Christmas 2011

 

I feel like I am just coming out of my Christmas haze.  This weekend was a complete whirlwind of activity.

On Saturday {Christmas Eve} one of my brother's best friends was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  And that is a whole separate post.  My brother & dad spoke, my mom hosted an Open House afterwards, then we cleaned up & did Christmas Eve dinner & the family talent show and then got ready for Christmas morning.  Needless to say we were all tired & the fun hadn't even started yet!

Christmas morning found us at my parent's house.  You are probably wondering when I am ever going to grow up & do my own Christmas...and the answer is next year.  I have a love/hate relationship with Christmas morning at my parents.  I love being there & the added bonus of my parents & Kevin make it so much more fun.  I hate the transporting of gifts {like really detest} & the sleeping over with kids that won't sleep.  This year,  I am happy to report they actually both slept great...it was just my pregnant self that did not.  So it is a trade-off.  But this year was Kevin's last Christmas before he leaves on his mission.  So to mother's house we went & I am so very glad that Scot & Scoobs insisted we be there instead of home by ourselves.

Something that I have come to learn these past couple of weeks since my brother has been home from school over Thanksgiving & Christmas is this: Scoobs adores him.  And by adores I mean is within 6 inches of him at all times, in all places.  And even moreso, I've realized they are actually the same person, in two different bodies.  Scoobs competitiveness?  Kevin too.  Scoobs size?  Kevin too.  Scoobs sarcasm?  Kevin too.  The list goes on & on & on...which actually makes my life pretty darn easy because I feel like I have a good handle on what to watch out for & what to not worry too much about.

Back to Christmas morning.  My kids were really fun this year.  A few hi-lights:

The Lady slept with our Baby Jesus 2 nights prior to Christmas so she could be sure he was well taken care of -- pretty sure she'll be a big help when this baby comes.

Scoobs was worried to tears on Christmas Eve when I was tucking him in that he would be on the 'naughty' list.  Trust me...he had reason to worry with his smart mouth the week before!  It was so sad & funny at the same time!  Don't worry I was Mother of the Year & pretended like I didn't see any presents for him before he came in the room the next morning...

Scoobs was ticked that the Lady had the biggest present {a doll house}.  And he was like Ralphie on a Christmas Story looking for a gift about the size of a Nintendo DS.  Too bad it was hidden just for that reason!  He was pretty intense {shocker} about the whole thing, which made it all worth it.

 

pretty sure he was on the nice list this year.

And my favorite?  This little Lady trying on all her dress ups one after the other & then taking to the streets on her new tricycle. 

 

And while I know it is not about the presents, hearing her ask, "Do I have more presthents?" with big surprised eyes & a little lisp makes those presents oh so fun.  Soon enough they will realize that the greatest gift of all was the birth of our Savior...

Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas...To You from Me.

Last year I made the mistake of designing everyone's Christmas card prior to my own & then hating both designs I did for myself.  Yes, that's right, there were two & they were both lousy.  This year, I was not going to let that happen because there is nothing more annoying than your own card being lackluster.  I have a hard time designing for myself anyway & after I design 50 cards & then come to my own, I've usually used up all my good ideas & I have nothing left in the tank.  So, this year, I had a plan & I stuck to it & I have to say, I actually like my own card, which is a rarity.  So let us celebrate that...and one other thing...

{notice the empty shoes}

it's a boy, in case you hadn't already heard...and we are all really excited.

And if I'm keeping it real, photos by Lindsey...on a random Sunday morning.  My kids' outfits were chosen 15 minutes prior & my sister forgot we had talked about doing pics that morning {the day before} and I went & yanked her from her family in her pjs for our little session...whatever it takes right?

You should also know, that she had to move a head {I think she moved the Lady's} to get that super cute picture of both my kids on the back.  This year I've decided that good pics are rarely the result of the actual people in them & moreso the talent of the photographer.  More on that later.

Just Found This.

I was going through some pictures {trying to find an old card for my etsy shop} and I stumbled on this little gem. I'm not sure why it is edited like this, or cropped like this, but I like it. I knew immediately that we were on the coast, but I could not recall which year it was. I tried looking at my shirt & my hair, but it didn't drum up the year...you know, like looking at the date stamp did. It was the summer after the Lady was born. We typically hit up Cold Stone at the end of our week, so I'm wondering why I don't look more haggard because I do recall that was a tough trip for me. The Lady was only 10 weeks old & the bone tiredness had set in. And oh yeah, she cried the whole time. ew. Just thinking about it sends shivers up my spine...especially compared to this last year {which was dreamsicle} But looking at this picture, I'd have thought it was any year but that year.

