Upgrade

I love to read. Love it. Like most people, I don't get all the time I would like to just lounge and quietly enjoy a great book. So, as often as I can, I get a good book on CD and listen to it in the van. I don't necessarily trust much fiction to be appropriate for little ears so I usually stick with church books for that. The bonus is that it helps me teach relief society and it is spiritually uplifting to me.

Three months ago we sold our Honda Van and got the Dodge. I love this newer van but the one drawback has been that the CD player in it didn't work. I was kinda bummed. So for my birthday Brian got me a new one! It has an Ipod connector so that I can now listed to books on CD, without worrying about getting them back to the library on time. It is awesome!



I felt kinda guilty because it is really nice, but he told me that it was a black Friday special and he really did get a great deal on it. Then, as he pulled the dashboard apart to install it, he found $6! Then he pulled out the old factory CD player and he heard a metal rumbling sound in it. So he shook it, and coins started falling out. He shook it some more and about $1.50 in change came out of it. I guess the kids of the family who owned this before us do what kids do, which is put coins in the CD player. After Brian got all the change out, the old CD player started working! And I guess the factory one is worth more that what we paid for the new one. Even in used condition. So, I got a great upgrade! And now I can listed to my Ipod in the van. Bring on the Sheri Dew and John Bytheway!

Christmas!

Oh, I love the age my boys are. They are so much fun. Christmas was something they have been looking forward to and excited about for a while.

For Family Home Evening the week before we did a lesson about the meaning of Christmas, then played with Play-Doh. Can you tell what we made?


Then on Christmas Eve we had what is now pretty much a tradition. Everyone met at my house and we had a little nativity with the cousins.



What else could Blake be but a shepherd with his Lamb? It was chaotic and busy, but I loved every minute of it. It is so fun! These kids are each so special and I love them.

Since we each kind of do our own thing Christmas morning, we usually open the Grandma presents on Christmas Eve too. I love this face of Blake's, priceless!



Bummer of all, we ended up with a stomach bug. :( Dallin got it first, but of course it coincided with me trying to get him on milk. Every time I give him milk, he gets sick. So I figured it was the milk. Then, Blake got it, and I wanted to blame it on the two huge boxes of candy Aunt Dixie gave him, but I was a little suspicious. Then, I started not feeling so good Christmas Eve night. It was awful. Especially considering that Dallin, my usually good sleeper was awake from 1:00 until 4:30 am. Nobody slept that night. 7:30 am rolled around and we all got up excited anyway about presents. Here is what they woke up to! Lucky kids.




Maybe I don't get to do a lot of costly things with my boys during the year, but we always have a great Christmas. They will have great memories of this.

Anyway, the stomach bug was gone quickly. So my birthday was still fun. Tired as I was, we still took the sled out and put it to use right away.





The boys aren't the only ones who got spoiled, I did too. I certainly wasn't expecting it. But I got a beautiful new coat and an awesome printer/fax/copier among other things. Lucky me! Mostly, I am lucky to have my little family and home, and also to have my savior. He loves us all!

Merry Christmas!

Brian's Birthday

Brian turned 34! Wow, wierd. I didn't get him much, but I know that this is something that he will use and will like very much. Waders.
Here they are:


He didn't like that I snuck a pictures, so this is all that I got. Anyway, you get the idea.

Happy Birthday Brian!