Squish...

I'm just coming out of a blitz of sorts.  I recently had the insane impulse to purge which was probably a by product of spending lots of time at home while the nasty cold virus worked its way through our little ranks.  That coupled with the need to find new homes for new toys and take down the old tannenbaum and satisfy an O.C.D. tendancy to start 2013 all nice and clean.

Anywho... The storage room was looking more like a dusty old corner of a nineties collector's store and my kids were starting to use the "dark room" as the stage for their daily "treasure hunts" and they would come back with the most random of all objects.  Things I didn't even know lived in the dark room.

So - ever the gal o' action... I tackled her.  I was loading end tables and bed frames and all kinds of large objects like a female Paul Bunyon while my big and little boys worked their way through boxes of Puffs Plus and watched "Mater and Lightning" for the eighteenth time and I done rid the storage room of all things even questionably surpufluous.  

I have bags of baby clothes that are either going to friends or sisters or a thrift store somewhere because... as I've recently discovered about myself... I don't like to hold on to "stuff".  I am not sentimental about those home made dollar store Christmas stockings I made when RyGar and I lived in our first apartment or those little moccasins that were an impulsive splurge when my arms didn't even have a baby whose chubby toes would fit snuggly into them.  Which is strange because at the time, those little puff painted monogrammed stockings made my heart swell and I would instinctively gaze at my wedding ring every time they caught my eye.  And those tiny leather moccasins brought tears to my eyes whenever my fingers rubbed their soft suede.

I swear,  I'm not a cold blooded gal... I have feelings, but I guess I done growed up a little bit and I have come to the realization that "things" are just things that sometimes we try to squish into storage bins, but those darn things just don't hold memories like my heart or my mind.

They don't shape my memories even if they were a part of them... and can I say that I'm glad?  Because with three boys who tote around mini-cars, "guys" and tiny animal figurines just to go down for a nap - well, you can see as well as I can that there is enough hoarding going on for all of us.

Anyway, I think the anti-squish project is part of my over arching New Years goal.  I would like to more fully purge extra stuff in life and just focus on what really matters.  My darling family.  Being patient and kind and good and healthy and strong.  Being alive and happy and productive but also more flexible and willing to shove aside the to do list when life calls for it.

And that is what lucky 2013 is gonna be all about.

The good stuff.  The amorphous stuff that can't be squished or collect dust in a corner... 

Here's to forging our way into a happy New Year! 

Cheers. Chin Chin. Swig. 

:)

Merry and White...

There is nothing in this world that I love more than these faces.  

And these faces at Christmas?

Priceless.

I really mean it.  If there is one thing this year has taught me, it is that these littles of ours just aren't staying little and they are so precious to me it hurts.  They made our holiday, pure bliss despite some "boogs" and "coughs"... one might say they were like a Puffs Plus Kleenex on a chapped nose.  Oh come on - I am nothing without a good simile.  

And so, our Christmas vacay in parts.

Beginning with SLEDDING in our winter wonderland!  Don't you just adore Mother Nature when she cooperates with Bing Crosby and makes a white Christmas?  I know, me too.

And don't you just bust a gut at little toddlers dressed as live marshmallow men to tackle the frigid air?  They look hysterically cute and somewhat astronaut-esque eh?

"That's one small step for a man; one giant leap for man kind."

I could just roll over and die a proud white trash mama to see my kiddos sledding in a meat sled behind a four-wheeler all big by themselves!  Except that I'm too busy joining them.  

Don't you just love when the hubs gets all manly and dresses in camo and revs the four-wheeler and then gets snowflakes caught in his goatee?

It's kind of a perfect juxtaposition to me.

Nice sunnies Mister K.

And now on to chapter two, 

Random Acts of Christmas about "Grampa's Famous Red House"...

Daximus callin' it a day with Grampa Hooky.

(In case you were wondering, it ain't Maybelline, he's just born with it.  Hello Lashes.)

Acers building lego towers x 1 million with patient Gramma Gail.

And the art-eests... making masterpieces for Santa. 

We saw pretty lights.

Delivered goodies to Uncles and Aunts.

Made a sad little gingerbread house.

And Play-doh-ed ad nausea.

And then, 

'Twas the night before...

Now brace yourself for Chapter Three... Christmas Mornin'
Because these faces that RyGar caught on camera might just say it all...

OK.

Ready?

Be still my heart....

HOLY CRAP, SANTA!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

(Obnoxious overuse of exclamation points totally necessary here)

Because, Seriously - Santa Rocked it hard for Christmas 2012.

And lest we forget, Acers reminds us that sometimes, it's the little things that mean a lot.

 

Sweet baby.

You are awesome.

x 1 million

 And now, you know where I am at all times since the morning of December 25th... Outside, freezing my heiny off as I supervise two crazy little toddlers whose smiles are frozen on their faces for the love of their new "Bwu Four Wheewers".

It was EPIC.

And we are very lucky.

Reindeer Food...

T minus three days 'til the big day.

And even though it is literally freezing out... I could not resist one last outing.  

Because, Dude... 

We saw Santa's reindeer.

I knew my kids would go nuts about it.  I mean, really, do you think there could be anything cooler than that if you were tiny and you'd been singing Jingle Bells at the top of your lungs every day or talking to Santa weekly for the past month?  

As aforementioned... we totally dig Christmas this year.

And even though they had convinced themselves they could feed old Dasher, there were no tears shed after a tiny bit of anxiety/fast talkin'.  In fact... it was all a bit mesmerizing and magical. 

Especially when Blitzen came up for some one-on-one face time with Kaelster.

