Balmforth Christmas Party

It has been a family tradition as long as I can remember to have our annual Balmforth family Christmas party on Christmas Eve. As we all have gotten older, and our families have grown, we have moved the date to at least SOMETIME in December. It is truly one of my favorite events. I have been blessed with such wonderful relatives. They have been such strong examples, supporters, and friends in my life. The great thing is...that we ALL know what we mean to each other. We ALL know how important maintaining our connection is. And we ALL know that we WILL do it. Santa visited our party and even brought the kids presents! We had a WONDERFUL traditional dinner and even got to decorate gingerbread cookies. As we went around the room and each were able to share what we were thankful for, many memories of times past were also shared. A DVD was shared of our old Christmas parties. It was so fun to see how much each of us has grown and changed. I LOVE my family!

Here Comes SANTA ClauSe!

Santa made his yearly visit to Shelley this past Monday. Jake was busy watching a football game, so Lys, LUke, and I headed over to give him our lists. It was a lovely evening...a little cold, but we didn't have to wait in line hardly at all. We even got some hot chocolate! Luke would not let go of Allysa. As she giggled over the GRASP he had on her, she tried to maneuver enough to sit on Santa's lap without slipping or dropping Luke. What a great sister she is. I think she'll get bonus points from Santa for that!

Thanksgiving in Island Park

For Thanksgiving, my entire family spent time up in Island Park at our cabins. I took my kids up Friday for some fun-filled activities! Luckily, there was enough snow to enjoy some tubing! How lucky we are to have such a great family, great cousins, such a great location to visit, and somewhere to crash while we are there. There is nothing like escaping to the TREES! We love it up here!

DisNeYLanD!!!

Allysa and Jake had such a fun opportunity to FINALLY go to Disneyland. Their dad surprised them with a trip. And they even got to go with some of their favorite cousins, Kennedy and Baey! They also had their first plane ride. I am sure it was a quick weekend for them, but they packed in two fun days at Disneyland and even a trip to the beach. I'm so HaPPy that they were able to experience the fun that they did. Allysa took the camera and captured quite a few fun memories. WE are hoping to make it SOUTH again SOON!

~"SCENTsational" Christmas Shopping!~

The Holidays are HERE! We all have those on our "lists" that are DIFFICULT to shop for. Everyone LOVES a cozy, warm, HEAVENLY scented HOME! Shop Scentsy products for your favorite people! Save time, money, and energy and fill your loved ones stockings with this new SCENTsational product! Scentsy has new warmers and scents that are sure to make those who have been "NICE" also very, very HAPPY! Please contact me for more information or feel free to shop online at scentsy.com/mistyjo...

Halloween 2008

My good friend and neighbor "Becca" participated in the Shelley Pumpkin Patch this year. (She is SuperMom by the way...notice her cape. And, she did all this with 3 boys under 3 AND prego.) I knew she was talented...but COME ON! She truly has an artistic talent! I wanted to share some pictures of her displays. She did a tribute to both George Lucas and Sesame Street. I am throwing in a couple other displays that were so cute. Luke thought the lady poking the shot in the pumpkins "bum" was funny!

As we were trunk or treating at the patch...we ran into someone with a "real" looking scary face mask on....Luke went up smiling and shouted "Trick or Treatttttt." Then stared for about 5 seconds before he started backing up and started to cry. He would not take candy from ANYone from that point on. So much for me mooching off his candy! We also hit the Patchin neighborhood. It was a great night!

Allysa Piano Recital

Just for fun I thought I would post a VIDEO! (My this computer stuff is amazing.) Allysa's piano teacher does a dress-up Halloween Recital every year. It has been so fun for the kids to see each other in their outfits. I thought I would post the video of her Halloween song. She is progressing so well and plays the piano beautifully. My fingers are crossed that she will take this talent much further than her mother. Stay tuned for her Christmas recital video! ;-) Or...maybe not as this is taking FOREVER to load. (Sidenote - this was not the one I wanted to add, but the other would not load...if you have any other tips or tricks you have figured out on videos, let me know)

Extra...

