I did finally find my charger so here are some of the pics I would have liked to post with my Thanksgiving blog. Now we are having computer issues so I don't want to save the new pics to the computer until after it is fixed. I also got my new camera for Christmas, yippee so we will see how those new pics turn out once the computer is working properly and I can download the software.
I think this was the only time all 5 kids were seated together.
They smiled for the picture but I really think they were ready to strangle me if I made them wait any longer.
The Garden of the Gods. The cousins had a great time together.
Brent worked hard putting in the new floor when he had his families help but he still had a lot more to do once they left.
He continued to work hard and was sore for a few days. The finished product looks great. He did a very good job.
The first part of the month was spent getting ready for The Kris Kringle Mingle that was the Relief Society's yearly Christmas progressive dinner that took place on December 6th. We barely got everything finished, well in fact Brent was still decorating the tree as I headed out the door to the first house. Thankfully we were the last house. It was worth all the work we put into getting the house ready and it was nice to have a deadline. Brent even agreed to repaint the bright yellow kitchen to a more subdued color. We did a lot, we finished the flooring, baseboards, repainted the kitchen and family room, developed and hung pictures, cleaned and recleaned the sawdust off of everything and set up decorations. Besides all the other things that come with getting ready for our trip to Utah a week later and all the Santa preparations we wouldn't have time for once we got home.
It was a great event. A lot of preparation was put into it by the committee and I was very impressed. We started at my friend Camille's house whom lives four doors down. We had Mexican Haystacks there and they handed out homemade pins to everyone and had on display the pins they had given out for the last 22 years. I was surprised at all of the people there. I think we counted over 50, and for our small ward of 180(technically not enough to even be a ward) it was a fantastic turn out.
We then went to Jodi's house whom lives a few houses further down. We did a craft there which was very easy and fun. Ohio friends, you would be impressed... I actually finished it and as quickly as everyone else. So that tells you how easy it was. It was a paintbrush painted as Santa.
Then we came to our house for dessert and a program. We listened to a lady talk about her memories of the past Kris Kringle mingles. She has been to all 22 of them and she is not a member. Then we listened to the reading of A Christmas Bell for Anya which was a very sad and heartfelt book. My friend Melissa came and it was fun to have her company.
We had a great Christmas in Utah with our family. We enjoyed the few days with each side and seeing the few friends we were able to. We had several family parties that were great, the kids loved all the excitement and I loved the food. We also celebrated Brent's 30th Birthday with his family(even though it wasn't technically for another week) by going out to eat at...Maddox of course.
We went to Grandmas and saw H & H there and we saw all of our close family except B's sister Alison and her family that lives in Oregon. I saw a few of my friends but most of them were getting together after the holidays which made me pretty sad. I had to miss three different parties that fell after Christmas. It was a good trip all in all.
We were glad we were able to make it to Utah to see family and to celebrate with them but we were ready to go home and have our own Christmas. The storm that hit Thursday and Friday in Colorado shut down the airports, freeways and pretty much everything else and it threatened to postpone our departure on Saturday. We decided to go home anyway after I talked to Camille and she said the roads were much better and we would be fine. We were so glad to make it home on the 23rd, especially because the kids were starting to sound very croupy and sick that morning. That was the beginning of the sicknesses that have not stopped yet. And the beginning of the snowstorms.
It was super nice to just be able to relax Christmas day and let the kids enjoy their new toys and have nothing to do and no where to go. We do however feel a little isolated. We had a party we were supposed to go to the 23rd, the night we got back but because the kids had started coughing pretty badly that morning and we had so much to do we opted not to go. We also cancelled our plans with the Egberts on Christmas day. On the 24th Everyone sounded pretty badly but me so I went to church myself since I was in charge of the Linger Longer. I didn't quite know what to do with myself. It was an odd feeling to have no baby to hold, no one to shush and no bags to carry. It was nice to listen to all 3 meetings with no interruptions and really be reminded of Christ on Christmas Eve. We then did our own thing Christmas Eve which was great. The kids loved it. We continued some of our old traditions and started some new ones. Christmas Day we took slowly and made the most of just being together.
Brent worked Wednesday and part of Thursday and then we were snowed in again. We didn't make church Sunday due to everyone still sick and so it has been over a week of not being out of the house for the kids and I except for Saturday when we took them to the toy store to spend their grandparent money.
Brent got a bunch of extra days off due to snow which was nice but he and the kids were sick so we didn't do as much as we hoped too. And now I am starting to get it. We still have our Christmas decorations up. I hope we can get them down today so we don't look totally pathetic to our neighbors. Brent took Hunter and Sienna out yesterday(they were going to go sledding but he couldn't find a sled) so I can clean and the kids could get some of their pent up energy out. I felt bad for him because he looked like he could barely stand up. Ayla looks miserable as well. She woke up today and her eyes were sealed shut and her nose was green. Poor girl. I am going to take her to the doctor tomorrow even though I am sure they are going to say it is a viral infection because Sienna got it when she was on antibiotics, but I think Ayla also has the strep butt that Sienna had so I need to take her in anyway. Hopefully she will be well soon so I can get back to the Y. I am going crazy being cooped up like this. At least it was warm today and so the kids played in the snow for at least an hour. It was good to see them doing something active after such a long downtime.
Our new year has been to a slow start. We didn't celebrate with anyone(we were going to get together with the Probsts) but ourselves because, yep you guessed it the sick factor. Brent and I watched the 3rd Harry Potter movie( we watched the other 2 earlier in our non eventful week) and ate cookies I had made earlier. He ate his elk Chili he had made. What a party. And I already mentioned that New Years day Brent took the kids to McDonald's so they could play and they ate ice cream. Regardless of our nonenergetic greeting to the New Year it came and I wish to all of you a Happy and Wonderful New Year.
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