December!

The month was busy with basketball games, sometimes up to 3 a week, and we went along supporting those Lady Bulldogs and their coach. Damien spent his spare time (yeah, right-like he has any!) going with his dad and the boys to check traps up in Swan Valley, watching game film and scouting other teams, and working on his Master's degree. It keeps him super busy, but he does a great job keeping everything going smoothly. I kept busy doing all the STUFF I do, even though I usually feel like I'm a day late and a dollar short...Carter loves having Scouts and Jr. Jazz basketball practices (Jr. Jazz pictures will be in the February update so stay tuned...) and worked hard on passing off things in his Scout book. McKoy is loving basketball also, and likes having a few friends on his team from the ward. We enjoyed the break from school for Christmas. The following pictures are not in the exact order I want them to be, but I hate the way blogger makes it hard to move them around so I am just going to leave them like that.My parents came to visit Christmas morning to check out if Santa had found our place...he did obviously....:) And check out Eddy's sweet morning hair....:) Oh, and the boys got those comfy jammie pants form G & G the night before. They love them! And that's Carter's new coat---he was obvisously a little excited about it, as he wore it most of the morning, as well as the new snowmachine helmets we got them. (Damien, I, and the boys each got one---Cabela's had a heck of a deal...) Eden loved wearing it too, although it made her a little tipsy! I'll have to snap a picture the next time she has it on!

Christmas Eve we went to my parents house. Here's a snapshot of all the little girls in their new jammies from G & G. (Not sure why it's a little blurry-sometimes my mom's camera does that-sorry) Eden, McKenna, Addison, Mallory holding Madelyn, and Emma

Marie found these funny sweaters somewhere for a really good deal so bought all they had, then was so nice to give them to some of the cousins for Christmas. My dad has had his brown sweater for EVER, and it's a huge joke in our family. McKoy LOVES his new brown sweater-it's super soft and super warm-and it is worn quite a bit. Give it a few more years and it will look just like my dad's!

This was the tornado that hit Christmas morning....
Here it is before the tornado hit....so nice and neat....not for long.....
Christmas Eve 2010---4 excited kids ready for Santa to visit!
Our attempt at getting a family picture with the timer on the camera...

Christmas morning sure started early in the Smith household. It was nice to be at our house and do our own little traditions with our kids. We set out cookies and milk for Santa and some carrots for the reindeer before we headed off to get to bed. We tried to have the whole "sleepover" in the boys room, and it went much better than our last attempt a year ago. They actually fell asleep (not Eden-she was in her crib) after only a few minor mishaps. This sleeping situation did however create quite the early rising of 3 very excited children! They were up at 5:30 AM-bright-eyed and ready to see if Santa had found us! And boy, oh, boy, did he find us! Santa had left each one of them a very much hoped for present and a stocking filled with all kinds of fun things and candy. Eden got an Auqadoodle, Addison got a digital camera, McKoy got a hoop shoot game, and Carter got a MP3 video player and a guitar. Then we opened all the gifts under our tree and enjoyed seeing the looks on the kids' faces as they opened all the presents under it. After presents, we made the usual Baldwin Christmas Breakfast-eggs, link sausage, hashbrowns, toast, orange juice-all cooked in my new electric frying pan that I had been wanting! We also made hot chocolate in the new hot chocolate maker we got Damien. (this is the best thing ever-we use it almost every day!!!!) My parents cam for a quick visit before going to the other families houses, and then Mike, Tammie, and Colter (Cody was visiting his dad) came to our house. We ate a yummy prime rib dinner and watched Despicable Me (super funny-Eden reminds us of Agnes, the youngest little girl on it...). We had a great holiday and are so thankful for everything we have been blessed with, and thankful for our Savior and the chance we have to remember Him during the holiday season!

I thought these were cute-Carter brought them home a few days apart from school. The top one says "I would give the first gift of Christmas to McKoy. I would pick him because I love him. I would give him a gun. It would be a good gift because he loves guns." The bottom one says, "If I were a gift I would be a nerf gun. I would give it to my brother McKoy because my brother likes guns. I like my brother."

For Family Home Evening we visited Santa. Eden was not too sure about him. (understatement of the century....HATE may not even be a strong enough word...) So Santa had me climb on up and sit on his knee (nope...not a.w.k.w.a.r.d. at all...) It didn't really help but she did like the candy cane he handed her!
Addison, on the other hand, climbed right up and told him she really wanted a kid camera. McKoy told him he wanted a new puppy, with a big 'ole smirk on his face as he stared as his mom. (backstory to that is that I told him NO WAY when he wrote that on his list and he LOVES teasing me about it...)Carter said he wanted a guitar-either an electrical one or one that looks like his Uncle Nathan's.All bundled up as they wait for there turn to see the jolly old St. Nick.Earlier that month, on the 14th, Damien and I celebrated our 9th anniversary! He had basketball so I showed up at his practice and took him to eat at Stockman's Restaurant. We left the kids at his dad's house-they weren't home but we left Carter to babysit. And sorry for the blurry picture, but that's what you get when you have only an 8 year old or a 6 year old as your photographer. I am so grateful to be married to him and have him as my husband! We have so much to be thankful for-our four great kids for one! He's such a great dad and hard worker! Love you, Damien!