Christmas Programs at school

It's that fun part of the season where the kids have been working hard at school learning new Christmas songs. The first grade puts on a Christmas programs that involve different Holidays celebrated during the season. They sang songs about Kwanzaa, Hanukkah and Christmas. Lauren also studied in her class about Ramadan and wrote a little report on it. She did a great job singing!!

Gabe and Emma put on a Christmas program in their music classes. Emma thought it was really fun to play her recorder and it reminded me of being in elementary playing the recorder... oh good times. She loved singing all the songs. Gabe on the other had was not happy about having to sing. He did the motions and sang very quietly. Both of them were really cute and did great.

Jeffery Family Christmas Party

FAMILY - PRESENTS - FOOD - STOCKINGS
MERRY CHRISTMAS!

We had the Jeffery family Christmas party at Tyler and Aprils house. We had yummy food, lots of laughs, and lots and lots of presents. We played games and danced silly dances. The cousins this year exchanged gifts and it was fun to see what they got each other. They were excited to see if who they had liked their gift or not. There was lots of webkins being exchanged! Kevin's parents were so good to us. The kids got new sleeping bags (to go along with the new trailer) and Wii resort (such a fun game) Kevin got a new saw and I got a great traveling purse and fun jewelery. The stockings of course were all hung up and the kids love to see the fun gifts in there. We were sad that Kevin's brother Kyle and his family couldn't come up from Arizona. They were dearly missed! Thanks Tyler and April for hosting such a fun Christmas party. It was so fun to get to together with family and start off the holiday season.

Lining up for food! YUM YUM

Kevin and his mom

Emma had a fever :(
Kevin and his uncle Marion

Kevin loving all the pictures I am taking!! LOL

Jake dancing with Matthew All of us eating our yummy dinner!

Nancy getting her stocking Waiting to open presents

Lauren not really wanting to dance! Emma getting her stocking

Eliza called in the middle of our party because she was so sad that she couldn't be there. We missed her too!

Jake opening his cousin exchange giftGabe opening his stocking

The kids opening their new sleeping bags

Gabe playing around

Gabriel Baptism

Gabriel made the choice to be baptised since he turned 8 in September. There was some scheduling conflicts so he didn't get baptised until December. I don't think the timing could have been better. What a great time to remember our savior and to witness a sweet innocent boy receive such blessings. He was so excited for his new scriptures he got. They are green like he requested and he walked around all day with them. It was really sweet. Gabriel was baptised by his dad and confirmed by his Grandpa Terry. We are proud of Gabriel's decision to be baptised. Gabriel was very interested in finding out why you get baptized and wants to continue learning about the church. Gabriel was so happy to have all his family there that meant a lot to him.

Winter Camping

We got a new camp trailer and we just couldn't wait to take it out. Kevin's friends were going wheeling Thanksgiving weekend and so we decided to meet up with them out past 5 mile. The kids could not have been happier to try out the new trailer. Granted it was freezing outside but we managed to keep warm with the little heater just blowing away all night. (so grateful to Tyler and April for letting us use their generator) There were 3 families there and the kids were so excited to play with all the kids. They had so much fun going on the trails and Lauren just couldn't have been happier since there was a yellow jeep that she got to ride in. We also went Geo cashing. I have found a new love. Oh my gosh that was so much fun. You put the coordinates in the GPS and then you have to find where someone has put a cash box. You put an item in and take an item out. The kids thought it was great too. Just driving randomly through the desert looking for a tiny box. It was so much fun. Tyler and April came out for the day to ride four wheelers with us and the kids were happy to have them come play with us. Tyler showed Emma how to ride their four wheeler and love it. The funniest part of the trip was there was a boy there that was a couple years older than Emma but had a crush on her. It was so funny to watch him interact with her and Emma was completely clueless to the whole thing. It was cute. It was fun to sit by the camp fire and watch the kids ride the bikes and 4wheelers. Lauren made a friend and was so excited to have a sleep over in their camp trailer. We can't wait until it gets warmer so we can head out again.

The kids all bundled up watching a movie

Lauren and her new friend Kelsie

Kevin trying the waterfall. He almost made it before he broke an Axel... oops

Gabe enjoying his bike
Emma on the 4 wheeler

Whatwould a trip be without this picture!! LOL

Our fun little camp spot.

