Look how cute my boys are! Jason and Zack went and got haircuts together so I had a post a picture of how good they looked.

Happy 60th Birthday Dad! We spent Martin Luther King Day weekend visiting my parents and throwing my dad a surprise party at his favorite Mexican restaurant. The waiters always put frosting on your face and a sombrero on your head for your special day but they went over the top for the big guy. It was really fun seeing some of my family and family friends over the long weekend.

My mom's dog, Patches, died last month. So, while she was in Phoenix helping Monte and Crista with the new baby she decided to get a new puppy. Miley, named after Hannah Montana's counterpart by my children, is a toy fox terrier and so cute. The kids had a great time playing with her while we were in town.

We also had the opportunity to visit with Grandpa Rudy and Grandma Barbara while we were down south. We stayed a night with them and had a great visit. They both looked so good and grandma was cooking up a storm, as usual. We met Slade's (Jason's cousin) wife, Tarah, and had a fun time getting to know her and taking a tour of their new home. All in all it was a nice visit and a fun trip.

Oh the beauty of Temple Square during the holidays! I forgot that was one of the other things that we did during the Winter Break, go to Temple Square to look at the lights. It was freezing cold but so beautiful to look at. This was the first time we had taken the kids inside the visitor's center to see the Christus statue, they thought that was pretty cool.

I have been calling my mom a lot lately for details as to how baby Samuel is doing, my brother and sister-in-law's new baby (born almost a month early). My mom has been down in Phoenix for the past two weeks helping out. When I talk to my mom I relay info on just how much snow we have been getting lately, we got a FOOT on Wednesday, but she doesn't seem to believe me. These pictures are mostly for her benefit so she can see that the drifts on the side of my house are indeed as tall as my children. I am about ready to move back to Arizona and leave all of this winter behind, better yet how about Hawaii. I am literally sick and sick of it. It was festive for the holidays but give me a break. The mountains are already at 100% snowpack. Any friends or family that have been thinking about coming to Utah to visit now would be a great time to hit the slopes, i.e. Craft family, Monte, Jenny O., and various others. We have plenty of room so just give us a call. Maybe you are more like me and would rather come in summer and go out on the boat, that is fine too. :)

Christmas at home was a beautiful thing. We really loved being able to stay home and have a nice little Christmas morning, just the four of us. It was the Christmas of Spiderman for Zack, but he also got a Gameboy that he just can't put down, in fact he has been caught up at 5:00am playing the dang thing and threatening to take it away has been a great way to get him to obey mom and dad lately. It is crazy to see how grown-up Cassidy is becoming with the presents she gets and enjoys. She recieved a lot of Hannah Montana stuff and a new digital camera. Jason surprised Allison with a wetsuit top so she will stop shivering on the boat and the latest in running technology, a wrist GPS system so she can for a run then not have to drive the path she ran later to figure out how far she went. She also got a gift card to Old Navy, thanks Rex and Linda, and some cash from various donators. Jason scored big with more Cabella's gift cards in addition to the ones he had from his birthday, yes he has already used them (don't even ask me what he bought, it is still a tender subject but I will give you a hint; it rhymes with tussleloader), some wet suit bottoms (now he can be warm EVERYWHERE when he skis) and even more itunes cash. All in all we realized after all the gift unwrapping that we are a very spoiled bunch and should probably begin to scale down Christmases before my kids start to expect a big Chritmas every year. The best part was staying home, we haven't been able to do this but one other time the ten Christmases Jason and I have been married. Though we enjoy spending the holidays with our families, there is something to be said for a Chritmas at home. The rest of Winter Break was spend hanging out as a family. Going bowling, to movies, looking at lights, and eating all of the yummy holiday treats.

Our spoiled kids had two "Christmases". This is the first one with my mom and dad the Saturday before Christmas. They got to open presents from Grandma Lora Lee and Papa Allen as well as Aunt Crista and Uncle Monte and Aunt Kim. After all of that it was hard to believe that they still had more coming on Christmas Day. Cassidy got new Heelies, a pillow diary, Junie B. Jones book, Hannah Montana Doll, and a paint set and girlie stuff. Zack opened a dress up trunk, Spiderman shirt, soft Spiderman friend to sleep with, and Spiderman Gameboy game (prematurely). Allison was excited to open a "Seriously?...Seriously?" shirt from her sister (straight from their favorite show Grey's Anantomy) and a new blowdrier and Jason got a bunch of itunes money for his new ipod. Grandma and Granpa got gifts that Cassidy and Zack shopped for at the Santa's Secret Shop at Cassidy's school. It was such a nice visit with Grandma and Grandpa and the kids are so thankful for the gifts they recieved.

Cassidy had her Christmas recital in December and was quite the little dancer. She is turning out to be a beautiful little girl with so many talents. There is a picture of her and her friend Stacey, my friend Dalyce's little girl that she takes dance lessons with, her class waiting backstage to get started, Cassidy with one of her teachers, and Cassidy with mom and dad (picture taken by Zack) and Zack. Her rectials have been sceduled for very late in the evenening, starting at 7:30, but Cassidy and Zack are so well behaved even for such a late night. She is trying to decide if she wants to dance next year or not but she for sure wants to play soccer again.

Here are some pictures of Zack's Christmas recital where they sang songs, recited a little poem and did their ABC's in sign language. In one picture Zack is with his friend Ben. He did such a great job and sang his songs for us well after his recital whenever he heard them on the radio, Jingle Bell Rock and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.