Christmas 2009

The good news: I got a new camera (well new to me) and a new lens! Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday to me!

The bad news: I don't know what the heck I am doing and my pictures are turning out terrible. This is where I shamelessly beg my sister to come help me learn how to use my camera. PLEASE??? For my birthday. Oh, darn it, I just remembered you already gave me my birthday ..............which I LOVE by the way =)

OK. Back on task.

We had the opportunity to go down the famous Michigan Ave this year to check out all of the Christmas lights and window displays. They really do have some great displays. I really love downtown Chicago. Especially when I check it out from the comfort of our warm van. Wish I had some great pics to share with you but these will have to do.

We actually had our Christmas tree up this year! Yay! We didn't have it up last year because the movers packed up our house on December 10th and 11th and we didn't move into our house here until December 17th. Then we quickly unpacked the house and headed down to North Carolina to party with the Tremaynes. We missed having a Christmas tree! We had only had the ornaments for one year so I forgot what they looked like. It was a nice surprise when we unpacked the ornaments. I love the sparkly ornaments like this one:

They sure do look nice on the tree. Unfortunately, more often than not they ended up in a bunch like this:

Jackson and Macy enjoyed "decorating" the tree all season.

Christmas Eve was a different experience for us this year. This is the first year that we weren't with any extended family. Although we missed the famous Green family party (and some dang good white elephants) it was kind of nice to have a laid back Christmas Eve.

The kiddos baked cookies for Santa, we ate pozole, and watched my favorite version of A Christmas Carol (Scrooge with Albert Finney). I think our favorite part of the evening was "The Quiz". The kids have been talking about, and begging for a sneak peek of "The Quiz" for 2 weeks. Conal and I think up questions about them when they were babies or really little. The kids think it is the biggest crack up ever.

The kids got to open a couple of presents. One being the traditional Christmas Eve pajamas. We even got Jackson to sit still for the picture this year.

Can't say the same for Macy.

Still can't believe I found matching pj's for 5 kids. Probably won't happen again!

CHRISTMAS MORNING:

Our kids let us sleep in until 7:30 (yes, 7:30 is sleeping in for us. Conal and I both get up before 6 am ). We were pleasantly surprised.

Our kids really are at a fun age for Christmas. Jackson really got into present opening this year.

Garrison was very animated as well.

My favorite reaction though is when Hailey found what Santa left her in the basement. She screamed when she saw her new playhouse.

How many kids can fit in one playhouse anyway???

Macy wasn't sure what to think of all of the excitement over the playhouse.

We missed being with family this year. However, it sure was nice not to have to be anywhere on Christmas or Christmas Eve. This Christmas the the laziest most laid back Christmas I've ever had. We didn't even get out of our pajamas. We really need more days like that!

Happy New Year!

ooooo Daddy is tricky

I hate balloons. Yes, I am that big of a party pooper. First of all, I hate when they pop. My ears just can't take the loud sound. Plus, I embarrassingly jump everytime.

The worst part though is that inevitably, the balloons end up here:

or here in the skylight:

(Our ceilings go up to the second floor) and and the kids end up bawling about it.

Ooooo boy. Hailey and Alexia were SO upset that they couldn't get their balloons back. Alexia even tried jumping on a stool to get hers.

Well, lucky for these girls, Grandpa and Daddy are creative. Conal got out this bad boy:

and blew the balloon over to Grandpa who was waiting in the loft.

Ta da! We did get all 3 of them down.........but with one casuality.

Then of course the leaf blower turned out to be fun all on its own:

Thanksgiving, and finding our roots

Grandma and Grandpa came out for Thanksgiving and Garrison's baptism. It's a good thing they made it. Garrison had been talking about it since they left in September!

Well, I have to admit it. I took the lazy-man's way out (again!) this year. We went out to eat for Thanksgiving. When I don't have a 3 year old climbing the stove and table when I'm cooking, an 8, 6 and 4 year old running through the kitchen, and a 1 year old clinging to my leg, spending 4 hours in the kitchen will actually be enjoyable instead of torture! This way I didn't have to cook OR clean. I just got to enjoy with the fam.

After Thanksgiving dinner we headed out to a nearby cemetery. I know, its a weird Thanksgiving activity. However, we recently found out that Conal's great great grandfather and great great great grandfather used to live here in Plainfield. Not just the Chicago area which is huge. Plainfield. We were shocked. His great great great grandfather apparently built the first frame house in the Chicago area and is buried a couple of miles away from our home.

Isn't that crazy? Since we received our orders to move here we found out that my great grandmother served her mission here in the early 1900's and Conal's great great grandfather lived here for a while. Conal's great great grandfather, Ezra T. Clark founded the city of Farmington. The next time you are in Farmington, go to the city park and check out the monument.

My great great great grandfather used to live in Nauvoo and crossed the plains to Utah. I wonder if our ancestors are sitting up in Heaven thinking "What are they doing? We LEFT Illinois for Utah and they went BACK!" ha ha.

