Christmas Wedding!!!

To add to our Christmas festivities Dan and I were able to fly out to McCallen, Texas from December 18-21st (the farthest SOUTH you can go in the US, even farther south then Florida) to see Dan's sister Kerri get married~ for a long weekend (*thanks to Aunt Cara at home who babysat the 4 kids)

~

This wedding has been a long time coming...

Kerri has always made our family a priority in her single life plans, we were always on her agenda and she always would come to our home and spoil our kids.

We were glad we could celebrate with her and Marcileno Clemente DE LA FUENTE (my favorite part is that new last name!)

Not to mention, how often do you get to get away from the kids around the holidays?
Despite my petrified nature on the planes, it was so nice to get a "break" from it all and party during the busy season!

We had 2 nights of SERIOUS Texas bar-b-q

We had some at Marcy's house the night before and then they had it catered at the reception.

Oh my yum!! My mouth waters thinking about the fajita beef..mmmmm

It was nice being back in TEXAS-you always have a little Texas pride after you have lived there!

They know how to party at their receptions for sure

Despite it being catered with bar-b-q Mexican food they also hired

a Mariachi(sp) Band

OK, this was no ordinary band...it was THE BEST one I have EVER heard,

they had a full on band (violins, reg. and bass guitars, trumpets and Andrea Bocelli Hispanic style vocalist--they even made firecracker sounds with their mouths) and were super talented!

Aunt Kerri looked like the most beautiful senorita EVER!

It was fun being able to watch her getting ready a little bit before, and help decorate a little!
They also asked Dan and I to do a little poem reading for the ceremony.

(Marcy was baptized last June so they look forward to the sealing later.)

It was so fun to see Kerri romantic and "in love" as we really have not seen her that way!

We even got Dan on the (Dj'd) dance floor to pay and dance with his sis!
There was dancing...

AND Fireworks (i LOVE Dan's face- ha ha ha) ...

AND Happy SMiles!

(and the last of our Christmas shopping finished)

~

Thanks for the FUN weekend and giving us more reasons to LOVE you (giving us a Marcy)

Happy Christmas Wedding!!!

Christmas Concerts!!!!

So the day Dan and I left for Texas to see Aunt Kerri get married-it proved to be a most eventFULL day.

After helping in the classes, getting all the kids gifts to teachers, sending in icing for class parties, getting rides to basketball games and practices, shopping, laundry, agendas, medical information, packing....

We also had 2 CHRISTMAS CONCERTS to attend!The FIRST sweet concert we attended that afternoon was at

RYLAND'S PRESCHOOL

his preschool is at another local elementary school

and

at times they are pulled in to help with the special needs preschool

today-they all did a song and poem!

Then, Ryland decorated and iced a sugar cookie for everyone in the family including himself
Once again, the craft portion of the day was Ryland's absolute FAVORITE!!!

Dacie was NOT complaining much either...after all she thinks she belongs there too, and who can complain about front row seating in the kitchen play set with a sugar cookie to boot!

It was a sugary and smiley afternoon!

~

That evening Dacie and I snuck away from the mayhem at home and went to Sterling's kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd combined choir concert (he was the TALLEST)

My boys SURPRISE me in regards to singing! Where Colton might lack with expression Sterling makes up for. He sings with his mouth wider than ANYONE I have seen. And he can do a mean hip shake for rockin' around the Christmas tree!

He does PRECISELY what the teachers tell him too...

He also got to stand front and center rubbing the sand paper, and a little jig action for Feliz Navidad!

He was a little ROCK STAR... and I am glad we were able to squeeze in the last holiday concert that evening,

schedule busyness and all!

Sterling looked like such a little man that night, and it was cute to hear comments of people around me about him!

Sterling and Ryland are my little STUDS!!!

Christmas FuN!!!

Since Santa came to our home this morning, AND everyone is off playing with presents~I thought I would take a few minutes and do what I enjoy...blogging!

Wednesday December 16th's Playgroup Santa payed us a visit!!! He arrived while the kids were doing crafts!

Here is Dacie and Ryland showing off their reindeer candy canes!!
Dacie went sprinting to him when he came in the room, and promptly attached herself to his leg.
Then when he picked her up she just laid her head on his shoulder and patted his back.
She was smitten....when he left to go back home and get ready for Christmas later, she cried!

