The Pike Family

We had a wonderful, simple, and very sweet Christmas as a family this year. With moving just a week and a half before Christmas, it makes things a little hectic. But I am so grateful that children are so easy to please because just the little things we did to celebrate, made them so happy! It seemed as though our children really grasped the true meaning of Christmas and we were able to focus on the most important part, our Savior's birth. They were so excited to act out the nativity scene (which we got footage of, but not any still pictures...which makes me sad, but that is because the photographer had to play Mary this year!) Brigham told me every day for about a week before Christmas Eve that he wanted to be Joseph, so he was very prepared and did a great job! Jensen decided the last minute that he was going to be baby Jesus, and Kason was a wandering sheep! And of course Daddy was the narrator. We missed seeing family around the holidays, but enjoyed how fun, relaxing and simple everything was.

Thanks "Chachie Nanna" Grandpa and Grandma for the Santa hats!
It was Kason's first Christmas and as you can see, he was pretty excited!!
Brigham was trying to help him with his stocking, but all he wanted to do was put it all in his mouth!
The boys picked out presents for each other from boxes of toys that have been stored up for over 2 years...they were just as excited if not more to see their old toys then to get new ones!! This is what Brig and Jence gave to Kason...he loved it and so did they!! So Brigham has been inheriting all of Mark's tools that he "grows" out of. And since they are real tools, his little tool box that he had been using started to break. So he asked Santa for a new toolbox and this is what he got! I think it is bigger than a lot a men's out there. :) But guess what he puts in it? All his treasures and special toys! We asked him why he didn't put his tools in there and he said "I already have a tool box for my tools!" Someone commented to Mark and said, "at least he knows that the most valuable stuff goes in a toolbox!" :)

This past Christmas was the very first time we got to set up a real tree! I think it was more exciting for Daddy because he got to cut it down and bring home the excitement to his family! The little boys were SOOO excited! It did only consist of lights and candy canes, but it was Beautiful and it was real. (It even had pinecones all over it.) I am very excited about the memories we will have of hunting for a Christmas tree and the new tradition that has begun in our own little family.

As you can see from Mark's pants, when he brought it home, he had to thaw it out with a heater in the garage for a little while! As for me, I never knew that you had to water a tree so often! (Maybe that is why all my plants don't seem to live very long) :)

...and sad to say, but as of today the 27th of January, it is still standing in the corner of our living room...(of course I took all the lights and candy canes off!) I keep suggesting to Mark that it needs to be disposed of, but he says that it adds to the room since there is no furniture at all! So until the day that we get some furniture, I guess our soon to be brown Christmas tree will fill the space!!

Why is Brigham in the playpen with Kason?

All I can say is I am so grateful for his help in entertaining and containing his little brother!!!

-Your the bestest big brother, Brig!-

What do you get when you have three little boys and TONS of boxes...you get "choo-choo" trains, sleds, slides, towers, forts and "boys is boxes"!

After Thanksgiving, it was crunch time for us and we had two weeks to get two houses ready. One boxed up and the other cleaned up. It was very overwhelming to say the least, but I look back on the whirlwind of it all and know that we recieved miracles from up above. Things like this can't happen without prayer and a TON of faith! We are extremely blessed!!

As you can see, while I was packing our apartment up, the boys kept themselves very entertained...(The pictures explain it all!)

This year we got to take a detour to get to Utah for our Thanksgiving holiday. We stopped off at Bear Lake (Uncle Mark's Cabin) so Mark (my Mark) could get some measurements for some stairs he is building for them. As you will see, it was more fun than work! We love this Cabin!

Kason gets his love for animals from his Daddy! He gets so excited when he sees them. Good thing we have a few to spread the joy!

I think Jensen has some growing to do before he can drive this tractor!

Preparing Thanksgiving with the Clan!

AFTER!


So last night we figured it was time for Kason to look like a "real boy"! (I tried to wait until he turned 1, but we figured 10 1/2 months was close enough!)