{Santa Came Down the Chimney...}

Is it just me, or does Christmas come and go too quickly? It seems like it's over so quick, and I'd love to spread it out a bit, but then again I don't know if I could handle that many days of chaos!We were lucky this year and the kids slept in until 7:45. We actually had to wake Carlie up and she was still pretty dazed. Santa brought Brock the BB gun that he wanted (mom and dad added a talk about being responsible and thinking before you act). Kaleb asked Santa for a PSP and Indiana Jones Legos, but Santa only brings one present to our house and he chose to bring the Legos, 2 great big sets of them! Carlie asked for a Barbie, and she got one...along with a house for her Barbies. Santa did such a great job building it and it turned out really cute! (Yea, Santa!) Kaleb just could not figure out how Santa could have got that big Barbie house down our chimney??? Must be magic, right? After we opened presents and played for a bit, we headed up to Grandma & Grandpa Beckstrands. Grandpa makes omelets for us (only on Christmas) and they were super yummy as usual. Next we went Grandma and Grandpa Dearden's. We opened presents, ate dinner and the kids played with Sydney. By the time we made it back home, it was dark and I, ok we were all, tired. Kaleb and Dad spent most of the night putting together the Lego sets, and I even ended up pitching in and helping. As usual we were all too blessed (ok, spoiled) and we want everyone to know how much we appreciate everything! Tomorrow we get to go visit Grandma Jeannie and Grandpa Mike and are looking forward to another fun day! Hopefully you all had a great day like we did!

Brock and his BB Gun!

Is it just me, or is he looking pretty grown up!

Kaleb and lots of new Lego's!
Isn't that the cutest doll house, ever?
Miss Carlie
Brock & Kaleb The finished Indiana Jones Lego masterpiece. I know the picture isn't the greatest, but that's a grand total of 1650, yes...one thousand, six hundred and fifty LEGOS! Not to mention lots of building hours.

{Christmas Pictures...or not}

Miracle of all miracles....we were ready for church EARLY this morning?!?! Not too early but, still early none the less. They kids looked really cute in their Christmas-ey Sunday best, so I thought I'd try and snap a quick picture. Why do I ever try and get a good picture of all three of them? It's impossible!

Can no one look at me?
Really you guys, just sit still for a second!
Seriously, just one picture? (Can you see how Kaleb truly feels? Look close!)
I guess this is the best I'm gonna get, cause I QUIT!

{Ainge Family Christmas Party}

Yesterday we headed to Lakeshore to the Ainge Family party, but first we had to do some last minute shopping with all the kiddos....not fun! I hate trips when you're trying to fit way too much into a day, but such are the joys of living where we do! By the time we actually got there (almost an hour late! Yes, me who really, really hates to be late, was the last to arrive?) I'd had it with kids. Luckily there was lots of room to run and play, and for the most part we got to eat and visit in peace (well, as peaceful as a gym full of kids running, laughing and yelling can be).

I'm not sure if K got any of the chocolate in his mouth or just on his face? At least most of the other kids looked like this after visiting the chocolate fountain too!
Derrick, just hangin' out!Ky, Katy, Derrick, Shad and Julia

Why is it that we go to family parties with people we don't see often and then tend to stick with our immediate family members?

No Ainge family Christmas party would be complete with out the girls (my mom and her 3 sisters) singing around the piano. I loved hearing the songs that they sing year after year, and the good memories that come with them. As soon as the music started Carlie wanted to dance. She's been on a kick the last few weeks, and only wants to wear dresses or skirts that can "dance" (twirl). I convinced her to wear pants, since it was snowy and we were going to be in and out all day, but when the music started, she needed her skirt. She would not give up until I went out in the snow to the truck to get her apron. I've never seen a mood change as quick as hers did, she was blissfully happy as soon as I tied that apron on. She also insisted on taking her boots off, because "my can't dance in them" duh, mom? So, my child was the happy little dancing, barefoot girl wearing an apron. Whatever works right?

