We had the oppertunity of listening to the beautiful music of our ward choir today at church. Music truly brings the Christmas spirit near. I always admire the people who have been blessed with musical talent.
This evening was John Miles viewing. He looked good and it was nice to see his family. They had a slide show put together and in it were a few darling pictures of the boys with their grandpa. It was nice that they made them be a part of it.
Today's Activity: Christmas Sacrament Meeting
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Saturday, December 19, 2009
December 19, 2009
This morning we met my brother, Luke, at the mall for a little Christmas shopping. Being with Luke is always and adventure. He totally freaked Nixin out by pushing the yellow "bell" button on the elevator. I wish I would have had a video camera to show you all the reaction that Nixin had to this. He had the maddest, scared, teary eyed look on his face as he was trying with all of his might to push Luke away from the button before he pushed it. Then after he pushed it...well, for some reason Nixin had it in his head that the police were going to come find us and take us to jail because we had pushed that button. Hours after we left the mall, Nixin was still keeping his eyes out for those police! The mall was crowded, but we found what we had gone there for and that was great.
Next, lunch at Burger King. If people were not at the mall, they were at Burger King. That place was packed! But, it gave us time with Luke and that is what mattered.
Our evening plans got tossed around a bit, but we ended up having a great time. We ate a nice Italian Roast Beef Sandwich dinner and then headed down to Thanksgiving Point to drive through their light display. Hundreds of other people had the same idea (seemed to be the theme for the day!), but as soon as it was our turn to enter the lights and Jack realized what this was all about, he said "This is my favorite Christmas activity so far!". It made the wait worth it.
After that, we picked up Peppermint shakes and came home and watched one of our very favorite movies, Elf. It was a fun, Christmas packed day.
Today's Activity: Christmas Lights at Thanksgiving Point
Next, lunch at Burger King. If people were not at the mall, they were at Burger King. That place was packed! But, it gave us time with Luke and that is what mattered.
Our evening plans got tossed around a bit, but we ended up having a great time. We ate a nice Italian Roast Beef Sandwich dinner and then headed down to Thanksgiving Point to drive through their light display. Hundreds of other people had the same idea (seemed to be the theme for the day!), but as soon as it was our turn to enter the lights and Jack realized what this was all about, he said "This is my favorite Christmas activity so far!". It made the wait worth it.
After that, we picked up Peppermint shakes and came home and watched one of our very favorite movies, Elf. It was a fun, Christmas packed day.
Today's Activity: Christmas Lights at Thanksgiving Point
Friday, December 18, 2009
December 18, 2009
Our day started off in a whirl wind when nobody woke up until 8:00 am. Jack leaves for school around 8:15. But, thank goodness I am awesome. I had him fed, dressed, teeth brushed, and lunch made with no time to spare! He was on time and our day was off to a speedy start.
Chad has every other Friday off, awesome! I love that about his job, among many other things. So, we got ourselves ready and took off to complete our list of errands. We finished that and got home for a little rest just as Jack got home from school.
Later we realized that we had skipped lunch and decided to go out for early dinner at one of our favorite restaurants, Fortune Cookie. What happens when your baby has a poop that shoots straight out of his diaper and down his leg at the restaurant? You rush into the nearest bathroom hoping that you have a properly stocked diaper bag. But, what happens when that diaper bag is not stocked as well as it should be? You bundle your baby in a blanket until you can get him in his car seat, and then bring him home like this:
What can I say? Our day started off with a bang and ended with one. We had plans of being out and about for the evening, but obviously that wasn't was supposed to happen, so we came home and enjoyed a little "Christmas Vacation" as a family.
Today's Activity: Family Dinner and Christmas Vacation
Chad has every other Friday off, awesome! I love that about his job, among many other things. So, we got ourselves ready and took off to complete our list of errands. We finished that and got home for a little rest just as Jack got home from school.
Later we realized that we had skipped lunch and decided to go out for early dinner at one of our favorite restaurants, Fortune Cookie. What happens when your baby has a poop that shoots straight out of his diaper and down his leg at the restaurant? You rush into the nearest bathroom hoping that you have a properly stocked diaper bag. But, what happens when that diaper bag is not stocked as well as it should be? You bundle your baby in a blanket until you can get him in his car seat, and then bring him home like this:
What can I say? Our day started off with a bang and ended with one. We had plans of being out and about for the evening, but obviously that wasn't was supposed to happen, so we came home and enjoyed a little "Christmas Vacation" as a family.
