The other day while taking our family picture I managed to get the kids to pose for a couple.
Everybody cooperated except for Austin. He claims he doesn't know how to smile. I'll have to work on him.

Merry Christmas 2008

Temple Lights 2008

Brayden enjoying his doughnut.


I'm pretty sure my older boys have made a deal with one another and that is to see who can look the most tortured in our family pictures. Just wait for our Christmas card.
I've been told that it is not cool to act happy.

Hayden also enjoying his doughnut


Every year we go see the lights at the Temple. In the past it has been hard to go as a family
because the boys were going with the Young Men's group and I was with the Young Women's group so we never could coordinate when we could all go together. Well Monday night we went and I brought Krispy Kreme and hot chocolate so afterwards we could have a little snack before we went home. The younger kids enjoy it so much more than the older ones do. It's so much fun to experience the holidays through the eyes of a child.

Our little "MR. CLEAN"

Jackson has already defined the meaning of serving our fellow man.
He insisted on licking the bleachers clean at our last football game.
He is such a good helper. He didn't even leave anything for the birds.
Maybe this is what the birds left for him.

CHASE HAS HIS DRIVER"S LICENSE!!

We have another licensed driver among us. Chase got his license on "BLACK FRIDAY". It makes me a little sick but I know it's part of the growing up process. It is right up there with the first day of kindergarten. I feel like I have thrown him to the wolves. He is so excited and has already washed his truck and is now trying to figure out how to put bigger tires and a better sound system in.

DIG DUG!!!!



Chase and Taylor Dahl polishing their gaming skills


What is "DIG DUG?" I too was confused about my son obsessed with eating at Ned's Krazy Sub until I found out that he wants to beat the high score on an old arcade game.

BIRTHDAY BOYS

my teenagers are not into birthday parties so
Chase just wanted a card full of money.

Jackson got a motorcycle for his birthday and loves to wear
this big helmet even though it weighs more than he does

I know you are completely blown away by my incredible
three tiered cake. I too was impressed by my incredible
sense of creativity. Maybe someone will discover my
amazing cake decorating talent. Cupcakes courtesy of Sam's Club.

Jackson is a frosting lover just like his mom

Chase wanted rolls of quarters for his B-day so he could go to
Ned's Krazy sub and play DIG DUG.

My first born and my last born celebrate their 17th & 2nd B-day.

Chase and Jackson are 1 day apart. Jackson was suppose to be born on Chase's b-day but I changed it so they could have their own day of celebration. Those scheduled c-sections have their advantages. Besides Chase was not very happy that his "old" mom was going to have a baby and was disgusted by the whole idea. As it turns out Chase adores his little brother and it all worked out just fine.

I gave way to the TWILIGHT frenzy!!
Being the social rebel that I am I did not read the Twilight books mainly because I can't read anything that is of equal thickness as the scriptures. Also, I usually can't sit for more than five minutes. So some of my friends had tickets to the midnight showing and I went. I loved it!!I saw it three times in one week. I even talked my older boys into going and they thought it was "COOL". The only other movie I have seen more than once in the theaters is Titanic. I guess it's the whole forbidden love story that sucks us write into its trap.