Christmas 2011

This Christmas was great.  For some reason we didn't feel the same rush that we have in years past.  Maybe it was because Emma had surgery a few days before so we weren't out and about as much, or maybe it is because I was more prepared (I wish), or maybe it is just because we slowed down a little bit.  Whatever the reason, it was a great holiday season all around. 

This year we bought a real tree - our first real tree since before dental school.  We thought it was going to be a giant pain, but we loved it!  In fact, we got rid of our fake tree soon after Christmas. 

The kids received their Christmas ornaments, and had a great time decorating the tree. 

Christmas morning came early, but everybody was so excited, and the did let us sleep until 7:30.  I wasn't going to complain too much, because I think they had been up since before 6:00. 

Emma had a t-shirt made for Lincoln.  She thinks Chuck Norris is hilarious. 

Ted finally got a decent TV to put out in the garage for when he is on his bike trainer. 

Lincoln got some more motorized projects to build as well as an Ipod Touch.  Sam's favorite gift was a rock tumbler.  He put that one to immediate use. 

Tessa got her walking dog (which Jack hates and she loves to have it walk after Jack).

Emma got an I-home and was happy to never awaken to buzzing noises again. 

She also got this Donovan Jersey (soccer player for those who don't know). 

I got plenty for Christmas too - they just came (or are coming) in the form of house projects.  :)

 

The picture of this owl is in here because he sat in the tree by our house all through dinner.  I'm sure he was waiting for Jack to come out and become his next meal.  Since that time we have seen two owls.  I'm hoping that since Jack is still around and unscathed that that means he isn't interested in our little black dog.  :)

It really was a Merry Christmas!

A Day In the Life of Emma

In the course of 24 hours Emma went from this.....

To this (her Junior High Choir Concert)......

 To this...having her tonsils and adenoids removed. 

She doesn't get sick, but they were so large they were obstructing her airway.  They had to come out. 

 Here are her adoring fans waiting for her to wake up from anesthesia.  She did great, and lucky for us she is kind and patient when she isn't feeling well.  Oh wait.....well, she did great.  :)

 On the way home from the hospital Tessa saw how  much ice cream we were buying her, and she has requested that she be next to get her tonsils and adenoids removed. 

Tessa has been busy.....

Tessa has been busy.  She had her first day of preschool and could hardly stand the wait.  She.  Was.  Ready. 

She also learned how to ride a two-wheeler.  She is officially the  most determined (nice way of saying stubborn) 4-year-old I know.  When she wants something she does not quit until she gets it - and this time it really worked in her favor and she is loving riding a bike like the "big kids." 

Go Big or Go Home

Ted and I took a quick weekend trip to Texas - and it was big, and not all in a good way.  It was a BIG deal to fit it into an already jam packed fall schedule.  

It was a BIG headache coordinating end of season soccer tournaments, basketball games, birthday parties, and traversing to and fro (seriously - our babysitter had seven soccer games, two basketball games and two birthday parties scheduled - we didn't make it to all of them. :)

Tessa threw an enormous BIG fit one evening and wouldn't cooperate with anybody.  They were at the park and people were watching the babysitter thinking she was trying to kindap our feisty 4-year-old.

But...

While we were there we went to this BIG Texas stadium and walked around oohing and aahing at the Cowboys stadium (Ted's favorite since he was a kid). 

We watched BYU vs. TCU - and they lost - but it wasn't by a BIG amount. 

And I sat next to this guy for four hours straight with nobody asking for help going to the bathroom, nobody wanting to talk about Halloween costumes, Jedi attributes, gymnastics routines, soccer, space, or who knows what else.  And we needed that.  BIG time!

 Yeah.  I loved Texas. 

Lincoln turns 12!

This sweet boy of mine turned 12 today.  He is getting the priesthood in church.  He is about to attend Junior High full time (he already attends first period there for math and then heads back to sixth grade in elementary school).  He is growing up, and I can't stop it.  Dang it. 

For his birthday he wanted an NCAA football game.  That was it.

 

 But he was a good sport and was excited about the clothes and the scriptures that he got too.

For dinner he wanted bacon cheeseburgers. 

And he didn't even mind when his sister had to be in all of the pictures.  :)

But the real hit of the night was when he opened up his very own phone.  This is him doing his happy dance.  I couldn't even get him to sit still for a photo. 

Happy Birthday, Lincoln!

Grandma and Grandpa and the pumpkin patch

Yes.  It is almost Christmas.

But it's time for some serious catch-up.

This fall we were excited to have Grandma and Grandpa Wagner visit, and we tried to soak them in as much as possible since they were about to leave on another mission.  This time around Grandpa is going to be second counselor in the Paraguay Temple Presidency. 

So we visited our pumpkin patch for a small and "homey" experience picking pumpkins. 

The kids enjoyed a good old fashioned tractor ride out to the fields. 

They scoured the fields for the perfect pumpkin. 

And did some serious posing.  She is a pro.  Seriously.  (Heaven help us through the teenage years).

And to finish it off, the kids had some other activities they were interested in participating in at this "small" pumpkin patch:  Swings, jump houses, corn maze, hay bale maze, paying a small fortune for some homemade donut holes, and....

bull riding.  I think Linc lasted 2.3 seconds??

Nothing like a small hometown visit to a local pumpkin patch, eh?