Ho Ho Ho

Christmas is such a delightful time with little children.
Their anticipation and excitement is contagious.

This year we were able to have Grandma Ginger, Aunt Kelty & Uncle Duane celebrate with us! Thank you so much for making the trek to be with us!
The girls loved playing with Grandma at the indoor swimming pool, creating a big fort with blankets and ropes in her guest bedroom (below), doing puzzles, going to the movies AND playing at the indoor MC Donald's play land.

Brinley's Christmas highlights included learning to play the recorder with Grandma and styling Aunt Kelty's (who is having her baby in less than a month) hair!

On Christmas Eve we made my simple signature cookies for Santa.



Cody planned a lovely program for the evening which included:
* A solo by Brinley called "Stars Were Gleaming."
*A duet by yours truly and Kelty called "Mary's lullaby."
(Kelty's beautiful voice managed to make mine sound decent)
* A reading of the Nativity by Daddy with pauses for us to all sing a number of Christmas songs.
*To end off the Eve we each took turns expressing what "gift"
we were going to be giving to Jesus in the upcoming year.

After years of 5am wake up calls on Christmas morning we got smart this time around and told the girls they were not aloud out of bed until their alarm sounded at 7:30am!

This picture was taken before the gift opening brawl of '09 took place.

Oh how you ought to look forward to that video in the near future! Uncle Duane had the camera rolling and what a hilarious memory he captured!

Thank you thank you for the wonderful gifts mailed to us with love.
Santa saved extra room in his sleigh this year and brought our girls a Kitchen!
Daddy spent Christmas morning assembling it.

On Sunday the girls were excited to wear their new Christmas dresses from Nana.
They glittered their way through church!




My thoughts are now focused on the New Year and how
I can grow into a better person in 2010~
and how we can encourage our children to do likewise.

Christmas Card 2009

Merry Christmas!

Making Merry

On Tuesday we attended Avery's musical performance at her preschool.
Her teachers always comment that she remembers ALL the words to the songs they learn at school and loves to sing with exuberance.
She sure did sing with vigor up on stage!

I was able to attend Brinley's musical performance and classroom
party at school this week as well.
Brinley was right on cue with all of her hand motions while singing the songs!
She introduced me to the magic elf that has made mischief in her classroom for the past month.

Aspen, Avery and I participated in our weekly playgroup on Wednesday.
We had a party and gift exchange at Angie's house. Fun & crazy!

This year we ventured of the traditional graham cracker gingerbread house making and tried it with rice krispie treats. I am a fan!
Fun, quick and the kids actually enjoyed eating it for a few days.

Thursday night we had so much fun at my Resident Spouse Survivors Club Christmas party. The venue was a historic wine cellar in German Village.
Love getting together with my survivor buddies...this time we included our hubbies.

Friday night was a girls only ornament exchange party at Lacy's. Good food, friends and a porcelain doll head (which Ellie is holding in the picture) made for a fun night!

Saturday night Cody and I hit the road for some quick last minute gift shopping before we headed north to one of his attendings home's for yet another Christmas party.
The food was exquisite and delicious.
We enjoyed mingling with other resident's and attendings.

Apparently the physician who's home we were in has "an incredible and extensive" wine collection in his in home wine cellar.
We just thought it looked really cool...so we took a picture.

Last night we hopped in the car for our traditional drive through the Parade of Lights. When we arrived Aspen squealed with pure delight as she jumped up and down on
my lap in the front seat. It was so cute and we all laughed.
The older girls got to take turns driving the car with Daddy in the drivers seat.

All in all it's been quite the Christmas week!

Tis' the Season...

For major goose bump owies caused from falling head first onto the

corner of the kitchen island.

(this picture does NOT come close to doing the golf ball sized bump justice)

For attending the ward Christmas party in our Jerusalem attire and watching
Daddy played a wise man in the nativity.
More pictures HERE.

For making the worlds most delicious caramel corn and giving it to those we love!


(Above is how it looks before you bake it)

Recipe:
7 cups (or so) Popcorn
3/4 C. Brown Sugar
6 T. Butter
3 T. Karo Syrup
1/4 t. Baking Soda
1/4 t. Vanilla

*Spread out popped popcorn on a jelly roll pan which has been sprayed with Pam.
*Combine sugar, butter & syrup in saucepan and boil over
medium heat for 5 minutes WITHOUT stirring.
* Remove mixture from heat and then add baking soda and vanilla. Caramel will puff up.
*Pour caramel all over popcorn and BAKE @ 300 for 13 minutes!
*When you take the popcorn out of the oven immediately pour it into a big bowl and mix to coat all of the pieces with the caramel!

(Below is how it looks after it's been cooked and mixed)

For a seriously fun party at Kristi & Trevor's casa!



For a delicious Fondue party at Mi Casa!
More pictures HERE.

Sara and Joni did all of the work to put this gathering on. I just provided the accommodations and showed up after teaching Urban Iron before the party started.

Can I just say how much fun it is to gather with a bunch of girlfriends to talk and laugh and laugh some more and eat good food...
I must admit, it's one of my fondest hobbies!

And finally, 'Tis the Season for baking these scrumptious pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, complements of Amada's cookbook, and delivering them to our neighbors.

And just in case you are dying with anticipation to see what color I painted my office,
here is a sneak peek.

3 more parties yet to enjoy this week!
Ta ta for now.

Kelty's Shower

Over Thanksgiving we threw my sister Kelty a baby shower.


(Kelty & friend Dana)

I was not able to be in Utah for the event,
but I tried to do a little bit to help make it happen.

I went for a modern, sleek style.
Since Kelty and Duane live right in the middle of the city (Chicago) I thought it appropriate.



Matching party favors were definitely in order for this event!



Here is a close up.



I thought I'd go ahead and wrap her gift to match the invites and favors.

Thanks to my SIL Jill who organized the games and was
actually there to facillitate the event!
All reports seem to indicate that it was a smashing success!

To Do and Not To Do

If you have the chance GO to Macy's off State during Christmastime.
The 7 floors are decked out in exquisite decor from tip top to bottom and the big man himself is inside!




Things we enjoyed in Chicago:

The Shed Aquariam.
Navy Peer Children's Museum.
Macy's Christmas window displays.
Visiting Santa.
Spending time with Aunt Kelty & Uncle Duane.
Enduring the Rain Forest Cafe for our Children.
Swimming at the hotel and at Kelty's.
Walking! I LOVE walking in a big city, my kids don't.
Eating at Bandera on Michigan Ave. with Dr. Shiels minus KIDS!




Things we will never do again based on our Chicago experience:

#1 - All 5 sleep in the same hotel room ... Aspen believed that 4:30am was a particularly great time to arise during our fun family sleepover fiesta. She also enjoyed waking up several times throughout the night just to mix things up a bit.

#2 - Assuming that Aspen would just adapt and sleep on the go. Ha, ha, ha!
She did however perfect the art of crying on the go.

Cody spent most of his time at the RSNA convention (which is why we were there). It is super duper amazing in every way and draws quite a crowd of physicians from all over the world.

He was a VERY good sport about departing one day early.

Cooper

Meet our newest nephew/cousin born on November 23rd at 5:03pm.
(Mommy Staci is Cody's sister)

Cooper Lon Swainston
7 lbs., 7 ounces, 20 1/2 in. long

We are so excited for this beautiful addition into our family!
Mommy, Daddy and baby are all doing well.

Good-Bye Chicago

We arrived home LATE last night...
More to come