Dear Santa...

Christmas Lights!

How to put Christmas lights up in the dark:

You wear a headlamp.

 

Family Christmas Photos

Veteran's Day Tournament

Ty's team played in the Veteran's Day tournament this year and did pretty well, although they were pretty upset about getting 2nd place after all of their hard work.  It was a fun weekend!

Happy Halloween

Labor Day Weekend 2012

On Thursday morning, Sara and I went to Utah on our annual Swiss Days trip!  We spent Thursday in Salt Lake City at the City Creek mall and enjoyed lunch at Kneaders. 

Friday was spent in Midway enjoying the Swiss Days festivities!  We had lunch with Bonnie, Rebecca, and Michelle, and when we finished in Midway, we headed down to SLC to visit with Murline and go to dinner with her.  We went to Layla where the company and the food were fabulous!

On Saturday we went to Dear Lizzie and then to have lunch at  Blue Lemon.  We shared fettuccine alfredo and a pannini...yummy!!   After lunch we headed back up to Salt Lake to go to a few boutiques and then it was time to head back to Phoenix.  It was such a fun trip and I'm already looking forward to next year!

 

 

Sunday morning, Tanner and I were up extra early to drive to Flagstaff to meet Kevin and the rest of the boys.  Ty's club team had their first tournament of the season this weekend and I was really excited to see Ty play!

They did so well, and Ty did exceptionally well with many RBI's, including a 3 run, 320 foot home run in one of his games!!  Awesome!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Utah: Day 2

The 4th of July!!!

What a fun-filled day!  Kevin started out the day golfing (again) with Jared, Dave, and Tony, and had a great time catching up with his buds. 

Mom and I spent the morning trying to figure out wedding favors for Bryan and Rebecca's sealing on Friday.  Donna rode along with us as we tried to find what I had pictured in my head.  Well, we all know that nothing is ever that easy, so we had to do a bit of searching. 

When we finished that, Mom and Donna dropped me off at Michelle's house for a Lewis Family Reunion/4th of July party/Corban's birthday party.  All of Vaughn's brothers were there, as were Scott and Katherine (California), and Chris and Trina (Idaho).  I think it's been at least 2 years since we've seen Chris and Trina, and maybe more than that since we've all been together in one place at the same time.  It was so fun to watch all of the cousins play, and to see Vaughn and his brothers be able to be together and re-connect.  Grandma and Grandpa Young were there as well, along with Jim.  We ate pork sandwiches, fruit, and dessert, sang "Happy Birthday" to Corban, and laughed at "Sven" (Chase in his speedo and necklace) for hours.  It was wonderful to be able to catch up with loved ones and to just spend time together.  What else could be better than that???

It was a fantastic day!

Father's Day 2012

Brotherly Love

When Tate opened his backpack Thursday morning (for the first time since Christmas break) he was a bit upset.  He had made a Christmas present for Ty and had forgotten to give it to him.  I'm not sure why he decided to make Ty a gift, but he did and it touched my heart. 

He told me, "I made him a real good snowman, with red and green on it and big eyes!"

Yes, he did.

I love my boys!

Extended Christmas!

The Wonderful World of Disney

Mom and dad took my whole entire family on a trip to Disneyland this year for Christmas and boy, oh boy, what fun we had!!  The downside was that it was the SINGLE MOST BUSY WEEK OF THE YEAR for Disneyland, but the incredible upside was the opportunity to spend time with my siblings.  I hadn't seen my sis in 2.5 years...WAY TOO LONG...and I thoroughly enjoyed catching up with her.  I got to spend time with my adorable nieces and nephews, and even got Jane to eat some chicken nuggets and grow about 6 inches!!!  OK-so you had to be there for that one...

I got to love on Anna, and watch my youngest brother go on rides that completely terrified him.  I got to laugh with my sis-in-laws and loved watching my mom and dad spend time with each one of the grandchildren. 

I can't even express the love and admiration I have for my parents.  They are so good to my siblings and I, and go out of their way to make sure we know that they are here for us, and that they love us unconditionally.  They are truly amazing, and planned a wonderful three day reunion for us to grow closer and develop deeper relationships with each other.  Thank you, mom and dad, from the bottom of my heart.  I am so blessed to have you as my parents, and as my children's grandparents.  I love you!!

Christmas Morning 2011

We had such a fun Christmas this year!  I think that Santa was extremely successful in bringing all the naughty, ahem, I mean  nice  Lewis children fun surprises!  He brought them things they wanted, and things they didn't know they wanted until they got them.  I'm sure Apple--oops--I mean SANTA is happy that we're keeping them {him} in business!!

The biggest surprise, however, was a trip to DISNEYLAND, courtesy of Grandma and Grandpa H!!!

Dear Santa...

Oh, how I love this little boy!!

Christmas Traditions

Today I spent the day making delicious carmel apples.  Kevin always gives them to his employees, and I usually give some to our neighbors.  This year I also made some homemade dark chocolate truffles that I passed out to my book club gals.  They were yummy...well, at least I thought they were!!

