Christmas in NYC

For the past few years, Ryan and I have talked about taking the train to NYC for a few days to see the department store windows decorated for Christmas, the Rockefeller Center tree, a show, etc. We've never done it because, well, I guess because I've always complained about it being too cold to wander around the city, or being too behind on Christmas shopping, or the kids being too young to make it worth while, or some other excuse.

This year, Ryan wasn't taking any of my excuses. He came home from work one day and said he had booked a room for two nights in NYC and we were going on Monday after Ella's school Christmas program. Since Ryan NEVER plans ANYTHING, I didn't dare say anything other than, "okay!"

I was actually really excited about it, and we ended up having so much fun. Yes, we froze our buns off the entire time (and you know how much I HATE the cold), but it was a trip we will always remember. Thanks, hun!

Our first stop was Rockefeller Center. We took a million pictures of the tree, along with a million other visitors all standing around the ice skating rink. The rink wasn't open, but there was a guy and girl skating around like they owned the place. Everyone was staring at them wondering who they were and then all of a sudden the guy stops, gets down on one knee, pulls out a little box and proposes to the girl. The crowd went wild. So, they weren't famous, but I'm guessing the guy had to pay a pretty penny to get the ice skating rink to himself.
This is the first 10 minutes of being in NYC so nobody is painfully frozen yet. The rest of the time the girls had a hotel blanket wrapped around them. Ryan got the girls a soft pretzel and a hot dog for himself from one of the many street vendors.
All smiles here. The girls loved the cute store window displays.
Saks 5th Ave. window. The theme of their windows was about a snowflake falling from the sky and landing in different places and becoming different things before the wind picked her up again and moved her somewhere else. Since it was Ella's favorite one , we visited it about five times.
Here we are at Macy's. Part of their window display was this Santa letter writing machine. Ella loved it, too.
We visited Toys 'R Us store in Times Square. Inside they have a giant ferris wheel. We got the My Pretty Pony cart and rode around a million times. Afterwards we went inside the giant Barbie Doll House.
My good friend Doug got us tickets to see Big Red Circus. It was so cute and Ella was fascinated by the amazing acrobatics. After eating this hot dog, Brooklyn fell asleep.
Is it possible to eat too much junk food in three days? I believe it is, and we did it.
We also saw the Radio City Music Christmas Spectacular featuring the Rockettes. Wow, they're good.
That's Ella and Ryan at the top of the snowy mountain in Central Park. As freezing as it was, Ella was all about playing in the snow. She was soaking wet from head to toe when she was done and I was afraid we would have to take her to the emergency room for pneumonia and frostbite.

Christmas Day 2009

I love Christmas day. Not only do you get to see the absolute joy on your kids' faces when they come downstairs and see the gifts under the tree, but you get to eat like a pig, hang out in your pajamas all day long (oh, am I the only one who does that?) and play with all of the new and exciting surprises Santa brought the night before. What could be better than that?

This year, Ella asked Santa for Legos. I don't know how she got introduced to Legos (her friend Michael I think), but that's all she wanted. And, she got them... and, I had a huge Lego headache all Christmas day while helping her put together the new Lego house and horse stable she got.

Brooklyn, of course, can barely talk and didn't ask for anything, so she got a trike from Santa.

Ella and her Lego sets. Santa didn't mess around. She wanted Legos, and she got Legos.
My Aunt Lisa and Wendy sent the girls these adorable backpack/rolling bags. Ella's was an elephant and Brooklyn's was a giraffe. Inside they got a book and Zuh Zuh pet. Brooklyn's not in this picture because she wouldn't stop walking around the house with her new rolling bag.
This is how we stayed all day - in our PJs. I didn't even wash my face or brush me teeth all day. Yuck! I haven't done that since Ryan and I backpacked for two weeks across Vietnam five years ago.
Brooklyn couldn't quite figure out the wrapping paper thing. Good thing Ella was always there to help out when needed.
The kids got "Band in a Bucket," which was so fun. Lots of musical instruments. After opening gifts and eating breakfast, we all went "caroling" around our house while playing something from the bucket.
Grandma Sugar sent these cute monkey trays and cups to the girls. Brooklyn is soooo into monkeys right now.
Sugar also sent a Zuh Zuh pet car and garage, as well as an exercise ball.
Brooklyn loves the apron and rolling pin Sugar sent, too. She wanted to wear it all day. I would have, too, if it was mine. It is so cute.
Ryan and I gave the girls this Learning Tower kitchen stand since they seem to like to help out with everything I'm doing in the kitchen. I figured it was safer than chairs. The girls LOVE it and have pretty much made their own meals since it arrived. Love that.

Assembling Legos. Ryan looks like he's having fun, doesn't he? He probably has a Lego headache, too.

2009 Christmas Card

I don't know how anyone else feels, but to me, if I don't have our Christmas card out by the first week in December... forget about it. I don't know why, it's just the way my brain works. So, given that it's Christmas Eve, you can guarantee I'm not sending one out now!

