Tate is famous (in Midway, Utah).......

 While we were in Midway, we stopped to show Tate that his name is special there. I actually saw the name Tate many years ago on the Tate Barn and I have always wanted to stop and snap a photo of our Tate next to the signs and teach him about the Barn. He loved every minute of it.

The sun was bright and therefore, you see the nice Jack Skellington hat instead of our "little man" Tate.

A photo of the history of Tate Barn. Mike was in the middle of reading it and Tate was headed back to the car since he had been promised a donut for letting us take a photo of him next to the barn. Silly kid.

Happy New Year 2014!!!

  We welcomed in the New Year by a party at our home with friends. We asked the boys where they would like to go for New Year's and they were insistent that we stay home and have friends over. Our boys love staying home and I am glad it is their favorite place to be! We played games and watched movies and then had a great deal of noise when the New Year arrived. Love being with family and friends!

 The kids having a loud party at the strike of Midnight.

 Love this man! Can't wait to see what 2014 will bring.

Snow Tubing.............

 We had so much fun this Holiday Season. Mike had two weeks off work and we took advantage of that fact and played. We went to Soldier Hollow on a beautiful day and got out of the yucky inversion to enjoy snow tubing. We called it "lazy man tubing," since you are pulled to the to the top of a mountain on a pulley while relaxing in a snow tube. Everyone had a blast and the weather was warm for December.

 The boys at the end of the massive hill they just came down.

 Tate wanted to be pulled up the mountain on the pulley like this. He is always pushing for his next adventure or invention. P.S. it was a "no go." The cute girl loading him on the pulley told him "no way!"

 Dylan was all smiles. He savored flying down the hill as quick as he could. He had no fear, which made his father a little bit nervous, so Mike went with him down the large runs.

After we had many runs down the multiple groomed snow tubing hills, mom took the boys on a small hill and let them go down together. They were both laughing. There is nothing better in this world, than to hear their amazing laughter.

December 25th...

This is the only photo we captured on December 25th. The boys were busy all day! They went to the Grandma and Grandpa Green's home in the morning and had a great time.  And then they came home and played with  their Skylanders Wii game that Santa dropped off as he coming by on his sleigh on Christmas Eve.The boys told Mike that it was the best Christmas ever because they had two days of Santa delivering gifts. I am so grateful to be married to such a great man who maintains traditions and is an amazing father and husband. He had things so organized for the boys and made sure to maintain Christmas traditions in our home while I was at work on Christmas Eve. We all had a great Christmas! Christmas night I was scheduled to work, but I was put on home call all night. It was great to stay at home and watch Despicable Me and to spend the night cuddled with the boys I love!

Christmas Morning.....

 The boys were anxious to find what the elves had brought from Santa.

 After prayer and scripture reading we made our way downstairs.

 With funny faces and many different expressions.

 The elves had arrived during the night and it appeared that they arrived on bicycles for the boys.

 We shared many smiles and made some great new memories. The boys were actually really slow at opening their gifts this year, which made it enjoyable.

 One happy boy!

 

Dylan had asked for beyblades, a bike, and minecraft legos. He was thrilled that Santa delivered.

 Tate was so excited to get his Hot Wheels Car Maker, a bike, and of course more legos.

                            

 The boys(including Mike) played for hours, while I cooked us a traditional Christmas morning breakfast(and  I may have played with my new gifts as well).

   

It was a great Christmas celebrated on the 24th of December. Mike and I both loved how we were able to stay at home and enjoy the day, instead of running all over and having the kids leave their toys.  All of us stayed in our pajamas and enjoyed our new gifts. That night Mike made Christmas dinner for the boys and his parents and celebrated another memorable Christmas Eve. I went to work and had a great night taking care of the sweet NICU babes. I took photos of all the babes in the NICU, thanks to much help from my awesome co-workers. A RN friend at work made sweet cards that we put the photos on for all the parents.  And another great colleague had sewn Christmas stockings for each of the babes.   The parents apparently were in tears Christmas morning! I loved doing it and it helped me to remember all my blessings as I was serving these families who experienced a different circumstance this Christmas.  I would show some sweet adorable photos of the babes if I could, but you know about this thing called HIPPA; I dare not share. I will share that I love this hobby of photography, especially photography of babies.