Christmas Highlights

Here are a few highlights of our Christmas activities this year....

The train set... this takes weeks to set up! I actually helped John make a huge mountain out of paper-mache. It was a long and messy project! But it looked good!

Tanner helping dad!

The finished product...
We had 2 great train open houses. Lots of people came and all the little boys (and big boys!) enjoyed the eye spy game.

Tanner wanted to make gingerbread houses so bad! So one night I pulled out some kits I had bought a few years ago at Costco... I thought they would still be good... (a little problem I have, I don't really like expiration dates... the kids think I try to kill them all the time!) The candy was still good, but the gingerbread was disgusting, it stunk so bad!!!

While I went to buy another kit, they made sugar cookies.

We went to 3 stores and finally found a gingerbread house kit! they had one left...

Christmas Eve

It's a tradition to go out to breakfast... we went to Jamm's. It was so yummy!

the pot of bread is so good!!!

We told the kids we had plans after breakfast, but didn't tell them where we were going... Mitchell guessed it. John had called the Las Vegas Rescue Mission and asked if we could help serve a meal there. They needed help at lunch time. So we served lunch and helped them prep all the desserts for dinner. We were so impressed with all the local stores that donate their day old desserts to the shelter. We saw lot's of things from Costco, Sam's club, Albertsons and Starbucks. They looked so good. It was a great way to spend Christmas Eve day! We were all humbled as we watched the homeless people come get their hot dog lunch.

Don't the hairnets look great!

Tanner was a little tired!

Ashley loves her brothers!

Watch out... John has a knife!

Christmas Eve night

Another tradition is Christmas Eve dinner with the Lords. It was so nice. We had our traditional poppers, steak, crab legs and English trifle.

The kids opening their poppers...

Yummy crab legs...

John and Keri's dad...

Keri and her mom taking pictures : )

Our crowns from the poppers...

We did the nativity, but I didn't take any pictures, I will have to get some from Keri.
Brock wanted to be baby Jesus : )

Mitchell chillin'

Ashley and Scotty arrived in time for dessert.

We watched Christmas Vacation...

We went home and opened our Christmas pajamas...

Christmas morning and Ashley's Birthday

My birthday girl! I can't believe she is 20!

Ashley got a camera.

Tanner got a flip camera... he is working on a train movie... it's great! I will post it when it's done.

Mitchell got lots of clothes...

Tanner loves to wrap Mitchell's present so he can't open it... he had tons of rubber bands on one layer... the next layer was glued shut... he got to the last box and there was nothing inside! Tanner ran to his room and got the real present. It was pretty funny...

John spoiled me!

I got a John a fire pit.

Christmas night...

Scott and Jenn and the kids came over. It was so fun.

Ashley feeding Jack...

Jenn and Afton...

Birthday time...

Ashley got some Tom's shoes, some boots and some other little things...

baby Jack... he's getting so big!

Afton was quite the character... she loves to stand on our stools, she has no fear! Then she started jumping off the stool to Mitchell on the couch. It was so funny!

Look at this face...

Happy birthday to Ashley!!

If you made it through this very long post you are a true friend! Thanks for listening! I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas!

It's beginning to look a lot like...

Christmas! Yahoo. I think I am about ready. Well, not really, but I'm not stressed. What will happen will happen. The house is decorated, the train set is almost done, boxes have been shipped, cards are out, shopping is almost done, Relief Society dinner is done, nothing is wrapped, I have been eating way too much junk! (had fudge for breakfast...oops) Ashley gets home tomorrow!! Yahoo!! I'm too lazy to walk upstairs to get my camera to take pictures of the house and train set, I will post some when the train set is all done.

Speaking of train, you are all invited to the Annual Barnes family train party... you can read more about the train set here and here.

Here is the Annual Barnes family Christmas card... Let me know if you didn't get one and want one. I don't have everyone's address and I tend to send them more to far away people, since locals see my kids all the time.


Merry Christmas!!

Thanksgiving at Aunt Cathi's

We went to Cathi and Kris' for Thanksgiving this year. They live in Mesa Arizona. Cathi invited us all to their house so we could spend time with them and Grandma Barnes. John's sisters Debbie & Edie were able to come too. It was so fun to be together for the holiday. We wish everyone could have been there!

John had some business in Chicago the week of Thanksgiving, so he ended up flying straight to AZ. So the kids and I drove to the airport in Phoenix and picked up John and headed to Cathi's. That night we sat outside and roasted marshmallows and starbursts around a fire pit. It was so fun! We just sat there and talked with everyone and enjoyed each others company. John and I snuck out and picked up Scotty at the airport. He surprised Ashely! Actually, from her reaction when she saw him, i think she had figured out that he was coming! She didn't seem too surprised. But she was HAPPY he was there! It was great to have him there and I don't think the Barnes sisters scared him off, he must really love Ashley! haha. Just kidding! I love my sister in laws! They are so funny.

On Thanksgiving morning, the boys went and played football for a few hours. While we got things cooking. Candace's husband, Richard is a chef, so he cooked the turkeys. They were so good!

the happy couple...

Kris carving the turkey, Candace and Edie sitting down after getting everything on the table.

the spread...

Mitchell taking a pre-eat nap.

Cathi set's a beautiful table!

Grandma Barnes

Kade dishing up...

Kyle enjoying his meal!

After dinner while everyone is napping, Cathi was threading Keaton's baseball glove for his game the next day.

Debbie and Edie relaxing...

Ashley and Mitchell

John napping...

Mitchell enjoying his pie

One of the things the kids love most about going to Aunt Cathi's is playing Mafia. I actually played this year and had a good time. It's not usually one of my favorite games... probably because you have to be a good lair...

Kris, Cathi, Edie, Mitchell and Debbie

Debbie, Tylene, Jared (a Cenatiempo cousin and his girlfriend) and Allison voting someone off...

Edie brought baby Chloe with her. She was SO CUTE! It was our first time meeting her and we just loved her! She was such a good baby!!

John taking another nap! I don't think I got one... not sure why??

Mitchell got little Chloe to sleep!

Thanksgiving night we went to a comedy club in Scottsdale called Jesterz. It was lots of fun! Friday we went shopping at a fun outdoor mall and got some Christmas shopping done. Some of the kids went to a movie. It was a great mall. Then we went home for leftovers! yum!

We headed home Saturday morning and Ashley headed back to Provo on Sunday. It was so nice to have her home for a week! We are looking forward to having her home for Christmas break!

Thanks for having us Cathi! And thanks to Candace for letting us sleep at her house! We love getting together with family!