Christmas Traditions

I'm all about traditions...(even if you even a new one each year - and don't always get to do ones from the year before...heh...heh...)

Just to name a few:

1. Decorate tree with music and hot chocolate (screaming kids optional)

2. Elf on the Shelf (a must...and yes we've had a few incidents of "ELF (in our case "willy billy") DOWN"...everyone panics and he just has to lay there and we cross our fingers that he will fly home to the north pole that night...so far our plan has worked) and yes there was a night that to everyone's surprise (especially me) that he didn't move...I recovered quickly since he was in the boys room and said that he must have needed an extra day to watch them :)

3. Read from the Christmas Treasury book that my grandmother gave us - do this nightly since there are 25 joys of Christmas that we need to review.

4. Grandmas baking day (even if I have to call and remind her that we haven't forgotten :)

5. Polar Express

6. Christmas cards

7. Christmas stories

8. **NEW**Christmas Light's WINNER (Tia devised this great doorbell ditching award - a plate of goodies to the house with the best lights...there are lots of things that go in to consideration of this award i.e. a decorated house in the middle of a massive neighborhood that is completely black and FULL OF SCROOGES!! There were plenty of those around here...and that would demonstrate a serious show of Christmas spirit in the midst of all the darkness :) Plus the kids love a good doorbell ditching - even if the do cheer the second the door closes?

9. Prescott Resort Gingerbread house display (complete with telling your kids no eating!)

10. Neighbor gifts

11.Christmas Eve production/nativity (I can't wait for ours this year :)

12. Gifts to Jesus

13. Presents (Mom and Dad bring the good stuff - Santa not so much...)

14. Christmas Day movie (yippee Jack Black)

15. **NEW** Christmas Day puzzle and games

16. Christmas Nativity movie (the good one with the girl from Whale Rider)

17. Christmas music of course!

If there are any I need to add by all means let me know!

Next year...I'm adding the Nutcracker with Laina.

No place like Home for the Holidays...

Here's a little taste of what's in store for 2011...

and remember that "there's no place like Home for the Holidays!" (especially when you burned your house down and have been living in a different home for the last 10 months...like our dear friends have been - and yes the apples are to die for :)

Naughty List

Hurry! There's still time!

My sister sent me this link - its awesome. I only wish I had received it at the beginning of the month so as to get more leverage out of it! Oh well...there's always next year. I'm sharing McLaren's. I kinda wish the "naughty list" was a little more "threatening"...but just so you know I did feel bad clicking "naughty" ;) But then again he and Indy wrestled up a storm tonight and I did it in a fit of fury while they were banished to the porch.

http://www.portablenorthpole.tv/watch/htknECFG3iDfLBsINVDefg

Enjoy!!

Oh! and since we're riding the digital wave...here's a very creative digital nativity - gotta watch this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkHNNPM7pJA

Seasons Greetings

I had a vision this year for my card (inspired by a photo I had seen a few years earlier by my friend RABID (who doesn't have the photo on her blog so I can't show you...) And yes - I'm inspired by lots of people everyday.

Anyway sometimes your visions don't quite materialize and that's ok - 'cause the picture still makes me laugh and that's the WHOLE POINT (right?)

Merry Christmas!

'Tis the Season

To be jolly.....and take pictures!!

(Okay - actually the season was in October since I am closed for shooting November - January...dead trees don't do a lot for me, but spending time with my family does :)

It has taken me this long to finally wade through all the images and get everyone the cards and "presents".

Here's a super duper swift run through of everyone (I hope I didn't miss anyone!)

Polar Express

We had a great time as always...and we found some new friends to join us. Let me walk you through this: (First we meet at the Pizza Hut down the street and clean them out of all their pizza - and let our children run wild in the parking lot.)

Then we head on over and enjoy the "warm" room - this year they had a great little toy train set-up and some coloring stations.

Seriously - does Bree not see the size of the cheeks...she doesn't stand a chance lifting her!
**Random thought - are we really that crazy to board a train with all these rascals for 1.5 hrs??

