Christmas Fun

Trying to wrap up a fun Christmas with photos is almost nearly impossible since so many fun things are done and too many pictures are taken, but I tried to document up some fun moments that I'll always remember. Every year I always try a new sugar cookie recipe since I never seem to have any luck, but this year I found a really good recipe that worked out pretty well. So well that we ended up making two batches on separate days. Of course, no one else in the family besides Camryn and I wanted to make cookies so guess who had to eat them all up! Yup, we ate them all too! Someone in our stake was dressing up as Santa for anyone to come by and take pictures. So I was totally into not standing in line at the mall or paying mall prices for a pic with Santa. It was a hilarious night since we had no idea whose house we were going to and were just hoping Santa would be there. It was raining and the house that we went to had nothing but mud in the driveway and leave it to Camryn to jump in the mud puddles and get water and yuck all over my car. Santa was so cute and loved holding all of the little kids. Of course, Jaxon freaked out and wouldn't go near him unless I was holding him. Madison was finally able to dance at her Christmas dance recital which was originally canceled due to the snow. It turned out really cute and she did a pretty good job. She had to dance in 11 dance numbers! On Christmas Eve we always go out to a different restaurant with my in laws to eat and then look at Christmas lights with finally exchanging gifts and opening jammies. I'm a loser and took no pictures of my kids in their pj's and even forget to label Jaxon's present to open. Christmas day was a blast with opening gifts and just enjoying the day. Jaxon got a new bike and since he's up by 5 every morning when we walked downstairs he kept saying "ride, ride." The house was a mess and stayed a mess until the next day. We all just had fun putting things together, eating, sleeping, and watching movies. Since it was raining on Christmas day we had to wait until the next day for Camryn to ride her new scooter and Jaxon to ride his new bike. Camryn loves her scooter, yet notice Jaxon's bike not being touched. For some reason he wouldn't go near it outside and only wanted to ride Camryn's old scooter.

Merry Christmas from the Watkins Family

I'm a loser and procrastinated doing a holiday card this year. It took us 14 years to finally get a family photo and I waste time and not send anything out so I'm stuck sharing my family fun on my blog. Sorry! Here's a quick rundown of what we've been up to this year:

Paul has been busy with work. Fortunately for us his electrical company hasn't suffered due to the Vegas economy. Business has actually increased for him which is a huge blessing. He was able to go bear hunting this year and did a couple of deer hunts. Unfortunately, he didn't draw a deer tag for himself so he was stuck taking Tanner for his yearly hunt. How sad! I constantly tease him that he's pushing "40" since he will be 38 in January. Old age only makes you better, right? We love our dad and are so grateful for the provider, husband, dad, and lover of Disneyland that he is.

Kris is still teaching 4Th grade and absolutely loves her job. It's very close to home and she works with an awesome group of other teachers and has fantastic students. Who could complain about only working 180 days of the year? She's starting the grumbling process about possibly starting back to school in January, but she's still deciding. Kris keeps busy with work, running kids places, shopping, and just hanging out with the family.

Tanner is 15 and a sophomore in high school. Our boy has really blossomed into a fine young man. His dad promised him a car if he keeps his grades up and that's a goal he is taking seriously. He also enjoys going hunting with his dad, but didn't get a deer either this year. Tanner participates in scouts and loves anything that has to do with an Xbox. He is a good brother, except for the normal constant teasing of his sisters. We love him!


Madison is 10 and is in 5th grade. She is professionally trained in dance for more than 11 hours a week which is taking a toll on her, the entire family, and mom's checkbook! She loves it and gets to perform for the community many times a year. In February she will get to dance at Disneyland again. She also had the opportunity to dance with famous dancers at a convention here in town. Madison is a big help to us and is always entertaining her younger siblings. She will be receiving the Great American Award soon and enjoys participating in activity days with church.


Camryn is my precocious, daring, and hilarious 4 year old. If you're a reader of my blog you've heard the many stories of what Camryn has done or said. She is a character and lightens our day with her sweet demeanor. Camryn loves going to preschool and is gearing up for kindergarten next year. Camryn loves the computer and playing with her stuffed animals. Such a sweetie pie.



