We packed up the van this morning and then we went to Midway for family photos. The man was really nice and the kids had a fun time...mostly. Courtney had a few moments when we were trying to get photos of her and Ethan where she just wouldn't cooperate. We had bribbed them with candy, but we ended up bribbing Courtney with McDonald's. It worked great and I think we got some cute photos.
When photos were finished, we said goodbye to everyone and began down the canyon. There was so much snow and I just couldn't believe how pretty it was. But the snow didn't really hinder our drive much. We made good time coming home with the kids eating all the snacks, watching movies and bugging each other. Of course, Courtney fell asleep about 20 minutes from home!
We unloaded and found that a nice neighbor had picked up our newpaper (which I didn't get a vacation hold on) and that someone had left us a huge sack of books and a princess night light. There wasn't a card, so I'm hoping that someone knows how much we appreciate all the books. It was so nice.
We had a lot of fun at Christmas, but are happy to be back home.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Sledding Again
Friday morning we woke up to more new snow. We ate breakfast and then went to a sledding hill to meet up with Dan & Karen and David & Debbie's families. This was a fun sled hill! There was a small trail already in the side of the hill, so we just had to make it a little more slick. And then it was really fun. It took a fun runs down for us to get it paved and for people to stay on their sleds, but once we got it nice and slick, it was so much fun!
Ethan found a friend in Tyler and they began going down together on a sled. They are the same size (Tyler is 10 and Ethan's 6) so they had a good weight distribution but they couldn't steer to save their lives. So most of the time they ended up on the side of the trail, but they were having so much fun. We finally had enough sleds, after some people went back to the cabin to warm up, that Ethan was able to have his own sled and then it became really hilarious! When he was on his own sled he just flew down the mountain and was having so much fun. One time he went down yelling, "Oh baby, oh baby, oh baby" over and over again. He would just giggle and giggle.
Courtney went down a few times and Bryan and a few times with me, but she was mainly content staying around Grandma with hand warmers in her pockets, or sitting on our laps while we sat in the cold snow. She loved watching. The last time she went down I scarred her for life. I was doing some really good runs and having so much fun. Courtney wanted to go down by Grandma and so I offered to take her down on the sled. Immediately after we began going down Courtney started yelling, "Slow down, Mommy!!" I tried to slow down by putting my hands down but I accidentally steered us off the trail and into the powder, where Courtney was just blasted by fresh powder. She didn't like that at all and began screaming. (Grandpa got a photo just as we were coming down that I'm going to post when I get it from him. It shows me with a huge smile on my face and Courtney looking like the world had ended.) When we got to the bottom Courtney ran to Grandma and told her, "My mom doesn't know how to sled!"
Bryan then walked Courtney down to where our car was and took her up to the cabin. Ethan and I stayed a few more minutes. I made a train with Andrew, Kelsi, Rachel and Spencer. It took a few tries before we actually got to the bottom of the hill. We couldn't figure out how to go straight and we took a few spills (I have the bruises to prove it) but we had a lot of fun until Ethan decided he was too cold and wanted to go back to the cabin. So Grandpa drove us back up to the cabin where Ethan and Courtney drank hot cocoa and watched movies with Brooke and Josh.
Then David & Debbie's family came back to the cabin and we all ate dinner and played games until it was time for bed. We had a fun day!
I'll post some photos when I get some!
Ethan found a friend in Tyler and they began going down together on a sled. They are the same size (Tyler is 10 and Ethan's 6) so they had a good weight distribution but they couldn't steer to save their lives. So most of the time they ended up on the side of the trail, but they were having so much fun. We finally had enough sleds, after some people went back to the cabin to warm up, that Ethan was able to have his own sled and then it became really hilarious! When he was on his own sled he just flew down the mountain and was having so much fun. One time he went down yelling, "Oh baby, oh baby, oh baby" over and over again. He would just giggle and giggle.
Courtney went down a few times and Bryan and a few times with me, but she was mainly content staying around Grandma with hand warmers in her pockets, or sitting on our laps while we sat in the cold snow. She loved watching. The last time she went down I scarred her for life. I was doing some really good runs and having so much fun. Courtney wanted to go down by Grandma and so I offered to take her down on the sled. Immediately after we began going down Courtney started yelling, "Slow down, Mommy!!" I tried to slow down by putting my hands down but I accidentally steered us off the trail and into the powder, where Courtney was just blasted by fresh powder. She didn't like that at all and began screaming. (Grandpa got a photo just as we were coming down that I'm going to post when I get it from him. It shows me with a huge smile on my face and Courtney looking like the world had ended.) When we got to the bottom Courtney ran to Grandma and told her, "My mom doesn't know how to sled!"
Bryan then walked Courtney down to where our car was and took her up to the cabin. Ethan and I stayed a few more minutes. I made a train with Andrew, Kelsi, Rachel and Spencer. It took a few tries before we actually got to the bottom of the hill. We couldn't figure out how to go straight and we took a few spills (I have the bruises to prove it) but we had a lot of fun until Ethan decided he was too cold and wanted to go back to the cabin. So Grandpa drove us back up to the cabin where Ethan and Courtney drank hot cocoa and watched movies with Brooke and Josh.
Then David & Debbie's family came back to the cabin and we all ate dinner and played games until it was time for bed. We had a fun day!
I'll post some photos when I get some!
Christmas Day
Ethan was the first to wake up. He started stirring at about 6:30 and we kept him in the bedroom until 7 a.m. Courtney woke up around 6:45 and it was all we could do to keep them quiet until it was time to get up. They were so excited!! Jeff and Andrea were sleeping in the hallway area outside our bedroom and I didn't want to wake them up too early.
Then we let them loose! They were so excited to see their gifts from Santa. He had even left some footprints by the fireplace!!! Ethan got an MP3 player and a iCoaster. Courtney got a doll stroller and they both got movies in their stockings.
