Christmas Day!

Christmas Day was tons of fun with a lot of snow. It snowed the entire day. The four of us went sledding in the backyard for 3 hours. Mommy and Daddy had fun being kids again. We had one very white Christmas.

The kids were so excited to wake up to a letter from Santa and lots of presents. They thought it was cool that he left them a letter, ate the cookies, and drank the milk. They both got a Nintendo DS, Adidas outfits, and lots of other fun stuff. We had such an enjoyable Christmas Day.

Chistmas Eve!

Christmas Eve was spent with all the Fairbanks family. We spent the day eating and playing in the snow. The kids had so much fun sledding with their cousins in Grandma and Pa's backyard. Uncle Jake took all the kids for sled rides behind the 4-wheeler.

We ended the day with opening presents from Grandma and Pa. All the grandkids got matching pajamas. The night ended so fast that we forgot to take pictures of all the kids in their pjs. Jackson was so excited that he got Mario Kart for the Wii. Ashlynn got fun little girly dolls and a Wii remote. They now have their own remote for the Wii...no more fighting. Jackson is having so much fun with the puppies. He loves holding them and taking care of them. He will be such a helper when we have another child.

Ashlynn's Dance Recital

Ashlynn dances with a group of five little girls. They will all go to school together next year. Ashlynn has so much fun dancing with them. They performed to a remix of a song from Alvin and the Chipmunks. Ashlynn was Simon. She had so much fun having culry hair and tons of make-up. Mommy loved putting mascara on her eyelashes...they are to die for.

First Day of Winter Vacation

Today was the first day of winter vacation and the kids were already bored until...Pa decided to plow the driveway and our neighbor came over with a sled so Pa could pull the kids behind the 4-wheeler. They were getting impatient waiting so I pulled them around on the sled. They were sliding all over and having fun. A couple times they almost fell off. Jackson said "you are the best mom"...if you only heard the sweet voice he used to say it. Then they were off with Pa on the 4-wheeler...down the street they went. I could not see them, but I could sure hear them laughing and screaming. They were having such a blast that I decided to jump on the 4-wheeler so I could see their expressions...they were hilarious. It was a fun afternoon. The snow saved the day!!!

Chistmas Card

Merry Christmas! We want to wish all our family and friends a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

(Thank you Serena for the cute card you created for us.)

Family Pictures

Our friend Serena from Saint George was in town one weekend in November and took family pictures for us. She does such a great job. It got dark sooner than we expected, but what pictures she took were perfect. It was a very cold day, but the kids managed to smile along with daddy who was missing the BYU vs. Utah football game...ya I know it is the game of the year.

"Not another picture...we are freezing!"

Playing in the Snow

The kids had fun playing in the snow. We have not had snow since October, if I remember right. Ashlynn did not last long, but Jackson on the other hand could play out in it for hours especially if he is with his cousins or friends.

Early Christmas in Cali

We had an early Christmas in California at Grandma and Grandpa Dye's. This was our last night in Cali and the kids looked forward to this day all week. Jackson new that his Grandma would not turn him down seeing that she had a Wii that they played with back in October. The kid was so excited when he opened it (see picture with his arms in the air). Ashlynn loved the Hanna Montana stuff that see got. We had it out on the Hanna Montana guitar trying to see who the best player was...I think Mommy and Jackson tied (gotta LOL at the pictures). Thank you Mom and Dad for the fun time, wonderful dinners, great presents, and most of all your love.

Playing Basketball in Cali

Jackson has to play basketball on a daily basis so wherever we go the basketball goes. The kid just cannot get enough.

Disneyland

Mommy took Jackson and Ashlynn to Disneyland two days while Daddy was working. We had a lot of fun, but wished our Daddy could have gone with us. Ashlynn loved meeting the princesses and was such a trooper because Jackson had to ride most of the rides with Mommy. She went on Matterhorn two times in a row by herself...what 4 year old girl does that? She got to ride with another little girl on one ride and a worker on another. The kids enjoyed seeing Santa's reindeer and the "Real Santa Claus" as Jackson would say...Mommy did not know there was a fake one, but the line was too long to see him. The kids really enjoyed waiting only 10 minutes for all the rides and seeing it decorated for Christmas.

Bill Barber Park in Irvine California

We thought that we had a pretty awesome park in Saint George where we use to live. This park that we went to in Irvine, California where we stayed for the week was above and beyond awesome. The kids had so much fun and we just enjoyed the beauty and cleanliness of the park. You name it that park had it.

