Because you are my daughter...

Troy found this saying and shared it with me. It is our new parental mantra.

Christmas 2013

On Dec 1, Christopher Pop-in-kins showed up at our home once again. 

He came to watch the girls and make sure they were being nice to their loving mother and father.

Santa made it to our ward Christmas party.  My girls love telling Santa what they want for Christmas.

Grandma Pearl's party is also an annual tradition.  We gathered grandma and all her kids around for a family picture.  They are a fun bunch.  Poor grandma has bunny ears.  Bad Ken.

Uncle Pete, Aunt Chris, Ken (dad), Grandma Pearl, Aunt Karen, Aunt Lucy, Uncle Lenard.

Grandma always bring her bingo cards.

Aeva hands out the Bingo cards.  She LOVES Christmas Bingo.

Until she gets raisins as her gift.  Not her favorite.  She exchanged them for another gift.  Guess what was in that one...yup, raisins again.  Poor Aeva.  Maybe it's a sign that she needs more raisins and nuts in her diet. 

Maddie got this lovely stocking.

Gracie got a sticky man.

And a measuring tape as a bonus gift.

For her second gift she opened up a "boy" gift.  Again, not impressed.  She needs to pay attention to the tag on the package.  Lesson learned.  She exchanged her boy gift for...

A book.  She was happy with the book until she opened the cover.  Apparently this book did not belong to Aeva.  

Then we headed to the Haun party.

Family gift exchange.  Pass to the left, pass to the right.  Pass.  Pass.  Pass.

We ended up with a Minon.  They always wanted another sibling.

Troy's annual rearranging of the wood blocks.

He prefers to "be evil" and not "believe."

Aeva rummaged through her old box and found her Rudolph accessories.

She also got a letter back from Santa via his elf Sprinkles.

Christmas morning.

Maddie's feet have outgrown Troys...and mine.  Needless to say, her shoes had to go back for a bigger size.

Groupons for iFly, iClimb and Flowrider.  

Aeva got a ring from Maddie that she had been wanting.

Books for Darby.

A golf club for Bryan.

A wireless printer for Grandpa.

Headbands from Grandma Pearl.

Santa managed to leave a few gifts too.

Boots for Grandma.

Facial hair for Troy.

Christmas breakfast at the Hauns.

A fun filled week and awesome memories.  Merry Christmas to one and all!

Annual Haun Fondue

Our annual steak fondue night has come and gone.  One of my personal favorites!

Fried steak.  What could be better?

We let the kids play in the chocolate to top off the night.  These three thought they were in heaven.

The Wrestling Santa

We went to one of Parker's wrestling meets at Weber High.  While we were there, a bunch of high school kids from Logan came over with a Santa hat.  They asked if my dad would wear it for a picture.  I can't count the number of kids that ask my dad if he is Santa.  

Cute Santa.

A Cookie for You

We were invited to our first Cookie Party.  The girls were excited to go and dip their little fingers in bowls of frosting.

Aeva's snowflake.

Sugar overload.  She doesn't seem to mind.

Gracie's sugar house.

Thanks, Justine for the invite!  Happy cookie baking to one and all!