After everyone was up we began unwrapping gifts. We go from youngest to oldest and so everyone gets to see what the other people received. It takes a long time with 17 people (well, 14 when it was time for little Carter to eat...oh, I forgot to mention that Lisa had a little baby boy they named Carter on Monday, so their little family was with us) but it was fun. Courtney and Brooke received matching dresses from Grandma, along with shoes, crowns and jewlery. It was so cute to see them all dressed up. Ethan got some remote control cars that he begged anyone around to play with him. It was a fun day!
Oh..and it snowed 2 feet on Christmas Day. The cabin was up on a hill and was right at the top of a road. We took advantage of this and began sledding down the hill. It was so much fun and the road made a great sled hill. Ethan loved it especially and didn't want to stop. I haven't ever been sledding. We always went tubing when I was a kid. We would get huge tire intertubes, inflate them and go down hills on them. I loved it but was always freezing because we always went in jeans or sweats (no snow pants for us). I really enjoyed myself.
After a long time sledding, most people went in to get warm while Andrew, Ruston, Brooke, Ethan and I stayed outside. Andrew got the smart idea that if it was fun to sled down the road, it would be even more fun to sled off the side of the road down the mountain. So he tried. It was fresh powder and really deep so his slide down the side of the hill was slow and ended with him hitting down and being buried in fresh powder. Ethan decided he wanted to follow Uncle Andrew so he went down. His first run wasn't too bad, but the second run he did wasn't too great. By the second time down, the snow had compacted a bit and so Ethan went pretty quickly and was afraid he would be hurt. I ended up having to slide down on my rear end and then carry him on my back through waist-deep snow while Andrew and I trudged to find where the road was so we could get him back to the cabin. But he said he had a great time.
The rest of the day was spent playing with all the new toys and watching new movies. It was a fun day!
Then we let them loose! They were so excited to see their gifts from Santa. He had even left some footprints by the fireplace!!! Ethan got an MP3 player and a iCoaster. Courtney got a doll stroller and they both got movies in their stockings.
After everyone was up we began unwrapping gifts. We go from youngest to oldest and so everyone gets to see what the other people received. It takes a long time with 17 people (well, 14 when it was time for little Carter to eat...oh, I forgot to mention that Lisa had a little baby boy they named Carter on Monday, so their little family was with us) but it was fun. Courtney and Brooke received matching dresses from Grandma, along with shoes, crowns and jewlery. It was so cute to see them all dressed up. Ethan got some remote control cars that he begged anyone around to play with him. It was a fun day!
Oh..and it snowed 2 feet on Christmas Day. The cabin was up on a hill and was right at the top of a road. We took advantage of this and began sledding down the hill. It was so much fun and the road made a great sled hill. Ethan loved it especially and didn't want to stop. I haven't ever been sledding. We always went tubing when I was a kid. We would get huge tire intertubes, inflate them and go down hills on them. I loved it but was always freezing because we always went in jeans or sweats (no snow pants for us). I really enjoyed myself.
After a long time sledding, most people went in to get warm while Andrew, Ruston, Brooke, Ethan and I stayed outside. Andrew got the smart idea that if it was fun to sled down the road, it would be even more fun to sled off the side of the road down the mountain. So he tried. It was fresh powder and really deep so his slide down the side of the hill was slow and ended with him hitting down and being buried in fresh powder. Ethan decided he wanted to follow Uncle Andrew so he went down. His first run wasn't too bad, but the second run he did wasn't too great. By the second time down, the snow had compacted a bit and so Ethan went pretty quickly and was afraid he would be hurt. I ended up having to slide down on my rear end and then carry him on my back through waist-deep snow while Andrew and I trudged to find where the road was so we could get him back to the cabin. But he said he had a great time.
The rest of the day was spent playing with all the new toys and watching new movies. It was a fun day!
Christmas Eve
I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! I am going to split these posts up into days, so it doesn't get too overwhelming.
We went to Bryan's Uncle David's cabin in Midway for Christmas with the Pack Family! We were going to travel up to Midway on Tuesday morning and then go to the Polar Express with everyone (minus Jeff and Andrea, who were flying in Tuesday night, and Dad (John), who was picking them up). But, alas, the best laid plans always end up being changed.
Bryan woke Ethan up at 2 a.m. to go to the bathroom and while Ethan was in the bathroom he threw up. We had no idea he didn't feel well. We got him back in bed, gave him a bowl and went back to sleep. About 30 minutes later he threw up again. And then 30 minutes later he threw up again. In the morning he wasn't feeling any better and wouldn't eat or drink anything. We decided to give him the day to rest and then we could go up the next day. The weather was going to cooperate so we let him sleep all day Tuesday. I was so sad to miss the Polar Express and all the fun everyone was going to be having, but Ethan took precedence. Courtney was pretty upset too so Bryan took her bowling and then to "Old McDonald's" for lunch. For a 3 year old, this was just as good as a train ride!
Wednesday morning Ethan woke up feeling fine. I think he was bound and determined to get to the cabin that he was going to feel fine no matter if he really did or not. So we loaded up and took off.
We got to the cabin in time for Ethan and Courtney to paint some wooden reindeer and snowflakes that Julie had brought for the kids to do. Then they played with Brooke and Josh. It had been snowing at the cabin and there was still a lot of snow around, so Grandpa decided to take the kids sledding. We got Ethan and Courtney ready and then Bryan took them sledding. They had a lot of fun.
After they warmed back up, we decorated the Christmas tree with the painted ornaments, gingerbread men, bows, garland (made of marshmallows and craisens), candy canes and photos of everyone (we borrowed my parent's 7 1/2 foot fake tree and it worked great). We ended up only decorating the front of the tree, but you couldn't tell in any of the photos. Then it was time for the "program." We did the usual traditions of reading stories, playing the chimes (which we actually did really well at this year) and the doing the Christmas Nativity. It was a first for the Nativity and the kids loved dressing up. Then we opened the Christmas pjs and got ready for bed. It was a fun night! Ethan was so excited for Santa to come and was in bed ready to sleep. Courtney, on the other hand, was wide awake and driving Bryan nuts. She finally fell asleep but I was preparing myself for an all-nighter with the girl!
