All Is Merry and Bright...

As always, December was a busy, fun filled month for us. This year I did an advent calendar with the kids, which was a lot of fun. Here are some highlights:

Festival of Trees- We met Santa.

Decorating for Christmas.

Setting up the tree.

Swimming with our best buds Jackson and Camille.

Making and decorating sugar cookies to deliver to our neighbors. As per tradition we always carol while delivering our treats. I even learned a few songs on the guitar to bring along. Last minute, though, I decided both kids and the treats were enough to haul around. Its a good thing because only 3 families were home for us to carol to. Better luck next next year. For those who were home that is.

Nic runs logistics, I run the frosting.

We played in the snow.

Then the week of Christmas we went to Idaho for all the family parties and a couple weddings.

Mason and pretty Chloe.

Hall party

(Love the gansta Sage in the picture below. I'm pretty sure that face inspired my brother to write an entire rap on facebook. Something about puking up peas?)

This picture is classic Mason and Sage.

Kelley party.

I love my dad and Mason in this picture.

Love this.

Dinner at the Snakebite.

Holland party.

So funny.

Christmas PJs at my mom's.

Pierson party.

Finally, we came home on Christmas eve to have Christmas in our own home. It. was. lovely.

A few low points of the holiday: Christmas eve we came home to a flooded basement. Then later in the week Nic got caught in a cold blizzard and, due to ice, ended up in a fender bender.

Despite these few annoyances, we had a wonderful Christmas. We are so, so blessed.

Christmas Miracle

So I experienced a honest to goodness Christmas miracle today. Okay, maybe not a miracle, but it was awesome nonetheless. I was rushing to the post office to get something in the mail before they closed. I drove all the way (like 5 miles but STILL) to the post office, both kids crying the whole way (it was one of those days). Once I got there I realized that I didn't have my wallet. erg! I remembered grabbing my wallet off the table, but I figured I must have left it sitting in the garage while I was getting the kids loaded up in the car or something. So I drove back through rush hour traffic. By this point I'm worried that I'm not going to make it to the post office before it closes (and today was the last day for standard shipping to be sent in order for it to get to its destination before Christmas). I finally pulled up to my house and in front was a big, old, creepy brown van. I was on the phone with my friend Camille who lives on the next street over and I asked her if she saw the scary van in front of my house. She said it hadn't been there a few moments before. So I pulled up along side the van and a man was standing behind the van staring at my house. I was a little creeped out until he turned around and I saw my wallet in his hand. Turns out I must have put the wallet on the top of my car while loading the kids and forgot to take it off. This sweet man found it out on a busy road and pulled over, picked it up, looked at the address on my driver's license and brought it to my house to return it to me. It was evident that it had been run over by a few cars, but all my cash and credit cards were in place. I was so surprised by the situation that I just sat in my car with the window rolled down, thanking him profusely. He just gave me a slight nod and got back in his van. In retrospect I am kicking myself for not getting out of my car and asking him his name. I should have offered him a reward, or at least shook his hand. Instead I just sat there dumbfounded and said, "Oh my gosh thank you so much." So, dear sweet man, if you are out there somewhere, thank you. Thank you for saving me from a monumental panic attack. Thank you for saving me from some serious problems. Thank you for being honest and for going out of your way for a stranger. I hope I get the chance to pay it forward someday.

Mason-isms

• After we put up the Christmas tree Mason said, "Well that is the biggest tree I ever saw." (He obviously hasn't seen very many Christmas trees.)
• We went up to the hospital to have dinner with Nic and while we were taking in the view from the Huntsman Mason (who was ready to go) said, "Ok, come on now little friends."
• Me: "Hey bud." Mason: "Hi honey."
• Last Saturday Nic was trying to get in the shower, however, Mason was very much oppose to it and kept telling Nic that it was "way dangerous".
• The other night we were reading scriptures before bedtime. The following ensued: Me: "So Mary was Jesus' mom." Mason: " No. Merry CHRISTMAS." Me: "Yeah we say Merry Christmas, but Mary was the name of..." Mason: "MERRY christmas." Me: "So Mary" Mason: "CHRISTMAS!" Me: "Yes Mase but Mary." Mason: "MERRY CHRISTMAS!" Me: "Merry Christmas bud."

The many faces of Sage Elizabeth

Six months...

18 lbs 7 oz - 90%tile

26 1/4 in. - 75 %tile

Sits up on her own.

