Cousin Pictures!

We are missing our little cousins. 

Next week we will be in Utah and can visit three of them but the other to are in the frozen wasteland called Chicago. 

I don't think they are able to leave even if they wanted. 

Burrrr!!!

Three Little Mermaids!

Paige, Jessica, Madi, Sydney, Max (happy face) Bella, Adam and Preston on lap.

(This is the 100th picture we took. Can't get 9 kids to LOOK and SMILE at the same time!)

We are so lucky to have such fun cousins. Come back soon!

Love you!

What do you think Bella got for Christmas?

Christmas Day!

And the day after. 

And the day after that,

 they have been stuck to her feet. 

Even during performances!

2008 Reflections

Happy New Year!

Things I'm grateful for from 2008

(in no particular order)

1. Getting healthy and losing those few extra pounds.
2. Meeting Deanne who helped me with the above!
3. Preston's non-stop talking.
4. Todd's job.
5. My parents coming to help out so many times.
6. Primary kids and all they have taught me.
7. San Diego weather.
8. Sisters who always give me good advice and are willing to travel miles to come see me.
9. A husband who supports all my craziness.
10. Friends and strangers who blog.
11. Age and all the knowledge that comes with it.
12. My wonderful kids.
13. Friends who are never that shocked by the stuff that goes on in my life.

A Christmas Eve At Our Home.

 

I was a little worried how we would do all our fun Christmas Eve traditions when we did not get home from Palm Springs till late morning on Christmas Eve day.  I had some errands that I couldn't do before we left on our trip like all the grocery shopping for Christmas Eve dinner and Christmas dinner, cooking those meals and the baking of everyone's favorite pies (Todd-chocolate, Grandma Libby -blackberry and Kids and Me -pumpkin) plus some small gift still needed to be bought and wrapped! How could I do all that and still do all the fun stuff?

With Todd's help we pulled it all off stress free! 

Once home I ran to the grocery store to stock the house for our Christmas Feast's while Todd unpacked the car. Then he wrapped presents that still needed wrappings and ordered our Christmas Eve dinner from Pick up Stix! Yes you read that right. Let me explain. My family has a tradition of having Chinese food for Christmas Eve dinner. This funny tradition originated from a family joke which you will probably not get so I wont bore you with the telling of. My mom, sisters and I usually make most of it but order a few things from our favorite 

Chinese restaurant in my home town. It's fun and a break from the usual traditional fixing we just had a Thanksgiving and will usually have again the next day. (If your wondering, yes my family always has a party Christmas Eve and another on Christmas day) So I have done this with my family the years we have stayed in San Diego. But I knew I could not pull off almond chicken, sweet and sour pork and all the fixings this day before Christmas and keep my sanity. So Todd stepped in and came through with the next best thing. Insuring that we could do this,  

Todd reading The Night Before Christmas

 and Luke 2 to our children,

opening new P.J's and posing for pictures in Christmas P.J's, 

baking cookies for Santa,

set out cookies for Santa and carrots for the reindeer, 

(How do you think he fits down Bella?)

and later that night, 

 stockings hung with so much care and Santa's arrival at a peace-filled house.

It was a Very Merry Christmas.