Christmas!!

Christmas was great. The kids woke up at 6 AM, which they have never done before. Santa brought a mini pool table for the boys and jewelry boxes for the girls. I got a new cell phone to replace the one that flew across the garage a while back (How did that happen!?!). Lewis got some new clothes, and the wet dry vac that he wanted. Here are some pictures! Merry Christmas!

Twas the Night Before Christmas

Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house
not a creature was stirring, not even the mouse (we caught him in a trap 2 weeks ago and he went out with the trash);

the laundry was washing and drying with care,

in hopes that tomorrow I would have something to wear.

The children were nestled and snug in their beds....

but then they were up asking for water and bread. (Is this how all kids are?)

And Lewis in the front room watching TV, and me in for logging (time that is),

Had just settled down for a long night of blogging.

When out on the lawn

there arose such a clatter.

I sprang from my desk

to see what was the matter.

All the way through the house I flew like a flash,

Wrenched open the door as I got some whip lash.

When, what to my wondering eyes did appear,

But the UPS Man standing in all of his gear.

With a little young driver, so wired and wull,

I knew in a moment that he had drunk Red Bull.

"Now Abi &Ti! Now Beckah! Now Jason and Haley!

On Adam! On Rachael! On Michael and Gabey!

To the top of the stairs, to the top of the porch!

I have gifts for you! Gifts for you! Gifts for you all!

And then in a grinding, I heard in the road

his truck idling slowly, there out in the cold.

He was dressed in his shorts, and some knee high long socks,

and he wore all brown clothes from his shoes to his locks;

a brown paper package he had in his hand,

when he slipped on the ice it had nowhere to land.

His face .... how it twisted! His mouth how scary!

His cheeks were like fire, his chin was so hairy!

He fell to the ground

but landed like cotton,

in a new blanket (of snow)

and all was forgotten.

He spoke not a word,

but went strait to his work,

delivering the package;

then turned with a jerk,

and saying "hey do not forget all of those",

he pointed ere there, 9 more packages rose;

He brought them all up,

to me gave a whistle,

and quick drove away

like the shot of a pistil.

But I heard him exclaim,

as he pulled up his socks,

"Happy Christmas to all,

and to all a Brown Box!"

Is it the 23rd already???

Wow this month has passed so fast. I do not know where the time has gone. It is 2 days till Christmas and since Lewis has been gone all weekend I have not been to the grocery store, or to the dry cleaners or anywhere else I usually go on the weekend. Here is an update for the past week or so:

Adam had a school play last week on Thursday the 13Th. It was so cute. They did The Night Before Christmas as adapted by Ms. Reid's 4Th grade class. They did a good job. He had one line to say alone and he did it very well. He also rang the hand bells during some songs. He said he was not nervous and I think he was very proud of himself afterward.

On the 14 I went out to dinner with just my 4 siblings. It was the first time the 5 of us have ever done anything by ourselves...ever! It was fun. I think now that we are older we have become a little more accepting to each others um..flaws? or whatever you want to call them.

Jason had a "FUN" day at the dentist on the 18Th. He went in to have a cracked tooth fixed and a cavity filled. He woke up half way through and grabbed he metal dam out of his mouth and ripped open his gums and tongue. They had to do a quick fix. I was devastated. He has to go into the surgery center on the 8 Th of January to have it fixed. When I later asked him how the dentist was he said, "It was easy breezy, and same old, same old. Did not hurt, but my mouth is stiff." STIFF?? I would say so. They had to glue him back together! I am not going to tell him what he did for a long time. It is not worth it making him scared of the dentist. We kept him home on Tuesday and Wednesday.

School got out on Friday the 21st. The kids could not have been more excited. Adam had a party after school that turned into a sleep over for a friend who is moving. He got zero sleep and so he was cranky all day yesterday. He is better now. Lewis left for Vegas and the BYU game on Friday. It is a good thing they won. I am not mad that he went anymore but I do want a vacation too (but that is another entry in the blog.) Friday is also the day that the toilet in my bathroom started leaking, and I had to turn it off, and I need to call the plumber. I am tired of toilet problems. (The one downstairs started leaking this summer and flooded the whole basement. It was a mess, it was disgusting, and I do not want that to happen again.)

So I feel like I am not ready for Christmas. I have some small things to get and I am going to have to get them on Monday when Lewis comes home from work. Oh yeah, Lewis has to work on Christmas Eve. I love the Jazz.

