Our White Washington Christmas

This year was so crazy for us! The moment I got on the plane back to Washington from Utah I thought I had a bad case of motion sickness, but it turned out to be the flu. Yuck! I was stuck taking care of my kids while being so sick (the story of any mother, right??) and I wasn't able to unpack or clean the house for a few days - and Christmas was a week away! Gratefully, my saint of a mom came to my house and brought food for the kids and got them down for naps so I could rest and get better. Thanks mom! When I started to feel better, another crazy thing happened. It snowed. And snowed. And snowed. We got like almost two feet!

We took the boys sledding. We tried to buy some sleds, but everywhere was sold out, so we tried to use trash can lids (so ghetto!) but they didn't work very well, but some nice people at the playground where we went let us use theirs. The playgroud has a big hill - it's awesome for little kids.

Rix was really good at letting Cole go with him. I need to invest in snow clothes.

Yes - I took this while driving. This is my mom's road - a pretty major road for cars! It wasn't plowed until the day after Christmas. Like a week after it had snowed.

Now I know those of you who live in Utah or Ohio or whatever think that is nothing, but in Washington we never get snow like this, so we don't have the equipment to deal with that amount of snow! The roads were terrible - even the main streets through Lakewood were ice rinks for days! And HELLO! Christmas is like 4 days away now and I am not done shopping and I haven't even started making my treats to give away. Finally we talked my parents into watching the kids one night so we could finish shopping for their stocking stuffers (I hope none of you still believe in Santa that read this blog!) and last minute stuff. The day before Christmas is tradition in our family to shop for stocking stuffers, which I did to shop for Bryan's stuff. It was so yucky outside that even on the day before Christmas there was barely anyone in the stores! I wanted CHAOS and there was none. Bummer. We went to my parents house on Christmas eve and had a yummy turkey dinner since Bryan and I didn't have Thanksgiving dinner and then went home to make cookies for Santa (a tradition) and open one present before bed (another tradition).

They got to cut out the shapes - which they are really good at (and if you could hear me say this, it would sound really sarcastic!).

Rix was really excited to decorate the ones for Santa - so they were very overloaded with sprinkles and M&Ms. Next year, Santa is requesting chocolate chip cookies or something.

Rix is so proud of his cookies! Now all I need is a Santa plate.
They got to open one present before bed - surprise! It was jammies.

My little studs. Now it is like 9pm at night, so Cole is asleep - sorry no pictures of him in his jammies!

The kids were so excited that they didn't fall asleep until past ten, and Bryan and I still had to wrap presents (all of them!) and put together the train table, which had so many parts and instructions that even Bryan was slightly (and I stress slightly) overwhelmed. We got to bed around 2am or so, but it was worth it. The next morning Rix and Bryce came running in saying that someone had been to our house (who? I wondered) and they wanted us to come and see. We got dressed and got Cole - and the frenzy began. They opened their stocking and their presents. They got their advent present (another tradition!) because our advent calander is wooden with little doors for little treats, and I told the boys Santa would bring them a gift for day 25, and he brought them the Robin Hood DVD.

Cole didn't know what to think of his stocking. I was bummed because I wasn't able to use a surger before Christmas to finish the stockings I made, but we borrowed some from my mom and it worked out fine.

How did Santa know I needed a Diet Coke this morning? And I love Rix's look on his face - it reminds me of what I put up with with the in-laws - none of which drink diet! And I got spankers - I mean, wooden spoons. I asked Bryan if he heard me complaining I needed more, and he said, "No, I accidentally stuck one of yours in the blender and ruined it." Nice. They also go well with my new pots and pans I got - for those who didn't know, my pots and pans were BAD. Not even mondo sprays with Pam would keep things from sticking. My new ones are nice. Real nice.

Rix and Bryce opening presents. They were so sad when there were no more to open!

Cole just wanted the cookies Santa didn't eat. He stayed there for a long time waiting for one.

