Christmas

I'm at my parents' house and am not sure how to upload my pictures to this computer, so I won't even try.  Besides, I've only taken about 10.  That's not very good seeing how we're starting our second week here in Arizona.  

I've been a little self-absorbed...coughing up my lungs, a nose running like mad, and a throat that I just want to rip out completely.  This is my longest sickness in my entire thirty-year life.  Today is finally better.  I almost sound like myself.  I can swallow and not feel it in my ears, so I think that's good news.

In spite of me feeling sorry for myself, we've had a wonderful time.  My entire family was here.  That would be ten kids, ten spouses, eighteen grandkids, and two parents.  If you were counting, that's forty people in my immediate family.  You can only imagine how family pictures went last week.  I'll be shocked if they find even one picture with everyone looking at the camera.  Christmas Eve was like a scene from Home Alone.  Everyone running around like crazy - sounds like screaming even though no one really is.  It was fun.  We just videotape and smile.  Gavin is still so little that we don't have to worry about him running around.  He found the quietest spot to sleep...in my parents' closet.  

Brian and I were quarantined at the beginning of our stay because of our cooties.  We stayed at my grandpa's house--he passed away last month.  It was fun to have a space to ourselves and to look around his house for all of the old things I remember.  And for anyone who can appreciate Arizona things, we've eaten at Matta's twice, Bahama Bucks, and Pei Wei.  Yum.  I've had a fun time shopping and am actually finding many cute things.  I'm doing my own What Not to Wear with myself and really trying to step it up a bit.  Thanks to my sisters for stepping in and helping me try to be hip and fashionable.  I know that's a hard job when you're dealing with pajama girl here.  However, if you can still get me on the show, I'll pull out some doozy teacher outfits for the two weeks of secret footage (repulsive!) and give you a prize of your very own.  

I've never played Rock Band but that was also a highlight of the trip.  Put the kids to bed and watch the adults go...it was hysterical.  I even busted out a deep-throated version of You Oughta Know.  Brian sang American Woman and worried that my family may judge him on his less-than-stellar guitar performance.  He felt so much pressure!  :)  I need to find someone with pictures of that.  (Family - can you help?)  I just love my fam and am grateful to have a minute to visit and catch up.  Being the only one in Utah, sometimes I feel out of the loop but then remember that other people aren't in the loop either (California, Texas, New York).  But still...

Brian had my dad touch up his Lasik in his left eye and will spend the rest of the time laying low.  I'll just take care of the two sweet boys I made sick, hang out with Gavin and visit with my sisters.  

Hope you have all had a fun holiday.  I feel lucky - I know not everyone gets the long break from work that I do.  Happy New Year's!  Maybe this year I'll stay awake until midnight!  

Little Cougar

The Big 3-0

That's right, I've finally arrived.  I know thirty isn't old, it just sounds...serious.  Last Wednesday was the big day and Brian had a lot of fun with it.  Whether it was me or not, he felt a little pressure to make it memorable for me.  He did a great job, and I'm sure he's glad it's over and went well.  

First I woke up to him making me breakfast.  Always cute since I am ALWAYS up before he is.  Thanks for the pancakes!  Mmmm..blueberry!  

