most wonderful time...

This was the first year we did our own little Christmas eve dinner & program. It was fun that Bastien understood the story of Jesus' birth this year. After dinner, which was baked ziti. As you can tell, they used their shirts as napkins:) We told the kids that after dinner sometime, some of Santa's elves were going to deliver their Christmas eve present. Santa's elf (Steven) went out the back door, set these presents outside and knocked at the door. Here are the kids seeing what was at the door.

Christmas jammies! You always have to get a picture with these.

Embry was not liking being forced to take jammy pics. This face is the best.

Leaving Santa some cookies and milk...then it was off to bed to try really hard to sleep. Actually Bastien fell asleep pretty easily, which was nice cause I had lots of wrapping & stockings to fill...and cookies to eat.

The kids were spoiled this year. I got half of their presents at Once upon a child for 2-8 bucks. Like the remote control car (Which I saw at Target for $20!) and remote control catterpillar and the thomas laptop. They were all in really good condition, too. It's funny because all the remote controllers control everything. Bastien's firetruck remote also controls the caterpillar and the car all at the same time. I walked into my dark room and there was a possessed catterpillar going wacko by itself, it was creepy.

Bastien's favorites were ..everything, he said! He acted so excited about the remote control tarantula, though.

Embry's favorites so far have been Bastien's GEOtrax set. And all of his Thomas stuff. He loves anything trains.

Jasper's favorites are his pug puppy that wags his tail and the demon catterpillar. He seems to like dogs and dinosaurs lately so I played off of that. He refused to open presents after a while. He was only interested in the presents out of the wrapping. So he'd just steal everyone else's presents. But Embry and Bastien had fun opening Jappy's.

This year was the most exciting so far since having kids. I was so anxious for the kids to open presents, I think I woke up like 3 times Christmas night. I havent done that in a while:) Bastien was so into everything this year, it put me in the Christmasy mood easily.

We went to my parents later on that morning and the kids got spoiled again. My dad made some awesome food. He made a big breakfast and lunch. So basically if I dont eat the rest of the week, i'll survive. Then after naps back at our house we headed to Steven's dad's house and had dinner and they spoiled us too. Families are the best. Hope everyone had a great holiday like us!

Just a cute moment I captured tonight before bed.

christmas through the years..

My dad, Vuna, Mary and Ana

Sione and I werent born yet. You cant tell but they're having a horrible Christmas without us.

I think I was 4 this Christmas. I remember Mary waking me up on Christmas morning with this puppy (Ringo?) licking my face!

Remember the Christmas pj's with the matching one for your doll? I loved those.

I used to sneak Sione's gameboy and play Warioland. I thought my mom was so cool cuz she bought me Simpsons jammies!

This is the year my older siblings were way too cool for Christmas pictures.

Vuna and I. Christmas before his mission (1992?) and I was 9..

Yikes, its a good thing we had kids. Or we would no longer exist as far as pictures go. Isnt it so sad that I didnt take any pictures of mine and Steven's first 2 Christmas' together? (03&04)

Here's Bastien's first Christmas-2005

he was 6 months old.

Sad again. But this Christmas(2006) I didnt take pictures, because we didnt put up our tree since we were moving 3 days after Christmas. So I guess I wasnt really in a Christmassy mood and forgot. Here's Bastien playing with his Christmas present though. He was 18 months.

Christmas in our queen creek house. 2007

Bastien was 2.5 years old.

I was also pregnant with the twins this Christmas. I remember Christmas day being a turning point. I felt great physically up until this day. I was so done. And I still had more than a month to go. You can tell, I look kinda pissed in this picture.

And Christmas last year!

Bastien was 3.5 yrs and the twins were 11 months.

The babies were so little and Embry had no curls!

Merry Christmas everyone!

and remember to take pictures! :)

it's the polar express!

We planned a Polar Express party for all the kids. I love suprising Bastien with it the day of. He acts SO excited about it all day and I only have to hear the "Lets go to the polar express party now" every 10 minutes for only one day:) It was at Brooke's house and she had a hot chocolate machine and everything. You know, for the HOT! HOT! part.

Kids are extra cute in jammies, dont ya think?

look at that belly.

We handed these out to the kids.

We had to kind of force some of the kids to watch the movie and that only lasted a few minutes. But it has choo choos (or poo poos) in it, so Embry was there.

These kinds of things are so much fun and my kids love it. I feel so lucky to have found these girls! They're so much fun. Our next plan for the kids is a Treasure Hunt! Probably after the holidays. But guess who also came up with this idea? The brilliant 3 yr old that is Lopaka. (or that cute little hawaiian kid pickin his wedgie)

i'm the mother flippin'

Have you seen this show? Its the funniest.

These are our first official family pictures. My weight is not a reason to put them off any longer since the twins are almost 2...lame! We went to the park near the library on Greenfield and Guadalupe and our cool friend Tyler tried out his fancy new camera on us. Here are a few of my favorites..

This one wouldve been the best one, but everytime we'd take Emb's binky out he'd do something like this. Jasper's face cracks me up. This is his 'a stranger is near' face.

Bastien's so cute hugging the tree in this one..

All I could think of in this one is that my knee will not bend...still! The weird swelling is gone but it still feels really weird if I bend it all the way.

Steven and his mini me Jappy.

Bastien is so pretty. I still dont know how I have a kid this white. He's got the whole Cullen vampire thing goin' on with his pale face and cherry red lips.

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I've always wanted a cuddly baby. Bastien let off too much body heat since day one. He used to get grumpy and hot when I held him while feeding his bottle. Embry is too busy for me most of the time and when he does cuddle it's on his own terms. But Jasper...if Jasper was my first kid and there were no distractions he would let me cuddle with him all day. If I sit on the couch he's the one who comes and sits on my lap. He loves it when I bring him to my pillow on my bed and put a blanket over him and lay by him. He's a possesive cuddler. If Bastien or Embry ever want to join in on it he pushes them away. Everyone always sees Jasper's scaredy cat personality. Because if someone new or someone he hasnt seen in a while is in the room he clings on to me for dear life. But there is a whole different, smiley Jasper at home. I love my Japper!

Right after their nap. Jasper supplied the blanket for them since he is the cuddler of course.

Arent baby faces so fresh and cute after naps?

We are back on the LOST wagon. We started watching a long time ago. But I got mad about mid 3rd season and decided to wait until they started answering some of my effing questions! Yes I really was that mad. But we just finished the 5th season and it's awesome! It went somewhere I never wouldve predicted and I'm so excited to see how it all comes together in the last season that starts in February. too far.

I've always been team Sawyer.

But then Jack really started growing on me somewhere between season 3-5 and now...

Well, as pretty as Jack is...

I think I'm still all about the Sawyers.

Who's your favorite?

art show

Bastien's friend Paka came up with the idea to have an Art show. The kids all brang an art project that they had worked on and we displayed them...and then ate cookies. I gotta say the kids had more appreciation for the cookies than for the art. But who wouldnt right? I love how the creative genius behind all of this was a 3 year old.