Christmas 2008

This is Christmas morning before the "maddness!"
We spent Christmas at Jordan's moms in the freezing Artic of Utah, Vernal, where it was -13 below the night we pulled in. My feet never warmed up until the day we left but it was still a lot of fun and we ate a lot of yummy food. We got some very nice gifts, thank you everyone!


This is the After...


Lincoln on the drums, he's very good.

The family band!!

The next day we had to head Orem because Jordan had to work. He works at Fidelity Investiments in American Fork so we stayed at my parents and had "Second Christmas"

We also got some nice gifts, Thanks everyone! Not to mention ate more food and junk !

Lincoln opening a gift

What could it be?????

It's Jammy's!!

Brett, Alisa, Nate and Ali, lookin good (and worn out)

Pop Pop and Gangy enjoying their spoils while Linc rolls in the aftermath

Pop Pop exhausted from all the fun!

Lastly, banging out a few numbers for our fans on our World Tour (from Guitar Hero). I'm totally addicted and could have played all day! Good thing grandma was there to change poopy bums!
Hope you all had a Merry Christmas too!!

Here are some videos of our holiday, if you care to view ( it's mostly for the grandmas) Enjoy.


The first is Lincoln and his nonchalant attitude Christmas morning
The second is Lincoln playing drums because he loves them so much

Oh Christmas Tree

"A Turkey and some Mistletoe helps to Make the Season Bright!"

Pics from our little photo shoot with Sweet Apple Photography

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Both, but they all have to match and cordinate. This year it's black/silver and blue.

2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial, flocked and pre-lit baby! I worked at Modern Display years ago and it's only the biggest Christmas store in the world (well, it was before Taipan opened to the public) but they still carry the best artificial trees and lights, "they look so real you can almost smell the pine!"

3. When do you put up the tree? The Sunday after Thanksgiving. I like to think of it as a family night, but I end up doing it all. It's all I can do to even get Jordan to bring it up from the basement and then he humbugs all through out the Christmas movies we watch... What a Scrooge!

4. When do you take the tree down? Oh the Sunday after, I might leave it up this year until the Jan. 5, Wiseman day. I think means when they came 2 years later. It sounds like a good tradition.

5. Do you like Egg Nog? Yum! but with 1/2 milk, someone told me they put sprite! I might have to try it!

6. Favorite gift received as a child? Probably my dolls that my mom made and my electric piano that my friend and I would write songs on and record. We even sang, I'm pretty sure I thought I was the next Debbie Gibson!

7. Hardest person to buy for? Parents and Jordan. My parents always say, "oh don't get us anything" so you have no idea what to give them and Jordan just buys what he needs when he needs it or he's snooping! so he always knows what's he's getting and it's never a suprise.

8. Easiest person to buy for? Kids for sures! My nephews! Just buy them a bunch of trucks and they're happy!

9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes, like most people I have the Willow Tree, I love it!

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? For the first time ever....Christmas Cards!

11. Worst/Funniest Christmas gift you ever received? I added funniest because there are no "worst" but my funny ol'grandma wrapped up a jar of jelly for me one year that had be opened. The paper was all sticky before I even unwrapped it. She also gives us silly things from Avon like chap stick and puppy dog brooches. This year we got some awesome butterfly magnets! Funny story, like on that movie A Christmas Story she for a long time thought my brother Jeremy was perpetually 8 years old because at age 17 she gave him a play razor set, I guess so he could pretend shave that peach fuz!! Love ya Grandma! I hope to be like that!

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? hmm..I love so many, but top 5. Elf, A Christmas Story, Home Alone 1 and 2 (I know I know but "when I grow up and get married I'm living alone!" hilarious!) The Grinch and White Christmas.....And Charlie Brown. But Elf is the best...."I love to smile, smiling my favorite" and "Buddy the Elf, what's your favorite color?"

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? The first of November and I usually get it all done by the second week of DEC. but there's always one person that's so vexing! and I'm out shopping for them on Christmas eve!

