A Year In Review

2008 was really a pretty quiet year for the Giovannoni household. We feel we were and are blessed. We are grateful to have escaped this year without any real crisis or drama.
Here's eight things we each got to experience, live through, or celebrated this year.

Derik

1. Celebrated his third year with Sysco Intermountain (we are so glad to have a job he loves and that has let us live comfortably!).
2. Was released as our ward's Elder's Quorum President
3. Went Camping with his family this summer....If any of you know Derik, this is a big one!
4. Hurt his foot and is know preparing for surgery to fix it, next week.
5. Survived another 365 days with a crazy wife and two demanding children.
6. Watched the children, sometimes even overnight, so that mom could go play with her lady friends.
   
7. Is currently in charge of putting together a self reliance and financial freedom class for members of our ward.
8. Helped various member of our family and friends save over a million dollars with his savvy shopping ways! (I'm only kidding about the million dollars, but seriously he's helped a lot of people save a lot of dough!)
   

Michelle

1. Started running again, and was training for the Moab Half Marathon. I ran 84 miles in a little under six months.
2. Didn't get selected as a runner for the Moab Half :( and lost all motivation!
3. Is hoping a new year will bring renewed hope and life to my running goals
4. Crocheted like crazy.
5. Enjoyed every second of my beautiful little garden, as well as the fruit and veggies it produced.
6. Got back into reading.
7. Created a few blogs to keep myself busy.
8. Hiked Mount Timpanogos for the third time

Dylan

1. Started full day Kindergarten.
2. Decided that he wanted to grow up to be a racer!
3. Went through a short but serious kleptomaniac stage.
4. Lost his two bottom teeth.
5. Tweaked his grown up dreams so that he could to be a police officer by day and a racer by night!
6. Spent a weekend with his mom, sister, grandparents and aunt and uncles at Flaming Gorge.
7. Started reading and loves it too.
8. Had his first cavity filled.

Alivia

1. Grew up all of the sudden!
2. Started talking like crazy.
3. Celebrated her second birthday.
4. Wrapped her daddy right around her little finger!
5. Started having night terrors! Heaven help me (and those that have to live with me) through this stage....
6. Experienced life without Dylan 24/7
7. Got in touch with her feminine side and discovered her passion for chocolate and/or sweet things.
   
8. Beat up and teased her older brother mercilessly.

Here's to hoping that 2009 will be just as good to us!

T'was the Night Before Christmas....

I decided that I wanted to start a new tradition this year, so I threw together a little fondue party with my family on Christmas Eve. Things started out rocky right form the get go....
Derik and I found ourselves stuck on the free-way, because of a nasty roll over crash. Once we finally arrived in Provo we were over an hour late, and I still had to cook the fondue! I usually get all bent out of shape when things don't go according to plan, and Christmas Eve wasn't any different.
I think I had just finished snapping Derik's head off here, and Nyles was trying to ease the situation.
Mean while in another part of the house where there was a little less tension, Uncle Eric took some great pictures of the family.

Aunt Cozy and Livie sharing a little Christmas Love

Dylan and his trains

Grandpa Ward, Livie, Dylan, Emily, Bentley and Aunt Cozy



Uncle Nyles and Livie

Great Grandma Benson, Dylan and Livie

Santa's Little Helper

Christmas Entertainment!

Despites it's very rocky start, our little fondue party turned out alright. I'm really glad everyone in my family humored me and made the best out of the situation. Eric was so good to let us host the party at his place. He took so many wonderful pictures, and cooked some very tasty brisket, he even ran the Wells Fargo stairs with my kids to help them burn some Christmas energy.
I unfortunately came down with the stomach flu late Christmas Eve night, and might be forever scarred by the thought of fondue! Maybe a year's time will erase my memory and we'll attempt to do this again, maybe...

Dik-shuh-ner-e

A book containing a selection of the words of a language, usually arranged alphabetically, giving information about their meanings, pronunciations, etymologies, inflected forms, etc., expressed in either the same or another language...

