Christmas 2013

 Christmas Eve this year was very fun because we are living with my family so they got to be apart of the fun we have with our little boys. Plus being away for the last few year in Miami made me miss home at the holidays. Its so funny how humans are though, because now I miss the beach on Christmas Eve and decorating our house for Christmas. I will miss home but will be excited to have a place of my own again. Any way this year the boys worked hard to earn quarters and dollar bills to put in their jars to buy each other a gifts, me and Tex took the boys out shopping a few days before Christmas and on Christmas Eve they opened each others gifts. Tate gave Peyton an Iron Man action figure and Peyton gave Tate a power ranger action figure. They opened the Christmas p.js that my mom helped me make for the boys and after my siblings opened from each other we watched the Christmas movie we gave the boys.

 Brenton had me and my family this year for Christmas and he gave the boys a huge box of Legos, Paisley a super cute pink outfit and Tex and I a gift card. The boys (all three of them) played with them while others opened presents.

 Later that night after the kids were in bed and we had written our letter to Santa all the adults watched Scrooge. That movie has the best message, I'll be honest it still gives me the creeps a little but I do love to watch it with my family.

 Santa came to the boys and brought fun things to stay active inside the house like a little tramp and punching bag but also brought the things that they had been asking for. Tate has been asking for all this Power Ranger stuff for more than 7 months and Peyton found these little Iron man action figures that he wanted Santa to bring so BAD. It took all of 7 min to open Santa's presents but it is so fun to be a parent and live in the Christmas spirit with your children.

 I got Tex a tent and some fun stuff for camping. I wish I could have done more but it's a start and we can work on building his emergency back pack over the years.

 This was obviously Paisley's first Christmas and she did not fit into the little Christmas onsie that I put her in, she is growing and getting bigger but she is still not fitting in new born stuff yet. We all love this little girl so much and feel blessed to have her in our lives.

 They loved the gifts from Grandma and Grandpa Orullian more Power Ranger stuff and more Iron man action figures so they were beyond excited. It was such a fun Christmas! We had dinner at my Grandma Orullian's house after we visited Tex's Brother Vaughn and his family and to end the night we went home and watched Ephraims Rescue with my family. Everything went so smoothly and I am grateful to have these memories sense I am sure that it wont happen again soon in the near future. Tex has been missing in action for the last few weeks studying for boards, he takes them January third and its a big deal. If we don't pass the first time we have to pay again to take them and its not cheap. After boards he has interviews in Texas January 8th and then back to Florida first of February for his final semester, match is March 19th and then YAY!! Graduation April 28th. This last year has been so full of wonderful times and really hard times, lots of growing experiences! I think among lots of other things I have learned that this life is full of choices, a choice to be happy, a choice to choose to follow the savior, to be kind the list goes on and on. My one big goal this New year is to choose to be happy no matter the hardship that I am going through. I am not saying its going to be easy or that I will do great at it all the time but I am going to try a lot harder to be happy and to make others happy. I am so grateful for my family for my wonderful husband and my children and so grateful for my parents and siblings. The Lord totally knew what he was doing creating the family unit. Now bring on the New Year!!

December

 These are a few of the things that our Elf Criddle did this year! He showed up this year in a hot air balloon with a note from Santa saying that he new what they wanted and that if they were really good he would love to bring to them. Also that even though Christmas is so fun not to forget the real meaning of Christmas. He made sugar cookies, put their underwear all over the tree, had lunch with Winnie the pooh and went crazy with some bows all over the bedroom. We love having Criddle around, I will admit this year was a little harder than other years because of the baby. She is a lot of work! I love her to pieces but I forgot how much work a baby is and how tired you are. I am trying to enjoy her now while she is so little, It's not  going to last long she is already looking so different and she's only almost 4 weeks.

  December 19th we had a crazy snow storm and the boys have been going crazy spending so much time in doors so me and Bethany took the boys out side to shovel the snow. Brenton came over to say hi and he came out to help us and it turned into getting the boys super wet throwing them into the huge pile of snow that we were shoveling. I was not super excited about spending time in the snow but I actually had the best time being with the boys and goofing off with Brenton and Bethany.

 We had a Christmas party at Great Grandma Orullian's house (December 15th) and Santa came to the party. Peyton loved him so much, he kept going up and giving him hugs. He brought fun toys for the boys and we had Great Grandpa Orullian's home made doughnuts. Tex didn't come he stayed home with Paisley cause we didn't want her to get sick. I was glad to get out of the house for a little bit and put some make up on and some real clothes. I can't wait to  start exercising again so I can wear my old clothes.

 We went with Vaughn and Teresa and their family to the Utah Zoo to see the lights and see Santa. The Boys wrote him a letter and sent it to him and then we went back in to the freezing cold weather. By the time we were done Peyton was screaming in pain cause he was so cold. His toes were numb and it took him a good 30 min to thaw out. Even though it was cold it was my first outing out after Paisley was born and I missed being with my 3 boys.

 Lots of time has been spent holding, feeding, and loving on baby Paisley! I am so thankful for all the help my family has been to me while Tex has been studying and it has been an adjustment getting use to three kids. I am going to miss all the hands that are always willing to help hold her while I get the boys ready for bed or get a bottle ready for the baby.

 Mee Maw Evans had a Christmas party the day before Christmas Eve and the boys were part of the nativity. Peyton didn't last long he didn't like having the towel on his head, so I had to hurry and take a picture with his cousins while he had it on. Mee Maw and Papa gave the boys really fun presents. Hungry hippos and a huge book that has Disney stories that we read at night to the boys. She also gave Tex and I a beautiful picture 9of Christ that I can't wait to hang in our new place.

 Breanna was so cute with the boys reading them stories on the stairs. They would grab her a book and go sit on the stairs to have her read them. I love my sisters so much! I am going to miss them so much when we move away.

 The boys love Paisley so so much!! They sing her songs, grab diapers for me, kiss her and hug her to death and Tate has even got to a point were he picked her up and walked up the stairs and into the kitchen to give her to me because she was crying. I need to be more patient with them because the other day Tate whispered in my ear do you love the baby more than me? So I am working on letting them kiss and love on her even when she is crying and letting them sing songs to her so they feel like they are helping and being a part of her life. Tonight he told Aunt Faye- Dawn that the reason baby's cry is to let their owners know that they need something. I thought that was so funny when she told me.