Our Christmas Progressive Dinner...

Each year we have our traditional "Progressive Dinner." This gives us all a chance to see each others houses decorated for Christmas, and to get a picture of all the kids by every ones Christmas tree. So what we do is start out with appetizer's. This year it was at the Carson's home.

Matt and Mandy's Christmas Tree

In the past we have had just three houses to go too, but now that Quint is married we have four homes. My mom is always in charge of bringing a Christmas book to read to all of us. Usually we have her read it at the dinner home. So this year having four homes we decided to have a "Christmas story house"....luckily for me, that was my house, I didn't have to worry about a thing!!! That's okay I don't feel too bad seeming I had to do the dinner last year!

Grandma reading the story

Uncle Shawn telling his own Christmas story...more like teasing!!

The Carley Christmas Tree (you can't see much of it!)

After the story we headed to Shawn and Aimee's house for some dinner!!

Shawn and Aimee's Christmas Tree

After dinner we headed to Quint and Jen's for some yummy dessert!!

Quint and Jen's Christmas Tree

Wow, what a night! I think everyone had a great time. I know I did!!!

Happy Thanksgiving...

I love Thanksgiving. Its such a wonderful day to reflect on what I am truly thankful for. I want my kids to know what a special holiday this is. It seems that Thanksgiving just gets past by, it goes from Halloween right to Christmas. It drives me crazy. I have quite enjoyed my Thanksgiving decor and I'm sad to see it all go. Don't get me wrong I do love Christmas, I just wish we could all take time to really enjoy the one holiday that isn't about worldly things....just family and being thankful!! Oh, lets not forget the turkey and pie!!
So I asked Ashlynn what she was thankful for, this is what she said...
-My teddy bear
-My Family
-My Toys (of course!)
-My Bed
-My Pajamas' and Clothes
-That we have a House
-Myself (I think this one is very important)

I asked Mitch...
he said, "I don no" Then with a little help from his sister he said...
-Toys
-Bed
-Ball Game (he came up with that one on his own!)

I came up with 10 things I am thankful for. The list could have been a lot longer but I decided to just stick with 10, so here they are....
-My Husband
-My Kids
-My Family
-My Home
-The Gospel/Our Savior
-Our Freedom
-Girls Night Outs!
-Family Traditions
-Date Nights (when possible)
-My Friends

Normally we eat at my parents house for Thanksgiving, but this year we went to Quint and Jen's house. It turned out really nice. We had really good food and a lot of it!!! It was a really good day!









I hope everyone had a great Turkey Day....Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Happy Birthday Greg!!!

Greg's Birthday was on the 15th. (If you haven't noticed I'm a little behind on my blogging!)
Anyway, I took Greg out to dinner for his birthday while the kids stayed with my parents....thanks again Mom and Dad! When we got home after dinner Greg opened his presents!! The next day we went to Quint and Jen's house for dinner and some Birthday Cake.

Greg, I hope you had a great birthday....I love you so much!!!

Greg opening his presents

Daddy's little helpers!!

Who is more excited....Greg or Mitch???

Getting ready for some Birthday Cake...yum yum!!!

Happy 80th Birthday Grandma...

My Grandma turned 80 years young on November 8th. My mom and her sisters put together a party to celebrate that day. It turned out really nice, I think my Grandma quite enjoyed herself, I know the kids did. They had a blast running around, playing hide and seek, and who knows what else. Their oh so sweet cousin Allyse even took them all outside to play on the playground...she is the best!!!

Happy Birthday Grandma! I am such a lucky girl to have such a sweet loving wonderful Grandma and Grandpa for that matter!! Thanks for always being their for me....I love you!

It's Halloween Time...

We started out our Halloween week by going to the Wadley Farms costume party. We had a lot of fun. Greg and I even took 2nd place in the costume contest!!

Disco King and Queen, Hannah Montana, and Batman!!!

Sasha, Lily, Ashlynn and Me

On Halloween Ashlynn, oh I mean Hannah had her school parade. Mitch and I went down to the school to watch all the Kindergartner's go in and out of classrooms to show the other kids their costumes. They all looked so cute!!! They also had their Halloween party that I got to help with. I was in charge of Halloween Bingo...it turned out really cute, the kids seemed to have enjoy themselves!

Halloween night we made are rounds, which includes a trip to Grandma and Grandpa Thornton's to show them their costumes and get some candy of course!!! Next we headed to Aunt Ted's house. She is 96 years old and will turn 97 next month!! She is still quite spunky and quite mean with her cane so you have to watch yourself around her.... don't make her mad!!! No, she really is a sweet heart! She loves to see all the kids, she even made them all a special Halloween goody bag. After that we headed home for our wards trunk-or-treat. Ashlynn and especially Mitch was loving all the candy! They had a lot of fun and got a lot of candy! My parents came down after to see the kids and Mandy brought her kids over to do just a little bit more trick or treating!!

Me, Hannah Montana and Batman with Grandma & Grandpa Thornton

Brady, Allyse, Sami Jo, Caden, Mitch, Ashlynn, Emmi, & Bridger

Sami Jo, Bridger, Ashlynn, Mitch, Aunt Ted, & Emmi

We love our Aunt Ted!!!

Ashlynn and Skip

What a day....I think by the look on Ms. Montana's face that its time for bed!!!

Carving Pumpkins.....

Every year we have a pumpkin carving party at my parents. They are definitely sports to let us all bring are pumpkins to carve. Oh the joys of carving pumpkins....the slimy hands, the big mess and not to mention pumpkin seeds everywhere!!! I'm sure glad Greg is willing to tackle this activity with the kids each year!!! I don't really have the patients for it. :) Along with carving the pumpkins we also frost and decorate sugar cookies...yum yum!! Now you know the kids love that!

We also celebrated Mandy and Devon's birthday. So, if the cookies and all the candy to decorate them with weren't enough we also had cake and ice cream to go along with all the fun!! What a great way to kick off the Halloween week!!! Sweets, sweets, and more sweets!!!

Uncle Quint tying Mitch up and Quint's new puppy...isn't she cute!!!

American Fork Canyon....once again!!

The Carson family invited us to go to the canyon for dinner....again!! With the weather being pretty nice for October and the leaves changing it actually wasn't to bad!! My mom and dad even joined us this time. It was a lot of fun....I really mean it!!! Of course the kids had a blast. My mom took them around to find the prettiest leaves, they had a pretty good collection. My mom absolutely loves the colored leaves, its her favorite I think she may have had more fun than the kids!!! We also played charades and of course had some s'more's!! Thanks again for the fun times Mom and Dad and the Carson clan!!!