REALLY!!??!!

Every year we love to have a Christmas party with all of Jeff's high school buddies. Luckily I have come to love their wives as much as he likes his friends. We have had the party different places and here a few times, its always so much fun to get ready and have so much fun with everyone and good food. Well this year we were having it here so the other night Jeff and I were just finishing dinner with the kids and talking about putting the leaf in the table to sit more people, the only problem was that we have this huge sheet of tempered glass on top and it would look funny to have it covered in glass except for a foot on each end where it had been expanded. I suggested taking it off but Jeff said he didn't want to because he didn't want to risk breaking it. Understandable its expensive and where are we going to store a 6'x4' sheet of glass. While this conversation is going on; Hunter is on my lap tired of listening to the conversation, Jake is sitting in the high chair that connects directing to the table, and Jaxon is hanging on the high chair wanting a turn. In between sentences to Jeff, I am telling Jake to get out of the chair because he is too heavy and could break it and telling Jaxon over again to stop hanging on the chair because it will break. Not 20 seconds after Jeff utters the words, I don't want to move it so it won't break. With the pressure of Jax hanging and Jake's weight that's a total of 80ish pounds. Our glass shatters into a million pieces!!! This is no joke! Jake starts screaming, "I'm DEAD!!" Jax runs into the pantry guilty, and Hunter screams. Jeff sits there dumbfounded and I am in shock, then a start to cry for 10 seconds, and then I can't stop laughing!!! Did this really happen not 20 seconds before we said we didn't want it to break???!!! Yes. Needless to say, Jake isn't dead or even hurt, just scared and finally after five years the Spirit actually helped my react the right way. If you would have told me that my kids would have broken the glass and asked how I would have reacted, without any guilt I would have told you I would have raised my voice to the highest and sentenced them to years of imprisonment in their room! But magically Jeff and I just laughed, I told Jax it was an accident and don't worry about all the while holding back more laughter. We cleaned it up an hour later, moving all sorts of furniture. The dilemma of moving the glass for the party was fixed and on we went. Now if only I could react the right way all the other times trauma hits! Here are some pictures of the damage...

Christmas Cheer

Only FIVE days till Christmas!!! Decorations are up, wrapping is done, Christamas stories every night before bed, Christmas movie everyday! The countdown begins and I am excited. The first part of the month seemed to go so slowly, plus there was so much to still do! Christmas cards out, decorate, make goodies, buy gifts, wrap gifts, Christmas parties and now its so close. We weren't very faithful on our advent calendar until the boys asked me what day it was and I said the 15th! Then shocked I said, only ten more days till Christmas!!! Now its flying by and I will miss it when its gone. 

 These three are getting so big! Look at Hunter up on a stool helping cook like the big boys do. I love having these three in the kitchen. Mind you the youngest helps me trip as I cook with all the stuff he pulls out of every drawer and cupboard. The newest trick has been to teach Hunter how to bang on the metal pots. Creating havoc and distress in their mother as she tries to get dinner ready. I love it though. They get older and then no more banging, emptying, and helping mom because its cool to be able to cut the carrots and brown the meat. 

 This is by far our favorite Christmas tradition and love. Whenever the California Organge guy shows up in his truck in front of Peterson Plumbing we know Christmas is right around the corner. We love to have fresh squeezed oj in the morning and we eat these all day long.

 Here are some pictures of the house all decorated. My mom and dad don't usually get to see it all put together and this year we are going to spend Christmas in Ogden with my family and I am so excited. It brings back all the memories from my childhood and how exciting Christmas was. It also makes me realize how important those traditions are for our kids so they will have the same warm Christmas memories.

 This is my favorite room at Christmas time. We don't have enough space for the tree in the front room area so its in here and now that we have some furniture to sit on, thanks to Bev! What would I do without her?! We love you!

 They boys did a lot of their own decorating too. They made these at school and a party. Jax is getting to be a wizz at making snowflakes. This is sad, but I forgot until he taught me. I need some practice more often!

This is our Christmas card, just for all of those we couldn't get addresses for. We love you and miss you! We are thankful for our Savior especially at this time of year as we remember his birth, life, and sacrifice for us. May we give our gift of love to others and be an example of Him.

Bronco Heaven

Jeff and Jace and friends went to the Broncos game in San Diego. It was going to be a couple thing, but we had just returned from Hawaii and I was all traveled out and ready to stay home for a bit before the holidays hit. It was pure heaven for Jeff, I do wish I could have seen him that excited. He has been a Broncos fan since he was born. Through good times and bad. Its been a long time since he has been to a game so he was so excited and so was Jace (especially for Tebow). They drove straight there, watched the game and drove straight back. Quick trip to say the least but always worth it to watch the Broncos play.

A New Love and Challenge

In our family its we are always up for some sort of new challenge. Proof of that was Jeff's Ironman race this past spring and my marathon this fall (that was nothing compared to the ironman though). So in August we had been hearing for a while about a new gym called Crossfit. We researched it, looking at the pros and cons, asked people who knew about it and went there. So we decided Jeff would sign up first, he was super sore but felt a lot stronger. So I decided to sign up in October till December and see if I liked it or not. It is really different and I love it! It combines Olympic weightlifting techniques, with quick body weight exercises. Sometimes the workout is "for time" which means you do it as fast as humanly possible. Which usually makes me want to throw up and lie there not moving after its over. After I recover though I am pumped with what I just accomplished and want to get better and stronger and faster. For example, one workout we were climbing a 20' rope and trying to see how many times we could do it in 2 minutes. I could only make it to 10' but I did it 4 times. Never in my life did I think I could climb a rope let alone four times over! I used to leave that to the gymnasts and Cirque people in Vegas! It is challenging and I don't know if I can do it through the summer because I love being outside, but for this winter, this is our challenge. Its all in the thrill of accomplishing something you never thought possible. Its energizing, motivating, and hard! Check it out here...www.crossfitcedarcity.com