Thanksgiving 2011

Today started off like most Thanksgivings around here...with a rousing game of two hand touch football.  I think the boys had a fantastic time!!  They even talked Kevin into playing this year!  That is a miracle in itself!!

 Cute friends: A.J., Treyson, Patrick, Ty, and Jeffrey

We had our traditional dinner (if two years in a row makes it a tradition)...

A seafood boil!!!  Yummy to my tummy!!

It was so great to spend the day together just hanging out, watching football, and relaxing. 

I feel so blessed in my life and am thankful, every single day, for the wonderful family I get to spend my time with!!

Utah: Day 10

Happy Pioneer Day!

Today was the 24th of July (or Pioneer Day), but with it being a Sunday, there wasn't much celebration.  We went to church with Grandma L, then had lunch at Grandma and Grandpa H's.  The boys played a few rounds of Croquet with Uncle Bevan, and then we had dinner at Grandpa and Grandma L's with the Schow family.  We finished off the day with fireworks with G&G H, Uncle Bevan, Aunt Donna, and Baby Anna.  It was a good day!

4th of July

It's official...or at least, officially my opinion, that the 4th of July STINKS in Arizona.

It didn't even feel like the 4th of July other than it was about 115*--which makes it feel like Arizona in July, but not necessarily the 4th.

Throughout the day, I couldn't help but think of this man, though:

This is my Grandpa H.  I have some pretty awesome memories of the 4th of July in Provo with my Grandpa.  He L-O-V-E-D Independence Day and would always get up early to set out the blankets and chairs on 9th east in Provo to watch the annual parade, and then again at night for the fireworks that went off across the street at Kiwanis Park.  In-between the festivities, we'd have a picnic lunch...sometimes at grandpa and grandma's house, or sometimes at my uncle Gordon's.  We always had lots of cold watermelon, and when it got dark enough, grandpa always had sparklers for us kids to do.  I will never forget how he loved the holiday, or how he loved each one of his grand kids.  He always made me feel special.  I especially loved his big hugs.  I was lucky enough to receive one last hug the night he passed away, after suffering from cancer.  Even though he was in horrendous pain, he remembered me, smiled, and hugged me.  I will never forget that.

I was glad I could think about my grandpa and feel like even though I may not be celebrating the 4th with family at "home", I have many wonderful memories of the past to bring a smile to my face.

Merry Christmas 2010 and Happy New Year 2011

Once again, Christmas has come and gone.  I don't know how it always seems to fly by, but it does.  And, once again, I'm completely disappointed in my photo taking.  The pictures I have are pathetic, and don't even begin to show the fun we had during Christmas break.  It's also pathetic that I spent a ton of time at my parent's house, but I don't have one photo of them.  I'm such a loser.  Mom and dad...thanks for letting us crash at your house, for keeping us warm, and for feeding my teenager (oh, and the rest of us, too!!).  You're the best!  x o x o x o o x x O X o X x.  (like Nacho...get it??)
I guess I'll start with the night before Christmas Eve.  We went to the Chinese Buffet.  I don't know for the life of me WHY my family loves this place, but they do.  And, if they're happy, I'm happy...even if the food is disgusting.   When we got home we watched a DVD Kevin had purchased called, "Another Testament: Reflections on Christ" by Mark Mabry.  He's a photographer, and basically depicted 3rd Nephi in photos.  It was incredible to watch how the photos came together.  I was fully engrossed in it.  When it was over I realized that Kevin, Ty, and myself, were the only ones still awake.  Apparently 9 p.m. is pushing it for the other three.

On Christmas Eve we ventured out to the Mesa Temple for the annual light display.  We were one of the few families there and were able to take our time and really take in the displays....you know, like 20 minutes-TOTAL.  My kids don't really care much about the lights, but they're great to humor me. 

 I apologize for the blurry pictures.  I can't figure out the settings on my camera.

When we got back from the temple lights, we made our favorite meal:  Pizza Pockets!!  They've become a Christmas Eve tradition.  Yum!  (sure wish I had a picture...)

After dinner was devoured and the mess cleaned up, we gathered in the front room for a story.  We read the book, "The Three Gifts".  It was wonderful.  It would have been even better if I hadn't been trying to keep my kids awake.  Man...most kids won't go to bed.  MINE won't stay awake past 9!!!  I'm not complaining, though.  Honest.

Kevin and I had planned to let the boys open their Nerf guns on Christmas eve so that we could have a war (very Christmas-like, I know).  We even purchased 500 bullets for quick re-loading, but everyone was dozing off, so we sent them to bed without opening a gift.  We didn't even read my dad's annual Christmas poem.  Pathetic.