Just look at that candid little face.

I think it may have had something to do with the hat - eh?

Acers thought it was pretty awesome to see the "DEEE-YA".  And he'd look at me with his big saucer blues and then reach his little hand out and proclaim them deer once again and then look back at me and smile.  I almost just melted right there in a puddle of mama love - except that - again, it was 29 degrees out so I remained in my solid state.

And there you have it.  Another thing to say we done did this holiday season under the guise of doing it "for the kids".  Feed the Rangifer Tarandas... that's right... just thought I'd throw in a little trivial pursuit 411 in case you're gathering around the table for family game night tonight.  It's my Christmas gift to you... the scientific name for Santa's Reindeer.  What can I say - I'm a giver.  :)

Merry Christmas... 

From Prancer and me.

Dinner is Served...

And now, a small reprieve from the Holiday posts of yore...

Yore.  Ha Ha.

Have I ever told you about RyGar's fish tacos?

Seriously, I think if we lived in the islands, Ry would run a famous fish taco truck.  He'd wear only cargo shorts and flips (oh wait, how is this vision different from our reality?) and locals and tourists alike would flock to whatever sandy beach he was serving up his delicacies at for the day and Guy Fieri would do some funky Food Network special on him and his secret sauces.

Three cheers for RyGar for not having "Guy" hair, eh?

Not only does he catch the fish.  He marinades it, grills it, & serves it up hot with all the perfect fixins.  And this from a gal that doesn't even really love like fish.  Now you know why RyGar will get away with Alaskan fishing trips every so often in his life.  To stock his lady's freezer with halibut and salmon  and possibly further the fish taco truck dream.

Anywho, earlier this week I completely drew a blank and had zilch dinner plans and this gem of a hubs of mine pulled out the old fish taco idea (because what about fish tacos doesn't scream Christmas, right?) and my only job was to buy the trimmings from the grocery store.

I am indisputably good at buying stuff.

SO... if you're headed into town for a visit, and you'd like your taste buds to dance a little jig - just call up RyGar and request his house special.  It'll cost you, a kid or two on your lap during the entire evening, but it'll be OH so worth it!  I promise to pour you a sparkling beverage that compliments the main entree and have a good chat while the magic is made.

Scouts Honor.
And Ryno - I kiss yo face, Chef extraordinaire!

Batting a Thousand...

Up to this very year, we have reveled in a perfect record for Santa visits and amenable kiddos.  

And then, this happened.

Oh, Acey.  You're THAT kid!

Silly little "stranger danger" babe of ours.

Bless your "beating out of your chest" little heart.

Good thing we have the pros to show you the errs of your ways, little man.

These two are amaze-fest good at exactly two things:

1.  Working it.  In any given situation.
&
2.  Christmas.  With an emphasis on Santa.

(They may not be the most pro-fesh of all Santa pics... but they were, indeed free.)

  

And look at my sassy little Santa speakers? 

They SO have this shtick down, y'all.  

The Weekend...

So the weekend, you ask?

Dude, we had a K.O. around here.

A Christmas K.O.

It was a weekend made of the good stuff.

(Which in turn makes it a weekend full of tired babies and snooty noses, as you know. Whaddya do.)

Friday night we chose to draw close to all things that were good.  After the tragedy in Connecticut we chose to let our faces find the light and to focus on our blessings in the form of perfect baby boys that make us a family.  The sadness is too tangible and the incident is completely unspeakable and our hearts ache for all the families involved.  We pray for them that they might find the tiniest bit of respite from their suffering... In due time.  

We are grateful for our knowledge of Eternal families.  And hope that the holidays and the spirit of Christ might bring some fraction of joy in the midst of an emotional storm.

So... We saw the big guy... SANTA at the new outlet stores in our neck of the woods.  In all reality it was our THIRD visit with the big man, because we like to check in frequently and scout out which Santa's location is giving the best goods, you know?  Thus far, our local grocer Kohlers is in the lead by a mile... a whole bag of goodies, chocolate milk and warm cookies?  Are you kidding me?

I think eventually we'll post a picture of the kiddos with Santa, but I'm too darn cheap to pay the twenty buck price tag for my one lowly 5x7 and it seems this year Santa's helpers have doubled as I-Phone police and thus far I've wussed out, so no pics.  Where did my spine go?  I don't know.  I was just wondering that very thing.  

Then Saturday we woke up to more snow!  We shoveled in full garb and threw snowballs up at Acey who was watching out the playroom window and then we headed to meet cousins at the bounce house while Daddy-o went bird hunting.  The littles bounced their little selves silly and Ace seriously thinks he is at least four and was scaling ladders and sliding down mountainous slides and giving me small coronaries all morning long... hence, no pictures.  Travesty.

And then the cherry on the top.

Have you ever seen City Creek lit up for Christmas?  

What about temple square... been lately?

This is the Salt Lake Temple - where families are made forever.

I am so so grateful for the work done within this beautiful house of the Lord.

Seriously, it had been a few years for us and let me tell you... either I was seeing it through my kiddos eyes or it was flat out magical.  Plus, light little snowflakes were tumbling down from the night sky and getting caught in my beautiful babies' lashes which will make any mama swoon... Total Fact.

Ry's parents sponsored the entire evening.  And it was downright perfect to have a chunk of his family  there with us to toodle babies and enjoy the sights & sounds.

Oh Christmas.  You're sort of addicting.

And bright.

And calm. 

But only in small spurts like .27 parts of a second, like this one.

-xo to everyone-
Extra xoxoxo to Connecticut