Holiday Happenings

Here are some random holiday pics for your viewing enjoyment.

Melted Snowman Slushie--the hit of the 4th grade holiday party

Shopper-in-Training

Star Cookies for Santa

Our baby with her baby

The princesses seeing "The Princess and the Frog".... we loved it!

Our non-commercial Christmas picture

"...love to see the temple"

Sisters+Sleeping Bags=Sister Slumber Party

It's fun to play at the YMCA!!!

"Back to School Party"-I had a couple parents ask if the party was for me or for the kids...hmmm, no comment.

Feliz Navidad!

Our Mexican Feast

Macy and Matt "Siamese Present Wrapping"

Avery and Paige "Siamese Present Wrapping"... Picture #1

Avery and Paige "Siamese Present Wrapping"... Picture #2

Avery and Paige "Siamese Present Wrapping"... Picture #3

Me n' Matt

The Party Pooper (that's why her pants are missing)

We couldn't go to our Ward Christmas Party this year, so we had our very own party at home. We had festive Mexican food (question: are Navajo Tacos considered Mexican food?), played a rousing game of Siamese Present Wrapping, made ornaments, drank Grandpa's Holiday Punch, and played "Sleds" (aka Spoons, only with Sled ornaments from our tree...so creative). The party was a success, with the exception of the present wrapping game. Deep down I knew this was a bad idea, but I didn't follow my intuition. Instead we had 10 minutes of Avery yelling at Paige for not helping and Paige screaming to delete these pictures from the camera. Sorry babe, they are goin' on the blog. Merry??? Christmas!

#66.....Check

Well, I'm able to mark off item #66 on my bucket list....serve on a jury. O.K., it really wasn't on my bucket list, but it should have been. It was quite the experience. I was summoned to show up for jury duty on October 27th and I finished up yesterday...3 + weeks later. From jury selection to the actual trial to deliberation to the reading of the verdict, my inner core was overflowing with a strange combination of frustration, sympathy, interest, and confusion. My case consisted of a soldier stationed in our area gunning down and killing 2 people standing on a street corner hanging up garage sale signs...with an AK47. He also shot at 2 other guys, hitting one, on another street corner on a different night. My 11 new best friends and I found him guilty of on 12 different counts. The thickness of the air during deliberation and the reading of the verdict will be permanently tattooed in my brain. I thought the weight of the matter would be lifting by now, but I have either been crying or on the verge of crying all day today. My heart goes out to the families of the victims and others that were involved.

On a lighter note...there were a few, I mean very few, funny moments, but I have to share them. Lawyer: Who is your cell phone carrier? Witness: I am. Lawyer: No, I mean, which company do you get your cell phone service through. Witness: T-Mobile, they have good rates!

Here's one more... Lawyer: What does a flash suppressor do (to the layman, it's an end of an assault rifle used to minimize the amount of light that comes out when a gun is shot)? Witness: (smugly) It suppresses the flash.

Well, I have to give a shout out to those who helped us or offered to help us these past few weeks. To my parents for dropping everything and showing up 2 days after I was selected. To my sisters for leaving their families to serve mine. To friends who either took the girls for a playdate or helped transport them. We wouldn't have survived without you!

Fright Night!

The Boo Crew

Avery-Greek Goddess

Paige-Kitty

Macy-Tinkerbell

Brinley-Witch

If you feel like your having a de ja vu moment, you're not. I bribed my children with a whole $5/kid, to select a costume from the dress-up box verses buying one at the store. I honestly thought they wouldn't go for it, but they thought it was the best plan ever. This was my easiest Halloween ever! (Now that Paige has some cash, she can stop wiggling all of her teeth praying for one to fall out.)

Britt's Big Day!

The bride and groom (Brittany and Andy)

Brittany and her #1 aunt

Amazing cake made by my sister-in-law, Judy

Here's Brinley with cousin Austin wrapped around her little finger

Here's Brinley dragging Uncle Dale around with her little fingers

Here's Jamie and Collin (thanks to a George Bush cut out and a color copier), so funny

Here's Laura, Brin, Dale, Elder Jensen, and Amanda

and one last pic of Brinley (in case you were wondering, she was my only child there)

I know it's hard to believe that someone as young and hip as I am could possibly have a niece get married, but it's true. My little Brittany Jensen is now Brittany Pinkston...crazy! It seems like only yesterday she was lathered up with Vaseline (thanks to Amanda) and drinking bathwater. Brittany and Andy were married in beautiful Logan on a beautiful fall day.

Apples of My Eye

gourmet caramel apples...kid style

Brin's lickin' the chocolate bowl clean...what a helper

It may feel like Christmas outside (30 degrees is our high today...brrrr), but we decided to do something Halloween-ie inside. We ususally get so junk fooded out that we don't ever make caramel apples, so we decided to make them earlier in the month. The kidos smashed as many goodies on top as they could get to stick and then added a few more for good luck. Yum...better than Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory's (almost).

Brin's Grins

Little Brinley turned 1 this summer, so I decided save some cash (and anxiety) and take her out on a homemade photoshot with mom. I wish I could say that she loved every minute of it and was more than cooperative, but she wasn't. My big goal was to get one adorable picture of her in the flowers, but instead she is wailing. I was disappointed at first, but now the crying picture is my favorite. Mom doesn't always know best.

Here are the updates on Brinley...

*She has just started to really say words. She says mama, dad, bow (ball), hi, bye, hot, teeth, tickle, quack, oh oh (woof woof), up up up, and dinky dinky dink (lyrics to her favorite song), and kind of an amen at the end of our family prayer.

*She also blows on her hot food, says shhhh when it's time to be quiet, blows kisses with with the back side of her hand, loves to click her tongue and spit, and pretends to read books out loud.

*She gets most excited when her sisters leave for school. It's become quite a ritual to wave bye bye and scream as they head up the street.

*She's got some moves. She is a expert at twirling, stomping, and bobbing to the beat.

*She's our human garbage disposal...she will eat anything.

*She is also very regular, if you know what I mean.