It's a SHINER Ladies and Gentleman!

So last Thursday, we were outside playing and finishing up homework after school when I heard a smack and a wail.  Oh dear, let's see the damage.  I look down from the deck to see the soccer ball wizzing down the hill and Joshie doubled over and crying.  Lya was playing baseball with the soccer ball and didn't realize that Josh was right behind her and so He got the back swing of the line drive she hit down the hill.  Poor baby,  we had to go to the ER and everything because it was on his head but crazy and blessed boy that he is,  there is no damage done except Lya's feelings and a big fat shiner on Josh's right eye.  

Orange Beach and the Selkie woman

Ok. So I am totally new to this whole keeping the blog posted thing, gimme a break!  Anyhoo,  After Christmas we all went down to Orange beach.  The Sand was amazing,  seriously amazing.  It wasn't just sugar white sand, it was powdered sugar.  The sand is so fine in texture.  And you know how walking/running in sand is supposed to be good for you?  Well I must be so out of shape, even after walking steady 3x a week for a year that walking in sand actually put my back Out of alignment bugger!
Here is the funny story of the trip.  Background info:  I LOVE THE OCEAN!!!!  No jokes I go a little batty and turn in to a selkie and just forget who I am or what I am supposed to do when I get near it.  I never should take my kids alone just me and them to the ocean because I will be just as irresponsible and probably more so than they would be.  So, we drive up to the hotel and Kyle gets out to get us registered in.  Tony pulls up behind and brings around the luggage cart so I jump out to help.  Then, like the call of the Siren,  I catch a glimpse of the sea,  it beckons to me and I lose all control or knowledge of what I am supposed to be doing.  I go through the lobby and take a deep breath of the fresh sea air, can't beat that smell.  Sweet, salty and invigorating.  I run down on the sand and leave my sandals somewhere by the stairs of the boardwalk.  I giggle like I am a 5 year old with Andrea, my 5 year old.  We run and splash and get all sorts of wet and sticky.  Someone mentions luggage and I am the last one to go back into the hotel.  Which,  by the way, rocks!  Thank you hotel points!  I get all the way unpacked, and Kyle says "Thanks babe for parking the car! Do you have my keys?"   OH SNAP!  CAR WHAT CAR! Kyle says, "You left the car in the parking lot with my keys in it!!  What were you thinking!"  I'll tell you what I was thinking, I was thinking I needed my sealskin back so I could go be a seal again and live in the sea forever,  you don't need a stinkin' car in the ocean.  We rush downstairs and bust out of the elevator,  and run into Tony and Suz who sweetly asks, "Are you looking for something?"  and hands over the keys to our car.  Thank heavens that we traveled with another family, or someone would have made off with our car.  Zum-Zum we're glad you are safe.

The ocean was so wonderful.  And sadly, I found out that my dear sweet husband, bless his heart, is not a sea-freak like I am.  I am sure He will make up for it when we get up to Lake Tahoe someday to ski.  Then He will be the one forgetting to park the car and I will be the one saying "What were you thinking?"

AHH the ocean, how I miss thee!

Happy New Year!

Well, our Christmas was so busy that I am just now getting to update y'all on the Holidays.
We were so blessed to have my sister Suzanne, and her family with us for Christmas!  We haven't spent christmas with family for a couple of years so it was soooo great to have some family here.  Another thing that was different is that we've never really been the hosts for Christmas before,  just once with my Dad and once with my Grams,  so it was interesting meshing our two families traditions.  We had my sis's and my favorite, appetizers for dinner on Christmas eve.  Mac was not pleased about the jalepeno poppers, but he loved the lil' smokies, and promptly told me, "Why did you but barby sauce on it!  arrgh!"  He is my little sauceless man.  No not even ketchup with his fries.  I told him to lick it off and eat it anyway and he actually ended up liking it a lot. 


We had Sacrament meeting on Sunday so we woke, yes we woke up the kiddos so we could do the Santa gifts before church. I love that all my kids still believe in Santa, I think that is so cool in this world where everyone tries to grow up too fast.  So we went to Church where I directed the Choir and sang a really pretty solo.  Our poor pianist had swollen thumbs so some interesting chords came out,  but the little bitty ward choir did awesome!  I was so proud of them.  We even have a couple new recruits 'cause of their performance! YAY!  I love me some warm bodies to fill up the ward choir.  After church we came home and got back into our jammy-jams as fast as we could so we could open presents.   So much fun watching the kids.  Kyle got me a rice-cooker,  I am totally in love with it!  Lya got an MP3 player and Barbies,  Mac got a Lego set Transformer and a SaWeet hot wheels race track.  Andrea got a Rapunzel tower and Rapunzel doll and Rapunzel dressup dress, can ya say  she was totally into rapunzel people!  Mr. Josh got a wee little laptop for babies and totally loves it.  He'll sit at the table next to us with our laptops and "type" away just like a big boy, soo cute.

That afternoon we did laundry, yes on Christmas, cause we had to pack for the Beach Baby yeah!  Went to bed late of course and only cleaned up the kitchen and the wrapping paper.    


A great Christmas then off to the Beach!  Soo excited.

Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat.

Christmas is coming so soon!  And we just found out that my sister and her family are going to be here for Christmas!  We are all so excited.  Mac my sweet little man is about to turn 8 and get baptized this weekend.  We are so proud of him,  he has really grown up a lot this last year and he is quiet about it but he is excited about getting baptized too.  I can't believe that I'm old enough to have two children that will be baptized now!  


Here is the macadamia nut!

We love you little man!

Hey can you believe it we have finally joined the world of blogging and hopefully y'all can stay up with our comings and goings on down here in Dixie.  Well the kids were so hopeful today that we would get a snow day but alas God heard Mom's prayers and not a flake fluttered down so school was still here. YAY!  I love my hooligans and man,  I love school too!  It is really cold down here for us and I think I've lost that insulating layer that just naturally accumulates when you live in a part of the country where you have winter,  because in my mind I totally am surprised that me a Northern Montana Girl is saying that mid-thirties is cold--what the crud! That's like time to pull out the shorts and T-shirts and flip-flops for heaven's sake!  Oh, well maybe the sweet southern belle is rubbin' off on to me.
We had a great Family Home Evening last night and Daddy was in charge of the songs, so for the closing song we sang "Once there was a Snowman" and all of the kids grabbed the snowmen chair covers and put them over their heads.  Soo funny,  here is a picture.