Merry Christmas!

Christmas Without The Magic?

Quick! Take down halloween and throw up Thanksgiving! 

Quick! Put away the wooden pilgrims and throw up the Toy Soldier! We only have three and a half weeks to display it! 

Tree upstairs. Tree downstairs. Lights on the house. Lights on the fireplace mantles. Lights on the entry table. Lights on the porch. Lights on the hutch at the top of the stairs. Two battery operated candles. Illuminated presents above the entertainment center. Don't forget the Sentsy warmers!

Turn ON the light displays in the morning. Turn them all OFF at night. 

"I did it last night!"

"I don't know why we have so many things of lights, anyway!"

"Is that new? I don't remember that from last year?"

"Why do we have so much junk (that's Jason's translation for Christmas decorations)?

I swear that when I was little Christmas was full of magic. The lights twinkled brighter, the carols were prettier, and snow was fun! The older I get, the more the magic disappears. The string of lights on the house constantly has at least one bulb burned out. The songs are getting annoying- the same ones over and over. Snow translates into dirty slush on the garage floor that melts into mud puddles that the kids then step in on their way in and out of the car and house. Yuck!

Just Tuesday, I made Jason hang ornaments from the arch on my porch. He had to use a 12 foot extension ladder to reach the brick archway in order to drill in screws to hang them from. He made a good point: "Isn't Christmas NEXT WEEK?!" Yes. But don't they look cute.

I keep thinking that my shopping is done. Then I wake up in the middle of the night, panicked when I remember who I've missed! 

I still haven't gotten Great Grandpa Palmer his gift, though not for lack of trying. Target was completely sold out of dust busters! You have to think of something that he will REALLY use. This year, a dust buster meets that criteria. 

I can't wait to see the expression on the kids' faces Christmas morning when they see that Santa has come. I will enjoy hanging out with the family and eating the yummy candies. It's just.... some of that Christmas magic is lost when your the grown-up who is responsible for the planning, the purchasing, the wrapping, the counting (got to keep it even with kids), and the making sure it's just right, of every gift. Not to mention coordinating all the parties and get togethers, the neighbor gifts, the church callings, and the school activities. And, a Christmas dinner made by me just doesn't taste as good as the meals that someone else cooked for me.

We have made Jesus a big part of the holiday. Don't think that I have forgotten what this season represents. I am so grateful to my Father in Heaven for the blessings in my life. But, lets be real. We adults have a lot to do this time of year. It makes me appreciated all that my parents did for me when I was little to make the season a magical time in my life. I want this time of year to be magical for my kids, too! After all, who wants a Christmas without the magic?

Hannah's Dance Recital

This is a clip of Hannah's Dance Recital from Saturday. It's a little long (almost 3 minutes), but if you have time, take a peek. Thanks, Bryon, for recording it, emailing it, re emailing in a smaller format so I could post it, and for being a GREAT Uncle! We love you! Soon, I will have a new, digital video camera of my own! Yipee!

six Quirky things about me

#1: I iron EVERYTHING! I hate that I do it because it can be so time consuming, but I can't stand for me or the family to wear anything that has even a slight wrinkle in it. Drives me crazy! (It doesn't bother me with other people, in case you're a person that doesn't iron. Don't think I'm judging!)

#2: I cannot stand for anyone to breathe near my stomach or my knees. You know when you were little and people would pin you down and give you a raspberry on your belly! AHHH! Just thinking of it gives me the shivers. When my kids were little, if they walked up and breathed on my knee.. AHHH! Sometimes, when Jason feels like torturing me, he'll pin me down and do this. He'll even call for the kids to join in. Not Fun!

#3: I HAVE to wash my hair everyday. Not because it necessarily needs it, just because "I know" if it's been washed or not and think that I look "dirty" to other people. Dumb, I know.

#4: I HATE the feel of oil. When I get my nails done and the girl goes to put the oil on my cuticles at the end, I can't stand the feeling. It's like nails on a chalkboard to me. Why? I don't know.

#5: I open my mouth wide when I put my mascara on. Hannah pointed it out to me one day. I've tried hard to keep it closed, but it always ends up open. Weird!

