We Made It!!

I feel like today is somewhat of a blur. The morning was boring - taking care of the needs of children, folding and putting away laundry that I was behind on, getting the girls to finish their jobs, etc. Ed & Pam headed out for eye exams (with the finest O.D. in town) and we were off to the grocery store to buy BBQ sauce, milk, and some snacks for our "party" tonight. We stopped at Tori's house for a bag FULL of Paradise Bakery cookies - at least 3 dozen - before making our way to Party City for some "Happy New Year" garb. The girls always think we should be having some grand celebration with everyone we know but we have had family visiting almost every year since we moved here so we tend to stick close to home and enjoy a quiet night.

When we got home from running errands Ed decided he needed to wash his car. It was sunny outside but not exactly what I would deem warm ... especially with the driveway being in the shade ;) That didn't stop the children from deciding it was summer and time to play in the water! They made a game out of "throwing" the bubbles out of the cooler that he was using for a bucket. Cougar had the most fun with this and we couldn't keep his hands out of the water. They had a fabulous time with Papa squirting them with the hose, riding their scooters through the water, and dashing about - remember it is the last day of DECEMBER!!I had one day left to claim my free birthday burger from Red Robin so off we went for dinner. This is a tradition in our family that everyone looks forward to. The kids especially love that they sing to you and bring you an ice cream sundae!!After we came home I had to devote some time to getting the last of my creative team projects posted for the month while everyone else played games downstairs ... Go Fish, Dominoes, etc. The movie selection (to help pass time until a ball dropped somewhere so the kids could go to bed) was Hairspray. By 9:30 people were starting to fade so we knew it was time to take some pictures, blow some horns, pop some poppers, and toast some sparkling cider to a new year. Kiddos were in bed by 10:00 - about as long as they have made it any other year :)Looks like we survived the month of December!!! I hope you've enjoyed our journey through the last month of 2008 with all of the adventure it has brought. I am happy to say that I actually posted every single day without fail ... even with a week long vacation and company in town for a week and a half. It has definitely been a challenge but I am so happy to have recorded our memories of a wonderful month. I am going to use my pictures and journaling to create a Shutterfly book and I can't wait! My picture a day challenge ended up being slightly different than I imagined going into it - I ended up writing more than I thought I would and I ended up with more than one photo most days. I am glad to have done it so my family can look back and remember our fun times and many traditions of the holiday season. Thanks for your fun comments and taking the time to follow along ... it means so much to share our lives with those we love :)

My Day ... Taken by STORM!

I never imagined when I woke up this morning where my day would take me. I went out for a run, came home to find the girls bathed and ready to have their hair done. I got showered and ready to head to the mall. I had a few things I needed to exchange, a pair of jeans that needed hemming, a watch battery that needed to be replaced, and Pam wanted to look for a few things. Poor Ed was just along for the ride :( We had lunch in the food court and then took care of most of our "mall business" very efficiently.There was a 30 minute wait to replace the watch battery so I decided to save it for another day since the kiddos were ready to head out. Brinley made a last minute decision that she wanted to go to Claire's to look at earrings so we headed back down to the bottom floor of the mall. I took us in the wrong direction by mistake and as we were backtracking we walked past a cell phone kiosk that sold for Verizon Wireless - my provider. I asked ... in passing (literally) ... "Do you happen to have any BlackBerry Storms in stock?" The salesman said "Yeah - I've got one. How many do you need?" It stopped me in my tracks. I had been considering this purchase since I was eligible for a phone upgrade in October and the news was out about the release of the Storm. It wasn't really that I "needed" a new phone. My Palm Treo has been serving me faithfully for over 2 years now. It was an absolute WANT ... new, techy, gadgety, cool. I'd looked a few places before Christmas checking them out and finding NO availability. I even called my local Verizon store this week to find them out of stock. And now Ryan had one in his little mall kiosk. Could it be true?! Was this wrong turn to Claire's the sign that I should have this phone? I had to stop and look ... and touch ... and drool. I had just enough money from my birthday to pay for it. Pam told me I deserved it - how do you say no when your mother-in-law says you deserve it?!?! As if that weren't enough of a sign there was a play area just across from the kiosk that Pam was able to take the kiddos to so they would be entertained while waiting. They were all so patient they deserve medals!!! It took MUCH longer than I expected but almost an hour later I was the proud owner of the last Storm in the mall :) Isn't it pretty?I still have to get my contacts and calendar transferred over and figure out how to use the darn thing but I am super excited about it!!! Nothing quite like playing with and learning how to use a new toy ;) Happy Birthday to me!!! To reward everyone's patience through the entire ordeal I made sure to stop at Chick-fil-A on the way home for Peppermint Chocolate Chip Milkshakes. Yes, I rewarded myself with one, too! After it was all over I realized I should have left my watch to get the battery replaced!! At least I have to go back in a week to pick up my jeans that are being hemmed.

