Garner/Michaelis Christmas Party

Everything hasn't been picture perfect this Christmas season. While getting our Christmas lights out, the 3 specilty light strands we bought just last year wouldn't work. On our way to see the lights at temple square Jeremy badly sprains his ankle. While seeing Santa Boston really hurts his nose. Well on the morning of our Garner Michaelis party things seem to be looking up. We got there at about 10:40, which I thought was 10 minute late. Well, apparently the party started at 10:00... So I am feeling terrible, and also realize that I forgot all of our presents to do the gift exchange. Why I am telling you this? Because it seems like in Blog world everything is perfect. And maybe everything is... but in my world it's not... and next time things don't go as you wish, you'll know your not alone! I tried my best to shake it off... but that is hard for me to do.

We enjoyed a very yummy brunch!!! Seriously, so good!!

Then the kids did a candy exchange game! It was so cute!!! (Jeremy ran to Smiths so the kids could play)

The kids were thrilled with what they received!!

We took group photos... mine turned out terrible. (Megan and Cassie... would you please send me a copy of yours?)
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Dispite the rough start it was a really fun party. It was just so great to be together!

Kind of like Christmas Eve...

Jeremy's family is celebrating their Christmas on Christmas Eve. We always go out to dinner on Christmas Eve and then look at the lights... since we won't get to do that this year, we did our tradition early!

We headed to the Brick Oven for some yummy food!!!

Oh ya!

Santa even surprised us at the resturant!

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Then we went and saw a few lights! Boston is obsessed with figuring out how they make the lights dance to the music. He wants to understand how it all works...

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What a fun night as a family!

Funny Man Boston

Oh man this kid makes me laugh. I mean who wouldn't laugh at a kid who put his P.J.'s on backwards and upsidedown! Silly kid!

He has said a few funny things lately that I am actually remembering...
-Me"Wow the moon sure is big tonight."
Boston "Ya, I think it is about 28 years old."

-Boston "I need a pyramid right here" (While writting a note where he needed a "period"!)

-Boston "I haven't seen santa in YEARS!"

The Coat: A Story of Charity

I love this true story from President Heber J. Grants childhood. It reminds me what it means to give...

Miracle on 26th

This is one of my favorite traditions... It's called The Miracle on 26th. The shops in "The Square" do the funnest thing to welcome Santa! This year my Mom, Matt and his family, and me and my kids went!

The first thing we did was of course, go see Santa!!!

Both kids loved their visits!

Then we waited in line to go on the Horse Carriage... where Boston fell and hurt his nose pretty badly. It looks terrible. The poor kid. (1st Jeremy, now Boston... I think I better just stay home!)

Matt and I offered to stay back so everyone else could fit into the small carriage!! Although you can't see everyone... they are all in there!!

We went and saw Mrs. Claus

Then we went and collected all of our free yummies!! Candycanes, Hot Chocolate, Popcorn, Cookies, Egg Nog, and Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt! We had so much fun together although it was FREEZING COLD!!

Christmas and Curls

Last Saturday the plan was for us to go take some family pictures in Salt Lake and then go see the lights at temple square... we took the pictures and just 10 feet from getting into the car to go see the lights, Jeremy fell in a hold and badley sprained his ankle. Boston was on top of his sholders and came crashing down too, but thanks to Jeremy's skillfull fall he was scared, but not hurt. Boston came within a couple of inches of smacking his head on the cement... we are lucky the fall wasn't worst. Needless to say, Jeremy wasn't up for a stroll around temple square.

We did continue our plans to sleepover at my parents house which is always so fun to do!

On Sunday morning, my Mom put Hadley's hair in curlers... she looked so cute running around with them in her hair!!

The kids all ready to go in their cute Christmas church clothes!! They wore them last week and I forgot to take a picture, and this was the ONLY picture Boston was willing to take!

Hadley "posed" for one more!

That night we had the opportunity to go to the Christmas Devotional. It was SO GOOD, like always. If you missed it, click here...
http://lds.org/broadcasts/archive/christmas-devotional/2011/12?lang=eng We also saw the new Nativity video which I posted below. I love it.

