Learn To Laugh

Damon Ora Bailee Trey

Sunday, January 17, 2010

New Years Eve!

For New Years Eve we had a party at our house with some good friends. We ate a nice dinner then the adults played games downstairs while the kids watched movies, colored, and played games upstairs. We all had a blast!


I moved the furniture in the living room so all 10 kids could lay out their blankets and pillows. Having the kids on a separate floor than us was genius and made it so us parents didn't lose our minds. Shockingly, the kids didn't even destroy the house!



The kids who just...couldn't...quite...make...it.





3...2...1...0!
Ok, is it just me, or can anyone else tell that those 2 girls are cousins?

Sorry Cari. I couldn't resist. My post just wouldn't be complete without this pic.







Thanks for sharing a SUPER fun night with us Mari and Kev, Amanda and Micah, Bill and Cari, and all you crazy kids!

Our Beautiful Babies

Here's some of my favorite pictures I took of the kids for our Christmas cards. I can't deny how cute those 2 stinkers are. Trey...that dimple. Those blond curls. Giant blue eyes. Bailee...that beautiful long hair. Piercing blue eyes. Perfect skin. I could go on forever. More than anything though, their sweet spirits are an addition to mine and Damon's life that we couldn't live without.











The kids after church in their Sunday clothes that they got for Christmas.



Sunday, January 10, 2010

Christmas 2009

Wow, the holidays are over. We had an incredible time, but now things have fallen into the regular daily routine. Which is nice I must say. Here's some of the Christmas events that took place.

Our friends put together an incredible Polar Express party for our ward. Damon was sick at home which was disappointing, but we still had a blast. This is the first year Trey has understood Santa and all he does. He was so excited to actually see Santa. He asked for a motorcycle and Bailee asked for 2 wigs...Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus.


We bought The Polar Express to start off the season and Trey watched it every morning while eating his breakfast. During the party they punched tickets and played the hot chocolate song while they pushed around hot chocolate on carts. When Trey saw the hot chocolate carts he screamed louder than when he saw Santa. Thanks Bill and Cari for an amazing party!

We spent a family home evening at Thanksgiving Point at the drive-thru light show then went out for pizza. The best way to see the Christmas lights...in the warm car. Trey obviously didn't want his picture taken.


The school Christmas sing. Bailee practiced literally 10 times a day. She looked so pretty. I was so proud of her.



Christmas Eve. We spend Christmas Eve at Damon's parents house every year having a birthday party for Jesus.






Gag gift from Danielle and Lindsey.



Bailee sprinkling reindeer food on the snow.

The kids watched the Santa tracker closely all day. Oh so close!

Christmas morning! Any kid...any parent...can say this is the best moment of the year. The first glimpse of Santa's gifts.



A hoop from mom and dad.

This was also from mom and dad. Unfortunately it stopped working on New Years Eve. Thank goodness that Best Buy is open on New Years Day. She ended up with a much nicer camera that should last her a long time.

All summer Trey refused to pedal while riding his big wheel. The practice would've done him good. His face says it all. Poor guy.

Trey is scared of pretty much everything lately so Bailee got him a noisy gun to scare all the bad guys away. He has used it daily since Christmas. He'll shoot the tv if a movie scares him and then he's fine. It's the same with most things he's scared of. Great idea Bailee.


After Damon scratched up the living room walls and my black leather couch (grrrr) with his new helicopter, I sent him outside. Not long after he came inside with a broken wing.

Bailee eats, breathes, dreams Hannah Montana. Almost everything she got this year had something to do with Hannah Montana. Books, hair things, toys, perfume, barbies, art stuf, etc etc etc. Her favorite was a microphone stand/karaoke machine/ipod player. In case you couldn't tell.



Sad story. Trey's favorite toy was his "real" Buzz Lighyear. The day after Christmas some friends snapped Buzz's leg right off. Luckily Trey didn't see. I bought this way in advance cause I knew there was a good chance they would be gone. A sweet and very understanding older lady at Walmart gave me my money back to get another one. I began a desperate search for the same Buzz and finally found one that looked the same but did alot more cool things. Thank goodness it all ended up ok.

My RM baby bro has been living with us since Thanksgiving. How nice of Santa to not forget him, right? Unfortunately, this was the only pic of him that day other than the ones that got destroyed on Bailee's camera. We've had a blast having him around!

Since there's no way to fit in all the Christmas parties before Christmas we had a couple the weekend after. Nothing wrong with extending Christmas, right?
Grandma Vyki opening the gift from Mari, Amanda, and I. We made her a customized calendar.

The boys listening to Uncle Kevin read a story.

Grandma Vyki gave the girls ballet costumes and the boys those little pet hampsters that run around in the ball. They also got bean bags, each a different animal. Trey got a lion that he drags all around the house and keeps next to his bed. The other night we had quite the conversation.
Me "Guess what, Trey? If the bad guys come in your room your lion will protect you."
Trey "YEAH!"
Me "He'll EAT them."
Trey "NO! He doesn't eat them. He'll get up, get out my gun and SHOOT the bad guys."

Way to go, lion! I do, however, think it would be easier for him to just eat them.



The last Christmas party of the year was the Garretson family party. This was one of the best part of the holidays as a kid and I definately still look forward to it each year. My sweet grandma and grandpa both turned 80 this year. Hopefully they still have many years to have many more parties......love those 2 so much!

I love the Christmas season so much! We try really hard to have activities throughout the season that revolve around the Savior and serving each other. That's been the most rewarding part. Happy birthday, Jesus!