The First Snowfall Of The Winter

After a very dry winter, we got dumped on.  We got so much snow this week, it was crazy!  The kids had a blast playing in the snow and made a snowman!

Caleb 

 Jacob

The boys helping Clay push snow

 Our Snowman

The boys with Frosty

Dutch Christmas

We went to the Barkers for our annual Dutch Christmas party.  It was a blast.  Grandma Jan had a bunch of fun activities, present exchanges and a yummy dinner.  Here are a few highlights.

 Caleb making his gingerbread house.

Jacob making his gingerbread house 

 Aunt Katrina making the gingerbread houses with the boys

 Aunt Holly with Jacob and Carter, making Christmas mice

  Uncle Burdette making Christmas mice with Caleb and Will

 Sophie with her stocking her Aunt Becca made her.  Thanks Becca!!

 Caleb got Thomas the Train bath toys and bath paints

Jacob got "How To Train Your Dragon."

 I got a cute new necklace and Clay got a Lego combine

 Sophie looking so cute

Clay and Sophie enjoying the evening. 

Thanks Grandma Jan for a wonderful time!

The North Pole Express

For a Christmas treat we went to Heber to ride the "North Pole Express" with our friends the Bunnells.  Now I will point out that it was not the "Polar Express" like we thought.  They must have run into some type of copyright trouble because they had to change a bunch of stuff.  The kids still had a blast.  I'm not sure if it was the train ride or the company.  I'm guessing it was the company!  This really wasn't worth the money and time we spend to get there.  I can think of lots of other things that would have been more fun and less money.  I wouldn't recommend it.  The kids had fun riding the train and seeing Santa though.  I guess it wasn't a total waste of money. Thanks to the Bunnells for going with us :)

 Caleb, Madi and Jacob in their jammies

 Clay and Sophie having the time of their life

 Brekker boy looking out the window

 Jacob and Caleb enjoying the sights out the window

 The kids singing Christmas carols

Santa giving Caleb his toy

 Santa giving Jacob his toy

 Santa with Madi, a very nervous Brekker, Caleb and Jacob

 Jacob and Caleb watching Santa leave

 Jacob, Caleb and Madi

 Silly Brekker boy

 The whole gang

 Our family in front of our train

 The boys with Madi- (notice Caleb's pants.  He totally peed his pants on the way up there. Those are Jacobs school pants and Clay had to go to the store to buy underwear.)

And cute miss Sophie who was so happy the whole time.  What a champ.

Excessive Pictures

I know this post is a little out of control.  All the pictures look the same.  I know.  I just can't help myself because she is so cute in this little hat.  Please excuse my excessive picture posting. 

Honestly.  Who knew a baby could be so cute?

Reindeer Cookies

These were too cute not to share!

Sophie's Smiles

My little baby girl is getting really good at her smiles.  She used to save them just for her daddy but it's getting easier to get them out of her.

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving time again.  I honestly can't believe it.  I have so much to be thankful for it's overwhelming. These are a few of the things I have been thinking about lately. 

1. I have a wonderful husband who is capable of taking care of our family.  My friend Whitney has a cousin who's husband has brain cancer.  It's times when I hear about tragedies like that I remember how truly grateful I am to have a healthy husband that can work.  I love him more than anything and would be lost without his guidance and friendship.  I am so lucky to be married to my best friend.  
2. I have three healthy and happy children. We are so lucky to have children that are healthy.  I have had several friends that have had to have their babies be in the ICU for long periods of time.  We were so lucky to have Sophie come without any complications.  My boys are also so healthy.  Caleb had a small urology surgery this year and being at Primary Children's hospital made me very grateful that we don't have to spend lots of time there with a sick child.  Having healthy children is such a blessing that I take for granted so often.
3. I have a warm home and warm clothing for my children.  I think about the pioneers all the time and how they were so cold.  How they had to trek through the snow with their babies and small children.  It makes me cry to think about having to be out in the cold with my small children.  I freak out about having to take Sophie outside to go get Jacob from school.  That's nothing in comparison.  We are so lucky.
4. I have food for my children.  One of my biggest fears is having my children come to me and tell me they are hungry and telling them we have no food for them.  That would be so horrible for me.  I'm glad I have healthy food for my children to eat.  When I was in Ecuador it always broke my heart to see the little children on the street who were hungry and begging for money and food.  The children in the orphanage always had something to eat, so it was the ones on the street that broke my heart. 
5. I have love.  My husband loves me more than anything.  My children love me and have people who love them.  I think about my orphanage babies all the time and wonder if they have someone loving them, and I'm so glad my own sweet babies have all the love they can stand.  I have loving parents and sibling that would do anything for me...and they have.  I have wonderful in-laws and siblings-in-law that are a great support system for us.  My children will know the love of aunts, uncles, grandparents and great-grandparents.  I have wonderful friends and neighbors that never cease to amaze me with their spirit of service and love.  I have so much to learn from them.
6. I have the gospel.  I have the opportunity to learn so much and I too often don't take that time like I should.  I'm so grateful for the things I do know and for the joy it brings to my life.  I'm grateful I have the gospel to teach to my children so that I can hopefully be a better parent. 

This is just the tip of the ice-burg for me.  These are the things that have been on the forefront of my mind lately.  I am so lucky to be in my situation with so many wonderful things going on around me.  I praise God and thank him for my blessings this day.


Our Thanksgiving celebrations took place in Vernal this year.  We spent the morning listening to Christmas music and baking.  We made rice krispie treat turkeys which were a huge hit.

 Caleb and his creations

 Jacob making a gun and lasers for his turkey so it could fight back

 The finished project

After dinner and Clay's parents house the girls and the little boys went to see "Tangled".  It was honestly one of the best movies I have ever seen.  I Loved It!! It was in 3D which was kind of lame because the glasses were so big.  I think Caleb held them on his face the entire time.

Jacob and Caleb with their cool glasses on 

Grandma Dianne and Aunt Caitlin

 Aunt Sam and me with a very sad Sophie, who ended up having her daddy come pick her up because she hated the movie

And cute baby Sophie being a total doll earlier in the day

Skating On The Ice

We went ice skating with Clay's family last night.  It was so much fun...for the kids.  Clay wore himself out by pushing the kids around and I just sat on the bleachers with Sophie.  The boys had a blast, especially Caleb.  He cried when they told us to get off the ice.

Caitlin home from Ephraim

The boys watching the Zamboni go around the ice

Cute baby Sophie all bundled up

Uncle Michael helping Caleb and Clay helping Jacob skate

Aunt Sam taking a turn

Grandma Dianne with Caleb

They have those things the kids can push around which make it so much more fun for everyone!