Solitude

We bought passes at Solitude this year for our family.  Today was the first day we had a chance to make it up there.  Everyone went but Preston.  Hopefully we can get him to come next time, but he isn't very excited about it.  Jorja wanted to learn how to snowboard, so Mike spent most of the time snowboarding with her.  Maysen, Stockton and I went skiing.  Mike went down a few runs with Stockton at the end.  I am a chicken when it comes to skiing.  Hopefully Mike can take the kids up one-on-one sometime this year.  They will get so much better if I'm not in the picture!  Plus, I think they would love the individual attention from their dad!  Mike took some pictures and videos.  I'm not sure if the video is going to work, but I might as well give it a shot!

Jorja

 Stockton

We also finished the Book of Mormon today!  Perfect way to end the year.  Steve and Shannon and their family came over for New Years Eve. John and Cassie went to my dad's house.  We played a few games and ate a lot of food.  Too bad I didn't get a picture of my family.  I wonder why I didn't think of that!  The kids are always silly after the ball drops. They run around saying things like, "First one to touch this light switch in 2013!"  Mike said, "Who will be the first one to fall face first in the snow in 2013?"  Brandon and Weston ran outside and did that!  No coat, not even any shoes!  Then Mike said, "Who will be the first one in the snow forts in 2013?"  Again, Brandon and Weston ran out there with no coat and no shoes!  I wonder who will be the first one to catch pneumonia in 2013?

Last Sunday

Today was the last Sunday that we will have 9:00 church.  Stockton is pretty excited about not going early to set up chairs.  It is also the last Sunday with some pretty awesome teachers.  Jorja has loved her primary teachers.  Brother and Sister Jones.  Good thing that next year she gets to have her dad as her teacher!  She is thrilled about that! Maysen finished her class with Brother Kimball.  She wasn't sure if he will somehow miraculously move up and teach her again.  She has already had him for two years.  She is more then okay about that.  He is a fantastic teacher!

Every Card

Okay, this actually happened last night, but this is so awesome it deserves a post of its own.  Tonight we played Dominion with every card.  It was so much fun!  Especially since I dominated most of the game.  Right away I could see how valuable Trade Route was going to be.  I collected most of them.  On one turn I was able to buy three colonies!  By that time I did that, the trade routes were gone!  Most of them were in my hand.  It clogged it up a little, but better then letting anyone else have this awesome card.  Especially when you Kings Court a Trade Route with a Fortress.  Amazing.

We weren't sure how we should end the game, so we decided that it would be over when five victory piles were gone.  (We didn't want the game to end too quickly - it took quite a long time to set up!)  Anyway, our version ended up taking WAY too long!  We should have ended the game when all the Provinces and Colonies were gone/or five piles.  We played for four hours - past 2 in the morning.  It was Mike, Maysen, John, Pace and I.  So much fun!  I did get quite a scare when towards the end of the game Maysen kept Kings Courting a Saboteur!  She got rid of 4 of my Colonies that way!  I just lost them because the entire Colony pile was gone.

Maysen 

 Pace, John, Maysen's arm, Mike

We liked to joke about how this would blow Matt's mind.  Matt is a purest when it comes to this game, so he would probably hate it.  If we did play with him, we would have to set the game up and play in the morning.  That would give Matt all night to read every card!

Snow Forts and Fights

Steve brought his boys over to play in the backyard.  They were out there for a long time and I assume everyone had a great time.  I only stepped out to take some pictures, then I ran like a chicken back into the warm house.  Preston was excited to use his Santa present.  Mike says we need to get more of them!  Luckily I saw some at the store.  I wonder if that is where Santa shops?

Steve and Weston

 Jacob and Jorja

 Stockton and Jacob

 Jorja

 Brandon and Stockton (Steve, Preston, Weston)

 Jorja

 Stockton and Brandon

 Preston, Stockton, Jacob

 Backyard full of crazies!

 4 different forts

 Preston

 Now the fight has begun!  Mike defending his castle.

 Mike and Jorja

 Jacob and Stockton

 Mallory was oblivious to all the chaos going on around her.

 Mallory and Mike

 She thinks the snow is delicious!

39

That is how old I am.  Weird.  Today was also the first day in the history of Stephanie that I have been home on my birthday.  Usually I'm at the cabin, or at least in Idaho.  Once I was even on a cruise.  Mike is on call this week, so we had to be home - or I had to be without Mike.  No way was I going to be away from Mike, so home it was.  I actually wasn't feeling too well, luckily I never got as sick as some of my family members.

Anyway, this morning I went to breakfast with my family.  We went to the Black Bear Diner.  We had never been there before.  It reminded my kids of Great Wolf Lodge.  It reminded me of Daniel's Summit.  Good memories from both of those places.

John and Cassie went to see Bubs ref a basketball game.  I really wanted to go, and I was planning on going - I just didn't feel well enough to get there.  Hopefully I'll be able to see Bubs later in the season.

Maysen and I watched My Fair Lady.  Maysen had to watch two movies for her homework.  There were only two G rated movies on the list.  My Fair Lady and Brigadoon.  I was surprised that there would be several PG-13 and R rated movies on the list.  Anyway, we watched it and it was long!  At least I was able to work on Trevor's stocking.

