ship it to us, but with no luck.  Brad felt so bad, but whats a Santa to do?  So Santa got him the next best thing, a bat mobile, and Tanner loves it.

Carson playing with the playdough while dad sets up the trampoline that Santa brought

the trampoline was a huge hit!

Christmas morning wore this kid out!  Sweet little babe taking a Christmas nap. 

 painting our dinosaur molds

he's getting so good at lego's!  Doesn't need our help anymore.

That evening we were invited over for Christmas dinner at the Theobolds.  The day was over before we knew it!  It was a wonderful Christmas day!

This was just too funny not to share!  The day after Christmas it rained and Tanner thought it was so fun to jump on the wet trampoline.  He came back inside and ripped off his wet underwear  and went back outside to jump on the trampoline naked!  Silly kid!

Christmas Eve

 So this happened today!  He's getting on his knees and rock'n!  He can't be getting this big yet.  He needs to stay my little baby!

 For Christmas Eve we took the boys bowling.  The boys love playing and always have a fun time.

We got an early Christmas present from the Clarks (a smoker) and Brad put it to good use and cooked an amazing turkey!  Look how beautiful it turned out and it tasted just as good as it looks! Brad has become quiet the cook!

 After dinner we watched the nativity movie as well as the new movie that the church put on "He is the Gift".  Next we let the boys open their Christmas Eve presents.  Carson could hardly contain himself he was so excited.  He even slept with that present the night before, and all day he was asking to open it.

 Carson was so sweet, even though he couldn't wait to tear apart the present, he let Logan rip the bow off the present.

 New jammies and the movie Elf!  We had a fun time watching Elf (it was the boys first time) and as soon as the movie was over they excitedly put themselves to bed so Santa would come (although Carson kept getting out of bed and asking where Santa was on the tracker).  It was a long night for this little guy!

River Oaks

We had heard from friends that a fun place to look at Christmas lights is in a neighborhood close to downtown Houston called River Oaks.  Its the wealthiest neighborhood in all of Texas and is even in the top 10 wealthiest neighborhoods in the U.S.  It was unreal!  The houses were beautiful with  beautiful lights Christmas lights.  One house even had two miniature horses grazing in their front lawn!
A lot of the trees had just strands of lights dangling.  It looked like rain.  It was gorgeous.

We came upon one house that had lots of cute lawn decorations and fake snow blowing from their trees!  As the boys were having fun playing in the "snow" Santa came walking by!  We had no idea!  Talk about perfect timing, because this house has Santa that sits on their front porch for the children.  They also have a professional photographer that takes the kids picture with Santa and then posts it on her facebook page so we could download later.  Such a nice gesture, and the kids had a total blast. 

 

Pre-Christmas Celebrations

Tanner made a gingerbread man at preschool

and was a wiseman in his nativity

Here he is to worship baby Jesus

Santa mailed the boys an advent calendar with chocolate in them!  Carson had so much fun each day opening the little doors to get the chocolate.  Tanner lasted two days with his and then ended up just opening all of them to get the chocolate!  Thanks Santa (aka Matt and Sherry!)

Both boys decorated Gingerbread houses at school.  I was able to go to Carson's school and help him with his (although he didn't need my help at all, look how organized his is!)

We did a Journey to Bethlehem at a nearby church.  Its an interactive nativity and was such a great experience!  We started out in Jerusalem and had to make our way Bethlehem.  We were put into families (groups), our "family" was the family of Gideon.  We were given papers to show the Roman guards (some were on horses!).  On our journey we ran into the wiseman who were traveling to see the New star (they even had a real camel!)  We then saw fisherman and as were were talking to them Angels appeared and an angel spoke to us about a new babe who is the son of God.  When we got to Bethlehem the boys were able to spend the coin that was given to them to purchase a gift at the market.  (It was a cute little friendship bracelet made by children in Uganda).  Then to finish our journey we saw little baby Jesus with Mary and Joseph in the manger.  It was a darling production and they even gave everyone a christmas present (a candle with the nativity scene on it) and popcorn.  We absolutely loved it, and Carson thought it was real.  We kept telling him it was just actors, but he insists that he really got to see baby Jesus.  I think we'll make this a new tradition.  It was a great way to remember the real reason of Christmas.

We had a Morenci reunion party at our friends the Theobolds!  The kids exchanged some presents and the adults just loved chatting.  Its fun having our old friends close by!  

We also had our ward Christmas party and went to River Oaks to see the rich people's Christmas lights, but that is its own post.  We loved all our Christmas celebrations!  It helps the month go by fast when you have lots of parties to go to.  Especially if you're a very anxious 5 year old like Carson!

My Family

With Christmas just a few days away, I've been thinking of all the wonderful blessings which I have, the most important of all those is my wonderful family.  Some days can be long and tiring, but then I'm humbled when I hear my children's laughter, or my husband cleaning the house or cooking dinner.  We've  been incredibly blessed this year with the addition of Logan.  He's truly made this year special and has enriched our household.  

Love our little Texas Clan!

(I am so lucky that my good friend and photographer Phil Flores moved to the Houston area this summer! Even though I was worried that there wasn't enough sunlight out, due to the fact that we got stuck in 2 hour traffic, he still was able to work his magic to produce these wonderful pictures!  Too bad he's such a hot commodity and is already going to be moving Dallas for a better job offer.  Guess we'll just have to travel up there next time we need our pictures!)

My Boys

Nothing brings me greater joy then being a mom to my three boys.  I love how they are best friends and are so sweet to each other. They melt my heart.  

Logan

Logan is just the sweetest little baby.  I love how he has to hold my hand when I'm nursing him and how he giggles when Brad tosses him in the air.  He loves it when his brothers play peek-a-boo with him or make silly faces.  He is definitely well loved by all.