At 4:50 the next morning I was awakened by the feeling that I was being watched.  When I opened my eyes, the beautiful eyes of my Tatey-Bug were about 3 inches from my face.  Treyson was right behind him, giggling with excitement.  I made them crawl in bed with us, since the rule is 7:00 a.m.  They were a tad bit early.  Kevin wasn't thrilled about them in our bed, especially since they are the two most wiggly kids on the planet.  At about 6:45, Tanner wandered in, followed by Ty a few minutes later.   Whenever there are 6 people on our bed, a wrestling match ensues.  We all piled on Kevin, and then on Tanner, and then Ty, and then, well...you get the picture.  After about 10 minutes of pile-ups we finally got off of the bed and headed down to see what Santa had left. 

Of course, we had to have a picture before the unwrapping began.  And we had to read Grandpa H's poem.  It did not disappoint...brilliant, as usual!

We opened the "family" gifts first, then each boy took turns opening their gifts.

 

 Treyson and Tate mostly asked for Legos...so, that's what they got...lots and lots of Legos!!  Tate was THRILLED.  Treyson, well...I'm not so sure.

 Does that smile look forced??

 Ty wanted a long board, and by golly, Santa came through!

 

 At first glance you might think that Tanner was saying, "YEEESSSSSS!", but don't be fooled.  This is the face of my teenager as he tells me that Santa bought a crappy air soft gun.  It's a good thing Santa has thick skin.  I'm not sure Tanner was happy with any of his gifts.

Oh, wait!  Santa DID come through!! He brought Tanner an amplifier for his guitar.  Whew!

We spent the rest of our day chillin'. 

Except for Tate. 

He worked on his Lego Rescue Ship

 all.

day.

 long.

He put on the last piece as the doorbell rang, announcing our dinner guests, and one of our favorite families in the whole world: The Stecks!

Thanks to Sara, we have a couple of pictures...

 We ate until we were sick. 

And then we ate some more.

Then, we sat on the puffy couch.

When the Stecks left, we packed our bags for Utah. 

Then we went to bed. 

I don't think my bed has ever felt sooooo good!!

The next morning, at 5 a.m., we headed for Utah!  I think I slept the entire 9 1/2 hours it took us to get there.  I was tired!! 

We went to my mom's, unpacked the car, changed our clothes, and hurried out the door to the annual Young Family Christmas Party.  It was great to see all of Kevin's extended family and be able to catch up.  We also got to meet our new nephew/cousin Chase (a.k.a. "Bubba") for the first time.  I'll be darned if he isn't just a hunk-a-hunk-a-burnin'-love!!  We instantly fell in love with him.  Sure wish I had a picture...

The 28th was the Lewis Family Christmas party.  We started the party with family pictures.  That was fun.  (hee hee hee)  Actually, it wasn't bad at all, and I'm excited to see how they turned out!  Here are a few that I snapped with my own camera:

 My nephew, Slater, wasn't happy at all about pictures. 

After pictures we went to Becca and Rob's house for dinner, games, and of course, the reenactment of the Nativity.

On the 30th...my birthday...my mom and I went to lunch and to do a little shopping.  We had big plans to go to Orem for dinner that night, but the weather had another idea.  A snowstorm blew in around 4 p.m., so we went to JCW's (a local burger place) for dinner.  It was actually really good.  I didn't feel slighted at all...especially since I remembered that I wouldn't have to re-live what happened the night before. We went to Los Hermanos with the Lewis side for dinner, and I had to stand on a chair while they sang Happy Birthday so I could have my free fried ice cream.  It wasn't worth it...or was it?  I am told that there are some camera phone photos/videos of the event taken by my in law's.  They better not end up on YouTube...you hearin' me??

New Year's Eve was a blast!  We went to Todd and Michelle's church and played dodge ball for, like, 3 hours!  Then we played wiffle ball.  Fun, fun, fun!!

I was feeling pretty good...Agile and strong.  I was hurling that ball like I used to in high school.

 Well, that is, until the next day.

It was then that I remembered that I turned 38 the day before, and that I hadn't worked out in over 9 months.

I couldn't hardly move.  It hurt to walk up the stairs.  I hurt in places that I didn't even know there was muscles. 

It's nearly a week later and my right knee and elbow still aren't working right.  Now THAT'S pathetic!

Anyway, when we finished at the church, everyone grabbed their own dinner and then we went to Becca and Rob's for games and appetizers.  I was ready for bed at 10:30...(that must be where my kids get it!!!) but we made it to ring in the new year. 

On New Year's Day I FINALLY got to meet my sweet, and beautiful, 5 week old niece, Anna.  I held her almost all day.  In fact, I didn't want to give her back to her momma.  She's a little doll and I'm so glad I got to spend some time holding her!!  And, again, I sure wish I had a picture.

Mom and dad hosted a delicious dinner that night, and then we went over to say our good-bye's to G & G Lewis.  It was wonderful to be able to see my brother, Bryan, and his wife, Rebecca, as well as my brother, Bevan, and his wife, Donna.  I have to admit, though, that it didn't feel quite right without Trisha, Jake, and girls.  I missed having them here this year!

All-in-all it was a wonderful holiday.  I can't think of anything better than quality time with the family we love.  Thank you, all, for your love and concern for us!  We are very, very blessed!