A Few of My Favorite Things

It has been a fantastic holiday season! We have had lots of wonderful moments, experiences, blessings, and time together as a family. It really has been perfect...even the 4 days we spent painting the upstairs...it didn't seem perfect at the time but looking at my beautiful walls painted in corn harvest yellow makes it all seem WORTH it. It only took us 6 years to get paint on the walls but hey! let's celebrate the moments! It looks warm and cozy and makes the house finally feel decorated. Not perfect, but one step closer. So here is a look back at a few of my favorite things from this 2008 Christmas season...

I loved our living room with the 3 little, glowing pine trees that the kids each decorated with our well-loved box of random ornaments...and the row of snowmen with their hats and scarves. I think it was my favorite corner this season...I have undecorated the trees and put away the snowmen but I can't bear to put away the trees and their white, twinkly lights. Chris says we can keep them up until someone makes fun of us and then they have to go find a new home in the garage until next year.

Oh, little girls in tutus dancing and playing!

Snow, snow and more snow...doesn't feel so cold with good friends to hang out with!

Excited kids getting ready to go for a "cousin's night" at their Aunt Carrie and Uncle Todd's house...

Hannah was wearing regular clothes until it was time to go to the cousin party. She ran into her room and came out a few minutes later in what she calmly explained were her "party clothes".

And yet another use for the fabulous pink tutu...she makes me laugh...almost all the time!

A fabulous field trip to Gardner Village with our Mo to see the elves. I don't know why I look so puffy...I'm not pregnant and while my midsection is larger than it should be, I hope it isn't THAT large all the time.

Mo and all the elves. (Can you tell which ones are real and which one is pretend?)

MC and his glorious imagination. When our son asks if he can some ice-cream for dessert, it is always a work of art.


A wonderful afternoon at the Nutcracker ballet!

The stockings all hung on the banister with care, in hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there...

I loved our window decor this year. I added plastic, glitter snowflakes that I found at the Dollar Store and it looked so full of "bling". It made me happy...

More snowflake bling...

This was my favorite holiday activity. In the December 2008 Friend magazine, they had an activity where every day (starting December 1st) you would read a scripture about the Savior's life and then hang up a picture from the Gospel Art Kit that went with the story. We hung the pictures in our kitchen and read the scripture verses every morning at breakfast. It brought a tremendous spirit into our home for the entire month. I loved looking at those pictures every day and being reminded of the miracle of the Savior's life. We learned so much and I know my testimony was truly strengthened. It will be a tradition I hope we continue every year.

More holiday bling. (I'm downloading these pictures in very random order...sorry about the materialistic snowflake decorations happening right after the spiritual activity.)

MC on Christmas morning with his stocking loot.

Christmas morning was so fun. The kids didn't wake up until about 7:15 a.m. and they spent forever going through their stockings, opening the little presents, playing with the activity books, eating random candy, and just having fun. We didn't even start on the "real" presents for a long time. It was fun to just savor and relish and cherish!

JC on Christmas morning with his stocking stuff.

Three darling kids in new Christmas pajamas.

Glorious angels and dancing and unbridled enthusiasm.

Cousins and nativities...

JC with his Santa gift.

This year each child had a special card and note from Santa in their stockings that they were instructed to save for last. After everything else had been opened, they were allowed to open the card which told them they would have to work together to go on a treasure hunt to find their Santa gift. Each clue on the treasure hunt recognized an accomplishment from the last year of one of the kids...HB learning to use the potty, JC learning to cook, MC learning a song on the piano...and finally it led them to their gifts. It was a great way to incorporate some of the great things our kids have accomplished this last year and recognize their efforts. Plus it was just dang fun...and kept the suspense going a little longer. This is the kids hunting for one of their clues.

Chris with his new "gangsta" sweatshirt from Old Navy...and his boys from the hood.

Chris examining his stocking loot.


Blessed sausage rolls.

MC with his Santa gift.

How can one 6-year old be so ultra cool?

This post just keeps going...but I'm trying so hard to leave some kind of written record of what happened at the end of this 2008. One of the most fun things we did was our advent calendar. Each day in the pocket was a "light" to go on our wooden tree and an activity. So every morning the kids would take turns pulling out the light, hanging it on our little countdown tree and reading what the activity of the day was going to be. We had so much fun. Here was our list of activities for this year...

