~New Years Party~

We had a blast ringing in the new year.  We hosted a neighborhood New Years Eve party.  We had tons of yummy food, fun games, and enjoyed ringing in the new year with great friends.

The Fullmers brought the funnest game where they had a big ball of treats wrapped in syran wrap.    The kids had fun trying to get in to the candy while wearing gloves, lol.

We also had fun playing the candy bar game and the quarter game.

Hunter and his friends had fun chillin in the hot tub.

Katie was the big winner in the quarter game.  Whoohoo!!!

Garrett and Cody didn't make it up to ring in the new year.  They are cute little buggers.  We had a great New Years Eve.  Hopefully that is a sign that this will be a good year.

~Happy 13th Birthday Hunter~

I am so proud of the young man Hunter is turning out to be.  He is respectful, smart, kind, a hard worker, motivated, and he stands up for his values.  He is a great example to his younger siblings, as well as to Dave and me.  He brings so much fun and joy to our family.  Happy 13th Birthday Hunter!!!

Hunter had decided that he wanted to take up skiing.  So for his birthday he got skis, snow clothes, and he helped pay for a season pass to Wolf Mountain.  I love that Hunter always wants to be active.  He isn't one who wants to sit around playing video games.  He wants to always be doing something.  I love that about him.

Hunter with Isaiah and Rexton.

Happy 13th Birthday Hunter!!! We Love You!!!

~Merry Christmas~

It has been a tradition on Christmas Eve for our family to have a candlelight dinner, make/decorate cookies for Santa, and watch A Christmas Story.  Then the kids all sleep together in one of their rooms so they can get up together Christmas morning.

This year however, Hunter wanted to sleep in his own bed, so he opted out of sleeping together in one of their rooms.  This made Mckell think that her own bed sounded nice, but Lexi was insistant that it was her turn to have everyone sleep in her room.  So Lexi told Mckell she could sleep in the bed.  Lexi is such a good little sister.

Santa came!!!

Mckell got a foot messager, a cross stitch kit, snow clothes, clothes, hair stuff, and a minky.

Lexi got a Barbie hairdresser head, Shopkins, snow clothes, and clothes.

Hunter got Kobe shoes, weights, a basketball, pillows, and clothes.

Garrett got a camelwalker, a millennial falcon, Avenger guys, a new bedspread, snow clothes, and clothes.

As a family we all got Lagoon season passes, movies, and several board games.  Santa went overboard.

Our Christmas is always so busy.  After getting up and seeing what Santa brought, we get ready and head out to visit family.  We met with the Wangsgard side of the family for lunch this year and to exchange gifts with them.  After visiting with the Wangsgard side of the family, we headed up to the Ropelato side for dinner and to exchange gifts with them.  It was a busy day, but I wouldn't want to spend it with anyone else.

It was a very, Merry Christmas!!! 

~Ropelato Christmas Party~

Jerry and Darinda hosted the Ropelato Christmas party this year.  They had it at Jerry's new office, which is tons of fun.  They have ping pong tables, a large chess board, and checkers board, a hoop shoot, etc.  The kids didn't get bored.

We also have the kids do the nativity at this Christmas party.  Darinda has all sorts of costumes.

We did get Hunter to sit on Santa's lap, but he wouldn't be in the nativity, lol.  At least he was good to pose for a picture with Santa.  Santa brings all the kids socks at the Ropelato Christmas party.

Garrett had lots to say to Santa, lol.

I love getting together with family.  I love that my kids know their 2nd cousins.  I love Christmas, because its an excuse for families to get together.  It's my favorite time of the year!

~Tis the Season for Parties~

For the last several years, we have hosted the Smeding Family Chirstmas party.  It is fun to see all the extended family and visit with them.  This year, however, I started getting a migraine right in the middle of the party. Boo!  So I missed quite of bit of what was going on, and didn't really get a whole lot of pictures of anything.  There is always next year.

Every year we have the kids put on the nativity.  These are our cute angels.

We also had another visit from Santa.  My kids sure are seeing a lot of him lately, lol,  I guess that means they'd better be on their best behavior, because he is always around.

I only got pictures of Mckell and Lexi before my migraine started, so I then went and laid down in a dark room.  My aunt Pat was awesome!!!  She totally took charge of everything and made sure things were cleaned up.  She is the best!!!

~Mckell's Piano Recital~

I love listening to my kids play the piano.  It makes my heart happy.  Especially listening to them play Christmas songs.  Mckell did such a great job at her piano recital.  It is fun to see the progress she is making at each recital.

We LOVE having Ellen Haddock as our piano teacher.

I love that we have family who are always there to support my kids in all that they do!  I hope my kids realize how lucky they are to have such GREAT Grandparents.

~Ward Christmas Party~

We had the funnest Santa visit us for our ward Christmas party this year.  He was GREAT!!! He talked with the kids, joked with them, and he even danced.  100 times better than the mall Santa Garrett and I went to see during the week.  The mall Santa didn't even talk to Garrett.  He was more concerned about getting the picture and moving Garrett along.  I won't be wasting my time with mall Santas anymore.  I'll stick with the fun, energetic ones at the ward Christmas party.  I really hope he visits us next year!!!  He was the BEST!!!

I couldn't get Hunter to sit on Santa's lap this year :(  He thinks he is too big.

I love that we have so many cute, nice neighborhood kids for my kids to play with.  We really do live in the BEST ward/neighborhood!

~Lexi's Reflections Awards Night~

Lexi's reflections project did awesome this year.  She had another awards program for it, this time up at Weber High School.  Her project didn't move on to State Level, but she did get an honorable mention.  Way to Go Lexi!!!

~Hunter made the Jr HIgh Basketball Team~

Whoo-Hoo!!!! Hunter made the Jr High Basketball team!!! Way to Go Hunter!!!

I'm so happy for him.  Basketball is his life!