So Nabtastic

We are moving to...

2016-07-13T21:08:00.003-07:00

When we told the kids we were moving to ------- we were out to dinner with my parents, Joe's parents and our kids. All the grands were in town for Paisley's baptism #beingMormoniscool #followthecommandments #Idon'tdrinkandIstillhavefun #funisimportant #importantpeopleforthewin #whowillwintheelection - ahhh, dang hashtags - always side tracking my ADD brain #ADDforanotherpost #tunein OH MY GOSH!

Okay, so all the grands were in town and Joe and I took everybody out for a super classy dinner at Culver's. (insert laugh cry emoji here - and because my laptop doesn't have emojis you just have to imagine) We put a box on the table and told everybody to take one thing out of the box and then we had everybody look at them at the same time. When they pulled out all the stuff we squealed in delight - "We are moving to -------!" It was ridiculously exciting and still is. What isn't ridiculously exciting is all the prep work that I am neck deep in getting ready to move there. Also what else isn't super exciting is my terrible grammer and the fact that I almost spelled neck with a K. Kneck. Cool, cool, cool... (insert tan hand thumbs up - tan because I spray tanned last night).

Oh hey there, heeeey!

2016-07-13T21:08:00.002-07:00

Don't worry, it's only been 5 years since I last wrote. I feel like I can catch you up in a sentence: Since I last wrote we moved to Arizona, had a little baby boy named Collin who after 3 miscarriages was and still is an angel sent straight from Heaven. We then moved from Arizona to Minnesota and had a baby girl McKinley who is quite frankly the happiest, dreamiest baby on Earth and now after 3 years here we are headed to Switzerland in the next few weeks to live for...well, quite possibly forever. Joe is still the greatest man I know and still after 13 years of marriage I am even more obsessed with him! Hunter is 10, Paisley is 8, Collin is 3 and McKinley is 11 months. I love my family and we LOVE Earth life! Bam! Look at that, all caught up in the past 5 years in less than a page. And your like, "Hey Britt, that was way more than a sentence". To that I say "Knock, Knock" and you say "Who's there?" and I say "Europe" and you say "Europe who" and I'm like "No I'm not, YOU'RE a poo (Europe who) for getting on my case about it being more than a sentence. Peace out! Also, when I say 'Peace Out' I feel like it is critically important that you invision my inner thug coming out and double tapping the center of my chest with my closed fist, then kissing my 2 fingers (pointer and middle) and pulling out a peace sign with my fingers. Yup, just like that. Peace out!

Super Face Painting Sundays

2011-08-20T07:29:00.000-07:00

A few months ago Brittany and I went to a local park full of fun carnival games and activities. The kids saw the face painting booth and it was all over; they were determined to wait as long as it took in order to look like a bunny or a lion. The line didn't look too long, but 2 HOURS later, we finally got to the front. I decided that if you could get all these young kids to stand in the AZ heat in order to get their face painted, it was pretty dang cool to them. So, Britt and I decided to figure out how to do it...she would do balloon animals and I would be the combo if Bozo the clown and Picasso had a baby (I'm surprised you all didn't know Bozo was in fact a female). The kids now love Super Face Painting Sundays and they get their face painted IF they are obedient and reverent during church. It's been so fun and something that has become our family tradition that we all look forward to throughout the week. Thanks to Britt and the kids for the awesome paint supplies since I could not have learned without their thoughtful gift!

Here are just a few of the masterpieces:

I Miss My Family!

2011-07-05T21:55:00.000-07:00

Brittany and the kids are my life!

Britt has been out partying with the Utah fam and hanging out with the kids and I miss her so much. Life just isn't the same without the loves of my life! I know it sounds cheesy, but it is so true. Although I love our tradition of having the kids and Britt spend time every summer to see her family and hang out with the cousins and UT friends, it isn't easy.

I enjoy everything about life more when Britt is with me. I miss singing off key as I serenade her...all while she keeps trying to say "end scene" to my killer act. I miss Hunter and Paisley also saying, "Dad, please don't make that noice." I miss dancing in the kitchen with Britt and then the kids running up to hug us and dance with us. I miss listening to her amazing insights into life as we talk. She is always so good at caring for others and realizing the right perspective. I miss her encouraging me to magnify my calling to get out and visit more people and serve. I miss her amazing home made sorbet. I miss seeing her be an amazing mom. This is honestly one of the areas I miss the most. I miss seeing her teach the kids and then seeing little Hunter and Paisley apply it and change their behavior due to her example and teachings. I miss her listening to me talk about work and although it is so unbelievably boring, she periodically asks questions to show she cares. Love, thank you so much for being my wife and my life. I can't wait until you come home so we can hang out and I can show you how much I love you.

