Nut-Rageous

Ahhhh....It just wouldn't be Christmas without seeing the Nutcracker every day for a week. Well, OK. I'm exaggerating. A little. Emily and Aubrey take dance from Miss Margene, who we LOVE. This year was her 20th year to put on the Nutcracker. This was Emily's 3rd year to be in the Nutcracker and Aubrey's 2nd. They had practice Monday and Tuesday night and performances Wednesday and Thursday. And they do the whole show, no condensing. All 3+ hours. But it truly is magical to see. It is very well done and the costumes are beautiful. And so are the 2 dancers shown above. A special thanks goes out to my dear mother who took the girls to one practice and one performance so I didn't have to be there all 4 nights. We love the Nutcracker, but I am so thankful it has come and now it has gone. The girls did a wonderful job. They are such good little dancers. And they loved every minute of it.

Flashback Friday - Oh, Oh, Oh, It's Magic

Sorry Kristy

Allyson, Steve, Dustin (I spit in your general direction), Kristy, Farrah

Our server, Fred, and Kristy

I had a hard time finding a picture for Flashback Friday today. I looked and looked and nothing excited me. Then I came across these. I was thinking about this just the other day, so I chose this as my Flashback. It was December 1996. Steve and I were in Dallas for Christmas, Farrah was home from BYU for Christmas. We all went to the Magic Time Machine to eat. We had a good time dining on our "Roman Orgy". That's really what it was called. Don't believe me? Click on it and see.

Man Boobs, Britney Spears, and Nuts...They've All Got Me Thinking

My children are growing up. They have all gone up a size in clothes and shoes recently. But it is more than that. They are GROWING UP. They are not little kids anymore. Zac is so close to being a teenager, it freaks me out. And Emily might as well be a teenager by the way she acts sometimes. It is taking some getting used to. Like the other day when Zac and his friends were playing in the front yard and I heard one of them say, "Ouch! He hit me in the _____." I don't even want to say it because it sounds so vulgar to me. I don't talk that way, Steve doesn't talk that way, I don't want my kids to talk that way. At first I started to go into freakout mode, not an uncommon thing for me. Then I took a deep breath and calmed down. I thought to myself, "You know, he isn't a little baby anymore. I am sure he hears that all the time at school." It is hard for me because I have tried to protect my children from the influences of the world going on 11 years now. There is so much yucky in the world. But they are getting to the age where they are going to be going out into the world and I just have to have faith that I have done a good job in raising them and teaching them. I hope I have prepared them enough so that they can go into the world and make good choices and decisions without having me looking over their shoulders all the time. It makes me very grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ which plays such a prevalent part in my life and the lives of my children. I can't imagine life without it. I can't imagine what kind of mother and person I would be without it. I can't imagine how I would teach my children without it.

Wow. That got deeper than I planned. On a lighter note.....

Yesterday Zac brought home a book order flier and he showed the girls a book he thought they might like. It was entitled, "Oops, I Did It Again". So naturally I break into song, right? The thing that shocked the heck out of me was that Zac and Emily broke into song too. Right after I sang the first line, "Oops, I did it again", they finished it by singing, "I played with your heart, got lost in the game, oh baby baby". My jaw dropped open and I said, "HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT SONG???" Apparently it is on some computer game they play. Interesting. So you see what I mean? They are growing up and I am just going to have to get used to it.

Speaking of growing up, here is Emily's Christmas list she gave me (just in case any of you need to know what to get her):

i-pod

cat or bird

flat screen tv

candy

new clothes

new cell phone

Seven Things - I Know Y'all Have Been On The Edge Of Your Seats Waiting

Ok. I was tagged forever ago by 2 of my cousins to do this and I am finally getting around to it. Here is goes.

I was tagged for the Seven Things Meme by Kim and Candi.

The rules are:

-Share seven random facts about yourself, in your blog.

-Include these rules.

-Link back to the person who tagged you.

-Tag seven more people and list their names & blogs. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them that they have been tagged.

I decided to share seven facts about my life right now at this very minute.

1. I have had a headache for 2 days now and it is really annoying.

2. I have little tiny holes in all my shirts where I carry Addison in her car seat and it rubs up against me. I have been trying to be careful lately but I just noticed that my new and most fa-vor-ite shirt I am wearing now sports my signature hole.

3. I haven't eaten lunch yet and I am starving. When they say Snickers really satisfies, they don't mean the mini size.

4. I have about 500 things I should be doing right now and none of them involve this here computer.

6. I just put the girls down for a nap and I don't think either one of them will actually be going to sleep any time soon. Too bad so sad. They are staying in bed.

7. I recorded ER last Thursday, started watching it Friday, and am not even 1/2 way through. I am about to go make myself a bowl of soup and finish it right now. So see ya, wouldn't want ta be ya!

