Dec 26

.......no more counting down. Unless we start all the way at 365..... 


As expected:


Dallin and Porter loved Christmas. (skateboard, shoes, jacket, umbrella)
Deeter took one look at the present Santa left him (a train track already set up) and never looked back, not even  to come open more presents.
Kaia slept through it all. (cabbage patch doll)


Not expected:


I learned this year to throw perceived notions out the window: I'll take sunny and 75 over a white Christmas. Every year.


I conceded to go to church on Christmas- should be an obvious, unfortunately it wasn't. Guess what? Loved it. Wish every Christmas would fall on Sunday. Felt good to eat my words.


Santa pulled through and brought magic.... magic eight balls. Magic worked in my favor. Dallin ended Christmas night very tired and......in tears. He had asked for an Ipod and headphones (???) and didn't get any. We sat cuddled on the couch and I was just letting him cry it out. He suddenly popped up. He grabbed his magic. "I'm going to ask my eight ball if I can have an Ipod and headphones." I let out a long breath, feeling pretty defeated, preparing for the next round of sobs. He gave a shake shake as he asked the question. An answer popped up: outlook is not good. "Well...I'm asking again. " So....he gave a shake shake as he asked the question. And an answer popped up: Definitely not. We both sat there bewildered, Dallin tensing up, me slowly relaxing. "I'm asking ONE MORE TIME." Shake shake. Question. Reply: I doubt it. 
And just like that the problem was resolved. Without me saying A SINGLE WORD.


And now.....the real vacation begins. No obligations, no mile-long to-do list, no school. Fingers crossed for no rain, no snotty attitudes, no sickness, and no whining.  Oh yeah, and lots of eating out, and going out with friends, and laughing, and........stairs. 

Strong Arm

I hear all kinds of unfair bargaining going on in my house. Most of the time I bite my tongue and let them develop their negotiating skills without any tutorial. But sometimes I just can't help myself. And this usually occurs by butting in and helping Porter 'know his rights' against the power of his older brother. 


I don't know whose been mentoring Porter, nor do I know if he knows he walked away with a killer deal but today I became aware of one of the most recent barters. Porter walked into my room wearing Dallin's shorts, asking me to help him. I said, "Oooohhh, did you ask Dallin if you could wear those?" Yes, boys have this issue as a point of conflict also believe it or not, and recently it's been more present in our home. It seems, though, the boys have next to squash it already. "Oh yea, we made a deal," Porter said. "I get to wear any of his clothes I want whenever I want. Except for his Colorado jersey {which conveniently Porter has a twinner one} and his Colorado bracelets.  And he gets to play my guitar everyday." Ummmmm, yes. The guitar he received when he was ONE year old. And in the past year has only been of interest to him for ONE day. Must have been the same ONE day Dallin took interest in it as well. And in exchange, Porter got a new wardrobe. It looks like we have a negotiator on our hands- he knows the secret....timing, timing, timing.


We're getting excited for this weekend...ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! I put it in the predictions folder last Friday {thanks for the concept, Jono} that I think Yosh has done well this year. He's real hit and miss. One year an all-edge brownie pan, the next year a trip to Paris. So you never know. Now I wish I could remember exactly what happened for me to add this note to the folder, but I can't remember anything specific. That might be for the better. Because then based on whether or not I'm right, I would be looking for clues next year to make a judgment call, but Yosh would know what I was or wasn't looking for, and then try to act or not act accordingly. Which would totally throw off the authenticity of my judgment. You get what I'm saying, right?


The kids are going to be in Christmas heaven {and completely self-entertained for hours, inducing mama heaven!} and I'm so ready to see their cute faces with looks of glee glued on!

Merry Christmas!

Where's the Magic?

Does the magic of Christmas really lie in your heart or lie to your heart?

If the magic of Christmas lies in your heart, then "The List" I received:

Christmas List

the Force

magic 

crystals

(Which I of course instantly translated to read:)

Christmas List

skateboard

shoes

jacket

......then the list I received will be accepted with absolutely no question. I am sure there is some connection between list 1 and 2 and since I believe, the kids will, too.  And we'll all be happy and satisfied. They won't pout like spoiled children because the requested list wasn't fulfilled to the tee. And I won't have to tell them that no there's really NO SUCH THING as the Force, magic, OR crystals (the magic kind at least.) And- heaven forbid- I have to tell them there's no such thing as....that one guy.  

