We had such a GREAT Christmas this year! We got to see all our family except the Bobos, and got to create a bunch of great memories. One exciting thing...Santa brought us a Puppy! She is a 4 month old lab, and the kids went with the name "Lola", which sounds allot like Layla, so it's a little confusing sometimes;)

Craig got to be home with us for 5 days in a row...which is unheard of, so we made the most of every minute we had all together. As for a white Christmas, oh don't worry, we had 2 inches of the white stuff on Christmas Eve morning, and it kept coming for the next 3 days.

Loved it!

Merry Christmas everyone, and get the new year started with a bang.

Love, The Halls



This is the SHORT version of our wonderful spring/summer 2012

Carter had a great soccer season

Layla turned 5! One of the MANY things I love about my girl is that she is always true to who she is. She wouldn't want a princess party like every other little 5 year old girl in the world...no, she wanted an owl birthday party:) I love it! Also, so didn't want cake and ice cream...she asked for watermelon and Popsicles.

At first I was a little worried because I didn't want her to miss out on blowing out the candles, but i came up with  a solution...a watermelon cake!

On Mothers day Craig had to go to an early morning bishopric meeting, so the kids took in upon themselves to make me breakfast in bed. It was the sweetest thing ever... and I nearly wet myself trying not to giggle.

*string cheese, a carrot, pumpkin chocolate chip cookie, and heart shaped toast...perfectly balanced meal!

Dad is running for the Idaho Senate, and he won the primary election. Now we just have to get through the general election in November.

Vote Romney...I mean Romriell...or both...whatever;)

I had another sewing kick, and made this skirt for Layla's preschool graduation...without a pattern:)

I thought I rocked it.

Layla and Mrs. Jen, her preschool teacher whom we adore. Layla loved preschool, and has missed miss Jen very much.

Memorial day visiting Moms grave

We got to spend some time four wheeling with Annabeth (unfortunately...she was taking the picture)

The Simpson's were so kind to let us come hang out with them this summer, and enjoy the cool pool.

This is just about as brave as Benson got when it came to the water;)

Carter leaned how to water ski.

Layla learned last summer, and it bothered him the whole year that she did it and he didn't, so this time he kept his courage and got her done.

He got up on the first try, and the look on his face was PRICELESS!

Our boating gang

We got to spend 4th of July weekend in Island park with my family. The A-Frame cabin in the back ground was built by my Dad, his brothers, and their Dad. The family all goes up every year for the weekend of the 4th, and it was SO MUCH FUN this year!

"The cabin" isn't big enough for the whole family any more, so our family rented another cabin to stay in. It was really nice at night to have a hot tub to soak in, and large area for playing games. good times.

We had a Greg & Leslie family reunion in Boise, and Joanne did a great job making sure we had plenty of fun activities to choose from. Dad had oral sugary a couple of days before this trip, so that's our excuse for his swollen bruised jaw;)

Same trip...I just love these two.

Layla rounded up all the kids and convinced them to play red rover with her:) They were all such good sports and went along with it. I love Carter in this picture...he had just been picked.

A better look at Dads face. I think it's good for Dentists to have to get in the chair every now and again, just to remind them to be nice;)

I had to include my "people of walmart" photo...check out the fellow behind Layla!

We had the yard sale of the summer! you cant even see half of the stuff from this picture, but it was MASSIVE! 5 or 6 families pulled together to pull it off.

Jeff, little B, and Benson at the airshow at Hill Air Force Base (more on this to come)

I learned how to crochet

Craig's sister and her husband are stationed at HAFB in UT, and the Thunder Birds were doing an air show there, so they invited us to come stay with them. It so much fun to spend the weekend with the Halls. Before the big show started it started to rain...really hard! Luckly, the kids and I were in a hanger when it started coming down, so we didn't get as wet as most everyone else. The bad part was that we had to stand smashed together like sardines in a hanger for 3ish hours, but the good part was we got a great show for sticking it out.

This is a picture of Carter trying really hard to be happy, hahaha.

She is just so beautiful!

Craig earned a trip from his work for the two of us to Mexico for 4 days. It was WONDERFUL...and we didn't have to plan or pay for any of it:) Us in the San Francisco Airport.

We got to spend a week in Driggs, Idaho with my Dad and the Tolman family. It was over Easter weekend, so we had a couple fun Easter egg hunts. Dad taught Layla, and reminded Carter, how to ski. They were so cute, and loved every minute of it...even though Grandpa Greg may or may not have been feeling the same enthusiasm;)

We got to stay in an amazing cabin that was 5 times bigger (and fancier) then my home, it was fun.

Easter Sunday

a picture of us waiting in the hanger during the rain storm at the air show.

Benson adopted this cute car from the yard sale we had...it came from a friends home. He spend many hours this summer zipping around on this little guy.

I don't have any pictures for some reason, but we also had a great reunion with the Garth and Karen Hall family. Everyone was here, and spend many late nights playing games and laughing our socks off.

