Getting ready for Christmas and what was to follow it...

Smiling big for Chirstmas!

Okay, so this year has been really hard for my husband and I to get into the spirit of the season. But bless my sons heart he wasn't about to let that happen. When we finally got our tree up he always wanted to to turn the lights on. But we didn't get our Christmas lights up outside until a week before Christmas. Cash would ask why we didn't have our lights up like everyone else. It finally got to me and I did them. Almost killing myself in the process.

Trav makes a cute Santa. Yevette and her smile!

Big boys in little coats. Go Benni, Gary and Trav.

Ben and I had the opportunity to go up to Cedar to have a little Christmas/Benni b-day bash with our friends. We had a great time (as always). We want our friends there know that we really appreciate them and love them with all our hearts. Gary and Linda, Trav and Yevette are two of the greatest couples we know. They bring so much to our lives and we cherish them.

That following morning Ben and I went to go pick up his boss's tractor from Trav's house. What a adventure that was. It wouldn't start so they had to pull it with the digger. Funny cause Ben got stopped half way up. Those two men are children at heart!Ben and the tractor event. Fun stuff!

So as the season neared us I did not go shopping until a week before Christmas. I did it all in a couple hours. I know I am so lame for waiting but that is how it worked out this year. My dad helped me get it all together for Cash and thank goodness Kandiss helped me out with Gabby. She got the cutest water baby and sent it here a week before Christmas.
Now, as for Christmas Eve, we went to Ben's family for a couple hours and then headed over to Grandma Greats. We decided as a family that we would stay the night and open presents with Grandma. It was kind of a long night. First off, Grandma would not go to sleep and needed to go to the bathroom every half hour but didn't do anything. And for all of you that know, it got harder and harder to lift her. Plus, she was not very nice. She was really agitated. Finally, she got to sleep around 11:30. We had to do Santa and so forth. We finally got to bed around 12:30 and then my son was having nightmares all night. And it was really freaking cold at my Grandma's. So the kids woke up around 6:30 and we did presents. Cash wanted to open everything all at once. It was funny cause he wasn't into Santa this year. Acutually, Santa freaked him out when he say him. So he kept saying "Ask Nana and Papa to buy it," with everything he wanted. Gotta love it.

So we got ready and went to Ben's family for breakfast and then headed back to Grandma's. We spent the afternoon there. Kids dd not get a nap at all. So by the time we left around 6pm on Christmas the kids were exhausted. Cash was acting sick. But we finally got home and settled in. Cash was up all night coughing. So I thought he was sick. I was wrong!

Which brings us to Puke Feast 2009! Gabby woke up around 6am and started vomiting every 20 minutes. It sucked. I felt so bad for her. She finally started to vomit blood. So I took her in around 3pm because she got so lethargic and not really responding well. The doctor she had the flu but she was vomiting blood. He sent me home with phenagran suppositories and to give her a tsp. of Gatorade every 10 minutes. If she can't keep that down to take her to the hospital to get hydrated. Well, we didn't go to the hospital. Just a really long night once again. So the next day we did the same of more puke. She started to slow down with the puking and we thought we were over the worst. Then around 6 that night Cash started puking. It was SOOOOOOOOO much fun!Sick kids. Felt so bad!

They are on a slow mend but Cash might have the chicken pox. We will find out tomorrow. But it was funny to see all the towels and laundry we had to do and the little beds we made for the kids in the living room.All the laundry and the sickies!

All in all, besides Puke Feast, it was a good Christmas. I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and I hope it was as wonderful as ours. (PS We did video of our Christmas so I will get pics up later of the kids and new toys.)Linda Lou and Benni. Happy 32 BDAY!

Last, but not least, I want to tell my husband a HAPPY BIRTHDAY, today! I want him to know that I love him so very much and I appreciate that he works really hard for our little family. Times have been tough for us but he is our rock and our provider. So with that "HAPPY 32 BIRTHDAY, BIG DADDY!"

Thanksgiving and more...

Gabby saying, "CHEESE" as we get ready to leave for SLC.

It has been a while since I last blogged. Just been real busy and getting ready for Thanksgiving. But we went up S.L.C. for Thanksgiving. We had dinner with the Millgate's this year. We had it at my sister's ward house in Stansbury. It was a good time. It was mostly my dad's brothers and sisters. While, we were there we had news reporters show up because there was a press conference for the guy that got stuck in the Nutty Putty Caves. His family was in my sister's stake. So we got talking to Max Roth with Fox 13 News and he wanted to do a segment on people who had been in the caves. So my dad, Jeff (brother-n-law), and myself all have been in them. So we got interviewed. And on Thanksgiving evening we were on the news on Fox 13. Crazy to see myself on TV. It is sad to know that someone died in that cave. The whole thing is scary and very sad.Family pictures.

On Friday morning our family got up and went and did some family pictures. It was hazy that day. So everyone who knows when it is hazy in Salt Lake, means COLD! We were out by Great Salt Lake and my daughter and the other kids were whining about being cold. It was a good time but stressful. When you have that many people it is hard. Then Benni flew home that afternoon and I was left alone with kids. Fun for me! No, it wasn't bad because my family helps me a ton.

Whitney, Kandiss and I. The 3 sisters.

Kandiss getting eyelash extensions.

On Saturday, my dad, Kandiss, and Jeff got ready to got to the Holy War game. My brother-n-law is a huge BYU fan and the rest of us are born and raised Ute fans. So it is rather interesting to have a game of both teams.

Talmage decked out for the game. We took it off after Jeff left! :)

So my mom, Whitney, and myself had all the kids. 5 kids under 6. Um, not fun at times. We took them to the Living Aquarium and lunch. They loved it. Especially, my kids. Cash loves fish. And Gabby loved the octopus. It was active that day. So we watched it for a while. Then that evening I had a chance to go out with my friend Jes. We had a really good time. It makes me really glad that I am not single. Man, how lame people are when they get drunk. We sat back and laughed at how many people act like idiots.

Gabby and Nataly on the frog.
Nataly, Gabby, Squid, and Cash
Cash loving the fish.

Sunday we returned home. Thank goodness my sister who drove because I was so tired cause I only got 3 hours of sleep from getting home late and kids waking up early. We had an awesome time. I want to say one thing that I am grateful for, and that is my children. They are my blessing and answer to my prayers during this hard time. I truly love being a mom. So I am thankful this year for them and the sweet smiles they give me every morning.

With that I want to tell everyone Happy Thanksgiving!