Elf Yourself!

Santa's little helpers have been busy this month. Wrapping, baking, card making, picture taking; you know the regular elf stuff. Poor Bradley Elf had the heaviest load of all! Here's wishing everyone some happy little elves to help you finish up before the big day! Merry, Merry Christmas, a bit early.

Thanks to "Uncle Claus" for the great picture.

A week of Surprises!

Way to Go Brevy!

Me and my Momma.

Brad and his Principal, of course.

28 and feelin' great!

This week was AWESOME! I was absolutely spoiled rotten. It all started with a surprise Spa Night at Erica's place. She invited me over to watch a scary movie, and when I got there she told me that she had a Christmas present of Cade's she wanted me to see in her bedroom. As I walked in I noticed the lights of flickering candles and a big PINK birthday banner. Julia and Erica said, "Surprise, Happy Birthday!" I was shocked! Every detail was perfect. There were candles around the tub, fluffy white towels, a beautiful spa chair with a back massager, facial masks, even cucumbers for my eyes. Jessica came over to join in the fun too. We had a blast! I was spoiled rotten! Thank you, thank you, thank you to my girls! Later in the week Bryce surprised me with a knock on the door from the neighborhood posse and even a couple from the east side

(e & c) holding all the "fixins" for a second birthday bash! Again, SURPRISE! Thanks to Bryce, and even Brad for keeping the secret. Of course Breven was disappointed because he wanted to eat out at "China Town." Wow, I've never had a surprise birthday in all 28 years and then two in one week. Well, it wasn't even my real birthday yet, and I was feeling quite gluttonous about the whole birthday thing. Should I feel guilty for all the spoilage? I had no time to decide. Bright and early on 12-12 my mom cruises into my neighborhood with a dozen pink rosebuds and SURPRISE numero 3! YIPEEEEEEEEEE! We had a day full o' fun with an awards assembly for the Principal's List boys (way to go B boys) followed by a manicure at 11:00, thanks Jess, then I was kidnapped at noon and taken to lunch. My day continued on like this until 9:00 PM when I just was getting ready to settle in for a night of chick flicks and yes, another SURPRISE! Jill and Kristy, my other mother and bestest girl show up on my front porch. We watched old home videos of all of my past birthday parties and laughed until we cried. Needless to say, I feel LOVED! Thank you for the greatest day a girl could ask for! I loved every phone call, card, and SURPRISE. I promise not to make such a big deal out of next year's birthday, but by the big 3-0, let's do it again!

Thankful for Utah

We spent our Thanksgiving holiday in Snow Canyon, Utah. We enjoyed the red rocks, the fall foliage, the blue skies, and of course, the St. George Temple. We toured Church history sites, explored caves and canyons, and even had to wear big heavy jackets! Best of all, there was no cooking a Thanksgiving feast. We had a delicious dinner OUT! Yeah for no dishes!

It's always an adventure with our Fam!

Playing with our shadow's again.

Touring the Jacob Hamblin Home.

Brigham Young's Winter Home

St. George Tabernacle

Bruce and Kim stopping to pose for a pic.

Breathtaking Views

I heart leaves!

Bros

The Beautiful St. George Temple

Exploring a lava tube.

We couldn't get enough of Fall!

Nothing to do in the desert you say?

Scouting for fish.

Desert "greenery" An ocotillo.Always an adventure.

Explorers Brad and Brev.

Always on the lookout for a treasure.

Now who said there's nothing to do in the desert?

The new Mr. & Mrs. (Chris is already bringing her flowers, how sweet!)

A beautiful oasis in the desert.

Still in love after all these years.

My "little" Bro.

Uncle Jack & Diane.

"The Golden Girls" My Mom, Grandmother, and Me.

Foot loose and fancy free. Go Granny go!

My cousin Amy was married this weekend. What a beautiful wedding. Lots of love, lots of laughs. It was great to see our family too!

I feel pretty, Oh so pretty!

Girls Spa night was a blast! Julia pampered us in her kitchen salon. I had my hair and toes done and Erica had a beautiful manicure! Thank you, thank you, thank you! It's so fun to have girlfriends!

Brad's Driving!

PaPa Bruce took Brad out in the jeep! Ahhhhhhhhh! He is such a pro. He can hardly reach the clutch, but he didn't even stall it out. Just think, 6 more years and he'll be legal!

Back to the Basics

Circle the Wagons!

He's obviously gotten too much desert sun.

The Robert's headed out to collect treasure.

No it's not a mustache, it's Dirt!

Soto Fam knows how to camp.

Just another camp weekend! We have such a fun time together out in the dirt. Let's do it again soon!

Book Worm Breven

Way to go Brevy! We are so proud of you. Always remember that books can take you on any adventure you want! Keep up the good work!

What a Catch!

Fish gumbo, fish Anyway, like I was sayin', fish is the fruit of the sea. You can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, saute it. Dey's uh, fish-kabobs, fish creole, fish gumbo. Pan fried, deep fried, stir-fried. There's pineapple fish, lemon fish, coconut fish, pepper fish, fish soup, fish stew, fish salad, fish and potatoes, fish burger, fish sandwich. That- that's about it.

Okay, maybe that's shrimp, but with a fish this size we better figure what we can cook with it!

Happy V-Day!

My Paw-Paw, Jack L. Richardson, USAF, 5001st Air Police Squadron

To all of those brave men and women who have sacrificed their time, talents, and even their lives in the service of our Country we thank you. We pray for those brave men and women daily who have made the choice to protect the freedoms that our family enjoys. We appreciate the families of those who sacrifice as well, and pray for them to be protected in the absence of their loved ones. On this Veteran's Day may we remember those who serve now, have served in the past, and those who have only just begun their service to this great cause. We appreciate all that you do!

Family Fun Time!

It's a new species.....the Cooperphant!

Riley's not too excited to touch the slimy fish.

Pirate Cooper is ready for his loot!

But first, we must read the map to find the treasure.

Aaaaaargh! It's Pirate Riley.

We had such a great time with our family this weekend. Riley and Cooper came out to trick-or-treat with the boys and it was a blast. We celebrated Coop's birthday too with a little bit of pirate loot of course. The boys had a blast playing together. I loved reading to the boys and tucking them in, and Uncle Cracker (Bryce's nickname) loved taking the boys fishing of course. Thanks for making the trek out to see us. Let's do it again soon!

Trick-or-Treat

Count Bracula!

Brevenstein!

What a fun time we had this year trick-or-treating! Good company, good costumes, and good candy. Does it get any better?

What Fun!

Clara turns 1!

Isn't she a cutie? We sure have enjoyed watching Clara grow this year. It's hard to beleive it's already been a year. Thank you VanHorne Posse for the great Birthday Bash to celebrate Clara, but most importantly, thank you for sharing Clara with us. We love you guys.