Easter Weekend

Our Easter weekend was hectic - these pictures don't even do it justice! Aside from the business calls, late dinners, television shows, and relaxation, we were eating up every chance we could get to spend some quality time together. Henceforth the Easter egg hunt, egg-decorating session at Kristens, Hannah Montana movie, and Easter Day dinner. For squeezing all that in a three-day timeslot, we're considered LUCKY.

First off was the Lamb family easter egg hunt at the Rose's. Aunt Suzanne and Uncle Scott can throw quite a party! At first nobody seemed too interested in ditching the backyard and heading to the front to give us some time to hide the eggs, but after much persistance, they were off. Talmage did exact calculations to see who-got-how-many, and without a flurry, the competition began. here's us on Easter day. How cute!! Two minutes before church, straggling around, yelling and screaming. I don't know about you, but I DETEST being late to things. It's embarassing and you feel like an idiot walking in even twenty seconds into it. Ugh!

But otherwise, we're cute and sweet and this picture is adorable :)
Here's the little girls at the Easter Egg hunt. We had to comment on how a) everyone is wearing pink or a very close shade of pink..and b) how it resembles the Cingular bars!
L-R: Susan Lamb, Arden Lamb, Rachel Rose, Emma Lamb.. cute cousins!!


This picture is irresistable: Ethan and Emma are so darned cute!!

Aside from that, our Friday was spent at Kristens decorating eggs! We love dying easter eggs - it's such a thrill and too much fun for the kids. Kristen is a great aunt! And we all got to see baby Roman! Melissa is one heck of a mother!

During their fun hour, I was at the Hannah Montana movie with my friends, Kaitlyn, Hannah, Cebrina, Taylor-Ann, and Jessica. Thanks girls!!

It's Holiday Time!

Please don't get mad at me for being festive about the holidays! Last year, I went all out in introducing our traditions! This year, I am just going to express some thought about Christmas!

First of all, the craziness, but absolute fun, that is involved in this holiday is...

Black Friday--in my vocabulary, Black Friday is very... black. As in sort of evil. Every year the craziness percentage gets higher and higher. And since million less people came this year, due to a crappy economy, I think that people expected to get more and more gifts and wacky Christmas stuff for less. I mean, 3 people were killed guys! Trampled! PEOPLE!!

Psycho Christmas Concerts

These are the killers, but sometimes fun. Little town resorts put on plays and cute musicals and kid-friendly shows. Your middle school has a big Christmas Concert. The town mens choir you didn't know existed is singing at the High School next Friday. Oh! And you know that little theatre downtown? Yeah, they are doing How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Can't miss that!

Lights Shows

I LOVE these! We went tonight with Scott and Suzanne and their family (along with Cami Searle, our cousin, Ali and Steve's daughter) to Thanksgiving Point to see the lights show. We hopped in the back of the truck and went through. After we were done, we skidded off to JCW's (a family favorite) and hit the road back home. It was great and our spot in line was actually pretty good (the wait was at the most, two minutes). Pretty worth it.

Shopping Deals

I don't mean Black Friday. I am talking about at the True Knit place that you go to in the middle of December because your mittens are old and torn and you need a new pair and they give you buy one pair get one pair free. You need six pairs anyway, so you pay for three! Heck ya! On with the shopping deals!

The Set-Up

I love this part. The anticipation for almost or more than 365 days and it's finally here - setup day. The tree is up, the lights go on, the ornaments fly trough the branches of your new beautiful Christmas tree, and all of your extra and truly just-so-cute-you-can't-take-it-down wooden snowman figures. Oh and the nativity set you got as a wedding present from who knows who! Don't leave that out! And, if you're cool unlike we are, the lights outside that you border your house with! If you can do that, you are WAY cool!

Family Parties/General Parties/Work Parties

The cheesey, Voice Male work parties at fancy hotels downtown that only children 18 and older are permitted at, or the neighborhood grandfather's party that just happens to have a hired and decorated Santa Clause at. Not to mention your family party that you can't miss. You are exchanging gifts, for heavens sake! Go, go, go!

Family and Friends

I can use family time around the holidays. They are way special!

Gifts

Hehe. Gifts are an important part of Christmas. Mostly giving them, though. When you give, you receive. It's wonderful to recieve, but better to give. Buying gifts is a pain in the rear!

