Is It 2011 Already?!

Wow did 2010 end in a landslide or what! We're happy to report that we are doing well this new year and have a bit of catch up to do for the end of this year past and a lot to look forward to then the coming weeks!

Thanksgiving

So this was my first year hosting Thanksgiving dinner. This is me and "The Bird". She came in at 14lbs and was one sweet turkey. This is me calling for help, I did that a lot that day. Jose helped me make the turkey delicious, and I called my mom for the mash potatoes, and Jeremy's mom for homemade rolls and gravy made from drippings. On my own I made the green bean casorole - yeah for me! So did I get a picture of the finished dinner all arranged to eat? Of course not! But the meal was grand still the same and the De La Portilla family joined us in one big eating fest that left us all coma-tosed in front of the TV.

And what were the boys doing while I cooked? Putting up the new TV. The day before Black Friday Jeremy picked it up from the Wal Mart and couldn't wait to mount it on the wall and watch some football. Once again Jose came to the rescue and lent the helping hand while CJ enjoyed the excitement.

This is our Thankful Wall. As many mornings as possible in the month of November I would sit with the children and ask CJ what he was thankful for, and whatever he said we drew a picture of. I did one as well and Lizzie was just thankful to color every morning. Daddy even joined us on a Saturday and soon our wall of thanksgiving was full. It was inspired by a talk on gratitude given at conference time this last October and helped us all think of how much we are blessed with. CJ loved to go to the wall and recount all that we had several times throughout the month. Some of my favorite that he came up with were being thankful for all the fans and doors and our backyard. When I was thankful that CJ came and made me a Mommy I had him draw a picture of himself - and he did, as a snowman- too funny, can you find that one?

The Pilgrimage to Sacramento for the Grand kid Photo

The Hunt family has this fantastic tradition of getting the grandchildren together yearly for a photo. This isn't the official one for this year, but it's the one I loved most, its even on our mouse pad now! It's amazing to see how they have all multiplied and grown in the 8+ years I have been apart of the family.

Here are my cutie cutups before the shoot.

We stayed a week at grandma and grandpa's house and the children and I loved every minute of it. Grandma had the Christmas tree up and beautiful and we enjoyed time just playing around. Here's Janie at the piano just like Christopher did when he was a toddler.

But now has graduated to super silly, do-it-my-own-way-or-bust, Man. So maybe these PJ's are a little snug for him, he's a growing boy! I think he was very creative when I asked him to get ready for bed, it was a great laugh.

Our favorite times were spent with all the family together just letting loose,

And not paying mind to social etiquette. Here uncle Richard helps baby Amelie to a nose sandwich, much to the grossed out pleas of her mother, Vanessa. I second the gross out! But had Jeremy been there with us he would have done the same thing - that Tanner nose is just too tempting!

And Elizabeth was just enamored with Amelie. She kept trying to touch her face and Amelie was pretty good about all the cousin love. I'm sure that Liz thought she was a baby doll, she's so cute!


Merry Antics Back at Home

Jeremy is never more at home than at the piano. It's the one thing he is drawn to every evening after coming home from work and smooching the family, and on Saturdays and Sundays we enjoyed his talents throughout the day. During the Christmas season in particular with the tree aglow in the background, nothing was more wonderful than the sight and sounds of Jeremy playing.

Little Sister is so fashionable this season! We went to Michale's for a hundred reasons and on this trip Lizzie went and found fun on the end cap. This is a sculpted bowl that I think is lovely on her teensie head and is the very statement of vogue. 

And then there are the antics of Christopher. I can remember doing this when I was a child, and why not? They're a perfect fit at this age! He slid around the floor a couple of times laughing his head off while Daddy played the piano and Teensie ran after him.


A Special Performance

Jeremy played a piano piece called Wizards in Winter by the Transiberian Orchestra at his SW holiday party held in the lobby of headquarters. We were delighted that his mom and dad were able to be there with us for the event. This is our family Christmas picture.

Jeremy's parents had to leave after the performance but later that night we went out as a family to BJ's Pizza to celebrate a job well done. Jeremy had practiced the piece for months in preparation and now with the stress at an end it was time to just relax.

New Shorter Hair!

So this is big news for me. My hair had grown out all the way down to my bum and it was time for a change. Thank you Jenna for the fabulous new me. I felt so frumpy and pregnant before, now I'm glamorous and pregnant and can take on the world!

