CHRISTMAS DAY

Santa Claus finally came to the Cannon household. The kids woke up around six o'clock but we made them TRY to go back to sleep until eight. We all we are little tired (okay just Lance and I) from the night before and because all of the kids slept in our bed, too much tossing, turning and kicking for me. When eight o'clock rolled around the kids came running out into the living room and there were no presents under the tree. Every year when Santa comes he hides the presents all around the house and leaves clues for the kids to follow. This has been a tradition in my family ever since I can remember.

Alyssa got an American Girl doll named "Nellie" with a ton of clothes for her, shoes, accessories, and a special hair brush. She also received dishes, pots/pans, and other cooking stuff. She also got a DS game so she could play with "her boys."

Grandma and Grandpa Cannon gave the kids two huge boxes of crafts/activities. This will keep them busy for months! This is all they have been playing with for the past couple of days.

Mason and Taylor received snowboards for Christmas, boots, and helmets. They also received DVDs and DS games. Taylor got a digital camera and Mason got a blue rip stick. I think they were a little spoiled this Christmas. Lance got a spotting scope for hunting and a tripod for his camera, that he got from his dad for Christmas, and a Seinfeld game. I got my favorite movie The Notebook, a trip to California, and an external hard drive for my laptop.

We took the boys snowboarding the day after Christmas up at Kelly's Canyon. They did such a good job, their dad is fantastic teacher. They practiced on the bunny hill and Taylor kept trying to beat Mason down the hill, take off his snowboard as fast as he could and then run back up the hill, so competitive :) Alyssa was so sad that she didn't get to go snowboarding so when Lance wasn't using his snowboard she strapped herself into it and started going down the hill, I had to run to catch her. She has no fear!! I will have to rent her a snowboard next time and see how she does. I am excited that this will be a family activity that we can all have fun doing together.

MURDOCK CHRISTMAS PARTY

My whole family got together this year for our annual Christmas Party. Santa Claus always comes to visit and gave them all presents. I don't think Mason and Taylor should have received one though. Mason told Santa that his name was "Taylor" and Taylor said his name was "Mason", only my kids would try to tease Santa! He knew though and told them it was bad to lie!!

The kids pick names every year and open the cousin presents! Mason and Taylor got Legos and Alyssa got a purse full of lipstick!

In some of these pictures you will see that many of the kids have permanent marker mustaches thanks to Aunt Ressha! We thought she deserved some payback so Ed and Cameron held her down and gave her one of her own! I caught her when she was just washing it off!

We play a white elephant game every year and this year took the cake!! We laughed so hard it hurt. Shanda got the "burger sucker" which she gags at every time she even sees one. Steve got the Barbie that really needed a shave. Lance got a toilet Halloween costume that looked like it had really been used from Damon! Dad got the infamous naked picture of Lance which has been showing up every year for the past five years or so, but this year it was enlarged to poster size and the rule is that whoever got the picture of Lance had to hang it in their house until next year's game! HA! Dad I am sure you will find some place to hang it! The one that we all laughed hysterically on was the "elephant" present (it's an elephant game right??). Kendra got this and her boyfriend Nate's face was so red! I am sure that this will be a present that will be showing up again next year. (Thanks for the idea of the elephant - You know who you are - I don't want to embarrass you!)

CALIFORNIA

For our 12th Anniversary I met Lance in Irvine, California, where he was already over there for an UPS training meeting. We had so much fun! We went to Hollywood, shopping at the outlets, and played at the beach. It was just nice to get away from everything and just spend some time together!

This was the car that we drove around! It was a little chilly and people probably thought we were crazy but hey it was better than Idaho weather.

Elvis is Alive! Okay, so this Elvis scared me just a bit.

The seagulls got into our snacks on the beach so Lance decided to feed them, all 100 of them! They were coming from all directions and I was really considering running for my life! Lance was so calm with them swarming around him, it must be from all the hunting of birds that he does :)

Lance decided that he wanted to learn how to surf. He rented a board and a wetsuit, which he wore inside out! HA I was laughing so hard and taking pictures of him from the beach where I hung out, relaxed and read a book!

He tried so hard to stand up but the waves weren't too big (I have no idea if that has anything to do with the standing up part??) He was like a little kid playing in the water, it was cute.

WARD CHRISTMAS PARTY

We had our ward Christmas party on Friday night. The kids helped out in the program by singing Christmas songs and playing the bells. They also had a special visitor come and see them. Alyssa loved Santa Claus and let him know her Christmas list, but the boys just wanted to get the treats that he brought them. We have such a fun ward with many wonderful friends here! Merry Christmas everyone!

FAIRVIEW CHRISTMAS PROGRAM

Mason and Taylor had their Christmas program at Fairview Elementary and they did such a good job! Mason sung his heart out and Taylor did too, when he wasn't trying to hide from his mom :) What cute boys!

HIDE THE MULLET!

Lance is a little obsessed with his mullet wig and puts it on everyone he can! Am, I know you really want a girl so here is what your little girl could potentially look like!

Ed and Am went away for the weekend to a Christmas party so the boys came to play. We had a lot of fun! Saturday was out busiest day, we got up and all went to a baptism, then went to the boy's basketball game, and then went shooting clay pigeons and Lance's 22. The boys shot better than I did and hit the target (Okay, I actually hit 3 clay pigeons). We had a fun weekend and Traysen kept us laughing all weekend with the things that would come out of his mouth!!
Talen and Alyssa were my buddies all weekend long. Wherever I went they went too! In sacrament meeting they both wanted to sit on my lap and didn't like it if the other one was already there. We played barbies and put on a lot of chapstick!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

I have no idea why Taylor doesn't have his shirt on, but I guess the Santa hat has to help somewhat!

For Family Home Evening we decided to put on some Christmas music and decorate the Christmas tree. Every year the kids get to pick a new ornament for the tree. Alyssa picked a sparkly blue glass one, Mason picked a penguin and Taylor picked a nutcracker. We used to do a pretty tree with ribbons and it all matched, but over the years we decided that the kids enjoy it a lot more when they can bring home what they made at school and hang it on the tree. They also like to rearrange the ornaments every day too (nothing stays the same).