Christmas Jammies!

Tadd's family does the matching Christmas pajamas on Christmas eve, and I was more than happy to join in on the tradition when I was welcomed into the family.

Christmas '05

Christmas '06

Christmas '07

And...I thought I would include this little gem as well. See below...

Christmas Eve Festivities!

We had a wonderful Christmas this year, and took some great pictures! Enjoy!

Look how cute they are with their striped shirts! And sisters, you are right...Tadd does look happiest holding babies. But if you ask him, he is NOT ready yet.

Tadd and I have been accused of loving the twins more than our other neices and nephew. Let me assure you all, this is not the case! We love them all equally! However, who wouldn't want to take picture after picture of these boys at this currect stage in life? Also, just the other day I wanted to take a picture with Ellie (4), and she refused! The boys really have no say in the matter, so away we click!
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After spending some time at Tadd's parents we headed down to my parents in Elk Ridge. On the way there we pulled over to help push a car out of the snow, Tadd was blasted with snow from the rear tires, as this car was rear wheel drive only. We also assisted in towing a girl out of a snow bank on our way home from my parents. What good samaritans we are!

My side of the family draws names for our gift exchange, and then we open up those "sister gifts" Christmas Eve. Those gifts are now "sibling gifts" with the addition of the brothers-in-law.

Mallory received a gift card to Forever 21 and bracelets from Haley. She loved them!

Luckily Tadd's finger doesn't inhibit him from opening his gifts! Lauren drew his name this year.
Yipee! Just what he wanted!

A target for shooting practice!

Lauren opening each little item of her gift. I was sure to supply her with all sorts of little girly items.


Haley received a gift card to P.F Changs for her and Jon to enjoy, as well as a pampering gift set!

I got the CUTEST rain boots from Whitney! The perfect gift! I didn't even remotely suspect it, and I've never had rain boots! I just love them!


I feel like Tadd and I raked it in with our sibling gifts, but there is nothing like seeing the person you gave to open their gift.
I love that!

Anniversary Inn Weekend

Tadd and I agreed not to give gifts this year, after I had already purchased one or two gifts for him (go figure), so to assure that he didn't feel too bad about not buying me anything I booked us a two night stay at the Anniversary Inn in Salt Lake the weekend before Christmas. I couldn't keep it a secret for longer than a week, since Tadd started to complain that we don't get to spend much time together. After hearing that, I just blurted it out!

We left Provo around noon on Friday and hit IKEA on the way, since neither of us had ever been and we needed to pick up a gift card! It was really fun walking around; that place is huge! I've never really had the chance to decorate a home, so I haven't even figured out what my style is yet! Thank goodness for the showroom, I'll definitely be visiting there when we get an apartment of our own!

After IKEA we headed up to Tadd's physical therapy appointment up by the U. They spent an hour and a half on his pinky finger, imagine that! I mastered a few extra levels on my phone playing the game Brick Breaker, which is my new obsession. After his doc appointment we went to Chili's to fill me up, I was about to die! Chili's has kind of become "our" restaurant, as it was where we went on our first date, and also the place we've gone for anniversaries, birthdays and such.

I was bound and determined to find Nordstrom Rack in Sugarhouse, so we headed over there after eating. It was a total let down, since I had expected one million pairs of Sevens to sift through, but sadly there were practically none. I ended up leaving with a pair of $15 Vans, which made it somewhat worthwhile, while Tadd left empty handed.

By the time we'd finished at the rack, it was time to go check into our room! I had booked us two different rooms, Neptune's Cave for Friday night and Jungle Safari for Saturday night! I was so super excited to check in and see the rooms, but was disappointed with the first room. It was really small, and freezing cold!!! We had to turn the heater on full blast, and leave for a few hours to try and warm it up. We walked around Temple Square for a little bit, and took pictures by the only good trees. We didn't see a lot of lights this year, it was a little disappointing!

In front of the tree in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building.

The red tree on Temple Square

Can you even see me? I'm kinda hidden and little.

Can you tell by my face how cold it was? The weather sculpted me into an ugly face, and then froze it there!