We invited Jenn and Josh to come along with us! It was a really fun night!

What a fun weekend.... minus Jeremy's ankle...

The Reason for the Season

So Exciting!

So excited about these new Bible Videos!! Amazing.

http://lds.org/bible-videos/?lang=eng

Jeremy's Trip To Atlanta

Jeremy recently returned from a trip to Atlanta Georgia! He went with his coworkers Nick and Wendy.

This was the lobby of the Hyatt Regency Hotel they stayed in... amazing.

Even the elevator was cool.

The forever long escalator that took them from the subway to the hotel.

The first night they got there they went to a Georgia Tech vs. Northwestern Basketball game at the Phillips Arena (Where the Atlanta Hawks play).

Jeremy really enjoyed it!

Christmas Arch

View of downtown Atlanta from his hotel room window.

World of Coke

Closer now to the World of Coke

Jeremy and some more downtown buildings

The Atlanta Olympic park!

Jeremy's favorite part of the trip was seeing the CNN center...

He's kind of a political news nerd.... don't tell him I said that! ;)

Along with all the fun came lots of training too! This is him and his coworkers with Quint Studer. He really enjoyed all of the speakers and felt like it was really applicable and worth his time!!

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Me and the kids are happy to have him safetly back home!

Our Mini Vacation

While Jeremy was gone, me and the kids went on a mini vacation to my parents!!

We shopped.

We went to Grandpa's work and kidnapped him for lunch in the downtown food court! Yum Yum!!!

It was SO FUN for me to go downtown. I just feel at home downtown. I love all the new buildings and can't wait for the downtown rising project to be complete! So exciting!!!

The ugly harmons they built it one of my parking lots...

Oh man, I just can't wait!

Then my Mom and the kids and I rode trax down to The Grand America Hotel.

They had the funnest thing! They had 18 windows with Maurice the penguin in them. In each picture you had to find a star and then figure out which clue on your paper it went with!

Along the way we saw this super cool gingerbread house

And lots of beautiful trees!

These windows are a cute story about a Penguin who is searching for the hotel star.... in the end he finds it in the sky above the baby Jesus. Really cool. Then if you finish all your clue's you get to turn your paper in for a yummy cookie at the bakery!

While we were there we went in this AMAZING toy store. Everyone should go in it, just to see it. They had awesome window displays that could have entertained my kids for hours... and the fun and unique toys they had were so cool.

The best part was this candy organ!! If you stepped where Boston and Hadley are, it lights up with each of your steps and plays music. Totally awesome. Worth the trip! If you want more details on the Penguin Adventure... click
http://www.grandamerica.com/promotions/holiday-offerings-2011/holidayattractions
OR
http://studio5.ksl.com/index.php?nid=71&sid=18202590

I don't have pictures of everything else we did. My wonderful Mom helped with a HUGE pile of mending, I sewed a Christmas pillowcase for Hadley, 2 scripture cases, we made all of my Christmas cards, cooked lots of food for my parents Stake Christmas Open house, and did a little more shopping!!!!
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Wednesday night was quite the adventure. I awoke about 2:00am because object kept flying into the windows with the terrible wind storm, and it was so loud!! I didn't sleep much and finally at 6:00 Boston got up too. We went upstairs and my parents were awake. We all watched the crazy storm, and then boom, the lights went out. Lucky for us my parents had a gas fire to keep us warm. We spent the morning watching the storm, and playings games by lantern light, and sunlight.

We left at Noon to take Boston to preschool, and their power didn't come on until 6:00 that night. My parents trees were fine, just a few outdoor decorations were distroyed. Close by though, a whole lot of trees fell down, fences ruined, shingles galore flew off houses... it was a big mess. Click here to see the news stories, and pictures of the crazyness. http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=18309646

We had a fabulous vacation! Thanks Mom and Dad!

Preschool Class

Boston just got his Preschool Class Picture!! He looks so tiny compared to the other kids... He really loves preschool and his favorite part everyday is the snack.

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What I think is funny is that they are still using the same ugly backdrop they did when I was in elementry school. Some things never change I guess!