Texas Road House

Ethan and Kate have had a free kids meal to Texas Road House for over a year!  They ask all the time when we can go and finally we made it!  The restaurant offers free face painting on Monday nights and the kids took full advantage and had their faces painted :)

Indoor Soccer

Emily, Savanah and Justin have all played indoor soccer this winter.  This is Justins second time this winter and the girls first.  They weren't too thrilled at first to play soccer year round but they lose so much skill between fall and spring outdoor season we felt it was pretty important.  They have all done great and are loving it!

New Years Eve

 The Brown's came over until their little ones had to go to bed and the girls left for a party.  Jeff, Justin and I were left to celebrate!

Justin's Temple Trip

Chandler, Justin, Savanah, Emily

Justin's first trip to the American Fork Temple to do Baptisms for the dead.

Christmas

As usual, Christmas morning is a whirlwind!  We do manage a prayer and a talk (again) why we celebrate Christmas then the kids start. We try to have someone order and open one gift at a time but that doesn't last long!

 Emily, Justin, Kate, Ethan, Savanah

 Kate

 Emily - hoping for a camera

 Emily over the moon - she got the camera she wanted!

 Justin

 Uncle Scott, Taylor

 Aunt Sandy, Makenzie

 Uncle Blake, Jeff

 Kate, Ethan

 Cayden, Emily, Natalie, Savanah

 Justin, Uncle Scott, Makenzie

 Ethan

 Taylor

 Justin

 Savanah, Emily, Natalie

 Jackson, Ethan

 Caleb

Christmas afternoon we headed to Grandpa and Grandma Bills' house for a yummy dinner and one last visit from Santa!

1st Tooth Gone!

Ethan finally had his first loose tooth!  He has been so excited and counting down when that wiggly tooth would finally come out.  He asked both Jeff and I to pull it out but then would change his mind.  He came home from church today and his tooth was gone!   Though he was excited there was a little unhappiness in him.  When we asked further about the story he told us his primary teacher saw his tooth and told him to open up and she pulled it right out!  Dang her!  We weren't too happy and neither was Ethan on how he lost his first tooth.  He wanted to be home with his family since we were all so excited for him, and Jeff and I really wanted to be with him.  Oh well, silly tooth I know but a big deal to us because it was so exciting for Ethan.  Guess we will have to tell him to keep his mouth closed when he gets his next loose tooth!

Porter/Oyler Christmas Party & Lights

 Savanah, Emily

 Ethan, Justin

 Kate, Savanah, Emily

 Dylan, Hollie, Mickell, Ally

Jeff, Shirley, Liane, Mike, Dylan

 Justin, Ethan, Lisa

 Justin, Savanah, Kate, Ethan

 Savanah, Ethan

We had our Porter/Oyler Christmas party at Macaroni Grill in SLC this year.  Always fun to catch up with family!  After dinner we headed to Temple Square to see the lights.

Family Ski Day

 Part of the ski clothing explosion :)

 Justin, Savanah, Emily, Ethan and Kate

It almost felt like a dream...all seven of us finally being able to ski together!  This is Ethan and Kate's first season skiing and they are doing great.  Today was the first time our whole family has been able to go skiing at the same time.  Of course there was splitting up, the big kids couldn't stay on the bunny hill forever with the little ones :)  We bought season passes to Solitude this year and it has been great.  We all love the resort - it's not crowded!  And a great bonus, one of Jeff's good friends, Laura is a ski instructor at Solitude.  She loves giving our kids free lessons!  She taught the three older kids and is excited to help Ethan and Kate...and maybe their mom :)

Brown's Christmas Party

 Chandler, Justin, Emily, Savanah

Jennie, Jeremy

 Kate, Ethan

 Mallory

Ethan

Always a fun night exchanging gifts with the Brown's!

Kate Skiis!

Jeff and Kate

Kate's first season skiing - she is a natural and a daredevil ( I can't watch her half the time!)   She does great and loves it!

Christmas Piano Recital

 Emily, Savanah, Justin

Emily, Savanah, Justin

The kids did great - all that practicing pays off!  I love the kids piano teacher, and thankfully she loves them!

Jetta TDI

After much debate and agonizing...we bought a car!  After figuring out our monthly gas bill between the Suburban and the Durago it just made sense.  I was driving all over the place, mostly by myself or with a couple of kids in the Suburban, such a waste!  Our new car gets 40 mpg around town and 50 on the freeway and we can go over 500 miles on one tank of gas!  Jeff and I share the car and we absolutely love it - the car and saving a ton of money on gas!

Thanksgiving Point Lights & Reindeer

Every year we drive through the light display at Thanksgiving Point.  This year we decided to stop and see the Reindeer! 

Ethan Skiis!

Jeff and Ethan

Ethan's first season skiing - he is doing awesome and loving it!