Snow, Shopping, Sysco and Vegas

So here is the past week in a bulleted list:

• It snowed again. Just when the snow from last week started to melt, we get 7 more inches. The kids are loving it. We finally have boots, snow pants, gloves, and coats for all of the kids that fit. It seems like everyone grew out of everything that we bought last year. So we had to start from scratch.
• I am trying to get the Holiday shopping done. Lewis has no desire this year, or so it seems, to go shopping at all. I am doing all of it. I have bought every present for the kids so far. And we are done except for the little things...from you know who. (Hopefully Adam does not read this. He is still a believer at 9 and I would love to have 1 more year with him believing.) I am having trouble getting stuff for Lewis. I have some things but I need little stuff for him too, and have no ideas. Men are the hardest to buy for. I agree with my mother-in-law, buy gift cards. That way they get what they want.
• Sysco. I bet you are wondering what Sysco is. Sysco is a food supply company. Restaurants use them and the school that I work for does as well. They deliver our milk for the kids, and a few other kitchen supplies. Well the rep from Sysco is why they make the blog this week. He came for a visit to make sure we were satisfied and to try and get us to buy more. You know the regular thing that sales guys do. Well when he walked into my office I thought that I was going to throw up or pass out!! He was wearing so much cologne that I suddenly could not breathe. Now maybe some of you ladies like that, but good grief! It was horrible!!! So for all of you guys out there reading this make sure the cologne is at an appropriate level for public, or you are going to gas the ladies out of the room.
• Vegas. Oh Vegas. Vegas is how this blog began. My husband, Lewis, went to Vegas with some childhood friends this past summer. He planned to go at the last minute and did not have to worry about anything. He took a day off from work, jumped in the car and drove. I had to worry about the kids, the schedules, school, work, daycare, etc...he just assumed that I would handle it all happily. Well assumed that I would handle it, which I did. I did not do it happily. That why this blog is named "When's My Vacation?". Because I hardly ever get one, and even when I do it is with the kids so it is not a real vacation. I usually need a vacation after I get back from going with them. Well, it is happening again. Lewis has a friend who also works for the Jazz and he got them tickets to the Las Vegas Bowl game which is BYU vs UCLA. The friend has a suite at the Bellagio too. Jazz people. Oh yeah, did I forget to say when the game was? It is the Saturday before CHRISTMAS!!! So I get to be home with kids for 2 days right before Christmas. What am I supposed to do? They are going to be crazy. I am going to be crazy. What if I have last second errands to run...which I always do. You know what I need? I NEED A VACATION!!!!!!

SNOW!!!!!

It snowed...a lot! We got about 7 inches here in Draper. The kids had a field day in the snow on Saturday and Sunday. I will let the pictures speak for themselves!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

We got the tree up. I know it is not a great picture, but it was the best that I could do for tonight. We have white, frosted, silver, light blue, and blue ornaments with snowflakes on the tree. We also have white lights, silver ball garland, and red bows. I think I like this tree the best out of all of our trees. I really like a nice simple tree. I do not really like the trees with so much stuff on it that you can't see the tree. Lots of people like that, but I just like simple. Maybe I will grow to like more ornaments.

Anyways, the tree is up and the decorations are out. I always love the house when it is decorated for the Holidays. It always feels warmer somehow. I know in this picture the tree does not have many presents, but as of today the gifts are all wrapped and done. I only have a handful of gifts still to buy for the kids. Lewis is another story. I have NOTHING for him. I do not even know what to get him. He asked for socks and shirts with ties. Are you kidding??? I need something better then that. And he doesn't want gift cards either. Any ideas out there?

Trying to Take Christmas Pictures the day after Thanksgiving

So we made it through Thanksgiving and now it is December. Every December I get the kids all dressed up and we go out and take a thousand pictures of them hoping for a good one to send to the relitives for Christmas. This year my sister-in-law made the girls these GEORGEOUS skirts and capelets. They are so nice. I bought the boys sweaters and we were ready to go. Well...almost. We had 1 day to get the pictures taken and it was freezing. Not only freezing but windy too. It was so cold and windy out that after an hour or so of taking pictures, trying to usher the kids in and out of the car we almost gave up. That is when I got the idea to call my good friend Nancy. Fancy Nancy, as I call her. She is wonderful. She let us come and bombard her house with 9 kids. Yes, 9 kids! We go the most beautiful pictures in her home. The kids looked pretty good too. But you know kids with their funny faces and everything. I still do not know if I have one good enough to send out.

So here is one of Abi braving the freezing wind outside. She was miserable and right as I was taking this picture a gust of wind came and blew her off of the seat she was on. Poor Girl!!! All in all the kids were in good moods.