Way to go Hannah!

Obviously updating my blog was not one of my New Year Resolutions. I have not done very good at this but I am still trying. I guess that is all that matters, right? Anyway, I received a phone call from an unknown caller. This usually means that the school is calling and one of the kids are sick and has just thrown up all over the desk, (which actually has happened) or it is the principal calling because someone has gotten hurt, or somebody left their homework home, or they didn't bring lunch money or it is a solicitor calling me but today it was the school Secretary, Marene, calling for the principal, Ms. Covey. I am still a little nervous at this time but she told me that this was a good call. I love those calls!!! Hannah was nominated for an award that not to many children receive. She said that only one boy and one girl from every class receive this award and at this time I was so excited for Hannah because I knew which award she was talking about as Hattie had received it last year. Hannah was given the "Citizen of the Quarter" award which means that Hannah has been very Respectful to her Teachers and to other students, she has been very Responsible and comes to class everyday prepared, very Kind to everyone, which Hannah has been caught being good and kind at many different occasions. I was to keep this a secret because Hannah did not know that she was getting this award. When Hannah walked into the gym for the assembly and seen us there, she was so excited because she new something big was about to happen. We were so proud of her. It is pretty awesome when the school calls you and tells you that you have pretty awesome kids. It is every parents dream. Congratulations Hannah. We love you. Congratulations to everyone, that is a pretty awesome award to receive.

Happy New Year!!!

O.K.! I think that I am finally caught up from Christmas and getting organized and back into the swing of things and then I realize that IT IS ALREADY THE 20TH!!! Where in the world does the time go. No, I really didn't just realize that. I am more with it than that but seriously, where does it go. The last couple weeks have been nice because it hasn't been to busy. We have done a bit of traveling to Riley's games in Mountain View and we went to Laramie this last week and then Rock Springs tonight but we love it.
Today was an amazing Day with the Inaguration of the new President of the United States of America, Borack Obama. This is an amazing country that we live in and definately one that all of our hopes and dreams can come true. I pray that our Heavenly Father will be with the Obama Family to lead and guide this nation.
I am off to the Basketball Game! I hope you all have a great night.

What a "Magical" Vacation

We had such a great time in Disney World over the Christmas Holiday and we packed as much as we possibly could do in seven day and we are still feeling the effects from it. We left Christmas day, trying to beat the storm that was coming but boy did it snow in Utah. They were pounded with about eight to ten inches over night and we were nervous that our flight would be delayed but the airport in Salt Lake knows how to handel snow. We left right on time.
DISNEY WORLD HERE WE COME!!!




Our kids thought that flying was one of the funnest things of our trip. I think flying was one of the best things invented after driving as much as we have over the last couple of months.

