A Homemade Christmas

Well....kindof

We tried to stay low budget this year with Christmas...and so we decided that we would make each other Christmas gifts and make something for the boys as well. We were good at sticking to this idea for each other, but Santa got a little excited with the boys. But here is what we did:

For Grandma Maree and Grandma Debbie we made photo blocks using our family pictures we had taken in October. I loved them and am going to make one for myself very soon!

For the boys: Chris made this AMAZING super hero bean bag toss. We used pictures and modpodged them onto the painted wood and staple gunned netting to the back. I made batman bean bags! It was a real hit!

Mommy made these tins of letters...more of a learning activity, but still fun :)

For Chris I made him a rubiks cube using our pictures. He loves these puzzles and I found an oversized one so the pictures would be really cool looking. I gave it to him mixed up and he still hasn't solved it yet...so hopefully it will get back to its original form!

And for me....I bet you didn't know that one of Chris' many talents is that he can draw and he draws pictures of the Savior! I absolutely love this. I am going to get it framed this week! It's absolutely AMAZING! Thanks Chris!!!

Awaiting Angel (by Chris Karrasch)

So while Santa still went a lottle crazy...it was really fun to think about what we would make not only the kids, but each other. I think it is a new tradition that we will do every year! It was so fun! MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Picture Time

This past weekend we went out to SLC. I ran in the Provo Half Marathon (finishing in 1:52:30) and we got family pictures taken. These are a bunch of the ones I like and there are a bunch more. It is hard to get perfect pictures with the kids, but I would have to say these are pretty dang good! I am so excited! Thanks BROOKE!!!

RANDOM!

We had such a fun weekend. We started out watching "How To Train Your Dragon" with Jess, Trevor and Ethan on Friday night. Saturday we were booked...it started with a 9.5 mile run in the morning then meeting up with the boys at the park, donuts, tutoring and then off to the golf course for my first round of real golf with Amanda and Chad. That night we had friends from work over for a super fun game night and finally went to bed around midnight! SO FUN!!!!

Woot! Woot! Golfing for the first time....

Amanda actually beat everyone! I did terrible, but I am determined to do better next time.

It was quite comical!

This year I decided to spice up my classroom with some extreme fun! I love games, so I figured out how I could incorporate game into my lessons. We started with Sorry, then Chutes and Ladders. We are now moving onto CANDYLAND and I have to say that I am SUPER PROUD!!! Chris helped me make my color dice, because I always thing throwing a dice is much more fun than picking a card. I will have to get a pic of my other gmaes soon. It is super fun and it keeps the kids engaed which is so good. They actually fight over who gets to answer my questions. Can't get better than that! Candyland: Each city/town/place they get that kind of candy!
I heart my Lollipop Lane!

On a side note: We LOVE having CHRIS back! He is so much fun!!! And he gives the BEST horsie rides! He can even do double and make it fun!!!

Calculators Baby!

Alright STOP!

Calculate and listen

We are backin the greatest invention.

Numbers, grab a hold of you tightly

Haunting your dreams both daily and nightly

Will it ever stop?

Yo, I don't know

With this gizmo they will slow

To the extreme you calculate your decimal

You got your answer and glow like a candle

DANCE

Rush long division of gloom

No more killin your brain with fractions of doom

DEADLY, when left to your mind

The wrong answer you'll always find

Love it or leave it

It is the only way

To get your answer without having to pray

Any math problem

Yo, I'll solve it

Check out my skills with my calc I'll resolve it!

Calculators Baby! My last performance as a Logartithm was on Friday. Here is my AMAZING math dept + 1 science nerd :) We made break away MC Hammer pants and changed songs half-way through, but the beginning was our rap to the tune of Ice, Ice, Baby! This is one of the things that I will really miss when I leave this year. Maybe I'll make a guest appearance. Ha!

Happy Birthday Daddy!!!

We are so excited to announce that our daddy came home this week! It has been so much fun to have him back with us. The boys have especially enjoyed him. Daddy knows how to do all the fun things that boys like to do! We are so glad to have you home! Happy Birthday Chris!!!!

To our daddy: We love you!

My little eyes are watching,
My ears are listening too.
They take in everything
That you say and do.

My little hands are eager
To do the things you do.
I'm hoping and I'm dreaming
I'll grow up just like you.

I am just a little guy
Who knows that you are wise
You'll teach me what I need
For someone just my size.

I'm a bright eyed little fellow
Who is watching what you do
And I'm waiting for the day
I'll be grown up just like you

(Patsy Gaut)

Daddy took the boys golfing on Friday! They had so much fun!!!!

We had a little party on Friday night and decided that we wanted to catch crawdads in the ponds out back. It was so much fun, Daddy took the boys out and caught another crawdad in between conference on Sunday.



Fishing for Crawdads!

Our Daddy is our Favorite PAL!

The first ginormous crawdad from Friday!

Our little friend from today :0)

Balloons!

Saturday (9/11) we braved the dark and woke up early to go see the Hot Air Balloons. This is something that we did every year when I was a kid and I wanted to take the boys at least once before we move. My dad and Amanda came with us along with our friends Lindy, Ava and Kelsea. It was so much fun! Luckily, my kids crashed at 11 and slept for 4 hours after so I was able to get a nap after waking up at 4 in the morning. However when I told this to Chris, he reminded me that he used to get up at 3 and have to work a 12 - 15 hour day. I felt a little bad that I was able to nap :)

Walking down to the park at 4:45am.
We got to watch the "Glow Show" up close an personal. I never knew there was a glow show..I only ever knew about Dawn Patrol...but we got there early enough to see this and it was breath-taking.

The crew!!!

Our friends, Lindy, Ava and Kelsea

All of us minus one

They did a tribute to 9-11 with with and then had a fly by in the "one man left behind" formation. It was powerful.

We found a sweet parking spot after the early morning show and sat on our car and watched the balloons rise into the air! The boys were mesmerized!

Grandpa Steve and Logan

Amanda and Tracen- he is a goof!

My boys just love Grandpa Steve! They will sure miss him when we move! I guess they will just have to come out and visit a lot :)

The balloons! They are spectacular!!

Here is the end of the glow show...the battle of the balloons! It was pretty cool!