New Years @ Noon!

This is so my kind of celebrating. YES!! New Years @ Noon.. I am not the biggest party animal on New Years Eve. I am not real excited about being on the roads on New Years Eve. We celebrated at the Riverwoods, Provo Beach Resort. They had a little celebration. It really was so much fun. Face Painting... Balloon animals.. treats.. games.. FUN!

That evening we ate.. and played games.. and went to bed early. :) Happy 2013!

Skiing

We have started skiing!! Yeah!! It finally snowed in Utah! We waited and waited for that fluffy white stuff to come. We even had a white Christmas. The children are more fearless this year than last. We have been having a very fun time up at Sundance. We even got Lo*Bug up there once. 

Barrett Crashed Big time. Alexander has to spray him and tease a little. Boys will be boys!

 Maxie boy! He is just so cool these days. He had to do a "Black" right away. I don't know why.. maybe to see if he could still do it. Check.. he can. :)

 Alexander.. posing for mom. 

 Skiers!

 Dad and Twinners. I would love to be an icicle on their chair ride. 

 GO Max!

 Two thumbs up from Mom! I love being up at Sundance. It is a good time for me to have a mommy break while I am still being a mom. :) I always feel refreshed and ready to tackle my crazy world after a few hours up in the mountains. Happy Place for me for sure.

 If you can't find me or the children.. hopefully we are at the mountain.. 

Watsons 2012

Here we are.. all seven of us. 

 This kind of looks more like how I feel most days.. Yep.. that's us.

 My handsome Max. I can't believe he is 10 years old. Where oh where has the time gone?? Max is in such a fun stage. I love it that he will just chat it up. We can talk about books..  and hobbies.. and turtles.. what he likes ..  of course what he doesn't. He has real opinions and thoughts about the world and his life. Opinions. He has lots of opinions. Lots of fun. I love it.

 Alexander (8). Some days he is wild.. Other days super crazy and bouncing off the walls.. But then there are those days he has these tender moments were he is so sweet and has such a tender heart. I love it when Alexander and Barrett sneak a hug and say, "best mom ever!" I love it! I love it so much! I know it won't last forever so I am soaking it up. Grateful for CRAZY!

 And Grateful for "Long Hair ~ Don't care!" This Barrett Boy is awesome.. I think he is pulling ahead as Dad's favorite. (Shhh .. don't tell the others.. :)) He is just such a good boy. He really puts his best foot forward in everything he does. Today he told me... "Mom.. thanks for teaching me piano.. I really like playing!" What? True story. None of my children have ever said that. "Best Barrett EVER!"

 "We are like one!" I have never really got to into the whole "Twin thing." You know.. the dressing the same.. calling them "the twins".. I have tried so hard to treat them as Alexander.. and Barrett.. I mostly let them dress themselves. I never called them "Twins".. or "like one." That is all them. The one thing I know for sure is that they were suppose to come to earth together. I just feel like they have this super special bond.. 

Brothers for sure. Best friends always. 

 Jacqualynn Grace (7) I love this girl. Jacq is good at pretty much everything she tries. She is a perfectionist for sure. She is good at academics, karate, piano, reading, swimming, drawing. She is so thoughtful. When I write that she writes the best notes and gives the best hugs.. I mean it. So thoughtful. Plus she is so dang cute. Love you lady.

Lola (3) I honestly don't even know where to start with this one. Spunky. Sassy pants. determined. She is truly a kick in the pants. When Lola is around there is never.. and I mean NEVER EVER EVER EVER a dull moment. I would write her latest on here, but .. but.. but.. I won't.. ha.. Tim just might kill me.. Some things are just meant to not be wrote down.

 Love my little friends. LOVE!

 ha! This is awesome.

Riverwoods

We decided to go check out the lights @ the Riverwoods. This is such a fun little Holiday stop. There are lights everywhere.. Santa pictures.. music playing.. horse rides.. Little fire pits on every corner.. 

As we pulled in, it just happen to start raining.  

That didn't stop us from staying.. and playing.. and of course having a really good time. 

Barrett Boy

 Lola Marie

 Jacqualynn Grace

 Conley Crew

Besties.