Decorating the Christmas Tree

A Night Without Mom and Dad...Better Yet a Night Without Kids! The first weekend in California we stayed with Grandma and Grandpa Dye before we checked into our hotel in Irvine for the week. Jackson and Ashlynn got to stay one night by themselves with them while Mommy and Daddy got to stay one night at the hotel without kids. They had fun decorating Grandma and Grandpa's tree while Mommy and Daddy enjoyed a quiet evening without kids. It was nice to actually carry on a conversation without interruptions and going hours without hearing "dad, dad, dad, mom, mom, mom". Thank you Mom and Dad for keeping them for us.

Santa Claus

Jackson and Ashlynn finally got to tell Santa what they wanted for Christmas and of course they both asked for a Nintendo DS which we are not too thrilled about because they are getting a Wii from Grandma and Grandpa Dye. Ashlynn was so excited to see him. This was the first year that they loved talking to him.

Gotta love the eye contact and interaction.

Lunch in Cali

We were eating lunch in La Verne at a little sandwich shop and the kids were being cheese balls for Grandpa.

Car Show in California

We went to a fun car show in California the first weekend we were there. It was right down the street from Grandma and Grandpa Dye's house. We walked down town and had lunch and looked at all the awesome cars. Jackson had fun looking at all the hot rods. One guy let him get in the driver's seat. They got to see Santa Claus and ride in his sleigh. Jackson got to drive the sleigh, which he thought was pretty cool.

Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgiving Day we took a family picture and of course the sun decided to come out, but we had to get back for the turkey. And everyone knows how hard it is to get everyone smiling and looking at the camera at the same time. If we had a photographer taking it we would've been there forever...thank you for cameras with timers.

Hannah Montana Birthday Party

Ashlynn got invited to a Hannah Montana birthday party for a new little friend from church. Harli turned 5. The girls were so cute that I could not resist...of course I had to take pictures. They had so much fun singing and dancing. Ashlynn is excited to be making new friends. There are a lot of girls her age from church and they will all go to kindergarten next year.

Happy Halloween!

We went to a trunk-or-treat at church. They had a fun little haunted house, cotton candy, chili, apple cider, and of course tons of candy. The kids got a kick out of a two hundred pound dog giving out candy. We got sprinkled on at the very end. Afterwards we took the kids trick-or-treating in a neighborhood...we thought that they needed some more candy...haha. The kids had a fun night. We cannot wait til all the candy is gone.

Ashlynn's First Day at a New Pre-school

Ashlynn's first day at her new pre-school happened to be on Halloween...perfect day to start. She was so excited to start school again after a month of no pre-school. She had so much fun at their class Halloween party. They played games and went trick-or-treating.

Carving Pumpkins

Tonight we carved pumpkins. Jackson did not hesitate to put his hands in, but Ashlynn on the other hand was not sure. She finally did, but not for long. They were so excited because they got to pick what they wanted to carve on their pumpkins. Jackson wanted the pirate because he is dressing up as Pirate Jack Sparrow and Ashlynn of course wanted the kitty cat. They cannot wait to go trick-or-treating tomorrow.

Halloween Carnival

The other night we went to a Halloween Carnival. There was a lot of fun activities. Jackson and Ashlynn enjoyed getting their faces painted and fishing in the fish pond. Jackson scored on the ring toss while Ashlynn cheated(with the help of mom). And they thought the bubble fogger was pretty cool.

Happy Birthday Michelle!

We want to wish our Sister, Sister-in-law, and Aunt a very Happy Birthday! We hope you have a great birthday. We love you!

Michelle, I want you to know how much I appreciate all your love and support. You have been such a strength and example to me. Thank you for always helping me with the kids. You are such a good Auntie to them. I will always cherish the time that we were pregnant with the girls and giving birth to them 3 weeks apart. Thank you for being such a wonderful sister-in-law and friend.
I Love You!
Andrea

P.S. This picture was taken way before the dieting days...you gotta love it. LOL
Sorry Honey!

Happy Birthday Mom!

We want to wish our Mom, Mother-in-law, and Grandma a very Happy Birthday today. And want to express our love and appreciation for her. We could not ask for better. We wish that we could be in Cali to celebrate your birthday, but do know that you are in our thoughts on your special day. We love you!