It was the first time we had seen the Bobo family in two years, so it was great to meet Owen, their newest addition at the time. Shortly after they went home Jenny gave birth to Emily. We love the time we get to spend with them, and only wish we had more.

soooo, that was the short version! Thanks for sticking it out with me:)

nuts

Sooooo....I AM alive! I just don't really know where to start since its been a few months, but it's a great few crazy months;) Craig and I went on a date a while back, and we found ourselves shopping at TJ Maxx. I mean, what else would we do on a night with no kiddos? Anyway, we saw this sign, and Craig wanted me to hold it so he could take a picture of it for a friend...I thought he was just taking it of the sign, haha. We got a good laugh from my face. This sign (and my face) basically say it all, but I'll still do my best to recap the past 6 months...another day;)

For now, Have an awesome Saturday night:D

Mom

I just wanted to write about my Mom today...because she's all I can think about.

For starters, my Mom was one of the most beautiful women I've ever known, both inside and out. My Dad knew the first time he saw her that he just saw his future wife, but he "didn't know how he would ever get a girl like that to go for him". She made everyone around her want to be better. I think that's what got Dad through Dental School, that strong desire to be his best.

They were dirt poor those first few years, but they made it through. Mom worked as a Dental Hygienist while Dad went through Dental School. Match made in Heaven wouldn't you say;)

She raised six of us, but 'mothered' literally hundreds.

One sunny summer day, she was bay sitting Carter and Layla for me while I went running, and when I came back I found the above scene. The kids were down to their unders, and had just finished eating ice cream cones. The three of them were swinging on the porch, and laughing together. I'm so glad I snapped a picture.

Aside from her family, one of Moms great loves was sewing....really it might have been more of a love hate thing, but we'll go with love.

She made each of the girl grandchildren a doll when they turned 5 that looked like them, and was their size. She would measure them and everything, and give it to them for their birthday with a cute new outfit on it. I guess it was kind of a twofer (2for1), they got a doll and a new outfit.

She just knew how to make everyone feel special, and important.

We had a girl weekend in Lava one year, and the last night it was just the five of us. I think we were delirious and sleep deprived, but we couldn't stop laughing. Dad gave us all these cute matching black jackets, and wanted to take our picture, but we just kept laughing each time. He would pose us, and be ready to snap, then we would start giggling again. Dad started getting frustrated, and that just made us giggle even more.

When we found out about Moms brain tumor, we all came together. We knew Mom would not want to pass in a hospital, and the Doctors said there was nothing they could do to prolong her life, so we decided we would take care of her at home. It was finally our turn to take care of her. We all did our best to be there, and had some incredible moments we shared with her. When she passed, it was in her own home, with her family around her.

This is a picture of my sisters and I getting her dolled up one last time.

(that's Mr. Bensons baby bump you see there)

Today, it's been two years.

Have you ever lost someone you love? To me sometimes I think life is like a movie, and you have leading characters in your movie. Have you ever lost a leading character?

After the funeral you see everyone around you go back to their normal lives, and you sit there in a shock, and wonder how they can do that. You realize you won't ever go back to your "normal life", because nothing is normal without that person you love. The scenes you had with that "leading character" are past, but the movie isn't over. You have to keep shooting. The theme might change, but that's really up to you. My Mom was not just a "leading lady", she was a star, and she won't ever be replaced, or forgotten. Her Move was a classic! She still holds such a tender, beautiful, inspiring piece of my heart, and I want the rest of my movie to make her proud.

Sun Valley

We were recently given that chance to go to Sun Valley with our friends the Dillers, and spend the weekend. It was so much fun! Ever since my camera went swimming (in the toilet) it just hasn't performed the same (hence the weird line in most of my pictures).

We rode the Gondola up to  round house, and played some cards up there. The view was breathtaking.

the view from round house

the Dillers on the gondola

Me and the famous Sun at Sun Valley Village

Me and the Mr.  He didn't get to stay the whole time, so that's why he isn't in all the pictures;)

Games, games, more games. I LOVED it.

Our kids were able to join us Saturday and Sunday, but we don't have any pictures. It was a really nice little get away, and fun chance to reconnect.

Home made "baby legs"

Have you ever heard of BabyLegs? It's a company that makes ADORABLE leg warmers for babies and little girls. My little Layla can often be seen sporting them:) We also love their pattern footless tights that cover her undies when she is wearing a skirt, and forgets to act like a lady;)

If you want to see more of their stuff you can check them out at BabyLegs.com

If you want to learn how to make your own, stick right here with me;)

I was at the Dollar store the other day and saw this pair of socks. I immediately thought "oh my gosh, those would make the cutest leg warmers EVER!", so I bought them of coarse.

This was the EASYest sewing project EVER!

I broke it down to 5 simple steps...and only 2 of them involve any sewing;)

EASY PEASY LEMON SQUEEZY...let us begin.

Step 1: cut off the feet right above the heel

Step 2: Turn the socks inside out

 Step 3: measure the elastic around your little ones ankle, and cut the elastic 1/2 an inch                                     longer.  Sew the two ends together to make a circle.

                                     

Step 4: fold the cut end of the sock down over the elastic circle, and sew it in place.

 Step 5: Strut your stuff:)