Guilty Gingerbread Houses

So this Christmas season has been going by way too fast and I feel like I can not get everything done. Every year since Jaxson started school I make gingerbread houses for the teacher. Which is actually a tradition that my mother-in-law inspired. She made one for all of her kids elementary school teachers. Well with 13 kids she became really good at gingerbread houses. So when Jaxson started elementary school at the same school that his Dad attended growing up I thought what I fun idea to keep the Harward tradition and make the gingerbread houses. The first year I made one I went down to my mother -in-laws house and she helped me and I used all of the stuff and got her recipe. ( I am talking making the gingerbread from scratch and cutting out the pattern and then finding all the fun candy) I had no idea what work went into these. I made Jaxsons house and we took it to school and walking in the hall I saw an older teacher that was not Jaxsons teacher but she stopped me and said what is your name? I told the cute lady who we were and she admired my little house that I was so proud of. Then she told me about a mom who used to make gingerbread houses for all her kids teachers and how all the teachers knew if they had a Harward in their class they were going to get a gingerbread house for Christmas and that they all wanted one in their class so they could get one. Well I laughed and me and Jaxson took the little house to his teacher. You can imagine how excited he was to give it to his teacher after that. The teacher said thank you but did not act as enthused as I might have hoped...maybe she was not a candy fan. Then about two weeks later when I was at the school again she stopped me and said thanks for the gingerbread house it was so good...I went home and we ate the whole thing! I was devastated. Ha Ha!

I have gotten better at making them but I still can not hold a candle to my mother-in-law...and if that takes having 13 kids I am just going to have to let her keep the crown. But it is a tradition in my home now as well and we love it. This year I had to make 3 houses. I started them about two weeks ago put them aside and then I have not toughed them. I decided over the weekend that I just did not have time to finish them this year. So today I got home from work and saw them still sitting on my counter and decided that I needed to finish them. It just would not be Christmas without them.

Izak's Darling Teacher

Izak has the most amazing teacher. So he came home today with this cute pillow that his teacher made for him. She has been out because she had surgery and she came back to watch the kids practice their singing program and brought the kids these pillows. I have no idea how she had the time or energy or ability for that matter (I can not sew at all) to do one for each of the kids in her class. I am so impressed! Thank you Mrs Warnick.

Christmas Dance

One of my favorite things about this time of the year is all of the FUN Christmas programs that the kids have. I love going to them and watching the kids. Here is some of Payton's dance class. She is having so much fun and learning so much!

I am very Thankful

So with another Thanksgiving come and gone I had to take a minute to say what I am thankful for...there is so much! I never imagined that life could be so good. I have a wonderful family. Jaxson is getting so grown up and fun (his feet are bigger than mine and he is getting pretty close to as tall as me) Ike is hilarious and says the funniest things all the time. Sometimes I wish that I would record everything he says cause I have no idea where he comes up with half the things he says. Payton is just the cutest. She is all girl. I love it!
I have the best husband in the world. We have been married almost 10 years and it still amazes me that the longer we are married the more I love him. I could not ask for a better friend.
We live in a nice area with nice people, my kids go to a good school, I have lots extended family around, I have a job I like, my husband has a good job, we have a lot of wonderful friends, and we have a lot of fun! Who could ask for anything MORE?

Should I be worried????

Lucky Man

One of Jared's favorite things he does is once a season they go to San Diego and go to Chargers game. Check out those seats. He had so fun!

Izak had the cutest basketball team this year. They had so much fun! There team was so good and I know we are not supposed to keep score but they won every game! He loved it!

Ok so I had to post these...I thought they were funny! Doesn't Ike look so excited? We are so not big Halloween people at my house. We had fun this year though. We all went trick or treating and were home watching a movie by like 8:30. I know I know we are so exciting. I was exhausted from wearing that costume (by the way this was my costume to wear to the gym for cycling but there was no way I could sit on the bike in it) and the kids were so sick of walking. I love that people actually trick or treat. These neighborhoods were we live are so fun. Thay have parties and then everyone trick or treats and one neighbor makes homemade donuts and another plays a movie from a projector on the side of his house (Charlie Brown's The Great Pumpkin, which is like the best movie ever) Then there are several who put fire pits in their front yards and you can stop and hang out and get warm and roast a marshmellow. I am so lucky to live where I do. It is such an amazing area. We can take the four wheelers and go up to the hills above us anytime we want and you feel like you are in the mountains.

