Grandma Jo's Christmas Party

Minute to Win It-Christmas Style

Our family party has had many themes throughout the years--this year it was Minute to Win It. We had several challenges. They were fun to participate in and even more fun to watch everyone else. We ALWAYS have fun together, no matter what!

Face the Cookie
Jingle in the Trunk
Ruldoph Nose
Kleenex Pull
Stack the Golf Balls
M & M munch
Elephant March
Balloon Air Blow
Christmas NUT Stack
Ping Pong Ball launch

We had great food and then of course PRESENTS! Grandma Jo got all the little kids a bike like toy. They had so much fun scooting those things around the gym at the Jr. High. There is also a ramp that they got flying down it. It was the perfect place to play on them. Bailey got Loopz. It is a game based on memory. Yep, you guessed it-she beats me every time.
We had a talent show. Bailey and Wade played Christmas songs on the piano. Bailey also played the recorder that we learned in school. Chase is pretty cute when he sings "I'm getting nuttin for Christmas" but he decided having everyone watch him was just too much.
The night ended with a very competitive basketball game. We have some great ball players in the family.
It was a GREAT party!

Christmas Morning

Christmas morning came VERY early this year, in fact, I'm not sure we had a Christmas night where we slept at all. At 11:00 (yes p.m.) Bailey and Wade woke up and saw that Santa had indeed been to our house. Well they thought they had slept an entire night, not just an entire hour, and were extremely mad when I told them to go back to bed. Well they sat in their rooms and cried and tried to sleep for and every 10 minutes asked if it had been long enough. Finally I figured we were all awake so what the heck! At midnight we started rippin' open those presents. It is so much fun to see the excitement on those kids' faces. I loved every part of it. Bailey's favorite things were a puppy purse and a camel pack. Wade loved his lava lamp and his baseball bag. All Chase needed were his Mickey Mouse and his pillow pet. They all got a wii, and were so excited about that. It has been a pretty cool morning!

Christmas Eve-Hansen Party

It has been a tradition for 34 years to spend Christmas Eve in Elmo with my Grandma Hansen. When I was little, it was the most anticipated day of the year-even more so than Christmas Day. This party was always the most fun part of the holidays. We always had a talent show, Santa, leg wrestles, ham and chili, and of course a fun activity outside. We loved to ice skate on Grandpa's pond at the farm, or catch air while being pulled on a sled behind the truck (Kirk really shouldn't drive!), or sledding down Salt Lake Knoll. I always looked forward to the presents too. My grandma would always make something special for the girls. I have many handmade dolls that I treasure.

So this year was no exception. We went to Elmo for a Christmas Eve party. We ate chili and ham and homemade bread. We played fun games. Some differences this year were that instead of homemade presents, we had poopy "literally" white elephant gifts. And instead of playing in the snow (it was 50 degrees outside) we had to ice block down the hill instead. It was great fun to see everyone fly down the hill. There were some pretty awesome trains made. It felt like summer, but it was great weather for ice blocking.

Christmas Eve-Jeffs Party

This year for the party with the Jeffs family, we went Christmas caroling. Lee hooked up a wagon, and with all the great grand kids, it quickly was filled up. We enjoyed the ride around town singing songs and filling the town with Christmas spirit. It is fun to see all of my cousins and their families. We wish you a merry Christmas!

Snow Day!

It definitely looks like Christmas after this last snow storm. It snowed 18 inches in one day, and school closed on Wednesday. I couldn't get my kids to come inside. They LOVE to play in the snow. It was dark and late and James just kept pulling them around on the sleds out back. Chase is relieved that it snowed, because Santa can pull his sleigh much easier.

We also got to make snowmen. We made three: one was a cowgirl, one became a baseball player, and the third little one was a bow hunter.

We also have a friend with a great tubing hill. So we spent our snow day off of school sledding down the hill.

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas!

We had our first of many Christmas parties this weekend. It was the annual Huggard party.

We drove up the night before. It's a tradition to drive through the lights up north. We loved the lights at Thanksgiving Point but we loved the live reindeer even more. We watched the two reindeer and even got to pet them!

The Huggard party was with Grandpa Huggard and his family. It was fun to see everyone. We played some games, and then the highlight of the party showed up--SANTA! Wade wanted a pillow pet, Chase said he wanted some legos and Bailey wanted a purse. They all got a present and a bag of candy. They all had big smiles.

