Christmas and Beyond...

We went to an ugly sweater party with my extended
 family the weekend before Christmas.  We drove
up north for the weekend...

And man, were we ugly.  I wish you could see Marty's shirt I made!  Dang.  It was hilarious.  Liam almost one the grand prize!  ha!  I think it's because everyone was impressed he kept a cup pinned to his shirt all day.



The kids starred in a nativity at our 'other' extended family party that same weekend.



On "OUR" Christmas Eve (which we had a day early-and I am so glad we did)...we went to a nativity with the Chambers at Tuachan and out for Pizza.

It was a 15 min. performance with live animals- and 3 real camels- and the reading of the Christmas story from the Bible.   Then the kids got to see Santa. 
 Oh, Santa... you look so overwhelmed:)

Santa's letter (hand-crafted by Ruby) and food- we almost forgot to do it!
I heard some good ideas this year from friends that I might adopt...
 3 gifts per kids because that is what Jesus recieved.
Getting ONE gift from Santa-(whatever they tell him on his lap) and the rest is from mom and dad.
All toys from Santa, all clothes and things that might need to be returned or exchanged from parents.

Christmas Jammies!

Their' big' gifts this year...Charlie a 'flinstone' car, Ruby a guitar and Liam a scooter.

We went hiking on 'our' Christmas Day after naps and eating and eating and laying around.  It was actually Christmas EVE for everyone else...kinda weird.







 

It was a gorgeous day.

We had church at 9 on Christmas day. We saved a little present for the kids for that morning and Ruby and Liam exchanged gifts which they were SO excited for. We'd gone out shopping the night before and split up Liam with dad and Ruby with me. They bought it with their own money and all. I was so happy not to have to do Santa presents on Sunday, especially because we left about an hour and a half after we got home from church to drive up north for Christmas dinner at my parents with all my family.








Up at Grandmas. Ruby and Liam singing the 12 days of Christmas to everyone for the talent show. They have both memorized the whole song without any push from me...so funny.

My mom and dad tried to 'scale it down' with the gifts for the grandchildren...but only giving 3 presents each still felt like a madhouse!!! With 24 kids in tow!!  One of their gifts were these hats...and of course my mom had all shapes and sizes of extras upstairs for exchanges...I swear Target hated her when she walked in to return all the ones that weren't taken!! 

Charlie's birthday was the next day.  I am still trying to convince Marty to let me change his birthday to January 26th...it's just too much to celebrate the day after Christmas.  And this proves it...he didn't want me to make a cake cuz we'd had to much 'crap' to eat over the holidays and also didn't want me spend the time on it....HA! Like I'm not going to make my son a birthday cake for his 2nd year birthday!

{SO excited}

Charlie got to celebrate his birthday with cousins at my mom's house and then again that night with cousins at Ryan and Becca's (Marty's bro) and with Grandpa Lee and Merry.  What a spoiled kid.  He is a riot at 2.  Although he isn't as ornery as he was months ago...he is still REALLY, REALLY loud and still screams often.  Now he is usually such sweetie and and his screaming moments are less frequent.  His temperament is way different.  He is singing little songs most the time, giggles alot and pulls all kinds of faces!  And and is learning so much...counting to 5, singing jingle bells, saying everyones names.  He is obsessed with trucks, trains and cars-just like a true boy.

We celebrated New Years Eve day with my family up north with a big breakfast at mom's (waffles, pancakes, ham, eggs, egg and potato casserole, fruit, 3 types of milks and 4 types of juices).  Then we went to the church building-yes our family is that big now- to play games and so the men could play basketball. 
This is all the grandchildren-minus Brystun and Brigham- at the church.



Then we sped home to St. George and celebrated that night with the Chambers...Karlin with her sidekick and hip bruiser-Charles Henry.



Yep kids...whistle in the new year....here we go...it will be better and brighter, ya?









the smell of garlic...

As soon as we drove into the Gilroy California area...(even with the windows rolled up) GARLIC filled our nostrils.  I love the nostalgic feeling of driving 'home'.
 (my adopted home-Marty's real home)



The {9} hour drive!  Kids were decent. 
Can't really complain about them...I just had a hard time- I hate driving!



Finally at GRANDMAS house!  Charlie got a
 kick out of Anthony(my nephew)...they were little buds:)

We went to Phil's Fish Market (sits right on the coast) on Wednesday....YUM.
{real seafood, says Marty}

It is always a 'treat' to eat here.  I ordered the wrong thing (of course) and salivated over everyone else's food.  Raquel let me eat some of her 'seafood sliders' - SO good.

Then of course we hit the beach next...what a gorgeous day! 
 It was perfect weather.

{Brothers}



So relaxing.  I wish I could live on the coastline...
except for all the sand I'd find in my kids' crevices:)



A little sea crab...

Time to go...

Thanksgiving day was spent with Grandpa Lee and Merry at the
Monterey Bay Aquarium...

Yes, Liam almost dove-in to reach the sting ray's...he wanted to touch one so bad...he finally did but to the expense of his shirt sleeve!

The kids loved their Grandpa time!