Jaxon will be 2 this coming January. What a sweet finale he is to our family! He makes us all laugh with his OCD tendencies and loves going to the park and playing outside. He's obsessed with Oswald the octopus and Weenie the dog...which is one of his favorite shows. When it's on he doesn't move. We had a scary moment with him in November when he got his finger stuck in the treadmill and tore off most of the skin on his thumb. He barely missed a tendon, but his fingers have healed very well. Jaxon is such a good lil' guy and loves to be loved.




I think this year was the traveling year since it seemed we were on the go more so than usual. We took a family cruise to the Mexican Riviera that consisted of Puerta Vallarta, Cabo San Lucas, and Mazatlan, three trips to Disneyland, a parents trip to Cancun, Mexico,and a dancing trip to Laughlin, Nevada. I'm glad that our passports were put to good use in 2008!

Our family has been extremely blessed this year and are so grateful for the good health and the many blessings that have been bestowed upon us. I'm so fortunate to have a great family, great friends, and a wonderful life.

Merry Christmas to All and Have a Happy New Year

Snow...in Vegas?!

Yes, for those of you who live in a hole, VEGAS got snow. Not just a little layer on the ground, but actual flurries floating to the ground and sticking. Snow was falling on my way to work and not thinking to properly I wore high heel sandals to work, plus had morning duty outside in the snow. My feet froze and by the time I was back in my warm room I had to take off my shoes and walk around barefoot just to get the circulation going again.

Of course my principal thought it was be an "educational experience" for our students to go and play in the snow. Yea, loads of fun until I have kids crying that their fingers are going to fall off because they are so cold and I'm standing in the snow freezing, hence the shoes, but I did get some fun pictures of my little kiddos.



By evening time the snow was falling pretty good and lucky for me I had to drive across town in it so Madison could perform in a dance recital. It was so beautiful watching the snow fall, but my reverie was broken when the recital was canceled as soon as we made it across town. ;( and yes, I'm a loser for not taking more pictures of the snow coming down, but it was dark and cold!

What wonderful memories my kids will have of wearing our pj's, sitting by the fire, drinking hot cocoas and watching the snow fall outside the window. It was a perfect ending to a long, but exhilarating day. So yes, I'm a bit jealous of those of you who get endless amounts of snow during the winter. I love my heat, but what fun it was to experience the snow. I'm sure other Vegas folk would have to agree.

Cheap Times

Want a cheap activity to do with your kids? Go for a walk at night around the neighborhood! Yep, that was our Friday night family fun last week. At least for Camryn, Maddie, and myself. Jaxon freaked out when I tried to put on his jacket so his dad happened to come home just as we were ready to leave so he stayed behind with him. Camryn enjoyed it so that she asks me daily to go walking to see the lights. Have you noticed that every picture I take of her she smiles and either looks to the left or right? Odd one. And yes, her choice of colors are rockin'!




Madison's dance group performed at Cowboy Christmas this past Saturday. Why they call it that...I don't know. It was held at Floyd Lamb Park in North Vegas and was advertised as a fun, get out of the house, jaunt for kids. They had bounce houses, a petting zoo, Santa, an arts and craft table, and even hayrides. All free! Camryn didn't go so it didn't seem fair to stay and enjoy the fun after Madison was done dancing (why lie...the lines were too long and dealing with an almost two year old who's scared of everything is not pleasant.) But, the highlight of the day had to come when I met an actual celebrity. OK, so a Las Vegas celebrity. Don't be jealous....




Yes, it was probably the "cheapest" weekend I've ever had and so much fun. And yes, that's Mayor Oscar Goodman for those of you who have no idea why this thrills me so!

Top Ten Loves

My list of loves for the week since my camera remained on the counter throughout my time off:

1. I love that I was able to go back to work. No, I really do love my job as a teacher and so enjoy my class of 4th graders and the people I work with. I do enjoy staying at home (who doesn't) but I know what my commitments are and teaching is one of them.

2. I love Facebook! This is a great website for finding long lost friends from high school, old wards, or prior work locations. It's a blast catching up on what other people are doing in their lives so I would highly recommend it.