Sometimes, I think our minds play tricks on us.  Do we always remember events exactly as they were, or do we remember it how we wanted it to be, or expected it to be, or just the pain of it?  I feel like I remember the sleepless nights really well {maybe because they are still happening?} but forget the Cold Stone trips, the late night snuggles & the laugh out loud moments.  Sometimes it is probably just better to forget all the crap & remember the Cold Stone moments that were great.  I need to do that more often.

Plus my mom...she's really fun.

Frolicking...in the Sand.

To say we had fun at the beach this year is an understatement.  A big one.  I started to look forward to our annual trip about 6 months ago, in the dead of winter, when I realized our kids would both be at great ages & a pregnancy was not on the horizon.  Every other year, I was pregnant, had a newborn or a 1 year old.  That was not the case this year.  It has been a long time since I have been so foot loose & fancy free.  Diaper bag???  What's that?  The traveling was easy.  The feeding was easy.  The sleeping was easy.  And the fun...well that was easy too.  It has been so fun to soak up this summer with my kids & enjoy them being kids without weight of a baby or pregnancy.  Really...all you mom's know what I am saying, right?

And the kids?  Well they did not disappoint.  They were so very fun & are turning into great little travelers!

 

Could you just eat her?  She loved to put her toes in the water & run from the waves.  She could live in the sand & asked to be buried multiple times a day.  I think all 4 of her bathing suits are ruined from the sand.  oh well.  Money well spent.

 

This guy never.quit.  Ever.  All the other kids 5 & under sacked out on the beach at least one afternoon.  Not him.  He was going.going.gone by the last day.  He rode his own bike along the boardwalk to the doughnut shop this year & did awesome.  He was pretty proud of himself. 

 

He also learned the 'art' of body boarding this year.  His famous words?  "Mom, where's my board?  I'm gonna go catch some waves."  What 4-year-old could be more fun??

 

Making his way out... 

 

with all the big kids... 

 

taking some falls... 

 

and catching some waves.

I can't tell you how many surfers stopped to ask him if he was okay or needed help as they came in. 

 I have to admit he looked pretty little out there.

As always...his skills were pretty impressive.

 

We all know little girls have cute bathing suit bums...but this little guy managed to pull one off too...and by little guy, I mean Scoobs.

 

I think I gained 10 pounds eating doughnuts at the pier every morning.

Calories & time well spent.

 

Until next year...

These are a Few of My Favorite Things: Bear Lake Edition.

Scoobs with some of his cousins

To fully appreciate my love of Bear Lake you must know a bit of the history.  Bear Lake as I know it, was built by my grandfather.  It is a place my mom grew up coming & I place I grew up coming.  It is not fancy, but it near & dear to my heart.  As I've gotten older, I haven't had to opportunity to go as frequently as I did in my youth.  As we drove into the itty bitty town that holds what we call, 'Wits End' I actually got a little teary.  The place holds so many choice memories that I had forgotten until we got on the very streets.  Pulling into the yard with our windows down, the smell overcame me.  It was so familiar & exactly the same as I remember...except I couldn't remember it until I smelled it again.  And the picture above?  I think I will blow it up and hang it right next to the one of me when I was 5 with all my cousins in the yard with our sticks.  It never gets old.

So here are some of my favorite things...in photos.

 

The tire swing.  The same one I used & it still never gets old.  Unless you get going crazy & whack into the tree.  That is not fun.

 

The red clubhouse swing.  I'm not sure how long the red clubhouse as been there, but I never remember it not there.  I am pretty sure we've gone through a couple swings though.

 

 

The ladies that make it all possible. my mom & grandma. 

 

Baby Birds.  We found this nest & my cousin got it down without touching the birds & the kids hunted & fed them worms.  Gross, but really cool.  The birds eventually got too big for the nest & it fell from its perched place & we had to have a little rescue mission.

 

The reservoir & the plank.  Scoobs was a little nervous to get out on it.

 

Bullet casings...and the search thereof.  I've put about 20 of these through the wash as he has had them tucked into every pair of pant pockets.

 

Motorcycle rides. This is the same quad my grandpa used to drive me on.  Love it.

 

And stops along the way on those motorcycle rides.  The water was really high this year, so the stream was full.  Lots of fun.

 

Play time.  The yard kept 11 kids busy for hours on end.  I think they spent 2 whole days catching bugs among plenty of wiffle ball games.

 

No trip is complete without a raspberry shake.  The Lady learned she really loved ice cream & I learned she can tolerate quite a bit of dairy these days.  win-win.

 

Fireworks.  Scoobs was all.over.these.  Here he is with a roman candle thinking he is the man.  I was just hoping to leave with all his fingers in tact.