Dec. 1: Open the first gift of Christmas. Why do we give gifts at Christmas time? (We get a new Christmas book to add to our holiday book basket)
Dec. 2: Decorate little Christmas trees for your bedrooms.
Dec. 3: Go to Festival of Trees.
Dec. 4: Make a gingerbread house. Read story "The Gingerbread Baby".
Dec. 5: Memorize a Primary Christmas song. Sing it for Dad to earn a treat!
Dec. 6: Do a magic act of service for someone in the family! Don’t let them know who it was.
Dec. 7: Go see the creche display in Midway.
Dec. 8: Make Christmas cards for our neighbors. Write down the things we appreciate about them.
Dec. 9: Memorize a scripture about Jesus Christ. Recite it for Dad to earn a treat!
Dec. 10: Go to Gardner Village and see the elves!
Dec. 11: Go for a family drive to see houses with lights and christmas decorations.
Dec. 12: Learn another Primary Christmas song. Sing it for Dad to earn a treat!
Dec. 13: Go to the Nutcracker Ballet with Mo and Papa. Write thank you notes!
Dec. 14: Make a card for the bishop. Tell him 3 things you appreciate. Go deliver.
Dec. 15: Make treats for neighbors. Go caroling and deliver treats and cards.
Dec. 16: Memorize a scripture about Jesus Christ. Pass it off to Dad for a treat.
Dec. 17: Make a card for your primary teachers. Deliver with a treat!
Dec. 18: Wrap your teacher gifts. Sign your name and put a picture in the front of the gift.
Dec. 19: Do a secret act of service for someone in the family.
Dec. 20: Have a family movie party. Make some popcorn and watch a Christmas movie.
Dec. 21: Go to temple square to see the lights. Talk about what blessings you have received from Jesus Christ.
Dec. 22: Special "Christmas" family home evening.
Dec. 23: Write what our gifts to Jesus are going to be for this upcoming year.
Dec. 24: Bear your testimony about Jesus Christ. Open one gift. (New pajamas)
Dec. 25: Open our gifts to Jesus. Read what we are going to work on for the year.

Chris and I sat down and made the list at the end of November and it really helped us feel like we got to go and do and see and remember and focus on the memories and feelings we wanted to create this season. We did really well...almost all the activities. It was so, so, so fun...and I was so depressed the day after Christmas when I realized it was all over for another year.

This doesn't even include photo documentation of the wild New Year's Party we had at Chip and ML's. We ate, played games, had cake and presents for Ethan's birthday, and then sent all the kids downstairs to watch a movie while the adults all rocked out on the Wii playing "Rock Band". You haven't really lived until you've seen Chip and ML singing into the microphone, Todd on the guitar, Carrie on the bass, me and Chris on the drums and the 80's tunes blaring out into the night. My favorite had to be Chip and ML singing "Eye of the Tiger"...we paused for a moment at midnight and someone finally kicked us out at 1:30 a.m. It was a fabulous night. Thanks for hosting Chip and ML!

I'm so grateful for all the joy and wonder of this season. I'm so grateful to be a wife and mother and daughter and sister and friend and aunt and cousin and all the other glorious privileges I've been given. I feel enormously grateful for my testimony of the gospel and the reality of the Lord Jesus Christ. I feel true cause to celebrate!

The Elves

Every year the kids and I visit Gardner Village in West Jordan, UT...once at Halloween time to see the witches and then at Christmas time to visit the elves. It is a fabulous place to play and frolic and shop any time but especially at these 2 times of year. We always head out for an afternoon of fun with a visit to Sweet Afton's Candy Shoppe at Halloween for caramel apples and a stop at the Naborhood Bakery for hot chocolate and sugar cookies at Christmas time. This year our Mo joined us for an afternoon of elf hunting and fun...let me know if you want to go. We love a party!!

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Problems

So...I decided to spice up my blog decor. And because I'm so computer literate, I managed to get a new background on there and ERASE everything else. Gone. Where does all that stuff on the side go? So if suddenly you aren't on the blog list or are wondering where the cute Rhodesbud sign went...I don't know. I wish someone could explain it to me.

Sigh.

So today I've been starting over. All over. Luckily it didn't erase any of the actual blogs because I'm NOT going back and retyping all that. But some of you are missing...people I really like spying on. So, uh, leave a comment and let me find you again if you don't see yourself on the sidebar. I hate misplacing things.

Another sigh.

Tis' the Season For the Meatballs

Tis’ the season to be jolly…fa la la la la la la la la! (Was that enough "la’s"? I lost count.)
Happy Holidays! So, it is now time to document the festivities although they just keep on going and going…what with all the truffles, mint cookies, popcorn balls, candy sticks, gum, candy canes, potatoes casseroles, spinach dip, sausage rolls, meatballs and such lingering around the house. I’ve had several entire meals this holiday season that have consisted of something chocolate covered, sugar laden, and filled with fat. I’ve created my own holiday food pyramid! I count it as a major bonus if the thing covered in chocolate or dip was a fruit or vegetable.