Then, with camcorder rolling, we unveiled the train table we had covered with a sheet. They were so excited and played with it all day (and everyday since then).

It really is a cool train table! Around 10am my parents came over with breakfast - a yummy potato cheese casserole and cinnamon pull-aparts (yet another tradition!). We ate breakfast and then opened presents from Nana and Papa and the Poyfairs. (Thanks guys!)

Cole eating part of the train table. Of course.

Cole thought Papa's spoon rest was a microphone. He would put it to his mouth and sing. We got my dad a gift card to take a cooking class, so the spoon rest goes with his cooking theme.

Nana and Cole talking to Aunt Carissa.

After that the missionaries came over to use our phones to call home and they stayed to play the VMotion with Rix (it is meant for 4-6 year olds!) and hang out. I took a nap with Bryce because I wasn't feeling well. Overall it was a fun day and the kids were so excited. I got to talk to my sisters and my brother on the phone, which is always nice. It was nice to be home this year and have everything stay in one location - no toys were lost or taken by someone else and we could stay in our jammies all day. I didn't even shower until 5pm! It was a really relaxing day with family and I can't wait until next year when Bryce understands a little more and Cole is interested in more than the wrapping paper and stealing the other boys' candy.

Because of the weather, Jason's farewell, and my sick days, we didn't get to do all the things I wanted to. We never got out to see Santa, which I really wanted the kids to do. So next year, and all the ones after, we will go see Santa. Also, with the economy, I couldn't afford Christmas clothes for my kids this year, which really bummed me out. I think it's so fun to get nice clothes for my kids for Christmas, but they were really pricey this year, and since no one else is getting my kids clothes as a tradition, I am going to start saving early for Christmas clothes for next year. We also didn't get out to see Christmas lights. We love to just drive around and search for fun lit-up houses, but the weather was so bad this year. No fun! We are going to Zoolights tonight, which makes up for it though. And I'm excited to start new traditions next year! Traditions are fun because they are what I remember most about Christmas as a little kid, and I want my kids to remember them too.

Our Early Utah Christmas

Bryan and I and the boys went to Utah last weekend for Jason's mission farewell and we had a blast - like always. It is always fun seeing Bryan's family - there is never a dull moment! We got there really really late Friday night (or really really early Saturday morning?) and went straight to bed. On Saturday we had time to spend with family, take pictures, and then Grandma sent all the married couples to the hotel down the road so she could have some peace and quiet before the big farewell. We decided to go swimming before dinner at the hotel with everyone. We had a lot of fun playing in the pool, and Cole loves to be in the water. We were lucky because the pool water was really warm - just the way I like it!Cole and I in the pool. He loved to be in it and splash!
Most of us loved the hot tub! It was fun to sit in the hot tub and look out the big windows to see the blizzard outside!

After swimming, we went back to the Pearson's for "Christmas dinner". Because Jason is leaving so close to Christmas, the Pearsons had an early Christmas - dinner and presents and all! - before he left. After dinner, Grandma let the boys and Jordyn open one present. They were, of course, elated.
Rix and Austin opening their presents.

Surprise! They were jammies. It was so fun to see all the boys in matching jammies. And it was so hard to find my kids in the mix with them all matching! Rix and Bryce still refer to these jammies as "Grandma's jammies".

Cindy, Lindsay, and I had our own special jammies. You can't see it here, but they are feetie jammies! They were fun, but a little warm and if I sat down to far they would choke me!

After dinner and the present opening, we were all entertained with a special treat - the Pearson boys and Cindy did their rendition of the Sesame Street Christmas play (I will post it maybe tomorrow? I will need Bryan's help in posting it). It was so funny all of us watching were in tears! We also got to watch the Nativity, which was so fun because the little kids got to be involved. And although Stina, Janalyn, and Kristen were shoo-ins for Mary (hello! "Great with child"!!!), Jordyn impressed us all with her acting abilities :)

The Nativity. I love Cindy as the angel - she looks like a retro disco-funk angel!

