The Christmas Tree Hunt

The day after Thanksgiving, we drove up to the mountains for our

traditional Christmas Tree hunt.

Uncle Mikey and Daphne in the parking lot of the ranger office--Arthur was inside buying our tree permit for a whopping $10.

It's bright outside!

We didn't expect this much snow to still be on the ground, so we didn't bring the snow boots up. That limited the amount of time we had to find the tree. It didn't take long for the kids shoes and pant legs to soak through, and then for the complaining to start.

So far, everyone is still happy.

"Unca Monkey" & Aunt Amber

We just love these guys. Hayden is sitting on my lap right now, and keeps asking to see Amber. When her face isn't in the viewing window, he becomes very distraught!

Mikey brought his shotgun to play with in the woods.

Arthur and I both took a turn shooting it. Kinda fun--very loud, though. I wrapped a scarf around my head, and it wasn't so bad.

We found the tree! And not a moment too soon. Daphne had been crying about her cold wet feet as she trudged along for the last 5 minutes.

Mike & Amber found a good one to bring home too. :)

Sean was a trooper and didn't cry the whole time. Even though his pants and shoes were wet, he just kept walking along, singin' a song about finding the car and getting a tree.

It was so cute.

Hayden was another story. That boy lost his mittens one too many times and he is not the type to suffer in silence. Poor little boy. We had to find that car quick!

Below, Amber, and then Dallin & Sean drag the trees to the car.

Ah, safely in the car. We took off wet shoes and socks and turned on the heat so those poor frozen kids could unthaw. fun times. (no idea why this is underlined, and I don't know how to turn it off.)

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving! Ah, I love Thanksgiving. Arthur's brother Mike and his wife Amber came to spend the weekend with us, and we loved having them! Here are the kids making beautiful name tags for our Thanksgiving feast.

Here is the delicious turkey, the rolls waiting to go in the oven, and the pot of potatoes. I'm still not tired of the leftovers.

Me and Amber taking pictures of the feast, and each other.

Dallin set the table for us with gold paper napkins wrapped around the silverware, name-tags on our plates and special decorations on the table. He did a great job.

I didn't get a picture of us sitting down for the feast because I couldn't find where Dallin put the camera after he took this shot of his handiwork. But rest assured it was phenomenal. Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, green bean casserole (that Dallin made) delicious fruit salad with some of the sweetest, juiciest pineapple ever, warm rolls, and three kinds of pies for dessert. (I just finished the last one for breakfast this morning . . .) We were full and sleepy for the rest of the day.

We're so glad Mike and Amber could come to visit. We have so much fun with them, and the kids just adore them. When Uncle Mikey told Sean they were leaving last night, Sean protested, "But we didn't have the Thanksgiving Dinner!" (He had been anticipating the Thanksgiving Feast for days, and days, so when we sat down to eat, I made sure he knew that this was it by saying, "Sean! This is our Thanksgiving Feast! Isn't it great?") So, Uncle Mikey told him that we did have our Thanksgiving dinner. And Sean said, "No, that was a Thanksgiving Feast. We need a Thanksgiving Dinner." oh boy.

Happy Thanksgiving all!

Secret Garden update

I've had a lot of friends ask me how rehearsals are going. So I figured I'd give a quick update on how it's going. Rehearsals are going great. I have my lines & songs memorized and know my blocking and am practicing with props. I got fitted for my costumes and had pictures taken for the program. I've been learning to use my chest voice a little more since my songs are so low. The set is looking awesome, I've met some very nice people, and next week we move to the theater and add the orchestra, so that's all very exciting. I'm really looking forward performing.

But I'm also ready to be done. It's been very tricky juggling everything. I've had zero energy during the day, and I know my family is feeling it. (See my "Dinner Disaster" post for just one example.) So it will be good to be finished. For perhaps the first time in my life, I'm actually looking forward to January. Usually it's such a bleak month--nothing fun on the horizon and always kind of a let-down after the holidays. But funnily enough, the blank calendar page seems like light at the end of the tunnel for me.

But for now, we're bracing ourselves for December. Secret Garden opens in 11 days! And I really am very excited for the performances. And even more excited for all the family to come out for Christmas. We are fixing broken door handles, ordering more silverware, putting up extra towel hooks, and just getting all ready for our holiday houseful!!! We can't wait, guys!

Dinner Disaster

This is kind of embarrassing, but I decided to post it anyway, since sadly, it's representative of our life right now.

So, I haven't been grocery shopping--really grocery shopping--in about two weeks. I've picked up some stuff here and there, but things have been so crazy we're out of milk, eggs, bread, potatoes--a lot of staples. So last night, we got home from Daphne's dance class, and I was trying to put together a plan for dinner. I came up with a can of baked beans, a can of corn, some orange slices, and baking powder biscuits. (I told the kids the pioneers would be really grateful for this dinner!!!)

Well, while I was over at the sink, Sean decided to help me by dumping an unknown amount of baking soda into the flour and baking powder I had already put in the bowl. I couldn't really tell which was powder and which was soda, but I tried to scoop out as much as I could since the recipe doesn't even call for soda. When I'd gotten out what I figured was most of it, I finished the recipe and put them in the oven. I tested some of the dough and it tasted a little "soda-ish" but not inedible.

