Oh Sadie!

Sadie got an MP3 player for Christmas and I was looking at it the yesterday and said:

Me: Sadie this is a really nice Mp3 player, I like it.

Sadie: I know, and it's really light too, huh?

Me: Yup, it is pretty light.

Sadie: Do you think that when I get more songs on it, it will be heavier?

Me: "Laughing and snorting"

Oh, that's our Sadie!!!

"Things that make you go hmmm"

So what do you do when you live in Southern Utah and Santa brings you sleds?...

You improvise!!!

MeRrY ChRisTmAs!

Christmas morning!

Lined up waiting in their Disney Pajamas to come see if Santa found their house!

(Disney was kind of a theme for Christmas this year)
Yep, I think he found us!

As the girls came downstairs they saw a note from Santa by the cookies. It was a puzzle they had to put together for a clue. The clue sent them to their stockings. In each of their stockings they found a ticket to Disneyland and found out we were going with ALL our Losee cousins, aunts, uncles and grandma and grandpa the end of January. They were so excited, we could have stopped Christmas right there and they'd been happy. But we ventured on. As we went downstairs and opened presents they noticed that a lot of the presents had to do with the trip. They got Disney T-shirts, Disney Dollars, Disney pins (we love to trade pins when we go) a signed picture "To our friends the Peterson Family" from Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy and Pluto, a Disney calendar to mark off the days until we go and several things for the ride down: clipboards, notebooks, pens, DS games, DVD's, Ipods and a travel car kit that I made using Disney material with games like Travel bingo, a Scavenger hunt and a map that they can mark off as we pass specific land marks. It was so much fun, one of my favorite Christmases. Disneyland was definanty every ones favorite gift but somw of their other favorites were: Gentry-Crawling My Little Pony& Littlest pet shop, Sadie-Fur Real Dog & MP3 player, and Calli - Remote helicopter & waveboard.
Watch out Disneyland here we come!!!

Family Christmas Party!

Our Annual Losee Christmas Party started out at Pirate Islands Pizza. Then we went over to my brothers house for dessert, games, the nativity and gifts.

Gentry and her cousins playing on the play ground!
This was our 11th year doing the nativity with the grand kids and was the best one so far. In the past we have had fights and crying and kids not wanting to be involved. But this year my sister handed out parts a few days before so everyone knew who they were going to be and they each had lines to memorize. It was so cute! Calli was an inn keeper and even had a Song duet with Jorrin. Sadie was a shepherd and Gentry was a wise men.

While waiting for the dessert Grandma gathered all the kids together and asked them who's birthday it was that night (December 23rd) It stumped them because it was not Christ's yet. It was Joseph Smiths. She talked to them about Joseph Smith for a minute and then they all told one thing that they know about him.

Then we played Christmas games. This is is my little brother Brandon acting out one of our Christmas words...I'll spare you from telling you what the word was.

Christmas Pajamas! This is the grand kids favorite tradition and ask all night long, when they get to open their pajamas from Grandma and Grandpa. This year everyone got Disney Pajamas...of course!

Tuacahn

Friday night we went to Tuacahn. We hadn't been the last two years so it was fun to get back there again.

The girls love these things.
The girls visited with Santa one on one and then we got a group photo with all of them.

Then we rode the train. This was Calli's favorite part because we got to go behind the scenes and see some of the props that are used in the plays. The girls kept saying "there's the bunk beds from Annie, " "there's the Burger Blast from Footloose," and "there's the stairs that daddy Warbucks walks down." It was fun to watch them recognize things from the plays.

Then we grabbed our hot chocolate and almonds and went and watched the Nativity. There weren't very many people there so we got down front close by the stage.

What a fun night out with the Family. I love Christmas Traditions!

Baking Day!

My girls and I took advantage of the first day off from school. We baked all day Monday.

Aren't my three little Betty Crockers so cute! They were helpful too. They loved measuring and mixing everything. They stuck it with it the entire time.
We ended up making and frosting sugar cookies, making chocolate dipped pretzels (this was Sadie and Gentry's favorite part), divinity, and fudge.

Darts!

We had a really fun family game night Monday night for FHE in our Bonus Room!

We played darts with the girls.
Gentry taking her aim.

Bulls Eye! This one was Sadie's.

She was so fun to watch, before each throw she would wind up her arm.

We did manage to hit the board most of the time, but check out the wall above the board and....

the dart down the stairs. It was a fun night, we had some good laughs.

Honor Roll!

Has anyone ever seen a 4.0 student?....Well, you're looking at one!

For the second time, Calli has gotten straight A's on her report card and has been recognized as an honor roll student. She has worked SO hard this school year and I am so proud of her.

All Aboard!

Gentry's Kindergarten Christmas Party was a Polar Express themed party. Each child decorated their own boxcar at home and then brought them to school for their party.

Here's Gentry's complete with real moving wheels and....

a steering wheel. I thought I was so smart to put straps on it so she wouldn't have to carry it but as it turned out there were about 10 other smart moms that thought about straps too, but she was the only one with a steering wheel:)

They all got it their boxes, formed a train and walked all around the school. They were in search of the North Pole. By the time they made it back to the classroom it was transformed into the North Pole, where they had craft centers set up. It was the cutest thing ever. I was so impressed with all the creative train cars the kids made....Choo Choo!

Way to Go Calli!

Calli entered the reflections contest this year. This was her first year ever entering. The Elementary school we go to has a PTO instead of a PTA so we have our own version of reflections, so this is all new to us. The theme was "Beauty is..." She made a movie of pictures and video clips of things she thinks is beautiful and put it to music. I thought she did a fantastic job but never imagined it would advance through so many rounds.

