Christmas 2010

It was a crazy and very busy week. Dad and Christine flew into town on Saturday December 18th. On Sunday we headed to Landon and Cristy’s church for the blessing of Kaymbria then that night Jeremy the kid and I headed to Jason and Tawnie’s house for the annual South Christmas get together. I took Monday off due to Jeremy almost doing a side job, but in the end he didn’t so we decided to just hang out with each other and the kids, but before Dad and Christine headed up to Powder Mountain to stay the week in the condo we met up at Crown Burger for lunch. Tuesday through Friday I worked and Jeremy worked at night.

Christmas Eve

On Friday December 24th Mountain America closed at 3:00 pm and so Jeremy headed off to work while I got me and the kids ready to go to meet Dad, Christine, Landon, Cristy, their kids, Brooke and Logan for Chinese. So we went to our regular place Chinese Gourmet on 45th and State. It was really nice getting together and enjoying each other’s company while eating Chinese and it was quite busy. After dinner we headed to Brooke and Logan’s to exchange Christmas presents. Jeremy, the kids and I gave Christine a Rooster Calendar and Dad the Fathers to Faith book. Jack got a Mouse and more book that is really cute, Abi a cute little mouse to go along with the book, Jeremy a Grilling BBQ cook book and me a new book called Matched that is supposed to be as good as the Twilight and Hunger Game Series. I am really excited to read it. To see pictures (as I was a dummy and forgot the camera) go to Logan & Brooke’s blog.

Thank You, Dad and Christine for the present and everything else in between. It was really good seeing you both and I hope you had a safe trip back home. We Love You!

After getting home we had the kids open their magic pj’s for Santa to come and once we got them opened and on we got the kids ready for bed.

Cute magic pj's.

Once they were snuggled in their beds we headed to the family room to get it ready for Santa to come. We put all of their regular toys in the den/middle bedroom and not 5 – 10 minutes later Santa stopped by and dropped off the big gifts from the work shop. Although we had to take the toys out of their “protective” covering it was really exciting to set them out for the kids to see in the morning. At about midnight Jeremy and I finally went to bed not a creature stirred not even Abi herself.

Abi got a B Zany Cube and Jack got a Radio Flyer Rocket

As the stockings were hung with care, Jeremy got Men in Black II and Larkyn got the new Keith Urban CD.

Christmas Day

Jeremy and I decided to get up at about 7:30 to open presents, well we didn’t quite get up until 8 then we woke the kids up and showed them the family room. They weren’t really sure what was going on. In the end Abi crawled over to the side of the couch and found an old toy that I forgot to grab and she ended up playing with that toy than the NEW one she got.

We then got ready to head to Jeremy’s parents house for breakfast and in the end we invited Dad and Christine as well before they had to fly out and head back home. We had Bacon, Waffles and eggs. After having breakfast and hanging out and enjoying the day we then headed to Mom’s house for Linner (Lunch and Dinner).

Brooke & Logan trying to figure out her new phone.

Mom's pretty tree - every year.

The table set up with care

Landon being a goof.

Mom looking cute

Pretty wrapping

Cristy laughing

Jeremy being a little kid

Logan posing

Mom playing

Abi Sleeping

Abi and her pretty bow

Our meal that we ended up having…

Appetizers –
Slice Apples with cream cheese Ball, Spinach Dip with bread cubes, Relish Tray, and Cheese Brie and Crackers
We munched on these while we made dinner. We then decided to open the kids presents and then start on the soup and salad of the evening.

Soup
Broccoli Cheese Soup

Salad
Green Salad with Apples, Craisins, Avocado, Blue Cheese, and Poppy seed Dressing
After the soup and salad, us adults couldn’t wait any longer so we decided to open our presents.

Main Course
Lobster Tails, Crab Legs and Double Baked Potatoes
After the main course, Landon, Logan and Jeremy headed to the office to put together mom’s birthday present from last year together.

Dessert
Mountain Dew dessert with Vanilla Ice Cream (sorry I can’t think of what it is called, but it is really good)

After a crazy day, eating tons (which I will really have to start working out) Jeremy, Jack, Abigail and I thank everyone for all of their wonderful gifts. It was a really great christmas.

