Live Nativity

We went to a Live Nativity tonight & it was beautiful, although the 2 hour line to get to "Bethlehem" with 4 little ones was rough! There was a full moon, but in this picture it looks like the Star of Bethlehem! I was amazed at the selflessness of the stake who put this on. It was elaborate & very well done. Some fun things they did along the way...

Camels, sheep, goats & calfs. The kids loved the animals!

It was V E R Y chilly!

Once we got in the building that was "Bethlehem", it was suddenly very peaceful & quiet compared to being outside. There were chickens everywhere that just sat there & let the kids pet them.

After walking through many different shops & the Inn, we turned a corner to see this amazing sight. I had to hold back the tears. It was definetely worth the wait.

Turkey Day

It is our tradition to spend Thanksgiving in Idaho with my Mom's side of the family. It's the only holiday we get to spend with that side, so we really look forward to it every year. We have missed it the past 2 years, because our kids were at bad ages to go. Luckily, we made it this year & had so much fun :) Bella is such a Daddy's girl now & noticed that Daddy likes to lounge around, so she started joining him! She will only lounge like this when she's with Len!

My cousin's hubby, Todd, playing on the floor with Bella & his son, Ethan. Ethan & Bella are bestest buddies! They planned their trip to earth together & were born 10 days apart.
Kindred spirits :)

The chef's, my Auntie Gayle Sue & Uncle Randy. They are the best cooks & part throwers ever!

The real "turkey"!

Luckily, I was able to pick up a few sets of Lego's for the trip & when the boys got restless pulled them out. They kept Mack especially busy, which is such a good thing!

Bella helped Mommy make chocolate pies :) Yum!

We drove back from Idaho on Friday morning & went straight to Len's family party. We were so pooped, I forgot to get my camera out, so we don't have any pictures of that party. The kids needed a break from sitting & the Ayers party is perfect for that. We meet in a church building & the kids can run & get out all their energy. The men play basketball & the girls sit back & chat. It's wonderful :)

Now..... on to Christmas! Whoa!

no turning back now

I think the holiday's are officially among us. We got so lucky this year that is stayed warm & we actually had a real fall! The kids had so much fun playing outside & jumping in the beautiful fall leaves.
Sweet brothers!

Checking out the snow :) Now that the snow is here, it made me realize how close the holiday's really are. Now they're sneaking up on me & I'm starting to panic! I love the holiday's & want to relish every moment, but there's always so much to do. We're starting our Christmas shopping tonight because there are so many good sales already. Plus, we will be on the road coming home from our Turkey Day party in Idaho on "black friday" morning! Darn- I'm going to miss the adrenaline rush of the early morning crowds shoving & running through the stores. It's one of my favorite holiday traditions! Maybe I'll have to hit a few stores in Idaho before we leave!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Cute video of Bella's first time playing in the leaves...

Cutie patootie!

While I absolutely love my boys to pieces, they are at that stage of their existence where Wii, Star Wars & Legos are the best things ever! Mom usually takes a back seat to these things (unless they get hurt and need a bandaid & a magic kiss). Bella, on the other hand, is at the stage in her existence where Mommy is the best things ever! It's my favorite stage!

I could stare & kiss her all day! She get lots of attention & love! Daddy, her brothers & I all tell her often how much we love her. She's started to say it back....in case you miss it on the video below, it's the cute "iwuvu" that sounds alot like the dogs on America's Funniest Home Videos that have been taught to say "I Love You"!

Swimsuit optional

Len has been working ALOT lately- really ALOT! I've been trying not to complain, because I know that of all the things in the world to complain about, my husband having a job he enjoys is hardly worth a peep. But, I am a girl & I have been taking care of 4 little kids essentially alone while trying to work on weddings, cleaning the house, cooking & doing way too much laundry, so...I may have peeped a few times lately. Len actually caught on & planned a few nights away in Park City- just the 2 of us. Whoa. That NEVER happens! It was a fabulous few days to re-connect & remember how much we really love each other. We had tons of fun & talked about things other than the kids & the conversation lasted more than 30 minutes! We stayed at a gorgeous hotel. Our room had a private patio with it's own hot tub, overlooking a golf course, with the ski mountain in the background & a clear starry sky with a full moon. That's all I'm saying about that!
I love Len.

Someone has Daddy, aka "McDreamy" wrapped around her little finger!

It's a little lady bug!!! She's suddenly such a Daddy's girl, which Daddy loves!!!

We had a secret agent roaming around our house all week. He took his job very seriously, but luckily he found our house to be terrorist, boogie man & bad guy free.

...although, he did find a scary green skeleton! Turns out the skeleton wasn't so scary & he was best friends with a tough army guy, who was protecting our house too.

It was the safest Halloween we've ever had!