We ate our Thanksgiving feast at a seafood place in Monterey...I had a salmon sandwich w/sweet potato fries....hmmm

Ruby lost her first tooth on Thanksgiving!!!!  YAY.
  She's been wanting to lose a tooth for months now...it finally came true.

On Friday, we ate the 'real' feast with everyone at Raquels house.
(we couldn't on Thursday cuz they were with their 'other' family)

I cut out Kim's beautiful face!  The little one's ate in the other room.

More signs that we need to get a dog....Charlie was in heaven with this thing!

These two were a riot.  Always stripping down.  They did a small performance for Thanksgiving.  Pilgrims and Indians. 

I love their sleeping pics...too funny.  They did great on the floor each night.  Grandma made us steeled oats in the mornings...my new fav.

Beautiful hike to Uvas on Saturday. 

My sis-in-laws! Love them, I am so lucky. We missed you Echo and Becca.

This place was incredible.

Back at Raquels...

What a beautiful sunset. 

I hate when it's our last night...:(

Best way to end the trip.  A lizard caught at Grandpas!


 And best way to end this post is with the best recipe ever...for an appetizer/snack

Cranberry Dip

2 blocks cream cheese

1 cup sugar
1 cup cranberries (chopped finely)
3 green onions (chopped)
2 T cilantro (chopped)
1 -2 jalapenos (chopped finely)


Mix the cranberries and sugar. Let sit while you chop and mix all the green ingredients.
Gently stir the green ingredients with the cranberry mix. Place the cream cheese on a plate or platter. Pour the dip over the cream cheese and garish with a little chopped cilantro.


Dip with crackers or baguette bread.  I like with Wheat Thins:)

i heart it, really much...

I love Saint George!  This is what I woke up to one morning
on my run at the end of our street. 
 BEAUTIFUL. 
{Fog reminds me of being in California when we visit Marty's family}

I kept telling Marty how sad I was because I didn't think there was
 a 'FALL' here.  My FAVORITE time of year.  The leaves hadn't
 changed yet and it was Halloween and I was getting worried. 
But now that has ALL changed  There are reds and yellows everywhere! 
 It is gorgeous with the red rock landscape and Spanish style homes...
I am happy again.  And at peace.

We went on a hike Monday for FHE and, other than it getting dark
at 5:30 pm (boooo!),  it is perfect temps right now. 
 Kids are still walking and riding their bikes to school everyday.  I love it. 
November is amazing here,... stunning,... perfect.
This shot doesn't do the fall leaves justice...there are some areas with
 such contrasting colors-I want to just sit and stare,
all day long and soak up FALL. 

I don't know what to say about this little monster...he is becoming such
 a little person, talking and walking and screaming. 
 I can't imagine my life w/out him.

I had to insert these 'cold' pictures...we went up north to see family this last
 weekend and it snowed!  While it was super pretty and the kids loved it...I
 had no intentions of venturing outside in it and was perfectly happy to
leave it when we came home:)  Yes, I will miss having a white
 Christmas but I won't miss any of the aftermath...
(I don't pretend not to miss my family though)

Plus, we can see the snow anytime...just make the trip up north!  Right?!

Another thing I 'heart' lately about this place, is these hot air balloons we've been seeing right outside our door step most mornings.  What a sight they are!

This one 'landed' between the time I took Ruby to school and back. 
We saw the top of it as we were driving back and Liam and I played detective following the 'bubble' above the housetops...come to find out, it landed right in our neighborhood...
SO fun!

2 Frightening Days...

1. Halloween-here they are ready to rock n' roll!

We trick or treated with some friends. 
This little one Karlin has ALWAYS got Charlie attached to her somehow!
  Usually on her skinny little hip.  I swear they probably weigh close to
 the same amount...I love when she's around!



Spooky Spider:)



Liam's best buddy, Trevor, was also an incredible!  What tuff stuff they are as a team.

Our neighborhood is SO fun at Halloween.  The streets are packed with kids.  One family(Drapers) had a BBQ out front of their house offering anyone and everyone -hot dogs, chips and soda.  They had 'How to Train Your Dragon' playing from their projector onto the garage with chairs set up for the kids.  It was such a nice break from running around to just sit and rest for a bit:)  The weather was awesome!  Perfect temperature.  The other picture is a guy from our ward that is always the 'Headless Horseman' in our neighborhood.  He rides around and around on Halloween night; fascinating all the kids.  LOVE it.

Oh yeah...the LOOT. 
 Charlie's first real experience to divulge and not be restrained...
can you tell he was beside himself?

2. The Snow Canyon Half on November 5th in St. George.  My 3rd half marathon!  It was BEAUTIFUL.  Such a gorgeous run through Snow Canyon.  Thanks to Ricki for training with me and pushing me to get ready for it.  I achieved my PR!  (1:44).  It was so exciting and excruciating...all at the same time:)

The weather this day was NOT perfect.  It was FREEZING.  Marty and the kids came to see me finish-poor babies were not happy about the blistering wind.  They didn't last very long and I was ready to hit a HOT bath ASAP.