deck the halls

As if things weren't starting to look Christmas-y enough, we had a bunch of snow dumped on us on Sunday.

It was exciting because inside our house it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas too.

So this year I did something I’ve thought about doing for a long time, and got another Christmas tree to put in the family room where we spend most of our time in the winter.

For about the past four years I’ve just put up a matching set of ornaments that I bought for the tree in the living room and not gotten out any of my family ornaments because I just wanted to keep them safe.

BIG MISTAKE!

I pulled out those ornaments to stick on the new tree downstairs and I couldn’t believe how happy it made me to see every one of them.

Those ornaments pack a powerful Christmas memory punch.

thanks-giving

 

We always have a lot to be thankful for so I am glad for this holiday which is my favorite one of the year.

It was just a quiet day at home for us, and since a turkey dinner doesn’t really do much to excite the kids, we had to add something else to make it a little more memorable.

A little something to wear during dinner did the trick.

I had no idea how much these things would be loved. Kimi decided to be an Indian for lunch and then a pilgrim for dinner just so that she could use them both as much as possible.

Hope that everyone else had memorable Thanksgivings too!

she had a birthday, shout hooray

Kimi had a great birthday.

It started out with the whole family heading to school for the monthly PTA activity; “Dads and Doughnuts,” where the fathers are supposed to come spend a little time with their kids and, of course, have a doughnut.

Scott had taken the day off so that he could come with Kimi to this event which seemed like it was planned just for her.

 

After that we got to go to Kimi’s class for her special day.

We got to sit as a family in front of the class while Kimi wore a crown and answered questions from the class.

There were the regular questions like, “What do you like to do on days off?”

But also a few like “What is your favorite kind of eel?”

Kimi didn’t quite know how to answer that one. It was an interesting interview.

 

Kimi got to go to lunch with Grandma Colton after school, and then take a little trip to Toys R’ Us.

 

She picked out macaroni and cheese and chicken nuggets for dinner and Daddy took her to McDonald’s to get her some extra-tasty nuggets.

She opened her presents and ended the day with this dessert that we decided was more fitting for Kimi than cake.

The End.

flashback friday: 6 years ago today

This spunky little angel left heaven and joined our family.

Happy birthday to our Kimberlini!

all fired up for winter

The fireplace is one of this house’s big pluses for me.

The fire really is so delightful.

opening a can of worms

I don't like posts without pictures, but I've been writing from a computer that is not giving me an easy time getting pictures off of my camera for the last little while, so that's why I've fallen behind with recent happenings.

It is probably better for this story to not have a picture though.

Yesterday Kimi was getting her work out of her backpack and handed me a bubble-tape case.

Kimi: "Look what Kayla gave me."

Me: "That was nice of her."

Kimi: "Maybe it belongs outside though."

Me: "Why?"

Kimi:"Because it's full of worms."

Me: (wondering why it is in my hand) "There are worms in here?"

Kimi: "Don't worry, they're all dead."

Me: "There are dead worms in here?"

Kimi: "I got to keep them because I picked the most up!"

I love how real life is better than anything I could make up.

flashback friday: six years ago today

Here’s my family six years ago today.

Must say it doesn’t feel like its been six years.

a smile on a monday

The illness made its rounds through the family, but everyone is eating again and not just laying around on couches looking half-dead so things are good again. Thank heavens for short lived illnesses. It did give us a pretty peaceful Sunday though, and I got a day off from cooking, so it wasn't all bad.

I just wanted to share something that I thought was funny, even if everyone has seen it a bajillion times.

I read about a BYU library commercial they produced in order to get students out of their dorms and into the library. It parodied an Old Spice commercial and went viral so I decided to watch it.

First I had to watch the actual Old Spice commercial because I don't see a lot of TV (apart from PBS)

Click on this link to watch the original "smell like a man" commercial. I figured everyone else has probably seen it

Here is the BYU version. It makes me wish I hadn't spent my time studying in a cave.

BUT, here is the parody that is my favorite version. Probably because it comes from one of my favorite shows.

murphy's law

Murphy's Law does apply here.

I've thought before about chronicling how Murphy's Law (whatever can go wrong, will) applies in my life.

Last night as Kimi and Ian kept throwing up every 45 minutes on different schedules, I had more time to think about it.

Here are the few that came into affect last night:

• If the washing machine starts to have some troubles, something must happen to multiply dirty laundry tenfold (throw up and bedding don't mix well)
• Childhood illnesses will appear or worsen on Friday evening when there is no hope of seeing the pediatrician for days.
• Commenting out loud about how the kids all seem to be pretty healthy is foolish
• Commenting out loud about going to bed early to get a good night's sleep is foolish

If history is any prediction, I think that the subject of this post will become a recurring theme.

(Oh, and check out who the cartoonist was on the cartoon. I had to pick that one because of it.)

halloween 2010

Day four of Halloween. The real Halloween.

Party at Grandma Colton’s house. Fun, Fun, Fun!

There was a costume parade, and awards for everyone who dressed up. It was awesome!

Ian also found out about something he will probably ask Santa for: Chocolate Fountain.

I think he was the first one to the table and the last one to leave.

It was good to the last drop.

Until next year, Happy Halloween!

trick-or-treat 2010

Day 3 of Halloween.

Waiting to trick-or-treat makes for a long day.

We killed some time carving pumpkins.

Cali was ready to kill something.

After dinner, which the kids didn’t have time to eat, it was finally time.

This is where the tale takes a tragic turn.

Rain started to fall, but the kids didn’t see this as an obstacle.

They were armed with umbrellas and ready to go.

 

About ten minutes later the first, wet, trick-or-treater returned.

She was okay with it though because she had some candy!

Soon after that the other trick-or-treaters had to make their retreat (their trick-or-retreat, he he he, I couldn’t resist.)

They were SOAKED.

 

We turned on a movie and had our own party, and they ate the candy they managed to get.

It wasn’t what they hoped for, but I think everyone still had fun.

trunk-or-treat 2010

Day 2 of Halloween was the annual ward trunk-or-treat.

Natalie loves her coat too much. She decided to carry her costume instead.

People kept asking me, “So is she a snow bunny or something?” Nope, just a toddler with a mind of her own.

The cutest dead bride and princess at the party.

We didn’t get enough sugar outside, so we headed inside for some more.

 

If this doughnut game becomes an olympic sport, Kimi will be going for the gold.

Look at that concentration. Be the doughnut, Kimi.

Get it, Kimi! Cali was a tough competitor.

What Cali was really interested in, was bobbing for apples.

When I told her she had enough apples she told me she didn’t actually want to eat the apples.

Like, duh, Mom.

And there was a Pinata. Could this crazy party get any better?

Fwipendo!

The spoils.

All this with two more days of Halloween to go. It’s every kid’s dream.

watchers in the gym

It was time again for the Halloween parade at school. That meant about 45 minutes of waiting, watching the girls fly by in one second, and then sitting through the rest of it.

So first, the waiting.

Luckily we brought snacks, and a camera. That kept us all busy.

Then, there go the girls.  (Dead Bride and Princess)

(This is a bad time to be messing with the shutter speed on your camera. Just a little tip.)

Next, the watching.

For me it meant watching the kids I came with, who were fascinated.

And amazed.

Good times.

bugging me

Cali found this in the yard last week, and brought it to show me.

She wanted to keep it.

I told her that taking a picture was a better idea.