As I got ready to leave for work, I found a wrapped gift on my carseat.  It was the sports bra that I've always wanted (seriously) and it directed me to look in the glovebox after I dropped Gavin off at the babysitter.  Once I dropped him off, the note led me to the place where he proposed (the little shed in the back of our old house) and on the nightstand there was a note from his dad.  I went into my first school and opened my computer to show someone a picture of my little boy and note from my mom fell out.  Too cute.  I opened up my planbook at my next school and, low and behold, another note!  This one from his mom.  Now you can see that I'm catching on.  I met Barbara and Michelle for lunch and they had a gift for me that Brian had given to them earlier - some frames that I had been wanting for Gavin's room.  As I was leaving Bajio, I called Brian to say thank you for everything (so far!) and he asked where I was headed next.  I told him I was going to be late to my next school and he reminded me, as he often does, not to get pulled over.  This is where things didn't go quite as he planned, but cute nonetheless.  He called me a few minutes later to see where I was and made up something else and hung up.  So I started looking around for him or someone because he had been a little too curious to see where I was.  I pulled into the school, still looking around, and found nothing.  I parked the car and then a cop pulled up behind me with his lights on.  Nice.  Illegal, I know, so we won't say anything about how he worked that out.  He gave me another note.  Then the secretaries from work called me and said that my boss needed to see me at the district office.  I, of course, did not believe this one bit.  What next?  I walked in and he had roses and daisies for me and yet another sweet note.  I called Brian to say thanks again.  We talked a lot that day.  He told me when I got home to look in the mailbox.  There was a note from my sister, Lynsey.  All very sweet notes that I will always hang on to.  Also, there was a riddle sending me to the Bit-o-Honey bin at Macey's.  Random!  I was digging through there, calling him in my frustration (he knows how I HATE riddles...just tell me the answer already!)  The note in the bin essentially said, "Good work, you did it!"  That's it???  Darn.  I was pulling out of the Macey's parking lot and there he was knocking on the driver's window.  He simply said hello and then when I asked him if I should do or look anywhere else, he told me to look under a cushion.  That's where the note from my dad was.  

As I'm writing this, I'm realizing that I would tell my 5th graders to never write this kind of travel long...and then...and then...and then...but, it's a long story.  

We went to Goodwood Barbeque for dinner and it was fun and personal and yummy food and free dessert!  The best kind!  

The last note was Brian's note on my nightstand.  The ending to the perfect day.  He is such a sweetheart.  Seriously.  He is so creative and fun and sneaky and I worry about living up to any fun things he does.  It was more fun than any huge blown-out birthday I've ever had.  I should start planning now for his 30th...I've got a year-and-a-half to think about it!  Any ideas??  

Baby Einstein

How do we feel about parking little babies in front of Baby Einstein?  I mean really, is he getting smarter?  Just being entertained?  Or giving me a break from holding his 20 pounds? Please tell me if I'm going to ruin my kid.  Otherwise, I'm just going to make him comfortable.  

Thanksgiving

Sometimes I am just downright proud of myself.  There's something about making PIE that makes you feel like a great cook.  Mother (my grandma) taught me how to make crust and after years and years, I think I am finally getting it.  I admit I've said some bad words over this crust...not this week though!

This is my mom's filling recipe.  Hershey bars...marshmallows...and heavy whipping cream.  In other words, it's fat free.  
The final product!
We've had a restful weekend cleaning, decorating, shopping, and sitting.  It's been nice to have a moment.  
Gavin tried my pie on Thanksgiving and ended up with this double chin.  
Here we go December!

Happenings

Brian and I went to the Carrie Underwood concert on Wednesday and had a great time.  The pictures are always dark...  She is an amazing performer - sounds very good live.  

Then on Thursday at 7:00pm I got in with a VIP crowd (Thanks Melanie!) to see Twilight.  We all wore black or red or white.  I had my camera all ready to take pictures of the event only to be told I had to run back to my car because of security.  It was fun to see and even more fun to sit by my buddy Holly.  Thanks for a fun night!  In my next life I do hope to be as fun as Melanie Brower - a woman who makes her own fun and makes everything great.  Thanks for your inspiration.  I can only hope....

Today is our last day of work before the break.  We are going to finish hanging lights.  Our goal is to be the neighborhood Griswold's.  We have some serious trees that need decoration.  We finally are about done picking up the leaves from our 60 trees.  I love the trees in the spring/summer...fall, not so much, just for this reason.  

And today we're paying off the car.  Yeah!  Both cars paid off!  Life is good...

Love My Mom !!

Enjoying AZ Weather

5 Months Old !!

Arizona trip

Gavin and I recently headed to AZ for my grandpa's funeral. I was happy to be there with all ten of my siblings and some of their spouses. The funeral was wonderful and a great celebration of my grandpa's 90 years. I dare say it was the most pleasant funeral I've ever been to.

Gavin is a superstar on the plane and makes us all sorts of random friends at airports. Besides him getting off his sleeping schedule for a day or two, he really is quite easy to travel with. Good thing...we're headed to St. George this weekend.

Seven of the nephews...and yes, there are more!

