Christmas Trip

We were able to spend the Holidays in Washington this year. On December 19, all seven of flew out of Baltimore, paused in Salt Lake, and arrived in Seattle. By the time we checked into our hotel, it was 1am Seattle time, making it 4am Eastern time. Poor Jeremy had to be up and at the Bellevue office for a presentation at 8am that morning. Even though our bodies were exhausted, we still found ourselves waking up a 3am because of the time change. It was not a great night of sleep to put it mildly.

We stumbled through the next day, which was also Layton's 8th Birthday. While Jeremy was working we met up with family for a few hours before meeting him at the office for a Christmas party. After the party, we rushed (well we tried to rush in Seattle rush hour traffic) to meet up with J's mom & Grandpa, and my parents for a Very Zoopa Birthday Party. Afterward, even though our exhausted bodies protested, we took the kids swimming at Grandma G's hotel.

The next day was Layton's baptism. He was baptised in MV, at a very special all family baptism. When I say all family, I am including Kim B who is defiantly included as family. It was wonderful, and Layton was so happy. We had dinner and birthday cake afterwards. By the time we finished, we were all ready to sleep for days. The time change and late hours had caught up to us.

Saturday night I was able to meet up with some of my highschool cross country teammates. Brennan hosted. It was great to see everyone again, an catch up on eachother's lives.

On Monday everyone met at Isaac's for Christmas Eve. It was really nice to have everyone together at last. We used Grandpa's clam chowder recipe, and it was almost like having a part of him there with us. We missed him, but instead of sadness, we were able to smile and share memories. What a difference a year makes. Grandma is doing so well. She must have baked 100 batches of cookies and brought them in a Huge box, and doled them out throughout the evening. The kids ran wild, enjoying their cousins, and the rest of us visited and ATE.

Christmas was wonderful. The kids did not mind only opening Santa & stocking gifts this year, as our main gift was the trip. We drove up north to visit with Brennan's family Christmas day. It was really fun to be with them again. Grandma came over for dinner. I really enjoyed watching the relaxed relationship that she has with Brennan, Mary, and their kids. I am so glad that they are up there for her.

We continued to stay at the Rob's home until the 27th, at which time we packed up, cleaned up, and headed over to Isaac's place.

We spent the rest of the vacation there.

On Saturday we headed up to Crystal Mtn. for the B's cabin. Mom, Dad, Bren's family, Bren's friend Jared, & Isaac & his boys came. It was so much fun playing in the snow and sledding. We had to dig ourselves into the cabin. When we arrived, there wasn't even any place to park. Luckily, Isaac had the foresight to bring a snow shovel. Jeremy & Isaac cleared parking for the cars, and got I's hybrid unstuck while I brought the kids down the hill to the cabin where mom was making a fire. Just before we got down the hill, I hit a snow drift with the sled, and dumped Cora & Taylor face first into the snow. At the precise moment of the disaster, Kolby tripped and fell into the snow as well. We arrived at the cabin with three howling kids. Mom helped bring them all in, and I went back out to chop wood for the fire. After settling the kids at the cabin, I made four trips up and down the hill with gear, and the boys continued clearing the parking lot. On my last trip to the top, Brennan arrived. He couldn't have timed it more perfectly if he tried. With the work completed, we were able to spend the rest of the day playing in the snow. After dinner, we packed all of the gear back up the hill, and headed home. It was a lot of work for just one day, but it really was well worth it to spend the day as a family.

We had dinner with some very dear friends on Sunday. I got to see my best friend from childhood. It was really great to see the changes that she has made in her life, while we caught up, and reminisced about old times. Kim & Rick were great hosts, as they have always been. It was nice to spend some time with them. I would still dearly love to spend an afternoon baking with Rick, and glean some of his secrets. Especially his rolls...yum!

Another highlight of the trip was going with Grandma to buy her new car New Years Eve. We enjoyed spending the day with her, and then meeting Brennan & Mary's family for a late lunch.

We spent New Year's eve with Isaac's family, watching a memorable fireworks fiasco broadcast from the Space Needle.

On the 2nd we met up again with I's & B's families for a bowling adventure. I have to say, for all of the pro level wii bowlers that we had there, we were really quite terrible in real life. Jeremy won the game with with something like 114, Layton bumper bowled 109, and really the rest of us would like to forget our scores. It was some kind of crazy fun though. If you haven't bowled with 6 adults and 11 kids (18 mo. to 11 years), you haven't lived.

We spent some time with Mom & Dad on the 2nd. Layton got to use his new bb-gun, and ride in the Kaboda. Hannah even got to drive it. Afterward, we watched a really great movie, and returned to I's house.

We flew home on the third... What a great trip.

Snow day!

I am so spoiled, I can't believe it. I am realizing just how great it is to have a teacher living with us today. I snowed a couple of inches yesterday, and last night. The kids were delayed 2 hours to school. The older ones are off to school now, and Eric just came up and asked if he could take the little ones out to play in the snow. For the last little while, he has been playing "snow dog" with them, and has been dragging them around the yard on a sled. His school district has been canceled today, and so he doesn't have to teach. I am inside, warm and comfy, catching up on my blog, and he is outside mushing my kids around the yard. Isn't this the life? Darn! I just heard Eric's exhausted voice call, "All DONE!". I guess that my blogging reprieve has come to an end. It was great while it lasted.