Today's Activity: Family Dinner and Christmas Vacation
Thursday, December 17, 2009
December 17, 2009
I am an Activity Days Leader in our ward. It is fun to spend time every other week with the 10 year old girls in our neighborhood. They are so cute. Also, GREAT calling for me right now. It is so easy! With a little baby, easy is what I need :)
Today our activity with the girls was to go Christmas Caroling. I brought the kids with me and both Jack and Nixin were really excited to come along. I loved watching them. Jack had a paper that he was holding with the words to the songs on it. He can read well enough to keep up. Nixin kept looking at the paper as if he was reading it, but if you got down close enough to him, you could hear him mumbling a bunch of nonsense to the tune of the song. It was so cute! Both of the boys commented on how much fun they had caroling, and I will admit that I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would too.
To top off a wonderful day, it was Bunko night! Once a month I get together with some girlfriends to play a dice game. The host provides dinner, which is always awesome, and then the crazy fun begins.
I am not a very lucky person, but luck was with me tonight! I won the top prize- a massage!!! I can't wait! I also came home with the best book ever as my white elephant present, The Hunger Games. It was a good time. I am grateful that my wonderful husband supports my once a month girl's night...even if the baby won't take the bottle and screams the whole three hours. I love you Chad!
Today's Activity: Christmas Caroling
Today our activity with the girls was to go Christmas Caroling. I brought the kids with me and both Jack and Nixin were really excited to come along. I loved watching them. Jack had a paper that he was holding with the words to the songs on it. He can read well enough to keep up. Nixin kept looking at the paper as if he was reading it, but if you got down close enough to him, you could hear him mumbling a bunch of nonsense to the tune of the song. It was so cute! Both of the boys commented on how much fun they had caroling, and I will admit that I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would too.
To top off a wonderful day, it was Bunko night! Once a month I get together with some girlfriends to play a dice game. The host provides dinner, which is always awesome, and then the crazy fun begins.
I am not a very lucky person, but luck was with me tonight! I won the top prize- a massage!!! I can't wait! I also came home with the best book ever as my white elephant present, The Hunger Games. It was a good time. I am grateful that my wonderful husband supports my once a month girl's night...even if the baby won't take the bottle and screams the whole three hours. I love you Chad!
Today's Activity: Christmas Caroling
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
December 16, 2009
Hair, hair, hair, 5 Buck Pizza, and holiday baking.
Pumpkin Cranberry Bread
3 cups all-purpose flour
5 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 cups granulated sugar
1 (15 ounce) can LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup orange juice
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9 x 5-inch loaf pans.
2.Combine flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Combine sugar, pumpkin, eggs, vegetable oil and orange juice in large mixer bowl; beat until just blended. Add pumpkin mixture to flour mixture; stir just until moistened. Fold in cranberries. Spoon batter into prepared loaf pans.
3.Bake for 60 to 65 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.
*Bread can also be baked in mini loaf pans for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.
** To add just a little something extra, I made a simple frosting recipe, adding a few drops of Orange Extract, and piped it onto the loaves. Delicious!
Today's Activity: Holiday Baking
Pumpkin Cranberry Bread
3 cups all-purpose flour
5 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 cups granulated sugar
1 (15 ounce) can LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup orange juice
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9 x 5-inch loaf pans.
2.Combine flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Combine sugar, pumpkin, eggs, vegetable oil and orange juice in large mixer bowl; beat until just blended. Add pumpkin mixture to flour mixture; stir just until moistened. Fold in cranberries. Spoon batter into prepared loaf pans.
3.Bake for 60 to 65 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.
*Bread can also be baked in mini loaf pans for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.
** To add just a little something extra, I made a simple frosting recipe, adding a few drops of Orange Extract, and piped it onto the loaves. Delicious!
Today's Activity: Holiday Baking
December 15, 2009
It was probably about three and a half years ago, when Nixin was just old enough to mumble out his first words, that we came in contact with a family whom we would quickly come to love.