We went to Bryan's Uncle David's cabin in Midway for Christmas with the Pack Family! We were going to travel up to Midway on Tuesday morning and then go to the Polar Express with everyone (minus Jeff and Andrea, who were flying in Tuesday night, and Dad (John), who was picking them up). But, alas, the best laid plans always end up being changed.
Bryan woke Ethan up at 2 a.m. to go to the bathroom and while Ethan was in the bathroom he threw up. We had no idea he didn't feel well. We got him back in bed, gave him a bowl and went back to sleep. About 30 minutes later he threw up again. And then 30 minutes later he threw up again. In the morning he wasn't feeling any better and wouldn't eat or drink anything. We decided to give him the day to rest and then we could go up the next day. The weather was going to cooperate so we let him sleep all day Tuesday. I was so sad to miss the Polar Express and all the fun everyone was going to be having, but Ethan took precedence. Courtney was pretty upset too so Bryan took her bowling and then to "Old McDonald's" for lunch. For a 3 year old, this was just as good as a train ride!
Wednesday morning Ethan woke up feeling fine. I think he was bound and determined to get to the cabin that he was going to feel fine no matter if he really did or not. So we loaded up and took off.
We got to the cabin in time for Ethan and Courtney to paint some wooden reindeer and snowflakes that Julie had brought for the kids to do. Then they played with Brooke and Josh. It had been snowing at the cabin and there was still a lot of snow around, so Grandpa decided to take the kids sledding. We got Ethan and Courtney ready and then Bryan took them sledding. They had a lot of fun.
After they warmed back up, we decorated the Christmas tree with the painted ornaments, gingerbread men, bows, garland (made of marshmallows and craisens), candy canes and photos of everyone (we borrowed my parent's 7 1/2 foot fake tree and it worked great). We ended up only decorating the front of the tree, but you couldn't tell in any of the photos. Then it was time for the "program." We did the usual traditions of reading stories, playing the chimes (which we actually did really well at this year) and the doing the Christmas Nativity. It was a first for the Nativity and the kids loved dressing up. Then we opened the Christmas pjs and got ready for bed. It was a fun night! Ethan was so excited for Santa to come and was in bed ready to sleep. Courtney, on the other hand, was wide awake and driving Bryan nuts. She finally fell asleep but I was preparing myself for an all-nighter with the girl!
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Cute Kids and Temple Lights
We decided to go to the St. George Temple to see the lights on Monday night for FHE. We tried this last year and the lights were turned off because it was rainy and they didn't want them to short out. It happened again this year!! We just don't have the luck. It has been snowy and rainy here for the past week and, I guess, the Temple crews don't want to short anything out. They did have the nativity set going and had some Christmas lights on trees right by the Temple stairs, so we got to see some lights.
We took hot chocolate and had that while we walked around. It was still a nice night.
We took hot chocolate and had that while we walked around. It was still a nice night.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
The Snow Fort
You have to excuse all the snow pictures...it just doesn't happen that much around here so we get excited. There are snowmen all over the neighborhood. Even families who have their kids in junior high and high school, still have snowmen in their yards!
Since it was a snow day, we had a lot of time to do nothing. (I actually had a lot planned to do while Courtney was at preschool and Ethan was at school, but some things just don't go as planned.) So we bundled up and went outside to play in the cold stuff. You can tell that we have lived in warm weather for a while because we don't have water proof gloves for the kids and Courtney refuses to wear pants (at least I got her in boots today). But we had a lot of fun.
We made a snowman in the front yard, but when Ethan and I finally got it good, Courtney knocked him down. The last snowman we did in the front was destroyed by the neighbor boy, so we haven't had luck with snowmen.
When Courtney went down for a nap, Ethan and I took some small garbage cans and built a snow fort in the back yard. I wanted to make it higher, but his hands were wet and freezing and I didn't want to do it all by myself. But we had enough snow in the backyard that it could have been really high. It was a lot of fun and brought back a lot of memories of making snow forts when I was a kid.
The only downer of the day is that we ran out of cocoa mix! Actually, I'm sure there is some more downstairs, but I wasn't in the mood to go looking for it. So we ended up having popcorn after we played in the snow, which the kids thought was just as good.
Ethan prayed that school would be back tomorrow.
Here are some photos:
Since it was a snow day, we had a lot of time to do nothing. (I actually had a lot planned to do while Courtney was at preschool and Ethan was at school, but some things just don't go as planned.) So we bundled up and went outside to play in the cold stuff. You can tell that we have lived in warm weather for a while because we don't have water proof gloves for the kids and Courtney refuses to wear pants (at least I got her in boots today). But we had a lot of fun.
We made a snowman in the front yard, but when Ethan and I finally got it good, Courtney knocked him down. The last snowman we did in the front was destroyed by the neighbor boy, so we haven't had luck with snowmen.
When Courtney went down for a nap, Ethan and I took some small garbage cans and built a snow fort in the back yard. I wanted to make it higher, but his hands were wet and freezing and I didn't want to do it all by myself. But we had enough snow in the backyard that it could have been really high. It was a lot of fun and brought back a lot of memories of making snow forts when I was a kid.
The only downer of the day is that we ran out of cocoa mix! Actually, I'm sure there is some more downstairs, but I wasn't in the mood to go looking for it. So we ended up having popcorn after we played in the snow, which the kids thought was just as good.
Ethan prayed that school would be back tomorrow.
Here are some photos:
Ethan's Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
We woke up this morning to another couple of inches of snow on the ground. Ethan ran out to get the newspaper and opened it to get the comics. I pulled out the front page to look at the news and saw a huge headline saying, "Snow Closes County Schools." I quickly skimmed it and then handed it to Bryan for a second opinion. Our schools don't have a snow day hotline but I tried calling the elementary school. No one answered, so Bryan suggested I get online and look at the District's homepage. This is what I saw:
*** SPECIAL NOTICE ***
Weather & Road Conditions ALERT!