It has truly been a great holiday! Christmas Eve afternoon we traveled around the mountain and up the road to CayLynne and Garth’s home for Carr family festivities! We ate delicious soup, played with wonderful cousins, and had a fabulous nativity complete with dancing, spinning angels, a slovenly Herod, Herod’s eccentric assistant, some shepherds, wise men bearing fascinating gifts and all manner of fabulous costumes. I really loved the 2 little girls spinning and dancing during the entire gloria chorus of "Angels We Have Heard On High"! It added an extra element of joy!

The arch angel with her dancing assistants!

Grandpa reading the nativity story.

Joseph, Mary and 2 dancing angels.

A very exuberant little angel.

A pensive looking Joseph.

Herod's assistant

My favorite picture of Herod looking so opulent and regal!

After stuffing ourselves with soup and festive joy, we headed back around the mountain and down the road to Carrie and Todd’s house for the Oscarson family celebration! (We LOVE living near both sides of the family…it is extra love and joy every single holiday!) We arrived at the Rhode’s house to find a true Swedish feast underway with Mo and Papa, Grandparents Green, the Chip and ML family, Spencer and Sho and of course, the Rhodes. We grabbed a plate and jumped right in because meatballs, little sausages, red cabbage, potato casserole, dips, veggies and all manner of heavenly things only happen once a year and they are not to be missed. We ate until I truly felt full from my toes all the way up to my eyeballs. Nothing like being stuffed with Swedish meatballs and spinach dip. THAT is true fa la la!

After dinner the adults actually had a few moments to lounge in the family room while the children seemed eerily quiet upstairs. (Was I lounging while someone else was slaving away doing dishes in the kitchen? If you don’t remember lounging during this portion of the evening, I truly apologize. You took the slack! I owe you.) The quiet only lasted a few moments before children started spilling down from the upper level and we knew it was time to move on to the next portion of the evening.

Sho and I headed upstairs to get the cast dressed and ready for the nativity production…and what an amazing production it was. Mind you, this was an event occurring at the Rhodes’ residence. The Rhodes’ are not known for quiet, unassuming events…and this nativity was no exception. We had exquisite fabrics draped around the cast members; we had angels, Mary, shepherds, wise men, and even a lamb wearing the most fabulous "bling" costume jewelry you have ever seen. There were broaches and earrings and rings and bangles and such glory as I’m sure has never been seen in ancient Bethlehem. Spencer and Sho were taking pictures as quickly as they could snap so I will post pictures as soon as they download. It truly was a sight to feed your senses! Grandpa Green read the story from the Bible and one by one the cast members entered the room. By the time we got to the "shepherds looking sore afraid", I happened to glance over at Grandma Green sitting in the middle of the nativity chaos and I had to laugh…she had the perfect "looking sore afraid" expression on her face. While this may have been an attempt at recreating the first Christmas, there was absolutely nothing reverent, quiet or gentle about what was happening. It was loud and chaotic and noisy and by the time the angels descended on the scene, we lost a little bit of control. But we continued reading and singing until we had the whole gang accounted for. After the production, Papa offered a few words about the real meaning of Christmas and we attempted to close the whole program with the song "Silent Night" which started out reverent until one of the kids hit the "hip-hop" button on Carrie’s electric piano and suddenly this gentle song had some serious rhythm to it. I couldn’t help it…I just played along and the kids jumped and danced (where DO they learn to dance that way?) until the song ended and I turned off the beat and we tried singing it to a "string ensemble" instead. (She does have this really cool piano with all these cool buttons…why waste them?)

Next was a little gift opening! The highlight of the evening was the card that Chip and ML presented to Carrie and Todd explaining the "gift" that the entire family had decided to make to the "Rhodes Bud" fund. It was a beautiful, touching moment! Carrie and Todd both cried and felt overwhelmed with love…it was everything Christmas is meant to be. That moment WAS Christmas for me. Knowing that our family had been able to come together and sacrifice for 2 people we love so much and for the little people we are waiting to meet and love was a precious, priceless moment. Carrie and Todd loved looking at the drawings that some of the nieces and nephews had made for them and truly the spirit of every member of our family was felt there. For just a moment, I also felt that the Rhodes’ children were present and rejoicing at the family that awaits them. What an amazing day it will be to meet them and hold them and welcome them to a family where they are so wanted and loved already! Truly, family is heaven on earth.

We finished the evening off with raspberry dessert, exquisite chocolate French Yule log, and something else yummy that is eluding me right now. (I know there were 3 amazing desserts…I’ll think of it.) We drank the traditional Jul Must (bad spelling), cracked pepperkakor in our hands (Grandpa Green is the only one that got 4 pieces…I’m hanging around him this year), and sat by the DVD fire on the big screen TV that truly not only creates a whole atmosphere but everyone swears gives off heat! It was a beautiful, amazing evening. Thank you to Carrie and Todd for hosting a memorable, sweet, fun, delicious, fabulous evening!