PS: a plus is that not only does it save money on electric bills during the summer, but it also helps me take a step back and better appreciate what I have. I even spent most of Saturday practicing face painting so I'll be fully prepared when the kids get home. A little less laptop time and more family time when they return, I tell you that!

An Afternoon Tea in Honor of Miss Paisley Anne

2011-05-14T21:05:00.000-07:00

For Miss Paisley's birthday this year we decided on a tea party. We invited 4 of her little friends and their Mommy's for an afternoon tea in honor of our little lady. I'll let the pictures do the talking. Sweet Paisley thanked me after all her little friends left by saying "I loved my tea party Mommy. Thank you so much!" She made all the hours of prep work worth it!

For the Mommies

For the Mini's

Hat decorating

Fruit ka-bobs, cucumber breads, pink ribbon sandwiches, cake, cookies and chocolates.

***Sadly, somehow my computer messed up 1/2 my pictures. The last half. :-( Pictures of present opening, or Joe's DARLING and cleaver stage he made for the ladies to perform on didn't turn out.***

A huge thank you for all you wonderful ladies and little ladies who came. It was lovely to have you there! And also, Paisley says a HUGE thank you for all the crafty, thoughtful and lovely gifts. You ladies are AMAZING!!!!!

Paisley is 3 years old!!!!! (May 11th, 2011)

2011-05-14T21:03:00.000-07:00

Paisley is 3 years old!!!!!!!! Paisley has been looking forward to her birthday for months and in turn we have been too! We had a great time celebrating the day of her birth. I very much remember the joy of the day I had Paisley. I learned a lot about her in the last few days of my pregnancy. I learned that she liked to do things her way (she was overdue) and that she was incredibly thoughtful (she was born on Mother's Day). Those two traits stand very much true still to this day. Paisley has many special gifts that she came to Earth with, but probably her most incredibly amazing gift is her gift of joy. Paisley brings so much joy to our family. She brings joy to all she meets and brings joy everywhere she goes. We sure love our little lady!

They day started off with Paisley's hilarious pose on the stairs. It was unprompted and so indicative of Paisley. Darling! We then settled into a breakfast tea in honor of our little lady. Paisley LOVED it and we all had a great time putting rosette sugar cubes in our fresh morning lemonade that Joe made.

While Hunter was at school and Joe was at work, Paisley and I went on a ladies outing. We went to the Disney store for Paisley to choose a few toys. Super fun!

We got there a little early and Paisley was so anxious to get in that she didn't want to do anything but stand in front of the store scoping out the loot. Even with the play place right across the way, this little lady was determined to be the first in the store by waiting patiently. After stocking up with some Disney goods, I took Paisley to get her nails painted. SHE LOVED IT!
We then went to lunch at played at Chick Fil La then on to the duck pond to relax a bit.

By the time we were done it was time to go get Hunter. When we got home we were pooped! Paisley and I laid down for a cat nap while Hunter had quiet time. At one point Hunter came in my room and said they tea cup was leaking. I told him to put it in the sink and he walked out. All of the sudden I realized he was in his suit and thought maybe I should go see what he was doing. When I got downstairs I found him in his playroom with a full blown tea party set up by him for his sweet little sister's birthday. OH MY GOODNESS!!!!! I seriously could not believe how cute it was. Hunter had opened the tea set that Paisley had just gotten for her bday, set it all up, gotten chips, water and cookies for food, drawn her pictures, created a dance card and gotten dressed in a suit all for Paisley so she could have a special birthday. It was most defiantly the highlight of her birthday!

When Joe got home from work we went to Jonny Rockets for dinner then home for cake and ice cream. It was a wonderful day and all because we LOVE having Paisley in our family!