December 18, 2008 - 5:34 am
SCHOOL WILL NOT BE HELD TODAY
DECEMBER 18, 2008 (THURSDAY),
DUE TO EXPECTED SEVERE WINTER WEATHER
AND ROAD CONDITIONS.
ALL WASHINGTON COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT SCHOOLS WILL BE CLOSED TODAY.
Ethan loves school, so I was really nervous about telling him. We told him and he jumped up and down and yelled "yes!" It wasn't what I expected. Then he realized that closing the school means that he won't be able to go to school today and we got the reaction we expected. He went running into his room screaming about how horrible a day it is and "Don't they know I love school?!?!" and "Doesn't this place own a snow plow?!" Bryan suggested I take him a movie today but Ethan doesn't want that.
Courtney's preschool is also cancelled. So it's going to be an interesting day!
*** SPECIAL NOTICE ***
Weather & Road Conditions ALERT!
December 18, 2008 - 5:34 am
SCHOOL WILL NOT BE HELD TODAY
DECEMBER 18, 2008 (THURSDAY),
DUE TO EXPECTED SEVERE WINTER WEATHER
AND ROAD CONDITIONS.
ALL WASHINGTON COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT SCHOOLS WILL BE CLOSED TODAY.
Ethan loves school, so I was really nervous about telling him. We told him and he jumped up and down and yelled "yes!" It wasn't what I expected. Then he realized that closing the school means that he won't be able to go to school today and we got the reaction we expected. He went running into his room screaming about how horrible a day it is and "Don't they know I love school?!?!" and "Doesn't this place own a snow plow?!" Bryan suggested I take him a movie today but Ethan doesn't want that.
Courtney's preschool is also cancelled. So it's going to be an interesting day!
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Happy Holidays!
Here's a copy of our Christmas card in case we missed someone.
Dear Family and Friends:
Bryan is at work, Ethan is at school, Courtney is settled down to watch “Parent Trap” (the original one) and so I have a minute to get our yearly Christmas card letter written…hopefully. I’ll go from youngest to oldest.
Courtney: She is 3 years old and a mini-me. The mother’s curse is real my friends! But she is tons of fun and I understand where she is coming from most of the time because I know how she thinks. She is Ethan’s second mom and likes to boss him around but she is quick with the hugs and kisses. She wants to do everything he does and gets upset when she’s told she is too little. She attends a neighborhood preschool where we rotate each week and loves it. Next year she will go to a “real preschool.”. She takes tap and ballet lessons and can’t wait until she can be in Junior Primary with Ethan.
Ethan: He is 6 years old and in 1st grade. He loves sports. In January he played basketball and Bryan was his coach. In the fall he played soccer and Bryan was the assistant coach. Soccer is what Ethan loves the most. He also loves school and enjoys reading. He can’t decide what he wants to be when he grows up, but his latest choice is a scientist. He also takes piano lessons. He loves going to lessons and the recitals, but he hates to practice. Bribery is my friend ;) He is a really sweet boy who looks out for his little sister and is very compassionate to others.
Bryan: (yes, he comes next in the youngest to oldest deal) He is still working for Barney, McKenna & Olmstead in St. George and enjoys it. He is working with the young men in our ward and has fun with them. He has been kept busy this year coaching Ethan’s sports teams and Courtney informed him that next year he is going to be her soccer coach. Bryan also started riding his bike to work and back a few times each week. He has really enjoyed it and it has cut back on our gas bill, so that’s a plus. In August, Bryan hiked Mt. Whitney with his dad, brother Andrew and brother-in-law Mike. They had a lot of fun.
Michelle: I have been busy with teaching piano, running kids to dance and piano lessons, and trying to keep up with everything else. I was released last month from being Primary Chorister and called as Girls Camp Director for our ward. It’s been an interesting change. I also started a cake decorating business this year and it’s going well. Bryan helps out by leveling the icing and smoothing it out when I get frustrated. It’s nice that our talents mesh so well. I’m also a room mom for Ethan’s class. So we keep busy.
We hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season this year. To stay updated on the Pack Family, check out our blog at www.packcasa.blogspot.com.
Love,
Bryan, Michelle, Ethan & Courtney
Dear Family and Friends:
Bryan is at work, Ethan is at school, Courtney is settled down to watch “Parent Trap” (the original one) and so I have a minute to get our yearly Christmas card letter written…hopefully. I’ll go from youngest to oldest.
Courtney: She is 3 years old and a mini-me. The mother’s curse is real my friends! But she is tons of fun and I understand where she is coming from most of the time because I know how she thinks. She is Ethan’s second mom and likes to boss him around but she is quick with the hugs and kisses. She wants to do everything he does and gets upset when she’s told she is too little. She attends a neighborhood preschool where we rotate each week and loves it. Next year she will go to a “real preschool.”. She takes tap and ballet lessons and can’t wait until she can be in Junior Primary with Ethan.
Ethan: He is 6 years old and in 1st grade. He loves sports. In January he played basketball and Bryan was his coach. In the fall he played soccer and Bryan was the assistant coach. Soccer is what Ethan loves the most. He also loves school and enjoys reading. He can’t decide what he wants to be when he grows up, but his latest choice is a scientist. He also takes piano lessons. He loves going to lessons and the recitals, but he hates to practice. Bribery is my friend ;) He is a really sweet boy who looks out for his little sister and is very compassionate to others.
Bryan: (yes, he comes next in the youngest to oldest deal) He is still working for Barney, McKenna & Olmstead in St. George and enjoys it. He is working with the young men in our ward and has fun with them. He has been kept busy this year coaching Ethan’s sports teams and Courtney informed him that next year he is going to be her soccer coach. Bryan also started riding his bike to work and back a few times each week. He has really enjoyed it and it has cut back on our gas bill, so that’s a plus. In August, Bryan hiked Mt. Whitney with his dad, brother Andrew and brother-in-law Mike. They had a lot of fun.
