Motivation: Part 2 - Christmas and New Year

A Christmas Eve miracle! I fought every anti-social, homebody, hermit tendency I've ever had, and invited some friends and their kids over to the house for a Christmas Eve shindig. I have to give a shout-out to my husband for helping and encouraging me through my anti-socialness and doing most of the work for this party.The night started out with the kids decorating cookies and getting loaded with lots of sugar.

After, all the sugar we tried to get our kids to perform the Nativity. This is as good as it got. The angels were perfect, the younger boys weren't having anything to do with it, and Mary (Kimball), wouldn't come sit down until she had her fancy church shoes on, but the baby Jesus was very well behaved, of course.

Kimball, her shoes, and our neighbor Ammon trying to be as patient as he could as Joseph. The adults enjoyed singing some carols and hymns while the kids worked out the rest of their sugar. Thank goodness for our friends who enjoy music and can hold a note much better than myself. They really helped me get into the Christmas spirit and remember what this day is all about.

After the shindig, we put the kids in their new PJ's and got them excited about sleeping, so Jason and I and Santa (of course) could get ready for the next morning.

Here is some of the joy that was captured on Christmas morning.

After Christmas, we headed up to Midway to visit my parents and my sister and her family. To sum it up, it was COLD. The few times we ventured outside the kids were dressed like this.

Then, the only way I was getting out of the house was for a trip to the tubing hill.

Jason being the ultimate dad, and pulling his 2 kids, plus his own tube. We were very grateful this place had a tow rope to get us to the top of the hill.


Kimball - cold, but happy.

Jack - cold, and trying to decide if this is worth being happy for.

And now, this is the last thing recorded on our camera before it was destroyed by an over zealous cameraman. Kimball or Jack has officially killed our digital camera. So, I guess I'm getting a new camera for my birthday this year.

We took this video because we were trying to show how Tod has started dunking his face and blowing bubbles. He has since gotten much better at lifting his face back up to get a fresh breath of air.

And, on another note... Jason and I found out that baby #4 (due at the end of May) is a BOY! We were kind of expecting a girl and had a name all picked out. So this has thrown us for a loop, and we're having a difficult time coming up with a name. As far as having 3 boys in a row, I'm very excited and hope we can keep the testosterone to a manageable level as they grow up together.

O Motivation, where have you been hiding? Part 1

I'm finally getting motivated enough to sit down at the computer, instead of trying to get a nap, to make an attempt to catch up on our lives. Let's get started.

After Thanksgiving, we headed to Disneyland for a quick trip. Really we wanted to hang out with my brother Ben, and his family before they moved to Missouri. And very rarely do we pass up an excuse to go to Magical Kingdom.

Kate, Kimball, Anna, and Jack trying to keep themselves entertained while they were waiting for their Mickey Mouse pancakes.

I made Jason "take one for the team" and go on the teacups with Kimball and Jack. I really am getting old, because there is no way I was riding that ride without turning green. Thanks J!

The best part of this trip was that Jack and Kimball are both tall enough to ride some of the good roller coasters. We all rode on the roller coaster in Toonland.

And this is Kimball getting ready for her first time on Thunder Mountain. Yea for being 39 in. tall! Disneyland becomes a whole new world. She laughed, screamed, and giggled, and rode most of the ride with her hands up in the air. It was very fun to take her on her first real roller coaster! She can't wait to do all of the other rides.



Tod gets a video in this post, because he gave us quite the scare before Christmas. His stomach decided it was going on strike which began a week long bout of the pukes and diarrhea. After one trip to an E.R., 2 office visits to the doctor, and losing one pound, Tod and this stomach ended up being admitted to the hospital. He had to stay for 3 1/2 days, on an I.V. and being tested for all sorts of stomach viruses. His vomiting stopped, but the diarrhea still continues (yes, currently still has the "rrhea"). So, we're testing his diet to see if maybe he's intolerant to gluten and if not that, then I'll try to eliminate lactose from his regimen. Either way, he's doing a lot better, is very happy and gaining weight again.

Here he is post hospital and doing well. Practicing his "zerbert" skills on the couch.

Once we knew Tod was going to be okay, I started stressing about getting Christmas taken care of. Unfortunately, this was the year I had procrastinated much of my Christmas responsibilities, and being stuck in the hospital for a couple days sure didn't help. We didn't Christmas cards out, but here's what they would have looked like.