We came home and sat down to watch movies - Wall-E in one room and Kit Kittredge in another. Steve came home and the puzzle was finally finished! I went to finish up the barbeque pork for dinner to find that I had run out of BBQ sauce!!! You must understand ... I still import my sauce from Memphis. Once you have partaken of Corky's there is no going back to "grocery store" sauce (even if you can buy it at the grocery stores in Memphis). I used to buy it in gallon jugs at Sam's Club when we lived there. My friend Mary has offered to send it to me when I need my fix. I usually buy 6-8 bottles at a time and keep close tabs on when I am running low so have no idea how I got to empty without noticing! This discovery shifted dinner plans to an In-n-Out and Taco Bell run with BBQ pork sandwiches on the menu for lunch tomorrow ;)

Once the kiddos were in bed it was time to break out the cards for a game of Hand and Foot. No visit from Pam and Ed would be complete without it!! Pam and I were slaughtering the guys after the first 3 hands so we (read the guys) decided we should start over. They destroyed us the first hand of the new game but then we came back to wipe them out the next hand. It was pretty well decided at this point that the game was worthless and we should head to bed. Bummer for me because we were playing SUPER well and I NEVER play well!!! I actually got out the tripod and used my timer to get a picture of all of us playing. How's THAT for wanting to capture the moments this month?!

Let there be Lights!

This morning began early with 8:00 A.M. dental appointments for Brinley and Ashton. They both needed cavities filled and since they missed so much school with our Disney trip I couldn't justify taking them out early another day when I could have it done over break. Two fillings (Brinley), a root canal and crown (Ashton - her 2nd now) later we were out the door - 2 hours and over $200 gone. What a great start, huh?! Don't worry ... it goes up from here :)

When we got home we found Momo, Papa, Kendyl and Cougar enjoying the backyard. They had been for a walk around the neighborhood earlier but Momo was kind enough to go for another walk with the big girls so they didn't miss out on the fun! After they got back it was a bit of basketball with Cougar's new hoop and time to sit and enjoy the glorious weather. We could not have asked for a better day in the weather department ... mid 60's, sunny, and warm. I think Ed could have stayed outside with the sun on his face all day!!
We decided to head to Target so the girls could spend some Christmas money and gift cards. Steve met us there during his lunch break and we headed to T.G.I. Friday's for a (not so) quick bite. Cougar desperately needed a nap so rather than head out to the mall as we had planned we came home, put him down, and the girls watched Prince Caspian with Momo while I tried to get another creative team project finished up.

After Steve got home we worked a bit more on the puzzle and then headed out to Mesa to see the Christmas lights at the temple. We hadn't been out there in a few years so it was wonderful to go see the beautiful light and nativity display and talk with our girls even more about the holiday season and birth or our Savior. We went into the Visitor's Center to see the Christus and watch the Luke 2 movie. I'm so glad we took the time to go this year and will make sure we do our best to make it a yearly tradition. We didn't leave the temple to come home until after 8:00 P.M. so by the time we got home I got to making scones as fast as I could (the dough was already done ... remember the dough balls? I buy extra for scones) so the kids could eat and get in bed. By 9:30 the kiddos were down and by 10:00 all was cleaned up and ready for another day tomorrow!

