...and this is why my kids should not cook....

Just something random to allow you to take a peek into my life.


Nicole and Chay are being wonderful and are cooking supper after Nicole picked me up from work.

Not too long ago Nicole called Chay, with some laughter in her voice, ...and then Chay brought the following to me to check out.


Nicole had put hot grease in a plastic cup (cup #1) and ended up with cup #2. I'm just glad that it melted into a thick saucer and NOT a cup with a hole and burn someone. It's kind of like that "shrink plastic" stuff, I'm sure there's a craft project in this discovery. (I didn't ask though where the grease ended up, Nicole may have been smart, or lucky, and had the cup in the sink...).

Twas the "days" before Christmas...

A catch up of the happenings around our place since the last entry. I thought I had the basics of this blogging figured out but things keep changing on me and today I'm unable to cut/copy and paste or even change the order of the pictures so in reality, I have actually spent a lot of time on today's entry trying to MAKE it work...and then just started all over. Now that that preface is done...

Blade got his chance to officially make it winter by making a Snow Angel...after being licked on by Koshi. ( It's safest to stay off the lawns because in the back I know that Koshi has left some "treasures", and in the front there could be "treasures" from every neighborhood dog but ours.)

This is how Blade likes to take the icecubes out of the tray. It worries me because I think that it will hurt when he takes the icecube off but, so far he has been okay.

So, if you come to our home....really think about whether or not you want ice with your drinks...

Nicole and Chay searched the house for hours and finally found some more of our "hidden" Christmas supplies. I was looking for the huge green and red container but the Stockings and mesh for the tree were in white plastic bags...who knew. (We definitely need to go out and shop the after Christmas sales for Christmas containers).

Nicole and Blade put the mesh garland on the tree. I learned from Sheila and Sharon that if you can't reach the heights, just get something to entend your reach...and I've passed that on to my kids also. The handle to the mop worked well.

While walking around the tree wrapping the garland, Blade broke out in song "Wocking around the Christmas tree" (the Santa in botton right of the picture sings "Rocking around the Christmas tree).

Getting the Stockings ready for Santa.

AND the greatest news this week is that Blade is pooping in the toilet! Five days without any poopy underwear!! Yahhhh!!

When Blade poops in the toilet we play Hi Ho Cherry-O! (One day we played it 4 different times) I've learned that he is competitive when it comes to games, he likes to win. But he's okay if someone else does win. He must like the game because there are times that I'm afraid that he is going to hurt himself while on the toilet because he is trying so hard. (I can understand why people have strokes while on the toilet). He won't give up though, "I know it's there, I'll keep pushing".

Putting out the cookies for Santa!

CHRISTMAS MORNING!

One of the best activities was the popping of the air bags around the gifts.

Blade with his gift from Santa.

Nicole with her gift from Grandma and Grandpa and Mom and Dad. (She did pretty good with gifts considering she went to Hawaii for her Christmas gift).

Santa's gift to....

Chay

Nicole playing with one of Blade's gifts.

He did get a turn...

This is where I really wanted to get the edited picture from Pacasa but it wasn't happening for me. Cute group picture but check out the Christmas tree shaped butter on the table! It was one of the gifts from our friends the Jahnke's next door. It was a shame to cut into it but Chay had that honor and was very happy about it.

I love it when they play well together...

Dave was surprised and happy about his gift from Nicole, AND it was something he really needed. A great BBQ kit with a meat thermometer...and everything else you wouldn't even think of.

Dave and I don't need gifts for Christmas and so that is why he was surprised. I was surprised also because Nicole gave me a nice designer purse and Dave gave me a pair of UGGs. (not ones like Nicole and Alana, I'm sure they wouldn't want their Mom/Aunt to have the same boots).

AND Santa brought a Wii Fit. I don't have any pictures because upstairs, there isn't enough room to get a whole body shot (without the lovesac blocking half the body). I'll work on that. But did you know, that the Wii Fit will weigh you and tell you if you are normal, overweight or obese? Well, I still got on.... BUT I will let you know that according to the Wii fit, my physically fit age is 43...not bad considering I'm almost 46... But I set a Wii goal and in 3 months I will be a lot "younger".

Last evening a storm came through with wind, rain, thunder, lightening, hail and snow.

This morning we woke up to this.

Dave got home this morning from work and said the road are very slick, I'm not sure if I'll be going to any sales early this morning.