#6: Seeing or hearing other peoples snot makes me gag! It all dates back to my first year working as a nurse. I needed a "sputum" sample from a man with pneumonia to send to the lab. I gave him a specimen cup that was at least 1/4 cup in volume. I told him to call me when he had something for me (meaning one little snot ball). He called about an hour later. The cup was COMPLETELY filled with lugies!  (Is everyone else gagging now!?) Now, I can't even wipe my neices noses. Some nurse I am! :)

I tag: Everyone who wants to share a little about themselves!

All I want for Christmas....

So, my sweet Dad ordered my Wicked tickets for me yesterday. I had to be in Hannah's class at 10:00 A.M. for reading groups, which happened to be the exact same time that the tickets went on sale online. I called my Dad to help me out:

"Order me four tickets. I don't want to sit too close (because it's hard to see everything that's happening on stage when you're too close), but not way off on a side either. Just get whatever time or date that is available (it isn't until April)."

I gave him my credit card number and went to the school. When I got done with Hannah's class, I called my Dad to make sure he was able to get online and get them.  

"Yeah, I got you four. They were pricey little buggers." 

"Oh? How much were they?" 

This is the part of the story that gets crazy. He answered me by telling me the price. I thought it was the price for all four tickets, but NOPE! It was the price for ONE ticket! I nearly had to pull my car over when he told me what he had paid! 

He felt so bad at my reaction. He thought that I knew the price already when I called him with all of the information to buy them. He didn't know that I had never actually checked the price! 

Here's the thing. I know that I will enjoy the show, but Jason will not enjoy it for what it cost! I decided that I had to just hang up with my Dad and call Jason to tell them how much the tickets cost. He answered, I blurted out all of the information, then I said, "Now you know. Goodbye." before he could even say much. By the time he got home from work yesterday, he had digested all the information, and wasn't too mad. 

Now, today, I have four tickets to the April 19 show (every show for the SLC performance was completely sold out by yesterday afternoon.. BTW), my husband knows the truth of what I spent for them, and I saw my cute friend, Jenny. She thinks that Kevin and her would be a perfect double-date couple for us. Sweet! Two tickets sold, and a fun couple to go with. What more could a girl want for Christmas.

So, Alexis, this is all I want for Christmas, because my husband might choke if I ask for anything else! :)

Christmas Tree TAG!

My friend, Carly, sent this tag to me. You just take a pic of your trees and post them. 

The first three pictures are of our "SPORTS TREE." Jason and I received our first ornament of the Hallmark Sports series for Christmas the year we were married (1995) from my brother, Alan. It was Shaq hanging from a backboard. Alan didn't know what he was starting! Hallmark made ornaments in the following sports: basketball, hockey, football, baseball, and then threw in a few random athletes every year from figure skating, NASCAR, golfing, and boxing. We now have ~100 ornaments. I didn't see any sports ornaments in their collection this year. :(

I did find an ornament of Michael Vick in our collection (though this is not a pic of him). Little did Hallmark know that there would be a dog fighting scandal in Mr. Vick's life.

The overall picture is blurry of our "Sports Tree," but you get the idea!

This is the pic of "MY" tree! It's a 12 foot tree that I set up upstairs. This was a new purchase of mine last year. This year, I only bought a few new ornaments to add to it. The kids aren't really impressed with this one. I wrap gifts in coordinating paper. Only packages that go to friends and extended family get put under this tree. Otherwise, we celebrate Christmas morning downstairs around the other tree.

Traditions

So, several years ago, I started our own family tradition. On Christmas Eve, instead of leaving cookies for Santa, we bake and decorate a birthday cake for Jesus (notice the "We heart Jesus" on the cake?). The kids LOVE it and it gives us a good opportunity to talk about the real meaning of why we celebrate Christmas. Our family enjoys it because it has taught the kids the Nativity story and we think that Santa likes getting something other than cookies at every house! :)

7 Great Years of Hannah

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Start Spreading The News.....

So, my Mom and I have planned a trip to NYC April 6-10 (or right around there)! We are so excited! My mom has never been. As you can see from my header picture, Jason and I went once (2003) at christmas time. It was SOOO cold and Jason had a really bad cold/sore throat/sinus infection, so it wasn't very fun. (He snored all night- every night! And since we were in a hotel, I couldn't really go and sleep on the couch to get away from it!) The pic in our header has the Rockefeller tree in the background. There were so many people walking through the plaza and you're not aloud to even stop to take a pic. You are expected to take the pics as you're walking! They have police directing the pedestrians. We actually got yelled at while we took this! Ahh, the memories!

