It's just like Santa's workshop! Except it smells like mushrooms... and everyone looks like they wanna hurt me...

Tonight was our ward Christmas Party. We ate food and sang carols and visited with Santa. It was fun. Enjoy the pictures!

Cameron enjoyed being chased around by us all night. Isn't that what church parties are for, chasing children around?

Aileen LaBret and Sharon Black

Spencer with the Primary children

Calvin with Santa. I think maybe Pres. Brebberman needs to grow a beard. He's played Santa for as long as I can remember. It's time for him to look the part!

Spencer with Santa

Happy Birthday DocBishPres Medley!!

Cameron not a fan of Santa.

What's happenin', Hot Stuff?

Today is my birthday. Happy birthday to me! It's hard to believe that I'm 33. Most of the time, I still feel like I am 15. Some of my favorite birthdays from years past:

1981: 7th birthday My mom had a party for my girlfriends from school. We made a Christmas ornament and homemade pizza. I got my first Monopoly game and played it nonstop for the next 13 years.

1990: 16th birthday My mom had died earlier this year and so many of my aunts came to my house, made me yummy food and gave me the best, softest comforter for my bed. I still have it and coincidentally, it is Chris' favorite blanket to snuggle with.

1992: 18th birthday My friends threw me the greatest surprise birthday party. We had the best food and watched "16 Candles" all night long. My dad gave me a letter my mom had written to me before she died to be opened on my 18th birthday. Possibly the best birthday I have ever had.

2000: 26th birthday Al Gore stepped down in his fight for the presidency making George W the winner. A great present! I had playgroup at my house with my friends and we ate yummy food. Chris got me a really great "Law and Order" cake.

I have a hard time on my birthday because, for some reason, the loss of my mom is magnified 1000 times. I don't know if it is because she gave birth to me or if it is because she would make the day so special or why I miss her so much on this day. I think it is because I selfishly wish for that one person who loves you more than anyone else and gives you all of her attention. I want to be spoiled by her for one day and it always hits me hard on my birthday.

I didn't mean for this to be a sad post. I meant for it to be happy because birthdays are happy days. My poor family tries so hard to make this day bright and wonderful for me. I love them so much and I wish that I could bottle up this loss that I feel and just be happy today. Emily is making me dinner tonight and we are going to put up the Christmas tree. I am very excited.

Thankful Thursday 12/13/2007

1. Birthdays

2. Book Discussion Groups

3. This month's First Presidency Message in the Ensign

4. Repentance

5. Take and Toss sippy cups

"If I woke up tomorrow with my head sewn to the carpet, I wouldn't be more surprised than I am now"

Just a few things I've been thinking about...

I don't have our Christmas decorations up yet. What kind of a person am I? Today, I went to the library and drove down the most beautifully decorated street. Each house had a tree inside lit up. Most had lights outside. It was picture perfect. I don't like to decorate early. I'm sorry. I like to do it on my birthday, which is Thursday. Sometimes it makes me feel like a freak for not having it done before the crack of dawn on the Friday after Thanksgiving. Oh well...I'll get there.

On a more positive note, I have done 90% of our Christmas shopping. I know this is going to sound astonishing, but we are giving everyone on our list the exact same thing. Everyone on the list from Chris' brother to his mom to our nieces and nephew will all love what they get. How is to possible that all genders and all ages will love the same thing, you ask? I'm not telling 'cause one of them might read this and then the surprise will be spoiled. I'll tell on December 26.

Would everyone please go and rent "Christmas Vacation" and watch it? I quoted it in my Sunday school class this week and they all looked at me like I was an alien. (It fit with the lesson, I promise!) I said, "Christmas Vacation, you know, with Chevy Chase?" They had no clue about the movie or even who he was. Made me feel a million years old. I came home and IMDBed it and, duh, it came out before they were BORN! I felt even older. Anyway, it's a great movie for laughing and Christmas. Go get it.

Spencer had Anna bring Baby Lucy for his show and tell yesterday. It was very sweet.

I love being a visiting teacher and having visiting teachers. This was the greatest idea ever.

Weekly Top Five 12/10/2007

Top Five Favorite Christmas Carols

1. The entire Roger Whittaker Christmas Album. It was my Mom and Dad's favorite Christmas music and whenever I hear it, I immediately feel like I am home and they are with me.

2. "I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas" by Gayla Peevey

3. "O Holy Night" by Josh Groban

4. "Do They Know It's Christmas" by Band Aid

5. "Are My Ears On Straight?" by Gayla Peevey

That's what the French call "a bidet."

One of my favorite times of the day is around 9:30 at night. I usually have very busy days with not much lounging around time. However, around 9:30 the kids are finally in bed. I let Nala out for the last time, get Chris his glass of water and set the security alarm. As I make my way upstairs, the prospect of lying in bed with the Tivo remote in my hand is thrilling. I love watching television. I love new shows, old shows, reality TV, crime-dramas, comedies, dramas, dramadies...I love them all. I love laying under my covers with the Tivo remote and a whole list of programs that are waiting to be viewed. The Tivo remote is so sleek in it's design. The curve of the remote fits perfectly in the palm of my hand. I love it.

Last Friday night, I was looking forward to my nightly ritual. I had had an unusually stressful day. The kids seemed louder that normal. The house seemed messier than normal. I was ready for bed and some TV. I made my way to the bedroom and didn't see the remote in its usual spot beside my bed. This is not wholly out of the norm; the kids sometimes watch TV in our room and place the remote in an unusual spot. I searched under the bed, in the nightstands, under the La-Z-Boy, in the cracks of the La-Z-Boy, under the dressers, on the desk and on top of the TV. No remote. So I start to ask, a little loudly, for some assistance in finding my remote. The kids come up and look but it's no where to be found.

I am frustrated and sad and head to the bathroom. What do you think I find when I open the lid to the toilet? Yep, my remote. My remote and someone's poop floating together in the bowl. I haven't been so upset in a long time. There are two issues here: 1. Who didn't flush? and 2. Who put the remote in the toilet? The answer to #2(ha) is clear. Cameron is the only child who would put something in the toilet that doesn't belong there. I couldn't get mad at him for that. However, the non-flusher, that's definitely a bigger kid who knows how to flush. We all had a little summit about the importance of flushing and all was ok.

Except my remote. There was no way to remedy the situation. It was thrown away. I couldn't keep it. Luckily, I have a couple of back-up remotes just in case. I took one out and it worked great. So my night wasn't completely ruined. I put my head on my pillow and was able to spend an hour of vegetative bliss.

Thankful Thursday 12/6/2007

1. Mammoth Crocs birthday present from Jodi. Love them!!!!!

2. Roger Whittaker Christmas Album

3. Digital Cameras

4. Restaurants that give free desserts to the kids

5. Project Runway