 

On the very last day I took Scoobs for his last motorcycle ride up the canyon right outside our driveway.  It is a ride I've done about a million times, but had yet to go to the very top on this trip.  I was a little nervous to go by myself with the water being so high & having to cross the stream several times to get to the top.  But decided to go ahead anyway.  As I was driving up my mind started to wander & I remembered taking this ride to the very top with my grandpa & my parents.  I could see the end in my mind & remembered my grandpa pulling out his buck knife & carving my initials into one of the trees.  The water was high that year as well if I remember correctly & the so the trees were very soft, making the carving very easy.  As I thought about this I started to wonder if I could find the tree.  I was sure this was the ride, I just wasn't sure where the end was.

We got to a dead end where I could no longer cross the stream & still hadn't found the tree.  I remembered getting off our motorcycles all those years ago & hiking around a bit, but I never remembered all the water, like it was now.   As I looked around I determined that I needed to cross the stream...again.  So Scoobs & I took off our shoes & rolled up our pants & hoped we didn't slip in.

We made it across & there it was.

 

A.B. 7-95

This was my favorite part.  It felt so good to be near him again.  

thanks grandpa for all the memories. xoxo.

Easter.

Safe to say Easter served us well this year.  This year was the first time Scoobs actually remembered what Easter was all about & the traditions that we have done in the past.  He was beyond excited to see that yarn tied to his bedroom door & mazed throughout the house.  This year the Easter Bunny left his basket in the dryer, which he found beyond hilarious.


 The Lady was just along for the ride...but she definitely looked cute for it!



We got to our neighborhood Easter egg hunt, just to realize we missed it.  Not to worry though Scoobs had plenty of friends donating to his basket.  I'm not sure he even realized we missed the 'main' event.  He was delighted to do the Chinese egg roll & see an egg splatter on mom in the egg toss.


I'm glad for the opportunity to reflect on the true meaning of Easter & have the chance to teach that to my children.  There is nothing better than hearing a 4-year-old bust out the word 'resurrection' with a slight lisp.  Nothing.

My Ordinary Life.

I spent the weekend with just him.

and this view.

 

and yet I could not wait to get back to this...

 

and this.

 Safe to say.  I love my little ordinary life. 

Remember that Holiday Christmas?

Well here are a few hi-lights...

The fam on Christmas Eve @ my mom's {and dad's}. We gathered for dinner & a 'talent' show...good news is the grandkids are more talented than the kids. bad news is, jingle bells was performed 3 times, 3 different ways. Scoobs included in that 3 times...he sang it with Kevin's accompaniment on the guitar & I think he can carry a tune better than Kevin, which really isn't saying much but this 'non'musical family will take anything we can get.

The Lady Christmas morning. The tear is a result of the answer 'no' to a candy cane. Notice she has a new kitchen set behind her & another present in front of her. She may or may not be the diva of this household.
Christmas afternoon all the family meets at my mom's {and dad's! again!} to exchange gifts & basically waste the day away outside. A new development on the cousin front...there is a new posse forming in the baby division with Sophie {1 year older than the 'babies'} leading the troops. Gotta love the Lady & Tanner's rapt attention. Also gotta love the bare feet on Christmas day.

And the hi-hi-light? Scoobs' goof Christmas morning. I must preface the video though with a few comments.

First, how Santa works at our house is this, every gift is from Santa, with exception of the 1 big gift, which is from Mom & Dad {me & scot}. So the Lady got a kitchen & Scoobs got a Wii, which is a whole other discussion in & of itself because I get that a wii is a little over-the-top for a 3 year old. another day, another time.

Second, we open Christmas morning at my parents house so there is a larger cast of characters. You will hear me & my mom & see Scoobs, Scot, the Lady & a bit of my dad.

So now...Scoobs opening up his Wii. enjoy.



Hope your Christmas was wonderful!

We Were {are} Thankful.

My last post was entitled 'December' which means I missed November entirely here, which isn't the case in real life.

We were & are very thankful.
Our Thankful tree kicked off the month of November & this year we had lots of thankfuls from lots of people. My fam was here the night we started it, so we have thankfuls from them & Scot's fam joined us via iChat, so we have thankfuls from them too. Loving this tree year by year. Although, I think the 'day before Thanksgiving' family picture shot needs to be rescheduled...because I looked like this in last year picture too. A day of sweats & cooking the day before the day. whatevs. We're thankful for that too...among other things:
skinny jeans on the lady. seriously?!? Do skinny jeans come any cuter? Come Christmas, she'll have some black ugg boots to go over them {and no, they are not the real deal...she's not even 2...no uggs for her.}
Cousins...near & far.
Turkey Hunting
I might have enjoyed this too much.
...or maybe not. Safe to say, it was a hit for young & old alike...until someone got a dart in the eye.
A fabulous turkey...really. It was absolutely delicious, but I still ate 4 times as many of Julie's au gratin potatoes compared to the turkey. Who wants turkey when you have all the sides?
and we can't forget Black Friday, which started in the wee hours of morning. This pic is after TEN hours of shopping...can you see it on our faces? Needless to say, we were ready to drop dead.

And now we can move to December.