Lazy Sunday

Lucky for you (who have endured my ever lengthening posts) it is Sunday which means not a lot of "excitement" around these parts. Not that we CAN'T have excitement ... it's just not a requirement most of the time. I can always use the "day of rest" idea ;) After the always frantic dash to make 9:00 A.M. church I was glad to know there were no other meetings or commitments beyond our normal church meetings today ... a rarety around here with our church callings! Kendyl went looking for a comb and a cup of water after lunch to get started on Papa's hair. I have no idea what brought this ritual about but she *LOVES* to climb up on Papa's shoulders, dip a comb in a cup of water, and comb his hair (with water dripping all over his face and shirt). Maybe it is because her daddy doesn't have any lucious locks to run a comb through. She's been doing it for more visits than I can remember ... at least once a day. Ashton got in on the fun today, too, but it is Kendyl that has a passion for playing with Papa's hair. Lucky for her he is a patient man :)We finally got out a puzzle to work on this afternoon, too. We always get a new puzzle for Christmas and put it together on the dining room table. Steve's dad has always loved to put together puzzles and it is something that had trickled down to our family. Brinley loves puzzles, too, and has now put together the girls' new Fancy Nancy puzzle about 8 times in the past 2 days!! We all worked together to sort out the pieces for the edge and grouped other pieces that looked similar according to the picture. Several hours later we decided to walk away and start up again later. The girls love to sit and help find the right pieces as they see the picture come to life.After dinner the girls piled on Papa's lap while he told them stories. I love for my kids to have moments with their grandparents like this! Since we don't live close to either set of grandparents I am so grateful to see them build such fun and memorable relationships with them. I know they will have treasured memories of the times they share together.

The Changing of the Guard

Today was the day ... one family out - another family in! We did the same thing last year so should have been pros, right? This year was actually a bit easier because we were waiting on Steve's parents to arrive so we knew we had "extra" time since they were driving 10 (which ended up being closer to 13) hours from Utah. I don't know what it is about being able to stay in my room until 8:00 A.M. that gives me such a thrill - even if I'm not able to sleep. Knowing that my children are much happier being somewhere else (rather than bugging me for breakfast) and are being entertained without hurting each other is heaven!! I got right to the laundry since I had sheets and towels to turn over before Steve's parents arrived. My parents headed in for their annual eye exams around 9:30 which is when I put the children to work. We tackled the playroom, bedrooms, and their bathroom. I told them I would do their vacuuming jobs today while they finished the bathroom so we could move onto the downstairs. After a fabulous lunch of Christmas Day leftovers the guys decided it was best to hit the golf course again, Cougar took a nap, my mom and the girls snuggled in to watch Kit Kittredge, and I made the bed in the guest room, finished the vacuuming downstairs, and made a big pot of white bean chicken chili ... YUM!! Steve has issues with eating soup because he said it never gets cold enough here to warrant eating something like soup but I think after 2 chilly afternoons on the golf course he was glad to come home to find it waiting for him :) I also knew it could feed my parents before they left with plenty for Steve's parents when they arrived - how's that for planning?!?! After Kit Kittredge was over the girls decided it was time to try out their new High School Musical 3 Dance It! game for the Wii. They played for hours!!!! All of them absolutely loved it! When it wasn't their turn they would "practice" without the remotes. Kendyl didn't want to try at first (she has had minimal success with DDR so far) and was THRILLED when she got an A- on her very first try ... better than either of her sisters!It was soon time to say goodbye to Grammy and Paca. They headed home around 6:00 P.M. which was actually much later than usual. My dad is one of those "up and out" type of people but since they were here for a shorter time this trip we got the entire day which was awesome!! We had a great time with them and there were tears shed as they left ... as is the norm.Lucky for us they didn't have to wait too long before Momo and Papa arrived (around 7:30). They had had a VERY long drive and were stuck trying to cross Hoover Dam for 2 hours. We know what a sacrifice it is for them to drive here so we are incredibly grateful they are willing to make the trip to spend time with our family :) They arrived with gifts to open which was such a fun surprise!! We filled their tummies and then let them settle in as the girls read books to Momo and Steve and Papa talked sports and scouting. We have lots of time to play with them this week and should have plenty of adventures to share!

