Mele Kalikimaka

Well, it's finally here! We are cleaning the house, packing our bags and pulling out the sun screen for our trip to HAWAII!! We had our Christmas Eve Saturday night, and the kids have been in hog heaven playing with all their toys the past few days! Its been wonderful having them occupied with all the fun presents Santa brought them!






Hope you all have a very Mele Kalikimaka!! Next post will be from Hawaii!!

Mt. Charleston

The fog and cloud cover was breathtaking on our drive up Mt. Charleston. All the snow fall inspired us to drive up and do some real sledding!

Maddox was being so funny in the car...he did not enjoy the cold snow like Bryanna did. After about 2 minutes outside, he had it! So back in the car he went and he was perfectly fine with that!

We were at an elevation of 8500 ft...we were ABOVE the clouds...it was neat to see! I felt like we were flying in an airplane with the view we had!

These are pictures of us descending "into the clouds"...it was so beautiful!



Mark was such a good daddy and decked himself out in snow gear to take his little girl down the hill! I refused, like Maddox, I'd rather sit in the car and stay warm, take pictures, and sip my hot chocolate!

They had quite the fun...watch the video to see how funny it was!

Sledding!!!!!!

On Mark's way home from work today, he stopped and bought a sled...it made for some REAL fun!

Our home has been magically transformed! The snow is so foreign to Las Vegas that I think we will lose some of our landscaping. I'd trade some bushes for a great snow storm any day!

Sliding down the drive way...typically done either on a bike or a skateboard...a sled is doing the job just fine!




This girl is LOVING all the white stuff!! She's in Heaven...I think we all are!



I had achievement days today...while I was out with the girls caroling and delivering treats to families in our ward...Mark and Bryanna were busy making a snowman!! Frosty turned out pretty amazing!! I've NEVER been Christmas caroling in the snow...it was magical and a day to always remember!!

We hope Frosty is still outside waiting to play with us in the morning!

Our house at night...covered in snow!!!!!


This has been a gift from Heavenly Father...For the Beauty of the Earth...We are still walking on cloud 9!!

Winter Wonderland

I have this sign hanging up out on my porch...and you'd think living in Las Vegas, getting snow once every 5 years is really cool! Well, twice in one week is a miracle! This is such a cool storm that has passed through! I'm just glad I don't have to scrape the snow off my car every day, I like the snow...I LOVE to ski in the snow, but living in it is another thing! Thank goodness it's just "passing through"!

I forget how beautiful the snow can really be. One of God's miraculous and breathtaking elements!



Our dog, Putter, was even LOVING the snow...he was biting it in the air, eating it off the ground...running around our backyard slushing through this white stuff!

I had to snap a picture of our house...I'd never thought I'd see it covered in snow one day!

Christmas came early!

Last week, Mark went out and bought Rack Band!!! The new version of Rock Band is coming out and so all the original versions have gone on SALE! We have been playing almost every night...and having so much fun!

Our little Drummer girl...her favorite...and she's pretty good at it too! She can follow the colors and hit them on beat occasionally!

Daddy likes the guitar because its "easier" than the drums!


Maddox walks around the house with both the drum sticks in his hands...and hasn't used them as weapons yet (luckily!). When ever we start playing he will find what ever he can to hit the drums too!!

We will be in Hawaii for Christmas and New Years, so we are giving gifts whenever we happen to get them...Thanks for a fun family toy babe!

While Maddox was napping...

Bryanna played in the snow....yes....SNOW!!!!!!!!!!

Taking turns playing outside and warming by the fireplace in the living room...

Scooping up the snow and eating it...

And warming up by the other fire place in the family room!!

She wished it could snow everyday!!!

Embarrassing, but funny!

Today I ran a few errands while Bryanna was in Preschool. Maddox was my shopping buddy, and he made quite a fun one at that! I ran into Home Depot to grab some more bug spray (the concentrated kind that you mix with water, we have found that to be very effective!) Anyway, it was time to refill on that, but I was also rushed for time...I had about 20 minutes before I had to pick up Bryanna. As we walked into the store, Maddox did NOT want to sit in the cart, but I stuck him in there anyway and let him play with my purse. We walked over to the insect spray section and I began searching for the product. About 45 seconds and I found it. THEN, I looked down at Maddox. He happened to find one of my tampons, its pink and white...how could you not recognize what it was a mile away...and he was pulling on the plastic with his two little hands trying to open it!! EMBARRASSING!!! I snatched that thing out of his hands faster than he knew what happened!! I looked around and it didn't seem like too many people were watching...oh well...it makes for a good laugh, right?

We were watching Chronicles of Narnia, Prince Caspian, and Bryanna asked what they were doing in a particular scene. I told her "They are making weapons." She enthusiastically said, "They're making WEBKINZ????" LOL...for those of you who don't know what that is...they are little stuffed animals that you can adopt and give them a name on the internet. When you buy them it comes with a code and you input that cod on the website. I thought she was pretty funny!

GOING LIVE!!!!!!!!!

Family and Friends,

It's finally here and thank you so much for your support in our new business venture. I want to give you a brief explanation of what we are doing. TheCollegeSuperstore.com will be the newest online book retailer to hit the internet. We will carry almost every college book out there at prices competing with Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble. While we are just in the beginning stages, we hope that we can earn your business. As of tomorrow, December 10, 2008 at 12 Noon Pacific Standard Time, we will be going live. Throughout the next 4 weeks before the next semester starts, we will be adding new textbooks on a daily basis. By January 9, 2009, we will have over 100,000 titles on our site. For the first semester of 09, we will carry only NEW textbooks. But after that, look for a new re-vamped site with New and Used textbooks, and most importantly, even better prices.

We need your help to spread the word. We hope that you will forward this information to everyone you know who is either in school, has kids in school, has grandkids in school, or friends in school. You are our lifeline, and we thank you for your help.

To be added to our list of email newsletters and to get special discounts delivered to your email, please send an email to subscribe@thecollegesuperstore.com. Afterall, the extra money you have in college shouldn't be spent on Textbooks!!!!

Monkey See, Monkey Do

I made this gingerbread house at a party on Saturday...Thanks Christene, it was TONS of fun! Making all the houses from scratch and hosting the party is a big job, it was fabulous! I got to catch up with friends I hadn't seen in...too long! I love this group of ladies, and I forgot exactly how much fun we really do have! Although I'm not the most creative person out there, I think my gingerbread house turned out pretty good!

When I got home, Bryanna couldn't stay away from it...it was all just TOO MUCH eye candy for her!

Front view

Back view

Bryanna really wants to make one of her own now...I think I need to get on the ball and get some gingerbread creativity going with her!

Monkey See, Monkey Do...She had to take a turn with the camera...although it doesn't show the whole house, I thought this one was pretty darn cool for her to capture! She is quite the little mimic these days. I forget how much She watches me and wants to do everything I do!

Now I can promise you that she has never seen me put pink chapstick and rub it all in my hair...


Or stick crayons up my nose...

Maybe it was Mark? :)