Moments of the Holidays

Another set of cliff notes for our holiday season.  I can tell you it flew by. If time just keeps speeding up at this rate, when I am 70 I am not going to be sure anything at all is happening if I don’t write down the moments in the very next moment.  I think
I must need more blueberries or ginko biloba or to join lumosity.com, most likely all of the above.

December 6th, Wyatt's 13th birthday.  We made cupcakes for him and he wanted Michele S chicken lime tacos for Sunday dinner.

December 6th,
Wyatt’s 13th birthday. We made cupcakes for him and he wanted Michele S chicken lime tacos for Sunday dinner.

Lelu enjoyed herself a big strawberry shortcake cupcake.

Lelu enjoyed herself a big strawberry shortcake cupcake.

December 12th - our annual nutcracker performance with McKinley, Sierra & Kenzie

December 12th – our annual girl’s night nutcracker performance with McKinley, Sierra & Kenzie and Christina joined us this time…a little estrogen needed in a house of testosterone.

 

Dec 15th - Our Christmas shopping to LA adventure begins with Tito's Tacos. Good thing they don't have those in SLC..So yummy

Dec 15th – Our Christmas shopping to LA adventure begins with Tito’s Tacos. Good thing they don’t have those in SLC..So yummy and hard to resist.

The Grove decorated so beautifully, Cherie & Kelly

The Grove decorated so beautifully, Cherie & Kelly

Christina & I...we saw the Hobbit and I slept through a lot of it...and I DID NOT eat any sugar free gummy bears this time.

Christina & I…we saw the Hobbit and I slept through a lot of it…and I DID NOT eat any sugar free gummy bears this time.

As we were eating dinner watching this incredible sunset, Cherie was on the phone finding out Kenzie was getting her appendix out.  We drove her to the airport to go home on the next flight, sadly ending her much needed girl's trip.  On the way to the airport there was a 3 car pile up right next to us on the 405.  Yikes - as if our nerves were not already shot.

December 16th, As we were eating dinner watching this incredible sunset, Cherie was on the phone finding out Kenzie was getting her appendix out. We drove her to the airport to put her on the next flight, sadly ending her much needed girl’s trip. On the way to the airport there was a three car pile up right next to us on the 405. Yikes – as if our nerves were not already shot.

The sunset only got more beautiful.  Such a bitter-sweet moment.  We went back to our little beach house and I finished my final paper and emailed it to B to print for me to give to one of my babysitters to drive up to the U and drop it off in the philosophy department.  I dreamed all night long there were problems and in my dream was told I was going to get a 'C' for Cinnamon.  In my dream I was crying about how many things I like with cinnamon but that I couldn't get a "C".  I woke up laughing.  I went out and told Kelly and the next day got better.  Kenzie did great in her surgery and was on the mend.

The sunset only got more beautiful. Such a bitter-sweet moment. We went back to our little beach house and I finished my final paper and emailed it to B to print and give to one of my babysitters who drove it up to the U and dropped it off in the philosophy department. I dreamed all night long there were problems and in my dream was told I was going to get a ‘C’ for Cinnamon. Also in my dream I was crying about how many things I like with cinnamon but that “I COULD NOT GET A “C”. I woke up laughing. I went out and told Kelly & Christina, we were all laughing and the next day got better, especially when we found out Kenzie did great in her surgery and was on the mend.

Perfect breakfast with a Cinnamon spiced Chai

December 17th Perfect breakfast with a Cinnamon spiced Chai – even if I did end up with a “C” – life is good!  (I didn’t end up with a “C” – but the hardest earned “B+” in the history of my schooling.)

Crazy people in LA do crazy things for attention.  Poor cat and I don't even like cats.

Crazy people in LA do crazy things for attention. Poor cat and I don’t even like cats.

Successful shopping safari - as B would say - we were ready for Christmas, if not ready to leave 75 degrees to go home to a snow storm.

December 18th  Successful shopping safari – as B would say – we were ready for Christmas, if not ready to leave 75 degrees to go home to a snow storm.

December 20th Ari's Christmas dance recital.

December 20th Ari’s Christmas dance recital.

The most festive and out of my comfort zone Christmas nails

The most festive and out of my comfort zone Christmas nails. It’s like Christmas lights on the end of my fingers.

 

We went to see "Walter Mitty" - great movie! but my favorite moment of the entire season happened in the bathroom at the movie theatre.  You all know how I love Seinfeld...I went into a stall and realized too late that there was no toilet paper, Ari was in there with me so I say to her "Please find me some toilet paper" when underneath the stall comes a hand with some TP and the woman says "I can spare a square".  If I hadn't already been where I was - I most certainly would have peed my pants.

We went to see “Walter Mitty” – great movie! but my favorite moment of the entire season (next to talking to Master D) happened in the bathroom at the movie theatre. You all know how I love Seinfeld…I went into a stall and realized too late that there was no toilet paper, Ari was in there with me so I say to her “Please find me some toilet paper” when underneath the stall comes a hand with some TP and the woman says “I can spare a square”. If I hadn’t already been where I was – I most certainly would have peed my pants.

We made trains with the J&C and boys, opened our pj's and dreamed of talking to Master D the next day!

We made trains with the J&C and boys, opened our pj’s and dreamed of talking to Master D the next day!