19 Months

What a big boy we have. He copies and talks and we get to try and figure out what he is saying. He has started nursery which we haven't really been able to go due to Jeremy working. But for the most part he likes it if only one of us stays in there with him. I guess that is normal. He doesn't like to share with his sister and pushes her away from whatever he is wanting. He loves pulling and putting back the mixing bowls that are in the island. He continues to love his bottle which we are somewhat working on getting rid of, but I don't think that will happen until Abi is done with bottles so a little longer on that. Jack is turning in a handsome young man and shows himself growing up each and every day. Jack is I think is weighing in at about 20 lbs. He can still wear 18 months clothes. His personality grows every day.

11 Months

What a silly little girl we have on our hands. Abigail is currently into everything. She is currently still crawling - however we are slowly getting to walk but she will only use the help of furniture objects. She laughs uncontrollably, especially when she is upside down. She doesn't like sharing and will push her brother away from a toy that she is currently playing with. She is weighing in between 20 - 25 lbs we will find out for sure next month on her year check up. She is growing like a weed and is going into 12 - 18 month clothes. She eats like a horse and when we think she is full she wants to eat more. Abigail loves crawling back and forth on the couch, the main part of that is making sure she doesn't fall backwards onto the floor.

Happy Birthday, Mom

Fancy, Bling, Funny, Loud, Caring, Bright, Works Hard, Like & Loveable, 3 Children, 2 Daughter-in-Laws and 5 Grand Children these words describe my mom. My mom and I have had good patches, really rough patches and I think we are best friends. If there is a problem, question, concern or just wanting to talk I call her. We talk about 1 - 2 times a week if that sometimes more.

With all of the great things that she does for my family and for my brothers family, I figured it might be nice to throw her a Surprise Birthday party. So I got my brothers and their wife's involved. I emailed my mom's brother and sisters, close friends and bunko group. We decided to have it nice and fun. We made Pork Cafe Rio Salads, Guacamole, Salsa and Cake.

We made everything but the rice at my house. We had my brothers and their wife's come over about 11 and we finished cooking. then Landon, Logan, Brooke and Cristy headed over to mom's to re-arrange the furniture to put up the party decorations. They did such a great job it looked really good. I had arranged for Donna (one of mom's good friends) to get her out of her house and they decided to go up to Park City and go shopping. We made arrangements with guest to arrive at 5:30 (no later) so that mom would arrive home by 6:00. Well of coarse nothing goes to plan and its even worse when you are wanting to be in control. It came to be 6:00 then 6:05 and no word from Donna. So we started searching every where for her number. In the meantime we had everyone hanging out downstairs, all the lights off upstairs and we started psyching us out (Brooke, Landon and me) The lights would flicker, or we would think we heard something. Finally I had Landon see if he could get her home phone to work to see the caller ID list to see if Donna had called mom in the past on her cell phone - we were in luck. So I called Donna and got her voicemail. I tried it again and I got her voice mail. Finally she called me back within minutes of me calling her and by that time it was about 6:30ish. They were still shopping and getting ready to head home. By about 7:15 ish I recieved another call from Donna that they were back in the Salt Lake Valley. Since mom was with Donna with each phone call, Donna pretended to call her daughter and see how she was doing.

Finally about 7:30ish mom and Donna finally arrived home - however it was going to take an extra few minutes or so to get her down stairs due to them dilly dalling around. In the end the grownups were laughing while trying to keep the little kids from crying and as mom came down the stairs she her a kid crying (thinking Landon and Cristy were here) and instead first saw her boss, Stan sitting there in the dark and then finally the lights went on and there was the surprise. It was great.

Mom I hope you have a great birthday, May all your wishes come true!


MyHotComments

Temple Square

In the last few years we have tried to make it to temple square each year to look at the lights and I don't know if it actually has anything to do with Jeremy proposing to me at Temple Square in front of the fountain that is in between the temple and the South Visiting Center.

