A Trip to Temple Square

to celebrate the season!
to remember the Birth of our Savior
and the birth of our first born son.
Remington

What a feeling!
The kids couldn't wait to hop in the pool!


Of course only a cake with a Big Truck would do :)

Some awesome Legos from Uncle Blake, Aunt Judi and Jack

A Turbo Bike from Mom and Dad

An Art Sketch book from Grandpa and Grandma Nield

I think the mud boots were the biggest hit. Go figure!

Thanks Mendoza Family for the John Deere Hat, Wranglers and candy

and to Grandma and Papa for the Money and to
everyone for the Birthday Wishes!

Love you.

Putting up the tree

Things have changed a bit since I was little. For one, I don't think we ever had a fake tree until after I went to college and how I miss the smell of a real Pine. I remember how excited I would get when dad would bring home a live Christmas Evergreen from the tree lot in town. It was so exciting to hear dad in the garage sawing off the end and waiting for him to bring it in the house so we could inspect it under the lights. Granted, it wasn't always the best looking at times but mom was always creative and found ways to hide the bare spots with dried wheat grass and pine cones. I never really cared what it looked like. I just couldn't wait to get the lights and the ornaments out to decorate it. And that's another thing that's changed. It seems that most trees now are decorated with clear lights, but when I was a kid only colored lights would do. I still remember when mom insisted on using clear lights and I thought is was so boring...but they've grown on me and that's what we use on our tree today. What I loved and still do about the trees from my childhood was how we always used the same ornaments. Many were homemade, some were store bought, but each one held a special memory . . . like the little porcelain Santa Clause ornaments we bought and wrote "I Believe" on the back to remind us of the Thanksgiving we spent in Denver with my sister and we went to see the movie "Miracle on 34th Street." I've tried to pass on that same tradition to my children as Eloy and I always try to collect an ornament for every vacation we go on so that we can look back on those special times and remember them each year as we decorate the tree. After all, that's what Christmas is all about, cherishing the memories we have with one another.
Though our tree is somewhat different from that of my childhood, I think I'm learning to treasure it all the more. Each little homemade ornament is a symbol of how precious childhood is and how quickly it passes. As I sat by our little tree in the quiet evening after the kids were in tucked in bed, I saw the cute little beaded candy canes and drums that Ember made me last year in preschool. I noticed the little Winnie the Pooh Hallmark Book ornament I bought for Remington on the Christmas he was born and smiled at the little Popsicle framed ornament he gave me last year and I knew for certain that our little tree couldn't be more perfect for me!

As the years go by, I'm learning that we don't have to let go of the traditions of the past, we can add and mingle new ones along the way. Funny how some traditions come together with much thought and creativity and others are just born by accident. All the same, what would life be without them?

Since it was always a highlight of mine to put the star on the tree, we wanted to give each of our kids a turn to do the honors!

Youngest goes first!

Ember's Turn

Good thing Daddy is strong :)

One little Mischievous helper!

So Much To Be Grateful For

It was our year to be with the Nield family for Thanksgiving this year and we hosted dinner at our house for the first time. In years past we have been in Wyoming, Utah, and Nevada so why not Idaho? The weather was sunny and nice and as we went around the table and spoke of our blessings we all had much to be grateful for. As always, my dad reminded us of what his Grandpa had said many years before,"We may not have much, but what we have is good."
Certainly, we had PLENTY and it was very GOOD!

Everyone was able to make it with exception of Blake, Judi and Jack who were busy getting ready to move into their new home.

Markel made these cute little name place settings out of White Chocolate and after they set up, she placed them on a miniature cupcake brownie


Our Feast
Our Turkey came out perfectly browned and moist. (Thanks for the cooking tips Mom and Dad.) Now, I can actually feel comfortable doing my own turkey in the future.

While the women were busy in the kitchen, the kids had fun lighting fireworks in the yard with Uncle Eloy. It seems that lighting fireworks has become a tradition whenever we have company!

Ember, Blaze, Kaidence, and Remington

Blaze, Chase, Remington, Brooki, Ember, Parker, Payton, Kaidence, Sophia

It's not Thanksgiving without Mom's yummy pies, especially coconut cream pie!

Uncle Bryan helped the kids build a block tower.

Mindi, Sophia, Brooklyn, Markel


Brooklyn didn't want Grandpa to leave

Mindi brought Christmas ornaments for the kids to paint

We went to see the light festival at the Square in Rupert. It was COLD!