Christmas Eve

We had a great Christmas Eve!  Normally we go into Snowflake to Grandma and Grandpa's house.  This year Bruce thought we should stay in town.  I told him that was fine as long as Scott and Amanda's family would be here so we weren't by ourselves. 

 

We ate our yummy Mexican Food Dinner (sweet pork burritos and sweet pork salad and tamales) and went to the cousins.  Our great Nativity.

Rhett was the BEST little Joseph.  He kept his arm around Mary the whole time, taking care of her! 

 We sang songs.  The 3 little girls did their "Up On the House Top".

 The 3 big girls sang Silent Night.

 And the 3 boys sang We Three Kings.  They all did really good.

 

Then it was time to open PJ's.  All of the kids with their new Christmas PJ's!

 

This is Zippy.  He is our little elf.  He came to us the first part of December.  During the day he would watch to see what went on at our house and during the night he would go back to the North Pole to report to Santa.  Each morning when he got back here he would find a new place to sit.  And amazingly he never sat the same place 2 days in a row!!!  Well he left Christmas Eve.  When Santa came to our house he hopped in the Sleigh and headed back to the North Pole.  We are hoping he comes back next December to spend Christmas happenings with us.

 Christmas Eve it started snowing.  It was just like the movies except the wind was blowing with the snow so it was kind of blizzardish.  Once it stopped snowing it calmed down and was cold but beautiful.  So we got our White Christmas!

 The cookies and carrots out ready for Santa along with a couple of letters.

Kids were all tucked in their beds and were out.  Rhett woke up about 12 and had a hard time going back to sleep.  Dustin woke up in the night too.  The 3 girls were out like lights.  We told the kids they could wake up at 5:00 and go do chores outside and we would get up at 5:30.

Toothless

One of Kaylee's front top teeth has been loose for a little while.  As Christmas was approaching she thought it would be great to lose it on Christmas Eve Day so Santa and the Tooth Fairy could come to our house.  I didn't think it would be loose enough when that day came but I was wrong!  She was determined her dad was going to pull it out that day and he did.

She was so excited to see if they would both come the same night.  She knew the Tooth Fairy just rode in Santa's sleigh.  Rhett did write a letter to Santa and asked if he saw the Tooth Fairy and Santa said he did! Pretty exciting night at the McLaws home!

Tylinn and Kaylee had their little Christmas program at the school Tuesday night.  I got the camera out to take and left with out it.  So here they are after.  Kaylee's class did a cute Texas Christmas song with dancing and Tylinn's class sang some songs and did a poem.  And of course they were the 2 cutiest girls up there! (But there were lots of cute ones!)

40

Last Saturday this guy turned the big "40"! I was going to throw a big surprise party but there ended up being a Maner wedding that day so we did wedding stuff.  I know too that Bruce isn't one of big crowds of social stuff and especially the focus on him.  I knew he would just rather go out with some friends to dinner and  movie or something.  So that is just what we did.

 

We went Friday night so Saturday we could help with all the wedding stuff.  We went to Showlow and Daniel and Marci came with us.  We ate yummy Itilian food, went to Walmart and watched "Here Comes the Boom!"  We LOVED the movie! It was so funny!  Dinner was great and great company.  So we are quite the party animals!  We had a really enjoyable evening!

I am sure thankful for Bruce in my life.  He is a great dad and husband and takes very good care of us!

On that snow day Bridget and Kaylee were having tons of fun playing with each other!  Here are just a few pictures - Kaylee hanging on to Bridget!

 

Snow

Last Friday we had a snow day.  Not too sure why because there was only about 6 inches of snow on the ground.  But the kids loved it!  I do not like snow days! I used to love them but now the kids just want to go here or this person come here.  I think it starts to drive me crazy too with the small house.  All the clothes and people and mess!

Anyway here are the kids enjoying the snow.

 

 Bridget ventured out just long enough to take a few pictures for me and get this one taken of her.

Now that Christmas is almost here I am done with snow and ready for summer! (I so wish!)

Misc. pics

These are just some fun pictures off the camera.  Rhett an elf, Tylinn - a reindeer and Kaylee santa in her sleigh

 Kaylee is such a fun goof ball sometimes!

 Kaylee, Megan and Tylinn making gingerbread houses.

 Rhett's house.  Bridget and Dustin were gone when we did it so Dustin did his later but Bridget never did get to it.

 and Kaylee again!

Braces

Well the date 12/12/12 was a special date for Bridget.  We got to go to Showlow to get her braces off.

 

Before

During

 

After

Braces are amazing!  She was all smiles before but really is now! She gets to wear her retainers for 2 months 24/7 then just at night.  She is one happy - beautiful girl!

 

Ouch

Tonight Cy brought over some wood he and Bruce wee putting in the top of the barn.  Dustin was being a good little helper and was sweeping up there with an old metal broom that the handle had been broken.  Pretty soon he says "I cut my finger, I cut it really bad." I was throwing up last night and my stomach has been weak all day so I couldn't even look at it.  Bruce got him into the house and washed it off a bit and the tip of his finger was just hanging.  We called our neighbor Dr. but he was on the phone, Ben answered.  Bruce told Ben why he needed to talk to his dad and he was supposed to call back.  Pretty soon Gary and Ben just show up at our door.  He wanted to stitch it or super glue.  He was leaning towards stitches but he doesn't numb you at all when he stitches something up.  Because of this Dustin wanted super glue.  So here they are getting Dustin taken care of.

It was a pretty good gash out of his finger.  Dustin did really good with the pain with it.  It is great to have Gary as a neighbor, very willing to help whenever he can!

Christmas Tree

This year like usual we went on top of the rim to cut our Christmas Tree.  This was the only Saturday in December that we could cut it.  Dustin had a wrestling tournament so he wasn't able to go.  Time after time every kept saying "I wish Dustin was here".  It just wasn't the same with not having our whole family!  But we did have fun.....us along with 3/4 of the valley population!  As we were driving in we saw Scott and Tedi driving out with theirs.  Holli and Shawn were also up there but we didn't ever see them.

 

The weather was beautiful.  Usually we pack hot chocolate but we didn't need it this year.  This year we wished we would have packed a lunch.

 Hmmmm.... this tree?

 Looks like it will work!

 Bridget and Rhett approving of the "perfect tree". We have had some pretty pathetic trees over the years.  One time we got it home and decorated it. It wouldn't quit falling over so we hauled it out and put up our fake one. 

The finishing touches! It doesn't get much cutier then this picture!

 Our Christmas tree!

Thanksgiving

We had a good Thanksgiving.  I didn't have my camera so I don't have any pictures.  We went to Mesa Thanksgiving morning. We had dinner with the LeSueurs at Darrel and Teresa's house. We took 2 cars so Bruce could come home Thanksgiving night because he had to work Friday.  The kids and I stayed at the Ridings.  Me, Holli, Kelli and Mother did our usual Black Friday shopping.  I didn't get much this year - there wasn't much on sale that I was looking for.  So I came home and ordered stuff on Cyber Monday!  Saturday the girls went to Katelyn's birthday party then we headed for home.

That night we went to the Christmas Party at the County Park.

Family Pictures

Tiff took our family pictures on November 6th.  We took them in Artist Draw.  I love my little family!  Here are some of my fav's.