We wish you a Merry Christmas!!

I know this is lame... but here is our Christmas card and pic.... I don't have everyone's address and I figure this is better than nothing... So now it is like you got a card from us! :) I know I am taking the easy way out! but, I hope you all have a very great holiday season. I am thankful for my awesome friends and family... like you! Merry Christmas!!

Christmas Tag

Christmas Tag
1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? a little of both!
2. Tree--Real or Artificial?Artificial!! Two of them (one with homemade ornaments, and one decorated a little nicer!)
3. When do you put Christmas tree up? Either the day before or after Thanksgiving... one year I even put it up on Thanksgiving day!
4. When do you take the tree down? Sometime in January
5. Like egg nog? Yes ... but I like hot cocoa a lot more!
6. Do you have a nativity scene? I think I have about 20 of them! I collect them and get at least one new one every year! I love them!
7. Favorite gift received as a child? Cabbage patch doll
8. Hardest person to buy for? Wayne... he never wants anything!
9. Easiest person to buy for? My girls
10. Worst Christmas gift? ?? I don't remember
11. Mail or email a Christmas Card? I love getting everyones christmas cards .. and I love to make mine every year!
12. Favorite Christmas movie? The Santa Clause movie (with Tim Allen) ... me and my best friend (Camille) used to watch it every Christmas with Candy canes and Hot Cocoa!!... good memories!
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? In November.. it feels good to get the shopping done early and enjoy the holidays...
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Not that I remember...
15. Favorite food to eat on Christmas? CANDY
16. Clear or colored tree lights? Clear on my nice tree... colored outside and on the kids tree
17. Favorite Christmas Song? "Oh come all ye Faithful" and "Christmas Shoes"
18. Travel during Christmas or Stay home? We travel throughout the holidays. We used to come to my mom's to sleep on Christmas eve... but it is fun to have our own Christmas at home with our girls now!
19. Can you name Santa's reindeer? dasher, dancer prancer, vixen, comet, cupit, donner, blitzen, and do you recall? the most famous reindeer of all... rudolph
20. Angel or Star on Tree top? Silver star
21. Open presents on Christmas Eve or morning? Always PJs on Christmas eve
22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? crowded stores (even in Thatcher) and long lines!

Happy birthday Hanna BABA!

Hanna always tell us her name is not Hanna, it is Hanna "BABA"! I can't believe she is 4! She is such a fun girl! She loves High School Musical, Hannah Montana, barbies and books! We were in Gilbert for her b.day and it was a great day. We opened presents in the morning at Wayne's parents house, then in the afternoon we had a party at Peter Piper. That night we went to the temple lights. It was fun to be with Deanne's family and see our good friends the Farnsworths. They always make b.days so fun and get enough presents for Christmas and birthdays!! We had a fun weekend seeing Wayne's family too! WHen we are in Gilbert/Mesa... we never have enough time to see everyone and do everything we want... but it was a great weekend!

Peter piper...

Temple lights with Deanne's family!

All bundle up!

The BIRTHDAY girl!! :)

YEAH! Hannah Montana barbie!

We miss our cousin JoAnn!!

I love this picture of Haylee. When we straighten her hair she looks so grown up!

This is my cute neice (Wayne's sister's baby) Maci was very cute with her and didn't want to ever let her go!

PoLaR eXpReSs

The whole Layton family went to Williams, AZ to ride the POLAR EXPRESS train. We all wore red pj bottoms and our matching family shirts... we had a quite a few people looking at our HUGE group in matching clothes! IT was SO cold.. but fun to bundle up! It was such a fun experience. The girls loved every minute of it. On the train, we had hot cocoa, cookies, and sang songs... Then at the "north pole" Santa come aboard the train and brought all the kids a bell. It was the perfect amount of time and fun! We all stayed in the same hotel.. got in trouble for being so loud... but it was an awesome trip! The girls loved the indoor pool at the hotel. There was TONS of rain, so we missed going to the deer farm.. but everything else was great! I definately want to do it again!





CUTE kids!

Maci getting a bell. I was so suprised she didn't cry!

All the grandkids (except one newborn) with Grandma and Pop

The indoor pool at the hotel. The kids have been asking to swim a lot lately and I keep telling them they have to wait until summer... so they LOVED getting to swim!

YUCK!

I love this time of year... except the sickness. I don't have time to be sick but... I am . I have strep throat and a sinus infection, Hanna has an ear infection and strep throat, and Maci has a double ear infection... Luckily Haylee and Wayne are good! I have had strep too many times... I think I just want my tonsils out! It just isn't good timing. I have sharing time this weekend (I got put in as 2nd counslor in primary... for my 4th time!:)... I have to put on Wayne's work party with my sister in law... We are going to Gilbert this weekend for the party, a baptism, and Hanna's b.day... I will be fine when my meds kick in... Sorry about the complaining... What else is there to do when you are home sick (I already had my nap!)... Hope everyone is feeling well!

I am thankful for...

FAMILY: My family is the most important thing to me! Wayne and my girls are my life and I am also thankful for the family I married in to and the family I was born in to! They are both the greatest!
GOSPEL: is the reason I am here. I am thankful for the Lord's plan. It all makes so much sense and fills my life with happiness.
THATCHER: I really am thankful to live in this great town. I really feel that we were supposed to be here... and I'm glad we are!
FRIENDS: I have the greatest friends in the whole world...thanks to all of you! Thanks for all the good times!
MY HOME, MY COUNTRY, CANDY, MODERN DAY TECHNOLOGY, (I can't imagine not having a washing machine, oven, etc.) ... the list goes on!!!