We arrived in Orlando about 5:30 p.m. and went to get our van that we had rented and the place was nuts. There were people that had waited in line for hours and were just getting help. It was then our turn and they say that they have no more vans so they rent us two cars. Try following someone in Orlando Florida. It is not easy but Torrey did an amazing job getting us to the Resort. I only got honked at once by this astro van and then I met up with the same van on the other side of the airport and almost took him out again. CRAZY!!! We made it safely and this was our only hang up the entire trip. We organized ourself the rest of the night and got groceries for the week and relaxed. I was surprised that no on was sick from the flight but we were all ready to play. We started out early the next morning to Magic Kingdom and it is Magic. We rode all the rides possible and seen 3D movies,Monster Inc. Laugh Floor which Torrey and Graci were part of the show. Torrey was holding Graci on his lap so he was called the man with two heads and they were shown on the big screen. I laughed so hard. There was a big hush that went over the audience when he said that we were from Wyoming. Yes we were far from home. We watched the Christmas Parade, Fireworks over Cinderella's castle and ate dinner with Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Piglet, and Eyhor. It was an amazing day and boy were we spent. Sunday we were planning on driving to the Ocean to experience all of the beauty and visit the grounds of the Orlando Temple but with having to travel with two cars and the fact that we were all exhausted, we decided to just relax around the Resort and rest for the day. I wish that we would have had one of these days between each park but nope, Monday thru Thursday we were playing. Monday we went to Animal Kingdom which we all loved. Lion King- Live show, the Safari, It's Tough to be a bug 3Dmovie, Mount Everest Adventure, what a great ride, more parades, and much much more. They do an amazing job at entertainment. What an incredible day we had. Tuesday was spent at the Epcot Center. Honey I shrunk the Audience 3D was so much fun, Finding Nemo, Talking with Crush,Fast Track, Mission to Space. This is about the only ride that made us all a little sick but it was worth it. Circle of life Movie, We took a boat voyage around part of Epcot and experienced all that is happening around the world to help preserve it, and the different ways of growing vegitation around the world to ensure food. It was all incredible to experience. We were going from sun up to sun down and barely touched the surface as to what you can see and experience at all the parks. Also my most favorite ride of Epcot was "Soarin" over California. Graci was so wanting to grow taller so she could ride on this ride. She kept running over to the height marker and asking if she was tall enough yet but each time she got the answer, "almost". We tried stretching her, watering her, feeding her carrots, but each time she just wasn't quite tall enough and boy was she ticked but she was such a good sport about it. There was so much for her to do that she didn't feel to bad when occasionally she was not able to experience something. We did not want to leave but at 10:00, we thought that we should save a little energy for Hollywood Studios. Wednesday, we were not disappointed. Beauty and the Beast Live show was amazing, Rockin Rollercoaster was a blast, Tower of Terror was just that, TERROR!!! Journey into Narnia,Little Mermaid 3D Life Show and movie, High School Musical Live Show, Toy story Mania, Indiana Jones stunt show, Star Wars, Play House Disney. What a fun day!!! We brought in the New year with hats and horns, furnished by Hollywood Studios and finished the night with Fantasmic Firworks show. It was all very Magical. It was so exciting to have all of the movies that we all grew up with brought to life. Pocahontas, Snow White, Little Mermaid, Hunch Back of Notre Dam, and so many more, with Mickey Mouse. It was just incredible. We all loved it. Thursday we slept in a bit and then went back to Magic Kingdom to see what we had missed the first day. We rode the Ferry acrossed from where our shuttle dropped us off to the park and that was very fun. We went to adventure land and Pirates of the Carribean, Space Mountain, and yes the Mad Tea Party. This was Graci's favorite ride. Also Dumbo was right up at the top. Mickey's 3D movie, Snow white's Scarey Adventure, Winnie the Pooh, Peter Pan. WOW!!! We did so much in just a few days and we definately got our money's worth but the sad thing is is that there is so much more that we did not experience. I can see why people continue to go back because you can not possibly experience it all in one day. What an incredible vacation. We were all so exhausted by this time that we made an early departure and went back to the Resort and had Subway Sandwhiches and I washed all the clothes up so I didn't have to when we got home and we got into bed. We had to wake up at 2:30 in the morning to get our cars back to the rental place and then to the airport to catch our 5:30 a.m. flight and then back to Utah with the drive home to Wyoming. It makes me tired just typing all fo this but an incredible Journey. The kids were troopers with smiles on their faces even at 2:30 in the morning. We all had the time of our lives! I am unable to take my tree down because I just haven't got enough of it yet and the feelings of this special season. I am so grateful for the blessings that we have had this year and for my Family. The main reason we took this trip was just to capture their youthfulness. It is not easy making this transition and watching your children grow up and start to experience life on there own and I know that it is the Circle of Life but I am just not quite ready for it. Thank You Torrey, Riley, Layton, Hattie, Hannah, and Graci for giving me this vacation with just you. There is no other place I would like to be then with You, my Family. I know that you had other plans for your Christmas Break with friends and a little sleep but it was incredible for me and I hope that you had the time of your lives. I love you all! Here are a few pictures of our trip.

I Can't Keep This Secret Any Longer!!!

Torrey and I have been planning this Christmas Day since back in January of this year. It has been a hard one to keep secret but I think a couple of the kids found out just recently by snooping around on the computer. They still did not know everything so everyone was so excited on Christmas Morning. The kids continued with their tradition on Christmas morning to wake up at 6:00 a.m. and everyone has to go into the girls room and then they wait for Torrey and I to get up. Then we all come in together to see what Santa has brought. The excitement was in the air. We had a fun morning playing with the new toys from Santa and opening up the gifts from each other. Everyone was anxious to see what they were given but even more excited to give their gifts that they had bought and made for each other. It was awesome to see. Here is a slide of part of our Christmas Morning.

Now The Surprise! We had the kids open up four packages, one at a time and then followed by a gift after each one. Each one of them having to do with our surprise. The first one was telling them to get ready and they were given travel toiletry bags with their names on them.The second one said to Save your money and they were given money to spend on their souvenirs that they would want from the surprise.
The third box read, Don't Forget you P.J.'s and they were given their pajamas which we traditionally do on Christmas Eve.
The fourth box read "Because We are going to Disney World" and we leave today. Everyone was so excited for that because they had no idea that we would be leaving that day.

The kids played with there toys and we had an awesome Christmas breakfast of Buttermilk waffles, scrambled eggs with Canadian bacon and juice. It tasted so good. We all ran off to get ready and pack our bags so we could leave to go to Salt Lake. There was a big storm coming through and we didn't want to miss our chance of not getting there because we needed to be at the airport at 6:30 A.m. the next morning. Thank Heaven we didn't wait to leave any later because Ogden Canyon was horrible. I later learned that they did end up closing the freeway later that night. It was a very different Christmas Day for all of us. We stayed at the Hampton Inn and swam and relaxed and then the weirdest part was having Christmas Dinner at Denny's. The kids all commented on how weird that was. There was not the feeling of warmth or having friends and family around you. It was all very strange but everyone was excited for our flight and what was in store.