It's beginning to look a lot like....HOME

I actually had the opportunity this morning to listen to the news and heard that there would heavy snow showers at noon. So I planned my day accordingly and headed out to get some groceries after Chay left for school. (Dave knew that there was going to be snow and so he took the truck to work and being left with the Jag, I wanted to get out before the "storm" hit).

I have never seen Costco so busy, and I've been to Costco A LOT. Those of you whom have ventured to "the store" with me and are amazed that people line up for those "first 10 minute finds", would be amazed by the group of people waiting for Costco to open. Maybe this happens everyday and I've just experienced it for the first time. (Blade had to go to the bathroom so we slipped in the EXIT door and didn't deal with the chaos at the ENTER door).

We got home, got the purchases unloaded and put away and then, as I was eating, I noticed that it was snowing. Maybe 30 minutes later, I looked outside again and I was surprised by how much snow had fallen. I've been away from blogging for a while and thought this would be nice to share with those I care about. I've been hearing about the weather in Alberta and...I haven't been missing it. It makes me appreciate what I have here in Utah. But look, it's beginning to look like HOME...

I may have to take another picture when the snow stops so I can keep you updated.

Our gutters need to be replaced and because of the lack of a great gutter system, we have great icicles. These ones are outside our dining room window.

And a couple of FIRSTS!

The first first:

I took a picture of myself with Dave's new camera. His camera is the same make as mine but a higher model and I must admit, it sure does cover alot of space with just my arm length a way. (I know I may be the "tall one" but my arm span doesn't seem too long).

The second first:

I actually had to put on some magnifiers to read something. Thank goodness it wasn't to read a book or anything but to read the size of needle I had on my sewing machine (that type sure is tiny...). But the fact still remains, I needed reading glasses to read something. That's a major life event. If I hadn't had Lasik surgery, it would have been like moving to bifocals...

Why did I just happen to have the glasses available I hear you ask? Well, they were a good deal, I liked the style and my eyelashes didn't push against the lens, AND I knew that one day in the not too distant future, I would need them to read more than just a sewing needle....so I bought them. It's part of my EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS.

I'm still here...

I've been busy enjoying all the Hawaii pictures and the creativity of my brother's family. Maybe I should have had 6 kids... maybe it's not the number but the spacing...

Anyway... I am still here.

Here's a little of what took place while I was absent from the blogging world.

We took Memema and Papa to Gardner Village. I must say though, that the witches at Halloween seemed more festive than the Elves. The lack of snow may have made it seem less like Christmas but I was happy not to have snow.

There was a "girls only" store and so Memema and I went in without the boys. I turned to see this cute face at the door. I let him in and he was very careful and told me a few times "they have this at NPS". And he was right, they did, and the prices WERE better. I like that confirmation every once in a while.

Then we saw the Naughty or Nice lists and as Chay noticed, most of Auntie Sharon's family was on the Naughty list...what's up with that? I think Brent was on the nice list. I can't zoom in as I write this but you may want to to check it out. Strangely, we couldn't find Chay, Blade or Wilma on either list.

Chay wouldn't let us pass up the hanging mistletoe.

...and Chay couldn't pass up posing with this hanging Elf that he missed earlier.

On Saturday, Memema and Papa left to go back home to North Carolina. Their flight from SLC was delayed about 1.5 hours but they made it home safely. They said that it was cold at home and they should have stayed in Utah where it was warmer. Three weeks sounds like a long time but after they left, it didn't seem like they were with us for that long. The time went quickly. They definitely had the opportunity to get to know their grandkids, well, at least their grandsons...their granddaughter wasn't around too much.

Some things in life just happen and they are the funniest things. I was laughing so hard that I was crying but, I didn't pee my pants.
Nicole was sitting in the 2nd back row of seats when we drove to the airport and then climbed over the seat to get out. I was outside taking pictures and heard laughter, I turned to look and Nicole was HOOKED UP and couldn't get anywhere. It's amazing how strong that plastic hook is and how easily one can be immobilized. I was laughing and hoping the camera would turn on quickly and YES, I did help her get free. I let her hang there just long enough to take a picture...

While I caught up with some "Heroes" episodes from season 2, I knitted a hat for Chay. I was looking for a pattern in Blade's size but I realized that the size for Chay works for Blade also (sad but true). Maybe I need to make a larger one for Chay. Nicole has one also but I haven't added her ties yet.

