PERFECT SHOES!!!!

After much searching, we finally found the perfect shoes for Trudis wedding! Green & black snakeskin "witch-toed" heels!
What more could a bridesmaid want???

Wedding Day

THE WHOLE GANG

Tyler & Trudi in about Five Years - what?????

I love Beverleys face in this one.....stepford wife anyone??? haha!

Here Comes The Bride!

Anyone who knows Trudi, knows that she never thought this day would come. She had labelled herself "Sister Eternal" or referred to herself as "eternally single" for so many years, you would think the girl was in her 60's and had never had a date!!

Well then Tyler showed up. It didn't take long for them to decide they were meant for each other and after about two months of dating, they got engaged. He swept her off her feet with his dashing good looks and fun personality (although I personally think she liked his rendition of "A Whole New World") haha...... All the family felt like they were great for each other and Tyler just fit in the family like a piece of a puzzle. We love him!

So they tied the knot Friday January 9th 2009 in the Las Vegas LDS Temple. It was a cold, windy day but Trudi looked beautiful (as did her sisters - lol) just kidding.... After pictures at the temple, everyone drove to Alamo for a family lunch and the reception. Everything was perfect!

B-B-B-Benny and the Jets

This was the scene at our New Years Party....literally 30 seconds before midnight!

We kicked off the party at 5p.m. when Mandy and Lucas arrived with the Karaoke machine. Unlike other karaoke parties Ive been to, it wasn't hard to get people to sing. We had to pry the microphone out of Lucas' hands (a couple of time through the night - haha). Tyler and Trudi showed up and Tyler showed us his "skills" which were quite impressive. The kids got in on the action with "Hit me with your best shot" and "Girlfriend" It was then I wondered if we needed to get the edited versions.....haha! Sam, the kids and I sang one of our family favs "We are family" and after a little "Benny and the Jets" it was off with the kids to bed.

Joe and Amy arrived and we pig'd out on my version of Cafe Rio's Pork Barbacoa Burritos and Salad. Someone should have brought BEANO for the guacamole, beandip and salsa - NICE! But it all tasted great...... We watched 24 Redemption and made fun of poor 'aul Jack Bower being tortured, had another round of Karaoke and then launched a game of RISK. The new version of Risk took a little getting used to but in no time we were taking over the world...well Lucas was..heehee! OH NO.......7 minutes to midnight.......BUST OUT THE MARTINELLI's (Apple Cider).

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

So now its 2009.....a new year! I love the fresh feeling that comes with a new year. It seems that resolutions are defeated before they even get off the ground but I do think it's a great opportunity to reflect on the past year and see how we can improve ourselves physically, financially, mentally and spiritually. I'm excited for some of the things I want to do this year and really want to be a better self in 2009. As our children get older I realized that "time stops for no man" so my main goal this year is to make the most of my time during 2009, hmmm it even rhymes........wheres that karaoke mic!!!

Opening Presents

Santa Came

........AND HE ATE ALL THE COOKIES!!!!

Christmas Morning

Since we've been in this house we've had a new Christmas morning tradition. The kids' bedrooms are downstairs and our bedroom is upstairs with the Christmas tree in a room on a middle floor in between our floors. SO if the kids come up to our room they would see what Santa brought and that would ruin the fun of Christmas morning for Sam and I. So we devised a plan last year. We give Baili my cell phone so when they wake up they all get together and call us on Sams cell phone. Then they have to wait behind a baby gate until we make it downstairs to pick them up. It's so funny to hear their phone call......"WE'RE AWAKE, GET UP...COME GET US......" I had to make the rule that Sam doesn't choose that time to start teasing the kids with "Oh let us just sleep for a few more minutes" which he usually does anyway - ha! Once we hurry and check that Santa did come, this is what we find when we make it downstairs. I love the excitement in each of their eyes.......it's the best part of Christmas morning.

Snow Play

Some pictures from our snow day. School was cancelled so we went to the one patch of snow left on our side of town, which happened to be a great big hill, and played. The kids had lots of fun. Then we went to 7-Eleven and got hot cocoa......did you know they sell hot cocoa??? I didn't......pretty good!