So sorry...but must post these pics. How cute is Luke! Nothing like a couple close ups next to the beautiful Fall colors. I'm a proud mom who LOVES taking pictures and sharing...what can I say...

"PuNTin PAtCh!"

Nothing like hitting the Pumpkin Patch for nothing less then a few GREAT pics. I LOVE the Fall and would HaTe missing the chance/opportunity to take some pictures with the pumpkins. We ALL weren't in the Best of moods...but we made it, we took pictures, we purchased a couple puntins, and we LEFT!

AllYsa turns a DecADE!

Yes, it is true. Allysa Jo turned 10 years old on October 16, 2008. It is hard to believe. The time seems to fly faster each year. This year we decided (with a little coaxing from her mom) to spend party money at the mall instead! Allysa had a friend ride the bus home and we headed to the mall, dinner, and a movie. It was actually nice to enjoy her birthday without all of the commotion of "where, when, and who" for a party. I enjoyed the focus being on her...and I think she did too. We had the opportunity to sing in Relief Society today with Aunt Ceese, Sage, and Cienna. The lesson was on "Motherhood" so we sang "Mother Tell Me A Story." Singing is not my favorite thing to do, but it definately provided us with a nice experience and memory with our daughters. Something I heard today has been going over and over in my mind. "The days are long, but the years are short." As a mother, nothing makes better sense. We sacrifice a lot during the day, but before you know it, you baby is turning ten years old. Allysa makes me so proud. I look at her and think we must have done and be doing something right. She is such a mature, sweet, polite, well-mannered girl. She is turning into such a sweet young lady. I look forward to each new day I have with her. She not only is a wonderful friend to me, but she also leads me and guides me in more ways than she probably realizes. I love you LYS!

!~~HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY BOY~~!

My baby turned 3~ THREE ~ 3 years old on the 10th of October. And he was potty trained with not a MOMENT to spare! I think he purposefully waited until his big day to finalize it all for me. Of course it all isn't perfect yet, but close enough that mom is happy! He is such a little ball of fun for us all. There is not a moment that is not full of excitement here at our home with little LuKEy! He is full of smiles, laughter, and GLEE! Yes, I said it....GLEE! He fills us all with GLEE! LUTEY!!! His favorite food is JERKY! NO WAY are we cutting his hair anytime soon. I asked him if I could put ponytails in his hair for Halloween...and he said NO, he was a BOY! Be careful what you say to him as he will quickly turn it around on you. I wonder sometimes where he gets some of the things he says to me...and then soon realize I say it to him all of the time.....WEEELLLLLLL!!! Just BECAUSE! I anxiously await what the next year will bring us with our little ONE that is always full of surprises!

FaLL in ISLAND PARK

One of my favorite places is our cabin in Island Park. It is located right near Henry's Lake. The view in the Fall is AMAZING. There is nothing like stepping out onto the deck and looking across the water at the beautiful colors this time of year brings. My grandparents loved it so much, this very view is etched on their gravestone. I'm so thankful for the opportunity I have to take my family up to Island Park and share the many memories I have been blessed with from my childhood along with create many memories of our own.

FaLL 2008

We took new fall pictures today and I was excited to get them posted. I love fall and every year I anxiously await the turn of the leaves so I can have the perfect backdrop. My grandpa's barnyard makes the BEST background shots for my kids. I have taken pictures of my kids at the barnyard and river since they were born and it is so fun to compare each year how they have grown. My good friend Becca helped us take some shots. I'm anxious to see what other pics she has for us. As for now, this is what I took. I promised Luke a trip to Elmo's (candy store in Woodville) if he smiled big for the camera. Let me tell you....he is my child who absolutely refuses to smile let alone LOOK at the camera. He did AWESOME! Jake is not fond of the camera either...we just have to make him say "Football" and he is all smiles. Allysa....well, as you can see, she was born for the camera!

~~ FlaG FooTBall ~~

Finally! Jake has waited SO long....and he had his first week of FlaG FooTBall! As much fun as tackling the other team would be, they are learning proper technique and the rules of football as they chase after the other team's flag. Jake's anticipation for the sport was followed by pure shock that he was actually playing it. It has been so fun watching him do something that he loves. His dad is helping coach so that has been fun for him too.