Taylor's squat is my favorite - even with Kathy's festive hug - he still reminds me of Wednesday Adams coming out of the "happy cabin"...Tim is a close second (I can comment 'cause I'm the smart one with the camera who unfortunately can't get in the picture :)

We realized we had an extra ticket so we grabbed our friend Maggie and threw on some pjs!

I don't even want to know what he's saying...

Here he is folks...Mr. Christmas himself...the Man in Red...Clark W. Grizwald.

In order to hold these illustrious titles you must:

1. Have 500 Christmas CDs (I'm sure the collection has grown...that's what it was 15 yrs ago) - and start blasting the day after Christmas

2. Make the front page of the newspaper with your Christmas lights display

3. Order a 14ft live Noble Fir and then have a tree stand specifically welded to hold the tree

4. Have a burning log on your TV with Christmas music in the background

5. Film Christmas morning

6. Host live re-enactments (almost live - Mary gave birth 2 weeks later) of the nativity

7. Love a good Hickory Farms beef stick.

Oh!! These 2 got engaged about an hour after this... (no not on the train - but in Flagstaff later that night) AND after spending 1.5 hrs with his psycho family - she said YES!!

These 2 were banished to the farthest corner...


We get to read along to the story...


(MY FAVORITE)
Love the pose...

The Polar Express goes Grinch - we're at the north pole here...(thank heavens for the time warp tunnel)
This dude rocked (even if he needed to read the words to a couple of carols :)
AND...then santa brings a bell...

(My second fave...)

November 2010

If I had the time - I should research my previous November posts...my guess is - they would be non-existent.

Quick recap: (so that I can get on to the bajillion December things waiting for me...)

Character parade for the 1st graders:

Laina was Nancy Drew (I told her she had to pick something other than Juni B. or Magic Tree House) - luckily there are some 1st grade level Nancy Drew books...

Isn't Pinkalicious (Cassideen) sooo stinkin cute?!

One of the more "notable" parts of the character parade is the plethora of "Clifford" characters - the teachers have like 50 ears on standby...
And of course - Diary of a Wimpy Kid...(Jared)

SOCCER 2010

Laina played this year. She had fun EVEN though her buddies were on the other team...and their uniforms were pink (this was very hard...very very hard...) - she was a good sport. They finally played each other on the last game of the year...which happened to have 30mph winds and was about 30 degrees out - painfully cold...but there were a few smiles here and there...

My favorite (I shouldn't admit this...) was when I saw them "wrestling" with each other laughing, teasing and calling the opposite team "Losers" and themselves "winners"...it was hilarious and Sheri and I couldn't stop laughing...but then we told them to be good sports...

Abbie was cracking us up...could we put a sweater on this poor child??? And a stocking cap and some sweat pants...and gloves and maybe a scarf??

I have no idea what Maggie is doing...but I sure am glad I was there to catch it....

Indy (probably his last year - he's caught the football bug...) had a nice header with his buddy Ricky watching on...

Thanksgiving

This year we traveled up to Mike & Susie's house for what has turned out to be the coldest 2 days yet of the season...luckily we huddled inside and never had to leave. Dinner was delicious and I got my very own basement kitchen to cook in.

I should've stopped them...but I couldn't resist photographing the pink jello eating contest...

I'm going to have to come up with ideas to return to my little cute basement kitchen...I had to photograph the sweet potatoes to remind me of the moment when I put them all in the kitchen aid...turned it on...and had sweet potatoes everywhere!

Mikey joined us this year...as you can tell he is a big fan of photos :)

I forced everyone to do a Crossfit workout the day after...I loved torturing my nieces...and sister-in-laws.

We now have enough babysitters for the adults to steal away for a very very quick dinner - tasty tasty at La Jolla Groves (get it? they even have orange grove trees in the restaurant! so very Utah - I expect nothing less :)

Uncle Jonny convinced/bribed Ella with M&Ms - he was trading them for some good belly rubbing.

Ahhh...that feels sooo much better to have this done. December here I come!