Advent Activities

This year we have been busy.  Kya and Zander helped me make an advent calender with fun activities to do each day.  They love to have projects and fun things to do.  We've made wreaths, watched Christmas movies, made hot cocoa, opened presents (books to read stories each night), made tree ornaments, decorated our tree, visited Santa, did some Christmas shopping....and a few things I DID get pictures of.

Made gingerbread houses....Kya was very excited about this activity.  Zander just wanted to eat the candy and pile everything up to make a "dinosaur"...he is very into dinosaurs lately.  What a funny kid.

I saw this activity on pinterest and since we live in the desert and we really don't get much snow around here...last night we build our own snowman indoors.  The kids got a kick out of this.

Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas

So we have started our Christmas celebration with decor and parties.  Last saturday we had our annual ward Christmas party.  Always a fun night.  The program was the primary kids singing.  Santa came for a visit and the kids love sitting on his lap.  Kya makes me laugh...she whispered in my ear, "mom, I don't know what I want for Christmas"...she was very concerned that she shouldn't sit on Santa's lap because she has nothing to tell him or ask from him.  What a funny girl.

We made ornaments and decorated our trees.  This year I made a very simple advent calendar and each day the kids pick out an activity to do that day.  One day we spent making ornaments, then we decorated one tree, we've cut out snowflakes from paper, wrote letters to Santa, decorated our "family" tree, opened a present {book} and started reading children's classics...among other things.

Here are a few pics of holidays so far...

 

Spudnuts at Gma Great's

As a child, I grew up traveling a lot as an "army brat".  Visiting my only living grandma was just about every other year for family reunions.  I don't remember doing a lot of baking with grandma.  Carl, however, grew up going to his grandma's house who lived just 15 minutes away and baking with her. 

So today, Carl, the kids and I, went to Great Gma Gloria's to make spudnuts.  It was so fun and great to make the memory.
Spudnuts are donuts made with potatoes...its an Idaho thing, I think.  I am so excited because its a secret family recipe and I don't really have any of those.  So if you want these delicious, taste better than Krispy Kreme donuts, you will have to just have me make them for you.  I am not the "chef" in my family...I cook because we have to eat.  I am a good cook, I just don't like doing it as much as other stuff.  But when I am in the mood to bake and make goodies...its quite fun.  I am mostly excited about the fact that Carl's grandma trusts me with a secret family recipe...that's cool. 

Thanks Great Gma for letting me make a "baking memory" with you.  I have plenty with my mom, but not many with a grandma.

Doesn't Carl look so cute in his grandma's apron...what a manly stud.

B.S.U. ya baby

Carl has always been a BSU fan...I am fairly new to the team.  So, for Carl's 32nd birthday, I got him tickets to the BSU vs TCU game a few weeks ago.  It was not their best game, and we lost...but it was so fun to go with Carl.  Its been awhile since I have been to a football game, I used to love going to games...so it was fun, cold, but fun.

I love that the kids get into it too.  They didn't get to go to the actual game, but they wanted to wear their gear and cheer the team on...so fun.

For those of you who are "not counting"...it has been a while since I have posted.  I have been super busy with both businesses and my kiddos...sorry.  Better late than never though.

Here is my halloween post.

Kya decorating her pumpkin for the school contest

BATMAN

MERMAID

Trunk-r-treating

Ozzy got in on the fun.  This is our new puppy.

Trick-r-treating

Kya's kindergarten class with Ms. Anderson.  I got to help with her school party....so much fun.

Check it out!

Kya was in the paper today...how fun.  Check out the story HERE

Conversations with Kya 3

Driving home from basketball last night Kya says,
Kya:  "Mom, Mrs. A told me a secret and said I couldn't tell anyone, but I really want to tell you."
Mom:  "Kya, you can always tell mom anything, even secrets"
Kya:  "She told me that 'q' and 'u' are married"

Inside I am busting a gut...must have been learning about the letters q and u being "stuck" together in words.  I love that she wanted to tell me a secret and talk to her momma.

Hogle Zoo

I have been wanting to take the kids to Hogle Zoo for quite some time now...but I never seem to find the time. Well, since it is hunting season and Carl is gone hunting a lot, one weekend the kids and I (well really me...it was a surprise for the kids) decided to pack up and drive down to Salt Lake. We stayed with my sister Melanie and hung out with her. Friday, Alicia (who was down in Provo anyway) and Jacque came up the Hogle Zoo with us. It was so much fun. The kids love seeing the animals. Kya said she wants to work in a zoo...surprise, surprise. I call her my "animal whisperer". I really think she speaks to animals and understands them.

It was so fun hanging out with Melanie and her family. Jenna (her oldest girl) loves animals too and she and Kya got a long great. Jenna helped Kya learn how to draw horses...so cute. We sure missed Carl, but he was having fun hunting the animals...haha.