Re: Nativity

For those requesting info on the live Nativity, it was just south of the Celebration Center, but I believe that the night we went was the last night they were doing it for the season. I'm sure it is an annual thing though, so there's always next year, SORRY! This was our first year going. but speaking of live Nativities look at this AWESOME pic of my friends family here. Totally the best Christmas card idea ever!

Enjoying the season!

Well despite our current chaotic living environment, this has been such a great Christmas season. I am finally feeling like I have presents figured out and almost entirely shopped for, and we can relax for a few days at least. We're going to have to start painting and staining and flooring here soon, and I may have an entirely different attitude on the season. So I wanted to be sure and document these last moments of peace enjoying the Christmas spirit. We had the chance last night to go out to dinner as a family to a real restaurant instead of McDonald's which was actually quite enjoyable. We then went to a live nativity scene in Nibley (and of course I forgot my camera.) Even the kids seemed to really understand the significance and reverence of that Holy night by seeing that scene. We walked up a long snowy road to a farmhouse with little paper lanterns lining the way. We passed the Bethlehem Inn and stood by the fire to warm up a minute and then entered the stable. There were sheep, donkeys, goats and even a camel. It really struck me how humbling and spiritual a barn could really have been. They had a narration of the story playing while live actors played it out. There were only a few people at a time in the barn so it felt very intimate, and even the kids were very reverent while they pondered what had happened that night. Cate got so excited when she saw the star and said "the star! my found it!" it was so sweet, she kept whispering to me and pointing "baby jesus, baby jesus." We even got a hayride back to the van. I hope the kids got a much out of it as I did. With all the hustle and bustle of the season that night was just what I needed to bring into focus Christ's humble birth, and the glorious gift His life was to us all. My goal is to keep that spirit fresh throughout the holidays, so simple and so powerful. Tonight we made a gingerbread house from a kit I got at Sam's. That was the best ten bucks I ever spent. It had all the frosting, candy, and gingerbread we needed, and the kids had a blast. It only half wrecked my kitchen, which was nothing compared to if I had made it myself (which honestly I wouldn't have had the energy to do). So all I need to do now is neighbor gifts and get Christmas cards out!

What a Turkey Day!

We had a blast down is St. George with my family for the holidays. It was mostly sunny so it was great to get a rest from the Arctic north, and mostly it was great to see my sisters who live out of state. The kids just loving getting together with their cousins. We played at the pool about every single day, and hiked snow canyon with the kids. They had some simple hikes that the kids could manage, but apparently not me. I totally twisted my ankle like an idiot. I wore flip flops and was holding Cate in one arm and my mom's camera in the other. So obviously I couldn't let either drop to regain footing so I went straight down on my ample rear-end, and hurt my ankle. Every time my family goes hiking or biking I end up having an accident. My most famous one was doing a complete flip over the handlebars while mountain biking slick-rock in moab. At least I had a better excuse this time. Although the flip flops were definitely a bad idea.

I also finally got to see TWILIGHT! I went with my sisters and had a total blast. Except for the fact that Cami who sat next to me actually fell asleep for most of the movie. That's right completely passed out. She didn't read the books so that's her only excuse. I kept turning to her to laugh or comment and she was snoozing away. I have to say it was great, I don't think anyone could have nailed it the way the book did, but on their budget they pulled it off pretty well. We took the liberty of hitting Denny's at midnight since the kids were asleep anyways, and laughed until I could have puked. Everyone in the joint had to have thought we were drunk. Oh my goodness I have funny sisters! We haven't been out on the town without kids or husbands ever I don't think. Thanks to our husbands and my dad for being such good sports. Dealing with a bunch of sick kids couldn't have been fun. And true to form we all got each other sick. The flu tends to be an inevitable companion to our family get togethers, but I actually think it's worth it anyways. Here's Coley passed out on the couch with the flu.

And a big thanks to my parents for sacrificing their timeshare points so that we could all get together. It was definitely the best thanksgiving ever!

From the mouths of babes

I had to share the most darling thing that Cate just said. We were sitting at the computer finding a game for her to play when she saw the picture of Christ above the computer and said "Jesus crying mommy?" I asked "why is he crying Cate?" then she said "him hand hurt, need bandaid." For any nursery workers who think that kids aren't paying attention in class you never know what they are picking up. I just know we haven't discussed that subject in any recent FHE lessons, my boys are obsessed with the Book of Mormon stories lately, and since they get to pick the lessons, that is usually what we focus on. What a sweetheart. She can barely talk and understands at least a little about Christ's sacrifice for us. Definitely one of those "makes it all worthwhile moments."

BOO!

No one was very scary for Halloween this year except maybe me. The kids were a fairytale. Cai was a Knight, Cole was a dragon, and Cate a princess of course. She recently discovered princesses and that is about all she talks about. Chris and I were Static Cling and Dirty Laundry. I had my hair ratted out and painted blue with lint all over it and blue and white sparkly makeupon my face then I had my skirt hitched up to my knee and the kids clothes and socks pinned all over me. Chris was supposed to wear a laundry basket with clothesline suspenders full of dirty laundry, but Cate fell asleep for the ward party so she missed out and Chris stayed home with her. Halloween night the kids went to the mall to trick or treat and after we were done they were so loaded up with candy they didn't really need to hit the neighborhood, but how could we not. Grandma and Grandpa Guymon came up to hang out with us so we carved pumpkins ( Cai made the one with the face and spider on the side, and me and Cole made the skeleton hand ones). We tried to hit the pumpkin walk, but apparently it is all cleaned up for Halloween night, but he kids had a great time anyways. Now we just have to get through all this candy without any cavities!