Annie and Lynsey - The last two of the recently five pregnant sisters

Aunt Karyn and the sink bath (a nice transition tub)

Aunt Annie - always good at making Gavin smile

Grandma and Grandpa Woolf

Gavin and Uncle Matt

Gavin and Cousin Carson


As always, it's good to come home. There is just nothing like it.

I walked in to a vase of flowers and new lights above the sink. We've been wanting to do it forever... Sweet Brian surprised me. How cute is that?

Heart this face!

Happy Hallowiener

That's what we do at our house now. Don't think we weren't in the running for coolest house on the block, because we just may have been. Brian has been serving hot dogs at work on Halloween for the past few years. This year, we parked the grill on our driveway and offered candy OR a hot dog. And if you were really cute, you could have both. We passed out 60 hot dogs and I'm already worried to see how many I'll end up buying next year.

Brian said next year the sign needs to be MUCH bigger. Here's the farmer family in all our glory.



Gavin was the cutest duck on the planet. He got sick of his costume after about eight minutes, so we had to put it on three different times during the day. I took him to see dad at work and he was a hit at my work lunch party. It's hard not to be when you're that cute...


My bosom buddy Karen and her teddy bear, Elsa


This double chin falling out of the hat kills me.


And this is pretty much what he thought about the day - but we had a great time. I've never been a Halloween person, but dressing up a baby made it much more enjoyable for me. It turns out it's a lot less chaotic than the 5th grade kind.

Bottle Baby

I started nursing Gavin this summer not knowing how that would all pan out when I went back to work. My realistic goal for myself was to get to six months. I'm about six weeks short, but this week I finally had to give up entirely. It's been a month coming, but with work, a boy who eats a lot and wants it FASTER than I can get it to him, I just couldn't keep up. He has realized that bottles are much simpler - so I was easy to replace. I was sad at first - it was quite a pleasant experience for me and I'll miss that close time with him. However, this week I had a great time putting away all of my nursing stuff. I just feel like a regular girl now.



In other news, Gavin finally went to his four month appointment (just 20 days late...) He weighed in at 18 lbs. 5 ozs. and was 26 inches long. There are few people that walk by us without making a "big baby" comment. No offense taken here - we LOVE the chub! That puts him in the 90% for weight and 75% for height.

That's my boy...grow, baby, grow!

Haircut

I don't know when most kids get their first haircuts, but this kid needed one. It was getting so long the front piece would flop in his face. My friend Michelle cut it for him when she was doing my hair. He did pretty well - just wondering who in the heck was grabbing his head. No, I didn't save any of the precious locks. Mine are in an envelope that I recently found and I'm not sure what to do with it. I guess just...have it.

Before



After (Seen here with his girlfriend/future wife, Elsa)

Four Months

A Brand Name

I am not usually a brand name kindof person. Western Family is my middle name! However, there are a few grocery items that you just DON'T go cheap on: KRAFT macaroni, CHARMIN tp and there is one more that Brian and I don't skimp on that I can't think of. Anyway, I have jumped on the Baby Einstein train. Not that Fisher Price or whatever else aren't great, but there's just something about Einstein that makes you feel smart. Who knows, it may or may not be true, but I'm going with it. And if it's not the smartest toy, at least this kid is having fun. I'm thinking the makers of Baby Einstein are billionaires.


Have you seen a face this happy lately?

Sad Day

Our favorite neighbors moved away this weekend. Most of you don't know them, but i need to express my sadness for myself. The Nelson's have been great friends with us since we moved in. We really bonded last summer when we ended up running into each other and hanging out all day at Disneyland. They have four darling children and they are one of those couples where the husbands and wives really get along with each other. I don't have a picture of them all - this is sweet Kate on her baptism day last week. We felt special to be invited. I miss walking and chatting with Karen and being able to walk down and chat or vent whenever needed. Surely they will be our family friends forever, but it's just not the same when you move. The ending of those kinds of eras are hard for me...

Buttermilk

Yep, that's what I make. I knew I had a big baby, but JUST YESTERDAY I looked at Gavin's legs and thought "Oh. My. Gosh!!" Don't get me wrong people, I absolutely adore these chubby legs. Big is beautiful, baby! But man, are they rolly! Good thing we love baths around our house! Gotta get in those creases!