Goodbye 2013 and HELLO 2014!!

I have thought for the last few days how I wanted the New Year's post to read and in particular how personal I wanted to get and open I wanted to be about our 2013 journey. 

It would be easy to say that 2013 sucked. It would be easy to say 2013 was great. Those two phrases would both be a lie.

2013 for our family was a HUGE learning experience. I think each and every single family member learned something valuable.

As "raw" as this is, here is a little timeline on our year. 

January: Shon had pneumonia
                 I had bronchitis

February: Shon and I are now married for 10 years
                   David and Jordan were sealed to us just one year ago

March: Jordan is 5
              David is 8
              David is Baptized and joins Cub Scouts

April: Ashton turned 12 a received his Aaronic Priesthood

May: School's Out
           Shon and I seperate

June: Steve (Shon's Dad) suddenly passes away

August: Shon and I are back together and move to South Orem,
               Jordan started Kindergarten 
                Ashton in in Junior High

September: Football starts for David and Ashton and we say goodbye to our Saturday                                   mornings
                      Shon and I return to the Manti Temple for the first time since we were first                               sealed.

October: Football is over! 
                 My mom came for a visit!
                 I made a fun trip to the emergency room
                 Shon turns an undisclosed age

November: I turn an undisclosed age
                     Jordan starts Taekwondo
                     Shon plays in his first Guns N' Hoses Charity game and wins!

December: Christmas time is here! It was a great one!

Like I said we all learned a lot this year.  We have gained new relationships and severed ties with others.  Shon and I learned that marriage is a sensitive relationship.  It has to be protected an worked on each day.  We learned that our children are everything and they deserve patient and loving parents.  We have learned that life can and will change in an instant so you have to make sure you are living it to it's fullest. We have learned to surround ourselves with positive and loving people. People who love us for who we are and support us as a family.  

We are excited to see 2013 go and can't wait to see what 2014 has in store for us.  We have some great things in the works. 

Happy New Year to our friends and family. May you and yours find peace in the New Year.

                  

Cheese Danish Recipe

So most of my friends know this recipe since I found it a very short time ago and I LOVE it! I found the recipe online but make note of the changes I made to the recipe...

You want to mix the cream cheese, sugar, egg and vanilla in a blender and whip it until nice and creamy.

I used 1/2 cup of sugar rather than the 1 cup. One cup made it smoother, however it made it a little too sweet (I know, is there such a thing?)  I also make sure my cream cheese and eggs come to room temperature. Every time I watch a cooking show (I can cook but baking sometimes is questionable) they talk about having these ingredients coming to room temperature.

Lay one of the canisters of crescents in a greased casserole dish. Make sure to pinch together the seperated parts as my trusty demo man is doing here (i.e. my son). I have to teach him all my trick so when I am old they can cook for...plus their wives will thank me?

I didn't take a picture of the layer of cream cheese mixture. Sorry about that. But this is a picture after the cream cheese and second layer of crescents was placed as well as the egg white wash (which is really important--don't skip that part!)

Baked @ 350 degrees

Set that timer for 35 minutes (depending on your oven of course--I have a Gas oven and it works wonders!)

When you pull this out of the oven, it is very important to let it sit for 20 minutes THEN drizzle the glaze on top of the Danish. 

I also, rather than the glaze,  have taken some squeezable jam over the top. Is your mouth watering yet? Mine is!

So imagine in this area that there was the delicious looking Cheese Danish sitting in your casserole dish here...Yup, by the time I got this bad boy out of the oven and drizzled...it was GONE! Oh the joys of having growing boys! 

Christmas Cookies

Last night we had the Frary Christmas Party. Afterwards grandma had some cookies for the kids to decorate. It was pretty funny...check it out!

Grandma adding dye to the frosting...

Brotherly love (I think this one deserves a frame) (Ashton & Jordan)

Cousin love (Savannah and Kinleigh)

Shon hanging with Bradley

David, Savannah, Kinleigh, Ashton (eating already) and Jordan

Everyone Decorating

I think this is the point when Matt (see above) and Shon started teaching the kids naughty Christmas songs

                                                  

Mr. Sawyer chowing down...

