Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Christmas week ...reader's digest version

Getting ready for the new year...it's getting closer...

now that Christmas is over I have a couple minutes to recap.

The reader's digest version of the last couple weeks.



The Saturday before Christmas was the kid's piano recital.

All 3 of them did wonderful! We were so proud!

Taylor was the finale but Jacob was right before him ahead of other students older than him. 

(they are always excited to see where they are in the line up depending on how advanced their song is)


I always hear them practicing but it always amazes me to sit there and watch their hands fly across those keys, it always amazes me!!




That night we celebrated Steve's 50th birthday 

Our contribution was lots of homemade waffle cones...



Tahna had food for us and our favorite was the funny memories and stories of Steve over the last ...50 years.... including a bad perm...



a stint in a homemade band...and lots of other funnies...

on the way home we got Jeff to tell the kids some of his own stories...



Tell us more....





Once the kids were out of school and I finally had an oven I thought I'd better get going on my Christmas baking. 

I busted out tons of cookies thanks to our Christmas cookie dough exchange.... with our dough exchange we are supposed to bring 24 cookies for each person

...funny to see different people's version of the size of a cookie...


Got all our plates delivered.... and even got some people who gave back to us...

(we're just now trying to help clear out the last of the Christmas goodies)





This week we also sold all of the chinchillas...they all have homes just in time for Christmas....

I think Chimi is wondering where her babies are because she keeps flipping over the box where they used to sleep.



What a good chinchilla owner.

Since Taylor doesn't have a job yet the sales of the chinchillas minus tithing and food money is his to keep since he does 90% of the work. He liked that. 




All week the kids have had colds...for the first 3 days of the break Taylor just wanted to lay around....blowing his nose results in his yearly nose bleeds. 

One day he had 8 of them and now all our trash cans look like this....




Wednesday night we got to go to a Hanukkah Party at the Trupp's house.

We had a traditional breakfast including latkas, eggs and such and then heard a story about Hanukkah, sang some songs and each family got to light their own menorah and then eat goodies.  

It was fascinating and fun to learn about our friend's religion more. 





The night before Christmas Eve we made it down to the Mission Inn to see the lights.



We've missed the last couple of years so it was nice to go back. The crowds were thick so we were happy just walking around the outside of the Mission Inn. It was fun and got us in a nice festive spirit. 



The kids got these light up finger toys...and also played around with the other light up toys...




We had fresh donuts and hot chocolate on the back side of the Mission Inn.

The donuts were absolutely yummy....and we laughed at how these guys looked pretty freaky from our view. 





On Christmas Eve day we went and saw Sherlock Holmes with a couple of cousins...great movie,

got some goodies dropped off from the neighbors and that night

we had our yearly Christmas family home evening and

the kids got to open their new pair of pajamas. 





The next morning we got up by 6:15 to do a quickie Christmas because we had 9:00 church to get to.




Stockings first!! 




Maddie was nosing through the stockings wondering where hers was....luckily we didn't forget her.




It was on her list....




Skates...hopefully he won't outgrow these for a while.





Beef  Jerkey...there was also the i-pod he wanted in there. 

(He ended up eating a large bag in 2 days! Crazy kid)




The kids were happy...we ended up having a few more presents left that we held off opening until after church. 




The presents that the kids bought for each other were favorites!  Love you brother!! 




Taylor did a gag gift and pretended like he gave Jacob the movie that he hated and hid in the bathroom for the whole time. (we actually just rented it)



Happy Day!




Church was a program of music and readings. I loved it!


That night we went to Steve and Tahna's to celebrate as a family. 




We ate together and sang songs...including these three singing together with no warning... :)  they did great.

We also went around and shared stories of giving and serving during the Christmas season. I loved it!





Then each family took a turn opening their presents. I loved that when Cayden was opening his present...




Grandpa was right their making sure the wrapping paper never hit the ground...hee hee hee.



Beaulieu's got a Wii...and we all got lots of fun surprises...




I have to say that Steve and Tahna got the biggest surprise of all...from their daughter and son-in-law.

I think surprises are the funnest part of Christmas ;)


We got a couple of games in before we went too. 



Jeff's surprise to me this year was a Kitchenaide mixer!  I wasn't even asking for it but I was so happy that he thought to give it to me. 

I used it on Tuesday because Jacob insisted that I made donuts with our new donut maker. 



So I made them...



He ate a couple...I ate a couple....the dog ate one off Ashley's plate and that was it. 

I have this many donuts left...



a mess on the counter...and more stuff for me to eat that I really shouldn't.  :)





The last highlight of the Holiday week was seeing Wicked with all of Jeff's office staff, Steve and Tahna their friend and his kids out from Nebraska. 

20 of us all met to watch Wicked at the Pantagas theater. It was great the only bad thing is they don't let you take pictures...





Here's a picture of us at dinner before with some of Jeff's agents. 

TGIF and 2 for $20.00 meals...our favorite :)






And speaking of Wizard of Oz....


I had to come up with a munchin costume earlier that day. 

We got an e-mail the day before for a casting call for a dwarf that is needed for a super bowl commercial. Jeff met the criteria...so we thought "why not?"

Then we found out he needed a munchin costume. 

Well I went to 5 stores to try and pull something together...though it looks pretty much like an elf costume as well. 


He would not let me take a picture with him in it...this is as much as your getting ;)





He said the audition went fair....

we haven't heard anything yet. He said they asked him to do a lot of facial expressions and act like a munchin and stuff...he came right from work and wan't in the mood, and hadn't practiced it but hey he gave it a try. 



I asked him how the costume worked out. 

He said good except he wished I had done something with the fly of the shorts. 

I completely forgot that the shorts were actually boxer shorts and I hadn't thought to sew up the fly so they kept popping open when he sat down!! How embarrassing!

Sorry honey!!!


I guess we have a story for you for your 50th birthday party. 

1 comment:

Costa Rica Baby! said...

Great recap Christine!!! Can't wait to talk to you about Wicked! I'm hoping to go in MArch when its here.