Christmas Eve

This Christmas Eve was a bit different for me than other years past. I have been doing wash for it seems like two weeks straight just trying to keep up but I think I still did wash all day on Christmas Eve. The kids were a bit curious as to why I was doing laundry on Christmas Eve but I kept telling them that I didn't want to do any more wash during the break. Later that evening we ran a few more goodies around to some of our friends and neighbors, I didn't get to half of the people I wanted to this year but next year I will be better organized. We then came back home and usually our traditional dinner is steak and shrimp but tonight we had appetizers for dinner. Everything was different this year. We spent time reading Christmas stories and tracking Santa and realized that he was very close so we fixed Santa his traditional Egg Nog and chex mix and went out and fed Santa's reindeer so they would not be hungry and could have enough energy to make the rest of their trip and the kids were off to bed. (Well not really because they all had to come out and use the bathroom.) It has been a different Christmas this year and I did miss doing all of the traditions that we have done in the past but time and money did not allow it this year. Here are a few pictures of Christmas Eve after Santa had come. It looks like Santa brought Graci her Polly Pockets that she had been asking for.Hannah had a hard time knowing what she wanted for Christmas but decided on The Little Pet Shop house and it looks like that is just what Santa brought her. Hattie got a new Kit Kitterage DS game and the new David Archeleta CD. Riley and Layton both wanted new Hoodies so Santa brought Riley a North Carolina one and Layton a Texas one. Christmas Eve is always a fun time for Torrey and I to see what Santa has brought and to spend a little time together reflecting on the past year and the blessings that we have received over the year. I know both of us look forward to this time. CHRISTMAS IS SUCH A MAGICAL TIME IF YOU BELEIVE!!! Merry Christmas to Everyone.

Hix Annual Christmas Party

I know that I am way behind. So much has happened. We have traveled many miles in the last week and a half and I believe that we are all exhausted. I am taking a few minutes to download pictures and videos and will slowly get back up to speed but for now, we traveled to Idaho Falls last Sunday night for the Annual Hix Christmas Party and arrived just before. Yummy appetizers were served by everyong bringing there favorites, then there were songs sung, stories told, the Christmas story re-enacted by the grandkids, and gifts shared by eachother. Every year after we return from Grandma and Grandpa's house, I wonder, "Who needs Santa when you have Grandma & Grandpa." We all get very spoiled. It is so much fun and awesome to be togther. I know that as long as there is a Hix Christmas Party, our children will always be a part. They would not stand for it other wise. Our trip is always a fast and exhausting one as Torrey is always right in the height of the season. We had to get up the next morning early and travelel back home. The usual four and a half hour drive took us about seven hours as the weather was horrible. I was amazed as the only good roads were those we crossed over the Wyoming border in Evanston. Blizzard after blizzard after blizzard. These are just a couple of shots
I later heard that they closed the road not long after that. Thank You
Torrey for getting us home safely. You are amazing!

We only have a couple of days to get ready for Christmas and Surprises are in store.


WE HOPE EVERYONE HAS A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

"I Love This Time of Year"

The snow is finally starting to fall and it is beginning to look alot like Christmas. I love this time of year and the feel of my home when the tree gets put up and all of the decorations. There is definately a different spirit among us all at this time of year. Sunday, we had a very awesome Testimony meeting. Many people bore there testimonies and I know that all were touched by the spirit and everyone's testimonies became stronger. What an awesome day we had. We have started our December out with an awesome TaVasi Concert that Hannah was involved in. She did such a great job. I will try to post a video but just know that this will be my first time so we will see. I am unable to post a stinking video or slide show. Jeanna can you help me out with this. I am feeling uncapable right now. Thanks Jeanna, for the awesome craft bazaars. I had so much fun creating and selling our crafts together. Now what craziness can we get involved in? I guess for the next couple of weeks, lets enjoy the quiteness. I really did enjoy myself. Thanks again for being that awesome friend you are!
Saturday after the craft bazaar, we had our ward Christmas Party. What a fun time we had. I was on the committee but was still able to enjoy the night. I was in charge of making the advent calendar, possibly a picture will be posted later. We had a very good dinner, Family Pictures, ornament decorating, making a service advent calendar, singing Christmas Carols, the nativity story, and then Santa and Mrs. Claus came to visit with the kids. What a fun night to be together with our ward. Unfortunately Riley and Layton could not join us because Layton was playing basketball in Lander and Riverton and Riley was playing ball in Sheridan and Gillette. There were to many activities planned for this weekend but I hope my boys know really where my heart was. After the ward Christmas party, it was still pretty early so I thought I would support my husband as it was his work party also that night which he did come to the ward Christmas party for a bit and then off to his own. I know that he was grateful that I came but we did not stay long. Definately not the same feeling as our ward Christmas party. I was very exausted as the night came to a close thankfully. We have a pretty busy week ahead of us but then it will hopefully slow down as we enjoy our Family and this Christmas season. I am so grateful for the birth of our Savior and for our Heavenly Fathers plan for each of us. I will strive to keep these feelings in my heart all year long and try harder to be the kind of person that He knows that I can be.