Visit with a Dear Friend

Yesterday, Jason and I drove down to Palm Springs to do some bulk shopping and meet up with my high school friend April (Prunty) Schein and her family. Her husband Jon is in the navy and heading up to Monterrey for additional schooling. They were visiting family in Phoenix and is was so convenient and nice that they were heading our way to get to their home. We visited for a little while (as long as my boys could stand it, nap time you know) and caught up a bit. April and I have known each other since middle school and it was so wonderful to see her beautiful smile again and meet her husband and little girl Eva! She is such a dear friend of mine and I hope that CA treats her and her family well:)

Christmas afterthought...

Christmas Day is a celebration of the birth of the/our/my Savior Jesus Christ. We exchange gifts and love as a token of what the wise men offered to the Christ child. At a MOPS meeting we were asked what kinds of gifts would we offer the Christ child if we were present at his birth. It really made me think, and truthfully what could we possibly offer to the one man who saved us all? I truly think that this is something to take to heart, not only for this Christmas season, but year round. What can we offer to him, what gifts can we offer to him? It is something I really want to think for this New Year.

Picture is courtesy of Salt Lake City Temple via google images.

Christmas Day.. pics overload be ready! (VIDEO)

I have not yet mastered the whole picture thing yet, so yet again they are out of order!


Christmas Day was very eventful aside from the typical stuff. Both the boys woke up around 6:30am, Jason went to go and get them and bring them to me in bed and I could her him say, "Oh, no." Both of the boys had a real bad diaper explosions. So one by one they got into the shower with me to wash off. We got them ready and headed out to see what Santa brought. Jax was real into in at first, wanting to play, open presents- regardless of who they belonged to:), then he kind of got distracted. Josh was just happy to be playing in the wrapping paper. About half way through the whole process of unwrapping, both boys got real fussy, so we had to stop and eat some breakfast. I made a breakfast casserole with a fruit salad from the fruit we got in our stockings. After we ate, we resumed unwrapping but sadly both boys were sleeping, so down for a nap they went. So Jason and I finished unwrapping the gifts and enjoyed the remainder of the morning together. The boys got so much stuff! We are indeed grateful to our friends and family who sent them gifts. They received matching CARS comforter sets, CARS blow-up play area, numerous CARS toy items- all from Santa:) They also received nice clothes, books, toys, art supplies, and DVD's! They did get a little bit spoiled, hard not to right because of how cute they are he he! Jason got his Adam Sandler collection (we have some already, but it is all the movies he has had a main role in (he's a big Sandler fan), a few shirts, shorts, a few homemade items, and his biggest one which I have already posted was the TV. I got some DVD's, jewelery, black boots, pamper items, cooking items, and my biggest item was the Dyson Vacuum:) Watching movies is something that Jason and I really enjoy, so believe it or not between the four of us, we received 31 new DVDS's!!! Both of us also received a few gift cards to numerous places. We got so many wonderful gifts! It was a great Christmas!I

Christmas Eve Events (VIDEO)

Pictures are out of order sorry...


For our evening as a family we did the following; had stuffed shells, broccoli, and french bread for dinner while watching The Grinch cartoon, bathed the boys, opened our Christmas Eve presents while watching Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer (the boys both got matching CARS PJ's with matching socks, Jason got a new pair of Nike shorts, and I got a really nice towel material robe- I have been wanting one since last year when Jax inherited my robe), read Luke 2:1-20 and watched the Nativity (Jax was occupied for about, put both boys to bed and read from Jax's kid bible the story of baby Jesus and Twas' the Night Before Christmas. Then we waited for Santa:)

Merry Christmas Eve at Joshua Tree

Jason and I really love this national park about twenty minutes from us. It is so relaxing and beautiful. The boys really enjoy just being outside and being able to play. Here are some pictures of our adventure. Today we went to what is known as the "Hall of Horrors". Sadly, we weren't able to go and see the murals on the rocks; which one is known as "the exorcism". Yeah, I know kind of morbid for Christmas, but it was a place we wanted to look around at and regardless of the name, it was a beautiful creation that God has given to us; like his son.