Christmas Hangover

I didn't leave my bedroom until 8:30 this morning. Now I would hate for your to think I actually got to sleep in ... that rarely happens around here. Steve was up and getting ready for work while I laid around listening to my mother entertain my children until I felt like getting out of bed! Ah, the joys of having kids that would rather see their Grammy first thing in the morning than their mother ;) Today felt like what I imagine a hangover would feel like (since I've never experienced one) - the excitement is over and you are left with less ambition and desire to be productive. I did my normal laundry routine and then kind of petered around watching the kids play with all of their new goodies. I had them try on the clothes they got to assess what needed to be exchanged, too. The girls sat down to watch Prince Caspian with my mom while I loaded Cougar in the jogger and went out for a run. It was the first time I had run outside in over 6 months and it felt AWESOME!! It is too hot to run outside in the summer (until about November) and then I started watching Easton so I haven't been able to hit the streets. The air was cold and it was windy but I was still able to run in a tank top and shorts ... which is a good thing since I don't really have winter running gear :) It gave me whole new, increased respect for my sister-in-law Jill who runs in the freezing cold mornings in Utah!! When I see her race pictures I have such a hard time imagining having to run with pants on, let alone a headband, long sleeves, etc. You go, Beansy!! I forgot the increased difficulty level of a run while pushing an extra 30+ pounds of a jogger, too! I kept at it for just over 3 miles and was so glad to have gotten out in the fresh air to enjoy the morning.

Later in the day, Steve and my dad headed off to the golf course *surprise* so the ladies - and Cougar - headed off to Target and the grocery store. I bought sweat outfits for the girls for Christmas and the sizing was way off so the outfit I bought for Kendyl fit Ashton, the outfit I bought for Ashton fit Brinley, and Kendyl was left with no sweats! I promised we would try to find her some today ... which we did. I had to head back to the Christmas clearance to see what I could find, too. I wasn't really looking for anything in particular but walked away with these:I told you I loved them, right?!?! How do you pass up the Premium M&M's for $1.74?! I bought 6 boxes (because the 3 I already had in my pantry were clearly NOT enough) and was proud to say I DID leave some for other people :) I had to add in some Reese's PB Bells for Steve along with a few bags of regular Mint M&M's for good measure. How's that for Christmas clearance shopping?

Off to the grocery store to buy pizza dough, egg nog, and molasses - random, I know, but that's what we needed. After getting the kiddos bathed we gathered around to make pizza. Our family *LOVES* to make homemade pizza and have been through phases where we do it at least once a week. Perhaps that has to do with my undying love for it ;) I found that one of our local grocery stores sells their dough balls for $1.99 which is one of my all-time favorite things! The dough is amazing and saves me the time of making it myself. Each of the kiddos gets their own dough and tops their pizza with whatever they like. We're pretty boring so it's usually turkey pepperoni, bacon, and olives. If we're really going big we'll cook up some sausage. We also MUST top it with the 6 cheese italian mixture ... YUM!!! Cougar is finally learning the joy of topping his own pizza.A day late but it was finally time to bust into my birthday mint brownies. Ashton placed the candles on top, the lights were dimmed, and a rousing chorus of Happy Birthday filled the air. I made a wish and blew out both of the candles ... must mean my wish will come true! Lucky for me we didn't have 37 candles ;)Tomorrow we have the "changing of the guard" where my parents will head home and Steve's parents will arrive. It always makes for a fun day trying to get the guest room and bath ready between visits!

Merry Christmas to all ....

**WARNING** LONG post with lots of photos ahead (skip the details if you want) ....

We had a wonderful Christmas as we had hoped :) I'm sitting here listening to the rain absolutely POUR outside and am trying to remember the last time in rained here on Christmas. I can't remember, to be honest. The cold, drizzly day added to the feel of the holiday ... one of those days you just want to curl up inside reading a book, sitting by a fire, or taking a nap. I didn't get to do ANY of those things today, but the weather and the holiday made me long for that type of a day ;)

