Gussie

Dean bought this horse for the kids to ride, he told me he didn't like this picture because it looks like she has an evil eye; but she really is a sweet horse and I hope she takes good care of my babies. I named her Gussie because that is the guys wife's name that we bought  her from. I wanted to get a cute picture of Trig with his new hat before he bent it to shreds but he wasn't interested in looking at me from the minute we walked out the door. It was 9 degrees and the little boy would not get off the horse. I don't care if he isn't a cowboy when he grows up but I sure do love that he is a cute one today!

"we had a yot a fun days"

Denton Hall Christmas Party: every year when we leave this party Dean tells me how that is just too big. We talk about how you don't even have time to talk to everyone, but I still love it, it's definitely one of the things I look most forward to each Christmas. 

Sunday we went to church and later Angela brought out chicken nachos and the kids made ginger bread houses.

Christmas Eve: Alyson made cookies for Santa and let the kids decorate them.  Then we had dinner and a short program including singing, the nativity, and presents.

 

Christmas Morning: We loved Christmas morning this year. It was the first year we had anyone old enough to care. Josie came into our room at 6:45 am and said with all her excitement, "I saw a yot of toys, I saw yots and yots".   

 

 

We had breakfast and headed out to feed cows.

Next we had lunch with Dean's family, did a gift exchange, and went sledding. When I told Josie that we had to get ready for another party she said, "Mom we had a yot of fun days hu"? 

The First Annual Fox Family Chirstmas Party

Laurel planned a fun Christmas Party for the Fox/Mussler family. It was fun to see Dean's cousins that we almost never get to visit with. There was dinner, charades, gingerbread bread houses, and lots a visiting. 

American Idol?

Moving Cows

Dean has been moving cows all week. From Bear lake to Tremonton, from here to Boise,  From Cotton Wood to Buttermilk. He is trying to get them all tucked in for the winter. I'm pretty sure he cut it pretty close with the last move today smack dab in the middle of an awful storm. He loaded a semi of cows to go to the kill plant. Meanwhile I drove a tractor and Bryan pushed more cows off the hill down to the river. The wind was blowing so hard and it was snowing so much. Secretly I liked it, I think if its going to snow it should really snow, but that was easy for me to say when my kids were being good and we were in a heated tractor.  

It snowed most of the day but thanks to all the wind its hard to tell how much snow there really is. Behind my house there is a 4 ft drift and in the front yard there is barley any snow. 

I love snow

I think we need snow so it feels like Christmas and because we don't have anywhere to go I'm so happy we have lots of snow. Josie was so excited to build a snowman. Dean told her he wasn't really a 'snowman type guy'. He did attempt to build a snowman for her though he didn't put much effort into it. He introduced her to sledding instead. 

Isn't that little guy so cute I just love him, I wish I could just pause him at this age. 

I love this picture!

Ashton hates the snow but she was a good sport and looks pretty happy to me. 

Working with Grandpa

The kids were playing outside and watching grandpa load grain. He was brave and let them play in the grain truck.  He took a load of grain to town and let the kids ride with him. When the kids came back in I asked the kids if they had fun. Both Josie and Kason said 'yes' then Kason said, "Grandpa is COOL". Then I asked them if they were good; Josie said 'no' and Kason said, "I was good but Trig was really naughty" I wasn't surprised Kason is good, Trig is naughty and Josie probably just wanted me to stop asking her questions.  I'm glad they had fun with their 'cool' grandpa!

Dean went to the NFR in Las Vegas and while he was there the kids and I stayed busy in Utah. We went to lunch with some of my friends from high school and stayed with grandma great (she was recovering from a minor stroke). We had our annual family Jerusalem dinner, played with cousins, and did a little shopping. TJ invited us to see the lights in SLC. We took the train down, it was the first time I had ever been on the front runner. Josie was excited to ride on the train. We walked around temple square and watched the little nativity, Josie still thinks that Mary was holding a lamb and that baby Jesus is lost, so we will have to straighten that out either when she is old enough to see or when her eyes get a little better. We ate at City Creek and when we came out Santa was standing there getting ready to go home (it was Josie's first time ever seeing him). Josie was so excited he waved at her and told her Merry Christmas. When he walked away she covered her mouth and said, "Mom you didn't even tell me Santa Claus weared glasses". We headed back home and I'm pretty sure TJ and Ashton were burnt out from helping me with the kids, but they really were so helpful. The kids were crazy on the train and so tired by the time I put them in bed. 

From in the kitchen I heard Josie giving Trig a play by play on how to catch a horse, she had it mostly right (but she kept calling a halter a bridle). When I walked in I saw that she was actually just narrating while Dean caught some horses outside. I love when they are nice to each other.

Good Dad

Dean is such a good dad. The kids love when he comes in from work, they can't leave him alone. He chases them around the house and gives them bucking horse rides. He is good to let them crawl all over him. I love the winter because it gets dark and it forces him to stop working and come inside.
The other night we put the kids to bed and a few minutes later Josie started yelling for her dad. She said, "Dad I need my baby, I can't sleep without my baby, go get her down stairs, she is crying." Then I hear him say, "here Jos just sleep with this purse tonight". I walked in just in time to see him trying to hand her a toy purse and convince her again that she could just sleep with a purse. I busted up laughing and walked down stairs to get Josie her baby because clearly the walk was just too far for Dean. O how I love him.