Thanksgiving was awesome this year. We stayed at Wayne's parents along with Wayne's brother's family and had Thanksgiving there. We stayed the whole day and just spent time with family. We really miss being away from all of them. The kids jumped right back into things with their cousins. I shopped on Friday, but not too early... Now I am DONE with my shopping and cards... I can relax and enjoy the holidays! This weekend, we are off to enjoy the polar express!! :)

Me and my sister in law, Katie... cheering on our hubbys. We were friends in college too! It is so fun!

Most of my sister in laws... looking through the ads for black out Friday

Haylee playing with her cousins on the tramp

Wayne and his bros playing 3 flys up... wayne is the one jumping the highest!! :)

ALMOST all of our family...

Haylee, Hanna, Jace, and Annie (Brad and Amber's kids)

Grandma and Pop singing the gobble, gobble song with some of the grandkids...

Yummy dinner. It was SO hot that day!

Cute kids table

matching outfits... Hanna and Maci

Sisters are the BEST!

Haylee loves to do Hanna's hair

... and Hanna just sits there and lets her!

This is a common scene after Haylee comes home from school. She has to read a book everyday, and Hanna is normally right there ready for a story!

This is the best!! Maci loves to be read to, so Hanna puts her on her lap and "reads" stories to her! I love it! These are the joys of being a mom! I am so lucky!

Piano

Wayne and I want to get a piano. We both play a little bit, but want our kids to learn! and I actually wouldn't mind taking lessons even now. I was looking on craigslist and saw some good prices, but I'm wondering if it matters the "brand" of piano. ... or is a piano just a piano?

For Veteran's Day, we went to the Tucson zoo with some of Wayne's family. It was so much fun! I had never been, but we all loved it. It is alot smaller than Phoenix zoo, so it wasn't as much walking. The weather was perfect and the animals were so close. We enjoyed being with Wayne's brother's family, his sister's family, and his parents! It was a great day!

We are not zooming the camera in... the animals are so close!

Haylee, Hanna and some cousins

More cousins

The three girls...

Grandma, Pop, and the girls! They are awesome grandparents!

Family Pictures

Here are our family pictures.. I took all of your advice and did my hair curly. My friend, Leah Davis took our pictures and did a great job. Here are SOME of them. All of the copies had one in color and one in black and white! Maci was not the happiest kid that day, but I think they turned out great.. Now I can finish my Christmas cards!

Happy Fall Y'all!

This Halloween was so fun! We started it out on Sat. night with a friend party in Chandler where the girls (Haylee and Hanna) were Belle and CInderella. Then Hanna wanted to be a ballerina for school. Then they both wanted to be cheerleaders on Halloween night. I had all the costumes here, so I let them choose what they wanted! Since Maci didn't care much, she was a lady bug, everynight! Tuesday we had a fun party at my mom's with all the cousins here. Then on Halloween, Haylee had a school parade and carnival. It is so fun in a small town to see everyone at EVERYTHING! I love it! My brother also had a work party that we stopped by to trick or treat at! It was a fun "week" of celebration. I've already got Halloween stuff put away, and Thanksgiving decorations up... I can't wait for Christmas!

County Fair, Miniature Horses, and Pumkin Patch

Out to eat with Brian and Katie! We always have a lot of fun!

Hanna, Maci, and Kade with the miniature horse!

I love this picture. Hanna is so good to Maci!

Fun at the pumpkin patch.. bad picture of me with my eyes closed!

Grandma Layton and cousins... so much fun!

Hanna loved this ride!

Haylee and Hanna won trophies and ribbons for "their" pigeons in the fair. (My brother put their names on some of his birds and they won!)

Haylee and her cousin Jackson's art poster from school that was in the fair!

We have been busy with lots of fun things lately. By the way, thanks for the advice for pictures... I did my hair curly and pictures went well (except for a grumpy baby!) Leah did a great job and I can't wait to see them! A couple weekends ago was the county fair.. I LOVE it... I did when I was growing up, and I still do! We went a couple days and looked at animals, art projects and rode rides. The girls loved it and each got to go on a couple of rides. Then Wayne (being the awesome husband he is) let me stay, while he took the girls home to bed (he doesn't really love the rides there!) I stayed with my younger brother and we had a blast! We only went on a couple of rides, but I loved it! I found out my stomach is a little more sensitive since kids... I had butterflies so bad and was laughing my head off.... The fair was great. That week we got to see two of Wayne's brother's family and it was awesome to spend time together. We miss them!

Last week, Wayne's sister came to visit with her 5 kids and we had a great time. My brother just bought 2 miniature horses, so we took the kids for a ride. The horses are SO cute and tiny! We went to Mesa last weekend for a parenting class (Love and Logic) at Wayne's parents house. It was SO awesome and I have learned so much. We had 2 classes and still have 2 more. I have a lot to work on as a mom! We had so much fun being back there.... but so much to do since there is NO shopping here. WE loved being with family and also got to go to a pumkin patch with hay rides, mazes, and fun for ALL!! Now I am working non stop to get ready for a vinyl lettering party!

straight or curly!??

I can't believe I'm posting pictures of myself on here.. but I need some advice... We are getting family pictures on Thursday and I'm not sure how to do my hair.. I'm really tired of it and can't seem to find something I love. I always do it straight, but had a friend help me curl it and I'm trying to decide what's best ... I'm not the best at making decisions (obviously) so..Let me know what you think!