Almost Christmas!

Dec Fri Dec 19th 08
Drive to Colorado! We had quite a trip – went to a truck stop to get some sleep, it was really windy, Doug got out to get some blankets out of the back, and some stuff blew out of the car. We thought it was just receipts etc, and did not bother to chase them down. 3 hours down the road at the next gas station we discovered that one of the things that blew out of the car was Doug’s wallet!!! We drove all the way back to the truck stop, and thankfully, there was Doug’s wallet, laying on the street on the side of the road. Also, our gas gage was sticking. We thought we had 50 miles to empty, decided to wait until the next town 30 miles away, half way there on a hill the gas gage started plummeting, pretty soon we were down to 8 miles to empty, then 5 then 2 – I thought we were going to have to walk to get gas, and we were next to a federal penitentiary facility! We coasted into the gas station with it reading 0 miles left. I guess we really lucked out twice! Then we got to Colorado, and that morning there was a big plane wreck at DIA – a plane that went between Denver and Houston. Considering all the things that could go wrong, it is a miracle that any endeavor ever succeeds.



Sat Dec 20th – Wed 24th
For the first part of the trip we stayed at Dorothy’s.



Here we are trying to get pictures of the kids on Sunday morning before church. I guess I need to learn how to Photoshop them together if I am going to get any good pictures of them!







It was fun to go to the Golden ward and see everyone again. The student ward overlapped, there were only about 15 people there. They had a little Christmas program with snacks, it was fun.

Kids in Dorothy’s back yard playing in the snow.





Tuesday Dec 23rd
Grampy’s 90th birthday party!



We all went to the white fence farm, lots of people there. We let the kids have their own little table, had to tell the waitress no more bowls of corn fritters for the kids! Autumn ate I don’t know how many. Mom had everyone stand up and tell who they were and how they knew grampy. Joe was the loudest of course, saying everyone should have an uncle like Jack. Granny and Grampy looked really good considering Granny’s fall and Grampy’s little surgery (he got the stitches out yesterday). It was great that they can still get out and do this kind of stuff, that we had this time together.








They had the place all decked out for Christmas, a Santa and Mrs. Clause, very exciting.





Wed Dec. 24th – Christmas Eve!
For Christmas eve mom found a spot where we could go have a bonfire / horse hay ride. Everyone brought food etc. It was really fun. Tony and Jeanie brought a really good potato / chili soup, and there were hot dogs, marshmallows, etc. Everyone looks the same as last year except for the kids, Emily is taller than her mom now.






We sang songs – horribly off key and without a conductor. Anjee I think knew the most words to the songs, Ellie introduced us to a few new songs.

This one can be sung in a round:

WHY DOTH NOT MY GOOSE


Why doth not my goose
Sing as well as thy goose
When I paid for my goose
Twice as much as thine







Nammy said autumn gave the horses some great BIG kisses

Roasting Marshmallows – Seth had quite a torch out of his!

James #4 B-day!!!!!!!!!!

Friday Dec 12th
Happy Birthday James! I let James open up one little present in the morning, a set of spaceship toys / shuttle etc… and they played with that while I was decorating, and cooking. We ended up with enough cookies to take around to H/VT people. When Doug got home we went caroling / gave away cookies. We could use some more practice singing, but the kids had fun, looking at more Christmas lights etc. Finally, after an hour of driving cookies around – James was getting a little worried, but we finally made it to Chuckie-Cheese (James’ choice). We did all the race car rides, the big rocking horse, and avoided all the gambling games. Horrible that they should make games for kids that are just like slot machines etc. Made it home, and let James open up gifts from Nammy and grGmpa Moose which were a big hit.

Saturday Dec 13th
This morning I let Doug sleep in and have a morning with the kids while I went on the missionary blitz. It was nice morning out. As soon as I got home handing our church stuff out, I saw another group walking down the street, and then a third group – JW’s at our door. I told them that we did not believe in the trinity either, and they smiled and left us with a watchtower. I got home in time for Doug to have his Saturday outing, Heather’s turn this week. Did laundry, cleaned up the house for James big party.

Cool dino toys! (Almost as fun as the bubble wrap!)



Well, 3 and 4 year olds sure know how to party! Poor Warren, James had his present open before he could even get in the door. I got it away again, put the stuffing back in the bag, and talked him into waiting until after the cake. Khi-Khi poured his juice into his party hat. Mary asked and asked for the piece of cake with the #4 candle on it, so I gave it to her, then she said she did not like her cake… later on I found the #4 candle with a big bite out of it. Melissa told us that Crystal was sneaking something. We asked what did she get into? Melissa (her older sister) said I don’t know, but she has that look on her face. We never did find out what Crystal got into, but she definitely had the look of someone with a guilty conscious. Opening presents was of course a mad house. It started at the table, then moved onto the floor, and then out into the living room. I gave up trying to sort it all out. The kids already had way too much sugar, and top that with a bunch of new toys, everyone just a little over stimulated. Of course one of the presents broke in the first five minutes of kids all tug-of-warring over it. I told the giver of the present that we just had to get some more batteries for it so they would not feel bad (I think I might be able to fix it). We did a dinosaur hunt and decorated (and ate) gingerbread cookies. Lots of girls, Warren and Khi-Khi were the only boys.






pouring juice into and drinking out of party hats :)


Too much sugar!


Almost all the girls (Heather and Lilly missing from pict).


It's hard not to peek!




Cake time! Yes, sometimes it helps to climb up onto the top of the table to get a better view of things. It was a dino cake with a mountain/volcano (made up mostly of frosting – most of the kids only eat the frosting anyways) with a little blue lake at the bottom. With al the candles lit it was quite a sight!

Snow!

Wed Dec 10th
Snow! In Kingwood! Who would have thought? It started around 3:30, right after we dropped Heather off at girl scouts. It turned from rain, to little hails, to snow! We were driving around up to New Caney for a Kingwoodyardsale thing, it was really neat to see it! We stopped at Holleywood video to get Heather’s teacher a gift card, and everyone who worked there was outside just watching it fall. James said the snow was “embarrassing”. He gets these new big words, and then just has to use them somewhere. It did not start sticking until later, after it was dark. We let the kids stay up late to see it. the new neighbors were out in it too. Just last Saturday their daughter was out working in the yard, she told me she had never seen snow, they wanted to go to Colorado for Christmas too, but are unable too. I’m glad it snowed for her.

This morning Jessica watched the kids so I could go to school with Heather to make Ginger bread houses. I got stuff so that James and Autumn can make their tomorrow with their joy school group. It was a fun project. Little Autumn really really wanted to eat Heather’s house. She cried and cried to see it, then cried some more doing sign-language putting her hand in her mouth showing she wanted to eat it. Poor Autumn. We will see how it goes tomorrow!

Monday Dec 1st

We dropped Kent and the girls off at the airport this morning after taking Heather to school. She was a little sick this weekend, but I went ahead and chanced that she would be OK, and she was. They wrote Christmas letters to Santa today, so I am glad she did not miss it. We decorated the Christmas tree for FHE tonight.