Christmas Eve & Christmas Day 2010

Christmas felt quite a bit different this year.

Not only were we living in a new state and a new house, but John and I have been so busy and focused on the move that Christmas had to be put on the back burner.

I wasn't really feeling the spirit of Christmas. It all just felt a little rushed and unorganized.

Although our lives were in disarray, we managed to put up and decorated the Christmas tree, hang the stockings and listen to Christmas music.

Thankfully, one of our favorite family friends lives only 5 minutes away from us.

So, for CHRISTMAS EVE, we were able to escape the chaos of our box filled home and enjoy a yummy dinner at the Brenay's cozy, calm home.

we played games and the kids made gingerbread houses

myla and tori had their annual Christmas gift exchange

A night of laughing and visiting with old friends.

CHRISTMAS DAY

It might have been pulled together last minute but everyone got what they were wishing for.

I am just happy to FINALLY be getting settled and have our lives slow down for a change

Ready or not, here we go

WE MADE IT!!!

One week before Christmas we left the comfort of our beautiful, warm Chandler Arizona and arrived in cold, snowy Overland Park Kansas.

The boys were so excited to see snow so we rummaged through boxes until we found our "winter clothes" box that hadn't been opened since our trip to Utah last year.

Despite the cold, the boys played outside all afternoon exploring every inch of their new back yard

The boys decided that they really like Kansas

HALLOWEEN

In Need of a Change

It's time again to get family pictures so I took the boys to get their hair cut.

A few minutes after getting home, I am walking through the hall to my bedroom and I see little clumps of hair all over the floor leading to the boys bathroom.

Then, I hear Jad yell from his room, "MOM, Royce cut his hair!"

Sure enough Royce peeks out from behind Jad's door and his front spike is cut off right to the scalp.

So much for his perfect spikey hair that I just paid $20 to get cut...

"I just want my hair like daddy's" he says.

Such a PUNK!

He really likes his new do... I'm still missing the spikes.

Guess we will wait a month or two to do family pictures.

John's Birthday

John turned 36 today!

He told me he was turning 35 so I put 5 candles on his cake. Come to find out he was really turning 36! We're loosing track in our old age...

Love you, babe!

A Camping We Go

We are not big campers. The last time our family went camping was shortly after moving to Arizona about 10 years ago. So, this weekend John felt the need to take our family on a camping trip. He got the kids all fired up and started buying a bunch of camping gear... fishing stuff, lanterns, sleeping bags, outdoor stove, port-a-potty, huge pillow top air mattress... all the basic necessities

The girls really wanted to spend their last weekend together shopping at the mall BUT they decided that camping sounded kinda fun and decided to come along...

Jad and Royce could not stop lighting sticks on fire... I was just waiting for some ones clothes or hair to go up in flames... stressed me out!

Thankfully, the only burn we encountered was when Royce stabbed Ashlee's foot with his smoldering stick because he got mad at her...

So excited for night to come so they could sleep in their own little tent. See, isn't this so much more fun than shopping at the mall!

Well, the night came fast but sleep came SLOW........

12:30am- loud, pumping music from campsite on other side of lake FINALLY stops

1am- hear a rustling noise... find out we have skunks wandering around our tents

2am- large truck with brights on 4-wheels through our camp site

2:30am- myla and tori scream as an enormous spider crawls up their tent

(it was so big it had a shadow)

2:45am- seriously considering packing up and going home

3am- john's throwing rocks at skunks to scare them away... or spray us with fumes

3:30am- girls FINALLY stop giggling/talking and go to sleep

4am- i have to use the bathroom but too scared of the skunks so John stands guard

5:30am- sun comes up

After a rough night, it was so nice to enjoy a beautiful, peaceful morning by the lake...

Jad couln't leave the worms alone...The girls hiked around...

I fought off several armies of ants while cooking pancakes for breakfast...
Jad caught his FIRST FISH EVER!!!

I'm so glad I had my camera

Other than the night, we had a really great time!

Maybe we will do it again in another 10 years.

Royce turns 4!!!

I can't believe my baby is 4 years old!

french toast for breakfast (still has his chinese eyes)...

had to open one present at breakfast

a "shooter gun" to play with all day long...

after dinner at Peter Piper Pizza (Royce's request), we headed home for

cookie cake and presents...

so many presents but this was the most exciting one.

quick story... sitting in the car the other day and Royce says "I want a hooker for my birthday". John and I look at each other with big eyes and ask him to repeat it again. "I want a hooker for my birthday". After laughing at how odd that sounded, I ask him where he got an idea like that. "I just want one of dose sings at the store to hook my silly bands on... you know, a hooker!"

Phewww...oh how I love the innocents of children.

So Royce got a $3 "hooker" for his birthday...

Happy Birthday to Roycer... and me... oh yeah, I almost forgot,

it was my birthday today too.

Got to love sharing a birthday with one of your kids!

Lake Powell September 2010

This was our second annual Asay family Lake Powell trip...

Too much Fun!!!!!!