I decided that I wanted to go again, but with someone who would really enjoy what NYC has to offer: shopping, musicals, sites, and getting up at 5 am to stand in the plaza at the Today Show! I want to see Central Park in the spring! I did ask Jason if he wanted to go, but he quickly said NO! So, I asked my Mom if that was something she would want to do. She loved the idea! My Dad wouldn't really be physically able to ever take her. So- together- we will see and conquer!

Anyone and everyone is invited to tag along! I think the more the merrier... but you do have to pay for yourself. My job as a stay-at-home mom doesn't pay that well! :) Let me know if you're interested in coming so we can book hotel and flights together, along with any broadway shows that we may go to! New York... New York!!

P.S. This is a pic of the Statue of Liberty that I took while I was standing at her base. Cool, huh!

10 Great Years of Cayden!!

After Dinner Fun!

We had dinner with the Williams' side this year. This is Jamie, Emilee, and Ashlee

Jeremy and Michelle. They are having a baby girl: due date Jan 5! Their little boy Hudson RAN when I said, "come here so I can take your picture." I guess he's camera shy! :)

This is Brandon and Jacqueline's little boy, Tristan. He is Mr. GQ. Love him! Cassidy was also here for dinner, but I didn't ever get a pic of her. :( She looked Gorgeous!

This is Brandon and Jacqueline. She's a super cook, and made a yummy cranberry/orange dessert. I HAVE to get the recipe. Mmm, Mmm.

The In-Law's, the kids, and Bryboo!

I decided it would be "fun" (not the right word to describe such an event) to put up Christmas. I started at 8:30 pm after everyone left. I forgot how much work it is. This is  as far as I had gotten by 11:30. The tree was standing, but there wasn't any ornaments on it. Finally, I just went to bed. The mess was still there when I woke up in the morning.

This is Hannah helping me decorate. Oh what joy! Notice that she fell asleep with a half eaten bag of peanut M&Ms by her. Yeah, she left me some chocolatey slobber on the couch! :)

The finished product on Friday. I DID not go out shopping at all. I just couldn't brave the crowds!

This is our 12 foot christmas tree. Hailey, my niece, came over today and saw it. She said, "Wow! That is a big tree! But, mine is going to be bigger!"

While the boys are away, the girls will cook!

12 Great Years of Taylor!

So, I hope the Williams' are coming to Thanksgiving dinner HUNGRY! I ordered two 20 pound Turkeys from Wights Farms. I pick them up in the morning. I wanted to make sure we would have enough for dinner and enough left over for soups, sandwiches, and enchiladas. YUM YUM! I will also be making the following items from scratch (thanks to my Dad for the recipes) :

Buttery Dinner Rolls

yummy homemade dressing

Love the Banana Creme Pie

And what would Thanksgiving be without the famous Pumpkin Pie!

I'm hungry! When do we eat!

Hannah's Tag: 5 unique things about her

1. Hannah is our family's biggest dare devil. She doesn't know the meaning of fear. She will try anything. It has been that way since she could talk. She would get so frustrated at Disneyland and Lagoon when she would find out she was too short for a ride. She LOVES the Tower of Terror!  She is always looking for that adrenaline rush!
2. Hannah was the first one in our family to get the hang of surfing (check out the boys' envious faces in the background). We all took surfing lessons while we were in Hawaii and she was the first one to stand up and ride a wave in. I'm sure it had a lot to do with the fact that she weighs only 50 lbs!
3. Hannah has the funniest sense of humor for a six (almost seven) year old. I can't believe some of the quick comebacks she has for the boys or some of the silly jokes she makes up. She gets all of it from her dad!
4. Hannah should have been born a fish. From the time that she could barely walk, she preferred to be under the water. Other moms at the water park would freak out when they saw a one year old under water. I would have to pull her up out of the water- which caused her to start crying- and prove that she liked it, to settle these mothers down. Crazy luck on my part to not have any of my kids be afraid of the water!

5. As anyone who lives close by knows, Hannah walks on her toes-- her very, tip toes! She has since she was a baby. It is the most comfortable position for her. She runs, jumps, and stands in place all while standing on her toes. It has caused her toes to be deformed. She physically cannot stand flat footed without sticking her butt out. We have done physical therapy, botox injections into her heel cords, and serial casting (see her cute casts in the picture), along with wearing braces on her feet, but she is still does it. I know I need to take her back to the doctor and get aggressive with treatment again, but I want her to get through her christmas dance recital first.