8 Years Baby!!!!!! (May 10th)

2011-05-14T20:40:00.000-07:00

BEST DECISION OF MY LIFE!!!!!!!! I truly believe that there are many people you could marry and be happy...unless you are me. For me there is just one person. One person that will dance with me in the kitchen. One person that will sing me silly songs at the top of his lungs in the grocery store and one person who love me so much that I never have to question it. Joe, I love you with all my heart. You are my soul mate! Here's to many years more. Cheers!

Hunter is 5 years old!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2011-05-05T23:24:00.000-07:00

I still remember the day I had Hunter. Joe and I giggled as we watched Ellen while the anesthesiologist put the epidural in. My Mom and Joe's Mom where both there lending support and then the time finally came and our sweet son Hunter was born. Joe and I couldn't believe we could have so much love for such a tiny little being. Hunter changed our lives forever that day. I can honestly say and I know I speak for Joe when I say this, that I never knew such joy and happiness was possible, until I had Hunter. Shockingly enough, that joy and happiness increased when Paisley was born! I was terrified to become a mother... I knew I wanted to be one, but being the youngest in my family I wasn't sure how I would be with a baby. Lets be honest, I didn't even care to hold babies until I physically gave birth to one. :-) Oh, how things have changed for the better. Hunter, thank you, thank you, thank you for coming to our family. The spirit you have brought into our house is unbelievable. I look at you with the utmost respect knowing that you know more in your little body with your big spirit than I ever will. It is truly a humbling honor to be your mother. I love you lovey!
Hunter was sure he could jump higher today. I think he is right. :-)
________________________________________________

As far as the super fun festivities of the day...well we let Hunter choose them. He was giddy as he walked down the balloon filled stairs. Thx Joe for your air! We started off the day with Star Wars pancakes. Hunter LOVED his pancakes! He then got to open a few presents, one of them being a super awesome Yoda backpack. Thank you Pottery Barn for making less cheesy/more vintage Star Wars goods.

Hunter then went to school with Star Wars Ship shaped sugar cookies for his classmates while Paisley and I went antiquing at an Estate Sale. Good times, I love our girly outings each week. Joe was a superstar and was able to join us for the rest of the day! As soon as we picked Hunter up, we headed straight to the 99 cent store where Joe and I quickly became the coolest parents in the world when we gave Hunter $5 to do whatever he wanted with. Oh, the pure Joe of being a kid!
After the store we hit Chick-fil-a and then went straight over to the pet store to get Hunter a fish. He chose a darling little beta and named him Bluey.

Then we went back to our house for cake and ice cream and a few more presents (thank you Steve, Sharalee and kiddos - you rock!) and then back out for dinner to Chucky Cheese. Hunter was super grateful and we all had a great day!
The re-purposed bottom tear of his birthday party red velvet cake.

Happy Happy Hunter!

Sweet kiddos at Chucky Cheese
How did they get so silly?
Oh, that's right...their parents are CRAZY!

Hunter's 5th Birthday Party

2011-05-04T21:36:00.000-07:00

Wowzers! Tomorrow is Hunter's 5th birthday. Last weekend we had a Golden Birthday Bash since he was born on the 5th day of the 5th Month and he is turning 5. Hunter went back and forth between a Star Wars birthday party and a Star Wars birthday party...since I had so much to work with, he ended up choosing Star Wars. :-) For the two weeks leading up to the party, the party planning committee (Hunter and Mommy) was in full swing. Hunter sat on my lap as we sewed costumes for all of his little friends. Jedi costumes for the boys and Princess Leia costumes for the gals. He helped me make R2D2 chocolate pops, sat with me while I printed countless cupcake toppers, decorations and such and even slaved over making a Death Star Pinata with Joe. Too cute! It was a lot of work but the end result of Hunter saying, "This is the best day EVER!" made it all worth it. Hunter was a dream for those few weeks. After every single thing I did he would make a HUGE deal about it. He thanked me more times than I could count and offered endless times to help me with anything needed. It made it so much fun!