Michelle: I have been busy with teaching piano, running kids to dance and piano lessons, and trying to keep up with everything else. I was released last month from being Primary Chorister and called as Girls Camp Director for our ward. It’s been an interesting change. I also started a cake decorating business this year and it’s going well. Bryan helps out by leveling the icing and smoothing it out when I get frustrated. It’s nice that our talents mesh so well. I’m also a room mom for Ethan’s class. So we keep busy.
We hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season this year. To stay updated on the Pack Family, check out our blog at www.packcasa.blogspot.com.
Love,
Bryan, Michelle, Ethan & Courtney
Cakes
I had an order for 2 cakes this week (for the same person) and I thought I would post the photos. They turned out really well and were some of the least stressful cakes I've done so far. They were simple but really pretty when they were finished.
The first cake was a birthday cake for the woman's husband. It says "Happy Birthday Puppy" (her pet name for him) and has white chocolate snowflakes on it. The second is for the employees of her husband's company and looks like a gift. I'm not very good at free hand writing, so it was a bit dicey but I think it turned out okay.
The first cake was a birthday cake for the woman's husband. It says "Happy Birthday Puppy" (her pet name for him) and has white chocolate snowflakes on it. The second is for the employees of her husband's company and looks like a gift. I'm not very good at free hand writing, so it was a bit dicey but I think it turned out okay.
Let it snow!!
Yes, it does snow in sunny St. George and this week is proof of that. It was rainy on the weekend and then on Monday when Ethan's bus left, it began to snow...and snow...and snow. It stuck to the ground and was pretty cold. It snowed all day long and on Tuesday morning we woke to even more snow on the ground.
The bus stop is in front of our house so the bus stop kids and I made a huge snowman in our front yard. It was a lot of fun to be out playing in it. Ethan wore his gloves and knit hat along with his coat, but Courtney goes out with only a jacket, shorts and sandals.
It didn't snow on Tuesday and the snow melted from the roads but it just started snowing again and it is predicted to snow most of the week. The Christmas lights are so beautiful in the snow. As long as I don't have to drive in it, I rather enjoy the pretty white snow.
Here are some photos:
The bus stop is in front of our house so the bus stop kids and I made a huge snowman in our front yard. It was a lot of fun to be out playing in it. Ethan wore his gloves and knit hat along with his coat, but Courtney goes out with only a jacket, shorts and sandals.
It didn't snow on Tuesday and the snow melted from the roads but it just started snowing again and it is predicted to snow most of the week. The Christmas lights are so beautiful in the snow. As long as I don't have to drive in it, I rather enjoy the pretty white snow.
Here are some photos:
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Silent Night Solo
Our Primary had their annual Nativity tonight. Ethan volunteered to do a solo so he had the second verse of Silent Night. We have been practicing it for a couple of weeks and he was really excited. He did an awesome job! I don't think I would have done this at his age, but he loved singing a solo. When he finished he told me "That was better than my piano recital!"
Here is the video of his song:
Here is the video of his song:
Ethan's Piano Recital & Courtney's Dance Recital
Ethan had his piano recital Saturday afternoon. We had errnds to run, so he got dressed in his Church clothes and we left early to get them done on our way across town. The sky was pretty dark in the northwest but we didn't think much about it. We were all dressed warm so it wasn't a big deal to us.
We got to the Piano Gallery where his recital was to be held, he practiced a few times and we took our seats. Courtney was antsy and kept getting up and down, but we were ready when the recital began. Ethan was number 22 so we had to wait a while, but it was worth it. He did an awesome job. He worked hard on his song and was so excited to perform it. He volunteers to perform for people and doesn't seem to have any problems getting up in front of others. He is a great kid and we are so happy with how well he did!
Here's the video:
When we got out of the Piano Gallery the wind was blowing really hard and there was a slight drizzle in the air. We got some quick drive-thru at Burger King and then drove as quickly as we could up to Tuachan for Courtney's dance recital. By the time we got there it was raining/snowing pretty hard and the wind was blowing. I got out and went to the outdoor stage where she would be performing to find her teacher and ask if the performance was to be cancelled. But I couldn't find her teacher.
I waited around for a while and then a girl came to tell us that the students would be performing for the Ivins City employees Christmas party inside the building. I went back to the van, got everyone and we went in to wait. Courtney was excited and wanted to dance (she just wanted to be like her brother and have a recital). When it was time for her class to dance we all went into the room to watch and video tape. Courtney had said a few times that she had to go to the bathroom but wouldn't go when we got there. The tap dance routine began as usual but then she ran off the dance floor saying that she had to go potty. I ran her to the bathroom but we didn't get back in time for her to finish the tap routine.
We left the room, changed her tap shoes for ballet shoes and waited for her next dance song to be called. The ballet routine went really well and she had a good time. I was just glad it was inside.
Here's the video of it:
We got to the Piano Gallery where his recital was to be held, he practiced a few times and we took our seats. Courtney was antsy and kept getting up and down, but we were ready when the recital began. Ethan was number 22 so we had to wait a while, but it was worth it. He did an awesome job. He worked hard on his song and was so excited to perform it. He volunteers to perform for people and doesn't seem to have any problems getting up in front of others. He is a great kid and we are so happy with how well he did!
Here's the video:
When we got out of the Piano Gallery the wind was blowing really hard and there was a slight drizzle in the air. We got some quick drive-thru at Burger King and then drove as quickly as we could up to Tuachan for Courtney's dance recital. By the time we got there it was raining/snowing pretty hard and the wind was blowing. I got out and went to the outdoor stage where she would be performing to find her teacher and ask if the performance was to be cancelled. But I couldn't find her teacher.
I waited around for a while and then a girl came to tell us that the students would be performing for the Ivins City employees Christmas party inside the building. I went back to the van, got everyone and we went in to wait. Courtney was excited and wanted to dance (she just wanted to be like her brother and have a recital). When it was time for her class to dance we all went into the room to watch and video tape. Courtney had said a few times that she had to go to the bathroom but wouldn't go when we got there. The tap dance routine began as usual but then she ran off the dance floor saying that she had to go potty. I ran her to the bathroom but we didn't get back in time for her to finish the tap routine.
