Another fun day.....

First my family must thank La Tisha for teaching me how to make Tamales! They are time consuming, but they were a big hit! My kids even wanted me to pack them in their lunches the next day!

Between the 5 of us we made about 250 tamales in 4 different varietes! That was fun and we're all hoping the La Tisha will teach us some more next month!

I had to rush off as soon as we were done to help at Ashley's Christmas party for school.Just the usual games and treats and Chase was the life of the party! All the girls couldn't wait to hold him!

When the kids came home from school, they came bearing tiding of great joy ( for them ) and bad news for mom. Most moms think 2 wks off for Christmas break is plenty long. I try not to complain that my kids get 3. This year since their new school building isn't finished, they get FOUR. 4 weeks off in the winter when they are stuck indoors.

Please send me some ideas!!!!

Then after all the fun, last night Chase went in the big tub instead of the baby tub for the first time! It took us about 5 minutes to get him to look up for a picture he was so entraced by his hands in the water!

Wednesday the kids had their choir concerts at school. Besides Christmas songs, they sang all sorts of stuff! Evan sang a Hanukah song in Yiddish!

Austin and Ashley sang songs in Arabic, Italian and Armenian!

Chase was making silly growling noises for Austin's concert and Austin couldn't stopp giggling! Though he still managed to sing.

Why am I so behind this year? I do not have most of my Christmas shopping done! And less than 2 weeks to go! Yikes!

PJ Potluck!

Every week we get together with some friends for dinner at alternating houses. Each couple brings a full course meal and thus we end up with more food to choose from than Thanksgiving! Last week as we argued over who's house to have it at, everyone said they wanted it at their own house so they could wear their pj's. So I said wear your pj's over here! And instead of deciding on a theme for dinner as usual, we though it would be fun to do a potluck, and thus the PJ Potluck was born!
We played Dance Revolution for awhile. Not a good idea after over-eating!

Chase wanted to join the fun! We got him on video! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUeAh3PRJao

Long, but Good day....

Saturday started off with an 8 am meeting at our house. It was the first official committee meeting for Stage 11 community theater! It went really well. Theater just can not survive without a dedicated team of hard working volunteers! We're so excited to be a part of it!

Then we took our annual trip up to Pine Creek Pass to chop down a Christmas tree.

The kids were so sad when we left and complained the whole drive up that they wouldn't get to sled because there was no snow. But the mountains surprised us and there was just barely enough snow for some sledding! Chase even had his first time on a sled...

Then we built a fire, and had hot soup or hot dogs and hot chocolate!

All the cousins on Justin's side of the family were there.

And there had to be some snow ball fights! But I couldn't take pictures because I was holding Chase, but I did get Evan throwing one!

Here come the dads with the trees!

They were pretty tired on the way home!

It was Austin's year to put the star on the top!

Our mountain grown tree has character, and so does our ecclectic collection of sentimental orniments!


That evening we had our ward Christmas party.

Chase got to see Santa for the first time!

And Evan was just so sure that THIS was NOT the REAL Santa!

After a nice dinner and a few songs it was time to go home and GO TO BED!!! I think I was asleep before 9:30!

This was the primary kids singing their Christams song!

Bloggerism

So in honor of National Blogger month last month Heather declared that we should all try to post every day. I knew that I would fail so I made no such claim. Instead I made up a blogger conquest of my own. Get my loved ones to start a blog! Though I was unable to sway my sister (she firmly believes no one would want to read - but she is undoubtedly wrong) I was able to convert my brother and a dear friend to Bloggerism! Introducing:

Mark's Kitfox Adventures
www.markwiththefox.blogspot.com

and
Belinda's life
www.amesburygirl.blogspot.com

Welcome to the world of Blogs!

Ashley flies too!

Ashley took her first flight the day after Thanksgiving. They took off just as the sun was setting so she got to enjoy the sights of soaring above the earth while it's light enough to see it all, then she also got to enjoy a beautiful sunset (shown in the take-off video) and Mark kept her out long enough that it was completly dark by the time they came back and they got to see the twinkling city lights as well as Christmas lights! If anyone wants to know where the best ones are, ask Ashley, she saw the whole city!

Here's their take-off into the sunset:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJuFjpemRok

Chase decided to hold a meeting while we were waiting.

Evan's first flight

Did I tell you my kids have a really cool Uncle or what? Thanksgiving day Uncle Mark flew up and landed in the farmer's field near Grandma's house. After the feast and some down time he decided to fly the airplane to the airport for safe keeping for the night. He asked Austin if he wanted to go, but he said no so Evan quickly seized the opportunity saying "I do! I do!"

Take off and first few minutes of flight are here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjZhFFkGdRw

Then Uncle Mark said they flew all over Idaho Falls and Evan recognized our church building so Uncle Mark could find our house! When they landed Mark told us that Evan said "Thank you Uncle Mark, I really enjoyed myself!"

Super Troupers!

So Sara, Shelby and I had so much fun doing Super Trouper from Mama Mia at IFYAC's Broadway Revue at the Colonial on Monday night, that we decided to go ahead and do it again at the Festival of Trees yesterday. Of course there were alot less people there, but it was still tons of fun to be a Super Trouper again! And this time we got it on video!

Ok I tried to post the video and it didn't work :(
But here are a couple of pictures that turned out.


I got it to load on youtube! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJmt_Lh3hUA