Christmas lights at Willard Bay

Usually we drive up to Preston Idaho to see lots of Christmas lights. They provide maps of the best decorated houses for Christmas in the city and although pretty fun... it's a lot of driving for toddlers. So this year we decided to check out the lights at Willard Bay. It was so much fun and a lot bigger than it looks from the freeway.


We decided that instead of driving through in our vehicle that we would brave the cold and get in the spirit of Christmas with a horse drawn wagon ride!

Santa and some of his reindeer were there and we warmed up afterwords with a hot chocolate and some kettle corn! It was the perfect way to start off the month of December!!

Play dough creations

Evan and Eli worked for hours one afternoon making play dough creations. Below are some pictures of Evan's "masterpiece" Santa in his sleigh, his beard and outfit were perfect, he even had a bag full of toys! Eight tiny reindeer... Rudolph at the front, with a red nose of course. He even had a lite up run way!! The pictures don't give it justice... it really was a work of art!! Eli worked on a candy factory and came up with some pieces and ideas that Willy Wonka would be jealous of!!

(Look how good I'm doing... refer to my Thanksgiving post and you'll be proud of me!! Short little posts are working out for me!!)

Kissin' Cousins

My sister Julie has a baby girl named Ruby. I have been in love with this girl before I even met her... that's just how aunts are! When Julie was pregnant she had a bit of a scare during her 20 week ultra sound... I'll skip all the medical terms but basically they thought there was a good chance that her baby would have down syndrome. Julie called me trying to be brave as she explained how happy they were that it was a girl and that no matter what further testing showed it would all be the way it was meant to be. At that moment my heart just burst with love for my unborn baby niece... we all prayed and hoped, but knew that things would be what they were supposed to be. I know that the extra concern we felt for her created a special bond with this little girl who was born PERFECT in every way! I was 5 months pregnant with Gabe when I first met Ruby... she was tiny and beautiful and had perfect features... she made me so excited for when my baby would arrive! She and Julie stayed in Utah at my mom's house for almost two months and we all really bonded with sweet Ruby!! anyway so you get the general idea... I absolutely adore this little girl. We always look forward to her visits, my boys love to treat her like a little queen and she thinks the world of them too! She and Gabe have become not only kissing cousins but the best of friends and it is so fun to have them so close in age.

I've never met a girl quite like Ruby Jane... she has this quirky little personality, perfect vocabulary with a high pitched voice, and she is full to the top with love! She is sensitive and motherly and full of spunk too!! She is quite the entertainer and just a funny silly girl! anyway, she loves to give hugs and kisses to Gabe and to hold his hand. At the beginning of this visit from Ruby Gabe was just not quite sure what else to do but to let her maul him, but as time went by, he learned that when he saw her running towards him with her arms outstretched saying "I hug Gabe" "come ere Gabriel" that meant to run away... he's quick but she is pretty persistent and usually won out and planted several kisses on him anyway! She loves to wear lip gloss and learned how to untwist the caps when she was like nine months old... so most days Gabe had "lip shine" or pink kiss marks all over his head... despite all this, every morning while she was in town Gabe asked about her and couldn't wait to go to grandma's house to be with Ruby. They've become the best of friends and since she's gone home he still asks about her almost everyday. There is not much better than having cousins!!

We love you Ruby and miss you SO much!!
xoxo

Thanksgiving

The night before Thanksgiving My mom taught my boys and Ruby how to make Thanksgiving pies... I thought it would result in one big pie disaster but nothing that involves grandma is ever a disaster... lots of finger lickin', un-even crust pinching, and a half a cup of sugar dumped on top didn't phase her!! she's too patient! The pies miraculously turned out as delicious as usual and it made for some great memories with grandma too!...

We had a such a great Thanksgiving this year!! My mom hosted EVERYONE (38 people!!) at her house and it was beautiful and cozy... they all thought about reserving a church and having it there, and I know some people have no option and that families get really big... but I am so glad that it worked out this year to have it HOME and that my mom was so welcoming!! I remember growing up that Thanksgiving day always smelled good, My grandpa cooked the turkey outside on the grill... best turkey I've ever had... we look forward to it and thanksgiving without it leaves my mouth watering for it!!... it's a secret recipe and oh, so tasty!! Everyone always used their best china, there was tons of food, and I loved seeing my grandma's collection of Turkey shaped salt n' pepper shakers, pilgrims, candle holders and her fancy bowls. We went around the table and everyone took a turn naming something they were thankful for. We looked forward to performing in the family talent show after dinner and most importantly I remember that it was crowded... full of family...in a warm and cozy sort of way and there was always room for lots more at grandma's house!! I love the feelings of Thanksgiving!!

Tables all set up and fancy... just waiting of a few last minute menu items...