The next day Tadd and I switched rooms to the Jungle Safari! I'm really glad I booked that one for the second night, since it was much nicer.

Yup, you guessed it! Tadd is taking a bath! We didn't use the shower because I was afraid of it! It came shooting out of the elephants trunk in four different places!

I woke up Sunday morning and was bored while I waited for Tadd to wake up so I took this picture of the view above our bed.

This is also a view from our bed. The TV was set really high up on the wall above a straw shack!

My favorite picture of the trip, Tadd wrestling the alligator!

After settling into our room we got ready for the day and headed to Gateway. I did a little shopping at Forever 21, which is HUGE, and then we ate at Z Tejas. If anyone would ever like a recommendation of what to eat there, go with the Jerk Chicken Salad. It was incredible!

Heading over to Gateway!

It has been determined that I eat roughly triple of what Tadd eats. I had a ton of cornbread as an appetizer, all of my salad, plus dessert, and he only had some cornbread, and about half of his burger. There is something seriously wrong with that.

That night we relaxed a little in our room and watched Ultimate Fighting and Bull Riding. My amazing husband resisted the urge to watch the BYU vs. UCLA game to spend some time with his wife. On top of that, he didn't have anyone to yell with. :)

After some R&R we visited the Clark Planitarium! It brought back memories of junior high when we used to visit it as the Hansen Planitarium!

Once again, driving over to Gateway on our date! I have an obsession with taking pictures of us driving with my camera phone. I think I have to confirm that my hair, make up and outfit are satisfactory.

Here is Tadd predicting the weather!

We learned lots and lots about our earth and planets! I was just fascinated!

We had such a good time, and would both agree it was the best Christmas we've had since we've been married. Of course, neither Tadd nor I obeyed the rule of no gifts, but we certainly toned it down a lot, and made our weekend stay our big gift!

Grown Ups Only!

A few weeks ago all of the adults in Tadd's family headed up to Salt Lake for a grown-ups only night out, I guess I'm considered one of those! We ate at a place called Biaggi's, which is a nice Italian restaurant, it was really good! Then we headed over to Gateway for a little shopping for the girls, and the arcade for the boys! I bought myself a cute coat from J.Crew, thanks to my sister-in-law for seeing it first!

L to R: Corbin (oh so happy), Lindey, me, Lacey, Kecia and Tysen

The other side of the table from front to back: Chris, Kris, Rick, Tadd, Andrew Law, Shaley and Steve. You can't see the last few people, sorry! My mother in law, Camme is across from Steve, next to Corbin.

Lindey, Kecia, me and Tysen in front of the waterfalls at Gateway. Before we took this picture the waterfalls weren't going, and then out of nowhere they shot up really high while a Christmas song began. I screamed so loud, and must've jumped down two or three stairs.

In front of the cute fires they have.

Getting ready to do some shopping! Don't you just covet Lacey's handbag???

We had a really good time, and I hope this becomes a holiday tradition!

How to Care for...

I ran across an awesome All Mighty advertising insert in a magazine with many tips and tricks to treating your clothing, and I knew I must share with all my fellow clothes-lovers. This may be slightly lengthy, but worth the read!

Knits

-Always lay flat to dry or tumble dry low heat inside a pillowcase to help them keep their shape.
-Fold sweaters of padded hangers - hanging them can stretch the shoulders
-It iron wool without leaving marks, use steam and lower and lift the iron instead of sliding it back and forth
-Wrap sweaters loosely in white tissue paper with a cedar block to deter moths before sealing them a cloth bag for the season

*Style Tip: Accidently shrink a sweater? Create a slouchy layered look by wearing it over a long cami or graphic tee
**Secret Tool: Remove piling from your favorite sweater by gently sweeping it with a disposable razor.

Washable Silk

-Silk is only washable if it is pre-washed by the manufacturer. Read the label carefully!
-Avoid detergents with enzymes or high alkaline content, as it can weaken silk
-Wash colored silk items individually, since dyes may bleed.
-Wrinkles in silk? Iron the garment inside-out with a warm iron
-Silk fabrics weaken when wet, so never wring or twist them. Remove moisture by rolling them in a towel instead.
-Hang silk from a padded or plastic hanger to dry. It distributes weight evenly to avoid stretching.

