Winter Showcase!

Sammy had a Winter Showcase for dance this weekend! She was super excited to get her new costume for her performing team this year! She thinks its the cutest thing EVER and the fish net gloves crack me up! She loves to pose for the camera and we had a little photo shoot before the recital...

cartwheels...

Her first dance was to "What I Like About You" she knows this dance super well...they practice a lot but she was very distracted...it will now be known as the "WARDROBE MALFUNCTION OF 2009" her STRAP came UNDONE in the middle of the performance so she had to hold her top up with her pom-poms...aka not really do the dance! Benson and I couldn't figure out what she was doing...but like a true performer she kept a smile on her face and kept going (without using her arms)! When I went backstage to help her change into her next costume she was in TEARS...she was so embarrassed that her top fell down...I assured her nobody saw anything and that I was watching her the whole time and couldn't tell what had happened (POOR GIRL!!)

Anyway, the show must go on and she did AMAZING in her next number "All I Want for Christmas is My 2 Front Teeth"...so, so, so cute!

Santa Baby

If you look REAL close you can see her first {two} teeth coming in!
P.S. Nate LOVES her to wear the Santa hat

Gingerbread House 2009

One of our favorite family traditions is putting together the Gingerbread house..Benson builds the house, I do the frosting, and the kids put on the candy! The kids are very proud of their creation!!

New Trick

Look who is STANDING....

She is so proud of herself and likes to show off her new trick over and over (it is greatly impacting her nap time)!

Temple Lights

The big kids..Ben, Sammy, Maya, Nate and Blake (Kenzie didn't want to get in the picture) The babies...Lucy, Jasmine and Carson...all bundled

We took the kids to the temple lights...the Saturday it was super cold (remember that day?) anyway, we went with a couple families in our ward and had a great time. My kids were super loud and running all over the place (remind me to teach them about reverence) and I ran into a girl that was one on my MIA MAIDS when I was a Young Women's leader right after Benson and I got married...I felt super old because she is now married with 2 kids...WHAT?!? Anyway, my camera died..but use your imagination because after the temple we walked down a really fun cul-de-sac that was decked out for Christmas! Fun Night!

FAMILY PICTURES!!!

We had family pictures taken on Saturday...by an amazing photographer and my new friend Melissa (aka Lis)! I love the pictures she took of my kids and even though family pictures is my idea of a living nightmare...I'm SOOO glad we did them! FYI..it was FREEZING (okay maybe not freezing but SUPER cold when we were taking these)! My kids are at such a fun age and I loved to document them! When I look at these pictures I am so amazed that Benson and I have FOUR KIDS!!! Amazing!

Kindergarten Field Trip

Ben was SUPER excited to go on his VERY first Field Trip EVER!!! The Kindergarten was going to the Zoo! Nate, Lucy, and I tagged along too! Here is a picture of Ben with some of his buddies...Seth, Clyde (or is it Clyde then Seth...honestly I can't tell them apart) Ben, Nate, and Malloy acting like MONKEYS... Lucy was wiped out...

Malloy, Presley, Nate, Ben, Seth and Clyde (or Clyde then Seth)

It's Beginning to look a lot like CHRISTMAS...

Ben putting on the ornaments

For documentation sake...let the record show...Nate put the star on this year (its always a fight at our house and every kid SWEARS its their turn because they NEVER get a turn)

4 kids in front of the tree! I was really hoping that Lucy would wait to crawl until after Christmas...but no such luck! I took my chances and decorated the bottom half of the tree! We'll see if it lasts all season! I love Christmas time and all the decorations!

HAPPY 4th BIRTHDAY NATE!!

I can't believe Nate is 4! He is such a funny kid and all he wanted for his Birthday was "CHOCOLATE"! We celebrated by going to play with some cousins that were in town (Carson and Taryn) then Benson and I took Nate and his best buddy (his brother Ben) to play games and ride some rides and Jungle Jim's Playland (so ghetto...but the boys loved). We then went to Streets of New York for dinner (Nate's favorite..NOODLES) and came home for some CHOCOLATE cake!! It was such a fun day and I am bummed I didn't take more pictures!

Nate's preschool teacher made him this hat and I brought in some CHOCOLATE donuts for him to share with his class!

Playing with some of the St George Bashford cousins (don't these kids look like they could all be siblings?)

Nate with his CHOCOLATE cake! Love that kid!

THANKSGIVING 2009

The kids started out the day with the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and decorating some apple turkeys...(while I baked and Benson played football) Then we headed over to Nana and Papa Bashfords...look at these 2 cuties...

Nate and Madi have their Birthdays a couple days apart so we celebrated that as well...(Madi turned 14 and Nate 4)

We couldn't get the lighter to work to light the candles so Madi told Nate just to blow it out anyway...he looked at her like she was crazy but still blew anyways...it was super funny...

Look how cute (and grown up Nate is)...

We had a Fabulous Thanksgiving and feel so blessed that we could spend it with family!

MALL OF AMERICA!!!

what you don't have a picture of you as a viking? oh well, I do... (and so does Reagan) oh and Reagan liked it so much she wanted to take another picture with Erin...

Here is the group in front of the Mall...me, Erin, mom, Aunt Cyndy, Kacey, Kelly, Meredith, Reagan, Jaime, and Cathy

Every year my sisters, mom, cousins and aunt do a girls trip to Mall of America before Thanksgiving! It was so, so much fun! It was so nice to get a break and shop, eat, see movies, and just have fun!!!

Everything comes to an END....

Ben's soccer season is finally over! He loved playing with the Lightning Bolts and thought Coach Alex was a superhero! They had the end of the season party at Krispy Kreme donuts! Coach Alex said a little something about the kids when he gave them the trophy...not surprising his comments about Ben consisted of his enthusiasm and energy! Ben is so happy to have his 4th trophy! The other day I was playing soccer with him in the backyard and he told me..."Its okay mom...I'll be easy on you...I know all about soccer...I have 4 trophies" (one of his trophies is actually for basketball but we don't need to focus on details)

Ben had a great season and was pretty disappointed if he didn't score at least 5 times per game. He was really good at defense as well and liked to help his team! We are very proud of him!

Lu-Lu Lucy

7 months already??? Lucy is such a doll and seems to get her own post every time I post on my blog because I end up having so many pics of her on my camera. She is such a happy baby! Some little developmental things...she can clap now, starting to crawl (sad, sad day for me), and is starting to babble and say "da-da" (which melts Benson's heart)! clapping..

She LOVES this little bus we have in the toy room...

She has been making this face for awhile where she scrunches up her little nose...

A little outside photo shoot..