My mom's blue china is beautiful! it is always such a treat to eat on it! The food somehow tastes better with pretty bowls and fancy goblets... I think it feels more special that way. Last year we had Thanksgiving dinner on paper plates... and it just wasn't the same:)

One of the best things about Thanksgiving this year is that Julie and her family were here from New York... It's been a long time since we've spent Thanksgiving together and it was a first time for her busy husband to have Thanksgiving with our family!

Julie and I had lots of fun helping my mom get ready for the big day and tried to come up with some fun ways to celebrate our blessings! We cut out fall colored leaves and as people arrived we had them take a few and write down some of the things they are thankful for and then we used them as decoration. We also put questions about specific thankful things under chairs and if your chair had one on it, you had to stand and answer the question. It turned out to be a really fun way to turn the conversation to being all about blessings and Thankfulness!!

shown below is just a small portion of the spread of food... Delicious!!

Here is what the men do best on Thanksgiving day... hee hee!!!

Just kidding!! I must give them the credit they deserve... grandpa came through with his famous turkey- Hooray!! and the others set up all those chairs and tables, kept the kids entertained, and helped with cooking! Here they are just resting up for a minute, preserving their strength for the 4 AM shopping errands in the morning!!!

Some of my favorite Ladies in the whole world are shown below and believe me, just getting them to all stand still and not fret about the camera angle was a chore!! These are my aunts, my mom in the middle and my grandma! They are the ladies responsible for the tight bond that we have as an extended family. I have so many fond memories and have learned so much by watching and interacting with each of them for practically my entire life... not many people are lucky enough to grow up surrounded by family, the ones who love you best! and I feel so blessed to have the relationship that I have with them!!

from left to right My mom's sister Jolene, My grandma, My mom, My mom's brother's wife Gae, and my mom's sister Tammy. Not shown are my "young aunts" Rachel and Rose they married my mom's youngest brothers and are pretty much my age!! :) both of their families celebrated Thanksgiving away this year. After dinner the kids played outside, it was such a nice day! We decided to try the talent show, it had been quite a few years since doing that and the kids loved it! We ate pie and ice cream and checked out the black friday adds while trying to let all the food settle... it was so relaxing and just a perfect thankgiving day!!

Whew!!! Okay so I am so far behind on posts, I haven't written about Eli's birthday, all the events leading up to Christmas and I am anxious to get to Christmas day...it was so fun!! So I decided that I am not going to write much- just a little blurb and let the pictures do the talking... but as you can see I have a serious problem and I just can't seem to do it!!... Ahhhhh! I swear in real life I do not talk this much (do I ?) I say it all the time, but seriously I am going to do a fast catch up so stay tuned!!

Oh, and one last picture of one of my biggest blessings in life... my husband!! I know it's chessy... but it's true!!

And the Big News Is....

Glen met me at my doctors office this morning for my appointment... the much anticipated ultra sound!! We were so happy to learn that everything looked great as far as development and health concerning our baby. The Ultrasound tech was so nice and very informative about each little part. We told her that we had three boys already and it took me off guard when she said "well, it looks like it's 4 for 4." For a second I had no idea what she was referring to and then suddenly it all clicked about the time she said "those are definitely boy parts!"

So there you have it....
It's a BOY!
I have been gearing myself up for this news my entire pregnancy... not that It's hard news by any means! It just feels a little mediocre like "oh, OK another boy"... not that jumping off the walls kind of excitement that is so anticipated... I am very excited though!! Yes, I believe that every mom should have a daughter... as you know I am very close to my mom and to my sisters... girls are just that way, more than boys are! So there is a part of me that longs for that girl thing...but in the same instant that I say that I also have such a strong conviction that this fourth boy is the little person that is supposed to come to our family... a gift from heaven... and I am already head over heels in love with our baby boy!

When Evan and Eli walked in the door after school I greeted them by covering them in blue confetti as I yelled "surprise!" Eli nonchanlanlty said "I knew it was going to be a brother" and Evan threw his arms around me and said"I was hoping for a sister but another brother will be perfect!" Then they both came in chattering about how "boys rule" and chanting
"four brothers, oh, ya" four brothers oh ya" They were excited about the blue streamers and blue ballons everywhere and quickly unwrapped the blue candy canes that I set out by the little note shown above!!


Here's Gabriel enjoying the news of a baby brother....
I had the boys help me put these little bundles of blue candy canes together and then deliver them with a note sharing the news that we're getting a new baby boy!
I decided that since there are going to be so many boys around here that we better celebrate the evening by having a "man meal" I invited my parents and my brother and his family over and we all sat around cracking peanuts, drinking root beer and watching football!! For dinner we had hot dogs smothered in ketchup, mustard and relish, tater-tots, fruit, and veggies (those last two are not so manly, but necessary for a healthy diet, right?)
For dessert we had famous Aggie Ice cream... Mmmmm my favorite kind
Aggie Blue mint!!
A new little boy to cuddle and love
To spoil just a little and think the world of
A bundle from heaven to simply adore,
Having him with us- who could ask for more!!

We are so happy to annouce that the newest Huber will be a precious baby boy!!

