Merry Christmas!

Crew really loved Christmas this year. He had so much fun opening his presents and showing everyone what he got.

Garrett and his stash. He only wanted two things this year..legos and video games. Well, Santa didn't disappoint. However, if I had known how much time I would spend deciphering lego directions I might have talked Santa out of them.

Tag got his I-touch and a ping-pong table.

Kade wanted everything New York Yankees, Santa truly does exist he says because he KNOWS his dad would never buy him anything having to do with the enemy team. Below, is Tag and Kade in their rival jerseys.

We spent a relaxing day at home eating and playing. Wish everyday could be like this.

Twas the day before Christmas...

On Christmas Eve, we went down to my moms for our annual Christmas Eve party. All I can say is "Let the eating begin!" All that hard work at the gym.....gone in about 1/2 an hour. It was so nice to get the cousins together to play. They were upstairs most of the time playing games and they were all getting along surprisingly well. I don't think I have seen my brother Chad in almost a year so it was nice to visit with him.

Of course, the kids were beginning to get antsy, so we headed home to get ready for Santa. We filled his tray up with cookies and milk. Then the boys opened their one present that they are allowed to open on Christmas Eve. Silly boys, they always hope and wish that maybe this will be the year that their present will be something other than....you guessed it P.J's. But, they were all good sports and put them on. We read The Night Before Christmas, and then the boys always beg for dad to read The Little Match Girl. Why, you ask do my boys love this story? Could it be their sensitive side showing through? Of course not, they only like to hear the story because they know that every time, without fail, it will bring their mother to tears. Well, off to bed with a threat of not waking us up before 8 or Santa will not come. To make sure this happens, we take big sheets of wrapping paper and block off the top of the stairs and they aren't allowed to break through it until we give the word. One year they will figure out a way around it, but until then it works pretty good.

On being 10....

Being 10 is a big deal at the Baxter house. It means you get to take five of your very best friends to Alvin and the Chipmunks and sit up high on the very top row away from your mother and be obnoxious. You also get to waste countless quarters trying to win worthless toys from "the claw" at the movie theater. You get a very special cake that three people spent hours making for you. And best of all, you get to stay up until after one playing games with your friends, fully planning to make good on your threat that the first one asleep will get whip cream on their face. Much to his moms surprise, when she comes up to send them all to bed.. Kade is the ONLY one asleep! This makes for a very tired mom and six very grouchy boys on Christmas Eve. We love you Kade. You always stick up for the underdog. Your little freckles are so endearing to me. You have a smile that can light up a room. You take after your mom when you hide under the covers and read at night. You never fail to tell me you love me and give me a hug. You have become quite the athlete and I am excited to see you play football next year. You have the height of a basketball player and the drive of a wrestler. You are the BEST popcorn maker ever. I hope you will always feel our love and show that love to others around you. Happy Birthday sweetie.

The Cake...

I happen to have some friends who have discovered the thrill of fondant and cake making. Kade really wanted a Yankee cake for his birthday and my friends were gracious enough to take on the challenge. The baseball started falling out right before I took the picture, but the boys still loved it and thought that it was just dirt that we had put on the cake for effect. They did an excellent job and even the Red Sox fans in the family broke down and helped eat it.

Happy Birthday Tag!

I know I am so far behind in my posts, but December was a crazy month. Tag had his 14th birthday this year. I can't believe that I have a son that old. He is so wise for his years and I am continuously amazed at his talents, his strength, his fearlessness and his kindness. I have enjoyed watching him,turn into a young man this year. He finally surpassed me in height and muscle mass! He loves to learn, be with his friends and play hard. He can switch from baseball to football to wrestling with an ease that only he can achieve. My wish for you son is that the following year will bring you much love, happiness, learning experiences, and faith. I pray that you will always search out opportunities to better yourself and to help others. May you always seek good friends and advice from your parents. And no matter how embarrassed you are by your mother, I hope you will always be able to look in the crowd and see me there and know that I am your biggest fan.

Winter Wonderland

Garrett and Crew sure love the snow. It will take me a good 20 minutes to get Crew bundled up and then he goes outside for 10 and wants to go back in. So, we go through the whole process of taking all the winter clothes off and hanging them up. Making hot chocolate and dry clothes on and he wants to go outside again! Every year Jared has to resurrect "The Beast". We inherited this snow blower from my mom. It was left with the house when they bought it over 10 years ago. We aren't sure exactly how old it is, but it does a great job. It is very touchy however, and I think Jared is the only one who can get it to work. I am always praying that we don't have a big storm when Jared is in Arizona!

Salt Lake Slam

This weekend was the Salt Lake Slam which is a National wrestling competition. There were boys here from as far away as Pennsylvania. This event is usually held in Salt Lake but lucky for us, they held it here in good 'ole Wasatch County at the Pony Palace. After starving themselves all day to make sure they made weight Friday night, we went to Dairy Keen and then home to bed, being extremely grateful that we weren't in a hotel like most of the other wrestlers. On Saturday, Jared left at 7 to go up to Logan for a baptism with GG and Crew. I headed off to the Pony Palace with the boys. Now, I admit, that I am for the most part, a very nervous sports mom. But, with wrestling, I am a complete wreck! Those three 1:30 periods are agonizingly slow. Tag has even admitted that it is worse than pitching or playing QB.

Tag, did really well and ended up placing 2nd. This was his first national competition. The poor kid had to wrestle his best friend for his first match. They promised each other that no matter what happened they would stay friends. Well, Tag ended up pinning him. Ian went on to take third place so we all felt a little better. Tag lost only one match and it was to the same boy that he has lost to all season. Every one of their matches ends up going into overtime. A couple have even gone into double overtime. Tag always loses by just a point or two. He is SO frustrated because it is the only kid he hasn't been able to beat. I think it is all mental at this point and he will eventually get the best of this boy. Until then, the trophies were pretty rockin' and he had a good time.

Kade

I was so proud of Kade. This was also his first National competition. They rank the age divisions a little differently than the state ones and because Kade was born 8 days to early, he was bumped up into the Novice division. This year that put him as the youngest. When we went online to see all the boys in his weight division, every one of them was in 6th grade. Two years older and wiser than my poor little Kader. In his first match, he got pinned so quick I didn't even have time to get my camera ready. He was ready to quit, but after a prayer and a pep talk from his mom he went back out and beat the second kid 11-10. He got pinned again on his third match and that put him in a bracket to wrestle off for 5th and 6th place. I told him that he wouldn't get a medal for 6th place and so he had to wrestle his heart out. When he got out there my heart was aching for him. He was losing 4-2 and I could tell he was getting tired out. Then he pulled some strength out of nowhere and pinned the boy! He was so happy. So, 5th out of 8 boys all older than him...not to bad. Seeing his beaming smile.....priceless.