THANK YOU! ...And YUMMY!

          The girls were being silly and gave each other a 'hot lips' fake kiss!

Can I just say, I have one great Mother- In-Law!  She just sent me one of my favorite candies.  Now that we have clarified the fact that I LOVE Valentine's day, I also have to mention that one of my favorite treats is cinnamon hot lips, I love cinnamon bears too, but hot lips are so much more romantic! (j/k that was for Sara.)  Anyhow, I cannot buy them out here and have looked faithfully for the past four years, so out of desperation, I called her and asked her to send me some, she not only sent me one, but three bags and cinnamon bears too...So KIM if you haven't decided whether or not to come out next weekend and you need an incentive, I will save you a few bears!  Anyone else out here craving them, give me a call, I'm sure we can work out a deal! j/k I'll share.  The girls loved them, and I think we ate more than our fair share already!  Thanks Margy.

HOW MANY SNOW DAYS?!

Last week, we went about our daily lives like usual, but Monday night we were informed that a storm was heading our way and we were supposed to be getting a lot of snow (well a lot for here anyway.)  So, I got excited and started banking on the fact that Tuesday would be a snow day.  I was mostly looking forward to no pick-ups/drop-offs or any other driving.  Well, Tuesday, we did get dumped with snow, Wednesday we got a little, Thursday the roads froze and Friday much of the plowing still needed to be done.  So, the first day was great with kids at home, the second was a pleasant surprise, but the last two got a little long for the girls.  Thursday we decided to be nice and take them to dinner since Dad and I had be neglecting them and organizing the house.  So, their vote was McDonald's--it was closed, we drove across the street to Taco Bell--it was closed, so we finally ended up at Burger King--whose drive thru was open.  It was an odd day.  That day our Mayor even declared a 'family day' where everyone was supposed to stay in doors, at home and just be with their family---I thought that was neat.  Then, yesterday we were on a two-hour delay and most other school districts were cancelled.  So, between several days off for the wind storm back in October and the snow days last week, I have a feeling school is going to get extended at the end of the year! Uugh!  And I was so looking forward to a month at home in June.  Guess we'll see what happens!

The past couple weeks have been in the 40-50s... which I am okay with since it is supposed to be winter time.  However, the past several days have been closer to 0 degrees with the wind chill.  So, I have to say, there is nothing better than a nice, warm drink!  My favorite being milk steamers.  If you live close to me, you know how much I like these things, if you don't, you should try them!  It really is just steamed milk with flavored creamer and heated in a cocoa-latte maker (it just makes the drink foamy...yumm.)  I think hot chocolate is usually too sweet, so this is a pleasant, but not too sweet treat!  So, if you have a hard time enduring the frigid weather...maybe a fun drink will help!

Almost a Quiet New Year too!

We had originally made New Years plans that kind of fell through, so we again made a run to the store for the girls to pick out some treats for a family New Year's Party, very last minute, though unlike Christmas Eve I think we actually had like an hour before the stores closed! Then, David called and talked to the Stevens who were also just planning a quiet evening, so we decided to rain on their parade.  We had a good time and the girls were excited to have someone else at the party too!  They also enjoyed their dogs and Abby even named her new Webkinz after their cat Lilly.  

Jeana informed me she wanted to make some decorations for the 'party' and then disappeared for a while.  She then came down and said she made a sign of the USA because we all get to celebrate the new year here.  So she spent a long time coloring the pages with marker.  So cute.

There is a fun game called sleeping queens that our neighbor introduced us to and it is one I enjoy playing with them too.  So, I was trying to be a good mom and play with them since they didn't have any little friends around, but then Dad turned on the Steven's big TV and Shrek 2 was on, and they wouldn't have anything to do with the game.  How rude! (well at least I tried to give them some attention!)

A Quiet Christmas

Christmas morning the girls slept in until 8 and fell asleep to a movie at 6:30pm.  I was surprised they woke up so late b/c the day before a very concerned Abby kept reminding Jeana to wake her up when she got up.  I think though that they had a good day and were happy with all the fun new toys.  

We decided not to go anywhere for Christmas this year and to just plan a summer trip.  I must admit, it was not my favorite Christmas.  Christmas can get really chaotic, but this year there was definitely not much of that.  I think it was a little too quiet.  Though that was partly our fault for not extending invitations to all our other good friends who stayed here too.  David said he wanted a simple dinner for Christmas and so we were really just going to fix mac & cheese, but on Christmas Eve, the girls informed us they wanted ham, potatoes (like Melinda fixed for Thanksgiving), carrots, jell-o and pudding (I don't know where these came from b/c we rarely have either.) And since I wanted to make their Christmas a good one, we made it to the store with 10 minutes to spare before closing up for Christmas Eve.  The hams were of course picked over so we didn't have much to choose from, but we managed to round up a few things and make do. Christmas Eve the Runyans were kind enough to brighten our Holiday season by inviting us over for dinner.  We had a great time and the girls acted out a very cute rendition of the nativity.  Abby loves to be baby Jesus and requested to be again this year, though she is my baby she isn't so little anymore!

 

I did finally get a Whirley Pop (popcorn popper that is seasonal, so I've been waiting patiently.) We have had popcorn everyday since Christmas and we love it... another thanks to the Runyans for the introduction!  I hope everyone else had a good Christmas! 