Aunt Nita, Sydnee, Mom (Carlene), Aunt Sandy, Aunt Suzi, Stacey (the designated piano player now that Grandma is gone) & Savannah
Carlie and Addie
It's amazing how happy a little thing like an apron made these two cute girls!

Santa finally made his appearance and boy were the kids happy. Carlie ran right up and wrapped her arms around his legs before he could even sit down... SO CUTE! I was cracking up when Santa started to strip off his jacket because it was hot, and yes I do mean strip ;) Santa brings each of the kids a present, but no one is allowed to open their gifts until Santa says. After they all sit on his lap and tell him what they would like, he has them all gather around and he talks to us about the TRUE meaning of Christmas and what's really important. I love that! And finally they get to open the gift he brought them. Family parties are one of my favorite traditions at Christmas. It's always hard to fit things into our busy schedule, but I love getting together and visiting and I always leave wondering why we don't do it more often?

Carlie wants Santa to bring her a Barbie.
Kaleb asked for a PSP or Lego's.
Brock is hoping for a BB gun & he asked for one of Santa's jingle bells from his belt.

Santa teaching about the true meaning of Christmas! If I'm counting right there are 33 Great-Grandkids now!

{The Reason for the Season}

When I decorate for Christmas, my Nativities are always the first things I get out and the last things I put away, because really isn't that what Christmas is truly about? Our family now has five different Nativity sets and I love each of them for different reasons.
This was our first Nativity. My mom and dad gave it to Derrick and I the first Christmas we were married. It's been through 10 moves and amazingly, not a piece has been broken.

This Nativity is one of my favorite. My Uncle Don made all the nieces and nephews one a few years ago. He made my parents one like this years ago and growing up I always wanted one just like it. I was devastated the Christmas after we moved into this house, when I unpacked it, one of the Wise men was broken and two other pieces had gotten cracked in the moves. My mom had mentioned that she didn't think he still had access to the kiln or the mold and she didn't think I could replace those pieces. I was so excited when I asked this Thanksgiving and he assured me he would get new ones for me.I don't usually put this Nativity out. My Grandma Ainge made it for me and the pieces are wobbly on the base. I've always been so afraid that one would fall off and get broken, I just keep it in it's box and pull it out and look at it every year. I really need to find a place that I know it will be safe, so I can display it.My mother-in-law Sheri gave us the main part of this Willow Tree Nativity two Christmases ago, and then we got the rest from them last year. It fits perfectly on top of my entertainment armour and I love it! This one was a new addition this year and was also a gift from Ted and Sheri. I love the clean lines of the metal sitting on my old wooden chest.


By the end of December I'm always ready to pack up all the Christmas decorations and put them away, everything but my Nativities. Some year I just may be a rebel and leave them out a bit longer or, maybe even all year. I love that they remind me of what should be truly important during the rush of the holiday season and really each day of the year.

{Santa Came Early}

Yep, that's right....Santa came early for Derrick!

Derrick has been looking for a good used snowmobile for awhile. We really didn't want to put too much money into one since winter is short and some years there just isn't all that much snow here. His Dad got this in awhile ago on consignment and we've been going back and forth trying to decide if we should buy it or not. With all the snow over the weekend, there was no way we couldn't try it out....and I'm thinking there's no way it's going back now either! The kids all loved it, especially Brock. He and Derrick headed up the road (way faster than I'm ok with, really, when I went with him, we hit 80 or so?!?! I'm better off just not knowing), when they stopped the conversation went like this....

Brock~ "That was really fast, Dad!"

Derrick~ "Did you like it?"

Brock~ "Yea, it was AWESOME!" "Dad?"

Derrick~ "Yea, Bud?"

Brock~ "This is the very best Christmas present EVER!"

Yea, I think we're keepin' it!

{O Kidney Stone, O Kidney Stone}

O Kidney Stone, O Kidney Stone
I really, truly hate you
You caused me pain, and that's not nice!
You gave me grief and sleepless nights.
O Kidney Stone, O kidney Stone
Please go and don't return!

