Aloha!

We had the great opportunity to go to Hawaii with my extended family for 10 days in January.  In total there were 36 of us who went.  We went to the resort that I grew up going to so I have so many great memories from being there.  It was fun to see the kids running around and doing the same things that I remember doing when I was little.  We spent our days playing on the beach, swimming in the ocean, catching geckos, finding coconuts, boogie boarding, snorkeling, catching sand crabs, paddle boarding and eating too much good food.  The ocean was super calm while we were there which was perfect for the little kids.  They would swim and boogie board for hours at a time.  Jace loved playing in the sand and drinking strawberry smoothies. Bailey's favorite think to do was swim in the ocean with anyone who would take her and Brooklyn loved playing in the sand too. I was amazed at how much she loved to swim too! We took her in the pool expecting her to cry but she just started splashing around and trying to get Jace and Bailey.  The next day we took her in the ocean and she loved that too!  It was a wonderful and relaxing vacation and we all had a great time!

Brooklyn's first day at the beach.

Jace and Stetson

Jace found a coconut and Brody helped him crack it open so
we could all try it.

Aloha Hawaii!  The first night we ordered pizza and had dinner on the beach while
we enjoyed the sunset.

Sand crab hunting.  We like to go to the beach at night with flashlights and find sand crab holes.
When we find one we dig until we find the crab and then catch them.  This year my mom got smart and
brought head lamps :)

Jace and Bailey playing in their "spider web".

Every day the hotel had activities at the beach for the kids to do.  One day the activity
was hula skirt making.  Jace and Stetson were fire dancers.

She loved the beach.

Bailey and her hula skirt

Jumping over the waves.  They stayed out here all day.

Tennis lessons with Papa. 

Enjoying the beach with Brooklyn

Breakfast.  Everyday his breakfast consisted of banana bread, strawberries, bacon, tomatoes,
a coconut pastry, a waffle with coconut syrup and guava to drink.  Hey, it was all you could eat :)

Stet and Bailey at breakfast. 

Brooklyn loved playing in the ocean.

Sisters

Jace caught a gecko and was trying to put it on my while I
took his picture.

We can't wait to meet you baby Goldie!

Jace, Bailey and Stet boogie boarding.  The water was shallow and the
waves were small.  A perfect combination for kids!

Gecko hunting with dad.

Jace and Bailey were so excited to have Brooklyn in the water with them and Brooklyn would
laugh and try to get them whenever they were close.

I got a new underwater camera for Christmas.  We were just trying it out but I like this picture of Jace and I.

Bailey teaching Brooklyn to boogie board.

The kids tend to fight over who gets to play with Kristina.  What a good Aunt!

Great-Grandpa George and Brooklyn

One of the activities they had for the kids was Hawaiian dress up and a parade around the pool.
Before I knew what was happening I was dressed up as well :)

The life guards let Kyle borrow their spear and he was
able to go spear fishing.  They ate the fish shortly after.

Bailey at the all you can eat crab and lobster feast.

On one of the days Brody and I helped the kids build a giant sandcastle.  They were pretty excited to
have some help.  It kept them occupied for the rest of the day.

Family Picture.  Why is it always so hard to get everyone to smile?

Bailey, Jace and Brooklyn

This was my swimsuit when I was little.  My mom saved it and I
was so excited that it fit Brooklyn.

Brody and his girls.

Bailey and I going for a paddle board.  She had been wanting to go the whole trip so she
was very excited when she finally go to go.

One of Jace's favorite parts of the trip was getting
Lava Flows.  He decided to share this one with
cousin Brylie.

Paddle boarding with Stet and Aunt Brittany (and Goldie).

The last night of the trip we ordered pizza and ate by the beach.  According to Jace it was the best night ever!

Brooklyn

Playing on the hammock.

Brody got the chance to go scuba diving on our last day.
They saw a lot of cool fish, a shark, eel, octopus and a turtle.

The scuba divers.

Brody and some of the cousins went out with a life guard again to go spear fishing and came back
with two octopus.  The life guards were really excited because apparently they are pretty
good to eat.

Soaking up the sun on our last morning.  We got to play at the beach until 10 and then
it was time to head home.

Aloha!

Merry Christmas

Let's see if I can remember what we did for Christmas, it seems like it was so long ago!  Jace and Bailey were so excited this year which made it a ton of fun to celebrate.  I LOVE celebrating Christmas so we were able to do a lot of fun things together.  We made Christmas ornaments, snowflakes, painted wooden Christmas trees and snowmen, made paper chains and made a book of Luke 2.  I wrote the book and after Brody saw one of my drawings he offered to illustrate the rest of it :)  haha.  By the time Christmas rolled around the kids had a good portion of Luke 2 memorized which was my main goal in making the book.  They have such good memories so I figured they may as well be memorizing scripture!

