Christmas 2009

Having a little down time..so I decided to add a quick post.
Christmas eve the boys made their gingerbread house, we ate a quick dinner and then made hot chocolate and hit the road. We went to 6 or so Christmas houses. One of them I have been going to since I was a kid and my grandparents lived in north Phoenix. Unfortunately next year is his last year decorating after 55 years!! Of course it is the best house and you can walk through it too. The boys loved the wooden Snoopy characters he had displayed and the Santa jumping in the pool. When we got home the boys got to open their new pj's and slippers and make cookies for Santa.
Christmas day was fun of course! How can it not be with little ones around?? Before we opened presents I threw a batch of Dutch babies in the oven so we wouldn't have to worry about breakfast. The boys played all morning while I got ready and made cookies. Trey loves his new football and video games and Coby loves his Caterpillar truck that he can disassemble, he must have taken it apart and put it back together at least 20 times!! This morning I heard the little hum of the screwdriver. Dan and Crystal came over and we all went to Juli's house for some yummy food. After that we came back and watched the Chargers game while the boys played some more. Today we are headed over to Dan and Crystal's for Ryan's B-Day party.

Early Christmas in Tucson

Last weekend we went down to Tucson for a little early Christmas celebration. We had a great relaxing time! Saturday night Mark and I got to go out for goodies and dinner. We got cookies from an Italian bakery for the boys and then some chocolate from Choc-Alot where Alyssa works. My mom also had some fudge from there around the house...needless to say we added a few pounds!! Mark and I could not figure out a place to go eat so we went back to El Charro where we first officially met. So yummy! Of course Coby was having a hard time without us, so we went back home and took them bowling with Alyssa. They did awesome and had so much fun! On Sunday we exchanged some gifts and went to church. Only one speaker (YES!!) and he did an wonderful job. We came home and ate steak/chicken, baked potatoes, veggies and homemade Italian rolls from the bakery. It was really good! I even ate the steak!
Last night the boys wanted corn dogs from Wienerschnitzel (cheap dates!) and then we went over to Westgate to see the Christmas tree and get hot chocolate. Lots planned for today and tomorrow but I will post that later.

Christmas

Oh how I LOVE Christmas...everything about it is great!
We have already had a chance to buy toys and canned food for donation. We let the boys participate it that tradition every year. How awesome to be able to help others and teach the boys!
I love listening to the Holly XM channel in the house and car, Christmas music is the best! Never to early, in fact we stared listening the beginning of November.
Our ward party is this Friday. I love our ward, but Christmas Sunday is a huge let done. Last year we had speakers and only a couple songs. Really??? One Sunday out of the year could we please just hear music or the story of the birth of Christ? Who wouldn't want to hear that? I think I will be in search of another ward or there is a Lutheran church a block away...hee hee.
Well to end on a positive note...

From nativity

Thanksgiving

This year for Thanksgiving we went down to Tucson. Our family stayed with Zack and Emily.
We got to hang out with them the first night and break in their portable fire pit with some marshmallow roasting.
Thanksgiving was nice. The weather was perfect, luckily because the table were set up outside. Lots of family and food! Best part was only having to make broccoli/cauliflower casserole, pumpkin cheesecake and napoleon cremes. Pops deep fried the birds.
The rest of our stay was pretty relaxing. Mark did some early bird shopping for the boys, I stayed away!!
We went to my parent's house Friday for my mom's b-day, some yummy halibut from my uncle (I do not like fish but it was so tasty), lego rock band and cake.
The boys got the 24 hour puking flu...so fun!! I am lucky they make it to the bathroom 95% of the time. After we watched the U of A football game with Zack and Emily we headed back to the homestead. They boys slept the whole way home.