Happy New Year!!!

For New Years Eve this year, we had some of our friends over to eat tons of yummy food, and play games. The Smiths and the Robisons came and of course we had a blast!

Whitney with all the fun games!

Halle and Dalaney...divas as usual!

Do ya think we have enough food?!?

Ethan and MaKay thought the race track was so funny! We were just happy that it kept them entertained!(:

Nothing like a good game of Settlers!

Dustin doin' a little Neil Diamond.(:

All of the kids celebrating the New Year...(at 10:00pm). Ethan did NOT like the noise!(:

Cute Bridger

Some of the tired kids.

Us and the Robisons. We tried to get a kissy picture, but Whitney told me that I looked like Susan Boyle in them, so I'm NOT posting them!(:

Snow Fun!

We finally got some snow again the other day, and my first thought was to take the kids sledding. Then I remembered that I have five kids, one of which is a baby, and one that is a fun 3 year old. So, instead we decided to hook the sled up to the 4-wheeler and ride around the neighborhood. We decided that it was WAY more fun to do that!(:

Christmas is over...it's time to RELAX!

I LOVE the day after Christmas! Mike always gets the day off, so we call it our "stay in pajamas and relax all day" day! This year, I did have to get dressed for a little bit, because Dalaney woke up with Strep Throat. So not fun! So I took her to the clinic to get a shot. By the afternoon, she was feeling a ton better. Our day pretty much consisted of Band Hero, playing with all the new toys and gadgets, watching some new movies, eating pizza, and of course relaxing!
A little Band Hero anyone...!?

Christmas Day!!!

Ever since Mike and I first started dating, we have had breakfast with his family on Christmas Morning. I love being able to spend the day with all of the Smith family. Now that there are 19 grand kids (all under the age of 12) it makes for a fun and crazy day. After we have breakfast, the kids get to open all of their presents from Grandma and Grandpa and from each other. All of the grand kids draw names, and get a book for the person that they drew. After that, the adults get to play a white elephant type game, but with really good gifts. Cathy and Dennis buy gift certificates to Taipan, Rod Works, Home Depot, Cabelas, etc. and we all get to roll for them. We got Rod Works and Home Depot this year (yay!) After that, everyone tries to relax and re coupe from the morning festivities.

Spencer

All the chaos we call "complete joy"

Katelynn waiting "oh so patiently" to open her presents.(:

Grandma and Grandpa got the kids Band Hero for the Wii. They really were a lot more excited than they look!(:

Spencer's cute baby wrangler bum.

Mike and Matt decided to buy their dad a gun. Not just any gun, a really fancy gun! So everyone chipped in, and he LOVED it! We thought it would be funny to wrap a set of toy guns. He opened those first. Then he opened his new Holster, then the gun. So fun! The picture of Mike and Matt is them totally taking over the gun and messing with it!(:

Ethan got a fun tool set from grandma and grandpa

We played a fun and very intertaining game of quelf.(:

playing quelf

of course, DESSERT

I love this picture of my cute Christmasy boys.

Christmas Morning!!!

Christmas finally came...and it was super fun as usual at the Smith house!(: The kids woke us up at 5:30am. I got up and showered, and got ready for the day (The kids can blame my dad for that tradition!) Then we went to get the kids. We always talk about the true meaning of Christmas and have our family prayer before we open presents. We had a great Christmas! Whitney got a camera, Katelynn got a ripstick and a sewing machine, Dalaney got a doll and a Nintendo DS, Ethan got a fireman dress-up, Nintendo DS, and a car track, Spencer got a couple of toys, Mike got me a laptop (yeah), and I got Mike a Wii hunting game to go with our new Wii. We totally went overboard...like we always do, but it is so fun to see all the kids faces on Christmas morning!

My sweet grandma gave me Diaper Disposal Bags...I love her!(:

Dalaney with her new doll.

