Christmas 2019

We spent Grandpa Junior's birthday with the Williamsons- G & Chris had their dinner/gift exchange at their church and it was nice. They had us all draw a number and gave us each a Rubbermaid with different rooms attached. We got the kitchen- it was full of dish soap, garbage bags, a platter, dish towels, paper towels. All things you don't want to have to buy but were a welcome gift. All the kids (except Matt) pitched in and got them a Roomba Robot vacuum. We also all pitched in (probably except Matt too) and got Mary Ann one too. She was so happy she did a little "wahoo" dance. It was great.

Christmas eve started at Grandma Irene's party. We ate, won some white elephant gifts and wondered yet again, how much longer Grandma will be here to carry on this tradition with over 100 of her posterity. It was fun sitting with the Ricks kids and laughing with them. Mark had excellent friends in his cousins, like I did, and it felt good. I still miss Ash every holiday.

We then made our way to Mimi's to eat again and start the night's festivities. We had the sibling white elephant gift exchange- always a winner! We had a blow up Christmas skunk and a pimple popping kit that was a hit. The kids get jammies and get to spend time with cousins. Always a tradition I loved when I was growing up. I also need to note for future reference, I found the Christmas pickle again. Always the winner. Ha.

Jammie Kids

We all pitched in and had my friend make mom and dad this sign for the cabin. It says "On Mountain Time"

Christmas Lawrences

Christmas morning. Another year where we trapped the kids in their rooms with wrapping paper. It works great. We also started a new rule- whoever we hear before 7:00 AM (ahem, Kingston) gets to open their presents last. It worked like a champ! The kids waited until 7:00 and by 7:13 the presents were all opened. 

getting ready to charge through the wrapping paper

Mimi gave us a manger this year where we could place straw when we did good deeds or said something nice .We made a nice soft bed for baby Jesus who came Christmas morning. 

The face you make when you find a hoverboard in the pantry- thanks Doug & Amanda. 

Prized presents- the hoverboard, Heelies (shoes with wheels in them) and a baby Yoda shirt. 

The Treasure X skeleton house and transformers. 

A keyboard and a stuffed elephant (from Kingston). 

Christmas Coma. 

We really were blessed this year. Spending a night downtown with the kids was a great way to give them an experience vs more stuff. The kids seemed excited and full of Christmas wiggles. I wonder how many more years we have left where they are SO pumped to wake up early and open presents. There is Christmas excitement that is tangible.  It feels like this year, 2019, was the pinnacle of Christmases. These are the years we will talk about when they are adults and I love it. 

Christmas Staycation

My favorite part of the whole Christmas season was taking the kids to stay downtown Monday to Tuesday (23-24th). I loved that I could clean the house before we left, come home Christmas Eve day to a clean house, chillax and then start Christmas eve.  We surprised the kids by packing all their stuff and making it all the way to the City Creek Marriott before we told them we were staying overnight. 

I wanted to take the kids downtown this year, one more time before they close the Salt Lake Temple for four years for renovations. The next time it will be open, Mc will be 15 and it might not be as cool for her. We checked in, found out our hotel dropped us RIGHT smack dab in the center of the City Creek mall and we started our adventures. We were there RIGHT when the lights turned on and walked the temple, visited the Christus, and walked around the mall-mainly just the Disney store.  We saw the candy windows at Macy's and then decided what we would do for dinner. Note to self: whenever there is a HUGE line at Cheesecake Factory, always order take out. We had our food in less than 30 min, ate in the hotel and watched Home Alone 2 while we waited for our food to digest before we hit the pool. After swimming we got showered and comfy and settled in to watch "The Mandalorian".  Mc and Enzo shared a bed and Kingston, like a trooper took the floor. 

The next morning we got up early, had breakfast and Kneaders  (their french toast!) and then hit the Joseph Smith Memorial Building to donate to the Giving Machine. We ordered a soccer kit, polio vaccines, a menstration kit and some chickens. Also note to self: there is no one at the Giving Machine at 9:30 in the morning on a Tuesday so that is best time to go to avoid waiting in the line for an hour. 

The weather was perfect. We barely needed our coats. The crowds could have been WAY worse so we for sure lucked out there. 

I love to spend time with my little family. I love the gift of experiences and seeing things through my kid's eyes. I want them to know that there is diversity in the world- people not like us. I want them to know that they are SUPER lucky and get opportunities a lot of other people don't.

 I think I like this new tradition most of all. 

Temple Williamsons 

We suck at selfies. 

The Giving Machine. The machines in Utah, Arizona and a few other select cities almost doubled what they brought in last year with donations. So awesome. 

Candy windows at Macy's. 

