Our Favorite Things!

This is a favorite tradition! We love Oprah's My Favorite Things show... and since we don't seem to get to be on it...we started our own! Each of us chooses one "favorite thing" that we have found throughout the year...and we get it for all of the sisters and mom and darling niece! It has been so fun! These ladies are so creative! You should try it!
I sure am one lucky mom and grandma! I love these ladies and their families more than anything else in the world! They bring such joy to me!

Me ~Becca ~ Taylor and Amy

Lindor Balls.... YUMMY! Stuff your mouths full!

Jenny gave us all a couple pic! So Cool!

Angie and Matt's

Heather and Ryan... she cried...she really loved it!

Becca made us all new "sister" bracelets! Darling!

Heather is keeping us all warm with scarves, gloves and hats!

NOW LET'S GO SHOPPING! And we DID!

Our Nativity

One of my very favorite parts of Christmas is having the grand kids dressup and act out the Nativity. They have alway dug through my dress-ups and found costumes but this year for my Christmas gift, Becca made all new Nativity costumes for each of the kids. They were amazing! When Amy and Brett went to the Holy Land in May they brought me back the traditional headdresses. Amy also got the little caps for the 3 wisemen. It was so AWESOME! I LOVED IT! What a wonderful gift! I will treasure them always!

Joseph (Hunter) and Mary (Sadie) with baby Jesus (Millie)

Angels Macie and Abby

Littlest Angels and a darling lamb

The three wisemen - I think he is saying "Peace on Earth"

Shepherds in the field with a baby donkey

Shepherd Mason

Trey and Benson

Usually it is not very reverent...but so much fun! We try!

The Worlds Best Santa!

Every year we are blessed to have the REAL Santa come to our family Christmas party! He has been coming for YEARS! He has watched all the kids grow up and he is amazing and knows EVERYTHING about the kids even the brand new ones! He knows how old they are and look at Mckay's face in the first picture when he asked about "Lexie" (a brand new girlfriend!) He was so surprised! Then he asked Taylor where his Elf Rupert was... All the kids were so shocked! Abby ran like crazy into the kitchen to get Rupert... and bring him to Santa. They had a good visit and he gave Santa all the information he needed. Santa knew about Sadie dancing in the Nutcracker...and many more surprising things! What a great guy he is! When an almost 16 year old kid....says "Grandma, he is the best Santa ever!" You know you have something special going! We love our Santa! He is AMAZING!

Santa and Taylor with Rupert!

Favorite Memories of Christmas

Letter to Santa in the mailbox!

Our "Believe" Tree... I love the "Believe" theme. It has so many meanings.

Dallas reading to Mckay! Goofy guys!

No...Tay you may NOT peek at that gift!

Yeah .... Right.... Grandma is a pushover!

The Polar Express!

We found the best kept secret in Utah! The Anderson family in upper Lindon share a wonderful family tradition each year! All of their families live on the same block. They share about 5 acres of land and they are all crazy about trains. They have set up a track all through their property and during the Christmas season they do a "Polar Express" train ride around their property. It is amazing! It is pretty hard to get a reservation but thanks to my dear friend Lois...we were able to go! It was kinda last minute...so we couldn't get everyone here...but next year....!
Thanks so much Lois!
All the kids wore their pj's and BIG COATS! It was chilly! When you arrive you go into a big heated garage and watch The Polar Express movie until it is your turn. Then you go out to board the "train"and then line up to go on your adventure! I asked one of the sons why they do this... and he said that they want their children to learn to serve otheres at an early age... The whole family and some neighbors are there to help each night! What a great family and wonderful tradition!
Here we are waiting to go!

Oaks and Jenny

Becca and her girls and Sadie!

Jen and Hal with the kids.

Nate and Trey !

Preston and Angie "All Aboard"!

The Miller's... on board!

Dal and Lizzy and Hal

Here we go!

Lizzy and Dal with Mason! CHOO CHOO!

We are OFF TO THE NORTH POLE!

Through candy cane land....

SOON WE ARRIVE AT THE NORTH POLE!

Santa is there to greet all the children at his workshop!

Here are some of his darling little elfs!

Each of the kids got to sit on his lap for a few minutes and then Santa taught all of us about the candy cane and what it means! He gave all of the kids a candy cane and a ribbon with the polar express bell on it. Then he told us that on our way back to our home we would see things that would teach us about the "true meaning of Christmas".

Listening to Santa

All the way back we saw paintings of Christ's life. It was absolutely beautiful!


Here we are all done!

Such a fun experience!

The kids loved every minute and it was a very special night!



Let's go get some hot chocolate!

Next year we will have to try to get this on the schedule earlier so EVERYONE can come! It was a very special night!

Abby's 4th Birthday!

A "Princess Belle" cake for Abby!

Here is the Sweeten and Marchbanks crew! We sure love Fran and Todd and their kids!

It is another Princess birthday for Miss Abby!