So, I had been wanting a fun Christmas plate set for awhile and couldn't decide between this set and another more elegant set, in the end and after they had been setting out for a month, I decided to take it to a family vote and my girls chose the snowman plates.  So, here is our cute Christmas table set-up. 

2008 Christmas Memories

Holiday stories of 2008:

JEANA came home the other day from school, she had been counting down the days 'til they got to make a 'real' gingerbread man.  She was so excited to show me her work of art and tell us all about how the gingerbread men escaped their classroom, leaving only crumbs, while the children were at school.  They were finally able to track them down and bring them home.  She kept telling me how she thought at first it was fake, but soon realized it wasn't.  She kept saying, 'It was real mom, it really happened at school, it wasn't just pretend.  Mom, it was just like magic.'  I know she had fun with idea, so I decided not to reply one way or another.  She had fun and maybe it will be a memory she will cherish, I'm sure all too soon she will out grow the 'magical' stage.

ABIGAIL who was a little nervous going to bed on Christmas Eve for fear she wouldn't wake up early enough, asked her older sister several times to make sure to wake her up too.  Finally, we convinced her she would wake up early too, so she fell asleep.  The next morning she ran downstairs and then ran back upstairs, came into our room and yelled, "Mom, I went downstairs (after looking under the tree) and I was like, Holy Cow!"

JEANA "I wonder if Santa has 'aten' my cookies."  To her surprise, he even left a note to tell her how yummy they were...

ABIGAIL pointed to all the wrapped gifts and started naming them off.  'Oh, Jeana you can open that one, it is the diamond castle.'  Oh, the faith of little children and their requests.

JEANA after looking at her stocking with Abby replied, 'Wow, these are really good stockings!'

JEANA was super tired on New Year's Eve, but after an earlier discussion about the ball dropping on Time Square, she didn't want to miss it.  So, she came downstairs every few minutes to ask if it was time for the 'New Year's revolution' yet, so after a good laugh we corrected her with 'New Year's celebration.'  ( We had talked earlier about resolutions, so I think she got a little confused.)  

JEANA's New Year's Resolution is to run her first race.  Her school teacher asked them to come up with one and so we talked about setting goals etc... She then told me she wanted to run a race because she likes running.  There are several small races all year for little kids here in town and another friend of hers has been in a few and introduced her to the idea.

ABIGIAL's New Year's Resolution is to 'eat.'  Plain and simple.  Here I thought I was encouraged high minded goals and good interactive family discussion and that is what she gives me.  Well, I guess that is always a good one... especially if the food is tasty!

JEANA was asking about people who don't have food to eat and a home to live in and we were discussing how blessed we were.  Then, she turns to me and says, 'I wish I knew someone who didn't have anywhere to live."  And of course in my mind I am thinking, "ah, my sweet Jeana is going to say she wants to offer our home to someone who doesn't have one."   Instead I get a, "b/c then I would tell them to live under a tree.  That way they can be protected from things, but not rain b/c the rain can still get through the trees, right mom?" Wow... profound, but maybe not as generous as I was hoping!

ABIGAIL was asked by us what her favorite part of Christmas was and she replied cuddling with mom... even over the presents?  I really am loved!

Thanksgiving at our House

Most people who know me, know fall is my favorite season, the rain, the smell, the yummy (calorie loaded) food and of course family and good friends.  This Thanksgiving I heard of several families who have struggled with jobs and mortgages and other personal problems and it made me so grateful for what I have.  I often get caught whining about my husband's forever long program, but this fall, made me appreciate him and his efforts even more.  I am so blessed to have a beautiful home (most of which he had built, repaired or updated for our family), he is able to go to school and get an education (which is a pretty secure income in this economy.)  And though we don't make a lot of money, we have the gospel, cars that work, our kids go to great schools, we LOVE our neighborhood, and our extended families help us out in so many ways that I would say I am a very WEALTHY woman.  I am grateful that we plan a holiday every year to spend with family and reflect on the many blessings we receive.  

Jeana really wanted to help make food for thanksgiving so we decided to make an apple ie together.  She was such a good helper, instead of putting slits in the middle, we put a 'J' for Jeana the cook.

Nathan and Melinda joined us for a very yummy Thanksgiving feast on my new(er) dining table. (We are so grateful to still have some family close by!)  Jeana made some party favors and Melinda's potatoes were so good, Jeana and Abby requested the same ones for Christmas (though we didn't get them quite right!) However, my girls said the highlight of the meal was a chocolate raspberry pie (a recipe given to us by the Runyans.) Of course Melinda and I spent most of the day creating a plan of action for Black Friday shopping, we were a little disappointed with the deals, but managed to still spend money and get the items we were after.  ( if you look closely in the background you can see a Halloween bowl and a Christmas bowl in the picture too...guess I just can't make up my mind!)

Over Thanksgiving weekend we took our kids down to the train display at the museum and of course we got to see Santa.  The museum always does a great job with creating a fun, learning environment for kids.  We got to see several train displays and the kids even got to ride on a small train together.

If you look closely at the writing on the picture, it reads, 'Idaho Springs.'  Even when we are far away from home there are still subtle reminders of it over the holidays!

We have recently adopted the tradition (I say tradition because David doesn't like the word) of watching the Polar Express and drinking hot Chocolate, and since it was on TV and Noakes were still here, we shared the tradition with them over Thanksgiving weekend.  This is also a cute thing that most schools do and the kids all seem to love it.