Nativity and Scripture Story

The true light of Christmas is the light that shines from inside you when you read the scripture story. Without Christ's birth, the world would be a much much much worse off place. That is the true meaning of Christmas...

The Happiest Christmas Present Ever

This year, after a trip to Utah, Disneyworld and a promise that we were not going to get a lot of things on Christmas, we underwent the most wonderful Christmas present ever...

THE WII!!!!!!! After a lot of begging and asking, Santa Clause gave us a wonderful Wii gift that everyone became extrememly addicted to. With two controllers, three or four games, two numbchucks for the boxing section of the game, we became a family of seven, with our new Wii addition.


Well, Happy New Year and have a great day no matter what.

Love,
Lambs and writer, Addison

Family Favorite Christmastime Activities

Okay, our family loves the holidays...playing, seeing family, taking pictures...It's all so much fun for us. So, I made a special list ust for this occasion on everything our family loves to do/play/see/ect...

1. "The Christmas Tree Ceremony" - the day after Thanksgiving, we put up the Christmas tree, decorations (our parents aren't "outdoor" decorators, so don't count on a big lights show by our house) and we make hot chocolate and watch the movie "Elf" (the Will Ferrel one that came out about 2 years ago...something like that).

2. "Lamb Family Name Game" - we always put everyones name in a hat (preferably a Yankees one, all of you Lambs against our Red Sox rivalry) and draw names until everyone has a different name. Then, sort of like "Secret Santa" but not so secret, we buy a gift for that person and we open them late on Christmas Eve night.

3. "Temple Lights Show" - when we were in Utah, we would always go down to the lights show at the Salt Lake City temple lights show and just walk around with our family and look at all of the nativities and, of course, the lights...

4. "Make-a-List" - we all sit around together at the table at the end of November and make a list (three things from Santa, and an unlimited list for our parents). It's really enjoyable.

5. "Family Talent Show"- nearing Christmas (whenever, really) have everyone exhibit two or three talents, make a list and a program, and have that show. We love doing this.

6. "Christmas Tree Sleep-Over" - if there is any room, pull up an air matress or just some blankets around the tree one night and let the kids (or everyone, if you have room) sleep-over in front of the tree. If you do have enough room, put up a little play tent or a fort!! :-)

7. "Sledding" - in Utah, we would always go sledding. Sledding can occur wherever you have good, packed snow on a light hill (too steep might actually be dangerous). If you know somebody who has a nice hill, call them up. It can be an activity for tons of people.

8. "Family Party" - a couple of days before Christmas, throw a small party with your inside family. Make a chocolate bafe and put up some party signs. Add your own unique style and flair. Do whatever makes you happy.

9. "Picture Party" - this isn't really a party. Just take a ton of pictures and take the family time to post them on your blog. Gather everyone around for this activity. It is a lot of fun to take turn with the cameras so that everyone can have their moment to shine.

10. "Service Activity Project" - fill a goody basket full of little things like candies, candles, cards, mini-toys, ect. and make them just big enough to fit into a basket of some sort and then send them to an elderly neighbor or a friend.

That's pretty much all of the holiday cheer that comes out of us. I hope you guys try some of these traditions in your home as well. Merry Christmas!! :-)

Sunday picnic on front yard

Halloween

Talmage is a baseball player (again)

Cowgirl (by the way, this pose was forced by my mother, even though I made more than one suggestion for poses...)

Karate Kid (waxing off - I think)

It's all about the pink boots

Top scorer this season (18 total goals)

Birthday boy (6 years old)

Heading off to Baptist Pre-school

Field of dreams (front yard)

Middle School . . . getting older and closer to being a teenager

Ethan's twin (and admirer who lives down the street)

Off to school (first day of all day kindergarten) . . . mom is crying

Lady killer of the 4th grade

Finally...PICTURES!! :-)

Aside the screaming, fighting, ride to Utah and ride back, our trip was the best it could get. With family, friends, and the feeling you get after you hear you won the lottery, except not as thriving. But when we weren't fighting, screaming and threatening each other, we were having loads of fun. We had sleep-overs with cousins and friends, played games, went to games, and did almost everything you could imagine. Those were just some samples of our family life.

This is Ethan in Destin Beach, FL. We had a ball building sand castles, playing frisbee and playing on the boogey-board. The only tragedy was how bright the sun was (I could hardly open my eyes!). Then we dumped out our wallets at "Fudruckers" just to buy food. Other than that, our three-day vacation in Florida was great!