It was just before Sacrament meeting when Nixin started shouting "Papa! Papa!". He was pointing his finger at John Miles. For some reason or another, he was so excited to see this "Papa" who he had never before had any contact with. Nixin ran to him. John picked Nixin up and sat him on his lap. Nixin didn't move the entire meeting, which was huge! We had been having a rough time making it through church with him. I remember watching him sitting there so content, I was in disbelief.
Well, this very quickly became routine. John and Nancy would walk into the chapel and off Nixin went to sit with his "Papa". Soon enough, Jack decided that there was something great about these people too and he would leave Chad and I behind to sit with them. The Miles were so cute. They started sitting on the bench right across from us and would bring a scripture case full of toys and goodies for my boys. Before we knew it, our children had adopted new grandparents. They really feel that way too. They honestly know no difference between John and Nancy and their "real" grandparents.
It was a very short time ago that John was diagnosed with cancer. His decline was very quick, despite his every attempt to rid his body of the horrible disease. We knew that his time on earth was coming to an end and decided that we should take our children to see their Grandpa Miles one last time.
When we walked into his room last night, we were all surprised at John's condition. We knew that his time of passing was near, but what we didn't realize before is just how close it really was. It was very emotional for me to watch my kids say "Goodbye Grandpa. I love you." to this man who is very much a part of their lives.
Last night at 11:45 John passed away. I could never express just how much he has meant to our family. We will truly miss his caring heart, happy smile, playfulness and kindness. We will never forget you John! Thank you for all that you have done for our family.
Today's Activity: Saying Goodbye to Grandpa Miles
Monday, December 14, 2009
December14, 2009
A high school friend of Chad's, named Brent Morley, held a Christmas music concert at the South Jordan Community Center tonight. Brent is a very talented pianist! It was a fun and different thing for our family to do and I think Chad enjoyed seeing his old friend. To top it all off, Dunford donuts for dessert!
Today's Activity: Brent Morley's "The Not Forgotten Carols"
Sunday, December 13, 2009
December 13, 2009
It has been snowing like crazy all day today! Earlier this morning, the snow flakes were so big that Jack and Nixin just couldn't help but get out there and catch a few. It is pretty to look out the window and see it during this Christmas season.
Tonight was the annual Woolsey family Christmas party. We have attended our friend's party for about ten years now, and even longer for me. I bet that I have gone for the past twelve years. There is always lots of yummy food and great company. We had a nice time. It just wouldn't feel like Christmas without it.
Today's Activity: The Woolsey Family Christmas Party
Saturday, December 12, 2009
December 12, 2009
Today was filled with holiday joy! Our morning started bright and early with our ward's Christmas breakfast. The food was good and the boys had a great time running around with their friends.
We came home to reset for a few minutes before heading out with the intention of helping our boys learn a little bit about selflessness. After much explaining about how Santa does not know where every boy and girl are and that some moms and dads don't have money to buy their kids Christmas presents we finally talked them in to handing over a few of their hard earned dollars to buy a Christmas gift for the less fortunate. It was a hard task, but the thing that seemed to work the best was to just simply ask them if they would like to make a stranger smile on Christmas morning. They both finally agreed that they would like to help with their money.
So, with that, we picked out a couple of gifts from the store. The boys helped us pay at the cash register and then we headed over to Deseret Industries. Our bishop had mentioned to Chad that there is a little "Christmas Store" in the DI where people can (with special permission) shop for their gifts at no cost. This is where we chose to make our donation and the boys were very happy to drop their items into the big box. I am happy for the choices that they made. Some one's Christmas morning will be brighter because they chose to share.
And last, but not least, Chad and I dropped the older boys off at home with a babysitter and took off for a little Christmas shopping of our own. It was fun to spend time together, as it always is. The stores are getting crowded! Our shopping is very close to being done. I can't wait to see my boys faces on Christmas morning. They are dying already! I was reminded all day that there are only thirteen days left.
Today's Activity: Charitable Christmas Donations
Friday, December 11, 2009
December 11, 2009
The boys worked on a little Christmas ornament craft today. They loved painting! They are both so creative and it was fun for me to watch their little minds work to bring their designs to life.
Later tonight we went over to our friends, the Prescott's, house. Aimee and I worked on a few projects of our own. It was just a creative kind of day!
Today's Activity: Christmas Ornaments
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