It's not that I didn't try. In fact, I tried a few times to get a cute Christmas-card-looking picture of the girls, but there was always something wrong... lighting, background, hair, clothes, smiles, runny noses, tears, Chex Mix hanging out of someone's mouth, etc... or, Ryan didn't like any of them.

So instead of stressing myself out anymore than needed (because who isn't completely stressed out enough as it is?!) I decided to post what would have been my best effort 2009 Christmas card. (Which picture would you have chosen?)

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Jug Hill

This year we decided to do something different. Instead of going to a local nursery and picking out a Christmas tree, we went to Jug Hill to cut down our own. Okay, so it wasn't at all like the Griswalds in the movie "Christmas Vacation," but we still had lots of fun.

It took us a while to find the "perfect" Christmas tree (or should I say it took Ella a while?), but we finally found it and voila, it's up, lit, and decorated! This year we lost only seven ornaments (although I take the blame for one). Next year we will probably have to start buying more to replace those we've lost over the years cause right now, the tree looks a little bare.

Taking the ride out to the farm.
Searching for the perfect tree.

This is it.

Helping dad cut it down (or at least holding up the bottom branches so dad could see what he was cutting).
This is it.

I'm STUFFED

but in that good I-just-ate-a-really-good-Thanksgiving-dinner kind of way! The weather was perfect, the food was delicious, the company was so much fun... it couldn't have been a better Thanksgiving. Thanks Layne, Shelley, and Connor for coming out to our neck of the woods. We had a great time. (Why don't we ever get any pictures of Shelley?)

Connor playing around with Brooklyn. I don't think she's having any fun, do you? =-)
Poor Connor... Ella tortures the poor kid whenever he comes for a visit. She absolutely loves this guy.
Down at the pond.
Brooklyn has to do EVERYTHING Ella does, including standing on this rock in the middle of the pond. She thinks she's so cool because she's doing it, too.
Ella and Connor tried to fish in the pond with no success.
I can't tell you how many people say she looks just like Mary-Kate and Ashley when they were this age on Full House.
Ella getting a good spin.

The other swing.

This girl loves her bike. It's crazy.

Giving Thanks

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I thought I'd write a few things I'm most thankful for...

• my happy, healthy family;
• my husband's job;
• the roof over our heads, the clothes on our backs and the food on our table;
• my church, my Heavenly Father and my Savior;
• this wonderful time of year;
• my car, washing machine, dishwasher, iPhone, computer, digital camera, and all other electronics I rely on daily;
• my crockpot and Swiffer vac (I know their electronics, too, but they deserve their own bulletpoint because I love them that much)

Okay, this is a very short list. Obviously there's a whole lot more I'm thankful for, but that would be a very long blog post.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Getting ready for the big Thanksgiving Day.
Ella and her best friend give eachother big hugs after their school Thanksgiving program.
Ella in her pilgrim hat waiting for a sample of the soup she and her classmates made at school. (I know, I look scary.).
Ella singing in her school Thanksgiving program.

This is Ella's class' Thanksgiving quilt. Each kid was asked to decorate a square with something they were thankful for this year. So when Ella brought her square home I asked her what she was thankful for and this was her list (in order):

• Gabrielle (her best friend)
• her bike
• dancing
• singing

So, on her square we tried to incorporate all of those (except Gabrielle because I couldn't figure out how to do that). In case you can't tell, the square is of Ella riding her bike in her ballet clothes, while singing.

MIA

I feel like I've been MIA the past few weeks. I just haven't felt like blogging, even though there is so much going on around here. Too many other things to do... I just can't seem to find the time to do it all and still get enough sleep to function properly the next day.

Plus, I got a new calling at church and it is already taking up every spare minute of "free" time I have, which isn't much to begin with. Primary President seems like a really big and scary job, one I'm not sure I'm cut out for. I always though these kinds of callings were for old people, too. (I guess this just confirms the fact that I am old!) However, my Bishop has assured me, despite my protests and concerns, that he is not asking me to be Primary President, the Lord is. Well then, I said, I guess I'll be Primary President!

I almost committed a serious crime within the first few minutes of being Primary President though. After I was sustained in my new calling, Ryan, who was conducting Sacrament Meeting that day, asked me and the old Primary President to come up and bear our testimonies. I almost killed him. He knows NOT to call on me to do stuff like this... I've threatened his very life before. Of course I had no choice, so I did it, and let me tell you I can't remember a single thing I said. Ryan's still sleeping on the couch because of it (well, not really, but he should be!).

Following church, my Bishop gave me such a great blessing - everything I needed to hear and every blessing I will need to help me fulfill this calling. I hope I don't mess up too bad. If any of you have any great words of wisdom or advice, I'm all ears.

I guess I'll get back to work now. This was very therapeutic... I should do it more often. Oh, and since I haven't downloaded any pictures lately, I'll post a few from Halloween and our apple-picking outing a few weeks ago.

Ella has this thing where she won't look directly at the camera. It's weird!
Brooklyn picked up off the ground every ugly, bruised, mushy apple she could find (and there were plenty). Yuck.
On the hayride out to the apple trees.
Ella's class all dressed up for Halloween.

There, she finally looked at the camera!