The kiddos were up by 6:30 A.M. - SURPRISE! We have early birds here which is never easy on Christmas morning. We did still make them wait to go downstairs until 8:00 A.M. which some would consider torture ... we consider it teaching them that if they would learn to sleep in on Christmas it wouldn't seem like such a long wait!!! The morning is always fast and frantic so Steve and I like to "ease" ourselves into it ;) I caught this last glimpse of *calm* before the chaos began:The gifts from Santa were left beside the stockings filled with goodies for each of the kiddos. Brinley got a digital camera, Ashton got a Nintendo DS, Kendyl got a set of baby doll furniture to use with her American Girl doll, and Cougar got a basketball hoop! Some of the other "highlights" were an annual pass to the Science Center for our family from Steve's parents (that we can also use at some fun museums when we go to Utah), cars and a lawn mower for Cougar, a talking cash register and Hannah Montana guitar game (like guitar hero with HM songs) for Kendyl, Cooking Mama for the DS and Kit Kittredge movie for Ashton, and Prince Caspian and HSM Dance It (for the Wii) for Brinley. All of this on top of beautiful beaded necklaces (and a Red Robin GC for the boys) from Anna Marie and family, the traditional Gymboree outfit from Daddy and, of course, the American Girl dolls they have been waiting so anxiously for. We decided that rather than wrap them or have them sitting under the tree for them that it would be fun to make them search for them. We didn't make it too difficult ... we didn't need any tears this morning. Their faces lit up as they found their dolls and were finally able to open them and play with them. The girls had changed their outfits within about 10 minutes of having them opened and then proceeded to trade outfits with their sisters. Brinley had fun taking pictures of the dolls in their different fashions, too! As for Steve, he got shirts, ties, and slacks for work, a book, The Office on DVD, and a few games for the Wii. I got some new running shoes, workout clothes, Mamma Mia, Breaking Dawn, and some jewelry.While the kiddos were busy playing I took to the kitchen to make Strata - a breakfast casserole that I only make on Christmas morning. It is a recipe my mom has made for years and my kids just love it! No pics of that if you can believe it ;) After breakfast it was time for some beading with the girls. Brinley's doll came with a book of ideas for activities you could do with/for your doll. One was to create a special place for them in your room. She took to cutting pictures out of magazines to hand on the wall, set up a bed, and placed pillows up for walls. Another thing it mentioned was making jewelry for your doll. We got out what few beads I have and got to work. Each of the girls in turn ended up coming and sitting with me to make a special beaded necklace for their doll. It was so fun to have some one-on-one time with each of my girls doing something crafty and detailed on such a day that is usually too busy to take the time for such things!! It was one of my favorite hours of the entire Christmas Day experience this year and I see a trip to Michael's for more beads in our near future :)

After our beading project was done it was on to dinner prep. I love to make Lion House Rolls ... it is probably my favorite part of the meal to prepare and eat ;) I got the dough going, made up the funeral pototoes, and got the ham in the oven. I then snuck in a quick shower while the rolls were rising - ah, what a treat!! Then it was time to shape the rolls and start all of the finishing touches on the meal. I don't know what it is about preparing Christmas dinner that seems so much easier than Thanksgiving. Perhaps it is because the turkey takes so much longer or there are typically MORE foods involved at Thanksgiving. It makes Christmas dinner feel like a breeze!! We got the table set - with our Christmas dishes, no less (and a *CELEBRATE* plate for me), and sat down to enjoy a wonderful meal. It's funny ... some people think that I would hate spending Christmas and my birthday cooking all day. It is actually something I look forward to!
It was finally time to sing Happy Birthday and open my birthday gifts - that are never wrapped in Christmas paper ;) I've been so lucky my entire life to have people remember and recognize my birthday at such a crazy time of year. I lost count of how many friends sent their birthday wishes via Facebook, text message, and e-mail. Steve's parents always call to sing Happy Birthday to me (and anyone else who celebrates a birthday in our house) - I *LOVE* it!! It means a lot that they take the time to remember me on my special day that can be easily overshadowed. My mom was busy last night and today making mint brownies for my "birthday cake." My kids were so excited to give me a gift they knew I would love ... Cougar even started to unwrap it. I got cash from my parents and Steve's parents (which I have several ideas for) and my family got me an SB-600 Speedlight external flash for my camera. I've been wanting one forever!!!Steve is so good at taking "mental notes" all year long and getting me exactly what I've been asking for :) Most people who find out my birthday is on Christmas have the same reaction - "I bet you hate that," they say. I actually love having my birthday on Christmas. It makes it special. I obviously don't know any different, but I wouldn't change a thing!! We didn't even get to the "cake" tonight ... we took in a round of Dance Dance Revolution instead. What a day. Exhausting as always but fantastic to look back on. Hope your Christmas Day was equally enjoyable!!!

