Temple Square

 The night before we came home we were able to go see the lights at Temple Square!  I love the lights at Christmas!  I love Temple Square any time of the year!  I don't know that I would recommend going over Thanksgiving weekend.  I think it may be all of Utah's family tradition.  It was like Disney land!  

Curtis Photo bombed when I was trying to get a picture of the tabernacle!  I love him so I kept it!

We met Brandon's Mom, Myrna there!  We had a great time visiting with her for a little while.  There is never enough time though.

Austin and Jamie came to see us too.  It's always great to see everyone when we come for a visit.

Juliet had fallen asleep before we left so she stayed home with Nana and Papa.  We missed her but I was glad she stayed back because it was COLD!  

Curt and Grace came with us though and I love love love having them with us!

Christmas tree decoration 2012

Decorating our Christmas Tree!  We are almost at the point where we need a new tree.  My kids all get a new ornament every year.  One from me and one from Nana and Papa.  (So really two)  That is 8 new ornaments a year.  It is getting a little squishy but I love our tree every year.  We put it up the day after Thanksgiving.  This year we had to wait til the weekend after we got back.  I hated it!  I like to get it up right away and start enjoying it!  It kicks off the holiday season for me!  

Darby's ornaments are all snowmen, Max is Santa, Dash is Reindeer and Juliet is Penguins.  That way when they leave they will have a tree of amazing matching ornaments.  Each one of their ornaments is different but in their theme.  My tree is very eclectic but very much matchy too because of the themed ornaments.  I love it!  Another one of my favorite traditions.  Juliet introduces herself as Juliet ZuZu Penguin Jeffords.  (Because that is her ornament she thinks it is part of her name!)  Cracks me up!

The Parkers!!!

On our way home from Thanksgiving our car broke down.  I don't even remember the city we were in. Somewhere in Southern Utah.  I obviously wasn't planning on stopping anywhere long term because me and all my kids were in pajamas.  I posted on fb that we were stranded at the McDonalds waiting for my brother to come fix our car and who should walk/run in?  Our good friends the Parkers!  Jake is one of Brandon's best friends and Alison and I have been close for a long time!  We hadn't SEEN each other I think 7 years.  (Even though we talk on the phone often and follow each others blog)  It was REALLY good to see them!  Just what I needed!   I will have to tell a story about how inspiring Al was to me on this trip another day!  All I have to say is, life changing.  I am forever grateful for that little brakedown and for their mis fortune of having illness on their road trip home.  It made it so that they were a day behind on their trip!  The Lord works in mysterious ways!  

I sure wish we could all live closer!  Look at those kids!  They would have the best time together!  Thanks Al for all you do!  Can't wait to share my story and how much you helped me!  I love you to bits!

Juliet's birthday with Nana and Papa!

This is the gift Nana and Papa gave her for her Birthday!  She was REALLY excited!  For one thing....look at it!  Art kit galore!  For a second thing it was her first birthday gift of the year!  She was ready to start celebrating her special day!  

Juliet and Nana!

Juliet and Papa Gail!  She loves her Papa!  I love that she has her hand up on his chest.  It is like she was just making sure he was really there.  Sometimes she pats his cheek or plays with his necklace.

HORRIBLE picture of Juliet but I LOVE LOVE LOVE my mom's cute smile and twinkly eyes!  Juliet LOVES her grandparents.  I think she would move in with them if we would let her!

Nickel Arcade!

For C-Doggs birthday we went to the Nickel arcade!  My kids LOVE this place and I love it because I can give them all $2.50 and they are gone for a few hours.   They love it because they feel like they have a million dollars!  

She is still only 3 here.  Just for a few more days but she is growing up so fast that I love that she is still only 3.

She and I hit a jackpot on this game and won like 250 tickets!  That was FUN!

Until she got impatient waiting for the tickets.  She was ready to go play more games!

Juliet thought she was really riding.  We didn't put any money in and she rode for a good 5 minutes!

Best buddies!

These two hit a couple jackpots too!

Amanda and Rye!  This was one of the first times we met Amanda!  We had a great time with her....little did we know that she would soon become a part of our family!

My hot date for the day!

She would spend all her money on the rides if I would let her.  It was Curt's birthday and I didn't get a single picture of him?  Lame!

Dinner with Besties!

