Category: Emily

It doesn’t matter that I am not in school any longer, and that Toph has returned to work, forever in my mind, the time between Christmas and New Years, will always be celebrated in our home as vacation, holiday fun time.
I have NOT caught up on Laundry, I have NOT gotten my children back on their normal nap/sleep schedule, I have NOT made our beds everyday, I have NOT prepared and eaten’ nutritious meals, I have NOT sorted out toys, “recycling” the old ones to find room for the new ones, I have NOT kept up with the housework or the BLOG, and lastly I have NOT felt a bit bad about it!
But let me tell you, I HAVE played toys, built robots, made blankets, played card games, read childrens’ books, napped and slept in, gone to the children’s museum, eaten’ chocolate until I should look brown, partied, baked treats with the boys, played Planet Heroes, read a novel, and enjoyed myself immensely.
This is the part of the Holidays I truly do love!
Here are a few pictures from our “Holiday”….
The Robot Museum with Grams and Gramps:

Tru and the bots:

Playing on the computers:

The Robot Ride, (notice the matching goofy shirts from Gramps, they HAD to wear!):

This time they had out Robots for the Kids to play with, Tucker enjoyed these:



Lounging Tucker:

Grocery Store:

Funny Gramps:

Plinko with the Balls:

Water table with grams and gramps:

Cooking:



Playing Cards (picture taken by Tru):

The robot blanket we sewed:

The Rock Tumbler that Toph and the boys set up:



(by the way, if you husband ever tries to convince you that setting up a rock tumbler inside of your house, is a GOOD idea, don’t be fooled. It sounds like a vacuums is running ALL THE TIME! And you can’t stop it until the cycle is done. Definetly a BAD idea.. Just FYI)

Christmas Day was spent with My side of the family, the Hunsakers and The Greenes. I love living close enough to see our loved ones around the Holidays. It just makes everything better to share it with the ones whom you love.
(for some reason our Red Eye Fixer isn’t working…. sorry for the red eyes!)
We had Brunch, Christmas Story and a gift exchange with the Hunsaker Side at the Condo:
Grandma:

Grandpa:

The Group:




Opening the present from the Great Hunsakers:

Me and Tru:

Tucker and Cooper (the Greene’s Puppy):

Tru and the Great Hunsakers:

Then back to Grams and Gramps house for the rest of the festivities:
Since I missed Christmas Eve with the My Dad’s side of the family, and I didn’t get to see my Cousin Heather who is in Town from CA, she came over to visit on Christmas Day with my Aunt Sue. I am so glad they came over, it is so much fun to see them!

Exchanging of the gifts:
Grams:

Gramps:

Tucker:

The boys got aprons, but they didn’t want to put them on, so Toph and I wore them:

Tru with his new puzzle book:

Crockpot Kiss:

The Grandparents:

Tru and Ace:

Heather and I:

Afterwords, Tuck adn Tru got a little guitar hero in:


What a fun day!

Tucker woke us up on Christmas Morning, he came upstairs, and climbed in bed with us, when he came upstairs, he was fully dressed, and at first, he just sat there, cuddling in bed with us.
Then he began to chat, he said: “Mom, Dad, I don’t think Santa Came. There are no presents under the tree”
It is then that we realized, he had gone to the upstairs tree, instead of the downstairs tree, where Santa had left the presents…
When we explained this to him, he was out of bed, and racing down the stairs.
We woke up Truman, telling him it was Christmas Morning, to which he replied, “Did the Reindeers come?”

The boys had a great time unwrapping their presents, and emptying their stockings, sometimes Santa can grant wishes.
Truman asked for Lightening Mcqueen and Candy:

Tucker asked for A Machine (Rocktumbler) and a Robot:

What fun to see the magic on Christmas Morning:

The boys saying Merry Christmas!:

One of the reasons I love Christmas day so much, is because it marks the anniversary of the official day Christopher proposed to me on the Old Riverdale Bridge. lt will forever be a special day because of that, regardless of all of the other fun and magic and sacredness that occur on this day.Oh how our family has changed and grown immensely over the past few years, Christmas Morning is so much funner when there are children to enjoy and share it with…

This year our Christmas Eve was spent with the Phillips Fam. Tucker was so excited to make the craft together, here is the gingerbread foam house they put together:

Cat and Tuck:

Grandpa and Tuck:

The opening of The Christmas Outfits (the only reason gettting clothes can be exciting, is that they are the first present opened on Christmas Eve!):
Getting ready to open ’em:

Tru:

Tucker:

Doesn’t he look nice?

Toph:

The adults doing the kids crafts, with the Hot Glue Gun:

Picture infront of the Tree.
Doesn’t JoAnna look like she’d make a better wife than I do?