Thanks, Betsey, for the cute tag. It was fun to look back through Hannah's photo album and remember all the fun things that make me love her so much. 

Tic, Tic, Tic...

Daylight Savings has gotten me on a wacky schedule. I go to bed around 10:30 PM, but wake up between 4-5:00 AM--WIDE awake! It's boring.

Some mornings I'll get up and do laundry or watch the news, but I feel bad that I'm making so much noise. When Jason is in town, I've been going to the 5:30 AM class at the gym. But this morning, Jason isn't home, so... I laid in bed, pressing my eyes tightly together for an hour. Of course, I would peek at the clock now and then, hoping that an hour has passed. But no. Only four minutes! Tic, Tic, Tic...!

So I got up and read new blog entrys from my friends on the computer. Now, I'm writing my own. And it still isn't time for the kids to get up yet! AGHHH!

I know that one day it is all going to catch up with me and I will stay in bed all day!

A Pat On The Back

Hee, Hee, Hee! Some of you might wonder why I am posting a pic of my laundry room. I posted this pic because of what's NOT in my laundry room: Laundry! I finished every last piece of laundry, including: washing, folding, ironing, and putting it away! This is a rare day and I am giving myself a pat on the back! I would treat myself to a coke, but we all know that's not going to happen!

Since I quit my job as an RN, "way to go" and "job well done" are things rarely heard anymore. My great accomplishments are no longer saving a life, being known for getting "hard stick" IVs started, or making quick clinical decisions. No... my great accomplishments are small unseen things: Getting all the laundry done and put away; Cooking dinner for eight straight nights (I think that's a record for us); Seeing that light bulb come on in Taylor's eyes when he understands the way I am explaining his Math to him; Having Hannah READ out loud to me every word in a book without any help; Listening to Cayden tell me that there are nine Supreme Court Judges and that they serve until they die (smart, isn't he!). And all of this happened in just one day!

No, I don't get the "that-a-girl" anymore, but I do get to be home when the kids wake up in the morning, come home from school, and go to sleep at night. I love my hubby for making it possible for me to be a stay-at-home Mom! That's a pat on the back for him!

Here we go... Again!

So, I am giving up Coke, again! Jason hasn't drank any soda since January, and the boys gave it up in July to get ready for football. I am always back and forth with my Coca-Cola. I give it up for a few months, but soon, I'm back at the fountain filling up. It's easy for me to resist a can of coke, but not a fountain coke over the crushed "balls" of ice. Yummy! 

I was only drinking one 32 oz/ day, but that is a lot of calories AND it's bad for your teeth, AND it's tons of sugar, AND it bloats my belly (I am over 30!), AND I need to be a better example to my family, AND I'm trying to get in better shape, AND I always felt guilty ordering one when everyone else ordered water, AND when I whined that I finished the 5K in 42 minutes, Jason piped in and said, "It could have a lot to do with drinking coke." (as if dragging a six year old along had nothing to do with it) AND the caffeine isn't too swell for me either!

So, I know it makes sense to give it up, but sometimes a good Coke just hits the spot. I hope I can be strong! 

Live, Laugh, Love

I thank my Heavenly Father every day for such a beautiful, loving, fun family!

Taylor is turning 12 this month. He will be set apart as a deacon and start passing the sacrament. I can't believe that he is that old. He is such a good example to everyone around him. He knows the gospel and lives it every day. He has a quick sense of humor, just like his Dad. We are lucky to have him in our family.
Cayden will be 10 this month. He is so HANDSOME! My only blue-eyed baby. He loves to play sports and draw. He is the most tender hearted of all of my kids. He is the first to give me a hug or a kiss. I'll be sad when he is "too cool" to kiss his mama. We love this boy!
Hannah is turning 7 in one month! She is the household princess. She is starting to make and understand jokes. It's hilarious! She is a total Daddy's Girl. When the boys are teasing her, she'll yell to Jason, "Release the Daddy Cracken!" (she got the Cracken from the Pirates of the Caribbean) This is a call for him to come "get the boys" and Taylor and Cayden know it. They'll start yelling, "no, no, no!" The kids love it and so does Jason! We are so blessed.