Mom, I want you to know how much I love you. I have been so blessed to have you as my mother. Thank you so much for always being there for me. You are such a great example to me and a constant strength in my life. I could not have gotten through this past year with out you. You are the best. I love you!
Forever your daughter,
Andrea.

Halloween is Coming

The kids are counting down the days til Halloween. Jackson is Jack Sparrow and Ashlynn is a High School Musical Cheerleader. Thank you to our Grandma and Grandpa Dye for the fun costumes that we found while we were in Cali. We also want to thank Serena, our family friend for the quick photos that she took the night before we moved to Midway. You did such a great job. We love you guys!

Family Time in Midway

Yesterday we went to the fishing pond so Ashlynn could go on the playground. She has been having fun posing for the camera lately. Then we were off to Strawberry Reservoir. On our drive up we spotted two moose and stopped to take pictures. As we were pulling into Grandma and Pa's community we spotted three deer right out someone's back door. Today we went for a walk through a beautiful field across the street. The kids had fun looking for deer footprints. We then took a quick drive to see Jackson's new school that he will be starting tomorrow in Midway. On our drive there we spotted six deer. They were so cute because some were babies. We have been enjoying all the wildlife up here in Midway.

UEA Weekend in Midway

We have spent the past two days with our cousins at Grandma and Pa's house in Midway for UEA weekend. The kids were excited to have a four day weekend. We had an early Halloween party. The kids had so much fun eating Navajo tacos, dressing up, playing bingo, painting pumpkins, reading Halloween stories, watching Frankenstein, swimming, playing at the Clubhouse, and watching for deer. Both nights we saw a dozen deer. One night they were in Grandma and Pa's yard and the next night they were in a field across the street from their house. All the kids were so excited about spotting deer that we hung out on the deck for an hour in our pajamas in the freezing cold waiting for them to come back. It was a great two days with the whole family.

Fairbanks' Family Trip to Newport Beach

We spent the week with all the Fairbanks at the Newport Marriott Villas. The kids had so much fun swimming and hanging out with their cousins. The weather was beautiful. All the Fairbanks grand kids were born to swim. Next trip we will bag Disneyland and let them swim everyday...they are much happier swimming and there is less complaining. LOL!

We went to Newport Beach two of the days. One day was nice, but the other day was windy and cold...did not keep the kids out of the water. Ashlynn and Jackson love playing at the beach. Ashlynn thought she was Sandman from Spiderman. She had fun riding a couple waves on the boogie board, but Jackson did not dare try it our.

We went to Fashion Island two nights for dinner. One night the adults went to the Cheesecake Factory to celebrate Larry and Sharon's 40th anniversary. Our last night Grandma and Grandpa Dye came down and met us for dinner at California Pizza Kitchen. Thank you to our Grandma and Pa for the fun week in Newport...we love you both! And thanks to our Daddy for staying home to work...we missed you!

Fairbanks' Family Trip to Disneyland & California Adventure

We spent one entire day at Disneyland. It was all decorated for Halloween which got the kids excited for Halloween. The kids had so much fun going on rides with their cousins. Jackson and Ashlynn went on all the rides except Indiana Jones. We tried to bribe Jackson with $20 to go on it, but no luck. Ashlynn enjoyed watching the parade and seeing Cinderella and Ariel.

We spent another day at both California Adeventure and Disneyland. Still no luck with Indiana Jones, but what the heck they went on Space Mountain. Jackson's favorite ride was Splash Mountain and Ashlynn's was Thunder Mountain. We had tons of fun both days. We bought an annual pass and the kids are already looking forward to going in December.

Knott's Berry Farm

We went to Knott's Berry Farm with Grandma and Grandpa. Grandpa enjoyed taking pictures of all the fun Halloween decorations.

We had a lot of fun especially since it was not crowded and we could just walk onto the rides and go a second time without getting out and getting back in line. The first ride we went on was the log ride and of course we got soaked. Jackson had fun riding the roller coasters with Mommy while Ashlynn was sad she was not tall enough. Thanks for the fun day Grandma and Grandpa! We love you!

Finally Blogged Our Summer

We started a family blog a month ago and we finally blogged our summer fun and all our trips so check out the old posts from past months.

School Pictures 2008

Jackson's 1st grade picture

Ashlynn's preschool picture

Pictures for Daddy

Jackson and Ashlynn colored pictures for Daddy.