January Tidbits

The other day Tyler said to me (as he plopped on the bed to watch tv): "I am so blessed and lucky! I have a wife who doesn't like tv ... and so (waving the remote around) I just feel SO in control." haha. I don't know what was funnier ... the fact that he has so little control in this marriage :) ... or the fact that a tv remote is a sign of a blessed life. :D

Marissa at her choir concert. It was a fabulous performance ... we loved every minute of it!  She was really worried about being in choir ... but it ended up being her favorite class.  Isn't she beautiful?

I realized at this concert how short she is.  I have no idea why she was placed on the back row (3rd over from the left).  haha ... she is a shorty ... cute shorty, though!

We had parent teacher conference for Aaron this past week. The first thing his teacher said was ... "Well - here's his report card:  straight A's and the highest you can get in citizenship. I honestly racked my brain all this past week to try to think of something Aaron could improve in. And I got nothin'." :)  She then said, "Well, I guess I could encourage him to keep up his practice on the piano, because we're all counting on him to be the star from our class ... and I want to be able to see him down the years and say: 'I taught that kid!!'"  Ahhhhhhh Aaron -- thank heavens you're capable of living up to expectations.  :)

Krystal made these 'eyebrow' out of pretzels at lunch the other day.  She put them above her eyes, waggled them up and down and said, "Helllllllllooooooo Ladies!"  :)  Silly girl!

New Year's Eve

We were able to get together (for our annual get-together ;)) with the Mendonsa's for New Year's Eve this year.  We had a great time together ... as usual.  We lived by them in Orem ... and Marissa and Sierra have been BFFs since the 1st grade.  We're SO grateful that we are both in Spanish Fork now ... truly, it is a huge blessing ... fate, really!

Here we are watching the fireworks.  I'm extra lucky to work at Heather's pre-school ... she's one of my BFFs too!!

The men manning the fire works:

Cute buds.  Our families are good matches ... Krystal and Nicole get along so cute:

Playdough party ... it's funny that this is becoming kind of a New Year's Eve tradition for the kiddos:

2010!!  Can you believe it?!?  Where do the years go?

Mmmmmmmmm .... playdough delights:

Here is Krystal at 12:00 midnight .... and then again at 12:01:  :D

Here's to an exceptional new year ... with great friends and family, good times, many successes, lotsa laughs and smiles, and unlimited love.

Happy New Year!!

Can You Feel the Love?

Tyler and I were reminicsing tonight on the "love philosophies" of our children at the ages of 4 (where Krystal is right now).  Four is such a fabulous age for parents ... granted, Krystal is a stinker -- but one that makes us smile and chuckle continually.  I want to make sure I remember the precious things my kiddos said that make my heart melt:

Marissa at age 4:  "I love you from grandma's house to California and back and then up to the stars and back to our house!"

Aaron at age 4:  "I love you 2 million extra google scooters!"  and when we said, "Aaron, I just love you to pieces."  he would respond -- "Well, I love you THREE pieces!"

Krystal at age 4:  "I love you to the very very very very very very very very very very very end of the world."

:)  These three just couldn't be more different ... and yet, all sweetness flowing over.  I love 'em.

Christmas Wish Granted

Maybe it's just me -- but I am just in love with this face.  I LOVE the two front teeth coming in so huge.  It reminds me so much of his baby teeth first coming in.  Awwwwww.  I just love it.

His 2 front teeth certainly made a presence by Christmas day ... crooked and cute as can be!

Christmas Afternoon

Look at that stack of Swedish Pancakes!!  And that's the stack for the KID'S table :D hahaha!  We sure love eating Swedish pancakes on Christmas at grandma and grandpa Jensons!

I am honestly in shock that we have a table of teens and almost teens now.  Good lookin' group, huh?

For some reason - I only took pictures of Aaron opening his presents.  Weird.  Aaron got a skateboard and a ramp.  He was feeling pretty happy about that!  :)  It was really fun to watch the (older) girls open their presents, because they all got to pick out their own clothes.  I really enjoyed seeing their personalities in the outfits they picked to get from gma and gpa.

And ... this picture of me is horrendous, but - I LOVE the picture of Ty -- he is such a handsome hubby!  :)  Anyway ... it paired up nicely with this picture of Jers and Krys ... cuz' Christmas is about being with your absolute FAVORITE person, and Krystal has just always (even as a newborn) had a special place in her heart for her Uncle Jers.  It's fun to see her always choose to sit with him.  And I always choose my TyTy.  I sure love him!