A Day to Remember

The morning of Garrison's baptism I was telling him that I was proud of him for deciding to be baptized and he said to me "Well what am I supposed to do mom, follow Satan and be a bad kid?!?!? " Oh man, he said it so funny I about fell over laughing. Good point Garrison!

I have a hard time putting my motherly feelings into words (sniffle, sniffle). Really I just can't do it justice. Maybe these pictures will help a little:

Two of my favorite guys:

The guest of honor:

Friends, family, and good food:A newly baptized member there to support the newest baptized members:

Grandpa to give an awesome talk on baptism. Thanks Dad! Love ya!

(although I don't have any pictures of him AT the baptism since he kindly took over camera duties for a busy mommy!):

Grandma in town to make the girls hair beautiful:

And Jackson to keep it interesting:

This is pretty much what his face looked like when he saw Garrison and Conal in the baptismal font. He yelled "Hey! Garrison.........and Daddy.........in the WATER!"

I also have to mention that my second son had to use the restroom, not once but thrice during the service (and he let everyone know....loudly). Maybe I should leave out the fact that while I was saying the closing prayer he walked up to me and said "No Mommy! It's not your turn!" I must have good friends as they swear that I was the only one who heard it. Let me tell you, when you are saying the closing prayer and someone tells you it isn't your turn, it really makes you wonder if it really IS your turn. Even if it is a 3 year old telling you so.

All in all it was a great day. I hope that Garrison thinks so.

NEW MOON!

It's so nice to have friends that will do crazy things with you. Like going to the midnight showing of "New Moon" for instance. Even when one of them has to chaperon her son's field trip early the next morning.

Friends that will make signs (some rather large) for you to hold while you are waiting for the movie.

Friends that will actually hold them without dying of embarrassment.Friends that will sit in line with you just for the sake of a picture (our theater was already being seated so we never had to wait in line).

Friends that will giggle with you when some teenage girl nearly licks her blanket that has a picture of Edward on it (not pictured. Sorry folks--I missed that photo op).

Friends that will try to find the girl who had a dress made that looks exactly like the dress Bella wore to her birthday party at the Cullens' just so you can take a picture (we looked, but we couldn't find her again for a pic).

Friends that think of everything.......even appropriate treats for the movie:

None of us were sure that we'd make it through the movie without falling asleep. We ARE getting kind of old ya know. Well, we made it. Here's proof:

What a fun evening! The movie wasn't bad either =)

Oh BTW, for the movies, I'm on Team Jacob.

Anyone know how long it takes a broken toe to heal?

No, I am not showing you this picture to prove how badly I am in need of a pedicure (although as a side note, I could really use one). I broke my 4th toe! It still hurts a lot and its been two weeks. Does anyone know how long it is going to hurt? It's been nice fall weather up to this point but later in the week it might snow. I don't know which is worse, freezing in flip-flops or not being able to walk in closed toed shoes. AHHH!

Dear Blog

Dear Mr. Blog,

(or is is it Mrs., Ms., or Miss?)

I am writing to tell you that quite simply--you are out of the loop. This may not come as a surprise to you, nor may it be of great concern as most of the things that I post are trivial and of no interest to anyone but me.

For instance, it probably isn't very interesting to you to know that Thursday is Jackson's favorite day of the week. Why you ask? It is garbage day........and Jackson loves garbage trucks. So, as you can imagine, Jackson could not be bothered to eat his own birthday cake once he opened this little beauty:

and he has barely let it out of his sight since.

Occasionally I do post something important or of interest. For example, Garrison recently turned 8 years old and will be baptized at the end of this month.

Not to sound cliche or anything.........but where exactly did that time go?

Now, Mr. Blog, if your feelings are hurt I don't blame you. However, if you think YOU have been neglected, than you should REALLY feel bad for Ms. Camera. She has been neglected far worse than you have.

We hardly got any good pictures of Halloween. The kids found all of the Halloween costumes and decided to choose more than one for this year. I never got a picture of Hailey in her Fairy costume, nor Alexia in her soda girl costume. Thank goodness we never got a picture of me in my witch costume. Talk about setting yourself up for snotty comments!

We did get a picture of the 5 kids together, although one witch is trying to escape and the other is not a happy camper as she wasn't feeling well at the time and we didn't know it.

I guess I can't blame her as 2 hours later she had 105 degree fever because Mr. Influenza paid an unexpected (and unwelcome I might add) visit.

At least we got a few good shots:

Apparently Jackson has superhero confusion. He wore Macy's witch hat all night long. Not quite sure why........but hey. Why bother a perfectly happy 3 year old?

In conclusion, I will try to keep you more updated on the goings-on in the Whetten household, although and unfortunately, you will have to continue to suffer through some of the trivial and mundane.

Your friend (are we still friends?),

ME