The crafts were by far Ryland's FAVORITE thing, well maybe....since he did get 4 pieces of pizza at the end!

(Thanks to our gracious hostess Brenda who always goes ALL OUT for this activity)

This Santa is REAL...he has always been our favorite!!!

Ryland informed him that he wanted a stuffed animal BUT NOT a teddy bear because he does not like them-ha ha ha

Visions of sugar plums danced in our heads that night!

The Most Wonderful BUSIEST time of the YeaR!

(BIG tree that fell on our neighbors home. It does not look like much BUT it was probably one of the best shade trees around!)

~

Last week could very well have been the busiest week in December...we'll see!!!

(if you look closely you can see the neighbor on his roof cutting down the tree--ironically he is an arbors man)



In the mean time...I will fill you in, because it is what is making this HOLIDAY season Fun and Busy!!!

Monday- We had Dacie's preschool at our home. It started raining that morning so the tent/tunnel/tepee I had set up for outdoor play was useless.

That rain turned into a SEVERE STORM that night- with 60 mph winds! It was sooo loud, it sounded like thunder.

After basketball practice we stayed warm and cozy inside to make gingerbread houses of our own (since I had done it that day at preschool) for family home evening
Here is our prized creations below!

Dacie just added to her house after the kids had nibbled on it all day!

Mine comes complete with a fish pond, shade tree (much to be desired), smiley face front, and candy corn fire pit out back

Sterling's was straight out of the game candy land--it had to be converted to a car garage after the front got thumped down, while he was trying to eat a OLD HARD piece of licorice.

Ryland was all about layers!

Dan's was precise, clean and symmetrical with a juicy fish chimney (we love raiding our old candy jar for these)

Sterling's candy land

Colton's was a retro modern art apartment that belongs in LA!

The rest of the week was spent listening to fighting, watching the houses disappear and cleaning an endless supply of crumbs!!!

(some pieces of the roof I found on our back deck)

Tuesday- We awoke to a SERIOUS mess from the storm the night before. Parts of our roof had blown off, the tent I had set up in the front yard was demolished, our front patio umbrella and table set had blown right over...shattered (non breakable) glass EVERYWHERE and broken the patio set. Our garland and lights had blown off. I am glad Dan decorated outside early this year...only to have to re-do it! Our neighbors had a HUGE shade tree land on their roof.

Our electricity had gone in and out 3 x's that night and from the sounds outside we knew we were in for it.

I was suppose to go to Colton's class to help BUT had to cancel so I could wait for the roof guy to come and assess the damage before the next storm blew in. The JOYS of home ownership! Merry Christmas HOUSE!

We were also waiting for an install of direct TV for a deal that seemed too good to be true (it was!)

Dacie and I spent many hours cleaning up the "damage" while waiting

Dacie called the glass "ice" and thought it was oh so pretty... so it was hard to teach her that it was GLASS!

While cleaning it up a piece went right through my shoe and into my foot. I pulled it out and went on my way..until I started noticing bloody footprints everywhere. I bled right through my shoe. Dacie was so worried and freaked out a bit. I got the bleeding stopped and called Dan to come home at lunch and bandage it up. My tummy does inhibit some things!

I got clearance from my "physical therapist" as a good puncture wound and had a bandage all the way around my foot...so it would not re-open, That way I could go to my stake meetings with the stake presidency that night. There was a huge accident on the highway that night and what takes us 7 minutes to get to the church took me 45!

Wednesday- Was a playgroup day. We went as a playgroup to a nearby 'nursing" home and sang songs to some of the patients there and gave them cookies!

Dacie and Ryland had never been in a setting like that before. Dacie WOULD NOT let go of my finger the whole time, but never turned away a hug or handshake from the older folk. Ryland warmed up by the end and wanted to sing and run into every room. I was glad they were able to do something like this. i have always had a tender spot for the elderly and would love my children too!

Afterwards, we found the bed of a truck full of snow (from the storms up north 45 minutes away, that had them in blizzard conditions). So I let the kids smash, throw, freeze and take a bite or 2 of it. Then we went to a park nearby and played while Cara watched, and I grabbed some evap. milk from the nearby grocery store to make my first batch of biscuits and gravy that evening!

