Christmas 2013

Wowee...what a week!  I've been crazy busy over here...hence the lack of posts!  I've worked everyday since Christmas so that has been taking up my days and then hanging out with the family in the evenings so I haven't had a chance to catch up...on anything!  I'm really enjoying work, although I do go through quite a bit of guilt being away from my family...but I won't be working this much once the holidays are over.  

Anyway...back to Christmas!  By the way...I did have Christmas Eve and Christmas off...which was a very much needed break!  Being a ski instructor has got to be one of the most grueling jobs!  Picking up children, lugging skis, hiking up the tow hill...bottom line...it's a work out!  But that's a post for another day.

Okay, back to Christmas...again.  We had so much fun!  I just love Christmas!!  The girls were super excited and Haley woke up several times throughout the night "to check to see if it was morning."  So needless to say Ryan and I didn't have to best sleep...but that is to be expected the night before Christmas.  We woke up with Haley and Morgan pacing in our room around 6:30 and we got the little ones up about 6:50.  Not too bad.  

Santa Came!!

(Please excuse that blanket on the couch...I wished I moved it before I took the picture.  It's for a sneaky dog that likes to sleep on the couch.)

The girls with their Christmas jammies that they opened Christmas Eve.

When Piper wears hers I want to shout out, "What does the fox say?!"  

Some things Santa brought...

Haley and Morgan:  ski helmets and goggles, doll wardrobe (perfect for their American Girl doll clothes and accessories), legos and new books.

Piper and Rory: Play-Doh, Duplos and a new book.

 After opening presents we had our traditional breakfast of monkey bread, sausages and eggs...nom, nom, nom!  Later that afternoon my family came over for a ham dinner.  We were especially lucky not only to have my mom and dad in town, but my other brother Andrew too!  So I was able to have my whole family together at the same time!!  I just loved having everyone together!

At one point in the evening we had a massive dart gun fight!

The pictures just doesn't do it justice as it was a pretty crazy affair...seriously...it was nuts.

 The girls with their cousin Jett.

I love how the majority of my children are still wearing their jammies from the morning.

 My dad and a couple of my brothers, Matt and Andrew.

And last but not least...my crazy family.

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas!  Tonight we are gathering at my parents' house for New Year's Eve!  We'll see how late my children can go before they have complete meltdowns!

Happy New Year Everyone!!

Christmas Eve!

I hope I'm not the only one with children who are going absolutely crazy...seriously, it's hyper city around these parts!  And this time of year also increases the volume in which my children speak...and with an already loud house, you can imagine how it is now!  I feel bad for the people who stop by...they are bombarded with my children telling (which feels like they're yelling because they are talking so darn loud) about every decoration in the house and showing (or shoving in our guests' faces) their Christmas Eve presents.  But even with all the craziness...I'm super giddy about Christmas!!  Christmas is ten times better with children!  Truly, it is.

I worked four days straight this week...I get Christmas Eve and Christmas off, and then I'm back at it on Thursday.  It's been fun...I've worked with mainly 4-5 year olds which is a hoot.  

Selfie on the lift.  

Don't worry, I wasn't in a lesson when I took this.

We've been getting a few snow showers here and there which is nice...we'll have a white Christmas for sure!

I can't help but cringe when I look at this picture...how is this my child?

The girls have already skied a few times with Ryan.  They may even go today...gotta wear these kids out somehow!!

 And Piper loves her little skis...she tromps around the front yard in them.

And finally...did you watch the season finale of Survivor Blood vs. Water???

Yep...he did it!

Our very own Tyson Apostol won!!

Totally weird watching someone that's been in my very own house on TV.  And to see his family in the audience, the very same people we saw every Wednesday night at the Mt. Bike Series.  Kinda fun!

So happy for him!

Well, it's time for me to get to baking!  We'll be spending Christmas Eve at my brother's house and then I'll be hosting Christmas dinner here.  Better get busy!

I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas!!

Quick Update

Piper modeling her favorite pajamas...seriously, she wears them all the time.  I haven't even been able to get my hands on them yet to throw then in the wash.  Perhaps one day...when she grows out of it.

Let's see...here's what's been going on lately:

* A cold has sneaked its way into the house...both Piper and Rory and maybe even Morgan now have come down with the runny noses and cough.  Bummer.

*  Work is going really well for me.  I've done several ski lessons already as well as many training clinics on the mountain.  The weather is warming up to the 30's this week which is pretty darn nice compared to the single digits we had the first week I was there!

*  Christmas shopping, work, as well as just trying to keep up with everyday chores (cooking, cleaning, laundry, yadda, yadda, yadda) is taking up ALL of my time!!  Hence the lack of posts lately.  But I'm so excited for Christmas...I just love this time of year!  I've been very careful these last two years when it comes to Christmas shopping.  It's definitely a learning process with kids on how to avoid buying all the junk!  The kids are getting some really fun stuff....I can't wait!  Plus, my entire family (parents and brothers) will be together this year, which is a little Christmas miracle!

Well, I better get back to it.  Hopefully I'll be able to get out a post or two before Christmas!

The past week or so.

Seems like life just got crazy...or crazier anyway.  

I decided to do a quick update with some photos from the last week or so.