 Watson Children. They were so excited to be there ~ I could barely capture a picture of them.

 "Santa, I would like an American Girl doll." {Jacq)

 "I like purple .. and ponies.. and rainbows.." {Lola}

 "I want MONEY!" I have no idea were that came from. Honestly.. I was a little taken back.. 

There is never a dull moment when Alexander is around.. 

 I mean look at that face.. Even Santa didn't know what to say.. 

Max believes.. This Santa was the real deal. Max asked for a new pair of ski gloves.

Barrett boy asked Santa to make it stop raining for Christmas. Some days.. I wonder what the heck i am doing wrong as their mother.. Bless them.. Santa is magical .. but he is NOT mother nature.

We never did make it to the Mall Santa.. so this will have to do as our 'Santa picture" this year.

 I believe.. the whole darn family.

Auntie, JD and their crew.

 Max really is such a good big brother. 

 WAHOO!! I need rose covered glasses.. I would put them on and only see butterflies.. not the crazy wacky wild that I usually see.. Nope.. None of that.. I would just see flowers and rainbows. I NEED these.

FIRE..

I think this was a favorite part.

This year we even did the carriage ride .. rain pouring down and all. We had a great time.. 

Thanksgiving

Gratitude is something we try to talk about in our home all year round.. grateful for our family.. and our house.. and clothes to keep us warm.. and food to eat.. and other little things.. like no arguing on a car ride.. or socks without holes.. or the sun shinning.. etc.. During the month of November I set a notebook on the table and called it our family gratitude book. I loved how we filled those pages with all the things we were grateful.. every single day..

 Here are some of our gratefuls. I am grateful for.. *YOU. (mom) *Food. (Alexander) *House. (Barrett) *good family. (Jacq) *Clothes. (Jacq) *Worms. I like worms. (Lola) *Awesome Nieces and Nephews. (Auntie) *everyone. (Taylor) *Lola's happy Dance. (mom) *Mom and Dad. (Barrett) *Children's testimonies. (Dad) *Grandchildren. (Gpa Watson) *Pets (Max) *Mom and Dad. (someone?) *thankful book. (Barrett) *Warm November days. (Mom) *Animals like dogs and bunnies and hippos. (jacq) *Me (Max) *electronics. (Max) *Electricity. (Max) *Family and Jesus. (Hailey) *I am thank you for my Daddy, my Hailey, my jewlery. (Lola) *I am thank for Hershey and Carlos. (Auntie) *Animals (Barrett) *Beds. (Max) *Candy (Max) *Books (Max) *Hershey. (Alexander) *Piano. (Barrett) *Scouts. (Barrett) *friends. (Barrett) *warms Socks. (Auntie Nana) *shows. (Alexander) *School. (Barrett) *words. (Barrett) *colors. (Barrett) *Gym time. (MOM) *Rainbow. (Lola) *For being a mom. (mom) *For life, and the world, and air. (Jacq) *Animals. (Lola) *Chips. (Jacq) *for the gym. (again.. Mom) *water - so we don't all stink. (Jacq) *blessings. (Jacq) *Hot showers. (Mom) *Potatoes. (Alexander) *Toothbrush and toothpaste. (Barrett) *Science. (Max) *Quiet nights. (Dad) *Grateful I'm not the turkey. (Dad)

 There you have it.. I was going to keep going.. but I decided to move on.. More gratefuls next year. We were so lucky to be invited to Aunt Jen and Uncle Ross's house in Midway for Thanksgiving dinner. They just recently moved back to Utah after being homeless for almost a year. It is very fun to have them back..
Lo*bug and I.

Jacq relaxing.

Crazy Uncle Ross.

Lucus.

Cole guy.

Crazy.

Sissy and JD.

Maxer.

Taylor Jade.

Barrett.  {Long hair ~ don't care}

Alexander.

Max again.

Grace.

Uncle Jon and Jax.

Baby Jax. He will probably be 10 and the Watson children will still call him "Baby Jax." :)

Aunt Lyss and HR. Gobble Gobble.

Crazy. (again)

Alexander.

The Mr. and I.

Happy Happy. Gobble Gobble.