So, have you guessed that I have a kidney stone? Yep, I do, and I'm not a bit happy about it. Wed. afternoon my right kidney started hurting, by evening it was really hurting. Around nine I started vomiting. From eleven to one, I was throwing-up every five to ten minutes. I couldn't take it anymore so off to the ER we went. Those of you who know me well, you know that if I'm going to the hospital something is really wrong....I'm not a big hospital/Dr. kind of gal. I was much happier after some phenergan and morphine...yea, for drugs! I had a CT scan and sure enough there was a kidney stone working it's way down, not just any little kidney stone, the radiologist said it's 7mm, for a stone that's big. They also saw 2 or 3 more in my kidney, so most likely, I'll be doing this again sometime. Finally sometime yesterday morning it dropped into my bladder, and that's when it stops hurting. I spent the night and most of yesterday at the hospital. I owe Lisa big for coming in the middle of the night and staying with my kids and then keeping them all day yesterday. My mom brought us dinner and it tasted much better than hospital food! Now I just wait for it finish passing and hopefully quit feeling so super tired?

{Happy Birthday Lisa!}

Today it's one of my very best friends birthday, she also happens to be my sister.... Happy Birthday Lis! In honor of her 31st birthday, here are 31 things you may or may not know about Lisa.

• Lisa and some of her friends are planning on running the Wasatch Back this coming summer. The Wasatch Back is a 178 mile relay from Logan to Park City that you run with 12 other people. Seriously Lis, don't you know you only should run when something is chasing you?
• I look forward to our daily Coke run sometime between 10 and 12 every day! (we do stop at the post office and get the mail too)
• Lisa is a candy FIEND! She loves anything sweet and lives on Mt. Dew. I really honestly don't understand how she stays so skinny?
  


• Lis has always been my biggest cheerleader, no matter what it is that I'm doing she's always there to encourage me and push me along.
• Lisa is SUPER talented and does well at anything she decides to do, be it wedding cakes or painting or scrap booking.
• When we were young we used to try and stay up all night Christmas Eve. We did our hair and make-up so we'd look good in our pictures, but we always ended up falling asleep and ruined all our hard work!
  


• Lisa always has stinkin' cute hair!
• Aunt Lis loves my kids like they are her own and they truly love her!
• Lisa is a great sports mom/wife. She loves to watch the many sports her kids participate in and her husband coaches.

• Lisa has a strong testimony and has always been a good example to me.
• Lis is a hard worker. She has always loved to work outside and truly loves to mow the lawn or play in her flowers.
• Lisa was just recently released from Young Women's after over 9 years, she loved every minute of it and misses it, but is giving Primary her best shot.
  


• Lisa dropped a WHEELBARROW on her face when she was 10 or so.....How many people can say that? It was a prop she was using at dancing and it slipped and fell. (I think the picture above was from a line drive in softball, but the result was close to the same)
• Lis is a Daddy's girl. Whenever she wanted to do something and our parents said no, she would pull out her puppy dog eyes and bat her eyelashes and in her syrupy sugar sweet voice say "But, Daddy, please?"
  
• Lisa loves the water and got up on skis the very first time she tried, and has only not got up ONCE ever! In fact a few summers ago, she was skiing 2 months after having a baby and major surgery!
• Lis was Wonder Woman last year while her hubby was serving in Iraq. She had a great attitude and did whatever needed done. It was a long hard year for them, but they made it and are stronger because of it!

• Lisa is a great mom. She had super hard pregnancies and we almost lost her when she had Tylie. That was one of the scariest days of my life, I honestly don't know what I'd do without her!
• Lisa is a great friend to everyone. If you are one of her friends, you know what I mean!
• Lis is a night owl and is usually up until at least one, and often two or three?

• Lis is the BOW LADY! She makes the cutest hair bows and thanks to her Carlie always has a bow to match anything.
• Lisa electrocuted herself when she was 3 by trying to unplug a humidifier with her teeth.
• Lis is one HOT MAMA!


• Lisa is a great cook and has recently become the canning queen!
• Lisa makes me want to be a better person!
• I don't think that she ever told our parents that I was the one that took her to get her belly button pierced when she was 17. I felt really bad when it got super infected.