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Heavens no!

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Christmas breakfast casserole, sweet roles, left over turkey and wassil!!

16. Lights on the tree? The big tree yes, the little tree, no.

17. Favorite Christmas song? Bing Crosby White Christmas, Sarah Mclaughlans Christmas cd and Jewels Christmas cd. Oh and "Mary did you know" by Donny Osmond.

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? This year we're going to Vernal to Jordan's mom's, it will be fun. The past 2 years we've stay here and gone to my parents. When my kids are older though we're staying at our house for sure, Jordan and I have already discussed that. Sorry grandmas.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, and Blitzen...Rudolph!

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? What? Who does that anymore?! I have a little bird house on my little tree. And Green and blue curlly things with frosted twigs on the other tree.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Those who try to resist the Christmas Spirit!! Like whine when a Christmas song or show comes on the air. Complain about Christmas shopping, or won't wear the red and green Christmas sweater in family pic.! Yeah I'm talking to you! Christmas is here and it's coming for you!

23. Favorite ornament theme or color? Well I love red and lime green, but also silver and black with tourquise. So this year I went with the silver, green, tourquise and little black...again, my red decorations are getting dusty!

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Oh the traditional Turkey and what not.

25. What do you want for Christmas this year? Peace on Earth, Good will to man, ....and a crockpot. But whatever I get, i'll be happy just to be with my loved ones!

Now your turn to all who want to do this!

The (Twlight) Festival of Trees

A Cullens Christmas? What? So I guess this year everyone was in the blood sucking mood! Nothing says Christmas like a Vampire tree! This tree is for you Jenn and for all the Twlight Maniacs! So The Festival of Trees is now becoming a bit of a traditions, which isn't bad, it's just funny because we usually only go up and down like 2 rows out of the 20 and then my mom says "Ok now lets go over there" there being the sweet rolls or the ginger bread house, which is fine I'm there for the goodies any way! But my dad was here this year and I was determined to go up every row even if it meant not really looking at the trees and pushing a crying child but, OCD ok! and I did it!
Here are some of the best and the silly and I left out the worst....that being the PEZ tree, I didn't think PEZ could get any tackier but you hang 200 of them on a tree, nothing else and, well, it does.
We saw about 4 Twlight trees but this was the best...notices the shiny apple, the chess pieces, the dropping flowers of blood and the three silver balls that say Edward, Bella and Carlisle. The rest of the Cullens are on there too. They filled the bottom of the tree with gifts that I suppose were meant to state what the Cullens would get for Christmas. Do Vampires celebrate the birth of Christ....hmm.. I guess good Vamps do, I could totally see Carlisle doing it.


In the Ginger Bread Village a neighbor of my parents and good friend (The Laurets for those who are from my 'hood) do a Ginger bread house every year. Jim Lauret is a very talented chef, and this year he decided to stick the Festivals non-offical "theme" and go with a Twilght house. Can you guess whose house this is? The vampire sitting in the tree looking in the window and the beat up of red Chevy should give it away! Oh the silliness!

I saved the best for last.. This is amazing!!!! It was hand blown glass tree by (Jim?) Holdman. For those of you who came to my brother's wedding reception last year at my parents friends house, the Holdmans (also known as the Noni Mansion) you'll remember the beautiful stained glass windows they had through out. Their son is a very talented Glass Artisian, he has done many stained glass windows for the LDS Temples, his most popular being the Palmyra NY Temple with the First Vision. There was a video set up showing how he made this.... it looks like it took forever! I bet he worked on it all year!! And what I also think is so amazing is that it went to charity to be auctioned off for the Primary Childrens Hosiptal, he donated the glass, his time and he didn't make a cent. What a great example of the Christmas spirit.

p.s. Did I mentions the Utes killed em'!!

Good Times on Turkey Weekend!

mmm apples!


Great Grandpa and Great Grandma Grimshaw the best pic we got!
because he wouldn't hold still


The 4 generations!