Goes from sitting to her belly in a relatively graceful motion.

Drinks from sippy cup (but still nursing).

Loves cereal, learning to love everything else.

Reaches out for EVERYTHING (if its in her near vicinity she wants it).

Still hasn't rolled over.

Smiles at everyone.

Loves her brother and her dog.

Gives vigorous kisses.

Loves to dance.

Still doesn't sleep through the night, but wakes up happy every morning!

Love, love, LOVE this baby girl of mine.

Give Thanks

This was our second Thanksgiving here in the West. (If you don't count the 20+Thanksgivings from our youth). We were able to spend much of it with my dad and we loved every minute of it.

The weekend started with a pretty scary drive up to Idaho Falls. After we got there (alive) we had a lovely dinner at my dad and Penni's.

Sage's first Thanksgiving.

Can't wait for some dinner.

After dinner we went to Rexburg to visit Nic's family and then we headed up to Island Park. We spend 2 days at the cabin where we snowmachined, watched movies, and sat by the fire. It was heaven. Saturday night we headed back to Idaho Falls and spent the night at Nic's parent's. They watched the (sleeping) kids while we went to Harry Potter. Then finally, after church on Sunday, we took another scary ride home to find 7 inches of new snow and a shoveled driveway. So much to be grateful for.

Happiness...

Last Tuesday we had our first snow storm. Nic was actually able to come early and for the first time in a while we had a few hours in the evening to just spend together. The night was perfect. The kind of perfect that you want to freeze so you can live in that moment forever. The snow falling outside the big window in our family room. Oldies Christmas swing music playing and everyone dancing. Mason bouncing around the room while alternating elbows up in the air. Occasionally he would look up and close his eyes, lost in his dance. Sage giggling while bouncing on either Nic or my hip, her legs and arms flailing in excitement. Nell, who is always excited, prancing around. And Nic, unabashedly dancing and tickling the kids. At that moment it didn't matter that I hadn't packed for our trip to Idaho, or that the laundry wasn't folded, or that the falling snow was sure to make for a long drive north. Other than each other, nothing else mattered. I stood back and thought to myself that this is what happiness is. This is EXACTLY what happiness is.

More Mason-isms

Mason has been such a ham lately. By the end of the day he has said so many funny little things that I forget most of them. Here are a few that I remember from today:

(After finding Nic's basketball while I was cleaning out the coat closet). "Mommy, this isn't just any ball. This is a REAL ball."

and

Mase: "See ya Mommy. I'm going to work."
Me: "Oh really. Where do you work?"
Mase: "With Daddy."
Me: "Oh. Ok. Well have a nice day at work. I'll miss you."
(He goes upstairs and ubruptly turns around and comes back down.)
Mase: "My goodness Mommy, I didn't give you a kiss."

Thats right bud. Don't you EVER forget to kiss your Mama goodbye.

Mason-isms

Last Sunday I put shoes on Mason that were too small. (I realized this after taking them off, as the tops of his feet were red for a few hours afterward.) On our way home from church he kept pulling at his shoes and when I asked him why he was taking his shoes off he said, "Mommy, my feet are SPICY!" Funny kid.

Yum

Every bite I give this darling has a little help.

She loves to grab my hand and the spoon and shove it into her mouth.

The result is a very messy little girl.

A very cute, messy little girl.

Victoria Gail

My mother in law is an artist. A good one. Here is a sampling of some of her art that we are privileged to have in our home. (I hoped to post pictures of all her art that we have, but alas I do not have time. So I will post them at a later date.)

This is part of the mural she did in our play room.

She also painted Mason a truck to go in his room.

She is such a good artist that a few months ago Extreme Makeover Home Edition asked her to do the artwork in a house they were doing in Pocatello, Idaho. She (along with her brother Jason and friend Rebecca) did the murals in the home and she even had a little on screen time with the recording artist who is performing. (We don't know whether her on screen debut will make the editing cut or not, but still exciting). Why am I telling you this? Because the episode I speak of airs TONIGHT! So go watch. (I also want to put a plug in for my step brother's company, Rocky Mountain Supply, which donated all the pavers, rock, brick, etc. for the house.)

If you want to learn more about my talented mother in law (and see more of her work-from stone sculptures to fine art) visit her website. Artistsforhire.net.

A Dinosaur and a Chubby Skeleton

We partied.

We carved.

We tricked.

And it was a treat.