Christmas

I will warn you in advance this is going to be a long post but it is for journaling purposes so bear with me, I guess you could always just stop reading;). Trust me, this is the super condensed version:)

We have so many annual activities and traditions each December.  They include doing ginger bread houses , seeing Christmas plays, sub-4-santa's, Magleby grandkids Christmas party, Temple square, Festival of trees, etc... I know, it's the same for every family! Some people hate all the hussle and bussle and running around but I love it.  This year it started with "Auntie Clause"; a character that Josh's aunt Rakelle began doing a few years back. She comes and showers gifts on her adoring, anxious nieces and nephews. the kids have grown to really love this. 

Christmas Eve for us begins at Mimi's cafe. We started going there for breakfast about four years ago and it has become one of the things my kids look forward to the most.  It kicks off all the mayhem and calorie-packed festivities that take place over the next four days! After Mimi's we went to my moms Christmas eve party, which started at one o'clock so that family who traveled far could get home at a decent time. We were still full from Mimi's but that didn't stop us from pigging out on delicious food! We also have all of the grandkids act out the Nativity in full costume (my mom goes to a lot of work for this and I love it!) 

Next it was on to visit Grandma Thorne for a bit and then on to Josh's aunt Shirleys food-fest, I mean Christmas eve party:). Santa himself always shows up but this year he hurt his knee and just couldn't make it so Darren stepped in as a personal helper and handed out gifts. Teagan stayed close to the olive bowl all night; funny how the little ones learn right off the bat to put those things on your fingers, And Sadie got to call all the Bingo cards during Christmas Bingo. It is always fun to be with this part of Josh's extended family... Then it was back home where we opened Christmas pajamas, left out the cookies and milk for Santa (oats for the Reindeer) and shared the true Christmas story with the kids. I always fear that this gets lost on them in all of the other Christmas activities.

Christmas morning was fun, of course. It is fun to see the kids get so excited. Then we headed over to Josh's parents where they always prepare an enormous brunch. We spent the rest of the day there with his family opening gifts, acting out the Nativity, and eating, eating and eating (See a theme here?). Then it was home to prepare for a couple of nights at my father-in-laws cabin.  We always have so much fun there in the winter. We snowmobile, sled, play games, crafts, watch movies etc. Josh gave me book for Christmas that I had been wanting and I was able to read the whole thing while  relaxing there. 

We got home and took Christmas down immediately! It was time. We have had it all up since before Thanksgiving. Christmas was fun and now it's time to lose some serious holiday weight, Bring on 2009!!        

Sadies dance recital

Sadie was able to perform at the Festival of trees last week and then got to perform again at her recital last night. This is for all you family who were not able to make it to watch her dance. She did such a great job, of course they all did! (To stop my music so you can hear the video go to my playlist at the bottom of this page and push pause.) It was a lot of fun watching her perform wish you could have made it:)  Thanks to those who did!

My first tagging!

So I guess I am just supposed to post the fourth photo from my fourth file ....

So Kristin this is funny because it is a photo from Cabo as well. It is of Alex and we were on a glass bottom boat ride with Josh's family! fun memories:) He was so cute, I think this was about five years ago.

Now I tag Lisa (gotta break you in right!), Michelle B. and Mary H.(if you ever check blogger!)

Coldplay!

Alright, so I was a big fan before but now I am a passionate fan! They were here on Saturday, and thanks to our great friend Dustin who works for Energy Solutions, we had great seats close to the stage. We went with our good friends The Wardles and had dinner at Tuchanos at Gateway first and caught most of the Utah game at Skybox (Yeah Utes!!)

It was a fun day!

Happy Birthday Josh

Josh is a wonderful husband, and most importantly, a wonderful father! this man has been peed on by all four kids at least once in their infancy, he has caught his babies poop in his bare hands mid diaper change, he has caught at least two of his childrens puke in his bare hands when they got sick unexpectedly , he has had his head barfed on while carrying his three year old into Disneyland and he can strip a carseat that has been puked, pooped, peed on with lightening speed! Oh, and he just finished scrubbing Sadies poop out of her bedroom carpet! He does it all as if he was born to do it:) Now that it sounds like we have some seriously disgusting kids; I am going to let them share some of their favorite, not gross things, that they love about their dad on his birthday

Teagan loves--That dad gets him up and feeds him breakfast every morning

Sadie loves--That dad hasn't rung her little neck yet (She is a professional three year old after all) and that dad always reads to her. He also makes a great jungle gym!

Alex loves--That he plays with him in the gym, and Lego Star wars, and that he is a nice dad

Maddy loves--That dad plays guitar and piano (her inspiration for doing both), and that he is fun!

Erika loves--His banana pancakes, that he always finishes the laundry when I just can't get the mountain of it to go down, that he puts up with me!, that he loves to have fun as much as I do, That he honors his parents, that he honors his priesthood, that he values his testimony, that he is patient, that he's not bad to look at;), that he treats being a husband and father as a both full-time job and an honor. I could go on and on........

We'd be lost without you babe!  I love you, Happy birthday

Lame flag football!

So Josh was playing flag football this morning and while jumping up for the ball landed right on his shoulder and separated the ligament. Now his shoulder is all deformed and he will probably need sports therapy on it. I realize that it could always be worse and I am so grateful that this is the only crisis we have had to deal with this week but  lets face it; when Josh is my right hand man around here it is real inconvenience for the whole family when one of the parents get injured.  So being the mean wife that I am, but also a loving wife 'cause I do hate seeing him injured, I have forbidden Josh from playing flag football again. He already decided that he is ready to retire anyway, so at least we are in agreement.

Halloween fun!

Last weekend we went to my brother Todd's house in Layton for their annual Halloween party. It is always so much fun. We carved pumpkins and ate Krista's delicious soup out of fun "pumpkin" bread bowls. They also have an adorable dog that Teagan would not leave alone! I had ordered costumes for Maddy and Alex and they hadn't arrived by the time of the party so we were able to improvise with other clothes and costumes we had around the house. two days before halloween their costumes made it to us and they were able to wear them on trick -or-treat day( they were just from Target and for some reason way cheaper than buying them from the store). Anyway, Maddy was a Spider geisha, Sadie was a ladybug fairy, Teagan was a bumble bee and Alex would not go with my bug theme and insisted on being something scary (I miss my little super hero of past years) He wanted guts and gore but I settled on the Grim Reaper. He really did look kinda scary with his mask on. Sadie really got into the spirit of trick-or-treating and she just couldn't get to the next door fast enough! When she woke up the next day I said "Sadie, Halloween is over now we get to look forward to Thanksgiving when we get to eat a big turkey and tons of pie!" and she just screamed "Yay, I looove Thanksgiving!" I love spending this fun time with my kids. Bring on the Turkey!!!