Christmas Card

This year we celebrated our 7th Anniversary AND our 9th move! For our anniversary we were able to leave the kids with Grandma and Grandpa for a week and we went to the Redwood Forest in California and along the Oregon Coast. It was beautiful and a lot of fun! Our 9th move was not quite as beautiful or fun!

Josh and my dad had bought a home to remodel and sell but when it was almost finished we liked it so much Josh and I decided to keep it! This is me putting a new finish on the kitchen cabinets and below is Josh taking out a wall. (That is his favorite thing to do!) So in May we moved into this home. We have really like it here.

This summer we were able to enjoy the events of the new temple in Twin Falls.

The kids enjoyed many summer afternoons at the Kiddie Pool. A few times it was just the two of them at the pool and they had a great time.

In March Shari turned 4. She loves horses so so had to have a Horse Cake! Shari loves to play with her cousins, color, go to both Grandma's houses, and sing and dance with her sister. Shari learns songs very quickly and loves to sing them. This Fall she sang a solo part in the Primary Program. She also learned a new Christmas song and sang it all by herself at Grandma Larsen's Christmas party. Although dad had to bribe her both times to sing we were very proud of her.

Shari also started Preschool this year. She loves it. She is learning a lot and making new friends.

Jamie turned 2 in June. She is such a happy girl and a delight in our home. She wants to be everywhere her big sister is and they play together a lot. She also loves to sing and was singing along with the Primary program from our seat in the crowd.

This summer Jamie got her first bike and she loved to ride it to Grandma's house. She also loves to swing.

Josh has been busy with work. He built a spec house this year and really enjoyed it. He also has been doing other construction jobs with Wayment Construction and is currently remodeling two homes that he hopes to have on the market soon. On top of it all he is finishing our basement. He is busy but happy and enjoys the work.

I am busy at home with my two beautiful girls. They make everyday interesting. This summer I took an adobe photoshop class and have enjoyed doing my scrapbooking on the computer. It is a lot less messy! I am teaching the Sunbeams in Primary and really enjoy it, although sometimes I think I am only there to babysit, but it has been fun to watch them grow and learn.

This year both my sisters had beautiful baby girls that are just 6 weeks apart. In trying to keep up with the rest of the family Josh and I announced that we are expecting a baby in June! Shari is really hoping for a baby brother, as are the rest of us!

As the year comes to a close we have much to be thankful for, including good friends and family. We wish your family a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Love, The Tanners

Putting up the Tree

Jamie has been carrying this Santa Clause all over. She keeps saying, "Santa my friend!"

The girls are getting very excited for Christmas. They had a really fun time putting up the Christmas tree this year.

I have had a hard time getting into the Christmas spirit this year but putting up the tree has helped alot. Maybe if we got some snow that would help too!! Now I just need to get some Christmas shopping done! I usually try to be pretty much done by this time of year but I only have a few gifts done so far.

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with our family and enjoyed their company.

We hope all our friends and family are enjoying in the Christmas season.

Family Night

I didn't used to be one to let the dog in the house but its hard when her and Jamie are such good friends. PLUS Sadie, our dog, has given me a whole new view of the words, "puppy dog face."

Sadie thinks she is a part of the family and even has to be a part of the game.

We got Sadie when Jamie was about 9 or 10 months old and they have been good friends since

Pumpkin Patch, Black Eyes, and HALLOWEEN

Jamie finally succeeded in picking up a pumpkin that wasn't to heavy for her! (These pictures should have gone in, in reverse order)

Shari was running into my room to slam the door so Jamie couldn't get in. Unfortunately Shari didn't know I was right behind her and not going to let her shut her little sister out. Just as Shari shut the door I put my hand out to stop her and the door swung right back into her face. The door knob hit her eye. These pictures don't look as bad as it was. It's now a week later and she is still bruised on her eyelid.

The girls had a great time going trick-or-treating. Shari was so excited all day that she could hardly stand the wait. She kept saying, "I can't wait any longer!" and "when is going to be time to go!"

Shari was a beautiful Princess and Jamie was the cutest little fairy princess!

And of course Jamie's baby had to come. The baby got to ride be in Jamie's pumpkin until there just wasn't enough room for the candy and the baby. Jamie gladly made the baby stay in the car after that!

I finally have a BLOG!

I have wanted to have a blog for a long time but just haven't taken the time to do it, until now. So many of my family and friends have great blogs and I decided it was time to join the club, plus I think I'm about the last person alive that doesn't have one!
I hope you will enjoy keeping in touch with our family as you read our blog. So this is what we have been up to...

Recently Josh and I returned from Vacation to the Redwood National Forest in Northern California. It was so beautiful.

Look closely Josh is standing at the base of this tree. It is called "THE BIG TREE." I sure it must have taken quite awhile to think of what to call it!

There is even a place in the Redwoods where they filmed parts of Jurasic Park and parts of Star Wars.

After the redwoods we traveled all along the Oregon coast. The beaches were my favorite part.

This was our hotel room one night and yes, that is the ocean out our window! In the hotel room there was a sign that read, "READ THIS IT MAY SAVE YOUR LIFE." It was about what to do in the case of a Tsunami. It said that if there was an earthquake in Alaska or somewhere other then Oregon we would have a few hours to gather our things and evacuate BUT in the case that there was an earthquake there basically we should drop our things and run! That left me sleeping a little uneasy.

After 2100 miles of driving we made it home. I would like to say that our children were thrilled to see us, but they had had to much fun staying with both grandma's that they were alittle disappointed to learn they had to sleep at our house now.

The other night we went to the pumkin patch, it was getting dark so the pictures aren't that great but we had a fun time.