It was December 4, 1999 and Jeremy wanted to take me to see Christmas Lights. So we headed to temple square. Enjoying the cold and looking at the lights that surrounded the temple, I was standing on the rim of the fountain when I asked Jeremy, "If you could do anything in this moment, what would it be?" Jeremy's reply was, "Well I have already kissed you so I guess it would be to ask you to marry me." Frozen by the question that was asked, Jeremy the said, "Well..." I turned and looked at him and in btween us was a ring. It took me a few moments to answer and in the end I said... Well anyone reading this should know... YES.

Since then we have tried to make to see the lights every year and last year we missed the lights due to us having a 7 month old and me being pregnant.

Lauren and her family decided to come and join us.

Here are the crazy twins, bundled up.

What a pretty lit up tree.

'

Lauren and I

Jeremy and Jack

Look at the pretty lights

Lindsay and Abi

In the end it was fun, we even met up with Cristy and Landon and their kids - Riley, Zack & Kaymbria. Thanks to everyone who was able to come - it was fun.

Thanksgiving 2010

Origin of Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Day is a harvest festival celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Traditionally, it has been a time to give thanks for a bountiful harvest. While it may have been religious in origin, Thanksgiving is now primarily identified as a secular holiday.[1] It is sometimes casually referred to as Turkey Day.

In Canada, Thanksgiving Day is celebrated on the second Monday in October, which is Columbus Day in the United States. In the United States, it falls on the fourth Thursday of November.

Thanksgiving Day is also celebrated in Leiden, in the Netherlands. A different holiday which uses the same name is celebrated at a similar time of year in the island of Grenada.
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A talk published 11/1989 -

To say thanks is such a simple thing, but, oh, the message that it conveys.

Thanks is an expression of gratitude, and gratitude is a mark of greatness. There never was a great person who did not express appreciation or give thanks.The scriptures teach us many unforgettable lessons of thanksgiving.

The Savior of mankind - the greatest of all - expressed His thanks on many occasions. A few such references in the New Testament include:

- When Jesus fed the multitude, He took seven loaves and gave thanks, and brake, and gave to his disciples to set before them. . . . (Mark 8:6.) (Italics added.)

- Jesus thanked His Father for revealing the gospel truths to the twelve disciples. (Matt. 11:25.)

- Before Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, He "lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always. . . ." (John 11: 41-42.)

- When Jesus instituted the sacrament, He first offered thanks before passing the sacred emblems. "And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them. . . . (Luke 22:19.) And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them: and they all drank of it." (Mark 14:23.)

We, too, must give thanks if we are to show our appreciation and gratitude to our Father in Heaven. At this time of the year when we pause in a national day of thanksgiving, it is an appropriate time to express our thanks and gratitude for the many blessings we enjoy. Indeed, they are bounteous, as we recognize the hand of the Lord in His goodness to us.
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I can't begin to express all of the things I am grateful this Thanksgiving.

First I would have to be greatful for my husband Jeremy. He has stood by me through my ups and downs, my happiness and sadness. Whenever I would try to pull away he would pull me closer and I thank him for that.

Second my two very special children. For eight years I came to the terms that we would never have children and our family would just consist of our dogs Hally, Sparky and Daisy. But in 2009 a mother who is so brave decided to give her child a huge blessing by placing him for adoption and letting him join our family. We love Jack dearly and I am so grateful for him. However I knew he couldn't be by himself and 8 months later we met his sister Abigail. I am so grateful that I am able to experiences two different sides of miracles and love to be able to experience an adoption and to be pregnant and carry a healthy baby.

Third I am grateful for my family and friends. Although at times we might have different views or opinions its nice to still get together and enjoy each others company.

Fourth I love my parents. To have them teach me what they know, to help me grow and become to what I think a good grown up and parent.

Last I am so grateful for my Heavenly Father. I know that he loves me and I know that each of us have different roads and journeys we have to take to make ourselves stronger. He is there for me even when I feel a lone.
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This year for Thanksgiving it was going to be small. Landon and Cristy headed to Idaho, Logan and Brooke went to California - so it then left Jeremy, Mom and Me (and of course our kids)

This year we decided to keep it simple so we did a cider brined apple glazed turkey, sausage stuffing, sweet potatoes, maple roasted veggies, garlic mash potatoes, cranberries and last but not least pumpkin pie

Its so nice to already have a little helper

The table was set even before noon

Dinner was ready and served by 3:15 - which if you plan for 2 you are always going to eat an hour after the set time, it was well worth the wait. The clean up actually wasn't so bad either, by not having a huge gathering it only took a few minutes of gathering the dishes and putting them in the dishwasher. And last but not least after eating and cleaning we made our way to the family room plopped ourselves on the couch and looked through the newspaper at all of the adds for black friday.