Remember Dad's winter hat with the fur sides that tied up and could be untied to then cover the ears? Well for some reason, this is how Blade thinks this hat should go also.



Yesterday, we found out what Koshi does when Nicole's door is left open (and she's not home) ...she lies on Nicole's bed and gets quite comfortable. Chay saw Koshi and rushed to tell me and got the camera so that he could show Nicole when she got home.

Yesterday it also snowed! The boys were excited and had to rush out. The flakes were huge and the ground covered quickly.

There's nothing quite like catching fresh snowflakes on your tongue...

....and making the first tracks in the freshly fallen snow.

Chay has a job shovelling snow for an elderly lady a few houses down from us and he was very diligent and shovelled the snow last evening and again this morning before school. The lady's son told Chay to tell him what he would like to be paid and it's not about what's fair because Chay shovelling the snow will make it so much easier for him since he would have to travel to clean the walkway and he has a bad back. Chay has decided not to charge too much because he can do it because it's a nice thing to do. However, he will charge because he's a kid, and he wants the money (the money thing is a very good incentive for him to take his responsibility seriously).

I found a tree topper for Sheila

I decided to blog these pictures so that Sheila could see the tree topper I bought for her. I tried to email it a couple of time through AOL and it just wasn't working and so blogging was easier.

So, if Sheila likes this, she finally has a tree topper. That's if Alana will take it back when she goes home for the Holidays.

Not much has been happening with me but I'll try to update my blog. It has been a while.

Christmas Lights

The day after Thanksgiving...the official beginning of the Holiday Season and the turning on of lights all over Salt Lake City.

We started the evening by arriving at the Gallivan Center just before 4:00pm and the evening started at 4:20 with a Children's Choir which was very enjoyable. Then Richard Paul Evans (a well known writer of Christmas fiction from Salt Lake) spoke for a few minutes and then there was a performance by ? Bestor ( a well known musician from Salt Lake, but obviously NOT that well known to me, since I forgot his name). Then Santa pushed an ACME plunger (like from the Bugs Bunny cartoons) and the lights were on at the Gallivan Center.

Waiting for the evening to start, and MeMeMa finding an "owie" on Blade's finger.

Still waiting for the show to start.

The lights are now on at the Gallivan Center and there was a bench so Blade HAD to sit on it.


Blade wanted to see Santa, and did receive a peppermint stick from Santa, but Blade would only go up to him if I was with him and he was holding on to me. So I didn't get a picture of Blade and Santa. This Santa had gone on a diet and was looking quite trim.

We didn't stay for the entire concert because we wanted to see the lights on Temple Square. Dave's Mom has always wanted to see the Christmas lights on Temple Square and today one of her dreams came true.

Our view as we walked the 3 blocks to Temple Square.


There are ponds of water on what was formerly known as Main Street between the Temple and the Joseph Smith building and Joseph, Mary and Jesus were in the center of the middle pond. Very serene even with all the people around.


After reading Angie's blog, I now know that there is "too much ISO" on this picture but, Blade really is that white...




Chay saw the big Temple doors and had to have his picture taken in these pillar things. (Little does he know that he will have his picture taken here again in the future...not with Blade but his wife...)


And who knew they had slides at the Temple? Blade found it! I was a little uneasy because I wasn't sure if that was appropriate on Temple grounds but I had to take a picture. It did look like fun...

We walked around the Temple and found more platforms...


Trying to get "candid" pictures was basically impossible with this group and my "little" camera, as Sheila would refer to it as, but here is a blurry one. Blade was jumping off the wall and so I was surprised that he was even in the picture.


And we headed back to the vehicle at almost 6:30.


Blade saw these curvy benches/art pieces on the sidewalk and again, to him it was the perfect slide. Unfortunately he went down on his stomach and it was a short ride before the up curve and so he had an abrupt stop. He said he was okay and "that was fun!"


Chay found another that was the perfect "lounger" for him.


My attempt at getting another candid shot but everyone but Blade looked away. Papa wore two sweaters instead of his "heavy" coat but when the sun went down, it was colder than we anticipated. It was really a nice night for November and I found it comfortable but when we got in the vehicle, Papa was rubbing his hands, turning the heat up and aiming it towards him so for a North Carolinian, it was a cold night.