But if the magic of Christmas lies to the heart, well then by golly, we are in full Christmas spirit over here at my house. Because it has turned me into a lying machine and I AM NOT A LIAR {except when door-to-door salesmen stop by, then one or two might slip out.} I have a real problem with this. I hate feeling like I'm feeding my kids a load of crap every time anything on the subject comes up. I'm avoiding eye contact, mumbling off unfinished sentences and doing everything short of running out of the house- screaming- with my arms raised in surrender. If they had just an ounce of innate lie detection, I would of been a goner a long time ago. Now don't go "Bah hum-buggin" me for all this. I have NOT let the cat out of the bag and I don't intend to. I'm all about the real meaning of Christmas, the idea of increased giving but my gosh there's gotta be some way to remedy my poor conscience and let her enjoy the Holiday too instead of being trodden down with guilt. In an attempt to relieve pressure, I've already reduced Santa down to the man who brings ONE gift. Shoot, I can't remember if he fills the stockings or not. I have about 3 days to figure out if that's him or us........ ONE gift from Santa. The rest from mom and dad. 

And that doesn't take away from the magic of Christmas at all. When else in the year do you have brownies and cookies and treats every time you turn around? And twinkling lights dancing to your Christmas playlist as you drive around the town admiring the adorably decorated houses? And gifts LOADED under the tree just for you? There's no way to disguise the magic of Christmas season. And just in case Santa is the underlying thread that ties all this together for the kids, I'm gonna keep my lips zipped, deal with a guilty conscience, and just dream of singing "The Magic of Christmas......lies in MOM and DAD."

8 years ago today, I married.......

..........a stranger. I remember calling my older brother to tell him I was getting married and his exasperated response was, "To who? Cesar?" {the guy I was dating before}. It'll remain a mystery if he really didn't know who my current boyfriend was or if he was making a point. But after 3 1/2 months of dating, 2 months of engagement...he was all mine. Thank goodness that the both of us apparently have a knack for picking strangers.... who would end up being an impeccable companion? I'll take it.


I was thinking back to "the beginning" and felt myself getting a little embarrassed at the immaturity of the relationship, our shallow understanding of the inclusive definition of marriage at the time. I recognized the progress we've made since then. I think in doing that, it sparked an 'ah-ha!' moment...it wasn't immaturity per se all those years ago, it was simply the starting line. If I looked back and didn't feel a comparative sense of immaturity and shallowness, THAT would be a problem. Because it would hint at a lack of growth. And that's really my goal in all of this...growth, slowly pressing forward toward a better me, a better us. So there's absolutely nothing to be embarrassed about! It's not so important our current stationary point on the graph, but rather the direction we're headed.  I think the path we're on has us moving upward and- with no comparison necessary- that leaves me satisfied.  That, and the fact...that he's definitely no longer a stranger.

{PS Doesn't it kinda look like Yosh is coming at me with a windpipe or something?!!}

{PSS You're not getting sick of this sweater yet, are you?}

 FORWARD MOVEMENT, PEOPLE...THAT'S WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT!
Of course we'll be celebrating. At home. With 4 kids. And cereal and milk. Unless one of us has a baby-sitter and surprise up their sleeve. I don't. But Yosh, you still got time...!
OH YEAH, AND HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO US!

I'm no Fashionista....

...and I'm sure not a model. But a girl's got to get dressed and might as well enjoy doing it. 

Christmas season = parties = getting out of a t-shirt and jeans.
 Ok, busted. Maybe not the jeans part but I ditched the t-shirt and tried cleaning up the look to more than everyday casual. Wanna know another one of my unique talents? I can casualize anything. An outfit, an event, a situation. You name it, I'll casualize it. Look that word up. You'll find it's not there. Created, incorporated, and coined...by a girl named Gay.

On to the parties. Numero uno. A church dinner party.

Perhaps the animal print scarf makes it look somewhat sophisticated? {and hides the jeggings?}

Party numero dos. Work party at the bowling alley. 

 Well let me tell you something....if I was feeling good wearing it Wednesday night, there's no reason to not wear it Thursday night also. With different accessories of course. Whole different outfit if you ask me {and hopefully anyone who saw me both nights would completely agree...}

And can we not forget to comment on the cheerleader-like smile? You all, I never made it to that place in high school and perhaps a little glimpse of living that out comes from time to time through the smile.

Party numero tres. The after party. 

A friend's 40th birthday celebration. I figured it was a little more dressy so I got out of my jeans and into my workout leggings.  Are you sensing a pattern here? Must wear one piece that's already been worn at a previous party.

 And after the party it's the hotel lobby....

Just kidding just kidding. A little R Kelley from back in the days just took over for a small second.