Next year they want to ride them trick or treating...nice try! (of course my kids would try to get out of the work part of getting the candy) Ha Ha! Happy Halloween!

Halloween Party!

Every Halloween my Mom has a fun Halloween Party and the kids dress up and instead of trick or treating the kids take a bag of candy to all of her neighbors. It is so fun! My kids look forward to her Hlloween Party every year.

CRAZY HAIR DAY

Just a Few Fun Pictures

Life seems like it just keeps getting busier and busier. I keep waiting for it to slow down and it just picks up more momentum. I would not want it any other way though. Jaxson is playing flag football and Ike is playing basketball and Jared has high school football every night of the week. Then Payton has dance and I try to find some time after working all day to get to the gym. I have decided that I am going to have to start working out in the morning before work. (which for those of you who know me you know I am not a morning person) It is like when I try to diet...it lasts about a day and I just have no will power. But with getting another year older (we are not going to talk about how old I am now) I realized that I am going to have to try a little harder and maybe eat a little better. We will see how long it lasts. Every Monday I have to start over again cause by Tuesday I have already cheated on my diet. Oh well here goes another week!

The First Day of School

So the first day of school is always so great and so sad at the same time. This year even Payton is in a preschool where she goes 4 days a week for three hours a day. Jaxson started 4th grade this year and Izak is in 2nd. I can not believe that my kids are getting so old. (or that I am getting that old...SAD!) I have the best kids in the world! I am so lucky! Hope that it is the best year ever...and wish me luck with keeping up with all the homework.

So you think you can dance

Since the boys were at school today and it was just us girls...we decided to go to Olive Garden for lunch to celebrate. While we were waiting for a table guess who walked in??? Brandon from so you think you can dance. I loved him and never missed watching the show. So you can image how stupid and star struck I acted. I am pretty sure that he was scared of me. I told him that I loved him and that his solo that he did in those little (LITTLE) black shorts I watched about 20 times. The rewind button was my best friend. He was so so nice. Yeah first day of school and yeah Olive Garden. It was the best first day of school ever!!!!

Another Day Another Lake!

It seems like this summer we are spending a lot of time at the lake. We have a had a very fun summer. This one is at Deer Creek which is such a beautiful lake. On the way driving up the canyon Payton said "guys look at those beautiful mountains" She is always the one to notice the little things. I am so bad at wakeboarding but I am getting better. My boys are a little scared too but they are getting more daring. Payton is just happy to swim in the lake. And i Jared is just like a little kid on Christmas morning when we are at the lake. There is no where else he would rather be! We are very lucky to be able to do so many fun things!!!

What could be better than a day at the lake????

Wicked!

So over the weekend we had a girls weekend...and went to Phoenix to see Wicked! It was so so so so so HOT there. There were having record heat when we were there.
Here we are just getting ready to go in and get our seats. Sherry who is standing next to me is the funniest person ever and we had so much fun together. We joked all weekend that the next trip we are going to Vegas to see the Thunder Down Under...and I am a little nervous that she might actually be serious! (Ha Ha)

Sometimes before the entertainment starts you need to find a way to entertain yourself.

This is me and my cute niece Aleia.

My sister Amy (Aleia's mom) and Aleia

Me, my Mom, and my sister Amy at this Mexican Cantina that was so fun and so so good. I am not a big Mexican food fan but I definitely want to go back here. We had these burritos that were amazing!

I love girls weekend. One of the best parts was just sleeping in and only worrying about myself. I adore my kids and hubby but every once in a while it is such a good break to get some alone time where no one is asking for anything. You don't have to worry if someone is fed, dressed, brushed their teeth, or wandering off somewhere. At the pool I got to lay out (which never happens anymore) I read a book and slept past 7.

The play was so good. This was our second time seeing it. We went to Phoenix last year and saw it. It is one of my favorites! I have to say that the cast the first time we say it was a little better but it was still GREAT!

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS!

Last night Jared's football team (The Wasatch Revolution) played in the RMFL Championship game and won! They have a good time playing and had a good season. Congrats Jared and the Revolution!!!

Championship Game

Last night Izak's team played for the Championship. We lost but they played so good and made it so far in the tournament. We were so proud of their little team and how far they came this year. It was a really fun season!!!!

And they all got a trophy at the closing ceremonies after the game. It was great. Way to Go Mets!!!

I have to say that Jared did a great job coaching. My boys are so lucky to have him as their coach...so Way to Go Jared too!