Family Pictures 2011

I just got these pictures back this last week, and I am so happy to be able to post them.  Once again I was able to get Mackenzie Scott, a neighbor and friend to take them for me.  I had booked this session a whole year ago, because she is just that good, and that busy.  I think she is well worth the wait and all the money, by the beautiful pictures she is able to capture.  Stay tuned though, tomorrow I will be getting a copy of the individuals and the rest of the pictures she took that day.  She is telling me that they are turning out very cute and I have to believe her...

This one is probably my favorite and I will tell you why, I just wish you could see Emmi's face more.  I love Keaton's smile, I think he is so handsome here.  I love Jack's little scowly face, that we see quite a bit at home, and of course Sam's big dimples and toothless grin.  I also love this of Chad because I have a thing for the wrinkles around his eyes when he smiles and this shows them perfectly. 

This is my second favorite.  You can't beat all the kids smiling at the camera.  My little Emmi looks beautiful here, and Jack's smile makes me happy.

What do you think?  What one/ones should I put on my walls?

Christmas Dance Recital

Emmi's Christmas dance recital was yesterday, held in my mother-in-law's dance studio.  I was so proud of her. 

She was one lucky girl because she got to have me, her daddy, and her Great-Grandparents there to watch her, as well as her dance teachers (her Grandma and aunt Kristin). Chad even asked Emmi after the recital if he could take her out for ice cream.  I think she was feeling really loved. 

   

Here she is in "Jingle Bells."

Christmas Party!

Our primary presidency asked the parents to volunteer some children for a little nativity at the Ward Christmas Party.  I volunteered my 3, not think that they would probably use all 3, but they did.  They even asked Chad to be the narrator, and he did an excellent job.  My mother-in-law let me borrow some costumes and it turned out cute.  Keaton was the angel Gabriel, here appearing to sweet little Mary.

Emmi was also an angel.

And Sam was a wise man. 

After dinner and the nativity, Santa arrived!  We had a long wait, but eventually my three oldest got a chance to tell Santa what they wanted.

Recently we had one of the best family nights ever.  We took a short ride over to Salem pond and drove around the beautifully lit up water.  They had these fun trees scattered all over the pond, and all the houses nearby were lit up too.  Then we drove up to Spanish Fork and drove through the golf course, which they also had decorated.  They even have a radio channel that you tune in to that is all holiday music.  The kids liked it enough that they wanted to drive through it again, but we said next year.  Then we stopped to get some hot chocolate that I heard was awesome, but we all ended up with ice cream instead. 

Thomson Family Pictures

The last time my family got a picture taken was back in 2005, and that was only because it was taken at Erin and Rob's wedding.  To find a family picture of us taken before that, you would have to go back to when I was just leaving junior high.  So, you can understand how tickled I am to be able to show these pictures to you.  These were a long time comin'.  I whispered to my Mom's ear that maybe we should take a picture Thanksgiving morning, since we will all be around for Thanksgiving anyway, and tada..pictures!!

I love this of my parents and siblings.  I am not exaggerating to say that you are looking at my most favorite people in the world (as well as my husband and kids of course).  I don't know what I did to deserve such a loving family. 

My brother and my sisters.  Aren't we a handsome bunch? 

My cute mama and the girls.  If you swap out our hair color, I think we all look a lot alike.  I love these ladies.

Mom and Dad. Aren't they cute too?:)

Such a good pic of "J" and my Dad. 

Grandpa B with the little boys. 

Grandma and her cute little girls.

My little family.  It turned out pretty cute.

And last but not least, Grandma and Grandpa with the kids.

Festive

Thanks to the long holiday weekend, we had time to get our Christmas decor out.  Every time I do, it makes me realize how little I have, but that's okay.  The kids enjoy it, and that's what matters, right?  This year we pulled out our fake pre-lit tree that we have used for a few years only to find that the whole top and bottom sections of lights on the tree were not working.  It looked horrible, but somehow I was able to talk Chad into getting a real tree this year.  It made me so happy to help set the tree up, and smell the pine.  It reminded me of Christmas when I was a kid.   Me and the kids also had fun decorating it last night, even though somehow we had glitter everywhere when we were done. 

Stragglers

My lack of posts lately is more of not having anything to post of, rather than being too busy or lazy.  But, in looking over my pictures that I have accumulated over the last year on my iPhone, I found a few stragglers, if you will, that I would like to post.  I also just got this cool app that lets me makes these frames with my pictures (thanks Amanda) and I wanted to try it out...so fun.

I am sure you can imagine, but my kids like to take pictures with my phone, and constantly I am finding the evidence. I bet you can't guess who took these?

And these?

A certain mister was also caught when he was supposedly just playing a game.

Last but not least... I had to post these hilarious pictures we took of the kids with the "iFaceFat" app earlier this year.  We all got a good chuckle out of them. Ha ha ha..:)

Trick or Treat!

I was able to snap a few pictures of the kids before we left for trick or treating.  I think they turned out pretty cute this year.  Keaton is a zombie, Jack is the horse, (which now all of my boys have worn at that age), Sam is a vampire and Emmi is a witch.

The horse did not want to sit still for a picture but I just had to, he was too cute.  I am kicking myself that I did not get a picture of him in his costume from behind because it makes me giggle... maybe I still will.

I hope you all had a Happy Halloween!!