'Twas the Night Before Christmas ...

And I wish I could say not a creature was stirring but obviously I am still busy at work readying things for tomorrow morning ;) I'm pretty sure I just heard Santa downstairs dropping off the last of the gifts while Steve and I got the wrapped gifts set out. Oh, I love the night before Christmas!!! It has an energy like no other night!

We spent the morning at the doctor's office again with Cougar ... his lungs are sounding good (the doctor was very positive about his progress) and he will go for a follow-up x-ray again toward the end of next week so we can see if things are REALLY cleared up. The doctor felt fairly confident that his pneumonia was gone but we thought that last week before his second x-ray! Guess we'll know more next week. Then we finished up some last minute shopping ... that I swore a few days ago was DONE, right? At least I found what I wanted - no matter how boring it may be for Steve to open tomorrow morning ;) Home for lunch, delivered a few gifts, post office stop, bank, Costco, and then home to meet my parents who arrived shortly after I returned home ... HOORAY!!! We've been so lucky to have one of our sets of parents here for Christmas almost every year since we moved here. Steve's parents came last year which was such a treat since we hadn't ever gotten to have them for Christmas and they will be arriving here again on Saturday after my parents leave. The wonderful visits from family certainly make our two weeks out of school fly by!

We spent the afternoon visiting, the kids playing "Tickle Monster" with my mom, grocery shopping, and snacking. We then got to go to the annual Christmas Eve party at the Taylor's house. They are an amazing family in our ward who have a big get-together every December 24th and for some reason have invited us ever since we moved here 5 years ago. It is always a treat ... loaded with some of the finest mexican cuisine you can imagine! Red or green tamales, carne asada, the largest tortillas I've EVER seen (seriously ... at least 18 inches diameter), beans, chips, salsa, etc., and a HUGE array of desserts. Tonight they showed Joy to the World - a video produced by the LDS Church that depicts the birth of the Savior and has a beautiful segment from the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, too. Cougar found one of about three toys in the backyard - an old Tonka truck - and wouldn't let go of it! He pushed it all over their backyard ... so cute!After we came home from the Taylor's we read and discussed the Christmas story from Luke Chapter 2 in the Bible. What a wonderful way to savor the importance of the holiday where we celebrate Christ's birth. It's always so funny when we talk about it with our family because the girls are quick to remind me that we celebrate MY birthday on Christmas, too ... almost as if it was equally important. I have to teach them that while my birth was very important, Jesus' birth was important for ALL people - not just our immediate family ;) I am grateful for the opportunity to teach my children the true meaning of the holiday season and watch them "get it" a little more each year. I *LOVE* this picture of Steve and Ashton ... it isn't the best as far as quality because it is a bit blurry and the lighting is terrible but I love the image.Then it was time to open our new jammies! We have the kids open a new pair of pajamas on Christmas Eve so they will be cute for pictures the next morning ;) My mom is almost always the one to buy them and they love having comfy new PJ's to snuggle in with. This year it was flannel nightgowns and robes ... they were so excited about the robes!! After the gift opening it was out to the backyard to leave water and food for Santa's reindeer. We sprinkle it on the lawn so they know where to find us. Cookies, milk, and Premium Mint M&M's were the order of the night for Santa ... spoiled, isn't he?! Then the girls were off to their slumber party in the playroom. When I was growing up, me and my siblings (1 sister and 2 brothers) almost always slept in the same room on Christmas Eve, and now my kids do the same thing!! They love waking up together and waiting to go downstairs to see what Santa left for them. I love that it buys us a little extra time in the morning ;) We don't allow them downstairs until 8 A.M. so having each other to play with certainly helps pass that time.Well, I'm pretty sure that Christmas Magic has been sprinkled on my downstairs so I'd better get myself off to bed ... snuggled into MY new jammies that were brought for ME tonight!! Aren't they cute?!?!P.S. Thanks for all of the early well wishes for my birthday ... I appreciate all of you thinking of me (or even remembering that it's my birthday) at such a busy time of year!!!