It's Christmas Time!

Merry Christmas all. Hope it was a fun one for you. As most of you know with kids, Christmas is the best. (And early.) Ours started off with my Jared waking Drew and them both going down to look at what Santa left at 2:30pm(I think he forgot I told him not to come out of his room till 6 AM) By the time we got them back to sleep it was about 4:20am. Luckily they slept till 6:40am. Then woke us all up for gift opening.

Drew loved all that he got. He says his favorites are his tools, his ipod, his big speed racer cars and his little speed racer cars.
Jared's favorites was his tools, his ipod, his erector set, and iron man pjs.

Caleb had fun for a few minutes with opening gifts, but he liked jumping on the boxes the best. His favorite was his Blues Clues book that has about 10 stories in it.

VanderToolen Christmas Party!

We had a fun Christmas with Jen's side of the family. Each year one of us kids are in charge of the party and this year it was my twin brothers turn. We ate dinner and did the traditional things. We brought gifts to give the Primary Children's Hospital, Pinata, and Grandma's play.

Darrin and the adult Pinata. Jeff my brother makes a pinata for the adults. It is crazy hard to break open. It takes many big adults many of there hardest swings to open it. My then the candy hopefully survives. The adults love it each year.

Jared and the pinata. He broke it down before I could take a picture. I made him stand so I could take a picture.

Drew hitting the Pinata.

Caleb and the pinata. He did not want to give up the stick.

The boys waiting for the pinata to brake open.

Drew in the play.

All my younger nieces, nephews, great nieces, great nephews and my boys in the play.

Caleb loves his antlers.

Caleb thought he was the star of the show.

Thanksgiving Fun

We had a great Thanksgiving. Grandma Rachel was with us and she helped the boys put on a skip about the first Thanksgiving. It was fun. Grandma loves to do this play because we are related to Gov. William Bradford.

Drew with the hat he made.

Jared with the hat he made and with our version of the Mayflower.

Caleb as the Indian.

Relaxing on the deck after dinner. The weather has been so nice until today. Today it is a snowy blizzard.

Live Nativity

Drew and his friend Kess. They were both townspeople.

Jared and Keat. Keat was a Shepard and Jared a towns person.

Jared and Drew.
The boys and their friends.

Jenny and the boys.

The boys and I got the chance to be in the Live Nativity at our world wide known stage of Tuachan. It is a beautiful outdoor theatre in the red rocks of Southern Utah. It was an awesome experience for us. Twice a night they act out the Nativity for people to come see. They boys and I were towns people. It was something that our ward did. What a great time. The boys loved it.

What have you done?

What have you done?

I was reading my niece Katie's blog to see pictures of her cute little girl and she had this on her blog. It looked fun so I thought I would give it a try. Here is a list of things. Highlight what you have done.

1. Started your own blog..My kids are too cute to not be seen
2. Slept under the stars..love camping
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii..I want to go again bad
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain..lived on a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis..lived by a field
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables..they taste the best
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language..baby talk
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie/commercial
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

We're So Happy!

Can you guess what makes my boys so happy?

No, it's not going to bed early.
No, it is not eating their vegetables.


No, it is not doing their chores. It is that,

Grandma Rachel is coming to visit. We are so excited to have her with us for 12 whole days. We didn't think we would even get her because a couple of weeks ago she fell and broke her hand. She did a good job at it. Not only did she brake it in several places but she dislocated it too. She was to have surgery yesterday. However, they were able to move the bones around and they didn't have to cut her open. YEAH!

Hide and Seek

Caleb has found a favorite new place to play. Anytime I go into the laundry room to do laundry he thinks he needs to climb in the dryer.

He tries to close the door because he doesn't want to leave.

Drew thinks it is funny and wants to get in with Caleb. I have had to tell him he is too big.

He cries when we take him out. We love him so.

Happy Halloween!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! Hope you all are enjoying it. My kids have had a fun time so far. As you can tell the older boys wanted to be football players and the youngest was a clown.

Last night we had Trunk-O-Treat with our ward. The kids had a ball. We started of with dinner of hot dogs, chip and doughnuts. Along with a Pumpkin contest. They had a movie playing on an outdoor screen and for the little ones a train ride pulled by a tracker. My kids had a ball. Followed with going to peoples cars to get candy. I am amazed how creative people are with their trunks. I am so glad I live in such a great ward.

Jared and Drew on their way to school.

The boys with their friend Meadow.

Caleb discovering that people give you candy for free. He know loves Halloween.

Caleb and his friend Tanner Trunk-Or-Treating.

The boys at the first car. I loved trunk-or-treat the day before. It has made Halloween more enjoyable for me. We did our trick or treating yesterday so we will take the kids to dinner and do some fun things with them.
Drew in his school parade. He is so cute. He was nervous!

Drew the football player.
Caleb playing on playground during the parade.

Jared at his parade.
Jared with some of his class.

Playground Fun!

The other day we took the boys to their school to play. They have a great playground and we wanted to have a picnic. Drew just loves playing on the "Big Kid Playground".

Caleb loved the slides. He would say wee each time he went down. Caleb is our child how wears a lot of band aids on his head. This lasted injury was from following on a toy. I tell Darrin between our three boys, we should buy stock in band aids.


This is my favorite. In Caleb's hand is his chicken. He loves to walk around eating. If he ever falls he will sacrifice his head/face for his food. He will not let go of it.(Thus the need for stock in band aids)


Jared is growing too fast. He is such a good helper with his brothers.

Drew is our silly boy. He loves to pull silly faces during pictures. He says the funniest things. At our school kids get rewards for walking 50 miles, 100 miles, 150 miles and 200 miles. Our store is donating the prizes. Jared was telling us how he is going to work hard and get his 50 miles so he can get his jump rope. Drew looks at him and says "Duh Jared. Dad owns Play It Again Sports, we can get a jump rope anytime for free we don't have to walk 50 miles." We had to inform him he won't be getting one for free.

Caleb's attempt to follow his brother.

Going home.