We left the room, changed her tap shoes for ballet shoes and waited for her next dance song to be called. The ballet routine went really well and she had a good time. I was just glad it was inside.
Here's the video of it:
Another Red Alert!
Ethan has been working on getting his other front tooth to fall out for a few weeks. He wiggles it with his tongue back and forth trying to losen it up. He was playing with it Saturday morning when suddenly we heard "Red alert!! Red alert!!" and Ethan went running for the bathroom. His other front tooth had come out. He was so excited because now he has both of them gone.
I made him stand in front of the Christmas tree and sing "All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth..." He sang it happily, because he's a ham, but he did it in "fast speed" so you have to listen well to get it all. Then I took photos.
Saturday was crazy and we ended up grabbing fast food between recitals. Ethan said, "Mom, Dad, the best thing about not having two front teeth is that my straw..." at that point Bryan and I started to laugh because we knew what he was going to say. He can put a straw in his mouth, close his teeth and the straw fits perfectly in the gap. I remember that happening when I was a kid too!
He has shown and told everyone about his second tooth and that the tooth fairy wasn't too busy to come to our house the first night! Yeah, he got quarters under his pillow last night!
Here's the photo:
Here's the video:
I made him stand in front of the Christmas tree and sing "All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth..." He sang it happily, because he's a ham, but he did it in "fast speed" so you have to listen well to get it all. Then I took photos.
Saturday was crazy and we ended up grabbing fast food between recitals. Ethan said, "Mom, Dad, the best thing about not having two front teeth is that my straw..." at that point Bryan and I started to laugh because we knew what he was going to say. He can put a straw in his mouth, close his teeth and the straw fits perfectly in the gap. I remember that happening when I was a kid too!
He has shown and told everyone about his second tooth and that the tooth fairy wasn't too busy to come to our house the first night! Yeah, he got quarters under his pillow last night!
Here's the photo:
Here's the video:
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Courtney Dancing
Courtney is taking tap and ballet classes right now. She has a recital this Saturday and so today was their last practice. I am not sure if she is going to actually dance on a stage or if she'll be too nervous, so I decided to take the video camera and get what I could.
The first video is from tap class. It took 3 tries in tap class before the teacher decided to split the girls up into groups to have them do the routine once as groups so they could see each other. Courtney loved this and I got the entire routine. She did a great job. Here it is:
This is a video of the ballet routine. Courtney is having issues with her ballet slippers. Grandma Pack gave her some for her birthday that we have been using just fine. But then Courtney started to complain that they were too small (which they really were). So I went to buy her some and the ones we got were a bit too big. She used them quite a bit, but you will see her take them off in this video and then finish the routine. (We went after class and bought her some that fit so she should be fine on Saturday.) Once again, she had a hard time until the teacher split them into groups.
At the beginning of the ballet routine I always get the giggles. They are supposed to do plie and they do a fine job for 3 and 4 year olds. It just always looks to me like they are going to lay an egg, so I get the giggles. You'll see what I mean. Here it is:
Here's another video of the beginning of the routine. The plies are so hilarious! These little girls are SSSOOOO cute!
I'll add more videos if she actually gets through the routine on Saturday. It should be cold so their teacher isn't having them dress in a costume (yeah!). Next year Courtney only wants ballet class and that's fine with me!
The first video is from tap class. It took 3 tries in tap class before the teacher decided to split the girls up into groups to have them do the routine once as groups so they could see each other. Courtney loved this and I got the entire routine. She did a great job. Here it is:
This is a video of the ballet routine. Courtney is having issues with her ballet slippers. Grandma Pack gave her some for her birthday that we have been using just fine. But then Courtney started to complain that they were too small (which they really were). So I went to buy her some and the ones we got were a bit too big. She used them quite a bit, but you will see her take them off in this video and then finish the routine. (We went after class and bought her some that fit so she should be fine on Saturday.) Once again, she had a hard time until the teacher split them into groups.
At the beginning of the ballet routine I always get the giggles. They are supposed to do plie and they do a fine job for 3 and 4 year olds. It just always looks to me like they are going to lay an egg, so I get the giggles. You'll see what I mean. Here it is:
Here's another video of the beginning of the routine. The plies are so hilarious! These little girls are SSSOOOO cute!
I'll add more videos if she actually gets through the routine on Saturday. It should be cold so their teacher isn't having them dress in a costume (yeah!). Next year Courtney only wants ballet class and that's fine with me!
The Cockroach
When I'm not around things get pretty goofy. I went Christmas shopping last night so Bryan put the kids to bed. A few months ago, I had used some plastic bugs to help the Primary children "get the bugs out" of the songs for the Primary program (when I was chorister). Ethan has been playing with those bugs since and one of them was in his room. When he wasn't looking, Bryan put the cockroach in his bed. Then when Ethan pulled back the covers Bryan jumped a little to get Ethan to react. Bryan said it was pretty funny.
This morning when Ethan was getting ready for school he said, "Mom, do you the funny thing Dad did last night?" And then he told me the story of the cockroach in his bed. He really thinks his Dad is cool for playing a joke like that. Of course, I had to tell Ethan about the time when we were first married and Bryan put the plastic snake in the clothes drier so it would pop out at me when I went to do the laundry. I think Bryan went up quite a few notches in Ethan mind! ;)
This morning when Ethan was getting ready for school he said, "Mom, do you the funny thing Dad did last night?" And then he told me the story of the cockroach in his bed. He really thinks his Dad is cool for playing a joke like that. Of course, I had to tell Ethan about the time when we were first married and Bryan put the plastic snake in the clothes drier so it would pop out at me when I went to do the laundry. I think Bryan went up quite a few notches in Ethan mind! ;)
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Caroling
We have the neatest neighborhood. For Halloween, we have a huge neighborhood party that is really anticipated and everyone loves it. For Christmas, we usually give out neighborhood gifts to everyone. This year, since money is tight for many people, neighbors are getting creative with their neighborhood gifts. One family invited the neighborhood to a "progessive caroling" party. They had it for FHE and started at one end of the neighborhood. They would carol to one family and then that family would join in and go to the next house and so on until they got back to the beginning. My kids have been waiting for this FHE all week because they wanted to go caroling. Ethan kept asking me to practice carols with him so he would be ready.