Nana flew out for the birthday party and helped with the last minute preps. Thank heavens! As the kids arrived, we outfitted them in their Jedi gear and sent them outside to play. Hunter was a darling little host and was so excited for all his friends to come over and play. When the kids and parents arrived, we ate Padawan Pizza, Light Saber Pretzels, Vader Veggies, Millennium Falcon Fruit, and Yoda Soda. The party was hilarious with Joe acting as Jedi Master Joe Skywalker...Luke's super handsome cousin. Joe led Jedi training, the obstacle course and the pinata. Actually, he led the whole party. That was our deal. I do all the prep work and he runs the party. It worked beautifully! The kids were semi interested in the Jedi training, but luckily Princess Paisley Leia was there to give Joe the positive reinforcement of interest that Jedi Master Joe needed. **On a side note, might I say that watching Joe do Jedi training was not only hilarious, but it brought me back to when I first saw Joe and fell in love with him. He was leading a group of college students in silly EFYish games and I could not get enough of him. I still can't get enough of him. ** All the other activities were hilarious and darling and the kids loved it. Most importantly, Hunter was in 5 year old Heaven!

My first...and last Star Wars cake :-) The Setup The Prep Work. Costumes for kids and Joe and I, along with pool noodle light sabers.
Handing out the goods for Jedi Training.

Intense training session!

Hunter taking a wack at the pinata he and Joe built!

Eating time The Princess Leia ladies
Presents!

Homemade R2D2 lollipops made from chocolate

Hunter had a GREAT time and we are so excited for his 5th birthday tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!!!

Paisley - 13th Article of Faith

2011-05-04T21:35:00.000-07:00

Easter Sunday!

2011-05-04T20:44:00.000-07:00

Easter was wonderful! I love Easter. I love celebrating the life, the atonement and the resurrection of my Savior. My life is forever better because of my relationship with Him. It was fun to celebrate the Easter part of Easter, but even more fun and rewarding the listen to the kids tell us the real reason for Easter. Darling!

The Easter bunny got this e-mail from Hunter the night before and lucky for us he left gifts accordingly. This is word for word what Hunter told me to write. So freaking cute!

"I love you Easter bunny. You can get me whatever you want. The real reason for Easter is to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. I don't really like candy anymore but it is okay if you get some for my family. Love, Hunter"

The kids had a great time searching for Easter eggs and playing with their new toys before 9am church. Church was particularly amazing this Sunday! There were 2 little boys who got up and sang like angels and it really brought the whole spirit of Easter in.

The day before Easter we were pulling out of the garage when I saw a bin of things my Mother had given me from when I was a little girl. I pulled it out and found one of my favorite dresses from my childhood. My Mom used to smock the most beautiful dresses for me, so when I pulled one out that had Easter bunnies on it I knew it was the perfect dress for Paisley this year. I had bought her a brand new beautiful outfit for Easter, but somehow that seemed so silly next to this dress. I got tears in my eyes when I put it on her and she loved it just as much.

Easter Fair

2011-05-04T20:30:00.000-07:00

Joe and I got up the courage to stomach a huge Easter fair at the local sports complex the day before Easter. The kids had a blast! Paisley was SO excited to do the Easter egg hunt and tore it up. When it got to Hunter's ago group, he was less than excited and said that since he doesn't really like candy, he didn't want to do it. No worries though, he did wait in an hour long line just to get his face painted. It was TOTALLY worth it! Joe now has carnival aspirations of learning how to face paint. That's why I love him. Totally random, totally awesome!

Love my little
Love my Miss

Love their cute faces!

A Time To Craft

2011-05-04T20:26:00.000-07:00

The other day Hunter came into my craft room and said, "Mom, I want to make a shirt to wear. Can I color on my shirt?" In my head I was thinking NO WAY, but then I remembered my fabric markers I had on my top shelf. I sent Hunter upstairs to get two undershirts and Paisley. The kids then spent the next hour drawing and coloring and having a great time making shirts. They wore them all day with pride. I love my crafty kids! I forgot to snag a picture of them sporting their new digs. Rats!

Beauty & The Beast

2011-05-04T20:19:00.000-07:00

Our friend, Karla, has a little sister who had the lead in her high school musical production of Beauty & The Beast so Joe and I thought it would be the perfect time to show our kids a little culture. They LOVED it! Before the play, Paisley got to have 'tea with Belle' aka Kandace, Karla's darling sister. Paisley was in heaven and couldn't believe she was really seeing Belle. The play was wonderful and Hunter was a dream sitting there the whole time, just loving it. Paisley sat through the first half and was pretty squirmy through the second. She might be a little young for such a long event, but we all had a great time anyway!