We started our Christmas parties on the 21st and had one every day until the 25th.  It was great to celebrate with all of our family who lives in the area.  The kids did great and had so much fun both giving and receiving gifts this year.  It is so much fun to see how excited they get when they open their gifts.

One thing that I am reminded of every year, especially since having kids, is God's great love for us in sending his son to earth knowing that in the end he would die for our sins.  Looking at my own sweet kids I don't think I would be able to do that for anyone.  It always puts it into perspective how much God really loves us.  I hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas and a very Happy New Year!  On to 2014!

Our cousin, Rob, brought a train to the Jackson family Christmas
so that all of the kids could have rides!

All of the cousins from new babies to high school at the Jackson
milkshake Christmas party.

This is the best picture that we got of the four grandkids at my
parents house. They were too excited to start opening gifts!

Reading the Christmas story with Papa.  Bailey didn't want Stet to fall.

Merry Christmas from our home to yours!

Bailey was so excited to get a Cinderella costume and
matching shoes and jewelry.

Merry Christmas from Spiderman Stetson

She LOVES her new pink gun from Stet

Brooklyn

Christmas at Grandpa Bert and Grandma Tanis's house after
candlelight service.

Playing dads new game.

Christmas morning.  Opening our stockings from Santa.

Bailey got a Little Mermaid barbie

Jace got a dino dig rock where you dig out dinosaurs.  He did not want to play
with anything else and wanted to leave our other Christmas parties early so that
he could come home and play with it more. It took him 3 or 4 days to get all 6
dinosaurs out!

It's always fun to get a big present!

Happy Thanksgiving! Let's get ready for Christmas!!!

 Well Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas!  We had a great time celebrating Thanksgiving this year with our family and friends but missed those who were not able to come and be with us.  On the Wednesday before Thanksgiving we celebrated at my Aunt Sue and Uncle John's house and on Thursday we celebrated with some of Brody's family.  Thursday morning our family participated in the Visalia Turkey Trot.  Jace was so excited to be racing and had a fun time following Brody around getting ready to run.  His run was a couple hundred yards but he was so proud of himself.  Brody did the 5k and the kids and I enjoyed a nice walk down mainstreet :)  We spent that afternoon with Brody's family and were so excited that his sisters and their families from out of town were able to join us.  

We got our Christmas tree a few days after Thanksgiving.  This year we decided to go with a live potted Christmas tree in hopes that we can plant it in our yard someday.  So far it has been good except for the colony of ants that lives in it. We got a couple of ant traps and hopefully that takes care of the problem.  The kids loved helping us decorate it this year.  Jace & Brody put the lights on it for us and then we all helped decorate it.  Santa even came a little bit early this year and brought special pj's and a new book the night that we decorated our tree.  Jace also got a Santa hat that he wore for a few days straight.  We even found him sleeping in it.  

It was pretty cold here for about a week straight which was a perfect chance for my dad to try out the snow machine that he got last year.  He tried to use it last year but it never got cold enough, this year it worked great!  We all went over in the morning to play in the snow and have hot chocolate and cinnamon rolls.  Brody built up a pile of snow which Jace loved sledding down.  He kept running around saying "This is the best winter ever!!!!"  

As Christmas gets closer may you take time to spend in God's word and remember the real reason that we are celebrating this holiday season.  Thank you God for sending your Son to bring us hope and save us from our sins!  Merry Christmas!

        Happy Thanksgiving from Brody         Jace loved playing with his cousin Ryder

and Brooklyn                                                            

Jace and Brody getting ready for the Turkey Trot

The Wilgenburg family after the run

The kids with our Christmas Tree

Story time with dad after the tree was decorated.  

My mom had a tree that they weren't using so we

let Jace put it in his room.  He loves it!

Let it snow!  

I think my dad slept a total of 30 minutes the night he made snow.  He

had to put gas in the machine every 15 minutes.  It was amazing though!  

The next night he got a bigger gas tank :)

I thought I would give Jace an early snow boarding lesson.

Gunner and Ainsley came to play in the snow.

Brody went hunting and Jace & Bailey              Bailey's outfit of choice for the park.

loved playing with the "sleeping" birds.                                                                   

Were trying to get to the park as much as we can when it nice enough to be outside.