Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

Seth has had the past week completely off from school and work (and boy did we all need the break). I had gotten so used to having him gone all the time that I have been carefully guarding this time with him like it is gold. We have had family to visit, parties to attend and long lists of things to get done, so the time has passed way too quickly, but it has been nice to carve out time for just our "little family" here and there!

Monday night was one of those "little family" times and, thanks to my step-sister, we were able to enjoy free admission to Zoolights on Monday and, thanks to my step-brother, free hot chocolate while we were there! It was freezing cold and I was walking pretty fast for a lady who is about to have a baby, but I found myself wishing that we could just bottle up the time together and do it again!

Chloe has become a complete "daddy's girl"! I go to put her in bed, change her diaper, start unbuckling her car seat to get her out or even get her some juice and she says, "No, Daddy do it!" in her obstinate and demanding way. She constantly wants Seth to hold her and, as we speak, she is bundled up outside in the freezing cold riding her cozy coupe from Grandma Becky and Grandpa John, just to be closer to Daddy (who is wiring our garage with electricity - what an awesome guy!).

I am so proud of Seth for all he does! I don't know how he has managed to pull of this first semester of school while working full time, but he passed all of his classes (YAY!) and has still managed to find time to be an amazing dad, show love and support to his far-too-ambitious pregnant wife, fulfill his church calling, and maintain our house and yard! Thanks for being so awesome sweetie - we love you!

So, that's why I haven't been posting lately. I've been too busy spending time with the love of my life while I have him all to myself - well, kind of! Don't worry though, he is back to work tomorrow, so I'm sure I'll be able to post about Christmas morning, the joy of Santa, singing Christmas songs, traditions, Christmas Cards, celebrations with family and friends, snowy adventures...etc. etc.

Sugarhouse Santa

So, this is the last of my posts for today - not caught up, but at least I'm trying!

Yesterday we ventured out in the snowstorm to see the Sugarhouse Santa in his little cottage. My mom met us there to help me deal with the kids while I took pictures (THANKS again, Mom) and then we met up with Uncle Michael and Sarah afterward for lunch at the soup kitchen...mmmm!

Morgan just hopped right up on Santa's lap and started telling him what he wanted, as usual, and Santa had to stop him to make sure he had been a good boy this year. After Morgan informed him that he had, indeed, been good, Santa asked him what he wanted for Christmas

"I want a farm with animals that make noises, and a farmer who drives the tractor that makes noises." He wanted to be sure that Santa knew exactly what farm he was talking about so he didn't leave out any of the details.

"Do you like surprises, too?" Santa asked.

"No." Morgan replied. Good to know...apparently as long as he gets the farm, he'll be a happy camper!

Chloe was very sweet with Santa after he gave her the candy cane, which she opened immediately, but did not want to sit on his lap. She screamed, I took pictures, and Santa was a good sport!

She did tell him, "Thank you for the candy cane," though and gave him some smiles, when not on his lap, so hopefully Santa will still drop by our house on Christmas Eve.

Thanksgiving Point Lights

We went to the lights at Thanksgiving Point for the first time this year and I have to say, it was delightful! We watched ELF in the car on the way up, turned on the Christmas tunes in our nice warm car, paid our $7 and enjoyed a lovely display of lights without a second of freezing in the cold. The kids were mesmerized and we had so much fun talking about the different lights and singing songs about them. Then, after being totally blitzed with the secular side of Christmas, the very end was a drive through the story of the birth of the Savior with beautiful illustrations and the words of "This is the Season" from the Primary songbook. So worth it.

And, to top it all off, we got to park by the tower and see some reindeer - Comet and Blitzen, I believe! Oh, and yes, that look of surprise on Chloe's face in the pictures - that was there the entire time! My camera battery died after I took these pictures, but they did get to touch the reindeer's antlers and get up really close to them. Very cool! I totally recommend it!

