the Saturday of Christmas festivities

holy cow... I thought I was doing so great only selecting just a portion of my pictures from the day but there's still a lot.  whoops.

so, we started out the day with me taking Brady to make a bunch of returns at Walmart that I'd been procrastinating for two-ish months.  I never go inside Walmart anymore (still loving Walmart grocery to go) and thought it would be crazy only ten days before Christmas.  well, I'm gonna go ahead and say that amazon must be rocking it this Christmas season because Walmart was not at all busy.  we parked on the second row and didn't have to wait long in line.  and the only thing I had to purchase was a new set of headphones for Abigail for at school.  I finally got smart and bought three pairs instead of my usual one pair.  she bites through the cord every couple of months so it just makes sense that I should probably keep spares on hand.  so hopefully this will get us through the rest of second grade.  ; )  the greatest part though was that these headphones were on a special rack that was locked (you had to have an employee come and get them off for you) and they were carried by the employee to the register that's in the electronics section so that you could purchase them there instead of the front of the store.  I thought this was all comical since I buy the cheapest headphones that only cost $4.88 each but it was awesome because that was my only purchase so, after that, Brady and I just walked right on out of the store.  woohoo!

and then we were on to more important things... like the dollar store.  two years ago, I'd taken Abigail to the dollar store to pick out Christmas gifts for everyone in our family.  it's great because it's a kid friendly environment and you can just say "you get to look at the entire store and pick the ONE BEST item for each person in our family."  it's great to see a kid get into the spirit of giving.  

so I took Brady to do that after Walmart.  it wasn't as awesome as I'd hoped.  mainly because he was soooo hung up on stuff he wanted and he became instantly obsessed with this sword.  but he was able to find some things for his siblings (and Chris) and... when he got home he told Abigail all about his shopping trip and how he really wanted a sword but that I wouldn't let him get it.  well guess who's turn it was to go to the dollar store next? later, Abigail was all "I'm so glad Brady told me that he wanted that sword so that I could get it for him! I hope I got him the right one!"  so cute.

Brady has been DYING to go ice skating ever since Chris took him skating at the Pepsi center a few weeks ago.  he wanted to show me and Abigail how well he can skate without holding on to anything.  it's true... he's picked it up quickly.  we all had a good time.  Abigail liked skating with assistance, Elizabeth enjoyed cuddling with me, being held by Christopher while he skated (until they told him he wasn't allowed to do that), and then "skating" in her shoes with the big plastic thing.

eventually I took the girls and Andrew in the library to warm up for a bit.  the library is my happy place.  there are just so many inviting books!

I think this is a little above my children's level right now but this would be amazing in future years.

Abigail ran out to keep skating so I just had the little two.  Elizabeth wanted to walk up and down these stairs.  well, when you're the oldest kid present, sure, go ahead.  so I hung out with Andrew while Elizabeth walked upstairs, explored a bit, and then came back down.  she was so pleased.

when we came out, Chris and the kids were finishing up.  they were hungry and didn't want to wait for the zamboni.  Chris took them to Texas Roadhouse.  I wasn't in the mood to eat out so I took Elizabeth and Andrew home with me.  we had scrambled eggs on toast.  it was delicious.  I also asked several neighbors if they would go caroling tomorrow at the house up the street... their little boy just got home from the hospital.  he is almost four and has leukemia and one of my friends from church is organizing the caroling.

when Christopher and the kids got back, Elizabeth took a nap and we helped the kids wrap presents.  it was so great.

Fiona came over to play for a bit... honey warmed up ham and turkey for our ward dinner.  he took Abigail and Brady to the church to help set up and decorate and I brought the littles and the meats when I came.  the Christmas party was a sit down dinner with no formal program... just musical performances as [mostly] background music.  it was perfection... I liked it way more than years past and it was a lot of fun.

every day recently I've just been so surprised at how much I'm enjoying myself this Christmas season.  last year when I was pregnant, I just hated Christmas.  everything about it seemed like such a pain and I was just anxious for it to be over and the whole time was just wishing that it didn't even exist.  this year? I'm totally digging my heels in because I'm so sad that we only have one week left until the magic takes off for another year.  

out all day

saturday morning was pretty funny because all i could think about was getting out of the house to run all the errands i had on my mind.  and after a crazy rough week at work, all honey could think of was a lazy day relaxing at home.  we compromised and hung out together in the morning (although i was still running around the house getting things done) and in the afternoon, i took brady to run errands, while abigail and christopher stayed home to play and have nap time.  and then we all went out for a family date.  a perfect compromise.

honey made us french toast for breakfast.  i think he was going to bring it to me in bed but brady woke up so my honey delivered breakfast in brady's room while i got him up for the day.  french toast is super sweet but not filling so i made myself oatmeal.  as i was eating it, i got a text from my friend sawah asking me about oatmeal!  beat you to it sawah!

check it out!  another train!

my mother in law gave me a cricut for christmas... like four years ago.  this was the first time i've used it.  i had to get myself acquainted with it a bit... just trying things out to prep for our yw activity tuesday.

leaving to run errands.  i had to drop off a baby gift, drop off something to my RS pres, and make returns to target, costco, and ross.  so cleansing getting all of this out of my house!

we were gone for a million hours.  he slept for about 30 seconds in the costco parking lot (while i was finding a spot... and then woke up when i got him out of the car) and 20 minutes at ross.  that's a whole lot of awake with a cranky baby.  but he's still just so sweet when he's asleep.

family date.  we go here often because we have discounts... and every time we go, we joke about being on a documentary about fat americans that overeat unhealthy food.  because what else should you talk about while you stuff your face with tons of rolls with honey butter, fried cactus blossom, steaks, fries, and a sweet potato covered in butter, sugar, and marshmallows?!  i stuff myself til i literally feel sick to my stomach and then walk out of there with terrible feelings of gluttony and self disdain.  yet, what i would give for a roll and honey butter right now...