I saved the best for the last....there is not better gift than when you are deprived of part of your family on Christmas day, than to skype for an hour - always emotional to say goodbye but only for eight more weeks.

I saved the best for the last….there is not better gift than when you are deprived of part of your family on Christmas day, than to skype for an hour – always emotional to say goodbye but only for eight more weeks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanksgiving Weekend Playtime

The gang - minus Michelle & Aub at home 'slaving' away..

The gang at Brighton on a beautiful day – minus Michelle & Aub at home ‘slaving’ away..  (Wyatt and Lelu in the helmets)

It’s a problem when you wait almost 2 months  to write about stuff.  I will most likely forget something.  This year for Thanksgiving, we were lucky enough to have Michelle & Maruan, Aub, Jeff, Christina and their boys.  The day before, however, on Wednesday didn’t quite go as well as I usually like it too.  I ruined the first set of rolls that I made, then the next batch just didn’t quite raise, so the rolls were pretty much a bust for our meal and then Aub’s flight was VERY delayed and a nightmare of traffic at the airport.

Thursday morning shined anew and we had plenty to be grateful for:

1. The turkey got put in bright and early

2. We went skiing.  Christina skied for the first time in eight years and didn’t fall down once – neither did I.  That’s a big deal.  We rocked it!!

3. Michelle and Aub prepared all the veggies and peeled the potatoes while we were gone.

The adult table.

The adult table with an Ari photo bomb

The table of kiddos…poor Landon & Lelu.  They are almost adults

 

The table of kiddos...poor Landon & Lelu

4. The food was awesome – except the rolls…. yet no one complained that the rolls sucked.

I think this is Lelu's plate so not all food groups are represented, but you get the idea..

I think this is Lelu’s plate so not all food groups are represented, but you get the idea..

5. i dragged everyone to see “The Book Thief”, which I absolutely loved (in my top ten favorite books) and no one else did because it’s kind of a downer story — even though the main character triumphs in the end.  I’m grateful they humored me.

6. On Friday, it was fairly nice weather and we all walked to the park. We played baseball & soccer.  Aside from B pulling some kind of toe/foot muscle, it was a ton of fun!

a little soccer..

a little soccer..

An electronic game at the park, that would be Michelle diving for the button

An electronic game at the park, that would be Michelle diving for the button, And the little kids just hanging around..

a friendly baseball game, with little to no bad sportsmanship from unnamed players..

a friendly baseball game, with little to no bad sportsmanship from unnamed players..

Lucky little Ari got a 'massage' from uncle Maruan

Lucky little Ari got a ‘massage’ from uncle Maruan

 

The brothers Taylor settle in for a hold your tummy long winters nap.

The brothers Taylor settle in for a hold-your-tummy-long-winters-nap.

7. This is the last Thanksgiving without Master D.  He had 3 meals that day.  So much gratitude for the people of New York!

8. I have a nearly perfect life….just the right amount of imperfection.. for me… and it’s enough. For that I am pretty dang happy!

 

 

School’s In and I just Want to Sleep In

08/19/13 New schools for everyone except me.  Not just my kids either, Jeff and Christina took the leap of faith to join us in Zion.  haha – that’s a joke.  But they up and sold their house in CA in one day and moved up here just in time to start the new school year with my kids.  They’ve been staying with us the last two weeks and tomorrow they are thrilled to move into their own house here in Draper.  I still can’t believe it and Continue reading

Dare Greatly! – Moab 2013

This is a perfect representation of our winter this year.  I have a few adjectives - artic, bleak, depressing, horrid. Thus NO running outside for 3 months.

This is a perfect representation right outside of my house of our winter this year. I have a few adjectives – artic, bleak, depressing, horrid. Thus NO running outside for 3 months. 

All winter I’ve known I am running the Moab half.  Every week I thought the inversion would lift, the temperature would rise, the ice would melt and every week it didn’t. Continue reading

Not Looking for the Christmas Spirit, just enjoying it.

This year I was too busy with school to pay attention to any preparation for Christmas before Dec 14th.  There is so much to be appreciated about being ready by December 1st but it could not realistically happen.  Rather than creating any “spirit” moments – I thought I would just try to enjoy the spirit around me in each moment.

I wanted to have this ready for the Tazworks white elephant exchange last year, but it took 12 weeks to have made.  I told B’s assistant Kensie about it but no one else. Continue reading

Traditions new and old renewed

12/2/12 Lelu doesn’t look like a little girl anymore, she looks too grown up. Cherie couldn’t make it this year so my friend Cami came along. She has 4 boys but really wanted to go, so she took Cherie’s coveted spot tagging along with us. It such a fun girly tradition!

It was unseasonably warm so we headed up to City Creek to eat dinner and the girl’s had fun re-enacting the Nutcracker for the other shoppers.

While we were enjoying the dancing, Continue reading

My Present State of Gratitude

It’s no new revelation that I love Thanksgiving.  On Facebook a bunch of my friends have been writing their daily gratitude journals.  It’s a great little way of expressing to 500 or so of your closest friends positive feelings.  I recently watched a movie called “I AM”, that was seriously the best movie I have seen this year (except for the Coldplay Live! 2012 — that I don’t necessarily think would affect everyone the way “I AM” could).  It explains how we are all connected, supported by science, by an ability to physically affect all life through our thoughts and emotions. Competition, isolation, violence and negativity is ruining the world. Survival of the fittest is a lie! Continue reading