The Halo Party with all the cous's after the feast

Everyone enjoying the feast and the new (3 weeks) baby girl Brooklyn!

Note to self: Next time you go on a "vacation" remember to relax!

So I was totally looking forward to this trip, I was excited to get out of the house and the "routine" of life and go see family. I had a great time seeing everyone and eating and visiting and laughing and what not.... but I ended up getting sick Friday, the last night (that's why I don't have any pics up of our big family Christmas party) and I think it's because I got a little stressed out. Jordan had to leave thursday night and Lincoln was a little bit honery because of people over load which makes it hard to relax..... but I'm still glad we went. So Thanksgiving we spent in Enoch UT, it's a small "subarb" of Cedar, my Grandpa and Grandma Grimshaw have lived there their whole lives (basically) in a house that is over 100 years old. My mom grew up there and met my dad there (dragging Main st. yeah... it's like that. It's a good story for another day) Now a few of my mom's siblings have moved back and my parents probably will too.... my grandpa owns a lot of land and water rights in Enoch. We also had a big family Christmas party on Friday where we do a service project like Sub for Santa and humanitarian blankets. Last year I learned that you have to use a certain stich when tieing a blanket for third world countries because it has to with-stand being washed on the rocks! Is that not the saddest thing.. it really made me greatfull and feel so blessed! We also enjoy pizza, gifts, dipping chocolate and singing...hm we didn't sing this year! My uncle Mike also put together a big huge book of our Ancestry.. turns out I'm a princess! But I already fiured that out in High School my dad said. (jk) I'll more about that amazing book next time.

I had a great time and look forward to it every year, I love my family so much and feel really blessed to be part of such "greatness"

Tag! I'm it

Yeah, I like the Utes, got a problem with that?

So I slacked off the past 2 weeks. I kept telling myself to go update my blog but nothing exciting ever came to mind to write, plus I'm going to use the excuse of Lincoln and I being sick, which we have been the past 2 weeks, with a long drawn out cold. But we're finally feeling better. I also finally finished my Octobers project, curtains for the "parlor" ,with my mom's help, thanks mom. Grandma Neen came out this week for a little midweek visit, it was short but a nice break in the week and she always takes us out to eat so we like that too.

So I was tagged by my friend Autumn, which I would like to thank her for because now I have something to write...... I also want to mention that I'm listening to music on her blog and it so nice and Christmas'y I love it!!!

T.V shows I like to watch

Chuck

My own worst enemy

Samatha Who?

Simpsons

The Office

Kath and Kim

30 Rock

Medium

Lost

Law and Order

Resturaunts I like to eat at

PF Changs
Cafe Rio

California Pizza Kitchen

Famous Daves BBQ

Applebees

Ruby Tuesday

Wendys

Things that Happened today

Woke and fed Lincoln and got ready for church

Got a call at 10am to play piano for Primary

Went to church at 11am, Lincoln was quite in sacrament today!

Forgot my Childrens Hymn book so had to run home to get it
Learned that a lot of primary kids are "thankfull for candy and tv"

Found out the choirister in the primary is an old schoolmate!

Home teachers came over to visit

Changed a light bulb (The sweet home teacher tried to do it)

Relaxed

Cooked dinner

Updated the blog

Things I'm looking Forward too

Tiling my Laundry room this week

Getting my hair cut and colored

UTAH vs BYU this Saturday, I believe that Utes are undefeated!

Going to Cedar City for Thanksgiving with family

Family pictures

Christmas

Selling our house and finishing school

Having more kids someday

The second coming ;)

Things on my wish list

Live life free from unnecessary debt and stress

A second car (does that fall under unnecessary?)

Jordan to finish school and get a job he loves

Get my degree in drafting

I'm always wishing (coveting) home decor and furnishings

To be skinny again

For UTAH to smash BYU this weekend!!

My family and friends to live happy and healthy

Ok, I tag

Liz Brough

Cassie Mangum

Nicole Gildea

Lauren Olsen

A Good Enough Halloween!!

