High Ambitions!

Well, hey! So, on Sunday night we had our "Christmas Classics" fireside which Eric and I sang in and it was AWESOME! This one ranks up with Colorado All-State and College Choirs for sure! We really enjoyed it...but boy, it was a relief to knock it off of our list. So, we've been plowing through Christmas activities and Sunday night was a big one because then, all we would have left really was to get ready for the Choir program on Sunday...I've been neglecting the 6 pieces that I'm playing and to pack up and get ready for Colorado as well as an array of "little" everyday things.

So, Monday started out pretty well and we got some shopping out of the way and a little cleaning and Stephanie and the kids came to play and I taught my piano lessons that afternoon and then made dinner and for FHE we decided to take Maryn to the dollar store to get "WHATEVER she wanted" for her family and grandparents for Christmas gifts. Well, she took her time picking presents....like an hour and a half! and as we were checking out, Caleb randomly threw-up all over Eric and the floor. So I whisked him out to the car and got him cleaned up and calmed down and Eric stayed behind to clean it up all by himself. (Not a very fun experience with those top notch dollar store people making rude comments the whole time....he was a little irritated at their insensitivity and rudeness....although he handled it better than i would have....so thanks, honey!) I don't deal well with people knocking anything that has to do with one of my perfect children!

Anyway, so we came home and Caleb continues to throw up and we got Maryn's presents wrapped and under the tree...she was very excited about it. Next minute, they were both throwing up at the same time into the same bowl and Eric had run off to the store to buy pedialyte. Anyway, it was traumatic and they both continued to throw up all night every few minutes....it was aweful!!! So, I couldn't go visiting teaching yesterday or piano today because we are on the recovery...well, sort of because I have been feeling really nautious although have not been losing quite like the other two. What a bunch of sickies we are!

So, that's my sob story this week....needless to say that I haven't started on the cleaning, piano practicing and last minute shopping that was supposed to be well in hand by now. So, those of you attending our ward on Sunday, I apologize in advance for what comes out on that piano...it will likely sound like my week has gone:) Oh well, I think tomorrow will be better.

A Break at the Park

Maryn has become such a little poser!!! Her poses just crack me up!

Trying to get a picture of these two together is virtually impossible. Caleb poses for no man! You just have to catch him when he happens to look at you! So, sorry he's not smiling and it's not the best of Maryn but this is pretty much as good as it gets right now. So, here's a Christmas-ish picture for you!

A Little Christmas Wish from Maryn

This is a little song from Maryn....and Caleb was singing in the background too!

CHRISTMAS COMING

We’ve had so much fun with Maryn getting ready for Christmas! She is so excited about every little detail! We put up the tree this weekend and she is SO thrilled about it! I personally think that it is one of the ugliest trees I’ve seen but she picked out every aspect of the decorations including the tinsel star that lights up crowning the tree! For her, it could not be more magical. We’ve put a few gifts under the tree but I haven’t put any of hers out yet because she has managed to guess a lot of the ones out for other people so I’m scared of her guessing her own. Nothing gets passed her!

We laughed the other day as Eric was driving in the car with her and “Rudolph, The Red Nosed Reindeer” was on the radio. Eric was singing along, “You know Dasher, and Dancer, and Prancer….” And on down the list. Maryn said to Eric, “But Dad, what about Olive? You forgot Olive!” It wasn’t until half way through the song that he noticed her singing, “Olive, the other reindeer used to laugh and call him names….” We had a good laugh.

Well, we are swamped this December! Eric is so busy at work and tending to Sue (our injured horse), young mens, scouting & family. I am teaching piano as well as playing for 3 different choirs in Christmas concerts and Eric and I are singing in 2 more! I love all the Christmas craziness but I’m sure we will be relieved to climb onto the Denver-bound airplane on the 23rd (only a few hours after completing our final Christmas program)!

LITTLE PIG, LITTLE PIG, LET ME COME IN....

Well, right now, we are weathering a crazy storm! I really do feel like one of the three little pigs with our house about to be blown away…along the coast, we had hurricane force winds overnight (over 100 mph). Not quite as bad here although it felt like it. The power has been on and off, too.

By the way, after the “mouse hunt” last month, we totaled 13 by the end! Disgusting! But we haven’t caught any for a while so we think that we’ve got them all!

By the way, one our horses was hit by a car the day after Thanksgiving. She is okay and just has a big gash on her thigh although she is recovering well.

Another crazy part of life right now, I’ll call “Caleb Damage!” I wish there was an insurance that would cover it because I’m sure it would be worth our while! Recent calamities include:
· Plucked 75% of buttons off my laptop
· Exploded bottle of Children’s Ibuprofen in the microwave
· Unscrewed all the light bulbs from an entire string of Christmas lights
· Reprogrammed my cell phone a few times
· Cut up his clothes with safety scissors (don’t know how he managed this)…not so safe after all!
· Broke my glasses and ripped my contacts all within a 24 –hour period
· Permanently scribbled all over the piano bench and then poked holes in the padded part with the pen
· And Heaven only knows the things this little boy has shredded…

Why do I tell you this? I’ve been accused of painting a “perfect little life”…not always so! Nevertheless, we have been very blessed and pretty much everything is now resolved or resolving!