Jeremy's Birthday Ice Skating Night as a Family
We we lucky enough to find a free family night, on a Monday no less!, at a local skating rink. With the price just right and a willing papa to lead, we went skating for the first time as a family. Jeremy had taken me skating after we were married for 6mo, but that was 8 years ago! Now there are three novices that he looked after, and we had a wonderful time together.

Even Elizabeth joined us on the ice. The rink didn't have a push sled so we had her fitted with skated. Yes, they are size seven and she's a 5, but Daddy pretty much slid her on the ice anyway, and she loved it!

CJ on the other hand was a natural! After a few times around holding hands he was able to skate on his own and loved and laughed the whole time. And then there was me, at 8mo pregnant I think I did rather well. I didn't fall, which was the goal, and loved to skate on my own while Jeremy took rests with the children. We all had the greatest time!

 

Christmas Eve at Bass Pro
We had been looking for a Santa to take the kids to see that would be tons of fun, and so Bass Pro was the ticket. It was great fun! They even had a carousel in the massive store with reindeer to ride on. The children loved it, even if there were a few antlers missing!

 
This is a replica (I hope) of a Great White Shark. CJ and I couldn't resist!

The children went and saw Santa and as expected Elizabeth burst into tears as we left her on his lap. The photo is priceless, but not scanned, sorry guys!

Christmas Eve Dinner

Nothin' says love like shrimp! And crabs legs! And cheddar biscuits! And oh my what a merry Christmas Eve dinner we had. I think that this will become a tradition for our sea food lovin' family. The children snarfed as much as we did and we all went to be full and happy.

Hooray for Christmas Morning!
There was so much to be thankful for on Christmas morning. CJ was given the coolest SW set from Aunt Brandi

And super fun play-doh from Grandma and Grandpa

Janie was given a baby doll that she sleeps with every night

And the cutest tea set and outfit!

And then the crowning toy . . . a bouncie bounce!

and Jeremy and I enjoyed just being there for all their laughs and excitement. 

A House Full of Yuck!

This is the only picture I have to represent the weeks of "yuck" that we've had here. Jeremy was sick on his birthday, and then one week later to the day, Christmas, Jane and I became sick and then on Boxing Day it hit CJ. When all was said and done I had an upper respiratory infection, and both CJ and Jane had ear infections. Jeremy was the best male nurse out there and when he went back to work the ward family took over. We are so grateful for priesthood blessings and chicken noodle soup!


Happy New Year 2011
So how did we ring in the new year? Jeremy and CJ took a father and son flight to Huston, just for the pleasure of flying.

This is just one of the sights they took in at the airport and even rode home on California 1! Now CJ has flown on Maryland and California, and his favorite, Shampoo (Shamu). The boys we're back by the afternoon so we bundled up and went to a nearby park as a family.

 It felt like it was 18 degrees outside, but I think it was closer to 45. So we played a bit and then headed back to our warm home, needless to say it was a wonderful day.

Let it Snow!!

This was our winter wonderland just six days ago! It began to snow while we were in sacrament meeting and at the beginning of second hour we were all told that the rest of the meetings would be canceled. So what does a Hunt do? Make like it's Canada in September and play in the snow!

Jeremy, who just loves the snow and cold (heavy sarcasm here) was the real hero of the day, playing endlessly with the children in the snow. Here they are building our snow beast, Herbert.

CJ was the one to see it to the end with dad as they adorned him with carrot eyes and mini pickles for all the other trimmings. Sadly, Herbert fell over within the hour and CJ plowed his mid section into the ditch where our tree used to be. He will be greatly missed.

We all had a wonderful time in the beautiful white, but it was Janie that finally called it quits - shivering and crying. That's just what a hot bath is for. She also wanted to eat Herbert's nose so with her own carrot in hand enjoyed a relaxing bath.

We enjoyed the rest of the snowy afternoon sleeping, watching football, and CJ went out to play several more times.

CJ is Reading!
This boy just loves to learn, I'm doing my best to keep up with the sponge. Recently he's taken a greater interest in reading so I had this idea of writing his words on the large building blocks. He builds with the ones we are working on, and he loves it! Here are two of his proud pieces.

 

Well, that's it for now, just three more weeks till Alison will join our family and then who knows what will happen next. Probably much of the same that has been here, love, joy, and adventure. Every day is a gift, that's why it's called the present.