Lunch and a movie

Chris' parents gave our kids money for Christmas, so Chris and I were asking them what they were going to spend it on. Annie and Noah came up with a plan (they couldn't convince Brig to go in on it with them) to take us all out to lunch at Panera and to the dollar theater to see High School Musical 3.

Yummy Panera soup and bread!!

Thanks Annie and Noah. What a generous way to spend your money! We had a great time!!

I'm dreaming of a . . . practical Christmas

So I meant to post this soon after Christmas, but our computer has been on the fritz (still kind of is). So this is a little late, but here we go:

An aquaintace once said to me that her mother-in-law told her son (this aquaintance's husband) that if he ever bought his wife a practical Christmas present, he would be in trouble. As I think back to the majority of the gifts that Chris has given me, he would be in some serious hot water with this woman. I admit that when I was younger, I was much more romantic. But then I got married, had 4 kids, we've been through med school, we're in the middle of residency, and I have gradually become tight-fisted and practical over the years.
I'm not so interested in fancy, frilly trinkets to clutter up the house; what I want right now are things that will make my life with four kids and a resident-husband easier. Yes, a gold necklace might be nice. The TV does say it will capture my heart, right? Maybe so, but that necklace won't chop my onions for me. But every time I pull out my food processor I swell with gratitude and love for that man I call my husband. And yes, perhaps I would sigh with pleasure over some crystal candle holders or perfume, but that sighing would stop short as soon as I find flecks of teflon (from my old pots and pans) in our soup. But whenever I cook with my new (fleck-free) pots and pans I want to run to Chris and hug him.
You may be thinking, "Hmm, you're boring." Maybe so, but the reality for us is that since we try to stay on a budget, and we don't have a whole lot of extra money, I don't have the luxury of running out to Target and buying these sorts of things whenever I feel like it. So, it makes sense to me to ask for them for Christmas. In time, that might change, but for now, THANK YOU, CHRIS, for indulging your practical wife. I love you for it!!

Hudson update (December)

Nine months old!


Hudson has decided that he likes to feed himself now, and he makes a huge mess! He will often spit food out unless he can put it into his mouth himself.

Nothing is safe from this kid anymore.

Hudson has such a calm personality. He doesn't get mad very often, but it's not all that common for us to really get him laughing either. He gives great, slobbery kisses, if we're lucky. He even gave Noah a raspberry on the cheek, which was so cute. Nobody else could get him to do it on them.

He's discovered new uses for his tongue - we can often hear him clicking it while he's playing or motoring around. He also sticks it out like he's concentrating hard on something.

Fondue night

On Christmas night we had our good friends, the Shupes and the Chipmans over for fondue. Good times for all!

Telling stories on the bunkbed

Hinging out in a box watching "Matilda"

Doesn't this remind you of the end of the Prodigal Son?

Christmas morning

We let the kids sleep in the same room on Christmas Eve (same rule applies as under the tree - you have to be at least three to participate, so Hudson slept in a room by himself). They also wanted Christmas lights on while they slept. Those two elements combined with all three kids sleeping on the floor (even though there were two perfectly good beds in the room), and the fact that it was Christmas Eve meant not much sleep for anyone.

Annie, Noah, and Brig were all awake at 5:00 a.m. We told them they couldn't come in our room until 6:30, so they were good and stayed relatively quiet in their room. But Chris and I couldn't sleep anymore, so we dragged Hudson out of bed around 6:00 or so, and we went downstairs to see what Santa brought us.

Brig's trying to talk to us with a chocolate santa stuffed in his mouth.
Annie was thrilled with the dishes, books, and other accessories for her fairies.


Army men just like Noah wanted!

Hotwheels Trick Tracks - Santa did read Brig's mind!

Tag team camera action - we're trying to capture every moment!

Thanks and hugs all around





In school Annie had to do whole project on an animal that she made up, including it's habitat, maps of the area it lives in, ect. In art she made a sculpture of it, the "marian fisheater." She gave the sculpture to Chris.

I have to add one more thing - I got some scented soaps in my stocking, and I was letting everyone smell one of them. Noah said, "Mmm, that smells good. It smells like hair." Hair??

Christmas Eve

Cookies for Santa and Mrs. Claus, with oats and carrots for the reindeer. Brigham got his words a little mixed up, and he asked me if I wanted a "sugie cooker."

Our Shepherd's dinner. Other things we do every Christmas Eve are: we read the scriptural account of Christ's birth, and we think of something we are going to work on this year as our gifts to Christ. We write them down and put them somewhere so we can see them all year.

Instead of pajamas like a lot of people do, the presents we open on Christmas Eve are socks. Noah was in charge of picking them out this year. Notice the Lightening McQueen ones on Brig. He was sooo excited when he saw them.

We also get a new Christmas book that we read together before we go to bed. I try to alternate between fun Christmas books, and spiritual ones. This year it was a spiritual one, and this is the one I chose this year. It's from President Monson's talk during the Christmas Devotional a few years ago. It is my favorite. If you haven't read it, it's a MUST!

Playing in the snow

Annie and Noah are out of school for winter break, and we didn't have anything planned today (I love days like this!), so the kids had time to play out in the snow.

Christmas festivities

One of the things we do every year before Christmas is sleep out under the tree one night. The kids absolutely love it.

It's always a terrific night's sleep for me and Chris, too.

One of the Saturdays before Christmas we go out to breakfast, then we visit Santa at the zoo. This year we ate at First Watch - YUM.

We were expecting Hudson to break into tears at the sight of Santa, but he didn't! He's the first of our kids who hasn't.

Brig, on the other hand, refused to even go near Santa without Chris. He wouldn't tell Santa what he wanted (Santa can read minds, right?), although he did stretch as far as his arm could reach so he could get the candy cane Santa offered, then he ran.

We had to visit the reindeer before we left. Brig wouldn't get into the picture - I think he was still traumatized by Santa.