After the party, we went ice skating at the outdoor rink in Midway. It was SO MUCH FUN! The weather was absolutely perfect! We had fun doing tricks, racing, playing tag, and line dancing on the ice.

Bailey skated like a pro. She enjoyed skating on one leg.

Wade was also amazing. He was doing all kinds of tricks, including full spins and jumps. I was surprised at how easy skating was for him.

Chase was skating pretty well by the time we left. He could do it all by himself.

Decorating the Tree

MAKE EACH DAY YOUR OWN MASTERPIECE!

It's the little things that bring happiness-like decorating the Christmas tree. It was so fun to see the excitment of these three kids as they made our tree into their masterpiece.

How many people have to use 9 foot ladders to decorate the tree? James lives by the rule, "Don't short yourself in the land of the plenty!" That goes for our Christmas tree every year!

Posing for a picture with Santa!

The best gift ever, if being together!

Bailey made the formation, and Wade was the photgrapher!

Happy Thanksgiving

Turkey, trees, shopping at two o'clock in the morning, and toys down the toilet-that was our Thanksgiving!

After we got our tree and got off the mountain, Grandma Jo had gingerbread houses for us to make. They turned out so cute and each one was very unique. Wade put the frosting on, added the candy and then ate it right off. Bailey's was perfect, and Chase just enjoyed every minute of it.

All four families went up to Joes Valley together this year to cut down our trees. We found a tall, skinny one this year. After the gigantic tree last year, I got to pick a skinny one this year. Chase took the chain saw and took the first cut, then helped his dad bring it back to the truck.

On the way up the mountain, the kids took turns riding on the sled. This is ALWAYS fun, no matter what!

This is one of Wade's favorite thing in the whole world!

Aren't they such a cute bunch!

For Thanksgiving this year we went to Elmo to celebrate with the Hansens. All of my cousins were there except for Ty. It was great to see everyone. Our family grew by 4 this year, and they were all baby boys. We had a great dinner and played some very entertaining games. The men shot through quite a few shot gun shells.

Bailey got into a very exciting card game.

Chase colored a cute cup. He really had fun playing with Kade and all the other little kids.

Wade thinks Colton is the coolest kid ever. We were really excited to see Colton walk into Thanksgiving. He is a little stiff, but moving pretty good.

Turkey Winner!

Bailey won the basketball turkey shoot. She won out of all the fourth and fifth graders. She made the most baskets out of 10 shots. Way to go! She won a frozen turkey!
She also won the Hoop Shoot at shcool. She really loves basketball!
Keep shootin' Bailey!

Herding Cows

Riding back to get the truck!

Bailey and Tylee

Oh, Oh, Oh, Stuck Like Glue-You and my baby are stuck like glue!

Me and Chase-We are best buds!

Head 'em up, move 'em out!

We love going on the desert to move cows, and this weekend turned out to be perfect! All we need is a few more horses. We love going down the river to Fuller's Bottom. Jana and Kyle had brought the cows down from the farm during the week. We took the cows from Hambrick Bottoms to the water trough near Fuller's Bottom. My kids loved every second of it. Wade was so excited that he didn't have to share his horse with anybody. Bailey was happy to run through the river and get us all wet. Chase was happy (until he got cold) and then was happy to be playing in the dirt with Kade. James was happy Chase got off so that he didn't have to ride double. I was just entirely happy to be on the desert. It is my favorite place in the entire world.

I bet I have ridden the trail down the river over 100 times. Riding that desert is my strongest and best memories of my dad. As we rode, it was funny to reminisce. I could think of a story for almost every bend in the trail, every tree, and even every bunch of tamaracks. My dad and I definitely had lots of unforgettable moments on that desert. The place where the dog ate the sandwiches, or where Jodi and I saw a porcupine. The sandy spot where Dolly would roll over every time we went through it. The place in the river where Jasa and my mom came close to drowning. The place in the river where my dad swam his horse for a mile and couldn't get out. The best spot to swim in the river, or the place where my dad packed all five girls across so that we didn't get wet. I could go on and on.

It is days like these that I really miss my dad. It was a great day, but it would have been better to hear his laugh (I won't ever forget his laugh). I really love my dad. I really love and cherish all the time that we spent together.