I wasn't sure which direction and how long it would take to get to our house so I got our stuff ready early so we could go when they came. Courtney hasn't been feeling well so she and Bryan were going to stay home. It took about an hour for them to get to our house and by then Ethan was dying to go. The kids all ran to our door and sang at the top of their lungs. Then Ethan and I got dressed in warm clothes (it's been really cold here!) and went along.
All the neighbors loved being sung to and those who went along had a great time. The kids ran as fast as they could from door to door and sang their hearts out. It was cold and windy, but no one really seemed to mind.
When we got back to the starting house they had hot cocoa for everyone and we all took treats to share. The kids went upstairs to play the Wii and the adults stayed downstairs to talk. When it was time to go I found Ethan and then we went home. Courtney was waiting up for us...I forgot that we were supposed to bring her back a treat, so we made some hot chocolate of our own for her and Ethan. Then we went to bed.
It was fun and the adults were talking about making it another neighborhood tradition. The family who started it said they would love to do it each year, so I think we have a winner. It really was fun!
I wasn't sure which direction and how long it would take to get to our house so I got our stuff ready early so we could go when they came. Courtney hasn't been feeling well so she and Bryan were going to stay home. It took about an hour for them to get to our house and by then Ethan was dying to go. The kids all ran to our door and sang at the top of their lungs. Then Ethan and I got dressed in warm clothes (it's been really cold here!) and went along.
All the neighbors loved being sung to and those who went along had a great time. The kids ran as fast as they could from door to door and sang their hearts out. It was cold and windy, but no one really seemed to mind.
When we got back to the starting house they had hot cocoa for everyone and we all took treats to share. The kids went upstairs to play the Wii and the adults stayed downstairs to talk. When it was time to go I found Ethan and then we went home. Courtney was waiting up for us...I forgot that we were supposed to bring her back a treat, so we made some hot chocolate of our own for her and Ethan. Then we went to bed.
It was fun and the adults were talking about making it another neighborhood tradition. The family who started it said they would love to do it each year, so I think we have a winner. It really was fun!
Soccer Ball Cake
Last week I got an order for a soccer ball birthday cake for the 3 year old son of an attorney at Bryan's office. I have done baseballs before but hadn't ever made a soccer ball cake. I figured, how hard can it be because the instructions and pattern came along with the pan. Well, it was harder than I anticipated and I am lucky to be married to Bryan because otherwise I would have thrown it in the trash!
The cakes were easy to bake and worked out great, but getting the pattern on the soccer ball and getting it round, wasn't easy. I used the enclosed pattern a few times to trace onto the ball but it wasn't working. Bryan tried and found that the patterns were off. He drew it and then the two of us tried to trace the pattern so it looked good. Then I began to ice it with the star tip. When I was halfway finished, Bryan noticed a huge bulge on one side of the ball. I was ready to call the customer and tell her I couldn't do it. But I built up that side with enough icing that it worked out. She was pretty impressed when she came to pick it up and later emailed me to tell me it was a hit and tasted great. That's what saves me...my cakes taste great so even if they may have a flaw or two, all people remember is the taste.
But I have sworn off soccer balls...until someone else order one ;)
The cakes were easy to bake and worked out great, but getting the pattern on the soccer ball and getting it round, wasn't easy. I used the enclosed pattern a few times to trace onto the ball but it wasn't working. Bryan tried and found that the patterns were off. He drew it and then the two of us tried to trace the pattern so it looked good. Then I began to ice it with the star tip. When I was halfway finished, Bryan noticed a huge bulge on one side of the ball. I was ready to call the customer and tell her I couldn't do it. But I built up that side with enough icing that it worked out. She was pretty impressed when she came to pick it up and later emailed me to tell me it was a hit and tasted great. That's what saves me...my cakes taste great so even if they may have a flaw or two, all people remember is the taste.
But I have sworn off soccer balls...until someone else order one ;)
Saturday, December 6, 2008
The White Elephant Gift
Bryan's work Christmas Party was last night. Now when alcohol isn't involved you have to invent other ways to bring out the weirdness in the people you work with. At Barney, McKenna & Olmstead, that is achieved with the White Elephant Exchange game. But I'll get to that in a minute.
When you first arrive at the party, you are given a questionaire to fill out. Then you have to find people with the same answers as you and sign your name. You can't have the same person sign for more than 1 answer however, so it forces you to walk around the room and meet people. The first one finished wins a gift card (usually to a restaurant or bookstore). After that game is over we all eat dinner and talk. Then we play a couple more games that usually are made up by one of the partners. This is interesting because you find out who is really competitive and who cheats! And it happens quite a bit! When those games are finished the chairs are moved back and numbers are handed out for the White Elephant Game.
Everyone brings a gift. For each couple you bring one bad White Elephant and one good gift that is under $5.00. They are all bunched in together so you never know what you are going to get. This is where the craziness without alcohol begins. The first person chooses a gift from the pile and opens it. The next person can choose to "steal" the gift from the first person or choose one from the pile. A gift can only be stole 2 times before it is "dead" and the person with it gets to keep it. Two years ago, one gift was chosen by a partner in the law firm. He opened it and found a COW TONGUE. Last year he retaliated by bringing a wild field mouse as a gift. From those two years I learned not to choose a gift that is either on ice or has air holes. There is always a prize for the worst white elephant gift.
But this year really takes the cake. There was a rather large package with a note on it saying "This is the top." One of the receptionists was brave enough to chose the gift. She began to unwrap it and realized that the wrapping paper was a bit wet. She kept going to find a couple of styrofoam ice chests (the flimsy ones from WalMart) stacked on top of each other. A note told her to open the top one where she found a freezer ice bag. Under the ice bag was a bone! She squealed. I looked at it and thought it was a cow rib or something but the man sitting next to Bryan said, "That's my rib bone. I had surgery 2 weeks ago and they had to take my rib out, so I brought it as my white elephant gift." IT WAS A HUMAN RIB!!! I was so grossed out! The second ice chest had some candy in it but I don't really think that made up for the first one being a human rib. The wife of the man who brought the rib actually "stole" it back from the woman who originally opened it, for which I was really glad.