December part dos

Next up was Festival of Trees! I love taking the kids and seeing all the trees and gingerbread houses. We went later in the evening hoping to miss the crowds but no such luck.  

All the boys with their hands in their pockets. Lego tree.  

#thehulkdoeschristmas

Mc and her favorite Gingerbread House- all the puppies. 

Another fun tradition is Christkindlmarkt. We have been going as a lady posse for at least five years. Some years are definitely colder than others but every year, we brave the cold and then warm up with Pho at La Cai Noodle House after. Also, the only thing I ever buy is gingerbread. 

Krampus. 

Love these ladies.

Luminaria! The Festival of Lights! We picked THE perfect night to go! The weather was so great- albeit "warm". Hot hands didn't even get used. We love having the Thomases join us. There were a few new light fixtures this year too.

Jade asked us to go with them to the Elf Workshop and for $6 for my whole family, I couldn't refuse. They had games and crafts for the kids, Crumbl cookies (yay for me), free soda (yay for Mark) and when the kids were done we all got to swim at the Rec Center pool. The highlight of the afternoon was playing catch with the balls they won as prizes. It was awesome and CHEAP. 

Noah wanted to be sure that I noted he was being a "Grinch". 

We also continued the month long tradition of going to look at Christmas lights (usually on Sunday nights) around the Utah valley. We some some pretty epic displays this year. On the last Sunday we hooked with the Lawrence's/Thomases to head up to the Avenues for the Winter Wonderland. It did not disappoint. The sweet man who owns the home hands out presents (little family games, cars, toys), candy canes and apples. It truly was a spectacle. After that we went to Gardner Village to see the elves and then hit Christmas Street in Magna.

Winter Wonderland

Gardner Village kids. 

I am not sure we could pack in anymore Christmas fun! It felt like go go go go all December long.

December part Uno

This Christmas season was a BUSY one. So busy, I have to break this post up into two. We started off the season with the Polar Express with the Blackhursts. The drive to and from was treacherous but having a blizzard while we were on the train made it 100% like we were on the way to the North Pole. The kids had a blast but I fear, those days of trains/Santa/North Pole are coming to an end (which isn't so bad because it is $$$).

Please note the elf photobomb. 

If my calculations are correct, we have been doing Sub for Santa with the Adoption Exchange for T E N years! This is one of my absolute favorite traditions. Everyone participated this year. We had dinner, then went through what we got all the kids. It is always fun to have siblings, babies, kids my own kid's ages- and to think of them on Christmas morning as we open our own gifts. I hope to keep contributing as long as my friend Lindsay stays with the organization. 

After Sub for Santa we piled into the back of Tyler and Tyler's trucks and hit Christmas in Color (a drive through christmas light display). Mom opted to freeze  ride in the back with the kids. The kids had a blast and they had new lights this year which was fun. 

The kid's school Christmas choir concert was excellent. They whine a lot about going and let's be honest, I force them, but at the end of the night, it's SO SO fun to watch. They work hard and know all the songs and actions and both of them got speaking parts. Bribing them with Menchies after always works.

Nailed It

Mc loves the show "Nailed it" on Netflix. Concept- people who think they are expert bakers are called to recreate surprisingly difficult cakes and fail. When I saw that Harmon's had a cake decorating class for kids I knew Mc would love it. Bree & Ty Ty pitched in and a birthday present was born.

SHE LOVED IT. 

Needless to say, her cake was adorable and her fondant was so smooth! The cake was also delicious. I love watching her succeed and be creative. She is growing up so fast and I can't wait to see what happens for her in the future. #thatbeethough

Hallo Willies

We LOVE Halloween when it comes to dressing up and trick or treating- what we don't love (still) is being scared. Kingston and Enzo were still both deathly afraid of Pennywise (It). We attempted the Halloween store twice and had to leave both times thanks to Enzo hysterically crying. Even K was a little unsure of going in when they had a 10 foot Pennywise waiting at the door (thankfully someone bought it and we were able to try again). 

The most interesting part of this story is that even though we are petrified of clowns, two of the three Williamson children chose scary clowns for their costumes. I think they chose wisely and all the make up was on point htis year. 

Kingston is a "scary clown" but with Pennywise make up. I bribed the kids to not go to school for the OUTSIDE Halloween parade because it was 17 degrees outside. If they stayed home I could spend extra time on their make up- win. 

Enzo had wanted to be a werewolf for months. He was a little unsure of the liquid latex, hair and fake blood but eventually got into character and loved it. He asked that I take a picture of him howling. 

I have a list of potential costumes that I scan every year and decided this was the year to be Agatha Trunchbull. The cake was a foam cake form, real chocolate icing. I had a friend make the sweatshirt, borrowed a weight belt and she was born. 

Much too good for children. 