Paisley and Belle Enjoying... A little Shy

General Conference April 2011

2011-05-04T20:02:00.000-07:00

This year General Conference was WONDERFUL! I spent hours preparing conference packets, matching games, coloring pages and activities for them so that they would be excited about the amazing event of General Conference. It worked! They looked forward to it like it was a holiday. They had quite the set up, complete with a lap top streaming conference so they didn't even have to crank their necks. :-) They sat and listened most of the time and we had fun too. My parents were in town so that made the few days extra special. I wish I had a picture of them...next time for sure! Conference was amazing and I feel refreshed and ready for the next 6 months until the next one. We are so lucky!

The Setup
The kids loved it!

Hunter's Packet...every time a new person got up or someone said the word, "testimony," they got to each a junior mint.

Paisley's packet Hunter's General Conference setup complete with the prophet guys he has. Too cute!

Happy Birthday Me!

2011-05-04T19:33:00.000-07:00

I had a wonderful birthday this year. We went on a mini bike ride, went to the park and just enjoyed being around each other then went on a hot date with the hubs that night. Thank you Joe and munchkins for making it the best birthday yet! Hunter's modeling pose

Paisley's caught off guard paparazzi photo

Me and the babies!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2011-05-04T19:28:00.000-07:00

This St. Patrick's Day was sweet and low key. The leprechaun was nice and left the kiddos some treats and colored the milk green. The kids loved it!

I love how Paisley is sitting. Very much my daughter!

Utah Trip

2011-05-04T17:53:00.000-07:00

After our stay in Tennessee, the kids and I boarded a super early morning flight to Utah. They were SO excited! We had a great time! We went to the boondocks with Heather and her kiddos, had a sleepover at James and Kierah's with the little boy cousins/BFFs Jake, Bronson and Hunter, spent a few days playing with Kristy and her kiddos and spent tons of wonderful days with Nana and Papa playing, playing and playing some more. All in all, we had a great, great time! We missed Joe on Valentines Day, but luckily we were able to fix that when we got back to Arizona a week later. Good times! Thanks Nana and Papa for such a perfectly wonderful trip!

Dad, Heather, Bella, Maddy, Hunter, Paisley and I
Happy Valentines Day!

The Snowy Wonder...

The Fun...

The Fight...
The Tackle!

The Love...
The Snowman! Bronson, Jake and Hunter. Silly Boys!

Grandpa Earl

2011-05-04T17:38:00.000-07:00

While we were in Tennessee, I got a phone call from my Dad saying he was with Grandpa and asked if I wanted to talk to him. I was able to chat with him for just a second and give my love to him even though we were too many miles away. Right before I hung up the phone, I asked if he could talk to Paisley for just a minute. I had no idea that would be the one and only time they ever got to talk. For years I have talked about taking the kids out to Sacramento to visit Nana and Papa. Hearing of Grandpa's passing brought such a flood of emotions for many reasons, one of them being because I never followed through with my plan to take the kids to meet their only living Great Grandparents. The news of Grandpa's passing came while we were in Tennessee and I'm so glad that it did. My wonderful sister's and Mother in law were all so wonderful and listened to me talk about all my great memories of Grandpa. They asked questions about him and Nana and just let me talk and talk and talk. Oh how I love them! Steve and Sharalee offered to watch Hunter and Paisley so that Joe and I could fly out to be at the funeral and be with all my cousins. The funeral festivities were amazing. It was nice to get all my emotions of sadness out on the first day that we got there because the other days were filled with love, laughter, memories and fun with all my cousins.

Grandpa left an amazing legacy of faith. He dedicated much of this life to temple work and name extraction and I'm sure he had such a wonderful reunion on the other side.

Just a note to tell you what kind of a wonder Grandpa was. A week before his passing he started having serious trouble breathing. My Dad, Nana and his siblings rushed him to the hospital where the doctors were able to get him comfortable and breathing right. One of the nurses informed him that he would be able to go but that he would have hospice workers coming to help him. Grandpa wasn't okay with that because he thought that hospice was a place you had to go and he just wanted to go home. The nurse told him that hospice is there to help the dying pass with dignity, not fear. To which Grandpa said, "Excuse me, you are an observer here, but I know how to die." The nurse looked at him, then looked around and said "Nobody has told me this, but I get the feeling that you are used to being in charge." After a good laugh the nurse went into the other room and said to my Dad, "He said he knows how to die, but how can he? He's never done it before". My Dad replied, "My dad knows how to die because he knew how to live." And he did. Grandpa sure knew how to live. He was amazing, loving, kind, witty and a righteous man. He was sharp as a tack until the day he passed. :-) I'm glad to have those genes!