Summertime, even with Snow?...

Finally... it SNOWed this weekend!! and brrrr is it cold!! But that just means all the more reason to wear slippers and jammies, cuddle by the fireplace, and drink hot chocolate... some of my favorite Christmas traditions! I have lots of Fall catch up but as I was looking back at pictures I realized that I didn't post about one of my favorite things that we did this summer... so here's a bit of... WARM!!

My uncle Mike :) is responsible for a lot of the fun things that my extended family does. He has worked hard his whole life and has been very successful. He and his wife are the most generous people I know and very humble about it!! He often gives things, even trips to people telling them "it was a business trade" or that "he wouldn't use it anyway" or that it was ""a great deal"... but I think I have it all figured out... it does come out of his pocket, business trade or not and is truly just his way of being kind. He uses these little phrases to down play his giving because he doesn't want people to make a big deal about his generosity, but the thing about that is... I don't think that he always gets the credit or the thanks that he really deserves!! So here's a big fat "THANK YOU" to my rich uncle Mike for providing lots of fun times together, vacations, and memories for all of us!!

So... this big lead in is because... My uncle Mike made this "business trade" and he invited all of us crazy Murray extended family to stay for a week at this incredible place in Bear lake. It used to be a B&B but people now rent it for family reunions, work parties, etc... Anyway we had the whole place to ourselves for a week!!!!!... Imagine staying in a super nice hotel and having the entire place to yourselves!! It was incredible...private pool and hot tub, 38 rooms all with jetted tubs and fireplaces, a giant rec room in the basement with big screen TV and pool table, an enormous kitchen sitting area, a swing set, basketball hoop and grassy play yard outback

.... It was so fun!!

the main floor... entry, kitchen, dining, sitting room, bedrooms, patio to the pool etc...

the Rec room

one of the rooms downstairs had all these bunk beds and also some single ones for kids... there were cute hooks on the wall for hanging towels, a big bathroom just off of the room...all the cousins had a big sleep over party every night in here!!

The first day that we got there was my mom's Birthday so we had a little party!!

isn't she pretty?!? ...isn't even close to looking her age and she's fun to be with too!!

8 grandsons and 2 granddaughters

It was so nice to have a pool, hot tub and picnic area just out the back door. Most days the kids jumped in just after breakfast and we pretty much played at the pool all day. We'd put the babies down for naps in the afternoon, listening for them with monitors while we enjoyed the sun too!! We planned on going to the Lake everyday, but the whole place and especially the POOL were too nice to leave behind!!

Mathew and Evan

Julie, me, mom and Sara
Gabe taking a dip in the warm hot tub

My dad loves his crazy grandsons!

Sara holding Miles and Julie holding Ruby (two red headed babies, so cute!)

Cousins are the best!!

One day, after lunch some of the adults took the big kids to Minnetonka cave. We hadn't planned on it but had planned on HOT weather! So we packed accordingly... the temperature in the cave was... not so hot... wearing flip flops and shorts with a light jacket was the only option for my boys, although very cold they had a great time while Julie and I lounged by the pool as the babies slept.

killing some time while waiting for the next tour...

Brrrrr....

We planned several games and activities for the kids.... water bottle decorating, water balloon fights and kick ball on the big field....just to name a few

This luggage cart was our mode of transportation for carting all the little babies around ( and some big kids occasionally too)

You can't go to Bear Lake without stopping for a bite to eat (and more importantly, a raspberry shake) at famous La Beau's!!

Every night we started the fun with a little reward ceremony that included certificates and treats given for the best belly flop, the biggest night owl, the worst sunburn etc.... the kids loved it and it was a lot of fun to notice the little things

that everyone was doing!

Sarah, Claire and Tristin hanging out in pajamas

Jonah, Nathan and Evan playing card games

It was such a treat to have my grandma and grandpa join in on the fun! They stayed up late with us at night and enjoyed the pool and hot tub

as much as the rest of us, maybe more?! They are the greatest!
Here's my grandma in her nighty (sorry gram!) with Julie and Wyatt

we took an evening stroll down at the Lake, the sunset was beautiful

and before heading home we spent the day enjoying beautiful Bear Lake ! We had so much fun digging in the sand, picnicking on the beach and playing in the cool water!!

These are the only pictures that worked while we were at the lake... they are pretty white... I realized later that there was a water spot on my camera lens that was making everyone glow!!

oops!!...Here's handsome Eli...

Gabe loved the sand, playing in it and eating it too!! He especially loved the Lake and when the waves would give him a little push! Here is my cute beach baby...

We love going to Bear Lake but usually it is only for a day trip... and we always dread when it's time to pack up and head home! This year was so much fun... to stay for a week... filled with relaxation, fun, activities, and time spent together!! A Thank you to uncle Mike never feels like enough... but I hope someday we'll all be able to repay him somehow for his generosity....For now he'll have to settle for being... Everyone's FAVORITE!!