The Conspiracy

I think my kids conspire while lying in their beds before going to sleep each night. I imagine the roommate conversation goes something like this

Daniel: "So how are we going to wear mom and dad down tomorrow so we can have free reign?"

James: "dadada DADA baba" (interpretation: "Let's do the usual combo...it seems to work well.")

The usual combo goes something like this

2:00am: James wakes up and screams just long enough to fully awaken his parents.
5:30am: James awakens, eats, goes back to sleep.
6:10am: I warm back up under the covers and start to drift back to sleep.
6:30am: I here the pitter patter of small feet, roll over, and find myself face to face with Daniel.

Last night the roommates did not have a chance to conspire because they both fell asleep in the car on the way home from church. James went with the usual plan. Daniel woke up with James at 5:30am. Christian is in Ohio (probably frozen right now), so I told Daniel to get in my bed to stay warm until I had finished feeding James. Well, my fluffy, warm, cloud bed was too irresistible for him. He fell back asleep and slept until 9:08! A record for sure.

Their little conspiracy works now, but little do they know that the other roommates across the hall, (aka their parents) are conspiring to sign them up for swimming when they are old enough to want to sleep past 6:30am. 5am practices come real early!

But, in reality, I wouldn't have it any other way. I get to wake up to this

and this

which is much more pleasant than waking up to an alarm clock!

Christmas in January

Sorry to all my loyal readers for not posting anything all week. We've been too busy playing with all our new toys. Santa (aka the UPS man) delivered presents on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.

Tuesday's package brought us a Play Station II with DDR and karaoke. This was a very generous hand-me-down from my family and we have had fun trying to sing and dance.

Thursday, the package I thought I was going to receive in October arrived. I wish I could express all the blood, sweat, and tears that went into getting this package (ok, there was really no blood, sweat, and tears. Instead there were nearly 100 phone calls and mounting frustration with a small company who kept making promises they did not keep). Alas she has arrived. I treat her as my own child. I should name her. Presenting our new little beauty....

I love the flour she makes. It is so fine and scrumptious!

Christian was a little jealous of me kissing the grinder.

Finally, we got two books on Friday. I'm anxious to finish up the music theory book I'm currently reading so I can read one of our new books. I love getting a new book. I love the sound of the pages cracking as you open it. I think I will read "The Omnivore's Dilemma" first.

Other than that, the boys and I have been playing in the snow. This week Daniel's favorite snow activity is sledding. James even went down the hill by himself. I have no pictures to document that though.

The Perfect Snow Day

I am a big fan of the snow. I love it, and we just got a whole bunch of it! It is still snowing out...tomorrow is going to be another fun day full of winter adventure. My favorite part was being stuck at home with the whole family. We read books, had a one man play, wrestled, baked, uncovered our driveway and sidewalk with the help of some nice neighbors, and played in the white frozen stuff we call snow.

Then, to top the day off we had some good friends over for a nice warm pot of Boston Baked Beans, warm whole wheat bread, fresh salad, snickerdoodles and...BBQ!

Grillin' with a cold, fresh out of the snow beer...root that is!

That's right! You can take the boy out of Texas, but you can't take Texas out of the boy! I hope we have many more snow days. I think we will. We live in Boston now.

The Cat in the Hat

Back to Real Life

Last night I finally checked off my last thing on my "get home to do" list...update the budget. Ahhh, it feels good to be home with the laundry done, the refrigerator filled, and our finances updated. Actually, I came home to a clean house and a stocked fridge...Chrisitian came home a week before the rest of the gang and fixed/stocked/cleaned everything in our little abode...I know, I am spoiled.

When we left for Utah, it was 60 degrees and no snow. Today, the high was 10 degrees and the snow is piled high. I have learned if it is going to be cold, there may as well be snow. I'm kind of a fan of the snow now we have all the right gear to truly enjoy it.


Daniel's new found favorite snow activity...shoveling! Our whole yard is like a giant sandbox. Our slopped backyard is great for sledding on (I didn't think it was so great when I was mowing it in the summer). We also have a snow fort under construction.

Now I'm ready to start on my projects to do list. First item...window treatments for my dining room. I'm thinking European bakery awning style. I'm still putting it together in my head.