It was about 6:30 before I finished heating up our dinner, and set the table. The kids were less than enthusiastic about our "pioneer" dinner (and truthfully, so was I.) But I redeemed myself when I brought the baking powder biscuits out from the oven. The kids all clambered to get one and Hayden sat ready with the honey next to his seat so he could pour it on his biscuit (because he's such a big boy and surely wouldn't have made a mess . . .) After the prayer, Dallin took a big bite of his biscuit. He chewed for a second. I think his face might have turned green. And then he ran over to the sink and started spitting it out dramatically. This went on for several minutes. Evidently, I hadn't removed enough of the soda. None of the rest of us ventured a taste.

The one delicious thing we had for dinner was ruined. Dallin and Daphne each took multiple turns berating Sean for his poor contribution to dinner, with me interjecting, "That's enough guys, Sean was trying to help, he learned his lesson . . ." But Dallin & Daphne, who were thoroughly disappointed, just wouldn't let it go.

"It's all your fault, Sean! Next time don't pour stuff in unless Mom tells you to! It's all your fault! It's YOUR fault the biscuits are gross, Sean! It's YOUR fault!"

Until Sean yelled, "I don't WANT any faults!"

I laughed at Sean's reply, and then I laughed at the gross biscuits and the baked beans that were now cold and disgusting, and at my pathetic attempt at dinner, at all the plates with their untouched food on them. And then Arthur came home from work and we all felt a little better.

Since then, I've decided to go ahead and get some frozen meals to have on hand for days like those. I don't ever remember eating those growing up, because my mother was amazing. It kind of feels like a cop-out to me, but I guess at least until Secret Garden is finished, it's better to have something tasty to eat even if I didn't make it.

Cougs vs. Lobos

Every other year, we get to go to a BYU game at the University of New Mexico, right here in Albuquerque. This year the score was a little closer than I'd hoped, but the Cougars won, and we had fun going to the game. Poor UNM has had a very disappointing season, and their fan base is severely diminished. I think there were as many BYU fans as UNM fans at that game.

We brought the whole family, and the kids all did pretty well. We were surrounded by lots of other families with kids, so when they got antsy, they mostly just annoyed each other. I was dreading keeping track of Hayden--he is into everything these days and never sits still. But we only lost him once, and the rest of the time, we just had to keep him from mooching our neighbors' nachos. (He likes to lick the cheese off the chip, and then get more cheese on the same slimey chip. gross, I know.)

Go Cougars!

Belated Anniversary Trip

Last weekend, as a belated Anniversary trip, Arthur and I went up to Denver for some fun. We arrived early afternoon so Arthur humored me and took me on a tour of the Molly Brown House. (You know--Unsinkable Molly Brown? Famous Titanic survivor?) I LOVE that kind of stuff--learning about historical figures and seeing where they lived, what is fact and what is fiction.

Here I am in front of the "Molly Brown House"

An interesting fact I learned on the tour is that Margaret Brown never actually went by the name "Molly" in her lifetime. Everyone knows her by that name because of the musical "Unsinkable Molly Brown."

After Molly Brown's house, we battled the traffic to meet my cousin & his wife, Lamont and Melissa, for dinner at Benihana's. Yummmm. oh, I love their filet mignon! Thanks for meeting up with us guys! It was super fun to visit with you and catch up a bit!

The main reason we flew up to Denver for this trip was this:

Yahoo!!!! We finally saw Wicked and loved it. We had a great cast, especially Elfaba, (the Wicked Witch of the West.) The show was amazing. You don't get any better than the first act, though--you need the second act to tie up all the loose ends, but it's a little anti-climatic after "Defying Gravity." I'd pay to see it again, for sure.

The next day, our flight didn't leave until 6 p.m., so what better way to spend a day than on the slopes? We drove up to Arapahoe, (just an hour outside Denver,) for some early-season skiing.

I had to get a picture of Arthur and our rental car. They gave us this giant truck that was BRAND NEW! Seriously, there were only six miles on it. Apparently it was part of their new winter fleet--for all the skiiers/boarders who come to Denver for the snow, and need 4 wheel drive!

Except for the wind, it was a perfect day! Blue skies and sunny!

Arthur is normally a snowboarder, but he's been learning to ski the last couple of years so he can teach our kids how. (One of the things I love about Arthur is that he loves to learn new things, and he's good at just about everything he tries! I sometimes joke that I don't want to give him voice lessons, because if I did, he'd probably learn how to do it even better than me, and then what would I have?)

So he was brushing up on his skiing skills since there were only two runs open anyway. We skiied those runs probably about 8 times each, it seemed like. The snow was great, but it would have been nice to have a little variety.

I guess I really can't complain.

We were skiing on November 6th for crying out loud!

After we got tired of the two runs, we headed back toward Denver and stopped to check out Historic Golden on our way out. This picture is about the only thing to do there.

In all fairness, if we'd had time, I'm sure there were fun things to do. We only had fifteen minutes so we just got out and stretched our legs, looked unsuccessfully for an ice cream shop, and during our walk, a friendly local offered to take our picture here.