Nana and Grandpa have 9 children, 55 grandchildren adn 97 great-grandchilren. Their legacy will live on forever!

Grandpa, I miss you dearly and I love you and Nana so much! Until we meet again....

My siblings: James, Me, Becca, Heather, Kristy and Nate

Cassie and the Fam

2011-05-04T15:53:00.000-07:00

When I first moved to Tennessee, I saw Cassie at church and thought - I want to be her friend! She was always smiling and seemed to get along with everybody and anybody. I was preggy and miserable and wasn't in the mood to make new friends. Luckily for me, after I had Hunter, Cassie sprang into friend action and got Hunter a present and sent it to church with her hubs, Josh. I couldn't believe it! Her and I had never even spoken to one another and here she was gifting him a present - from Janie and Jack no less. That was it, ready or not I needed to get out of my shy shell and make friends with this person. I can honestly say that my life has never been the same since. Hey sister, soul sister...

I assumed Cassie was a member because she attended church, but after becoming friends I realized that she was just a super nice wife going to a church she didn't belong to just to make the hubs happy. Over time and after some wonderful missionaries in March of 2008, Cassie made the decision to be baptized. We moved 4 shorts months later. :-( Over the years I have been waiting for a special phone call. When Cassie was good and ready, I got that super special phone call telling me that she had chosen to go through the temple for her own endowment and go through to be sealed as a family for all eternity to her sweet family of boys...That was the reason for the trip to Tennessee.

It was amazing to be Cassie's escort at the temple. We both cried as we shared special moments waiting in the Bride's room together and I cried again as I saw her sweet little boys in pure white suits get sealed to their parents. Amazing, just amazing!

I had to get the typical 'coming out the temple' shot. It was just as great as a wedding day. :-)

The Darling Couple

Love her!

So fun! Our other friend, Brittany Cottle was a worker in the temple on that special night. It was perfect!

The newly sealed family!

Good Ol' Tennessee

2011-05-04T15:52:00.001-07:00

This January/February were happenin' months for our family. We took a wonderful trip to Tennessee, then to Sacramento, then to Utah and back to Tennessee. Let me explain. This trip to Tennessee has been years in the making. Refer to next post about Cassie... Since we were already going to be in TN, we decided to overstay our welcome for a few weeks! Apparently, since Joe has a job, he can't take off for 3-4 weeks at a time so he joined us after 2 weeks and stayed for a week. We missed him terribly and were glad to be together as a family and with his family. The whole trip was amazing and we felt like we had never left Tennessee. During the time Joe was there, a phone call came that my Grandpa had passed away. Sharalee and Steve, Dave and Trish and Mom and Dad Nabs were so wonderful and said that we could leave the kids in Tennessee and rush to Sacramento to be with our family. *Refer to Sacramento post.* After 3 days in Sacramento, Joe flew back to AZ and I flew back to TN to get the kids, then turned around the next day and the kids and I flew to Utah to visit my family. Here are a few pics from the TN stay. Loved it!
The two preggy sisters, Mama and I at Chaffin's Barn dinner theatre. Such a fun girls night out!

We celebrated Grammy's birthday! She turned 32 again!

Cute Hunter and darling Ryan. These boys are like 2 peas in a pod!

The kids enjoyed some "good ol' country time" with Grandpa. Paisley fell in the mud right before this picture, but don't be deceived... she enjoyed herself!

More time with my sister's at Meridee's Bread Basket. Love that place!

An appropriate airport picture :-) Elvis anyone?

