CrazySox

Didn’t realize I hadn’t posted this. We did plan on going on the 23rd but ran out of time. We ended up going on the 27th.

all the lights!!

“Visit Winter Garden Aglow”Winter Garden Algow is a Botanical Garden just down the street form my parents house. It’s basically a bunch of trees with a lot lights on them. Lovely to walk around them, but pretty cold! It was nice that there was snow on the ground, but still cold. There were fire pits all around the gardens to stop and warm up. There was tent with hot cocoa, apple cider and cookies- all donation.

Trying to keep Sawyer warm!!

Avery was really excited to see the lights. We drive past it every time we drive into to town, so she’s been teased enough, time to see the lights!! One day we’ll go back in the day light and when the weather is a bit more comfortable.

This year will be a new chapter for me, and my family. We have a lot of “plans” that we want to accomplish as a family this year. More places to go, things to see and activities to do together.

I don’t like the idea of “resolutions” for the new year, but I do want to make some changes that I will hopefully keep, not just wear off as the months pass.

Resolutions (goals, aim, aspiration, dream, intent, objective, target)

1. get & stay organized ( a job that never ends, I just want to keep on top of it)
2. keep the garage cleared (see #1)
3. keep the dining room table clear (see #1)
4. I have a long list of crafts I want to try out… the list keeps getting longer though!
5. “Move my body” (workout- it’s important for my kids to see me workout)
6. Friendships- build them up and keep them strong.

I am sure I will be adding to this list as time goes on, it never ends!

Avery got a “real” scooter for Christmas.
Real = only two wheels.

At first Sawyer was more excited that Avery was. He kept wanting Dan ride with him… the one we have at home has 3 wheels so he’s able to stand on it on his own, with this one, now, he needed help.

Dan & Sawyer scootering inside

After we are breakfast Avery was ready to head outside to check the scooter out. It was so cold we had to bundle up a lot. We aren’t used to that.

there she goes

coming down the hill

then it was Sawyer's turn again!!

My parents have a tricycle that all the kids have used and now it’s Sawyer’s turn to ride it. He liked it, but he wouldn’t keep his mittens on, so his riding time was cut short- too cold!

big boy on the trike

Sawyer got tired, so Dan rode with him

Before heading to bed Tori helped the kids write a quick note to Santa.

Dear Santa,
THis is Jack. I want a Wii please.
This is Josh. I want a DS .
Avery- I want a princess bike and scooter please.
We have been good this year.
Love, Jack, Josh & Avery

We’d been tracking his sleigh all day, so we knew Santa was on a long trip. Mardi (with Avery’s help) made some chocolate covered pretzel rods for Santa, and of coarse the reindeer can’t eat chocolate, so we left some celery. They can share the milk.

Santa liked it all and even left a note for the kids.

On Christmas Eve we have the kids open up one present…

Tori (my 18 year old niece) had been working on a “project” for a few days and she wanted it all ready for Christmas Eve. She took my old doll house (that she played with too) and revamped it. She painted each room and redecorated them too- very modern & cute. My parents had even kept all the old furniture. Avery was really surprised and loved it. She was even more excited when we told her it was my doll house that I played with when I was little kid.

the new doll house

the furniture- bathroom, nursery, kitchen...

By the time Tori brought the doll house up on Christmas Eve, Sawyer was in bed. He was very excited to see it in the morning. He loves to play with it. His favorite parts are the rocking chair and the baby. He seems to want to put the baby in the rocking chair. He also likes to put the brown bear (and only the brown bear) into the attic room. Thankfully the furniture was well made, it’s already 25 years old, so he hasn’t broken one piece yet!

Sawyer likes playing with it too.

Thank you Tori, I love you!!

On Christmas Eve we were supposed to go tubbing at Bogus Basin, but it was cancelled due to ice. The snow fell a few days ago, but melted some when the sun came out, then froze again at night. Hopefully we’ll be able to go before we leave on the 4th. We all went to the movies instead, not quite the same, but the kids really enjoyed it.

On Christmas Eve I made crepes for dinner. We had lots of toppings; brown sugar, cheese, ham, butter, cinnamon sugar, powdered sugar- we had some healthy crepes and some dessert crepes!!

the chef is ready to eat

After we had our fill of crepes it is our tradition to read “The Gift of the Magi” by O’Henry. This year Josh helped read some of the story too.

Avery went skiing with her cousins Jack (8) & Josh (6) at Bogus Basin. It was the first time for all 3 kids. They were in a private lesson- just the three of them for 2 hours. It went pretty well.

here she comes- snow plow!!

Avery was “done” by the time the lesson was over, while J & J kept going for a little bit. She didn’t complain about the cold too much, just frustrated because she wanted to keep going, but kept falling.

Avery says she does want to go again, but not tomorrow!

“try out skiing”

Not sure if Avery knew what she was in for…

Dan & Avery headed up to Bogus Basin with Mardi & Jim, Jack & Josh, Tori & 3 of her friends. Jack, Josh & Avery were heading out to their first day of skiing!! They ended up taking a private lesson with just the three of them for two hours. I wasn’t there, but I am told they all did well.

I asked Avery is she wanted to go again, she responded “yes, but not tomorrow.” She told me it was “cold, but fun. I am tired.”

I hope she is able to go one more time on this trip.

Dan took pictures, but they are on the real camera. We’ll download them soon and post them on our flickr account.

“make hot cocoa”

Avery and I made real hot cocoa from scratch tonight. It was a nice “project” that didn’t take too long and we got to enjoy it right away!

cookin' lady

We enjoyed our hot cocoa in pretty mugs (she picked out) with no marshmallows. The girl doesn’t like marshmallows!! I think she liked it a lot, she asked when we were going to make it again!!

cheers!

We used the recipe on the cocoa box;
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
dash salt
1/3 cup hot water
4 cups milk
3/4 tsp vanilla extract

* mix sugar,cocoa & salt in sauce pan, add water
* cook & stir over medium heat until mixture boils, boil & stir for 2 minutes
* add milk & heat, do not boil.
* remove from heat, add vanilla

Next time, I’ll add peppermint extract instead of vanilla.

“Make & build a gingerbread house.”

Today was a bit of a repeat. Since we left foe Boise 5 days earlier than first planned, I had to revamp our days.

Avery, with her cousins, Jack (8) & Josh (6) decorated 2 houses together. Tori (18) helped with the building part of the houses, but she let them do the decorating.

gingerbread house

gingerbread house

They came out pretty well, but we ran out of candy. Next year, we will just do the small graham cracker houses. We are learning as we go…