I came downstairs the other day to find Dylan thoroughly engrossed in trying to read the dictionary! I can't help but be a little inspired and impressed that he would do this on his own.
What five year old chooses the dictionary to practice their newly acquired and somewhat rocky reading skills? Dylan can be such a funny kid, he's a little like his mother that way, the easy things in life overwhelm and upset us, yet sometimes we accidentally or maybe a little ignorantly jump into difficult things and find ourselves having a great time.

Cutest House I Ever Did See

Dylan's Kindergarten class got to decorate Gingerbread houses today.

He was so proud of his little creation!

One Undaunted Uncle

Dylan + big crowds + things that shouldn't be touched + an apparent lack of self control and the ability to never follow instructions usually always = A Catastrophe!
Despite the many catastrophes that usually occur when Uncle Eric takes Dylan on one of his many adventurous outings, he asked Dylan to accompany him to the Museum of Natural History, yesterday for the "Wild Birds of the American Wetlands" exhibit.

Here's some pictures Eric emailed me of their little adventure

Uncle Eric, thanks for letting Dylan spread his wings!

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Chrsitmas Tree

I'm not creative enough to make my tree "cutesie" or original, so I stuck with my favorite and unoriginal design of blue and white.

About 12 years ago My mom drove me past a home in Orem that had the most beautiful blue and white lights, and I have always wanted to recreate it. Since I only spend a few dollars here and there on Christmas decorations (and only when they are drastically discounted), it might take a few years before I have enough lights to do the entire house. Here's to being cheap!

You Might Find Us Here For Thanksgiving

I'm not sure if I'm really excited or really sad. On one hand, there would be No cooking and No cleaning for me, on the other I'm crashing someone else's Thanksgiving day. On one hand I don't have to fear the family fights and the constant anxiety that plagues me when my husband and my family are in the same room, on the other hand what are holidays for if not to gather with family and fight? On one hand It's Chinese and all you can eat, on the other what's Thanksgiving without mashed potato's, stuffing and turkey?

Alivia's 2nd Birthday Part II

Usually It's me that ruins a cake but this time Alivia got her hands on it first. She found her cake and wanted some ASAP so she carried it downstairs to me upside down in the cake box.

Happy Birthday to you

Daddy bought Alivia a baby doll that drinks and pee's.

Practicing her mouth to mouth skills, what a good mommy!

It quite fun to be on the receiving end of a kiss from Livie.

Birthday Goodies

Daddy gave Alivia a new baby, Mom gave her some winter Crocs, Grandma Ward gave her these cute little hair accessories and some lounging clothes. Grandma "Joe" and Diane and Ernie gave Alivia her birthday cake and a little birthday cash.

Grandma Ward also gave her this beautiful dress

One Cute little two year old!

Alivia's Two

Two years ago today little Alivia was born! Happy Birthday!
You brought magic to this little family with your fiery personality and lovable ways. We all love you more than words can say!

Aunt Cozy and a Cavity

Dylan went to see his Aunt Cozette to have his first cavity filled.

So I learned now never to record a movie with my camera turned side ways
sorry about having to tilt your head

Dylan was petrified of the laughing gas. I finally figured out why last night.
Aunt Cozy told Dylan she was going to put on an "elephant nose" so he could breath some silly gas. Apparently he thought the breathing mask was going to make his nose become like an elephants. He kept saying, "Mom is my nose going to be like my goose egg"? I just couldn't connect the dots at the time and I thought he was just being silly because of the laughing gas.

He looks like he'd make a great fighter jet pilot!

Once the laughing gas finally kicked in Dylan had us all giggling!

Dylan giggled and giggled about everything, it was quite comical, and then he started snorting everytime he laughed. Who could have thought going to the dentist could be so much fun!