Then we left, battled more traffic to get to the airport and fly home. For all it's virtues, one major detraction from Denver's appeal is all that traffic! I guess I'm a small-town girl because I can barely tolerate Albuquerque traffic.

Thanks a MILLION to Steve and Erin who took our kids for a couple days! With all the craziness of rehearsals lately I feel like Arthur and I are just ships passing in the night.

It was really good for us to have this time for just us.

So thanks again Schmutz's! You guys are like family to us!

Dang it!

(That title has to be read in a "Kip" voice from Napoleon Dynamite.)

I got an unpleasant surprise in the mail last week from

the City of Albuquerque.

It was a

Notice of Violation Fixed Speed

fine: $75

Those blasted speeding cameras! I swear they don't have the warning bumps on that intersection, because I always slow down when I hit the warning bumps.

Pride, Pajamas, & Picking Presents

1. Pride:

BYU-Pride, that is. Arthur makes BYU football a high priority around here. We don't miss a game. period. The kids know that every Saturday we will be cheering the Cougars on -- even when they get worked, like the TCU game. :( Arthur's excitement rubs off on the kids, and they really get into it:

The funny thing is, they get excited, and make these cute signs and posters, but mostly what they care about is if friends are coming to play with them. To his credit, Dallin checks in on what the score is, and will sit and watch if there aren't any friends to play with.

2. Pajamas

So we have varying levels of obedience in our family.

This little pajama story illustrates.

We tell the kids to go up and get their jammies on and then they can stay up for a little bit longer.

Dallin & Daphne go and do it the first time they are asked.

Sean ignored several requests and is totally oblivious that anybody is wearing jammies.

Hayden went upstairs, opened up his pajama drawer, and grabbed the first thing his little hand could reach.

They were swimming trunks.

A+ for effort, little buddy.

3. Picking Presents

I remember hearing stories about my mom and her siblings pouring over the Sears catalog when it came and how the pages became worn and crinkled from everybody looking and looking at all the wonderful things in there, and wishing they might get one of them for Christmas. Well, I don't know if Sears puts out a catalog anymore, but my kids have really been wearing out the pages of the Toys-R-Us add.

sneaks

The other day, after lunch, I gave Sean and Hayden a chocolate bar for dessert. I didn't notice Hayden sidling toward the dining room until Sean said, "Hayden, we don't have to hide. We didn't sneak these."

Halloween Festivities

The first time we had two kids dress up for Halloween, I thought it would be fun to do coordinating costumes for them--And it kind of turned into a tradition. So now every year we do a family theme. If I have time, even Arthur and I dress up. (I love dressing up--I'll take any excuse I get.) I thought it would be fun to show the different themes we've had so far.

2004 from "Robin Hood"

Robin Hood & Maid Marion

2005 from "Peter Pan"

Captain Hook & Tinker Belle

(Sean was born just two months before and my awesome mother made their costumes when she came out to help me.)

2006 from "The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe"

Sir Peter Wolfsbane, Queen Lucy, and Aslan

I had great plans to be the ice queen, and make Arthur a wardrobe costume, but I ran out of time. Plus, Daphne's costume turned out to be pretty pricey!

2008 from "Harry Potter"

Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger

And Professors Snape and Trelawney

(yay! we finally got to dress up!)

2008--recycled our Harry Potter costumes, and added Hedwig

And . . . Drumroll, please . . .

The 2009 theme was

STAR WARS

Princess Leia, Obi-Wan-Kenobi, Yoda, and R2D2

and . . .

Padme Amidala, and Anakin Skywalker a.k.a. Darth Vader

Obi-Wan's costume:

Tunic and boots from Good Will,

Jedi Cloak, borrowed,

and the rest we had on hand

Leia costume:

White robe-borrowed

boots from Good Will

and yarn for buns, from Walmart

R2D2

This costume I actually made

It's a big piece of white felt and a beanie that I sewed colored felt pieces to make all his gadgets.

Sean loved his costume and wore it all over the place.

Yoda

I love this costume!

totally borrowed--no effort whatever

From our ward Halloween Party:

(great job, Amber--it was awesome!)

The kids enjoyed frosting sugar cookies

and face painting

Arthur (who is on the activities committee)

did a bang-up job of cooking the hotdogs!

Sean won "the most technologically advanced" costume award.

Hayden souped up on sugar!

And, what do you know?

Our family won "Best Family Costume!"

Here we are with our major award

Halloween Night

We had some tasty treats for dinner:

pumpkin cheese ball

"Mummy fingers"

don't know why this picture didn't rotate, but you get the gist.

Apple "bites" with carmel

And Witch's Brew

trick-or-treating

We went with a group of kids who, purely by coincidence, were ALL Star Wars characters, and none of them were repeats!

Sean & Hayden devouring their spoils

Every year, we go to visit our next door neighbor from our prior neighborhood. Her name is Barbara, and she is the sweetest lady ever. She brings the kids treats for Easter, and gets them a special treat for Halloween and really looks forward to them coming to visit her every year. I try to visit more than just at Halloween, but she especially loves to see them in their costumes.

We love sweet Barbara!