After all the fun, we got to open presents. Thanks Brent and Stina for the awesome gifts. It's like you knew what we needed!

Grandma reading a good-night story to the little kids.
On Sunday after everyone was gone Bryan and I got to hang out with Kory and Ana Lee. It was so good to see them again and just talk and let them get to know our family a little better. Thanks for making the trip up to Heber!

And what would a Pearson trip be without . . .

BOWLING!
Bryce thought it was more fun to pick up the bowling balls. He did this at several bowling lanes.

And what would a Pearson trip be without a shirtless guy running around!
John entertaining Bryce and Cole with his phone.
The whole bowling group. We went for Kevin's birthday and had a great time!

Some Mere Randomness

I haven't updated my blog in a while and most of my pictures don't have anything to do with each other, hence the randomness. We have been keeping ourselves busy though - no worries! I have felt like the live-in maid slash nurse slash nanny for the last couple weeks, but with Bryan feeling a lot better and completely off his crazy prescriptions, things are getting back to normal.

Bryce finally got his blankie from Ebay. Yeah!

Here Cole is eating a doughnut that I brought home after shopping on the day after Thanksgiving. He loved it! For a moment, he loved everything about his mommy.Bryan got stuck getting his shirt off. I wouldn't help his take it off until I got a picture of it. See how helpless he is after surgery!

The next Monday, I had to meet the accountant in Puyallup to pick up payroll, and she wanted to meet at Krispy Kreme. I think their doughnuts are gross, but I brought the fam with me, and they loved it (and the hats). Cole AFTER we cleaned up his hands and face - we wouldn't touch him until he was clean.We finally got Rix's hair cut at an actual hair cutting place. The floor looked like a little girl got her hair cut! It was covered in curly blond hair! But he loves it, and I can do lots of things with it now that it is shorter.My dad is in charge of the MBA part of the Festival of Trees, so we got free tickets and took the boys to see the crazy trees and set-ups. They were CRAZY that night. The balloon people really made a mistake and made balloon swords for them - apologies to all the people they whacked!

They had a pirate themed tree with a whole set-up. When the person buys the tree at auction, they get everything on the display. These trees go for thousands (and thousands) of dollars. One tree had a Lexus with it!!! Anyway, this was Rix's favorite and it came with a pirate boat sandbox. I took lots of pictures so Bryan can someday build it :)

We went with Dave and Linz to Fred Meyer to get a cheap tree. The boys were so excited to decorate it!I am the official hander-outer of the ornaments.Bryce decorating the tree - he has a natural talent. You can't tell, but Bryce hung FOURTEEN ornaments on this branch and on the garland. Needless to say, after the kids were in bed, I rearranged the ornaments.

Our Not-Very-Thanksgiving

*Note - the following post is me complaining and possible boring to read - get ready for the yawn report.

Bryan and I didn't have Thanksgiving this year, and although we are thankful for so many things (too much to count and definitely too much to list) we didn't celebrate Thanksgiving. Bryan had shoulder surgery on Tuesday morning, and since then I have played mom to three and nurse to Bryan without a break! It has been really hard, and very boring, but he is feeling better and is able to do more for himself. The doctor said his injury wasn't as bad as they first thought, so his recovery will be a lot faster, but he has been in a lot of pain and the serious drugs he is on make things a little crazier - he gets light-headed, feels like he is on crack (like hyper I guess?), gets super-sleepy, and feels like his skin is crawling. Yuck! Most days have been really boring for me - I am so used to going to the office that staying home drives me nuts (argh!). By noon I'm counting down the hours to bed time! On Thursday I made a roast - I really wanted turkey but Bryan didn't have much of an appetite and my kids will NOT appreciate the effort that goes into a turkey - with mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli. So sad right? No turkey! No stuffing! No pumpkin pie? I was so sad, especially when Carissa called and it was so loud where she was, and she explained they were all out to dinner! And Dave called as he was mid-eating an onion ring at Dairy Keen. Throw it in my face why don't you! Friday I was up at 6am to get some good deals. I was initially going for a digital camera for Rix, but they were sold out (of course) and then I read the reviews for the camera online and I'm glad I didn't get it. But I got some other stuff at Target and Walmart. I also (awesome mom alert!) bought delicious doughnuts for all of us before I got home, which everyone was just getting up as I walked in the door. I made awesome stew with the leftover roast, and Bryan kicked my trash three times in Yahtzee (see - we are sooo boring). I have basically cleaned the house, watched Ben 10 with Rix and Bryce, and kept myself from shipping Cole overnight to someone with more patience (any takers?). He has been very clingy and grumpy - hopefully that goes away before we go to Utah. I hope you all had an awesome Thanksgiving and ate enough yummy stuff for me. Thanks to all who called to see how we were doing. And thanks to those who realized that Bryan isn't the only one suffering! He gets to take naps whenever he wants, can't (or won't??) change diapers, and has played X-Box more this week than his entire life combined. We are excited to see everyone in a couple weeks, and those who I won't see (my sisters!!! boo-hoo!) I hope to see soon. Yawn report - over.

