Park City

The day after Christmas my family loaded up our cars and drove to Utah. Everybody but Molly & KC were able to make the trip. Unfortunately, Eric had to work a few more days so he got to fly up on Wednesday. The first day was filled with nothing more than lying around trying to feel better. Anne and I were crazy sick and Eric had to call in a RX so we could make it through the week. It was so cold up there. I think the average temps for the week were in the teens... but it sure was pretty.



Tuesday I signed the boys up for ski school. The morning started out with some tears, mainly because they were cold, but by the end of the day they were happy and full of smiles. I tried to get pictures of the boys without letting them see me. Thank you 70-200mm lens! At one point Cohen was hot and frustrated and started to have a melt down. I think he was a little bored as well because he didn't get to go on the lifts like last year.






Ethan was lucky to get into a class of just three kids (normally it's 5). I got to meet up with him at lunch so that I could dose him for food and he seemed like he was having a great time. Of course, his number was crazy high, just like last year. I haven't quite figured out how to calculate an adjustment to compensate for adrenaline/fear! I don't know if I will ever be able to predict something like that.




On Wednesday my Mom gave each grandchild one of these! I posted about them a while back and I guess she took the hint. The kids loved them. I think they would have worked much better had the hill been steeper. They still had a great time, even Grandpa!






Lucy loved the snow - except when it was hitting her in the face!




Wednesday night was kind of stressful. Eric was supposed to arrive around 9:00pm but Salt Lake was hit with a crazy storm that delayed tons of flights and closed a lot of roads. He ended up landing around midnight and thankfully by then Parley's Canyon was safe to drive through. The next day we all woke up to 10 degrees weather but hit the slopes regardless. There was a dozen of us out there freezing our butts off. Cohen didn't fare too well. He wasn't into it at all. He kept complaining his cheeks were red. How he knew that I have no idea.

Bundled up...




Martha & I, no skin to be seen on me!

Christmas Day

Christmas Day was so chill this year. Grandma Bishop and Marv spent the night so they could hang out and watch us and the boys open presents. We didn't make it downstairs until about 8. We tried to hold them off but 8 was long enough. I had to put a sheet over the doorway so they didn't peak.



Eric got a battery operated foot sanded. Highly necessary.



Then there's the alligator biting game. It makes you jump every time. Toys that involve teeth are always a good thing for this family.




And yes, my sweet husband got me these!!

If we had a Christmas card....

....it would have included some of these.


Instead I made another CD (volume 3) of some of our favorite Christmas songs. I think it will be my last CD. I did one in 2004, 2007 and 2010. I think I am maxed out on favorite Christmas tunes. Merry Christmas!!

Eric turns 35!

I have been celebrating Eric's Christmas Eve birthday for 12 years now. It just keeps getting better and better! This year my family came over for a big dinner and some not-so-typical Christmas Eve games. Among the white elephant gift exchange we play a dice game that has become a staple. Anne was the lucky winner this year and took home over $50.





New Christmas jammies!


Ethan reading the Night Before Christmas to us.

Christmas Happenings

Christmastime always brings home tons of school crafts, projects, and keepsakes. Our kitchen cupboard is packed full of what the boys have brought home this year. They are so proud of it. Cohen's preschool class made frames and Ethan's class got to make gingerbread houses. I love it when my boys are crafty!





Santa has been a bigger deal this year. Last year the boys were younger and didn't quite understand what Santa was or meant. I will be sad the day their imaginations get the best of them and they figure out the truth. All I know is the "Santa's watching" threat worked for about a week or so. Then, it changed to "Santa isn't going to bring you any toys if you keep acting like that". That too worked for about a week. As the calendar hit December 18th and the boys were out of school with nothing to do but think about December 25th, their behavior started to get even worse. Suddenly, the Santa threats didn't work and I had to start removing presents from the pile that they knew were for them. That helped.




E & C both wrote Santa a letter. Included was a Nintendo DS, a new Woody doll, an Xbox 360, and a Lotso bear. On Christmas morning when Ed opened his Xbox from Santa, Ethan was convinced Santa had made a mistake.

Rain, rain, go away

California is under water! We have had a week straight of constant rain. And not just misty rain, I am talking a total downpour. Our pool almost over-flowed. I can stand a little rain here and there but this was a ton, almost 10 inches in less than a week. Ethan had to get out and run around in it...

Hank's Blessing

This cutie is ALWAYS asleep.

Advent Calendar

I don't have an advent calendar for the boys so this year, among all the other madness, I decided I should make one. I'm so silly like that. So I pretty much copied Pottery Barn's . I have yet to add the dates but I think it turned out pretty close to the original and the boys love it!!

Among filling the pockets with candy canes and little ornaments, I made cards that describe an activity we would do that day or present that they could open. Every fifth day there is a card that says, "Christmas book".... I bought ten paperback books (ranging from $1.50-$4 each) and wrapped them and each boy gets to pick a book and read it that night before bed. Some of the other cards include:

- go bowling
- drive around to see Christmas lights
- make sugar cookies
- decorate an ornament
- deliver Christmas treats to friends/neighbors
- watch a Christmas movie w/ hot chocolate
- make gingerbread houses

RED

Yes, I will be including a blog post about the Utah victory over the cougars. No, I will not let this opportunity pass me by. It's awful to think that I am eternally tied to a family of BYU grads. What's worse is that for the rest of my life I will have to watch the Holy War surrounded by them in my living room. So, when the Utes pull out one of the messiest wins over BYU of course I am going to have to rub it in a little bit. Laces out!

My first born, whom I might have mentioned to that Santa likes the U...
"but how do you know mom?"
"duh, that's why they wear red."
He wore the shirt to bed that night as well.