Thanksgiving

So much to be thankful for. First off Kevin.. I don't know if he knows how much he has helped me this past year. He has so much love for me and my kids. We have had our ups and downs but I am so amazed at how he continues to love unconditionally. I wish this man was in my life 15 years ago, but he would have been 15 and I would have been 19 ewwwe weird. Any way I am thankful for his kindness, his respect for me, his ability to fix anything and everything, how he makes me laugh, how he makes me smile just by walking in the room, most of all how safe he makes me and my kids feel. Second my kids... I am amazed at how much they have grown this past year. Not just tall... (Jacob passed me this year) but emotionally. They have shown such improvement in school and at home. They fight of course like brothers and sisters should be they have such a love for each other too. Jacob is still amazing at any sport he plays. That boy gives it all every single game. He excels above and beyond in school and he still loves to read all the time. He has turned in to a young man and I am so proud of him. I'm still sad that I don't get to be around him all the time, but I know that he is where he feels he can grow the best and for that I just am grateful for that. I learn so much from that boy and without him I really would have been lost. Emma has improved leaps and bounds this year in school. I am so thankful for her teacher who seems to really get Emma, but I am also so proud of Emma for the confidence she is finally getting in doing her school work. She is now a B+ student and for her that is GREAT!! I am thankful for her love that she has for me. She needs to be with me all the time (I get annoyed sometimes) But I am thankful for the love she has for me and I hope I can show her how much I love her all the time. Gabriel is my life saver. That boy just loves to help me in any way he can. Anything I ask him to do he will. It takes him a minute but he does it. This boy loves to learn and asks me the most random things but loves loves to gain knowledge in all things. Gabriel is starting to take an interest in sports and is loving basketball right. We are looking to get him on a league here soon. Gabriel also loves scouts. He thinks its so much fun. This boy is allllll boy. Then my sweet Lauren. I am so thankful for her. She as most of you know has been well not easy. But the love that this child has amazes me. She loves her family so much. She is sweet and wants to make sure that you know she loves you. She is excelling at school too and has taken an interest in reading and it is coming quickly to her. I am thankful for all the ups and downs we have as a family to learn and grow with each other. Third I am thankful for my sisters and brother I have such a deep love and connection with them. Angie lives so far away and we have seemed to not keep in touch as much as we should be I love that girl more than anything. She has always been there for me. She is such an amazing mother and wife. I look up to her. She will tell ya like it is and I am grateful for that. Melisa came back from Arizona this year and I tell ya what I just couldn't be happier, to have her so close to me that we can see each other almost everyday. Talk to each other every day, sometimes 2 or 3 times. To help each other out to know that no matter what I think or do to know that she loves me. To have her so close has blessed my life more than I can express. I love you Both Angie and Melisa. I am thankful for my brother. I got to seem him a couple of months ago and I just had nothing but love for him. We haven't been close for a long time and I miss that boy. I miss his adventures, I miss his laugh and I am just grateful that I can go to him in a time of need and he can come to me. Fourth my parents and pretend in-laws. This may be hard to write right now, do to certain things going on right now. But I am so so thankful for my dad. He has always been a hard worker, he always provided for our family, he was always there for me when I need him. I am grateful for the love he has for me and my kids. I am proud to have such an amazing father. To just be able to think of him brings such a peace to my life. I am thankful for my mother. I know she has given her all to her children. I know that she loves me. I am thankful for all the times we laugh together. Thankful for her helping me with my kids and caring for them as if they were her own. I am thankful for her trying to better her life in order to better our lives. She has been through so much and I know that deep in her heart she just wants her children happy. Thank you mom. I am grateful for Kevin's parents. Wow what kind people to accept not only me but my children and treat them with such love. The raised such an amazing man that I am grateful for. They are so amazing and Steve would do anything for you any given second of his life. That man really truly is the giving tree. He is so thoughtful. Sue has such a love and sweetness about her that you can't help but want to be around her. She has made my children feel so welcome into their family (even though we technically aren't) Thank you for giving to us and showing us how to love one another. Last but not least I am thankful for my friends. I have met so many people through the years and people have come and gone, but there are the ones that no matter how long it has been you can pick right up where you left off. The ones that always cross your mind hoping that they are doing OK. Then the friends that I get to talk to all the time. Oh how they have helped me through the hardest times in my life. And to see that they still love me makes my heart so full. I love the long scrapbook weekends I spend with some and talk until 2 or 3 in morning and the times of just going to lunch and seeing how they are doing. Yes I know this was a lot but I just wanted to let everyone know how thankful I am to have what I have. I have everything I need. Love all around me.

We spent Thanksgiving this year with Kevin's family. Kevin just loves how many pictures I take!! LOL Kevin with his brother Tyler and his wife April

Pie time!!! Sue makes the best pies.. all homemade

Cute kids

Enjoying pie yum yum