I think this is it for my Christmas posts ... I'll have to go back through and double check, though.  haha.  I can't believe it is 2010!  Here's to a good year ... and many more posts to come.

It's Miller Time

We always gather for a fabulous Christmas breakfast at Gma Pat's and Gpa Brent's house Christmas morning ... but, I didn't get a picture.  However -- LUCKY ME!!! -- we opened presents after breakfast, and Ty and I got a NEW CAMERA!!  WoooooHoooo!  So, posted below is a picture of our Christmas DINNER.  Mom and Dad bought a filet mignon roast and it was deeeelish.

Here are the kiddos Christmas morning at the Miller house:

Krystal was extra pleased with the princess clothes and gave lotsa hugs. 

Dad and Tyler give a Christmas "cheer" with eggnogg:

We all love sweet baby Megs ... just can't get enough of her roly-polyness!

If this doesn't look like happiness ... I just don't know what does!

This last pic is us on Christmas night playing games.  We were all freezin' ... except Mom, of course - who was so hot she wanted to turn the air conditioning on! haha.  We had a good laugh when we realized how bundled we all were ... and Mom was fanning herself. Silliness.

Christmas Morning

This is our 2nd Christmas in our new home, and we feel so happy and blessed to be here.  Tyler and I both loooove Christmas morning with kids.  Really - there is nothing better or more exciting.

Marissa asked for many things ... changing her mind every week or so through the month of November  ... but had decided on a digital camera the week of Black Friday ... and that is what she had to stick with.  Hopefully she likes it.  She likes to take hundreds of pictures of her friends moving just a smidgen at a time and then clicking through them really fast so it looks like a whole dance sequence or something.  I don't know. :/!  Krystal was (and still is) in heaven with her nursery and baby doll.  She was just estatic about EVERYTHING - and that kept me-n-Ty smilin'!  (And, yes -- she obviously fell asleep in her filthy dirty clothes Christmas Eve.  We are just the best parents. )       

Despite the fact that Aaron's only choice for Christmas was a bike ... he was more than thrilled with his new ride ... and searched through his stocking diligently until he found a bike lock.  Only after he found the lock did he actually look through the other goods.  :)

New clothes and shoes are just a must for Christmas morning ... and they were nearly pulled out early hundreds of times during the month of December.  BUT -- I held out (surprise surprise!) -- and sneaked many a "I'm so dang sick of you wearing that" clothes outta town.  Krystal gave every gift extra special attention ... and Ty and I just "awwwwwed" and "ohhhhhhed" at her all morning.  She is way spoiled ... but too cute to resist (usually).  And ... Aaron with his $1.00 ball ... the littlest things create the most fun!

We are so grateful to be together for the holidays.  We are truly blessed to have each other.  The years just fly by, and I am happy to be able to document our happenings in such a simple way.  I know that Tyler and I ... and the kids ... will look back on these posts with fond memories, lotsa smiles, and many "hey!  I remember that!"s.  I'm grateful for the reason of the season - our Savior Jesus Christ.  He is real and He loves us, and I feel of His love in my life every day.  Merry Christmas!

More 24 Days of Christmas Fun

We did a LOT of get togethers with friends and family this year for the 24 Days of Christmas .... not as many crafts (making snowflakes, building a snowman, making impressionistic Christmas trees from a variety of torn pieces of green patterned cardstock, etc.) - but, we DID manage to make a gingerbread house.  Well, the girls did.  Tyler worked late and Aaron opted to hang out at a friend's house.

They did a great job!

Aaron had a darling Christmas program at school.  I only had my cell phone available - and this is the only picture I got.  But, really - it was the most darling thing EVER!  Tear inducing darling in fact.

Melynda plans and orchestrates a trip to the local light show for our whole famdamily ... and it was such a super fun night.  Somehow ... Melynda ended up with Tyler and I -- and Mom and Dad got the old kids -- and Kristy and James towed all the littles.  :D!  I'm not sure how we lucked out - but, it was quite enjoyable.  Melynda and I acted like kids good enough on our own ...

And took AT LEAST a gazillion pictures (with my cell phone ... so only like 5 pics turned out enough to see something) ... haha.

Donuts, hot chocolate, and games afterwards made for a fabuloso evening!  Thanks M!