We all thought Dylan did wonderfully once he calmed down about the laughing gas, they were able to do file his tooth and fill his cavity with out having to use a needle to numb him.

Halloween 2008

For the few who didn't get to see Alivia and Dylan for Halloween here's a few shots.

Raphael

Tinkerbell
Brother and Sister


Everyone but Dad

Halloween Pumpkins

I decided for the month of November that I would focus on doing crafts and spending more time with my children. I had promised Dylan we would carve pumpkins, and I figured it would be a good way to practice and prepare myself for "craft day".
Once I cut the top of the pumpkins off Dylan wrinkled his nose in disgust and said "I'm not touching that 'stuff' until I have gloves!" Alivia dug right in and was throwing pumpkin all around the kitchen.
After Dylan decided what he wanted to actually have carved out on his pumpkin, I drew the picture for him.We only had steak knives and I realized it might not be the best idea to let him actually carve it. So here's what I (I mean 'we') ended up carving.

Before
After
The night time look

Twenty Nine

This Handsome Man Turns Twenty Nine TodayTwenty nine years ago today, Lisa gave birth to a son,
and my world was forever changed for the better because she did.

I could write twenty nine reasons why I love this man, or twenty nine things you probably don't know about Derik, or twenty nine things that make him my biggest pain in the butt, or twenty nine reasons why our world wouldn't be complete without him, but I'm afraid it would embarrass him something fierce! So I'll save Derik a little embarrassment and just tell him, I'm glad I meet you and fell in love with you, I'm glad I have had the privilege of growing and loving and learning and struggling with you. You're my diamond in the ruff, and every once in a while, when you put your guard down, I catch a glimpse of your inner most beauty and worth. Thanks for being you, because it forces me to grow, thanks for always being soft and caving in when it's something I truly want or need, thanks for going to work and letting me stay at home with our terribly naughty, but oh so lovable children. Thanks for reaching into the unknown and being a good father to our children. Thanks for working hard for our dreams. Thanks for putting up with me and my inevitable break downs. Thanks for being strong and faithful.
Happy Birthday Derik!

Not Fideo, Mummy Dogs, Witchapalooza, and Another Sorry Excuse for a Cake!

I like to blog....More often than not I just don't have any thing important or exciting to blog about. I just hate staring at the same old post day after day so even though no one really cares about what we ate this week, here's another quick review of what the Giovannoni's did and ate, over the last week.

Not Fideo (Fi-Day-O)

My dear sweet friend Cynthia who is an awesome cook shared her Fideo recipe with me. I decided I was in the mood for some Fideo the other night only to discover I had no Fideo noodles. I cooked up some brown rice and threw that in instead. I thought it was almost as tasty as the original recipe. So maybe I took the Fideo out of "Fideo", it seemed to worked out alright for me.

Mummy Dogs

Oh I'm Lazy!!! I saw these cute little mummy wieners on a blog I was browsing about a week ago and I thought they would be fun to make for the kids. To bad I got all lazy and frustrated with the stupid cheap pre-made crescent roll dough, they aren't nearly as cute as they should be.

Witchapalooza

This particular witch-stop made me chuckle.

Every year Gardner Village (in West Jordan Utah), puts on a big event with everything witches. Derik the kids and I joined our good friends the Wignall's to take the kids to see all the witches.

We tried to get a new picture of Dylan and Alivia together.

Between Dylan's goose-egged head and Alivia's diaper 'shot' these pictures are only something a mother can look at and appreciate.

My Cake Wreck!

I was really excited to put my new bundt cake pan to good use and I decided to make a pumpkin chocolate chip cake. I tried mixing two different cake /cookie recipes and the poor thing came out a total mess! I love trying out new things and mixing up new recipes, but more often than not my little creations turn out to be total disasters. This cake might look ok, but it was all soggy and mushy on the inside. I should have left out the water I added (which I couldn't remember whether I should or I shouldn't) and I think it might have actually turned out ok.