Catchin up Again!

I really have been awful at blogging lately, but we're a little swamped as usual. Cai has been playing basketball, and he's been learning alot. It is so funny to watch 1st and 2nd graders play. Cai could barely dribble the first game but made a lot of progress. I realized I really stink at getting out and playing sports with my kids there were a lot of players that really knew what they were doing out there. Maybe I ought to learn too. We have a goal for next summer I guess.

The addition is coming along these pics are actually kind of old, we now have shingles on both roofs, all the doors and windows, soffit and facia on the addition and half of the siding on it too. The inside has all the electrical done, and insulation blown in, sheet rock is supposed to start tomorrow. My old laundry room is now a mudroom with a large cabinet to expand my pantry and a bench with storage compartments beneath and a ton of hooks for jackets and backpacks. Cai and Cole's old room is now a fully functional laundry room with cabinets and countertops. I am so loving my new laundry system. My bedroom used to be laundry sorting and folding central and now I have it back. The hardest part is still having all the kids in Cate's room, but we're making it work. The new garage has a little offshoot for a kids play house. We wanted the garage to look like a little house back there, since we'd be staring at it out those southern windows forever. We decided to go for the 12/12 pitch live in trusses so that we could have a ladder in the playroom and the kids could play in the "bonus room" above the garage too. Then when they're older it would be great for storage. I'll have to update the new pics, it's kind of hard to tell with just the trusses up.

We also got to go down to Salt Lake over UEA. Chris had to sit at the convention, so I went to my sisters and we hit the scarecrow festival. The kids had a ton of fun. They had all kinds of free games and blow up rides. The blowup rides were finally our downfall however. They were so large that once your kids headed into them you couldn't see them inside and never quite knew when they were coming back out, and after a while you started to wonder if they had already come out and were lost, or if they were hiding inside. My 3 year old nephew got lost for about 10-15 minutes and my sister was hysterical we combed the grounds and finally found him. He ran into a blowup ride and sat in a corner waiting for Cai and Cole. Then we decided we would hit another ride and Cate and the boys sat in line while Kerrie and I talked. We looked at the line a moment later and the boys had gone in, but Cate was a little nervous sometimes so I wasn't certain if she went in also. I peeked in and around but couldn't tell so I sent a worker in to look. He didn't see her so I started panicking. I searched the other rides and the worker gave her description to the other operators. No sign of her. Kerrie and I split up again to search. I went to the bouncing castles she had been wanting to go into and no sign. I went behind them just in case she wandered back there and saw an exit. I totally freaked and knew I had to get help right away so I went to talk to their EMT guys by some four-wheelers and just broke down bawling trying to describe her to them. We all started looking around and I saw my sister coming across the field with her. She had made her way all the way over to the stage area, and was climbing around on the bleachers when Kerrie saw her. I can't tell you how relieved I was. When they're lost you just start imagining all kinds of terrible things, wondering if you'll ever see them again. Needless to say after losing two kids we were DONE with the scarecrow festival! Those blowup rides were our undoing. It was impossible to be sure where they were, and there were so many kids. Anywhere else you would go with your kids on a ride, but those you just trusted they would come out the other end someday. YIKES! I forgot my camera that day so here's a cute pic of Cate I took the other day. No more giant blowup rides for her until she's 10!

Tagged!

I actually don't think I have ever been tagged, thanks Jenni. Well here goes.

2 names you go by:

-court

-courter (Quarter) I hate this name but really love the people that started calling me courter. My awesome Aunt Claudia and my cousins her children, they still call me that to this day.

Two things you're wearing right now:

-shorts (I'm freezing but we just got our laundry room in working order yesterday, so we are WAY backed up on laundry)

-sweatshirt -I just love warm and snuggly clothes. If only it didn't have to get so cold outside to validate them.

Two things I want very badly at the moment:

-a cure for cancer

-my cousin Leslie back. She always called me Courter and was always my hero. I wanted to be the kind of mom/person/friend she was. I just wish she could have had a bit more time on earth to show me more, and time for me to tell her what a great example she always was to me. She was so commited to the gospel, so funny (I will never forget her laugh), and so selfless. A truly beautiful person, and deeply missed.

2 favorite pets that I have had

-Dexter our Yorkie he was the greatest dog we miss him so much!

-Our turtle Thomas is pretty great. He's low maintenance, doesn't complain, and keeps it pretty clean unlike our Chinchilla.

2 things I did last night:

-I drilled a vent through the wall for our dryer, and did my first load in our new laundry room. I just sat on the floor for about twenty minutes in bliss watching the clothes spin. No more laundry in a tiny little closet/room, no more ironing board on my kitchen door, and no more tripping over laundry baskets trying to access the garage!

-We watched our windows go in the sunroom walls, and the vinyl banister I have always hated come off my front porch! I love progress!

2 things you ate today- today is a very bad day to ask

-about 3 snack size snickers

-nachos loaded with jalapenos and guacamole.

2 things you plan to do today:

-finish this tag

-take a nap- I love Sundays

2 longest trips you've taken in the last 5 years

-Our trip to Italy this summer

-Victoria, Canada -both without kids thanks to awesome in-laws and family!

2 favorite beverages

- trying to go Vegan (except for cheese and fish) I have developed a recent love of soy milk, I definitely prefer it over milk now.

- Ice water with lemon