3. I love the fact that my husband enjoys cooking and prepared a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner for us. It was just our little family this year and it was a great holiday. I shopped for everything he needed, was there for assistance, cooked a pie, and set the table. That's about it since he did everything else. Thanks Paul!

4. Black Friday is my LIFE! I'm up on Thanksgiving morning by 5 so I can get the paper and start going thru my ads to see what stores I'm going to first. My list is made and the alarm is set for 3:30 AM. This year I only went to two stores due to Paul having to work and still had a great time. I love the rush!

5. I love that Camryn "found" my diamond necklace on the floor that had been missing for over a month.

6. I love that I loved the "cheesy" Twilight movie. But, could they take some of the makeup off of Carlisle and make Jasper not act like he has something up his butt?

7. I love knowing that I'm loved unconditionally.

8. I love wrapping gifts, putting them under the Christmas tree and then having to re wrap them thanks to Jaxon who unwraps them for me.

9. I love the humor of Camryn who ran in the house screaming and crying about snakes being all over the ground when it rained. Of course, I didn't go and check to see, but they were in fact earthworms wiggling all over the ground. Now she won't go outside to play.

10. Finally, I love that one of my 4th graders had to inform me that yes, boy hamsters do have balls, just like humans. Did you know that?

I love my life!!!!!!!

A Good Laugh

I'm not a fan of Beyonce or SNL, but do enjoy Justin Timberlake so I was definitely wanting to check out their skit a couple of weeks ago that they performed on SNL. I almost wet my pants from laughing so hard and still crack up every time I watch it. I hope the link continues to work. If not, try to find it on YouTube since it will make you smile!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2I121W5AlA

Disney Fun

Word of advice. Always plan to go to Disneyland during the week if you are contemplating going. We went on a Wednesday and Thursday which was fabulous and then come Friday and it was horrible! Of course, it was the first day of the Holiday season at Disneyland, but you'd think that by 10:00 at night people would start going home and putting little kids to bed. Nope, everyone was still on a roll and long lines for rides were still in effect that late at night.

Anyhoo...we had a wonderful time and can't wait to go back soon. Paul is obsessed with Disneyland and would rather go there on vacation than a nice tropical place. (I'm missing Cancun!) You couldn't tell since he's so photogenic in his pictures. We are there when the park opens and we stay until it closes. Must be a bit of OCD for him. Wednesday there were no lines, no crowds, and wonderful weather. It was a perfect day with Mickey and Minnie. Yes, I'm a bit obsessive with wanting to see all of the characters. I never did find Pluto...next time.

It's one of our family traditions that we always ride Pirates of the Caribbean first to start off our adventure, but what a mistake that turned out to be. Jaxon freaked and his days were pretty much spent crying and upset with every ride that we got onto. Of course, it didn't help that his two year old molars were coming in so he was a grouchy and snotty lil' thing, but everything scared him...even the tram that you have to take to get to the park. I have very little pictures of him laughing and having a good time. There were some moments, but not a lot. The following photos show how his days were spent at the happiest place on earth.

Camryn is my daredevil and rode everything that she was tall enough for, except for Tower of Terror. We were getting ready to go on the ride and she had a meltdown and wouldn't go on it. Everything else she went on. It was such a fun trip and I've had to hear from Camryn at least ten times a day that she misses Disneyland and wants to go back. I'm with her since I love that place and look forward to going again. Enjoy the random photos.

Good Times

My little girl is growing up. The other day I was looking at old home movies (after realizing that I have nothing video taped of Jaxon except for the day of his birth) and noticing the many changes that Madison has made throughout the years. It's sad when you stand back and notice how time does go by and really see the changes that are occurring. She is truly blossoming into a beautiful girl.
She decided that she wanted her hair cut off and I went along and let her do it. I was so pleased with the result. She truly looks like a little lady.
We also had family photos done at Floyd Lamb Park and there happened to be three trees that actually had true fall colors! I was so excited and actually felt like a photographer noticing the fall foliage.

Can't wait to see the family photos since it seemed to be a nightmare with Camryn having a cold and shoe issues, but I'm glad we did it since our last family photo was....ok...I'm bad....13 years ago!!! We did see an albino peacock which was pretty exciting and a pack of wild geese chased the kids around! Good times.