Cole is ONE!!

My little baby turns one today, and he seriously has grown before my eyes! I feel like this past year has just zoomed by, faster than Bryce's or Rix's first years. But Cole is the perfect third child. He is patient, fun, happy, and loves his brothers, yet still a little needy, which makes me know he loves me and still needs me. He doesn't miss many meals, and you can tell by how chunky he is, and he is by far my favorite child at mealtimes, because I'm not reminding him every 30 seconds to eat - he does that without any prodding on my part. He is also walking. He still crawls most of the time, but he will walk from couch to couch, or to a toy, and most of the time without us making him. I tried to get it on video, but he was not cooperating. I will post a video later. Here are some things about Cole you may or may not know:

LOVES:

Bottles

Blankie

Dancing

Pushing Buttons

Toys that make noise

Quesadillas

Bath time

Being held

Messes

HATES:

(with a passion) diaper changes

Getting dressed

Holding still

Being snuggly

Being told "no"

Green Beans

Nap time

We celebrated Cole's birthday on Monday when everyone was in town. Here are a few pictures of what we did.

Cole didn't know what to think about the singing of "Happy Birthday". For a moment I thought he was going to cry, but who can blame him - have you ever heard my family sing? Daddy showing Cole that his shoes look like Cole's new shoes.

Cole playing with the keyboard from Nana.

Eating cake - or inhaling. Whatever.

He made a mess! Of course. And I loved his chocolate beard. Tasty!

One of my favorite things

I love when my children belly laugh. It makes my day! Here Cole is laughing at Bryce, who is slapping the broken keyboard at the office.