But we're back. 


Hope everyone's enjoying their parties, finding something fun to wear, and feeling H-O-T in whatever it is you choose. And just remember...casual can be hot too!

Post-edit note: I've added a little box in the sidebar to ease my conscience about "not finishing conversations"! Ashley, there's the answer to where I got the stockings.

Tis the Season...

...to start receiving the old owner's Christmas cards. Year number 3. We still have some stragglers that refuse to accept the fact that they moved. Thankfully only less than a mile away. So maybe we'll spread the Christmas spirit and once again deliver the cards to them instead of the trash. Don't judge me for being honest. 


So guess what baby #4 brought? Permission to get personalized stockings to keep for the rest of our lives. For whatever reason, I wouldn't even consider getting matching monogrammed anything til the fam was complete. Please be complete. And if it's not, baby #5 don't hate me for having a mismatched stocking.

Don't you love coming up with fun little gifts for Xmas? When an idea naturally comes to me, I love it. If one doesn't... well then no one gets a fun little gift. We're hit and miss in this house. That's one thing you can depend on us for.

This year I did s'more kits. Obviously inspired by the addition of our fire pit out back. Is that a little weird? We get a fire pit, I buy you gear. Any get-togethers will come with the reminder "BYOS...bring your own s'mores stuff." {Yosh I know what you were just thinking right there...no cussin on my blog!}

And ps....If you don't get a Christmas card from us, it's probably cuz we sent it to your old address. Hope your new residents are as nice as us!

APRON UP

Can I just tell you it is a frozen food kind of week. I say that as if the rest of my weeks aren't like this, but truth be told, we're probably not far off from par. Maybe the difference is by Monday I already had thrown in the towel. Now don't you for one second think frozen dinner sacrifices deliciousness. Huh uh. Not necessary. I take any of these frozen dinners, add a fresh something or the other to it, and you would have thought Applebee's just delivered to your house. 

First up, we got TJ's (Trader Joe's) gnocchi.  They also have a cheese variety that we prefer. These things are SO good. I'm talking so good that one night when we had people over for dinner, I had made these for the kids instead of our "adult" food. Well, before the night was over all the parents were oooohhhing and aaahhhhing about how amazing these gnocchi were. Now I don't know if that has more to say about the quality {or lack of!} of the adult food or the quality of this frozen dinner...but it's a keeper. For sure.

 

Not to be outdone by TJ's gourmet flatbread pizza. Wild mushroom & truffle? No, I am not kidding. Luxury at your table in 6-8 minutes.

Every time alcohol starts calling my name, I reach for Jack Daniel's beef brisket, generously distributed by Costco. Microwave this for 5 minutes, throw it on a fresh hamburger bun or eat it as an open-faced sandwich on a piece of toast....either way you won't be disappointed. 

 Some other must-haves I'm discovering for the house. So I'll have you know that I always thought I wasn't a fan of Ranch dressing. GASP. I finally found the nerve to mention this to my avid Ranch-loving friend a couple years ago and she handled the situation very maturely. Instead of cutting off our friendship right then and there, she breathed deeply and calmly informed me that I wasn't a fan of store-bought Ranch, but that I did like restaurant Ranch. Well by golly, she was right. Don't know how she knew that about me. But in the last couple months I stumbled on a Ranch that has passed the test and become a house staple. The same friend was at my house partaking of my veggie tray and stopped dead in her tracks to get more info on this Ranch. She approved. And yes, it was store bought. And side bonus- super low calories and fat. Yea baby, drench those veggies!

This next item will become a staple....these pistachio nutmeats {really? do we have to call them nutmeats? a little unappetizing...}. Turn a salad from mediocre to out-of-this-world with just a shakey-shake from this bag. Amazing. I kid you not.

 Now you would think with eating out of my freezer all week that my grocery bill was next to nothing. Incorrect. This bag FULL of chocolate did not pay for itself. And you're just looking at the top layer. Take your pick of this goodness....and BAKE. You all, I don't know what has happened to me but I feel like Betty Crocker herself has come back from the dead {is she dead?} and taken residence in MY BODY. I am doing nothing but baking this week. By choice. Which is probably why we need to eat all these frozen dinners. No time to cook, I'm baking like a mad woman.

You need 10 dozen cookies? I'm your girl. A thousand pretzel hugs? Done and done. Brownies? Reeses? More cookies? Move over and let me get my apron on. I got work to do. 

