A rundown of the month of December...

So once again it has been awhile since I have taken the time to take a minute and make a post. December has been a very busy and exciting month for us, like most everyone else. We started the month off by decorating and getting a head start on Christmas. I love the Christmas season and the joy it brings to many people. I especially love watching the excitement in my kids. They look forward to counting down everyday until Christmas Day. I buy them the advent calendars each year. Every morning before they make sure to get a candy out of their calendar and are so happy that they are one day closer to the big day.

Chad and I enjoyed going to our Ward Christmas Dinner and also my Company Christmas Party. Our kids weren't invited to either, but didn't seem to mind letting Mom and Dad spend a couple nights away. We had a great time at both and enjoyed each others company.

If December isn't crazy enough as it is we also add in a couple birthdays. My birthday is on December 19th. This year it landed on a Saturday. It was a great day!!! My kids let me sleep in and then we just had a lazy day. We then opened presents and then went out to dinner with my Mom and Dad. We had a great night and enjoyed dinner at my favorite Mexican Restaurant, Don Padro's. Of course my Dad couldn't go without telling everyone that it was my birthday. The people at the Restaurant came out with a great big "Birthday Hat" that I was so lucky to get to wear and then they sang to me while banging lids together. Yes, it was so embarrassing and I will have to get him back for it. Thank goodness nobody had a camera to capture my embarrassment. It was a great day none the less. Thanks Chad, kids, Mom and Dad.

Tyus' Birthday is on December 23rd. I feel so bad that he has to celebrate his birthday 2 days before Christmas, but he doesn't seem to mind to much. He gets spoiled rotten and all attention is on him. He turned 9 this year. I can't believe it!! He is growing way to fast. He also gets to share his birthday with his cousin Caden. We had a party at Grandpa and Grandma Erickson's house this year. We ordered pizza and had cake and ice cream. All Tyus wanted to do for his birthday was go to the movies and see "Alvin and the Chipmunks- The Squeakquel." So after the party we took him to see the movie. He had a really good day and had fun celebrating it with all his family. He got a new 22 gun, PSP games, a hat, Bendaroos, a skateboard and a lot more. Thanks everyone for celebrating with us.

Tyus with his cake.
He likes the cartoon Tom and Jerry so his request was a Jerry cake. It took me forever to decorate because I'm not a cake decorator, but he liked it so that is all that matters.

"The Birthday Boys"
Caden-4 and Tyus-9

Opening Presents

Blowing out the candles... Make a wish!!!

We got to go to Tyus and Peyton's school and watch their school Christmas Program. Each class sang and danced and both boys did a great job. Peyton has been singing his songs to me all month and had them down by the night of the program. They also got to make gifts at school to give to us. They got to get them that night after the program and both Peyton and Tyus could hardly wait for us to see what they had made for us. Peyton made us open his that night and Tyus wanted to us to wait until Christmas morning. I just love the excitement Christmas brings to kids.

Tyus singing

Tyus dancing to one of the songs. He was lucky and got dance with his cousin Hailey

Tyus' with some of the kids in the Elementary

Peyton singing

Peyton with his Kindergarten Class

The kids have been practicing really hard for the "Annual Woodruff Ward Christmas Eve Progam." Ever year the primary kids put on a play and then we sing Christmas songs until Santa Clause comes. Bailey was asked to have one of the lead parts this year. She got to be the Elf. She had a lot of parts to memorize and she did a wonderful job. She looked so cute in her elf costume. Tyus was a Soldier and he played the part great. Peyton got to be a Teddy Bear and he was such a cute and cuddly looking bear. I look so forward to the program each year. The kids get so excited to see Santa Clause and it helps make the LONG night of Christmas Eve go a little quicker.

Peyton the Cuddly Teddy Bear

Tyus as a Soldier

Bailey the "Elf"

Peyton telling Santa everything he wants for Christmas

Tyus giving Santa his list

Christmas morning couldn't come fast enough. We sent the kids to bed around 11 pm with hopes that they would go to sleep. They decided that they needed to all sleep together in Bailey's room. We made the boys a bed on Bailey's floor. Chad and I went to bed shortly after but we kept hearing someone out in the living room. I guess Tyus was to excited and thought he needed to keep an eye on where Santa was. He was on the computer on the Santa Tracker seeing how much longer until he would be in Utah. The last time we told him to go to bed Santa was in Arizona. That is close to Utah and I think it scared him enough that he finally went to bed for good. He new that if he didn't Santa would skip over our house.

Tyus was the first one up in our house and he woke the other kids up at 7:30. The kids got spoiled as usual and had a great Christmas. Bailey got a lot of clothes, boots (that her dad just loves, NOT), a portable DVD player with movies, ect..... Tyus was excited about his IPod, PSP games and more....... Peyton wanted a DS and was excited to see it with a bunch of games, Monster Trucks being his favorite. He also was excited about the other toys and games he got. Santa always pulls through and puts big smiles on the kids faces.

Christmas Morning

Opening Presents

Christmas afternoon we enjoyed a family party with the Erickson family. We have a tradition in my family to spend Christmas at my Mom and Dads. All of my Brothers and Sister, Spouses and Kids were all there. We have a great time and enjoy each others company.

"The Boys"

At Grandpa and Grandmas's house

"The Girls"
At Grandpa and Grandma's house

Peyton opening his present from Grandpa and Grandma

The day after Christmas we went to Chad's Brothers house in Logan for his family Christmas

party. We had a wonderful dinner of homemade noodles and clam chowder. This is a tradition that they have in their family. We exchanged gifts and then played games. We had a great day and really enjoy being with family.

This pretty much raps up the month. We are so thankful for everything that we have been blessed with. Chad and I are so blessed to have wonderful family and friends that support us and our kids. We are thankful to live in a free country and to have all the luxuries of life that we take for granite each day. We are thankful to be able to celebrate the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ and remember the sacrifices that he made for us. We try to teach our kids the true meaning of Christmas and hope that they don't think that is all about the gifts. The year 2009 has been a great year for our family and we look forward to a wonderful year to come.