Bryan came up with the strategy of sticking to stealing opened gifts from others so you at least know what you are going to end up with and we went home with the best gifts of any year. I told Bryan that I'm a bit nervous for next year because I don't know what someone can do to top a human rib as a white elephant gift.
Fun times with the law firm!
When you first arrive at the party, you are given a questionaire to fill out. Then you have to find people with the same answers as you and sign your name. You can't have the same person sign for more than 1 answer however, so it forces you to walk around the room and meet people. The first one finished wins a gift card (usually to a restaurant or bookstore). After that game is over we all eat dinner and talk. Then we play a couple more games that usually are made up by one of the partners. This is interesting because you find out who is really competitive and who cheats! And it happens quite a bit! When those games are finished the chairs are moved back and numbers are handed out for the White Elephant Game.
Everyone brings a gift. For each couple you bring one bad White Elephant and one good gift that is under $5.00. They are all bunched in together so you never know what you are going to get. This is where the craziness without alcohol begins. The first person chooses a gift from the pile and opens it. The next person can choose to "steal" the gift from the first person or choose one from the pile. A gift can only be stole 2 times before it is "dead" and the person with it gets to keep it. Two years ago, one gift was chosen by a partner in the law firm. He opened it and found a COW TONGUE. Last year he retaliated by bringing a wild field mouse as a gift. From those two years I learned not to choose a gift that is either on ice or has air holes. There is always a prize for the worst white elephant gift.
But this year really takes the cake. There was a rather large package with a note on it saying "This is the top." One of the receptionists was brave enough to chose the gift. She began to unwrap it and realized that the wrapping paper was a bit wet. She kept going to find a couple of styrofoam ice chests (the flimsy ones from WalMart) stacked on top of each other. A note told her to open the top one where she found a freezer ice bag. Under the ice bag was a bone! She squealed. I looked at it and thought it was a cow rib or something but the man sitting next to Bryan said, "That's my rib bone. I had surgery 2 weeks ago and they had to take my rib out, so I brought it as my white elephant gift." IT WAS A HUMAN RIB!!! I was so grossed out! The second ice chest had some candy in it but I don't really think that made up for the first one being a human rib. The wife of the man who brought the rib actually "stole" it back from the woman who originally opened it, for which I was really glad.
Bryan came up with the strategy of sticking to stealing opened gifts from others so you at least know what you are going to end up with and we went home with the best gifts of any year. I told Bryan that I'm a bit nervous for next year because I don't know what someone can do to top a human rib as a white elephant gift.
Fun times with the law firm!
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
It's Christmas Tree Time
The first FHE of December is our Christmas Tree FHE. I spent the day getting the decorations out, putting away the Thanksgiving decorations and figuring out where we are going to put things. After dinner Bryan brought the Christmas tree up from the basement. I hate putting lights on a Christmas tree. It makes such a mess and it's usually the time when my family yelled and screamed. So a few years ago we bought a pre-lit tree and I love it.
Bryan put it together, with a little help from Miss Courtney who kept dragging the top section around and plugging it in. Then he spent a lot of time separating out the branches and getting it ready to decorate. And then the kids went nuts. The bottom half of our tree is REALLY decorated. We only had 2 ornaments broken, which has to be a Pack record (I usually drop at least 3 each year)! I was able to glue one of the ornaments back together so it wasn't a total loss. Ethan and Courtney were cute when they pulled out ornaments they remembered were theirs. Courtney found one her Nursery leader made last year with her picture on it. She likes to point and ask if it's her. Ethan found one his kindergarten teacher gave him last year and he loved it. He also thought the homemade decorations we made last year look "dumb" and that we need to buy some more "nice ones" because our tree still isn't completely decorated. I told him that I love the homemade ones and that our tree looks great.
Last year we won a train set at Bryan's work party and it goes around our tree (just like Grandma Pack's tree). The kids love this but I really don't have the patience for setting it up. Last year we took tracks out because it was so big, but this year Bryan put all of it together so we have the Nativity set up so it doesn't look weird.
Now we have to tackle the outside Christmas lights. Our street is always so decorated and we have a hard time getting ours up. One year we were the only ones in the neighborhood without lights up. I kept buying outdoor lights that I thought would work together but they wouldn't and it just turned into a mess. But this year we should be all set!
It was a fun night. Here are some photos:
Bryan put it together, with a little help from Miss Courtney who kept dragging the top section around and plugging it in. Then he spent a lot of time separating out the branches and getting it ready to decorate. And then the kids went nuts. The bottom half of our tree is REALLY decorated. We only had 2 ornaments broken, which has to be a Pack record (I usually drop at least 3 each year)! I was able to glue one of the ornaments back together so it wasn't a total loss. Ethan and Courtney were cute when they pulled out ornaments they remembered were theirs. Courtney found one her Nursery leader made last year with her picture on it. She likes to point and ask if it's her. Ethan found one his kindergarten teacher gave him last year and he loved it. He also thought the homemade decorations we made last year look "dumb" and that we need to buy some more "nice ones" because our tree still isn't completely decorated. I told him that I love the homemade ones and that our tree looks great.
Last year we won a train set at Bryan's work party and it goes around our tree (just like Grandma Pack's tree). The kids love this but I really don't have the patience for setting it up. Last year we took tracks out because it was so big, but this year Bryan put all of it together so we have the Nativity set up so it doesn't look weird.
Now we have to tackle the outside Christmas lights. Our street is always so decorated and we have a hard time getting ours up. One year we were the only ones in the neighborhood without lights up. I kept buying outdoor lights that I thought would work together but they wouldn't and it just turned into a mess. But this year we should be all set!
It was a fun night. Here are some photos:
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