Family

We were able to spend Thanksgiving with Jeremy's cousin Karl & family. They had their entire immediate family in Deleware to celebrate. It was the first time in 10 years that they were all together at the same time. We were able to see J's Grandma as well. It was nice of them to include us. On the Sunday after Thanksgiving, we were able to witness the blessing of Karl's newest addition, Trevor. It was a fun, relaxing trip. We celebrated Thanksgiving as it was meant to be celebrated with lots of family, relaxation, and fun.

Pictures

New Pictures

We finally got our pictures back from the photographer! I am a photo freak, so you can understand my excitement. We have our first decent family picture in years. Thank you Jennifer Anderson for sharing your fabulous talents with our family. I posted a few of my favorites.

Ok, so here's the situation. I am finally ready to publish my pictures, and the blogger is down. I guess that this blog will have to be a teaser, if I am able to publish it at all. Pictures are forthcoming. I just do not know when. Stay tuned.

American Girl Amber

FINISHED!!! I was sewing the last buttons on Amber's Colonial Days costume while she was getting showered up for school. Whew! Talk about cutting it close. Sigh, now I get to put the house back in order.

This costume was for Colonial Days today at Amber's school. They have all the teachers, volunteers, and 4th grade students dress up in period costumes. Not only do they ask that you dress them appropriately, but they also request that their lunches be as colonial as possible as well. They want them to have cornbread or homemade bread with homemade jam, cheese, apples, etc. Their lunches should also be packed in the method of the day, either a basket or in a cloth. No baggies or containers. Its just a little bit of work for the parents, as you can imagine. I was going to volunteer, but had a difficult enough time making Amber's costume and homemade lunch items in time. Maybe next time... I seem to get it a little more put together each time. Maybe by the time Cora is in 4th grade, I will skip into the school with my authentic colonial outfit, carrying my handmade, fully authentic colonial basket, full of tasty colonial food. Hmm... it could happen...I have a few years.

BTW: My apologies for the sideways photo. I am not yet up to speed on the blog program, and can't find how to turn the photos.

A Halloween Kiss

Its been a while, I know. Life has been crazy busy lately with the kids starting school, softball, baseball, piano, cello, girl scouts, activity days, and so much more. I have been living from week to week, project to project, and haven't come up for air for a while. I finished our Halloween costumes in time. I had already made the girls' Hogwarts costumes for the summer movie/book openings, and so I just had Trenton's Captain Jack Sparrow, Layton's Grim Reaper, and 4 adult KISS costumes to make before the Halloween festivities began. To top it off, Hannah, Amber, and Layton all were on different ball teams. Each team required 2 practices and 2 games per week when the season started, and then switched to only 1 practice per week as the season finished. Layton joined Hannah in taking piano, and Amber started playing cello. Both girls joined girl scouts. It was crazy, we had multiple activities on the same nights all week long. We had Sunday off, and an occasional Thursday evening free. Jeremy & I had to divide and conquer, and on the nights that Jeremy was out of town, our house guest, Eric would fill in with the carpool/ cheer squad.
Did I mention that we have our dear friends the Robinsons staying with us while they try to sell their house in Washington? The Robinson family has been here since the beginning of Aug. Rebekah is working with Jeremy in the basement office, and their family is staying in the guestroom down there. So far things are going pretty well. Cora and Andrew are enjoying their odd little "sibling-esk" relationship. Andrew is learning what it is like to be part of an extremely busy large family.
Oddly, the Robinson segway brings me back to Halloween. We had 2 Halloween party invites prior to Halloween, and wanted to come up with a unique and fun Halloween costume for 4(us and the Robinsons), and somehow decided that dressing up as Kiss would be both unique and fun. Rebekah and I pulled out the Bedazzler and hit the fabric store before creating our fabulous Kiss costumes. We were a "HIT" at the ward Halloween party. (Yes, we actually wore them to the Trunk-or -Treat at the church, and everyone loved it.) Our second party occurred the next night at our friends the Erickson's Halloween Gala. Kiss won the first prize gift certificate to the local wine shop. Ironic huh? Mormon rockers win alcohol. They also sell chocolate and gourmet foods as well so we should be able to find something. Trenton won 3rd prize in the children's contest for his Captain Jack Sparrow, and Hannah & Amber won the joint 1st prize for their Ginny Weasley, and Hermoine Granger costumes. We had a great time. We, the adults did not dress up for the actual Halloween night, however. We caused such a stir at the other two parties, that we decided to make Halloween the kids night. We had a great time trick-or-treating the neighborhood with its decorations and spook alleys. The younger kids were tired at about 8pm, and returned to the house to get ready for bed and help Daddy pass out the rest of the candy. ( We ran out by the way. 25 lbs. of candy... I guess that is what happens when you have such an amazing community that parents dive in from the tri-state area to participate. Crazy! The streets were lined with vans filled with kiddios, and when they ran out of space along the neighborhood roads, they parked at the school and baseball fields across the street!) After dropping off the little ones, I took the older three to the old burnt mill for the bonfire and ghost stories. Another fun Halloween.
Now that Halloween is checked off my list, I am on to finishing up a couple of Christmas projects, sewing colonial day outfits for Amber & myself, and then planning our hotel stays for our Thanksgiving trip to Delaware. After that...Christmas & Christmas trip to Wa., birthdays, & Layton's Baptism. Will it ever slow down? I'm not too optimistic. Oh well, such is life for a mother of five.