Christmas Questions

1. Eggnog or hot chocolate? I love hot chocolate, however my husband and kids love eggnog.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? When Lyn and I got married we combined traditions, so we have both.

3. Colored lights on the tree/house or white? We have white lights on the tree in the music room, red,white, & blue lights on the tree in the great room and blue icicle lights on the house

4. Do you hang mistletoe? No, but Lyn's mother does.

5. When do you put your Christmas decorations up? On Dec. 5th for my birthday.

6. Favorite holiday dish? I love Gramie Anderson's Christmas Jello, and my mom's crab cheese ball.

7. Favorite holiday memory as a child? Playing Santa for my younger brothers, and sisters when I was old enough to stay up. Mom and Dad and I really had a good time.

8. When did you learn the truth about Santa? I was 12ish, when I learned that Santa Clause lives in our hearts. Also that year I got to help bring Christmas to a needy family, so it was fun to learn the truth and get to help, it gave me the best feelings!

9. Do open a gift on Christmas Eve? Yes, Lyn has an uncle that lives far away, and we always open their gifts on Christmas Eve, also my brothers and sisters exchange names and we open those gifts too. Plus the kids always get to open their new P.J.'s

10. How do you decorate a tree? With the ornaments we receive every year. We even have ones that date back to when Lyn was born.

11. Snow! Love it or dread it? I love it! Utah has the greatest snow on earth!

12. Can you ice skate? Yes, when I was in high school my friend and I used to ice skate on the frozen canal.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? When I was little, it was my porcelien doll, since I've been married it is my saphirre ring that Lyn gave me, it was a total surprise.

14. What is the most important thing about the holidays to you? Being with family and remembering to keep Christ in Christmas.

15. What is your favorite holiday dessert? I love Christmas Sugar Cookies, and Grandma Epperson's Christmas Popcorn.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? When we have the kids dress up on Christmas Eve and perform the Navivity, with one of the Grandpa's reading Luke II. We sing all the Christmas hymns that go along with the reading. It is a special time for everyone.

17. What tops your tree? In the music room an angel & a crown of thorns, and in the great room a star.

18. Which do you prefer-Giving or Receiving?It always nice to receive the home made gifts that my children make, but I love the amazing feeling that comes with giving the most.

19. Favorite Christmas song? What Child is This?

20. Candy Canes-Yuck or Yum? I love candy canes, especially in a candy cane fudge shake from Dairy Keen. Yummy!

21. Favorite Christmas show? I love all the old Christmas classics, like Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer, and Santa Claus is coming to Town, but my favorite is Mr. Kreuger's Christmas.

22.What is your favorite Christmas book/story? I love to read Christmas Stories to my kids so I have two favorites The Polar Express, and Mr. Finnegan's Giving Chest.

23. What is your favorite thing to do in the winter? I love to curl up with a good book by a nice warm fire, however I hardly ever get to do that, so I'd say sledding with my family.

24. What is your favorite pastime on a snowing day? Building a snowman with my kids and drinking hot cocoa.

25. What is your least favorite thing about Christmas? Taking the decorations down.

I found these questions on a blog that I was reading and decided that it would a fun Jonural entry, so if you want to use it, just leave a comment so that I can check yours out too.
Merry Christmas!

Random Things!

Ray got to set on Santa's lap at the ward party, and tell him what everyone wanted for Christmas.

He did a great job!
Apparently, Ray & Weston want scooters, Ellie wants a music player, Bekah wants a Barbie, and Mom & Dad want a Clean house.

The Polar Express

Ellie & Anna(Ellie's BFF) and I signed up to volunteer on the Polar Express Train this holiday season. I got to be a reader/host.
Ellie and Anna were Elves.

They even got to pick their own elf names, Candy Cane and Glitter.
The girls and I had a lot of FUN and are already looking forward to next year.

My Birthday

Ellie has become quite the little baker/cook lately, she made and decorated this cake for my birthday

Happy 29 to me again!

Gingerbread Houses

Our family theme this year was Nursery Rhymes!

Ellie made the 3 little pigs Christmas!

House of Bricks

House of Sticks

House of Straw

We are not sure what Nursery Rhyme Weston came up with,

However it sure looked cool!

Inside too!