Christmas Eve 2009

This years Christmas Eve, was TOTALLY different then it normally is! Usually we celebrate Christmas Eve at my parent's house. We always meet around 3 and let the kids decorate a Christmas tree with Grandpa (my dad). Then we have a yummy dinner, do the nativity, and then the Christmas elf knocks on the door, and brings all of the kids their Christmas PJ's. Well, this year my brother's appendix decided to burst a few days before Christmas. He lives in Vegas, and we all know that he wanted to have my parents all to himself for Christmas!!(: Just kidding Dave! He ended up having major surgery, so my parents went to Vegas to be with him and his wife. He is doing great, and we are SO glad that everything went well. We love you Dave and Linds. So without my parents here, we really didn't know what to do for Christmas Eve. When Mike got home from work, we decided to load up the kids and head to IHOP for dinner (so yummy!...said totally sarcastic!) after that we went and visited with my grandma, Jason and Lorelei, and my aunt Beth who was visiting. Then we headed home. The Christmas Elf still found us and brought PJ's for the kids. Once we were all snugly, we watched the newer version of Miracle on 34th street, and then went to bed. It ended up being a really nice Christmas Eve. We missed being with everyone, but it was nice to be together with our little family too.

Katelynn and Spencer all ready to go to IHOP!

Doesn't that look like the best Christmas Eve dinner ever!?!

Spencer opening his Christmas Elf Present.

Dalaney with her Christmas PJ's

Ethan with his Christmas PJ's.

The kids decided to go out and leave some food for the reindeer.(: Don't ya love Ethan's pink boots!

Katelynn and Whitney sportin' their new PJ's.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

Our Favorite Decorations

I thought that I would blog a few pictures of our favorite Christmas decorations. Christmas time is so fun, and now that the girls are older, they have started to love to do the holiday decorating. I love that they get just as excited as me at the store when we find a cute new decoration. I don't know how smart this was, but clear back in November, I took the girls to Taiwain Imports to look for some new Christmas tree ornaments. When we were done, we had spent a lot of money, but we also had a lot of fun new ornaments.
The girls were really excited to help me modpodge this star. I looked everywhere for the perfect paper, and I was really happy with how it turned out. We also made countdown blocks with the same paper.I FINALLY finished all of the stockings! I started these when Whitney was a baby, and with each new addition to our family I have made a new one. Finally the set is complete!(:This is one of my favorite Christmas quotes. It is in the grinch movie. I make my kids read it all season long!(:We love our countdown stockings. I made them for a super saturday a few years ago. The girls love to fill them with hershey kisses and little candycanes. For some reason, all of the kisses get eaten, and all of the candycanes get left in the stockings.(:I love having our home decorated for the holiday! Don't love taking them down so much, but we enjoy them throughout the season.

Rockin' with the Rockettes...and Grandma Great

My sweet Grandma called me the other day, and asked if I would have any free time before Christmas that I could bring the kids to her house to watch a movie. Of course, I will always make time for my grandma, so we went the day before Christmas Eve. Grandma had tons of snacks and treats for all of us while we watched the Rockette's Christmas Special. I love that my kids get the oppurtunity to spend time with their Great Grandma. I love her so much, and she is such a good example to me and my kids. I already told her that we are planning on doing this again next year.(:

Christmas Stuff

About a month ago, Ethan started going to the Head Start Preschool at our school. Because of his "super happy personality," and his "super patient personality" I had him tested, and he qualified. He goes two times a week and he is loving it!! It's been fun to have him bring home all of his fun Christmas projects.

Santa!!

This year at our Dentist's Christmas Party, we of course got to see Santa! I love that my dentist does this, because it gives the kids a chance to see Santa, and it saves me from having to drag all my kids to the mall to see him. I thought all the pictures turned out pretty cute this year.

Whitney

Katelynn

Dalaney

Ethan loved Santa!! He gave him probably about 5 hugs!(:

Spencer wasn't as sure as Ethan...and I think Santa's hand is on my hind quarters!(:

My cute fam!