I am tagging the following, so listen up!

Coren - You've already been tagged, I am just trying to get you to move along and do it.

Dianna

Marissa

Heather

Lauren

Diana - You don't have a blog but I think it is about time you did.

And everyone else I know has already been tagged so I don't have a #7

Monday Morning Musings

We went to the First Presidency Christmas devotional at the Conference Center last night. My father so graciously shared his tickets and my mother so graciously babysat Aubrey and Addy. It was wonderful except for the guy sitting behind me who talked through the whole thing. Except for the times when he felt it necessary to sing along with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and if he didn't know the song he hummed his own little melody. I wanted to turn around and say, "You know, we all know this song but do you hear any of the rest of us singing it???? NO! There is a reason for that!" Then the guy sitting behind Zac gave him and Emily a pack of smarties. Hello! First of all they were sitting very quietly, it's not like they needed something to keep them quiet and entertained. Second, you are a stranger giving out candy to kids. And third, do you know how loud a smartie wrapper is when 21,000 people are being silent (minus the guy behind me) so they can hear the Prophet? Anyway, it really was a neat experience and I am glad we were able to take Zac and Emily.

Why is it that I hate onions but love onion rings?



I have been freaking out since Thanksgiving because I wasn't ready for Christmas yet. Then last week I realized that it wasn't even December yet.



Steve made fun of me because I want to buy Zac a CD for Christmas and I had to ask my neighbor across the street what kind of music boys his age listen to.



I got a little sad the other day because I realized this is the last time we will spend Christmas in this house. Now that I realized that, everything I do makes me nostalgic. Sniff, sniff.



My sister Kristy made a big announcement today. If you missed it, click here.



I had to explain to my kids this morning what man boobs are. Zac apparently heard someone talking about it and he was so using it in the wrong context.



You know how I always complain about not having spell check on the comment page? I discovered a quick easy way to spell check. I just type the word in my Google tool box like I am doing a search and it gives me a handy little drop down of words. Nifty.



Emily and Zac were fighting this morning and Zac hit her leg with his backpack. Oh my. I was in my room and from the sound that was coming out of her mouth I was sure we were going to have to make an early morning visit to the hospital. She was hysterical and screaming and crying saying she couldn't go to school. I calmed her down and put her in bed to rest before school (there was no way I was letting her stay home, especially if she was going to keep screaming like that) then I went to check Zac's backpack to see what he had in there. He is always carrying his encyclopedias around so I was sure he had 3 or 4 in there or his big huge marble that is bigger than my fist and would probably kill an animal or small child if you hit them with it the right way. What was in his backpack that hurt Emily so bad? A very small book and 2 pieces of paper.

Baby It's Cold Outside

I guess it finally decided to be winter. I am thankful for the extended warm weather we have been having. As sad as I am to see the warm weather go, I love how beautiful everything is covered in snow.

Flashback Friday - Could Those Glasses Be Any Bigger?

Camping In St. George With The Maldonado's

Allyson and Farrah

Steve, Zac & Allyson

Farrah and Bart

Bart and Farrah were living in Provo going to BYU. We went to St. George one weekend and went camping. Guessing by the size of Zac it was probably in 1998. I really think y'all should move back up here. We used to have so much fun. You can't possibly be having that much fun now.

If The Shoe Fits

Apparently you just have to find the right shoes.

Remember the little problem I was having with Addison and her shoes? Well I am here to say PROBLEM SOLVED! She got these shoes for her birthday and she LOVES LOVES LOVES them. She has been wearing them ALL day long and she hasn't taken them off once. If you say to her, "Addy, you have such pretty shoes on", she will look at them and smile and touch them, but she will not take them off.

Birthday Baby

It is hard to believe that a whole year has gone by. On the other hand it seems like Addison has always been a part of our family. She turned one today. We had a little family party for her. I took full advantage of the whole first birthday, don't know what's goin' on thing, and bought her a new high chair that she can't climb out of. I just put the hyper little thing in bed a few minutes ago. She was still on her sugar high. I am sure she is in her bed right now doing flips. You should have seen her. It was pretty funny.

Y'all Better Sit Down For This One

If you have been to my house anytime in the last, oh - 5 years or so, you know that my fireplace has pretty much looked like this:

Only the first 4 years it was minus the hearth. Sometimes there was a sheet hanging over it's ugliness. Sometimes the sheet came down because the fireplace was being "worked on". But now, ladies and gentlemen, hold on to your socks because I am about to unveil my brand new most fabulous, beautiful, complete (except for caulking)(let's not get carried away now) FIREPLACE:

TA DA!

Thank you to Scott and my dear, sweet, wonderful, loving, and very busy, providing, house building husband.