This is how Lincoln literally trick or treated....very subtle, but it got a good laugh

Giving loves to "big sis" Seneca

Our Halloween spread....minus the dinner part but that's not important

The cake I made.... I couldn't find black sugar so I used green

A sick Lincoln on a not-so Happy Halloween

Lincoln's picture at the Halloween display. His best one......he was more interested by the Hay

Setting up for the Ward Halloween Party

The center pieces I spent hours making... not really

It only looks like I took a long time.....that's the trick... or the treat, depending on how you look at it!



So we had some crazy weeks. October 16 our ward did a Halloween Party and I was asked to do the decorations, specifically the center peices. It was kind of last min. so I had 2 days to do them but I was lucky enough to find most halloween stuff 60% off. So I shoved some leaves in a couldron, jazzed it up with ribbon, and spookyness, and ate Halloween candy, you know to get me in mood of course! We did a little photo booth spot where we set up a fall background and had a brother in our ward who is a pro. photographer take picture of the kids in front of it. Their were games and food and a pumpkin carving contest. Even though I had a pounding headache (I mean that with no sarcasim) when I got home after cleaning up, it was good time.

So this past week my parents went on a cruz to the Western Carribean with my mom's siblings, they seem to cruz every year. Jordan and I agreed to watch their house while they were gone, but 2 days into it, Lincoln got pretty sick with a nasty cold that developed into a croup (SP?) so I camed back home with him. By Halloween he was little better, I made pumpkin pancakes that morning for breakfast, a receipt I found in the paper. They were bland so I'll have to modify them to make them better. That night our friend Jesenia and her daughter Seneca came over because both our husbands were working. We had a dinner of Squash bisque, candy apple salad, and an attempt at pigs in a blanket useing cornbread mix and sauges but my cheap $5 little sandwich maker burnt them all! A Cat Cake (I got the stencil from Country living )for dessert. The kids could barely contain themselves with excitement! Well, Seneca couldn't, Lincoln I'm sure didn't know what going on but he had to do whatever Senecas was doing. For example, when trick or treaters came to our door she would run screaming behind me and so he did too. We opened our door to a lot of wided eyed startled trick or treaters! Seneca would comment on the costums and Lincoln would just stand and wave bye bye. It must have been cute because we had some reverse trick or treaters giving candy to them instead, what suckers! So finally we decided to take the kids out just for a little bit. I bundled Lincoln up in the stroller but at a few houses I let him walk to the door. He liked to put his bag in his mouth, they say a picture speaks a thousands words so look at the one at the top and tell me my child doesn't know how to milk it. I wish I would have taken a picture on Seneca in her costum, it was very pretty princess. Lincoln was baby in hoody, good enough.
Well that was our Halloween adventures. I guess I left out the sad part of me carving pumpkins alone on thrusday because Lincoln was napping and too sick to get together with my sisters (in law) to do it. But I had all those pumpkins in my front yard so I couldn't let them go to waste! I ended just carving polka dots in them, but I baked the seeds so something good came from it.

On to November!!

Instead of Blogging...

Instead of blogging....I cooked dinner for friends last sunday and finally made the caramel apple pizza, cleaned, did laundry, packed up Lincoln's baby clothes for storage (sad!) took pictures of Lincoln goofing around, chased Lincoln around that house and taught him how to peek-a-boo and hide and jump out and say "Boo" (or BAAaugh in his language) he now does it to strangers, hung pictures of up Lincoln, went for a lot of walks in the last of Indian Summer, played and shopped with the husband because he took a day off from work, he bought me a cute pair of jeans and mostly clothes for Lincoln, finally got him to mow and fertalize the grass one last time, tried to figure out what the spots were all over Lincoln (chicken pox?) enjoyed my nights of quiet and watched HEROs, The Office, Kath and Kim, and American Choppers, took a long bath, Hung up shelves the bathroom, went to work, stuck to my low-carb diet even though I made yummy spaghetti for dinner ( I had the fish) broke my diet when mother-in-law came to town and took us to dinner (it was garlic mash potatoes for crying out loud!!) talked about a trip to Hawaii next April (maybe, heopfully!), had a girls night out and saw one of the best movies of all time "Ghost Town" I highly recommend! Went to church, took sunday naps and made caramel apple crunch pie, which jordan will eat. And stole this idea from my cute sister-in-law Rochelle!