*Style Tip: Layer a super-soft tissue tee under a ilk dress for a casual effect that also reduces static.
**Secret Tool: Ues crocheted hangers to keep straps and slippery fabrics from sliding.

Delicates

**Secret Tool: Rub nylons and tights with damp hands to reduce static electricity between your hose and clothes.

Cotton

-Cotton can withstand high temperatures. Follow care labels and use the hottest water recommended.
-Packing tees for a trip? Roll them tightly to maximize space and reduce wrinkles.
-Cotton is absorbent, so it requires a high setting for quicker drying.
-Iron graphic tees inside out on a low setting to avoid melting the image.

**Secret Tool: Keep T-shirts smelling sweet: soak cotton ballis in your favorite scent (like vanilla), let they dry completely, then place in your drawers next to your tees!

Denim

-Wear jeans at least four times before washing to help them mold to your body.
-Three ways to safely shrink jeans: sit in a cold bath while wearing them (if you're really desperate!), wash them in hot water or put them in the dryer on low heat.
-To preserve color, wash jeans inside out in cold water.
-To refresh the indigo in jeans, wash them with a never-before-washed pair. The color will transfer subtly!
-To make sure they keep their shape, don't hang jeans - store them folded and stacked
-If you're concerned about fading, avoid putting jeans in the dryer.

*Style Tip: Pay attention to the pockets. The bigger the back pockets, the more shapely your
rear appears
*Style Tip: To ensure the perfect length, wash new jeans before you hem them.
**Secret Tool: If the zipper on your jeans sticks, rub it with candle wax to lossen it up.
**Secret Tool: If the zipper slips, spray it with hairspray for stickiness that will hold it in place.

Stack your closets with these must-have storage tools:

Padded Hangers: Help prevent stretching shoulders and denting fabric
Cedar Hangers: Hang clothes and deter moths in one step
Tie Hooks: Perfect for hanging belts or even comisoles
Tissue Paper: Use to wrap knits and delicates before storing
Shelf Liners: Keep fabrics from pulling on splintered wood
Lingerie Sachet: Store in your lingerie drawer to keep it smelling sweet
Steamer: Gently remove wrinkles from fragile clothing

Santa Claus Came to Town!

Store Manager: Ok people, tomorrow morning, 10 a.m! Santa's comin' to town.
Buddy: SANTA!!!!!! OMG! Santa, here??? I know him! I know him!

Buddy's reaction to Santa's arrival perfectly described my feelings upon Santa's surprise visit to my in-laws last night. This event has been going on in Tadd's family ever since he can remember, and it's my second year attending. I was sure to take plenty of pictures to document this evening! (You'll have to excuse the red eye in pretty much every picture. I'm in need of a new camera!)

Tysen and Ava accompanied the family while singing Christmas Carols

Crew and I anticipated Santa's arrival

The kids were unaware that Santa was coming, but there was the feeling of anticipation in the air for sure!

Look at those beautiful blue eyes!

Crew and Tadd cuddling

We all wondered how Ava would handle Santa, and she surely didn't disappoint! She would have nothing to do with him, and even threw his gift bag on the floor!

The twins didn't seem to mind him, however.

All the grandkids with Papa and Grandma

I didn't have a chance to get a picture of each little family posing with Santa, but I did get the Leishmans and DeMartinis.

Tadd asked Santa for a full-functioning finger for Christmas, and I asked for jeans!

Santa shared a special song with us before leaving, and we all listened intently.

Our cute neice Madi, the oldest of all the grandkids, with Griffin

Apartment Searching

Attention! Tadd and I are looking to move into an apartment the early part of next year, and we are having no luck finding a place! We'd like to pay no more than $600, and would prefer not renting at a big apartment complex. If any of you hear of ANYTHING let me know! Thanks!

Take Me Out to the Ball Game...

The boys are finally big enough to fit in the Yankees onesies Tadd bought them! Crew promptly threw up on his after this picture was taken, he must not like the gift!