I think in the end we were a worn out bunch.

Oh Christmas Tree!

With the first snow storm coming in, I felt it was time to put up our tree. Every year christmas always goes by way too fast and I normally put up our tree after Thanksgiving, but this year why wait.

So in honor of all of our christmas trees this year here are some fun facts -

The use of evergreen trees to celebrate the winter season occurred before the birth of Christ.
The first decorated Christmas was in Riga, Latvia in 1510.
The first printed reference to Christmas trees appeared in Germany in 1531.
Nineteenth century Americans cut their trees in nearby forests.
Christmas trees have been sold commercially in the United states since about 1850. Until fairly recently, all Christmas trees came from the forest.
The first Christmas tree retail lot in the United States was started in 1851 in New York by Mark Carr.
In 1900, large stores started to erect big illuminated Christmas trees.

HP7 & The First Snow Storm 2010

For Jeremy's birthday I decided to take him to see Harry Potter 7 since it was opening weekend. To prepare for this big even I decided I would re read the book so it would be fresh in my mind and I would be able to somewhat know what happens especially if they took information out that to the reader would be somewhat important. So can I say that they did a really good job I think with the movie. It followed the book pretty closely but there were quite a few changes. To not give it away for anyone reading this - you will like it. I can't wait for part 2.

So after the movie which was about 2 hours as we walked outside of the District Theaters snow had completely covered the ground, slush was everywhere and huge flakes were falling as fast as they could. We got to our car and had to wipe off all of the snow covering the windows - Jeremy had wondered when did it start snowing. We had asked mom to watch the kids while we went to the movie and to repay her we decided to get Cafe Rio and bring her back a salad. So heading to the nearest Cafe Rio we got there in 20 - 30 minutes when in regular non blizzarding days would take you 15 - 20 minutes, the place was packed and we had to wait our turn. Once we got our things back to the car we went, scrapping off the fallen snow and heading home which on a normal non blizzarding night would have taken us 10 - 20 minutes which ended up taking us 20 - 30 minutes. Snow covered the ground so badly the new lanes were created by drivers. When we got home the kids were in bed and mom was just hanging out. We ate our salads and then we decided it would be best for Jeremy to drive mom home due to the roads being the way they were.

The next morning we woke up to this...

In the back yard on top of our grill the snow mound came to 11 inches. Jeremy was ready to go play in the snow and Jack who is our outdoors little man wanted to join him. So I got him dressed so he could help his dad shovel the back patio.

Here he is not very happy with me because I put on his cute hat which he didn't like at this time, but in the end he got used to it. The little snow pants were given to us by neighbors that hada garage sale and then brought us over the remaining clothes which were in 5 HUGE garbage bags.

With his coat (another hand me down) he was ready to go. However I wish the little stinker would have put on his gloves, he kept taking them off.

As Jack headed outside to help dad with the snow, dad decided to put Jack in the snow - he didn't like it so much, can you tell?

Abigail and I were feeling a little left out so we decided we would get dressed and get warm and we would head outside and join the party. In the mean time Jeremy headed out front to snow plow our driveway and this is what he was welcomed to...

12 inches in our front yard

and

As Abi and I headed outside everyone was outside in the snow outfits playing in the snow, building snowman's, forts, slides and tubing down the road, it was awesome.

I decided to see if Jack would go in the snow for me and not really, however his sister was more curious and willing

In all of the fun and games, snow can make one person really tired

After snow blowing our drive way we got in the car and me and the kids in the CRV and Jeremy in mom's Camry to return her car to her.

When we got to grandma's house we had some cookies, helped her bring up her tree and move some furnature so she could put up her tree.

Jack enjoying the animal cookies

Abi grawling around enjoying herself.

Overall,

thanks mom for watching the kids,

I can't believe winter is here,

and christmas is right around the corner.