Mom on a Mission

So most of you know about my lastest Terrible Mom atrocity, but in case you don't, I will share it with you: I lost Bryce's blankie. I know! I should have warned you about the seriousness of this crime beforehand, but it is what it is. It happened on Saturday, November 8th, and in my defense, it as a crazy busy day! We got up at Stina's and got all of us dressed and packed up since we were going to Heber that night. Having three kids means having LOTS of stuff. We were all ready in Sunday dress because Aubrey was being blessed that morning - in Lehi. So we had to leave early enough to get there on time. After the blessing, we went to McDonald's and left in what we thought was plenty of time to get to the temple for Kory's wedding. But alas, fate was not on our side and we got stuck in the worst traffic ever (and I mean EVER!). We made it late to Kory's wedding, but everything was fine. After the wedding we took pictures and then took the kids to Bryan's grandpa's house in Centerville, but by the time we got there there was no time for naps, which made it crazier. We left after an hour or so to go to the reception in Sandy. We had to get all the kids in their outfits and take more pictures. See, CRAZY BUSY! In all of that mess, I lost the blankie. I seriously think I left it at the church, but it has been looked over several times and hasn't surfaced. Whoever took that blankie hopefully knows how much it was loved. Bryce LOVED blankie. He slept with it faithfully every night and ran to it whenever he got hurt. I don't let him take it to the office, so when we would get home from the office he would run to it and hug it and yell "Blankie!". We got the blankie from Bryan's cousin Maaike when Rix was born (like 4 years ago!) and Bryce attached himself to it. So needless to say it was hard to find. I went online and searced for "teddy bear blanket" on every store website I could think of. I tried Ebay, and found a blanket with a similar picture, but not the same blanket. I learned who made the blanket, and went to their web page. They informed me they sold their baby company to another company, who told me they no longer made that blanket! Bummer! But only a minor set back. I was determined to find this blanket! I searched Ebay on Sunday, and didn't find anything, but when I went back on Monday, they had the blanket. It was an item I didn't have to bid on - I could buy it right there, so of course I did! I was so so so excited. But of course, if it's too good to be true, it probably it, especially in my case. So I get this email from the lady I bought it from like 4 days later and she explains that she was sick and just got my order, and that the blanket she had posted the picture of was no longer available, but she had one similar to it. What??? I don't want a similar blanket - I want BLANKIE!! (Whose blankie is this again?? Mine? Bryce's?? Hmmmm...) So I continued my search and surprise! Another lady is selling the blanket, but I have to bid on it (of course, because it wouldn't be a good mission without added stress). And today, I won the item and paid about twice what it is worth, but I would have paid five times that amount! For those who have never had a child lose their beloved object, you won't understand any of this. But I feel so much better and the guilt is mostly gone, although I would have LOVED to have found his original. And a special thanks to Destiny, who searched her church twice looking for it, and to Steve and Mel who also looked at the church and at McDonalds. And to Stina who scoured KMart and Shopko for the blanket. You rock! And I guess there is nothing left to say except....Mission Completion!

Bryce and blankie at the fireworks on the 4th.

Bryce and blankie in the car - he just woke up from a nap.

Bryce and blankie at the office when Bryce was sick. So adorable, right?

Crazy Times in Utah

We had a really fun time in Utah for Kory's wedding. Although the first few days were really crazy and the kids had no naps, it was so fun to be involved in the wedding stuff, and the reception was really beautiful. We got to take family pictures, which I'm really excited about, and see my sisters, who I hadn't seen since last Christmas. We also got to bless Kelli's baby Aubrey, who slept a lot so I didn't get to hold her (feel free to FedEx her overnight to me so I can spend time with her!!). After the wedding, we spent a couple days in Heber where we hung out with the family and let the kids go crazy with their cousins. Somehow I managed to make Christmas stocking, thanks mostly to Janalyn's patience in teaching me to use the sewing machine, and we got to eat at Dairy Keen (so yummy!). Hanging out with Bryan's family is always fun, especially, for me, to hang out with the sister-in-laws. It was a fast trip, but so worth it.

Cole and Bryce sat so well by themselves as long as Baby Einstens was on.

Bryan and I at the wedding dinner at PF Changs. I LOVE PF Changs! (and I love my husband too!)

Getting Aubrey dressed for her blessing. She was so cute in her blessing gown (thanks again Grandma Pearson!)

Aubrey with her gown and bonnet. She was most happiest when no one was bugging her. So cute!

Kory and AnaLee at the temple. It was a really nice wedding and we loved her dress. Can I get married again so I can pick out a new dress??

Rix and AnaLee. He thinks she is so great! He would get mad at me if I wouldn't let him be by her at all times. Sorry for the stalker AnaLee!

Hayden, Olivia, and Rix at the reception. Aren't they just so cute?

We really tried to get a picture with all the kids in their clothes. As you can see, it was impossible. Do you see Jack on Hayden's face? But kudos for trying!

Cole with Daddy at the reception.

My sisters and me at the reception. I love the lighting - it makes us look tan - and you all know we aren't tan!

The Pearson grandkids take more peaceful pictures.

Bryce getting ready to help PomPom feed the cows.

Rix and Bryce on the tractor.
It wouldn't be a Utah trip without a ride on the horses.