• Lis is silly with me! We sometimes laugh so hard at almost anything....once you get us going, watch out! (I have no idea what we were trying to do in that picture, just being silly I guess?)
• I have my own personal day care, day or night.....Lisa! (she does get me back on that one)
• Lis looked super "Pretty in Pink" on her date to Senior Ball with FF, hehe :
• For the next 6 months we are only a year apart in age. For those of you who don't know, who do you guess is older?
• Lisa took me on a cruise to Bermuda last year, just the two of us! We had the best time and I'll owe her forever for that one!
• Lisa is truly my best friend, and I don't know what I'd do without her! Happy Birthday, I love ya!

{Date Night & Family Night}

Tonight was Derrick's faculty Christmas party. Can I just tell you how odd it is to go to a faculty party at the middle school you went to and sit with all your old teachers, not to mention your parents? I just always feel a bit out of place. When Derrick talks about the other teachers and says Phil, or Ralph, or Vickie, or Stuart, it's all I can do to not just say, NO, NO it's Mr. Blad, Mr. Myers, Mrs. Carling and Mr. Bailey. I just can't make myself be on a first name basis with them, it's weird to me! It was nice to get out and spend a little time with Derrick. We really need to have a date night more often, but preferably minus my middle school teachers.

There was no room for Jesus in the inn, is there room in your heart?

From there, we went and picked up the kids, met the rest of my family and got all bundled up for family night. A family in our area put on a live walking nativity program. If you ever have the chance to do something like this, you really should. It really helped me to focus on the true meaning of Christmas and was the perfect way to begin the season. As we walked to the different stops, the guide asked some questions and Kaleb had all the answers. At each stop Carlie kept saying in her loud voice (with her it's loud, and louder) "Where the baby?" As we got to the stable with Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus, Joseph said, "There was no room for Jesus in the inn, is there room in your heart?" Kaleb didn't hesitate for a second before he said "YES!" I hope our family can keep the sweet spirit we felt tonight with us for the rest of the season and remember the things that are truly important in our lives.

{Food + Family + Presents + Talents = FUN}

Today was the annual Beckstrand Family Christmas Party. It's always fun to get together, but it's usually chaotic too! We started out with yummy Hawaiian haystacks. I lucked out with a super easy food assignment.....rice, measure water and rice in the rice cooker and push the button, could it get any better than that? Next we moved on to the talent portion of the party, we don't do this every year and I have to say I'm thankful we don't, though it was fun!

I'm sure every loved the version of the 8 days of Christmas that Mom threw together for us!
Uncle Kerry's family really got into it with hats and Kazoo's!
Uncle Hal's family accompanied by his "dancing hat"!
Uncle Don was brave and sang us a solo, accompanied by Aunt Marlene!
Uncle Rich's family contribution was by Jamie and Cami.

Grandma told a story. Somehow I missed getting a picture of Garrison playing the piano and representing Uncle Jay's family.

Grandpa talked to us as the Patriarch of the family....What a great man!

I loved this picture of Bryson "helping" Sky play the piano....So Cute!

Of course next was presents. All the cousins (and second cousins) under 18 draw names. The kids came home with fun gifts and have been entertained all evening, sweet for me! one of my kids had Miss Kelsey who will be turning 16 soon. I asked her a few weeks ago what she wanted and she said a car. Derrick wanted to have his cousin tow a junker car over for her, but I knew Kels to well, and knew she wouldn't give it up if we did, so she had to make do with a sweet matchbox car! The only thing that would have made the day better would have been Derrick getting off work early enough to join us :(

Kels opening her car~ Only Kelsey would get that excited over a matchbox car?!?
And a quick pose with the car and her stylin' hat!

Don't I have pretty cute kiddo's?
And one last picture of my cute niece Addison with her darling glasses!

***Edited to Add*** How could I forget? As fun as the party was, the company we had stay at our house was even better! My cousin Brian and his family crashed at our house Friday night. I love it when Mary Ann is around, she always cracks me up and our kids play really well together. I wish they were closer and we could hang out more!

Brian and Mary Ann ROCKIN' the Kazoo's! Come stay anytime guys :)