and then we rounded out the night with a trip to petsmart.  our favorite was the tank of spastic fish that scatter when you hold your hand up to the glass.  abigail thought it was so cool she could control them (although she was confused why it didn't work when she tried it with a different tank of fish) and my honey kept making jokes about being harry potter and having a fish act on america's got talent.

out with a bang

my whole weekend has been kinda magical.

obviously, friday night was awesome.

saturday was really great too though.  we all slept in and then hurried out the door to run errands together.  hit up vitamin cottage for some tahini (so we can make hummus now!) and then to costco where we filled up on a ton of amazing samples (greek yogurt cheeescake, delicious cheeses, chicken sandwiches... some old favorites and some new stuff i hadn't ever tried before) and got groceries and these cubbie things i've wanted forever, and then i ran in walmart for a they're-never-ever-quick return.  it was a luxury to be able to run in vitamin cottage and walmart by myself without having to drag two kids along.  even if i did always have to hear from honey about how long that took.  yes, but it would have taken me even longer if i'd taken two kids... and would have been infinitely more painful for us all.

after lunch, i put brady down for a nap and honey took baby girl to see monsters university.  we're not big movie theater people and honestly, the only reason he even took her was because we got four free movie passes when we recently bought new tires for my car, but baby girl had never seen a movie at a movie theater before and honey really wanted to take her.  he wanted to use the other two passes to take me on a date night but long story short, i'm actually going to use the other two to take baby girl to see turbo (that snail movie) later this week.  i'm excited for our girls night.  while honey and baby girl were gone, i put together all those cube organizer things.  the first one took almost an hour but the other two were quick.  like 20 minutes.  steep learning curve.  i really like putting things like that together.

we went on another walk/bike ride to the playground and it was great.  perfect weather and baby girl is so adorable.  she's so quick to make friends.  or at least try to make friends.  a little boy at the playground looked to be her same age and was wearing a thomas t-shirt so baby girl  kept following him around and talking to him like they were bff.  he ignored her much of the time but there did seem to be some moments that they were actually communicating and playing together.  i think one or both of his parents speak german... so maybe he just doesn't understand english that well.  either way, it's always a whole bundle of emotions watching baby girl make new friends.  it fills me with pride that she is so sweet and innocent and friendly and it wracks me with fear that she'll get her feelings hurt or learn how to be mean.

so then we all walked home and got our kids in bed early (brady has been crazy tired lately... probably from a growth spurt or something) and baby girl didn't nap (we put her down for a really early nap in case she wanted to sleep a bit before the movie but she just played in her crib the whole time) and finished our movie from the night before.  i actually really enjoyed the movie (the big year) which probably means that most people wouldn't enjoy it.  i don't like movies that are too emotionally charged and this one was perfectly middle of the line without being too boring.  it's a given that i don't like movies that are too sad or scary but i also don't like movies that are too happy or uplifting.  romance movies portray an ideal that can make it hard to be satisfied with the day in, day out of your wonderful but simple marriage.  and movies like ruby or the blind side make me feel like i'm not doing enough with my life.  i do really love super funny movies though... but then you get in to the question of if it's risque or inappropriate.  so here's my plug for a funny enough to make you smile but not too emotionally charged in any way sort of movie.  also, i like the bbc pride and prejudice.  but i bet you already knew that.  (even though it portrays a romantic ideal, my honey is actually a lot like mr. darcy and it only portrays the courtship, and it takes place in a time with completely different social norms).  it's a perfect movie... i can find no fault.

and then today.  i wasn't really looking forward to today (maybe i'll look forward to sundays again eventually but not quite yet... too busy and hectic) but, as usual, i was pleasantly surprised.  byc was good.  sacrament meeting was awesome.  i got to go to some of sunday school (like maybe ten minutes) which was really good.  and yw third hour was good.  it was a bit hectic because i was on my own since honey was tied up with a church auditing meeting and i took baby girl to the bathroom twice (she never ended up going til we got home) and brady needed two diaper changes (neither of which coincided with the time i took him to the mother's lounge to feed him).  so it was like most other sundays where i'm making my way back and forth across the church building in heels with my church bags and a baby carseat and a three year old that only knows two speeds, one of which is running and the other which resembles a drunken kitten.

but it was okay because we all left happy and honey's auditing meeting actually got out on time so he got home right after we did.  and after a quick lunch, all four of us took spectacular naps.  we went on another walk/bike ride tonight around the neighborhood a little bit and just sort of hung out as a family.  those walks are amazing though.  abigail is so cute on her bike and so obedient stopping and looking for cars at each intersection.  brady is so happy and content in his stroller.  honey is removed from technological distractions and just puts his arm around my waist while we walk and talk about life.  is there anything more to want?  i think not.

so that was my weekend.  start to finish, just wonderful.  sometimes it's rough to have a stellar weekend when it starts out so great because it's hard to keep up the greatness.  but this time, it was great the whole time and we went out with a bang.

klaudette's birthday dinner

dinner happened on sunday... post is happening friday... who cares?!  not me.  a post is a post dangit!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

we had a lot of fun.  let's do it again.  next year, maybe?

kicking off the weekend

honey made it a point to come home a little early on friday so we could enjoy the good weather and go to the playground together as a family.  we went as soon as he got home and stayed until the sun was setting.  it was the perfect start to our weekend. 

 

trying to pass henry up so he can go down the slide again.

gave up.

 

 

baby girl has a death grip on her henry and her jacket tags.  and here's a shout out to brady hanging out in his stroller/carseat.

view from our driveway