Penance

When your husband works on his day's off and until 10:00 every night you get these:

I would rather have Tom but these are quite pretty too.

Camel Back

Hey! I did something physical and outdoorsy and that involved exercise and exertion. It's a miracle!

A friend in my ward organized an informal hiking trip to a fairly local mountain-Camelback. Her husband said we couldn't do it....so we had to do it. It WAS steep. Oh man, and it wasn't a trail, it was just rocks 98% of the time. But the view was breathtaking.

And here's some almost proof-it's not the top but that picture is just t0o crappy of me. It was lots of fun! I only felt a little like vomiting on the way home :)

Samantha: She's a Material Girl

So I have a funny story about Samantha that's too long for her sidebar section. Just days after posting about how she wasn't too whiny or "gimme gimme" about Christmas the following happens:

We are coming home from CA and she has out an insert from the Barbie movie we own. She presents it to me and says that she wants all of them. I explain (pretty well I think) about how we can't have all of those things and I'd consider getting her one as a birthday present. So then-because she's a quick thinker-starts to cut them out. Why? "So you can get me these three, Mona Lynn can get me this one, Emma can get me this one, Grandma Marti can take these 2, etc. etc."

She assigned out every single movie. She's a problem solver that one.

Ringing in the New Year at the Tidepools

We spent New Years in California. I went back and forth about whether I was going or not. I had originally planned on going before Christmas but that turned out to be bad for my parents because of Olivia's school schedule. So then we worked it out so that I would drive up afterwards. Erin even delayed her flight so she could stay and party some more-so that was fun!

We didn't do a ton, but that was okay because the kids just love having someone to play with. My mom got a new trampoline mat so the kids could actually jump on the trampoline for the first time ever. That was the HIT of the trip. I'm so dumb-I only took pictures with my mom's camera so I don't even have pictures of them on it but they did love it. And if you're wondering if I can still do a flip-I still can.

Here's what we did take pictures of:

Yeah, that's pretty much it for general pictures.

But on New Years Eve we had my aunt and uncle were in town and we had a mini-party. We played Imagine Iff and the dictionary game (homespun Balderdash). In the history of my life I have NEVER EVER had anyone choose my definition in this game so I digress into ridiculous definitions meant only for laughs/ridicule. I think I achieved my goal. Plus, I started ripping up all the paper when I didn't win and throwing it my sisters (because I'm just that mature). So that is what this picture is all about-and celebrating a Happy New Year of course.

And on New Years Day we did something kind of cool. We went to Palos Verdes and saw the tide pools. It was beautiful and really cool. There was a really steep trail down to the water and then it was kind of dicey because there was no trail but we managed. The kids loved seeing the "animals". We saw starfish, sea anemone's, sea cucumbers, and crabs. It was great, it was gorgeous, and it was free!

I'm king of the rock

2009: For your viewing pleasure

Do you want to know what I consider the highlights of 2009-then view below. It's only 63 pictures-you have time :).

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Our Very Merry Christmas

We did have a great Christmas and enjoyed ourselves a lot. I was nervous about being on our own and a tad bit lonely leading up to it but I actually thought it was great! It was relaxed and peaceful. It was wonderful to be with my little family.

We kicked off the festivities on Christmas Eve with making a homemade (be impressed) gingerbread house. We won't be winning any decorating contests anytime soon but the kids sure loved it. They stuck candy on occasionally while alternatively shoving candy in their mouths as fast as they could. Christmas fun!

(Candy corn? Raisenettes? Tom let the kids pick the candy)

Then we read the Nativity story in Luke 2 while the kids acted out the parts. Sweet Samantha took in seriously. Tommy was way more concerned that we didn't put the blanket on his head because it was "ouchy" I was a shepherd and Tom was a Wise Man but you won't be seeing pictures of that.

Mary and Joseph

Our Christmas Angel.

And then we got the traditional Christmas PJ's. Thanks to Grandma Marti for supplying them this year. Yay for the Disney Store! :)

And then Christmas morning!! I am so sad I forgot to take a picture of the unwrapped room on Christmas Eve. I really meant to, nothing says "anticipation" quite like that. I guess next year. It was very merry and we enjoyed ourselves...AND I had to get up at like 5:00 which I haven't had to do since I was the one waking up that early. But it's Christmas so I sucked it up and did it.

Samantha was waaaaaay into it this year (but thankfully not bratty or whiny because we had lots of discussions about gifts and gratitude and all that). Her favorite gift was her Princess clock from Santa. Quick funny story about her: While being into Christmas gifts she certainly didn't get the "gimme's" Since July she's asked for one thing and one thing only, a Princess clock with two hands and the faces of Princesses on it. Good thing Santa came through...phew!

Tommy is at that age that I love! One winning gift and that's all they want to play with, I think it's darling. Santa gave him a train set and he could hardly be called away to open more presents. I love it!

Eliza's favorite gift was either Tommy's Brown Bear, Brown Bear book and/or not being asked to open presents. She got so that she would arch her back and throw herself down when asked to open a present. I kind of like that age too, it's so funny. Plus I got to open all of the presents I wrapped for her plus grandparents presents-fun!

Okay...and the grand finale of both my post and the morning. Tom is so cute-he handed me two gifts and said open present "A" first and then proceed to present "B". So I opened the book "dSLR cameras for Dummies" and then TA-DAH!

Ohhh, I've been having fun! (Nikon D3000 for my friends/cousins into photography). Now I just need to learn how to be fancy with it. Yay for better pictures!