Recipe for Ice Fishing

Ingredients:

• 5 fishing licenses
• 5 holes
• 5 poles
• worms
• chairs
• fun company
• sleds
• warm clothes

Directions:

• Park your car in Oklahoma
• Walk to a frozen lake in Utah hauling all your gear and two young kids
• Hear the ice crack as you walk across it carrying your 8 month old child
• Dig a bunch of holes

• Wait

• Go on sled rides

• Wait

• Admire the ice crystal formations on top of the lake

• Wait

• Sleep

• Wait

• Catch a trout

• Wait
• Catch another

• Walk back to your car in Oklahoma
• Serve immediately as a fun, warm memory that keeps forever
  

True Blue

Daniel and I went to the BYU vs Wake Forest basketball game while we were on our extended vacation. The Marriott Center was packed and the crowd was loud, so the experience was a bit overwhelming. We shared a hot dog and sang the Cougar fight song to and from the Marriott Center...just the "ra ra" part.

Man Cave

One night this was going on...

So Joan, my mom, and I went out shopping. We came back with a loot of cute pajamas to open on Christmas Eve.

This Year's Winner

We have a family frame that gets passed from one person to another each year. The receiver of the frame receives the frame along with a very unattractive picture of themself. The frame usually goes between Joan and Tim, but this year there was a new winner....


Joan and I actually "framed" my dad (that pun was intended). There was no way we were going to get a picture like this without some coercion. And the runner up...


This was another runner up.

Hmmmmm

Tim was playing around with our camera in Park City. He said he "accidentally" deleted the only picture of us skiing. He did leave these gems on the camera though.

"Ahh, how do these things work again?"

"Like this?"

"Oh, like this!"

The Magic of Park City

I wish I could describe the magic of our ski in/ski out resort stay. It was better than Disney World as a kid...and I went to Disney World as a kid. I wanted to stop time while I was there. I tried to savor each moment. Only 348 more days until we get to do it again. Maybe we should make a paper chain. At least 2009 is not a leap year...one day closer to skiing in Park City.

Joan and I basking in the sun

Basically, a Park City ski vacation goes something like this.

• 6am: Wake up with the kids and try and keep them quiet until 7am
• 7am: Let Daniel jump on Tim and Joan's bed with his glass of milk
• 8am: Breakfast
• 9am: Walk down to the ski valet, pick up your skis, ski like a mad dog
  
• 1pm: Nice warm lunch and a little r&r before the afternoon ski session
• 2pm: Ski
• 4:30pm: Hot tub...Daniel's favorite
  
• Evening: Dinner, night out on the town, shopping, talking, or movie watching
• 10:30pm: Sleep
  

On our last ski day, we decided to mix things up a little and try boarding instead. I'm so glad we did. It was so fun. Although we did spend a lot of time on our patooties, as everyone warned us we would, we were doing decently by the end of the day. I however never completed an "S" curve successfully. The only two times I did, I was so excited I had done it I promptly biffed it. Oh well, something to learn next time. It turned out to be a perfect day to learn how to board. Most of the runs we would have skied on were closed due to weather and we had fresh powder on the bunny hills to learn on.

Joan and I before boarding

On Christmas Eve all the ski instructors (probably about 100) skied down with red flares on their poles and made a lighted path which Santa skied down the middle of. It was fun to see...just another one of those magical things about Park City.

The Hahn Visit

Vacationing with both families got a lot easier this year. My parents and sister moved back to the "motherland" this last year. It is so nice to only have to travel to one place...especially since our family is growing and we are moving further away.

We spent the first week of our Utah vacation with the Hahns. It was so pleasant. While we visited, I was instructed in some of the finer things of life such as snow fort building, bathroom framing, and sushi eating (well, I didn't eat the sushi, but we had enough sushi to feed a small country).
I most enjoyed Tasha's birthday lunch with all the adults. Later, I asked my husband if he ever thought life for him and his siblings would have unfolded the way it has. I think things have unfolded rather nicely.

James in his Christmas Present

For Christmas, we gave James a toy Daniel wanted. Daniel is very motivated to share to have shared with now. Gifting James with a cool 3 year old toy was an ingenious parenting moment... those moments seem to come so rarely.

We're Back

We've been off skiing and visiting family. Check back soon for all the fun details!