Backseat Movies and Other Happy Joys

I know I never posted pictures of my lovely car and it is just because I am a slacker and forget to take pictures every time it is clean - I have 2 children and it is winter and the holidays so that doesn't happen all that often. So, still no pictures, however, I have to mention, yet again, how much I love it! I still get little excitement butterflies every time I drive it - especially with gas being so inexpensive everywhere right now. A few of my favorite things about it are...

1. Backseat Movies: I never wanted a DVD player in my car because I figured that it would just be another way for my kids spend time in front of the tube, which it is, in reality. That said, it is the most wonderful thing to be able to get everyone happily into the car from somewhere they don't want to leave based solely on the fact that they will get to watch a movie. Long drives are so much nicer - especially when Seth is in the car - because the kids can watch the movie and we can actually have a conversation in the front seat, uninterrupted! I do limit how often we turn it on and frequently use it as a reward for good behavior or take away the privilege as a punishment. All things considered - I love it!

2. Remote Start: If you do not have remote start in your car and you live in Utah, you should really invest. It is the greatest thing in the world! Yesterday I lost my remote start clicker going to see Santa in the mess of a snowstorm, much to my dismay, and all day today I was wishing I had my new one already (don't you worry, after looking all over for it in the snow, I had a new one ordered less than an hour after returning home - plus an extra one for Seth, just 'cause I love him)! It is particularly nice to be able to get the car started and kids loaded and be able to run back inside quickly for whatever you inevitably forgot - all while the doors are locked and you have keys in hand! So amazing!

3. Heated seats: Oh, how I love a warm bum!

4. Room for 8: So, yeah, we don't have 8 of us in the family, but with Seth in Young Men's and me in Young Women's we have filled the car to capacity a number of times already. It is so nice to be able to fit 3 carseats in the middle row when we have an extra kid in tow, or be able to fit Grandma and Grandpa comfortably in the backseat on the way to the Polar Express. Plus, there is still room for all our stuff in the back. Is this what it will feel like to live in a house with storage rooms, a pantry and enough rooms for all the family members?

5. 4WD: Driving in the snow is a breeze - never stuck, never sliding, never scared to death - enough said!

The Polar Express

Yay! I am finally checking something off my list of stuff to blog!

On Monday the 8th, Grandma Becky and Grandpa John treated the kids (and Seth and me) to a ride on the Polar Express. The kids got to wear their jammies and Seth was sad that the adults didn't get to wear theirs - I'm a party pooper, I know. (Sidenote: Mom, you need to send me the pictures of all of us before boarding the train so I can post them!)

After picking up our tickets and boarding the train, we all snuggled into our seats to get "comfortable" - a term I use loosely and if you have ever been you know what I mean - and take some pictures. After everyone was on board, we headed out for the North Pole to pick up Santa Clause! We had hot chocolate and Mrs. Clause's chocolate-chip cookies served by elves and cooks, read The Polar Express and sang some Christmas songs.

Finally, out the window of the train we saw him - SANTA!!! He boarded our car (the caboose) first and the Kids were so excited to get to see him. Morgan didn't even say "hi" when he got to us, he just said, "I want a farm with anumals that make noises!" - maybe I had prepped him about what you tell Santa a little too well! Santa gave each of the kids a Christmas bell from his sleigh and then the elves came around and told us which reindeer each bell was from. Chloe didn't hand hers over, but Morgan's bell was from Dancer.

The ride home was much shorter which was good because the kids were getting pretty ansty. We sang Christmas carols and even had a visit from Mrs. Clause right as we were pulling into the station.

We had so much fun and the kids really enjoyed it. Thanks Grandma Becky and Grandpa John!!!

P.S. Sorry for all the random photo treatments - I have been having too much fun playing in photoshop!

Lonely

Well, I am almost finished with all of my "pending" projects so I can get back to blogging all the stuff on my list, but in the meantime I thought I'd give you an update.