The most interesting trick or treating loot. Expired, Vietnamese instant coffee. All the kids love it. Gross. 

A visit with Great Grandma Irene and her tiny pumpkin. 

Mc and her "squad". This was her first year really trick or treating by herself. 

Although it was exceptionally cold this year (cue kids whining because they have to wear coats which will hide their costumes) we still decided to do the Scare Rodeo. We have done it every year since we moved out to Riverton and the kids love it. It's a cheap, fun night with lots of free toys, and Chick Fil A. All but one of the kids went into the spook alley this year (Mc took a  little more coaxing and Kingston/Cash were brave enough to go alone, twice). 

Costumed Cousins- Mc chose warmth over costume this year

Breaking Fall 2019

Oh Fall Break! This year, the kids got an entire week off school so we decided to take full advantage. Fortuitously, Chaden Stephens was getting married (in Idaho) and we have spent a few past fall breaks there so we knew we would have fun. We checked the kids out early on Thursday and made the drive to Meridian, Idaho. We LOVE staying with Doug and Amanda.

Friday we helped with wedding prep- LOTS of ironing chair covers for me and the dinner that evening. It was pretty random and felt a little weird because the bride had made a comment, "I didn't know we were inviting our friends to the dinner." Most of the Iund's didn't come (Yvonne was the only sibling)- not sure why it was a big deal.

Saturday morning was the wedding. It was cold, rainy and windy so they didn't get a chance to take any pictures at the temple. The ceremony was beautiful. I was particularly touched by the idea that we make covenants in the temple vs saying "vows". Vows are between two people who are imperfect. Covenants include the Lord who never wavers. The reception was at the church and we showed up and didn't stay long before the Bride's husband asked Doug to have his "friends and family" hang out or leave because we were taking up too much room (rude much?).  We left and took the kids to get Mod Pizza and came back to clean up. Amanda was pretty disappointed that the Bride's family was so mean. I felt bad.

Sunday we went to church- their ward is super small! It was great to see Kingston watch Dallin as he passed the sacrament. He's a good kid and really did well to take care of my boys-even sending them home with his rubix cubes. We went and walked around the green belt (Above pic)- the fall colors were unbelievable. Utah kind of missed Fall this year. It was warm, single digit temps and then warm ago ao everything went into shock and just dropped.

Monday we headed to the weirdest little place all Cleo's Ferry. It was this weird little "museum" out in the middle of nowhere. There were statues, bird houses, a prayer closet, a prayer garden, life sized animal replicas, peacocks, collectibles, a sepulchre replica (say that 10 times fast), and a one mile walk that was free and you could just take at your own pace. We were the only people there but the kids loved it. Totally worth the drive. That night we had dinner with Doug and Amanda, watched movies and played games.

William Shakespeare

My Dawgs at Cleo's Ferry 

 Tuesday we spent the day at Wahooz! It's like Boondocks but had WAY more stuff and on Tuesday it was $20 for unlimited game time on everything. Dallin and Kabrynna decided to come and hang out with us for a while and I think the kids loved it. We were the only people there for a few hours so they rode the go carts over and over again, played unlimited arcade games, rock wall, laser tag and Enzo helped himself to the ball pit (Which I didn't pay for but I wasn't going to go in and get him).

That night we went to our favorite Idaho eatery- Fork. We went there with Doug, Amanda and Chaden right before he left for his mission. We miss them living so close and spending so much time with them. They have immensely blessed our lives and we hope to have many more Idaho trips at their house.

Freak Alley

We came home from Idaho for one day, did laundry and packed up Thursday morning to drive to St George. We hadn't planned on going (I didn't want to miss another week of church) but I am so glad we did. The weather was amazing and it had been TOO long since we had been to the Hurricastle.  It was in the high 70's while we were there so the kids played outside (while I worked on Friday), we walked to Walmart, watched Halloween movies, walked around the Scarecrows at the Red Cliff Reserve, had pot pies, went to the children's museum where they were having a free even with prizes and Kingston won a backpack full of school supplies, rode the carousel,  played Cover your Assets and slept in. We weren't ready to come home to cold- it was SNOWING the day we left. We stopped at the Creamery in Beaver on the way home and the grill of the car was a sheet of ice. Side note: the Creamery was DELISH! A notable stop for next time for sure. 

Kingston solving his rubix cube (which he learned FINALLY how to do on this trip) on the carousel. 

Red Cliff Reserve. Notice shorts and flip flops.

It was hard to come back after such a long break- probably the longest we have had in awhile. The Kia was an awesome road tripper (we had G and Chris ride home with us. A little cramped for me the whole ride in the back but we managed). Also, our saving grace was the Target toy catalog that Enzo read at least 25 times. The kids are great travelers- here is to our next adventure!