It was time to go. Our children were FREAKING OUT that Santa was on his way and we weren’t home in bed. As we walked out to our car, Hannah looked up in the sky and actually saw Santa and his sleigh. That meant he was close and truly intensified the need to quit all the "lovey-dovey" hugging stuff and get going. We headed home to open one present (new pajamas for everybody) and set out cookies and milk for Santa and carrots for the reindeer. Seeing that it was WAY past a decent hour for children to be up, they went to bed pretty quickly. Chris and I put an alarm clock in the boy’s room with strict instructions that they were NOT to leave the room or wake mom or dad up until the numbers on the clock started with at least a "7". Very important part of the Christmas season for adults.

Cute kids in new Christmas pajamas.

Cute girl in her new nightgown and slippers.

Cute boys in snuggly, matching pajamas.

Carrots on the front porch for the reindeer.

Boys loading up the plate of carrots.

Chris and I finally went to bed around 3:00 a.m. For a woman who really thought she had things all put together and ready, there certainly was a lot of last minute stuff to finish. But finally we went to bed with the sweet knowledge that the stockings were hung by the fireplace with care and great certainty that St. Nicholas soon would be there!
Merry Christmas!

Ode to the Sausage Roll

(Sing to the tune of "Oh Christmas Tree").
Written by: Amy, JC and MC

Oh sausage roll,
Oh sausage roll,
How lovely is your biscuit.

Oh sausage roll,
Oh sausage roll,
How lovely is your meat.

All tender and delightful,
We dip you in our ketchup,
Oh sausage roll,
Oh sausage roll,
How lovely Christmas morning.

(Please appreciate that I tried to balance the fat content of the sausage patty by buying the "heart healthy" version of the Bisquick. Somehow it made it all seem OK going down...)

Merry Christmas 2008

December 2008

Dear Family & Friends,

Merry Christmas! We hope this finds you somewhere warm, and cozy! It has been a fun, exciting, fast-paced year for our family and we are so grateful for the miracles and blessings we have received.

*One of the big highlights this year was a 10 day trip Chris and I took to Southern Italy. We were able to visit several areas where Chris had served as a missionary and had some amazing experiences. We ate gelato (Italian ice-cream) twice a day every day we were there. It was truly a wonderful vacation!

Overlooking the Sicilain town of Cefalu.

Two scoops a day.

Heavenly gelato.

*Jacob (7 years old) has had a year of discovering new talents and abilities. Last spring he "debuted" in his first theatrical school production as a demon bear (seriously!). He loved the experience and just found out today he made the school play again this year. He is in second grade and continues to devour books and loves history. He enjoys playing soccer and discovered a love for swimming this summer. Jacob recently got glasses and announced he might change his name to "Simon" because he thinks it sounds better for a person with smart looking glasses!

Our sweet 7 year old boy!

He has grown so tall this year.

Jacob the Nephite

Starting second grade


Jacob as a demon bear!

*Matthew (6 years old) continues to delight and amuse everyone around him with his huge personality and imagination. He started Kindergarten this fall and is learning to read and do all kinds of new things. He loves to swim, ride his bike and do anything fast and "extreme". He also tried out for the school play this year and got a speaking part! He constantly surprises us. If you ever need a really good laugh, come hear Matthew talk with his Italian mafia accent! It is classic.


Blackbeard the pirate

Matthew the Lamanite

Starting Kindergarten

Our amazing 6-year old boy

Can't get enough him!

*Hannah (4 years old) loves pink and all things "girly". She spends her days alternating between being a puppy or a kitty but we love her energy and imagination. She started preschool this year and loves going to school with her backpack. She loves to swim, dance, sing, and play with friends. I overheard her talking to herself the other day and had to laugh when I heard her say, "My mother is gone. My dad is on the road all the time." I swear we don’t listen to Willie Nelson here.

We never know what "outfit" we're going to find her in.

Our beautiful 4-year old girl.

Always giggles and joy.

Cinderella with her pig?

*We had some incredible experiences together as a family this year including a 3-day pioneer handcart trek through the wild prairies of Wyoming. It was an inspiring, life-changing experience. We also had the opportunity to attend family reunions this summer for both the Carr and Oscarson sides of the family. Both were wonderful events filled with cousins, fun, and more fun.

We hope this season finds all well in your homes and families. We love to hear from you and hope to see many of you this year. Happy Holidays!

Love,
Chris, Amy, Jacob, Matthew, & Hannah
Come look for us at www.unlimitedtatertots.blogspot.com!
Or email us: chrisamycarr@afconnect.com