The Ellison Family Happenings of 2014!: Christmas

Here our some pictures of our Christmas and Mack's 3rd Birthday. We were truly blessed this year and thank all our family and friends for all your love and support.
These pictures are out of order but it is pretty much Christmas! I hope you all had a Merry Christmas!
Mack and Gunnar in front of our little Christmas tree this year. We went small this year because I knew my kids would knock down a bigger tree.

Mack wanted to go to Chucky Cheese's for his birthday. Here he is with is cousin Dykell riding a car. He loved it. He has been telling us he wanted to go there for a month now. In nursery the day before his birthday his nursery teacher asked him what he is going to do for his birthday. He said he was going to get cheese. She asked me if I only give my kids cheese on their birthday's. I laughed. No he wants to go to Chucky Cheese's.

Here Mack is holding up his birthday present a guitar from his aunt Lyndee and Cally.

On Dec. 22nd my mom had Grandma Day with the Parry's. This time the mother's and younger kids were invited. The kids all got matching pj's. So we put them on and headed out to Thanksgiving Point for a horse ride through the lights. The mother's all got personalized ceramic plates. Thanks Grandma's! We love Grandma day each month!

This is Mack and his sleeping routine. He has to have his books and Rock's drill to go to sleep each night.

Our annual Carter Christmas Eve party at the church. I was in charge of the games.

Gunnar with one of the balloons used in the games.

One of the games on Christmas Eve was digging gummie bears out of whip cream with your teeth and no hands.

Santa brought the kids a train Christmas morning.

And Pillow Pets.

OUR FAMILY CHRISTMAS LETTER SENT VIA E-MAIL...
Hello my family and friends. Merry Christmas!!
I really had every intention of sending a more personalized letter to each of you, but this will have to do this year. My week of getting Christmas shopping done, baking goods, wrapping presents and putting our family Christmas cards together was replaced by the death of Rock's younger brother. Between a funeral in Island Park, ID and one in Provo I ran out of time. Can it really be only 6 days until Christmas. This Christmas our family is coming to better understand the Atonement of the Savior a little better and we are relying on its powers to help us through this difficult time. I am so grateful for the knowledge I have that families are forever!
In all actuality this year has been...how do I say this...hum.....I will not be at all sad for the year to end. I will not however, ever forget it or the lessons I learned. These lessons had to come in the form of trials for our family. From June to December we have experienced four deaths in the family. Rock's grandmother, a brother in law, an uncle, and most recently Rock's brother. It has been the most difficult year for me as a mother trying to raise two energized, curious, precious boys, and financial trials from past mistakes. But I have come to appreciate the gospel more in my life. The Atonement has had a more meaniful role in our lives and will for the rest of our days. We have been so blessed by the generosity of others. My heart is full of gratitude for all the blessings we have recieved in the midst and after our trials.
Rock is working for a great company Gerber Construction doing concrete and has been there for almost 5 years now. He is a huge Atlanta Braves, Utah Jazz, and Green Bay Packer fan. He has a huge appetite and I often wonder how a man his size keeps his figure with all the food he eats daily. (Lucky, Lucky, Man). He is a great father and our two boys love him. He has his ritual with the boys when putting them to bed.
I, Shanie mostly stay home and try and keep organization among two boys. Mack who just turned 3 and Gunnar who turned 1 in October. These two are full of energy and I wish I could somehow steal some of that energy from them. I work nights two nights a week at the Lehi Legacy Center (Recreation) supervising sporting events. It works great because they offer free day care for employees and when Rock gets off work he come and picks them up. I love to workout and my new love is Zumba, but I also love to eat anything so I guess it is a blessing I like to exercise. Plus I am a, by nature, a very stressful person so this helps me relieve some of that stress. Some days Rock is begging me to go to the gym.
Mack loves nursery and next year will be in the sunbeams. There are three boys that will be going in together. Oh the poor teacher. Bless his/her heart. I sometimes peek in to see how Mack is doing in nursery and lets just say the teacher is trying to break those three up most of the time they are in there. Mack is one adventurous little guy. The other day he climbed up on the couch and did a front flip. He learned how to go to the bathroom on the toilet and thanks to his dad in the flowers. He has even pulled down his pants on the football field in front of the fans.
Gunnar just wants to do what his brother is doing and gets frustrated when he can't keep up. He started walking at 11 months and now is running where ever he goes. He is a screamer when he doesn't get his way and when Mack takes his toys, but I have a feeling he is going to be a tough little guy because he can hold his own when those two wrestle.
Attached our two photos of our family. We love you all and we hope you have a wonderful Holiday Season and wishing you a Happy New Year!
Rock, Shanie, Mack, and Gunnar!
Gunnar and Mack in matching pj's