There might have been a sprinkle overload problem

Then I took a break and sat down with Miss Adi

The Kinleigh and Sawyer were found being seriously intrigued with the television... 

Then Meggie and Joe had their turn with Adi

And of course Bradley was always with Uncle Monkey

It was a fun night. I do recall Grandma saying she was happy that they were all going home with their parents...thanks Grandma! ;-)

Family Temple Square Night 2013

Almost every year we try to go to Temple Square. Last year Shon and I didn't make it. I was getting a major ear infection and bronchitis while Shon was battling Pneumonia. So this year we planned it out our plan of attack! We drove to Sandy and hopped on the Trax Train from there...

This was before we started to get cramped...and Ashton didn't have to stare and someone's backside (not even kidding).

Little did we know there was a Jazz game, Utah Symphony Concert, and BYU vs Utah Basketball game AND and Mormon Tabernacle Choir Concert...next time we will do more homework. Poor Jordan was stuck in this corner for about 25 minutes between Grandpa Frary and I...he seems thrilled right?

We had finally made it to Temple Square!!! This was after the 3 million people unloaded the Trax Train...

So after our adventerous ride, we were hungry! So we stopped to grab some food at JB's...the only decent restaurant within walking distance...

                                                           

                                      

                             

                  Meggie, Dez and Mr. Bradley all bundled up!

That's me...the annoying blogger and photographer. This was taken by my technician...see above pic of Shalynn. (No that is not my real smile)

Cousin Love!

We FINALLY sat down (actually it was only like a 20 minute wait cause everyone was on there way to the concerts so we cleaned house!) Uncle Joe taught Ashton David, Kaitlynn, Savannah and Jordan some "science projects" (PG rated folks)...the food was good...we ate and we left!

So we walked across the street in downtown to get to our destination...see how pretty it is outside. The weather was perfect. It wasn't too cold...it was about 30 degrees. And once we got cold enough to need to warm up, we were able to find an escape in either the visitors center or the tabernacle.

Getting closer...here is the old Tabernacle

We made it!!! Now prepare for more picture overload!

The Hoggans'

James, Shalynn, Kaitlynn, Savannah, Kolton and Bradley

Momma and most of her babies...

Dez, Shon, Kathy, Meghan and Shalynn

(Excuse the photo bombers to the right...I yelled at them as they walked by...) (No, not really)

Meghan & Joe

(I think Joe was a little cold...)

My Family!

Jordan, Shon, Ashton, Me (the mom, Cristina) and David

(What's up with David's neck?! and could Ashton be any more ginormous?!)

Grandma and the grandbabies...

I had to add another shot without the flash cause I just love this freaking picture...how gorgeous is the background and those kiddos?!

My most favorite shot of the night...I love it! The lights with the Salt Lake Temple showing through...amazing!

The Nativity Scene outside of the visitors center. If you look closely in the building behind is a large Christus...We didn't go to the Christus. We wanted to but the line was HUGE. We were all bummed, but at this point we were about done walking around. (See all the people on the other side?)

Another shot from the other side with the Temple in view

It goes through the story of Christ's birth...Once you get towards the end it shows this lit up... (see the snowflakes?!) :-)

 Manger Scenes

 The Manger...and when it announces the birth of Christ a light like this shows bright in to the sky...

 After the show we went inside to walk around and get warmed up again...Shon stopped to take his turn holding little Bradley

This is in front of a picture of Mary and baby Jesus...what a great scripture.

The we went outside and walked a little more towards the Trax train to go back home...I could help but get a side shot of the Temple

A lot of friends in Utah posted about how beautiful the moon was Saturday. I happened to capture this one as well...how pretty is that?! 

One last one on the square is this reflection pond...those white things you see are lights...it was simply breath taking. It was a great way for us all to remember our loving Heavenly Father. And those white speckles you see are speckles of light snow...this now making this photo my second favorite of the night.

Lastly (mostly because someone didn't charge the camera and the camera died on me), is the Bagpipe man. There is always a bagpipe player at Temple Square this time of year playing Christmas music. He was good and extremely friendly and talkative. 

We had a great family bonding time! And this was a great way to get in to the last week before Christmas!