(Colton in top back row 4th from left)

That evening we went to Colton's choir concert. Colton joined the extra-curricular school choir this year. He even had a solo and sang in a trio (in We are the World). I was not sure he was ready to perform by himself for the whole school or evening audiences... but he nailed it! He has the purest little boy voice. He shows very little emotion but is so exactly precise!

Dan even rushed through his closing patients so he could make it, and he did!!!

Thursday- While Ryland was at preschool, Dacie and I went to the boys elementary school and helped in Colton's class and with Santa's Workshop- our PTO store. This is not the first time I have taken Dacie with me...she does so well there and enjoys being there. We got done with our overextended shift just in time to go get Ryland from preschool ,right before the boys got home.

The FUN nights started taking their toll and I could NOT find Ryland when it was time to go to an after-school birthday party. I finally did find him, sound asleep on our front porch swing. We woke him up for the party as he would have been devastated and met up with him again at the ward party.

The ward party was a simple, perfect and yummy affair. We each brought a five dollar gift and did a little fun gift exchange game, a nativity (the boys were shepherds and Ryland was a star) by the primary and a little program. The dinner was yum, and it was nice to not have to worry about feeding our busy brood for a night!

(Colton is in the stripped towel in the background)

(Ryland as a star, notice the garland star on his chest, blue shirt in background, middle by angels)
Friday-I was answering phones for work all week as well- (YEAH! much needed Christmas money) I tried to stay home as much as possible and get things in order for the holidays as I am going to be leaving next week for a few days. We cleaned the house spic and span!

Saturday- Our car engine made some really really ugly noises and shaking as we started the cold car to begin our Saturday errands. We had to solidify drop off plans with the dealership and get a rental car in order for this coming week.We patched and painted hooks and rods that were torn down in the house, bathrooms and front entry way. My entry way was being taken over by back packs, shoes, and coats! We got a bigger Christmas tree given to us by friends, shopped for presents, and were pretty busy all day. I also prepared a talk into the wee hours and Dan played his games as well-as he felt like a slave man most the day!

Sunday- I went to a speaking assignment in Sedona with the high councilmen for their sacrament. I try to take a kids with me when I go on speaking assignments, it seems that even taking one out of the mix lightens the load at home a bit for Dan. Sterling got to go to 4 ours of church today! It was super rainy but still a pretty drive there. We started putting up the Christmas tree, but realized that we did not have enough lights on our now bigger tree. We got a surprise knock at our door and for the first time we have ourselves a "secret Santa", and 12 days of Christmas at that. The kids are ECSTATIC about it.

We LOVE this time of the year. We LOVE having places to go and people to celebrate with. We realize that our busy'ness is all good things and are grateful for it. It also makes us appreciate being home with nothing to do as well!

This week we have classrooms to help in, Santa to see, 2 concerts to go to, presents to exchange, seminary party's to plan, holiday classroom parties to participate in, and a LONG weekend to plan for. Dan and I are flying out Friday to see his sister get married. SO maybe last week was not the busiest one...but we wouldn't have it any other way!

It's the most wonderful BUSIEST time of the year!!

The IRONY of it ALL!

VOTING UPDATE:

For all of you wondering,Dan voted for Catherine and Russell...and as most of you know, they were the first 2 to make it into the finals!

Last night was the performance finals...so it was my turn to vote for the first time!

Dan voted (again) and was done in 2 seconds flat. I got on the phone RIGHT AFTER and the lines were busy for over an hour...so I missed my opportunity!

How funny is that?!!!

BREAKING NEWS!!!!

STOP THE PRESS!

While I was at a stake Young Women's meeting last night Dan picked up the phone and VOTED for 2 dancers from the popular reality show "So You Think You Can Dance."

Ummm, if anyone knows Dan real well you are probably as surprised as I was- he typically is NOT into any form of reality shows (particularly DANCING).

YES, I DVR it and watch it in the evenings- he is usually in the room but preoccupied with other things.

YES, I found it extremely cute that he did!

Sooo when I got home and heard him say he voted I ask him where this inspiration came from:

He said the judges said if you have never voted, tonight would be the night to do it

HE DID (and he said it took less than a minute)!

NOW you have to ask him WHO he VOTED for!