{all my frozen cookie dough balls waiting to get thrown in the oven on Saturday}

Wow, all this talking about food and baking got me a little too excited. I'm going to go on ahead and calm myself down. But if you're looking for more baking and less cooking, take some of these suggestions and you'll be happy as a clam that barely cooked at all.

And so it begins

We officially rang in the Holidays this weekend. For year #1 of treat deliveries, we took a careful two-part strategy:

1) Preemptive delivery. We got round 1 of the goodies out while palettes were fresh, before people were inundated with Christmas treats and ready to throw-up rather than happily ingest. Hopefully round 2 follows suit.

2) 'Mini' means more. When was the last time you ate a King size Snickers by yourself? When was the last time you ate 5....6.....7....mini Snickers in one sitting? Case and point.

Our plate contained some of our favorites to make combined with favorites we've received:

*Homemade Reese's

*Rolo brownies

*Andes mint brownies

*Cake batter cookies with Holiday chip frosting

*Pretzel Hugs

The Christmas lights are hung with a new addition this year. The new addition reminds me of the first person I spooned with in the Hansen family. This is the same person I texted about Dr. Pepper 10 only to learn that she, too, was drinking one in that very moment. {Yes, we actually text about beverages from time to time. Nerdy but oh so true.} But what takes the cake that we were meant to be happened a few years back. Our little fam was visiting in Utah. It was late at night and we were on the phone. She was driving down I-15, I was in the Heber Canyon. We both abruptly stopped our conversation with an outburst...."I JUST SAW A SHOOTING STAR!" We were too stunned to even jinx each other. On two different sides of the mountain, during one small conversation, we shared the same shooting star that sealed the deal.

This one's for you, Miss Chelsi J. Love ya!

Remembering

Spontaneity always seems to be the secret ingredient that elevates normalacy to the higher level. The addition of this guest was definitely a sponataneous decision.

It's been a long time since I've spent Thanksgiving with Grandma Alby. Circumstances were such this year that last minute, she rode up from New Mexico with my mom to pass this Holiday with our family- such a special gift for all her grandchildren. And I don't think she quite realizes that.

Last night as I went to help Alby inside the house, I looked at her face, trying to read her thoughts.  But as I opened her door, she eased any worry with what has become her signature greeting..."Well, gabey, this old gray mare isn't what it used to be." She followed that with her classic head-shaking laugh before she embraced me with a hug. She has just come off a super hard week- maybe one of the most emotionally-draining ones to date- and has been consumed with sadness. Yet once again, my grandma reminded me of an important principle of life- happiness is a choice. Something I've always admired in her as I've watched her face the lemons life has thrown at her. She has chosen happiness.

I want to be like her.

 I'm so thankful for the relationships I have in my life and the examples they serve to me.

Yosh, at some point your boys are going to not only want to be like you, but want to know how to become like you. And your little baby girl- she's going to wonder who this man was as her young dad and want to know why she needed to steal your heart and keep it clutched in the palm of her hand. And I don't want to deprive these kids of those treasures. So today I'm going to write about you. Because recently YOU are who I have really been thankful for.


I've been thankful:
~As you have stopped at the grocery store to pick up 'a few things' because you noticed we were running low.
~As you've pro-actively jumped in to help get the kids ready to go out the door or go down for bed.
~As you've made a concerted effort to tell me how beautiful I am- and then told me again until I listened.
~As you've turned everything with an on/off button to off, to spend time with me- whether playing Boggle {and getting your booty kicked. Well at least sometimes!}, helping on a project, or- probably a personal favorite- just talking. You're showing me I'm more interesting than anything else for a few minutes.
~As you've wrapped your arms around me more and paused- really paused- to give me a genuine kiss. Making me realize that I more often push away than let that little extra love in my life. You're teaching me to slow down for moments that count.


Boys, here's a secret about us ladies...it's the small things that make us happy. Why? Well, because you can gift us these small things every single day. The big things are great, too. But those only come every now and then. We want to remember to fall in love with you more often than just every now and then. And your dad is giving you more and more of an example of what the small things are.


And baby girl, I owe you a lot. Your dad is without question the main male influence in your life. And not just because he is your dad- it's because you have appointed him as such. Every time he walks in the room, you twist your sweet little head with a smile in place until your eyes connect with his. And if needs be, you scoot your little self over to him until you find his feet and can force that same smile on him. He is your role model because you want him- and no one else- to fill that role. And you know what? Because you have stretched his heart more than he thought possible, he in turn is loving me more, so that you have the example of what it means to really be loved. He loves you that much. And I love being loved!
Thankful for the man in my life.



Happy Thanksgiving.