Slideshow Image 1 Slideshow Image 2 Slideshow Image 3 Slideshow Image 3
Sunday, December 28, 2008

It was a very merry Christmas

Dear Friends and Family,

It was a great week full of family and Christmas activities. Christina and I finished off the last of the pie for lunch so Christmas must be drawing to an end. We had bucketfuls of snow get dumped on us which made for a very white Christmas. I love the line in Shrek that says "Christmas ain't Christmas till somebody cries". So we had our share of tears and cabin fever restlessness but mostly we just loved having so much family around and enjoyed spending time with each other.

Monday morning we were awakened early by the sound of Spencer loosing it in the bathroom and running in to tell us that he had thrown up in the sink because he couldn't make it to the toilet. So Spencer threw up a bunch and spent the day laying on the couch watching TV and sleeping. I showed true mother fortitude by starting off my morning cleaning out all the chunks in a very full sink so it could start to drain. The spraying lysol all over my hands and the bathroom and taking a very hot, soapy shower.

Meredith came and stayed with kids while my sister Christina and I went out for a girls day out in the middle of a snowstorm. We slid our way to the store to pick up paint for the girls room and then slid our way for Christina to get a massage while I went grocery shopping. I appreciated the kindness of strangers when I realized you cannot push a full shopping cart across a parking lot with a foot of snow on it. A man came and picked up one end while I picked up the other and we carried the cart to the van. Then Christina and I rounded off our day with a lunch at Kneaders. As I am sure you have seen Jeremy's picture of me getting stuck in the parking lot I will skip that part of the story. Just wanted to point out that you could not see the landscaping curb due to the heavy snow and that it is my first time ever in Utah having to be towed because my car got stuck. After our ordeal we sat down to lunch when Christina got that look on her face and rushed to the bathroom to loose it. So we headed home where Christina joined Spencer in the sick brigade.

Monday night we were going to have our ice skating party but with all the snow Kelly was pretty much stuck at home and it wasn't the best day for us so we postponed till Christmas eve. Good thing because at dinner Taylor lost it and spent the night sick. So glad our washer has a sanitary cycle!

Tuesday everyone felt better although the sickies had sensitive stomachs. Christina pained Robyn's room while I cleaned for Christmas and kids ran around with friends. That night we met my parents and went out to dinner at Cafe Rio and then went to tour temple square and see the lights. Jeremy took off for a while to enjoy some time bonding with his new camera. The rest of us tramped around in the cold. Robyn looked like a stuffed starfish in her snowsuit and coat. I doubt she could put her arms by her side if she tried. Then we headed back to my parents for hot chocolate and cookies. Yes, Peter their place really is that small! It was a great late night out and kids all crashed back at home.

Wednesday I spent the morning cooking while kids counted the hours till ice skating. Christmas Eve is just a great time to go to the rink, its practically empty, they have Santa Clause come skate at the end and hand out candy canes and best of all kids are happy and blowing off some of the Christmas energy that was driving me nuts all morning (Spencer was checking Norad's Santa Tracker every few minutes - literally!) Robyn learned how to push a cone around the ice on her own - much easier on my back! Allison crept along holding the wall for an hour but by the end had to be dragged off the ice as she finally figured out how to skate. Lauri was unable to join us as she was sick with a cold and in fact went low and needed help after ice skating. So Jason and Kelly took Bryn and Taylor in their car to help Lauri with some needed ibruprofen and sugar and juice and met back at our house later. Girls enjoyed bubble baths and then everyone chowed down on pork nachos and Kelly's huge plate of Christmas goodies and watched Elf. Our kids think Elf is now the chosen Christmas Eve movie but we all enjoy it. Spencer and Allison arranged a plate of cookies for Santa with M&Ms for Santa and all hurried to bed so Santa could come.

My parents planned to come down Christmas morning for all the chaos so we warned our kids that they couldn't get out of their rooms before 7 and couldn't do stockings till 8. At 7 we heard little voices creeping around checking everything out but they didn't get us till 8. So enjoyed sleeping in and even having showers before all the hoopla. We had a big snowstorm sweep through that morning again so I was impressed my parents made it through. Kids loved all their presents. Robyn had a princess year and has been playing her princess wii game, reading her princess books or playing with her princess barbies ever since. My dad and Jeremy moved Robyn's crib over to her new "pretty room" as she calls it and set up Allison's new desk in her room. Spencer has a stash of new books and is excited to go to snowboarding lessons tomorrow (I think my emotions about that experience is more trepedation - see how it goes!). He keeos sending his dying chicken, screaming monkey and croaking frog slingshots flying through the house. Good thing they are soft! Taylor is covered in warm clothes and thanks to Mom and Dad is enjoying warm feet. Jeremy and I got new knives that I have been excited to cut with - it is amazing the difference - and Jeremy and my mom just cringe waiting for me to loose a fingertip.

Jason and Kelly came over in the afternoon along with their kids and Lauri (still with a cold but we said she had to come). We enjoyed an afternoon and evening of eating way too much, playing games and hanging out.

Friday kids spent the day playing with their new toys. Jeremy took off work early and we took kids and a few friends over to the junior high to sled down their big hill. Its a great hill for kids because its not too high but enough that you get a thrill and then you have a whole soccer field to slide over before you hit the fence - no rocks. Jeremy taught Rocky to pull Robyn around on a saucer which she loved. The other kids practiced their speed and going over jumps. Came home frozen and ready for hot chocolate and spent the night watching a movie and eating smashed sandwiches.

Saturday was spent just hanging out and cleaning the office. I tried to figure out curtains for Robyn's room. Christina painted a garland of flowers on the wall in an arc over Allison's desk - Allison was thrilled. Saturday night Christina, Jeremy and I went out to dinner and a movie. We had Tai food. First time I ever had tofu thanks to Christina that I really liked! I will have to try cooking it again. Jeremy learned how to ask for all the meat to be cooked seperately so he could make everyone happy. We went and watched Yes Man and had a good laugh.

So its been a good busy week full of family and fun. We all ate way too much, cleaned up too many bodily fluids, enjoyed doing nothing and then enjoyed doing everything - a good Christmas. Warning there are a ton of picture to come - a true mommy blog but I wanted to share. Love to you all, Heather



Christina and Robyn with her new "pretty room".



Robyn trying to put away her loot.



Our street Christmas morning. It snowed more later that day.



I went out to put birdseed in the feeder to find our playhouse full of birds. They were living in the rafters. Robyn had dumped out a bunch of the sunflower seeds on the floor of the playhouse so the birds thought it was great.




t







Guess what picture my parents are laughing about. Griselda, any ideas? Is wet suit enough of a clue?



r

a















0 comments: