SuperBowl Sunday!

You'll know it's SuperBowl Sunday at our house when Uncle Rick breaks out the deep fryer and starts makin' his famous Buffalo Wings!!!  In fact Celeste Wilson called from next door when she saw him starting in our backyard.  She wanted to "borrow" him and a cup of milk for her party!  

Along with the amazing wings, Rick also made homemade french fries and sweet potato fries. The wings were just hot enough to make your nose run (or was that a cold coming on), but then a spoonful of Grandma Margaret's yummy cole slaw cooled the fire down.  All his cooking along with the rest of our favorite SuperBowl treats were fabulous!!!  It's such a fun reason to celebrate with family!

Rick and Rock watching over a batch of wings!

A few years ago during SuperBowl halftime, we started letting the boys break a football pinata.  We hadn't done it for a few years, and decided that Eden needed to experience a pinata party.  However, the party store was sold out of football pinatas, so Jon picked out a colt pinata! 

Our colt, just like the Indianapolis Colts, took a beating!

Mackenzie and her boyfriend Jon with Zoey

I love this picture - Look closely, Eden's behind Grandma's shoulder grinning for the photo!

Uncle Rick started playing with Eden during the third quarter.  Little did he know, she was going to occupy him for the rest of the game!

"Again, again"

"One more time!"

Careful, she might puke on Carson!

Dog pile on Rick!

Eden hearts Uncle Rick!!!

(I wasn't thrilled with the summer nightgown that she insisted on wearing after the pinata, but you just can't argue with a two year old!)

Lucky Carson won both the 1st and final quarter jackpot.  This little boy pulled in $30 during our party! Don't spend it all in one place, Dude!

Thanks for cooking Rick and thanks to everyone for coming to our party.  It was "Super" again this year!!!

Happy SuperBowl Sunday!!!

Happy Valentines Day!

Have you got your "Valentine" on? Eden and Gracie do!  Yup, its Valentine Pajama Time!!

Oh ya, she's still wearing her sparkle shoes with PJs!

Happy Valentines Day!!!

Happy Birthday Stephanie!

To celebration Stephanie's birthday, we all went to Bonsai Steakhouse!  It was really nice of her to pick this restaurant because she knows it's the boy's favorite place to eat out.  It was also really fun visiting with Steph and Brad while watching our meals prepared in front of us.  Eden is finally starting to enjoy Bonsai rather than getting scared.  She seemed to have a ball tonight!

The chef starts the grill with fire!

Eden loved the volcano made of onions!  She kept asking the chef to make another "bolcano"!

Quinton tries to catch a shrimp thrown by the chef in his mouth, however, it landed in his eye! 

This photo catches Brad's shrimp in midair right before he caught it!

Stephanie blowing out her birthday candle!

Happy Birthday Stephanie!!! We had a great time celebrating with you and Brad.  Eden is still singin' the Happy Birthday song!

Love you!

Fancy Nancy Eden has New Shoes and Eyes!!!

Eden got these darling new Twinkle Toes (light up) Sketchers!  They are crazy and light up blue and pink when she walks. (They are so adorable that I want a pair!) She loved them so much the day we got them that she insisted on wearing them with her PJs. She even left them on over night so they would light up in her bed!!! 

Now, choosing PJs each night has become quite a fashion statement for her.  I like her to wear pajama bottoms with night gowns to keep her legs warm, but the adorable ensemble she chose with the new Sketchers had me in stitches!  Fancy Nancy has nothing up on Eden Belle!

Hazel eyes!!!? I'm having major mommy guilt...Both Quinton and Carson have blue eyes and Eden did too...until recently.  Just last week, we noticed that Eden's eyes have changed from blue to hazel like her dad's!  I feel guilty because I'm not sure when it happened and I was sure they would stay blue!  Jon says she has Erik's eyes ;-)!  They (and she) are beautiful!!!

****** Flashback - January 15, 1999 ******

Mr. and Mrs. Jon and Cidny McFarland were married at half past five on the evening of January 15th, 1999 at the Memorial House in Memory Grove, Salt Lake City, Utah.

Erik Scott McFarland served as Best Man, Margaret Yvonne Stirling served as Matron of Honor and Stephanie Jean McFarland served as Maid of Honor.  Trever Timothy was an Usher and Jonathen McFarland was their Ring Bearer. Bridesmaids include Ashley Weller, Whitney Weller and Kaysha Bushman.  The Flower Girls were Mackenzie Bushman and Jessica Bushman.  Mr. Rock Bushman gave the bride away. 

After the ceremony the couple and their guests enjoyed champaign toasts, a light dinner and dancing.  At the close of the reception the couple left by horse and carriage.  A honeymoon cruise is planned in the Southern Carribean Islands.

******Flashforward - January 15, 2010 ******

Jon and I have been married for eleven years and blessed with three beautiful children, one grandson and a granddaughter on the way.  I feel so fortunate to have become another parent to Stephanie, Erik and Jonathen.  We happily welomed their spouses, Brad and Kaycee, into our family, and we've watched proudly as they have grown into amazing, responsible adults while starting families of their own.

I love the picture above of our ceremony.  Stephanie is a crying uncontrollably, Mackenzie is pulling a face, Whitney looks terribly bored and Erik looks so handsome and grown up for 18. It's priceless!!!

Here is our ready-made family on our wedding day!

All of my beautiful neices participated as bridesmaids.  I have always loved the old pictures of me when I was my Aunt Rita's three year old flower girl and rememer fondly being a bridesmaid again for my sister Dawn.  I hoped to create the same memories for my neices. My Eden will most likely never have this opportunity as all of our family has already married. I hope that each of my neices, now grown, will remember the day that they were little princesses at our wedding.  They were so beautiful!

Our wedding celebration was one of the funnest wedding parties that I have ever been too!  I look back at the experience with joy at having been surrounded by all of our family and friends with no planning or expense regrets. And I love nothing more than hearing from friends that attended the wedding (even years later) that they still remember it as a wonderful celebration. Other than bringing our babies into the world, it was one of my best days ever!!!

I'm still deeply in love with Jon.  He is a wonderful husband, friend and father.  I feel so blessed to be the mother to our children.  I look forward to years of adventure still on our horizon and to growing (even) older with him.

Happy Anniversary Jon!  Love you...Always!

XxOoxxxx

Happy New Year 2010!!!

Fondue left overs from Christmas Eve are always a tasty treat on New Year's Eve.  Rock, Rick and Rhett came to polish off the left overs with us.  We also made chocolate fondue for the first time (Thanks Kaycee and Erik for the new chocolate fondue pot and chocolate)!  It was a great finish to our favorite meal!!!

Celebrating with the McFarland's

Cheers to you and yours!!!

My New Year's Resolution:  In 2010, I'm hoping to find the positive in each situation. While the economy has dealt so many of us a full helping of challenges, I really would like to try and keep a positive attitude.  We have been blessed with beautiful children who are growing into amazing individuals.  I need to remember that my stress or anxiety affects us all.  Surely, there has to be some postive aspects in every challenge!

We hope you will be happy, prosperous, blessed, healthy and positive in 2010!!!

The Lights at Temple Square

On the 26th, we ventured out in the cold to see the lights at Temple Square with Kaycee, Erik and Jayden. It was freezing!  So, we bundled up all the kids in layers and layers of clothing and headed out.

Spending the holiday with Kaycee, Erik and Jayden was so very special.  Their visit was way too short, but it will always be such a very memorable Christmas.

Thank you Kaycee and Erik for your love and the precious gift of your holiday time!