Mike made me peas and hotdogs for dinner.  John was pumped about that.  Peas and hotdogs was one of my favorite meals as I was growing up.  John said Dad must have taken it out of the rotation, he doesn't remember having it since he was about ten.  Maybe my mom would make it. Anyway, it is delicious! After dinner we had presents and cake.  Jorja gave me a frog.

Stephanie and Un-named frog

 Jorja and Stephanie

Mike got me a blender.  I had asked for one.  The one we have now drives me crazy!  I guess it is 17 years old - still . . .

 Orange juicer thing

I had a delicious cake for my birthday!  Usually we are at the cabin, so it is quite simple.  I told Mike I wanted a Cold Stone cake.  I was excited to be able to choose what I would like and not worry about if anyone else would like the flavors.  Mike had to call and talk to the store because I wanted something different then their choices on their webpage.  I chose banana icecream with snickers, raspberries and hot fudge mixed in.  The cake was red velvet and they put a layer of hot fudge inbetween the icecream and cake.  The topping was a whipped raspberry topping. It was so good!  Jorja was the only one of my kids who liked it though. The other three slid their plates to me after one bite.  Weirdos.

They spelled my name wrong, so Mike got a discount.
They had spelled it Stephainie.

 Stephanie (only one i)

 The loves of my life!

Jorja, Stockton, Mike, Stephanie, Maysen, Preston

 YUMMY!

 Jorja and Stockton

 John and Stephanie

 Stephanie and Maysen

 Stockton

 Only one more year until I'm 40!  Yikes!

Mike was so nice.  He hates peas, he hates snickers and he hates raspberries.  He didn't complain about anything that I asked for.  That's love right there!

Sam's Car

These pictures were actually taken on Christmas, but I figured I would add them on today.  Sam made caramels when we were at the cabin. Preston LOVED them!  He kept asking her to make more, so today she did.  He was so happy and gave her the biggest hug!  So cute!

Preston and Sam

We also were able to hang up our big picture yesterday.  Mike mentioned he didn't have a hook to hang up our picture.  Sam had one in her car.  Mike likes to tease her that she has everything in her car. Anything we have needed, she would run out to her car and grab.  I am so happy with how the picture turned out.  I love it!  It makes me happy every time I walk by.

 Stockton and our picture

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!  I had a great Christmas this year!  Matt, Sam, John and Cassie all slept over.  Too bad Matt and Sam were pretty sick. Hopefully they will feel better for their honeymoon tomorrow.  Mike and I were up until 2:45 last night.  At 3:00 Mike got paged and was up the rest of the night.  Long night for him!  Anyway, this is what our front room looked like when I woke up.

The kids were with their stockings downstairs.  They are really good on Christmas.  They are allowed to be with their stockings, then they have to wait until we come for them before they can be where the Christmas tree is.  I'm glad they follow this rule so well.  They were up by 5, I think.  They even woke Preston up - I wish they hadn't done that though.  They hung out downstairs and played the Wii while they waited.  We got them around 6, so they didn't have to wait too long.

Maysen, Preston, Stockton, Jorja

I love Christmas!  The kids are great and patient with me.  I like to drag this part out forever!

Jorja, Maysen, Preston, Mike

Maysen, Jorja and Preston each got a webkinz.  Stockton liked his $10 bill he found on the tree instead.

 Preston

 Preston with Frost

 Maysen

 Mike, Preston, Stockton

 Mike and Preston - they each got a snow block maker from Santa

 Jorja with Lillie

This year we had the kids draw names for each other.  They loved that! Jorja also wanted to get everyone a present.  She bought webkinz for everyone with her own money.  She is such an amazingly sweet little girl!  Jorja gave Stockton this frog.  They are laughing because his eyes look like he is crazy!  I wish I had a good picture of that!

Stockton and Croakz, Jorja and Lillie

 Maysen and Rylee

 Preston, Jorja and Lillie

 Maysen gave Stockton Fish Food icecream and a $10 bill.

My dad gave us pajamas from Grandma Millburn.  They were bought three days before she died.  I hope she is having a wonderful Christmas with Grandpa this year!

 Stockton, Maysen, Jorja, Preston

With their Grandma pajamas

 Maysen

 Jorja - How could I pass this up?

The kids each got one pretty awesome present.  I think Maysen's was the best.  She got an ipad Mini.  Her case is a keyboard.  Mike and I were hoping she would be able to use this when she writes.  The keyboard is quite small though, so we will have to see if she is able to get used to it.

Maysen

 Jorja got a new ipod

 Stockton with his new 3ds

 Preston with his ipod (Jorja's old ipod, but he loves it!)

 Trevor

 Trevor looked so adorable in his Santa outfit!

 Trevor and Cassie

 Santa Trevor

 My attempt of a picture with Mallory and Trevor.

We had a turkey dinner tonight.  It was yummy.  My cranberry sauce turned out okay.  It tasted pretty much the same, but the color was a little darker.  My dad cooked the turkey, but ended coming two hours late.  He sent the turkey up with Cathy and Max and then went to pick up Gayle.  He told us to go ahead without him.  Poor guy.  Anyway, today was a great day . . . . too bad Maysen was sick.