Rory's very impromptu birthday party.  Seriously, it was so spontaneous that Ryan and I ran out and bought her a present literally an hour before it...with her in tow.  Thanks to my mom who was totally cool having all of us bombard her house to celebrate last minute.  And the only reason it was last minute was because the rest of the week was too crazy, plus my dad was flying out of town...it was kind of then or it wasn't going to happen.  Hopefully she won't remember it being too lame.

She did an awesome job at blowing out the candles...only a little bit of spit hit the cake.

We have been getting slammed with the snow fall the year!  And the temps are crazy low!  Like highs in only the teens and lows in the negatives!

Of course the dogs love this time of the year because they now live in the house.

And of course Haley spoils them rotten.

I started working on Friday...I'm currently three days in.  Still finding my groove, but I enjoy it.  Although, being on the mountain when the high is only about 10 degrees is a bit out of my comfort zone.  When I get home I'm I cannot warm up...it isn't until I take a very hot, scalding shower that I feel better...and hot chocolate helps too.

Sunday afternoon we finally decorated.

It's very Christmasy in our living room now!

And we picked a different kind of tree...I love it...although we had to chop the top off to get it to fit in the room.  But I think it's so pretty!

Tomorrow, it's more skiing.  Haley's class is coming up to Sundance for the Ski Utah program...so that should be fun!

Happy Monday!

A little reminder.

So I follow this blog called Clover Lane.  She's a mother of six ranging from college age to baby...so she definitely knows a thing a two about raising children.  Although she is much more organized than I'll ever be I find myself gravitating to her posts quite often.  

Anyway, her post today was a keeper.  Seriously, I need to read this everyday...it's a good reminder.

So, here you go...and I dare you not to cry.



An Erma Bombeck Column:

A young mother writes: "I know you've written before about the empty-nest syndrome -- that lonely period after the children are grown and gone. Right now, I'm up to my eyeballs in laundry and muddy boots. The baby is teething; the boys are fighting. My husband just called and said to eat without him, and I fell off my diet. Lay it on me again, will you?"

OK.

One of these days, you'll shout, "Why don't you kids grow up and act your age!"

And they will.

Or, "You guys get outside and find yourselves something to do ... and don't slam the door!"

And they won't.

You'll straighten up the boys' bedroom neat and tidy -- bumper stickers discarded, bedspread tucked and smooth, toys displayed on the shelves. Hangers in the closet. Animals caged. And you'll say out loud, "Now I want it to stay this way."

And it will.

You'll prepare a perfect dinner with a salad that hasn't been picked to death and a cake with no finger traces in the icing, and you'll say, "Now, there's a meal for company."

And you'll eat it alone.

You'll say: "I want complete privacy on the phone. No dancing around. No demolition crews. Silence! Do you hear?" And you'll have it.

No more plastic tablecloths stained with spaghetti.

No more bedspreads to protect the sofa from damp bottoms.

No more gates to stumble over at the top of the basement steps.

No more clothespins under the sofa.

No more playpens to arrange a room around.

No more anxious nights under a vaporizer tent.

No more sand on the sheets or Popeye movies in the bathrooms.

No more iron-on patches, wet, knotted shoestrings, tight boots, or rubber bands for ponytails.

Imagine. A lipstick with a point on it. No baby sitter for New Year's Eve. Washing only once a week. Seeing a steak that isn't ground. Having your teeth cleaned without a baby on your lap.

No PTA meetings.

No car pools.

No blaring radios.

No one washing her hair at 11 o'clock at night.

Having your own roll of Scotch tape.

Think about it. No more Christmas presents out of toothpicks and library paste.

No more sloppy oatmeal kisses.

No more tooth fairy.

No giggles in the dark.

No knees to heal, no responsibility.

Only a voice crying, "Why don't you grow up?"

and the silence echoing, "I did."



With the winter season in full force now my laundry room is constantly scattered with jackets, gloves, hats, snow pants, boots and puddles.  Oh, and socks...socks are EVERYWHERE!  It's easy to get frustrated of the constant messes that I can never seem to clean.  

Let it go.  

Sedona Thanksgiving 2013

Last week we celebrated Thanksgiving in Sedona with the grandparents.  The weather was lovely and we were able to squeeze in a lot of fun outings.  It was almost close to a perfect trip, but then Ryan had to go and get sick Tuesday night with the throw ups...that wasn't so cool.  But then, it's really not a family trip unless someone gets sick or goes home with stitches.  I'm learning to roll with it.  Although, that didn't keep me from being on high alert the rest of the week, waiting for those dreaded words, "Mommy, my stomach hurts."  But fortunately, after Ryan made a quick recovery the rest of stayed healthy and happy.  I call that a win!  

Courthouse hike.

Ryan and I got out for a couple of rides together too!

Red Rock Crossing hike.

West Fork Hike.

Feeding the ducks at Talaquepacque.

It was a really fun and relaxing week!  And Grandma Sandy cooked up a stellar Thanksgiving feast!

Now today we woke up to the snow plows in full force!  We are getting quite the dumping of snow today, and it's still coming down!  There must be over a foot out there already!   Ski season here we come!

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday Rory!!

Today you are two!

Celebration to come!