What's On Our Happy List?

Our Chinese New Year Celebration
I have a little bit of a thing for acknowledging any holiday...
even if it isn't a traditional American holiday. Crazy I tell ya,
but give me any excuse to celebrate and I will.! LOL
It's a tradition to eat dinner with Jaren's family each Sunday.
As it was my week to fix the meal we couldn't pass up the
opportunity to have a Chinese themed dinner as Chinese New
Year was the next day. Emma is a girl after my own heart, she
loves to set and decorate the table in a themed oriented way.

She and grandma hung decorated oriental eggs from
branches for the centerpiece and made Chinese symbols
for the coasters...

The Chinese New Year dragon hung from the ceiling....

Beef and Broccoli, Orange Chicken, Pot Stickers, Egg Rolls

and Edamame was on the menu..compliments of Costco

(I love that place)

sherbet and of course fortune cookies for dessert..


We did the same thing three years ago and back then the girls

all fit in their oriental costumes. Amazing to see how much

they have grown since then.

Brie then

and now....CRAZY!

Other random things on my Happy List...

Emma's 5th Grade Perspectives Team coming in First Place

out of seventeen teams at the District Bowl. They've been

working on their Bill of Rights/Amendments project since the

end of October. Way to go Emma...Whohoo...mom's doing the

happy dance...

Spirit Week at the Jr. High-

Monday was movie character day...Kyleigh went as

Audrey Hepburn...

Tuesday...Crazy Dress Up Day...

Inauguration

In honor of the Inauguration last week I read

this book about the First Ladies of the White

House. I couldn't put it down, so intriguing!

What's On Our Happy List?

Disney Kickoff Party-
We gathered tonight at Grandma and Grandpa's for a Disney
par-tay to celebrate our upcoming family trip. We ate mickey head
chicken nuggets and the kids made cotton candy from an actual
Disney cotton candy maker that Ryan and Song found on their
travels in Helsinki and had shipped here. Ryan and Song just got
back from Tokyo Disney and brought us back some fun
souvenirs. Little nephew Bubba is in a Tokyo Disney t-shirt
ready for his first Disneyland trip ever. So cute! Bubba is grabbing
at Jaren's van dyke ...which we thought was fitting ONLY because
the rest of the guys in the family are in the process of growing one
for the trip. Not sure why other than to just be funny and for a
memorable picture moment. After nine years of doing this annual
trip together I guess we need in our photographs some way
to distinguish one year from another.

What's On Our Happy List?

Emma's Art Show-

This is one of the pieces that Emmsie had displayed at her

art show this weekend. Her teacher said she probably feels

like she can climb Mount Everest after finally completing

this project. She's been working on it for months! It has

incredible detailing ....which this photograph does not do

justice to. Emma is a talented artist. I've told her

that when she is older she needs to go live in Paris to study

art and then I'll have an excuse to visit there again and again.

I can tell by the roll of the eyes that that aint going to happen.

And I should know. Emma does not like to travel, just the

thought of it makes her tummy feel sick. She's already

announced that she plans to live in Utah her entire life with

her mini-van and ten kids. LOL You go girl!

What's On My Happy List?

DAVID

Has it really been a year since David's journey began

on Idol? GGAAHHH!! Seriously can't believe that! I have

so many mixed emotions thinking back to last year's

season that it may be a little hard watching the new American

Idol that starts up next Tuesday night. I'm a little sad and

nostalgic, but excited as well. Of course I'll watch.....

but the show will never EVER be the same for me after

last year....sniff...sniff

Here's to a year's worth of David memories...

What's On Our Happy List?

Winter Break Fun......

{sledding with neighbors and family}

{cousin sleepover}

{playing Link's Crossbow on the Wii}

{Jaren's excitement over the Utes win in the Sugar Bowl}

{our family potluck pizza night}

{morning walks with Jaren}

{Hannah surviving getting two teeth pulled at the dentist

in prep for braces}

{Kyleigh & Emma rearranging their room and getting a new

walk in closet}

{staying up late and sleeping in}

{movie night with neighbors}

{downloading songs off i-tunes}

{3 hour lunch at Cafe Rio}

{Jaren's time off from work}

{Kyleigh getting the chance to go snowboarding with her Uncle }

The hill was so icy that the kids could slide down without a tube...

fun going down BUT a little tricky getting back up! Had to get a rope.

This pic is for you Grandma C. She can't believe I've

spent so much time on a Wii game...I'll admit, I've

become a little addicted to crossbow training!

We HAVE spent hours in Grandma and Grandpa's living

room on the Wii with the kids....I FINALLY got gold on all

eight Crossbow levels. Whoot! (Update...gone platinum...

double Whoot!)

Pictures from the last two potluck pizza parties with

Jaren's family....Every month we get together and

make 3-4 yummy pizza's. Generally a meat lovers,

vegetarian and one where the kids can put what they

want on their own individual slices.

Hannah is much more of a pizza lover now because she

makes sure her slices don't have the red tomato sauce which

she has never liked!

Can she eat ALL that?

YEP! :)

What's On My Happy List?

Our family New Year's Eve Party-

We gathered at my brothers for a night of good food,

conversation, and entertainment. We played Oodles

and laughed ourselves silly (literally) watching one of

my all-time favorite shows Mama Mia before we rang

(or in our case, we honked like sick cows) in the

New Year.......

Happy New Year!!!!!