Bekah decided on Away in a Manger.

It turned out great and sold at the auction for $23.

Ray made Humpty Dumpty!
It sold at the auction for $10.
Gramie Anderson bought it, so Ray is excited to get to eat it after the holidays.

I was inspired by the Author/Illustrator Night at the library and made a scene from the book "Snowman at Night" by Caralyn and Mark Beuhner.

Snowball fight!
We turned our houses into the auction, right before going to Author's Night and I just relaxed and enjoyed the evening and didn't take one picture.

Grma Susy came up with this awesome clock from 3 Blind Mice Nursery Rhyme. It sold at the auction for $60.

This was my favorite house/castle at the Auction, such cute ideas for next year.

Thanksgiving Pies

I got to make pies(2 pumpkin, 1 apple,1 cherry, & 1 banana cream) this year for Thanksgiving with Lyn's family.
I had a lot of fun using my mother's pie crust cutter, from Williams~Sonoma.

I love the way the cherry one turned out! It looks so festive!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Playing in the Leaves!

It's always fun to rake a big pile of leaves and just jump in!

Ellie, Weston, Bekah, and Ray

Weston and Ray

1,2,3, JUMP!

Bekah and Ellie!

Halloween Fun!

Halloween party at UVU

We went to the Halloween party for FHE
Ellie-Rapunzel, Weston-Ninja, Bekah-Zebra, Ray-Ironman
They had a variety of activities for the kids to do, fishpond, ringtoss, fog bubbles, cakewalk, and frost your own cookie!

Ellie

Weston

Bekah

Ray
The kids had a great time!

Pumpkin Carving Party

Ray doesn't like to touch the pumpkin guts!

The happy carvers!

Weston trying to get those eyes right!

Ellie's cat

Bekah's Pig with the curly tail.

Ray's self portrait.

Grandma Susy always makes a Garfield.

Gramie & Grandpa Vic went wild with the push in parts!

Halloween Carnival

Weston, Ellie, and Bekah entered the costume contest!

Bekah won $20, in the pumpkin carving contest with her pig!
She is very excited!

That night we all went to Grandma Berg's for dinner and
Trick or Treating!

Costume pictures

Cute trick or treaters!

Some of the Berg grandkids!

back-Weston, Ellie, Brieanna, Sydney, Andalyn, Maddison
front-Tyler holding Avery, Ray, Mason, Sophia, Maylie, Bekah, Porter, Heather

I have been so sick the past few weeks that the Blog has truly suffered. I've got a terrible head cold that just will not go away. So tomorrow I'm headed to the Doc., because it's gotten so bad that I'm not getting much sleep.
Work is going good, except for all the sick kids we have had lately. I'm starting to catch on to the Head Start way!
I'll post some new pictures soon!

Ellie's 12th Birthday!

The Cake~Bella Sara, Autumn Horse

Ellie's friend Anna, gave her a "makeover" from her mother's Beauty School here in town.

She got her nails painted and her hair done.

She had a blast, and thought it was fun to be pampered!

Some of her cousins at her Birthday party!
(Ray, Porter, Andalyn, Ellie holding Maylie, Bekah, and Weston)

Ellie opening her new CTR ring. She was so surprised!

Grma & Grpa Berg gave her the 3rd book in the Dragon Slippers trilogy, Dragon Spear! It was even signed by Jessica Day George for Ellie's birthday!

She also loved the new tennis racket her Great Aunt's Charlotte and Kathryn gave her. She took lessons this past summer.

This was her favorite card, from her cousin, Brieanna!

She loved the silver fox tail Grma Susy, and Grpa Blaine got for her too.

Emily and Andalyn eating the cake.

Family, just visiting!

Grpa Berg giving Ellie her 12 yr. old Birthday spankings!

Ellie's Friend Party

Landrea, Ellie, Anna, and Jenna in the hot tub!
The weekend after her birthday, Ellie got to invite some of her friends up to Miss Codi's house in Kamas and have a GIRL"S NIGHT OUT!

They had fun playing balloon volleyball, watching movies,(The Last Unicorn, & Monsters VS. Aliens) eating pizza and popcorn,and hanging out in the hot tub!
The next day Landrea took her to Fright~Mares at Lagoon!
She had a fun 12th Birthday!