Boys will be Boys

Lincoln had been laughing at Collin all during lunch so I finally got in on tape with Collin's help. What a good sport.

Farmers and Pirates

My Pumpkins grew!

Another week but nothing exciting, that's why this is more about me, sorry. We did have a good weekend last week, for general conference Me, Jordan, Lincoln, Brett's family and Jeremy and Vanessa all stayed at my parents and gorged ourselves on my parents good cooking and hung out (and watched pirated movies like Get Smart but I promised to buy it when it comes out so they'll actually get $20 instead of $8, there my conscience is clear) My dad is like our own personal farmers market, it's great! We had fresh picked roasted butternut squash, apples picked right of the tree for caramel apples and pie, fresh picked tomatoes, corn bread and chicken. MMMmm, I getting hungry just thinking about it. Good thing my dad sent me home with a bags of tomatoes, apples, and squash. I tried a new receipt this week, -Tomato Squash Bisque, it was oh so yum!!!!! I'm dieing to make this Caramel Apple Pizza receipt I got off of Studio 5, but I need to go get some dough and caramel first. Have any of you ever tried the "Apple Corer Peeler Slicer" from Pampered Cheif? It's Amaaaazing, I highly recommend you get one! I also made some curtains with my moms help but more on those at a later date when I'm finished. Lincoln loved playing with cousins and Aunts and Uncles.

I also spent some time out in my little flower beds today getting them ready for winter since it's suppose to hit, oh like TOMORROW! Snow already! I can not believe! I trimed all my bushes and planted bulbs! Yikes! Hope they grow! I did Queen of the Night Tulips, they're suppose to be a dark purple. Here is a picture of my pumpkins that have grown, since those of you that read my blog know I grew some pumpkins in my front yard.

September Projects

We added Sicis glass tile mosaics around our mirror and this new light fixture in our Master bath. I did the tiling, not hard, the glass comes on sheets so don't worry I didn't do them one at a time, I left that to the Italians.
The same glass is in our shower. Jordan put up the light.
Added this vinyl lettering to Lincoln's room
so you can see loc.
And of course this is what Lincoln was doing during project time...distroying his room!

So because i'm a clean freak I do spring and fall cleaning, so the past few weeks I've been digging through closets,cabinets and drawers and wiping and organizing everything! It's a good feeling. You know spring clean came from the pioneers who literally had to wipe everything down in the spring because the wood and coal burning stoves created black soot on everything. (A little fact I picked up years ago from the pre-felon Martha Stewart) I also wanted to finish those projects that have been pilling up as well. I love house projects so I'll always have some to do I'm sure, but it's nice to get one down and stand back and enjoy.

So here are a few pictures of what I've been up too!

A Day at the Zoo

At the "Ghost of the Bayou"
This elephant sprays water out it's nose!

We went to the Zoo last week! My mom wanted to take the grandkids (that live in UT) so me and Lincoln and Brett, Alisa and Carter, and Collin went. Some of the other family had to work so they couldn't make it. It was fun and not to crowded now that kids are back in school. I hadn't been to Hogle Zoo in a long time and they have really made it nice! With the new Elephant Encounter and the new Asian Highlands with the cats. Oh and the new Conservation Carousel which was Lincoln's favorite thing. I think the little boys had fun. The Zoo is currently trying to raise money so they can redo the bears and add polar bears. We were lucky enough to by-pass the reptile house..... ugg! Fun Fact: Did you know that the Albino Aligator rarely lives for more than day after it is born... why is that? Because it is white it burns in the sun and dies. So maybe not a "fun" fact but something interesting I learned.