When we went to Utah over Thanksgiving we got to go to dinner with some of our favorite people!  Nat and Dane!  My parents gave me a gift card to a place they would never go (given to them by work) and so we all went out to see if we could spend the chunky gift card!  I don't remember the name of the place but we spent all the money and had SO much fun together.  Probably a place we will never go again because of the price.  We always have a great time with the Sanfords.  We were missing the Thomas' and the whole gang would have been back together!  Next time!!!

Words to live by from a Sassy little Lady!

Sassy little lady!  

This little lady came to me the other day and told me I had 2 choices.  I could make her a snow cone or get her some ice cream.  "those are your choices mom"  After laughing for a minute I told her that I am the mom and I am the one to give the choices (obviously....she learned it somewhere)  The next day she tried it again to no avail.  I told her I was the mommy.  She informed me that she would give daddy choices then.  So that night she told him "Dad here are your choices!  You can take me to Yogurt Land or Basket Robbins (love how she says that) or you can be grounded"  Add a little force and get what you want?  He chose to be grounded.  So she said with inflection in her voice...."From t.v.?"  He said ok.  "AAAANNNND video games?"  he said ok.  "And you have to take me for ice cream." 

She is a sassy little lady and I love her for it!  She will forever keep us laughing and on our toes!

Thanksgiving 2012 and Tepanyaki

When ever we go home to Utah we try to make it to our favorite restaurant at least once!  This time we dragged my dad....he hates it!  Tepanyaki will forever be one of our favorites!  

I swear none of them can make a straight face!  We have a LOT of fun together!

Love this picture!  I hope that they never all be too old and too cool to take sweet pictures like this!

Then we hosted Thanksgiving at my parents and Ryeley's house!  Some of my favorite people!  (Don't you love the fine china we use?   we are all about the paper products even down to the tablecloth.  Then when it's time for BINGO you just roll it all up into the paper tablecloth and most of the dishes are done!!!)

Joel and Nick!  Two more favorite people!!

And don't forget these people!  Juliet is in the traditional turkey shirt that my mom made for Darby and all my kids have worn.  She and my dad used to have one too.  I think I can only get one more year out of it.  That will be a sad day when we have to retire it.  I think I will have to  make a pillow or something out of it for my  mom!  After dinner we moved on to our traditional BINGO game with TONS of prizes.  It was a great year and we had tons of fun with our family.  BINGO is a tradition that is almost over 25 years old.  I love love love it and shop for it year round.   My kids LOVE it!

Turkey Bums 2012!

Yes!  I'm on Thanksgiving!  Only a few dozen more posts and I will be caught up with 2012!  

We do these happy little Turkeys every year at Thanksgiving.  It is fun to see what our kids are thankful for every year and how their "feathers" change over the years.  These are lovingly called "turkey bums" because the first year I made them they looked like a bum.  They are different every year but the name stays the same!  Turkey bums! 

Juliet's Turkey.  She needed help writing but she told me everything to write.  She was thankful for Candy, fun activities, her family, my little ponies, when daddy comes home, for making things, toys and Jesus.

Dash!  This year he wrote all his own.  (with illustrations)  Music, Jesus, Art, Movies, Piano, the Temple, family, and of course Minecraft! (the computer game....for out posterity when there is no more minecraft!)

Max!  HE was thankful for materials, food, art, videogames/minecraft, the temple, books, his comics that he draws and family.

Darby, Darby, Darby!  She amazes me!  She is Thankful for:  Akish (the scriptures....it's a family joke), Freedom, Music, minecraft (ugh), her Great grandpa (she really misses him) Josh Hutcherson (she thinks she will convert him then marry him), the Gospel and her family!

Brandon is Thankful for his Brood, Animation, the Temple, Democracy (election year), ME (his Esposa), his testimony, imagination and Technology!

I was/am thankful for My best friend Brandon, the atonement and forgiveness, Ginger-Snap and Callie-Co (our cats), My clients, (they are the best and they make my job SO much fun!), my peeps....I would be lost without my girls, laughter, and of course Diet Coke!

One of the best part of the traditions is that anyone who comes into our home we have them write a feather and put it on the wall too so by Thanksgiving we have a wall full of Thankful!

This year we went to Utah for Thanksgiving so we didn't get nearly as many feathers as we usually do. It was still pretty special though.  One of my all time favorite traditions!