Merry Christmas from the Nabrotzky's

2010-12-31T20:05:00.001-08:00

Christmas 2010

2010-12-31T19:10:00.000-08:00

This year was our personal family year for Christmas. We are on a fabulous 3 year rotation for Christmas traveling. One year we go do Christmas with my family, the next year we travel to do it with Joe's family and then the 3rd year we stay home and build our own memories. We LOVE it. We are lucky in that we didn't have to go completely familyless because Joe's oldest brother Dan lives about an hour away from us here in Arizona, so they came over for Christmas Eve. We did the nativity and it was wonderful.Paisley absolutely loved being the only girl and took her part of playing Mary very seriously, even down to the part of holding Joseph's hand. Her poor cousin Luke is not used to having a girl around and he wasn't totally thrilled about the constant hand holding. At one point during the night our door bell rang (Thanks nephew Josh) and as we all ran to the door there were 4 presents waiting outside for us, with our elf sitting on top. It turns out that the elf that had been watching us to make sure we were being good had brought us some matching Christmas jammies. That night after Dan and Rebecca's family left, Joe and I sat down with the kiddos and read The Night Before Christmas and just played. It was great.
We then tried to let the kids sleep in the same room, but sadly that was a mess. The rules were that they couldn't come out of our room (where they were having the sleep over). After about an hour, I thought I would go in and check on them. Poor Hunter was crying and Paisley was giggling under the covers. Both Hunter and Paisley asked to sleep in their own rooms. As I was walking Hunter to his room he looked at me and said, "Mom, my prayer worked". I asked him what he prayed for and he said that while he was crying, he wanted to come out and tell me he knew he wasn't supposed to get out of bed. In an effort to be as obedient as possible he decided the only way to get what he wanted was to say a prayer. He said he asked Heavenly Father to please send his Mommy upstairs to take care of him. He just kept saying, "it worked, it worked!". Sweet boy.
Christmas morning was a dream. I had told Hunter about my family's Christmas tradition growing up where all the kids would sleep in the same room and in the morning, in order to wake up our parents, we would sit on the stairs singing Christmas carols. So....early Christmas morning I heard two sweet voices singing Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer.
I quickly grabbed my camera, woke up Joe and then ran to my bedroom door, only to find the two sweetest kids sitting outside our bedrooms doors in their matching pajamas singing to wake us up. LOVE THEM! We all quickly ran downstairs to see if Santa came, and of course once we saw our stockings we could see that he did. The kids were giddy and one at a time opened up their stockings.

Then as then went in to the kitchen to eat the breakfast Santa had left us they saw a note from him...the big guy...the one we call Santa. It was a note telling the kids that they had done such a great job this year and telling them that he was impressed about specific things they had been working on. Then Santa said that he had hid their Christmas gifts from him and they needed to go on a scavenger hunt to find them. Santa must be Christian because each stop on the hunt talked about different parts of Jesus' birth and what we can learn from them. Finally at the end, the kids found their gifts. It was a fun way to do things and it also helped them remember what Christmas is all about and why we give and get gifts. The munckins were SUPER easy for Santa this year and asked for some low key, yet very important gifts. Every time we asked them what they wanted for Christmas they said the same things over and over. Paisley wanted a pink bear and star cookies. :-)

Hunter wanted a red light saber. Santa brought all those things and even made fresh sugar star cookies wrapped in cellophane with a bow on it. I think Mrs. Clause may have had something to do with that.
Paisley's pink bear had a message from Santa in it that said, "Ho, ho, ho. Merry Christmas, Paisley". She was giddy! The rest of the day was spent opening gifts, enjoying the gifts, watching Christmas movies and taking naps. It was WONDERFUL! One of the sweetest things happened on Christmas night. We put the kids to bed and after about an hour or so we heard Paisley singing from her room. As I sat outside her room, I could hear her new jewelry box that Hunter had gotten her for Christmas playing it's ballerina music. I quickly called Joe upstairs to listen with me. Finally we went into Paisley's room and sat on her bed. She looked at us and said in her sweet little fairy voice of hers, "Hunter got this for me. It is a LOVELY gift!". She adores Hunter and he adores her. A very Merry Christmas indeed!
P.S. This is what Christmas Eve morning looks like in Arizona. We use this great swing set daily.

Meet Fern...

2010-11-29T20:19:00.000-08:00

Dearest Fern,
You are not just a typewriter, you are part of the family.
Lovingly,
Your Mother

More To Come...

2010-11-29T13:06:00.000-08:00

We got our family pictures done last weekend by the wonderful Candida. Love her! I haven't seen all the pictures but I am in love with this one. This shows perfectly the phase of each member of our family. Paisley screaming... Hunter being goofy... and Joe and I working to stay sane through it all. More pics to come. Thanks Candida, you rock my world!

http://elenamariephotography.blogspot.com/