Her movie won in the video category on a school level. It then went on to Regional where it won again. It has now moved onto the State level. She is so excited. She has gotten so many awards and so much recognition.
She has received a cash reward of $25.00, 3 gift certificates, a medal, 2 certificates, a trophy, a bag of goodies, and a letter from the Superintendent. Awesome job babe!!

Nativity

Green Valley Stake Nativity Display. We love this, we have been going ever since the first year and it just keeps getting better. It is one of our favorite traditions.

While we were there a little boy about 5 years old came up to Gentry and said "Well, Hello!" (in a low drawn out voice) It was so funny I had a hard time not laughing out loud right there in the church. Ever since then I crack up every time I think about it. We love teasing Gentry about it, she gets so embarrassed.

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

Dickens Festival!

Each year we load up our bags and move into the Dixie Center for 4 days and 10 shows of Oliver and Scrooge. We love it and look forward to it all year long.

Calli, Sadie and Gentry ready to perform Oliver as Orphans!

This was Calli's 5th year, Sadie's 4th year and Gentry's 1st year.
Sadie and Gentry lined up in the aisles of the audience ready to go on for "food glorious food."

Sadie as a Pickpocket singing "you've got to pick a pocket or two"

Calli as a pick pocket singing " Be back soon"

Calli, Sadie and Gentry with Matt the director. They adore Matt. He is so amazing with these kids. In the 5 years we have been working with him, I have never seen him get upset, he is always so positive and fun. I don't know if they do it more because they love to perform or more because they just love Matt:) But for whatever reason it has become one of favorite Christmas season traditions. Thanks again for another great year!

(can you tell they've been crying...each year after the last show the cast has a really hard time saying goodbye, but within 9 short months their back together again!)

Gingerbread House Time!

One of our favorite Christmas Family Traditions...Gingerbread houses or graham cracker houses as Adam calls them.

Calli
Sadie

Gentry

Sadie's Choir Performance!

This is Sadie's 2nd School Choir Performance. They sang at the Padre Lakes community center for their Christmas Party! It was so cute the "folks" really enjoyed these little kids coming in and singing for them. They clapped and cheered through the entire performance.

She is loving her first year in choir and even has a couple of solo parts in their Christmas Program!

We're Done!

Last January our primary gave each of the children a challenge to read the entire Book of Mormon. Those that finished got to sign a picture in the Bishops office and are invited to a Party. It took us 11 months, but we did it!

Way to go girls, mom and dad are so proud of you!

Baptisms for the dead!

The day Calli has been waiting for since her own baptism finally arrived...doing baptisms for others. This is something she was been talking about and anxiously waiting for for years. My mom and dad serve in the baptistery and as each grandchild turns 12 they schedule a time for them to go and do Baptisms with the family. Calli and Ashyln. This is Calli's cousin that turned 12 just one month before Calli. They came down for Thanksgiving and we took the two of them together for their first time.

Calli has 6 cousins that have turned 12 and came to the temple that night with her. (Actually one couldn't make it but Tyson, my 17 year old nephew brought a "friend" along.
Grandma and Grandpa with their 7 "Temple Worthy" grandchildren.
It was such a neat experience. When is there another time when a mother gets to stand by and proudly watch her husband baptize her daughter in the temple for others. It was awesome! Adam baptized Calli 20 times. She came out of the font absolutely "GLOWING" with a smile from one side to the other. Then Adam confirmed her along with my two brothers. It was neat to have been there with my mom and dad, Adam, Calli, my 2 brothers, my brother in law, my sister in law and my nieces and nephews. The first thing Calli said when we were leaving was "when do I get to come back"
Calli, you are one in a million and I'm so proud of you!

Calli's 1st Band Concert!

Calli performing in her first Band Concert playing the drums.

She did such a great job. She jumped around from drums, to snare drums, to bells and then xylophone. It was a lot of fun to watch her. She is really loving the drums.

New Age, New Changes!

With Calli turning 12 we decided her room needed a remodel. For her Birthday we gave her everything she needed to change her room into a "pre-teen room" and then spent the day switching rooms around.

Before!

After!
I love the way it turned out. It is defiantly a teenage room. She loves it and has been spending a lot more time in her room now.


We also made a huge decision when we were talking about redoing Calli's room. We decided it was time to take down the nursury. I was sad to see it go but was so excited for Sadie who would be moving out of her room with Gentry and into the Nursury and have her own room and space.
Before!
After!
All sadie cared about was getting a desk in her room. So we made that the focal point. A big desk with shelves on each side. She loves it. The girls are all loving having thier own rooms and doing awesome at keeping them clean. It's amazing what happens when they have space of thier very own.

Happy 12th Birthday Calli!

I can't believe I have a 12 year old. I am so excited for her to come into Young Women's! She has been waiting for this for so long. She can't wait to do Baptisms for the dead and to go on all the fun activities. Although she is now a young women, she is still Calli...for her 12th birthday party she wanted to do FEAR FACTOR!

Calli's Cake...designed by her and made by Sadie and Gentry.
Calli striking a pose in front of the caution sign before guests arrive.
The party was too much fun. Some of Calli's ideas were way too yucky even for fear factor, so we toned it down a bit...
Calli and Kassi seeing who could finish their baby food the fastest.

Calli and Sara eating a melted Baby Ruth out of a diaper.

And all her friends waiting to eat what was in their mysterious bowls.

It was a wild party. Everyone was such good sports and had a great time overcoming their fears.

Happy Birthday Callister! We Love you!