Doing the 12 days of Christmas Dance:
Tucker following Grandma:

Exchanging Gifts:
Madalyn:

Tru unwrapping:

Truman with his new puzzle:

Looking over those awesome Robot Parts:

Tucker got a box of Robot Parts, that he has created a robot with every day since:

After Tucker got his Robot Parts, he took it over to show grandpa, here he is with Crazy Robot Eyes:

Dallin:

The Grandparents:

Toph:

Thank you Hugs:

Patrick, a new shadowbox with his Gold Medals:

Video Chatting with the Michigan Phillips:

After the presents, just hanging out, Owen and Tru:

Again, after the presents, just hanging out in the doll house, I guess 🙂

Tucker and Truman came up for the perfect name (the singing house) for this:

Music Box Dancer – Holdman Christmas Display 2007 from Richard Holdman on Vimeo.

Carol of the Bells – Computer Controlled Christmas Lights from Richard Holdman on Vimeo.

Amazing Grace Techno – Computer Controlled Christmas Lights from Richard Holdman on Vimeo.

Winter Wonderland – Computer Controlled Christmas Lights from Richard Holdman on Vimeo.

Winter Wonderland – Computer Controlled Christmas Lights from Richard Holdman on Vimeo.

Miracle from 34th Street – Computer Controlled Christmas Lights from Richard Holdman on Vimeo.

For those of you who haven’t heard, of this singing house, Tuck and Tru LOVE it here. A house with lights timed to music. Awesome. And lucky for us it is located in our very own PG.

We visited it frequently last year, and this year we have only made it there 2 or 3 times so far. (but now that we found this site, the boys will be watching it frequently I am sure!)

This year this family won the KFC National Contest, and plus it is a great way to connect with the boys!

The Robot Museum.
Or as the rest of us know it as: Discovery Gateway, Salt Lakes’ Childrens Museum.

Robots are a huge part of our lives, and the Children’s Museum has a great visiting exhibit about robots. So of course, we knew the boys would LOVE to go there and see it.

We just finished a goal of reading the Book of Mormon Reader, and as a celebration, we had decided this would be the place to celebrate. The boys worked incredibly hard. Tucker often asked, “Can we read 2 chapters tonight?”, he was anxious to get there.

The day finally arrived, Toph had taken the day off of work on Wednesday for Tuckers School Program, so we decided this would be a great day to go to the museum, and boy were we right. There were hardly any people there, and the boys could do whatever they wanted. It was a fabulous day!

Here are a few pics:
Playing in the beehive ball pit:


Tuck doing a little shoppin’ at the store:

The Crane:

Riding Ginger:

Parents Enjoying Happy Children:

Truman found a motorcycle, and rode it/hauled it with him from station to station:


Truman as a robot:

Tucker as a robot:

Rodney Copperbottoms:

Robot Display:

Building Robots:



Truman found a robot touch screen “build a Robot” computer game, he played, over and over, and over, and over, and over:


Truman enjoyed gathering the balls:

And Tucker enjoyed sending the balls down his “tubes”:

Playing in the Helicopter:


Bug face:

A great day!

A few weeks ago, the boys wrote notes to Santa and we sent them off,
Here is his note:

In case you can’t read it he asked for a Robot, Machine, and a Rocketship with a guy.
Here is Trus note:

He asked for a Lightening McQueen, Robot, and Candy.

On Saturday Night, was the Ward Christmas Party. I was in charge of the food portion, and I really wanted to see the kids sit on Santas Lap, luckily, there was a break in the food about then, and I was ablet to watch them as they sat on Santas Lap.
Are they cute? Truman ran right up to Santa and gave him a Huge hug. He was so cute.
Tru (asked Santa for 2 Lightening McQueens, 2 Maters and 2 RaceTracks):

Tucker (I didn’t hear What he said, but I think he asked for a Robot):

This Santa Clause was SO nice. He read them a story afterword, and even sang Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer with them.
What a good time!
Here are some Santa Quotes that have brightened our day!
Tucker said:
Why does Santa have a mustache?
Why doesn’t he get a hair cut? He needs one.
What if the elves couldn’t find Santa. How would the toys get here?
Truman and Tuckers Conversation:
Tru: “Is Santa Daddy?”
Tucker: “NNNNNNOOOOOOO WAY! Santa is way better than Daddy!”

(So I already posted about this, along with the million other things I posted last night, but for some reason it didn’t show up, so lets try again!)

The bookfind is Phillips Family tradition like no other. I have never heard of another family with a tradition like this. It is pretty awesome, and if you would like to know more, you’ll have to take a look at my sis-in-law Emilys Post HERE.

Here are a few shots of the finding of the books:
Grandma handing out the wrapping paper:

Truman found his book behind the Curio Cabinet:

Tucker found his behind the Curtains. Mine was under the carpet by the front door.
I don’t know where Tophs was…Post please honey, so we can remember where yours was hidden!
Once everyone has found their books, then we open them. Youngest to Oldest:

Truman opening his book:

He got a pirate book: (Which we have read almost daily since then!)

Tucker opening his GIGANTIC book:

It was not what he expected:

But after looking at the pictures, he began to change his mind:

Here is a picture of Dallin Paul with his book:

Here is Patrick with his Basketball book:

Toph unwrapping his book:

He got a Gardening Book, which is MUCH needed at our house!

I think that one of the best parts of the book find is watching Christophers Parents, as they spend HOURS picking out just the right book for each of us.

I am glad to be part of the Phillips Family and therefore included in their Traditions.