Roxy is gone to "try out" her new home for the weekend. It has been nearly 24 hours and luckily I have kept busy enough today to only get emotional about it a couple of times. The first was this morning when I let Callie in from going potty - the realization that there were only 4 little feet to wipe off put me right over the edge and I sat on the stairs sobbing. Ironically, wiping dog feet to avoid wet, muddy footprints all over the house is one of my least favorite chores - especially since bending over to do it is not all that comfortable in my very pregnant state.

Callie isn't sure what to think of the whole thing. She has been peeking out the front window more frequently today, wondering where her buddy is. I don't think she minded having room to spread out at the foot of our bed this morning though, and she has been significantly better behaved and easy to manage today.

Morgan seems fine with the whole thing, but Chloe keeps calling Callie, "Roxy Roo", which kind of breaks my heart. I keep reminding myself how happy Roxy probably is at her new home, but it is still a little lonely here without her. Funny that after all the extra work, effort and energy that sweet "puppy" has required of me, she still has a big place in my heart. Part of me wouldn't be too disappointed if she didn't behave during her weekend away and ended up coming back home.

Bowling

I know I have a list of stuff I've gotta blog, but tonight we went bowling and it was hillarious! My Grandma Colleen throws a big family Christmas party every year - we all get PJs (including and significant others or guests - not just family members), the young cousins do a gift exchange and get to swing at the piniata and we have lots of fun! After all of these festivities at Grandma's house, we were off to the bowling alley. All of the younger kids were on a lane together with bumpers and one of those Special Olympics ramps. I must mention here that this was a lot of work for the parents: good, because all of the kids got have bumper lanes and the cool ramp, but bad because most parents were back and forth between their game and their child's game or entertaining their child until it was his or her turn again. Patience is not a common virtue in children 4 and under!

Seth totally biffed it while bowling his first round which was pretty hillarious in and of itself, but the highlight was later in the night when Morgan started getting bored with the ramp and wanted to be more creative. I saw him headbutt the ball down the ramp (ouch!), release the ball behind him as he slid down the lane, make our lane look like a pinball machine with the ball bouncing between the bumpers, push the ball under his legs backwards - v e r y s l o w l y, and by the end I saw him throw it with some pretty good spin and even get a spare all on his own!

By the time the "kid lane" finished their first game, most were way past done (Morgan and Chloe being the exceptions) and we had already paid for a whole other game, so we got to waste some frames. Even though I had decided, in my very pregnant state, to forgo my bowling game, I got to take a couple of turns and even got a spare or 2! Woo Hoo! We also didn't get Chloe her own game since we weren't sure if she'd be interested, but once she started pushing her ball down the ramp, she was hooked. She was really unhappy about having to let other people have a turn though and kept pushing the ramp into the way while people were trying to bowl. She also escaped about 1/3 of the way down the lane and Grandma Becky had to go chasing after her. Good times!

I am a complete slacker and had a dead camera battery, so no pictures, but you will have to take my word for it - bowling with kids is hillarious...but never attempt to play more than one game, especially when it is already past bedtime! Thanks for the fun times Grandma!

Stuff I Gotta Blog

Things are crazy busy around here - as I am sure they are for you too - so blogging is taking a back seat (thus my many very short posts). Since I am officially experiencing full-fledged pregnancy brain, and I'll probably forget by the time I get back to these posts, I am sharing my "blogging to do list" so you can keep me accountable!

1. The Polar Express excursion with Grandma Becky and Grandpa John complete with LOTS of pictures!
2. Holiday Decor (I promised Holli I would do her home details tag and this is how I'm gonna get it done)
3. Lights at Thanksgiving Point
4. Movies in the Car
5. Non-Christmas Card

So, hold on to your hats because as soon as I get finished with neighbor gifts, completing Christmas gift projects, and finishing up the enormous freelance work projects I am in the middle of, I will be back to the "real" blog posts. And in the meantime - I hope you all are having a wonderful holiday season!