Christmas Happenings

My favorite part of Christmas is the three to four weeks leading up to the big day. I love the preparing, planning, and the anticipation of what's to come. I'm almost sad on Christmas Eve and Day b/c I know that everything is coming to a close very shortly. I can't help it. But here's a summary of our fun times together these last few weeks!
Payton dressed up as Santa and wore it all day at school for a "spirit day". She designed her own beard!

When Payton was two we started making Christmas treats of preztels with a melted on hersey kiss and a m&m on top. She named them "nokos", and that's what we still call them seven years later. The kids make them completely on their own now. I just put them in the oven and take them out.

We've been eating dinner by candlelight lately. It makes it so cozy being together on these dark winter nights. I put candles on during the day when it's dark and stormy out too, and I love how it makes my cold house instantly feel warmer and snug.

Payton and Davey surprised me with an early Christmas gift yesterday. It's a wiseman recipe holder! They were holed up in Payton's room all morning, and I had strict orders to not bother them. They came out proudly bearing their gift. Their sweet guesture made my Christms already!

We've been observing advent together as a family the last three Christmases. My mom brought us this amazing advent candle holder from Sweden this year which we love. The kids enjoy the ceremony of it and lighting the candles, and we've been able to discuss the hope, joy, peace, and comfort that Jesus brings us. It's always interesting to hear their thoughts, sometimes very profound and others a bit crazy. We roll with it, they're all memories and markers of our family.

Sugar Cookies! I set everything out and let the kids have at it. Sprinkles and colored sugar were piled 1/4 inch high, but the kids were thrilled with their creations.


Jonah especially loved the cookie decorating.

Trav whipping up a little homemade eggnog. Vicki was our fearless leader in this. She always has the energy and patience to take on cool projects. I ride her coat tails and enjoy the fruits of her labors.

The kids completed the gingerbread house with no bickering at all. I was so proud of them mixing three different creative thoughts on to one house.

This is why no one should ever pick candy off our gingerbread houses. The kids' noses have been stuck to it ever since they finished it. They claim, "It just smells so good!" I've given them the green light for a free-for-all on it after lunch today.

We've been watching lots of Christmas movies together, and I caught Payton holding Davey like this for most of a movie. It does a mom's heart good to see her kids loving on each other.

And here I am, the morning of Christmas Eve. It's here, which means that it's almost over now. (Sigh)

Eskimo Hill

My sister Vicki was in town for the weekend for some pre-Christmas festivities. On the agenda was a sledding day. We set out from home with a completely foggy, drizzly, freezing day wondering what we'd find at Eskimo Hill. It didn't look good until we reached Shingletown and the clouds literally parted. It was the most beautiful, sunshiny day ever for sledding!
Jonah, for the first time, did not declare his hatred for snow and actually had a pretty awesome day. So glad to move past the "I hate snow" stage!

The kids "let" us sled with them a few times. After one time down with an adult, all three of them wanted complete separation from us. I was following Davey and Payton back up the hill, and they were like, "So Mom. What are you doing? Why are you coming up here?" Trying to drop their not so subtle hints that I was not hitching a ride down with them. I had to push my way on to a sled a few times. I was feelin' the love!

I loved Jonah's dimples and chuckle every time we crashed on a sled together. Totally worth me insisting that I got to ride with him a few times.

Vicki and Davey got the "balls out" award for the day. They had the craziest, fastest ride down the hill and caught some great air. Davey loved every minute of it.


Payton worked steadily on this snow fort and was sad to leave it behind.

Davey was allowed in, but not Jonah b/c he kept trying to kick the walls down. Boo on you Jonah.


It was such a fun, beautiful day up in the snow together. A few more trips up will have to be made this winter!

Santa Baby

Still Learning

Being a mom has been the sharpest refining tool of my character. My three little teachers have revealed many weaknesses and shortcomings that I don't even realize I have. Thanks dudes!
Jonah tends to be my greatest teacher. A few days ago, on the way driving to school I spilled tea all over myself to which Jonah burst out laughing in a really obnoxious way. I gave an irritated and stern lecture about showing compassion and being more thoughtful. He then started singing a song about "stinky Lucy". He's referencing Charlie Brown's Lucy, but the kids have a friend Lucy at school as well, and I've asked him before to not sing a song using her name. I totally did the "Blah, blah, blah, use words that build people up, blah, blah, blah, you're making bad choices, etc all the way to school.
We get to school and some yayhoo of a mom pulled three crazy moves in the car drop off line. Anyone who drops off/picks up kids knows you don't mess with the system! I let a sing songy "cuckoo" out, and then muttered, "this woman's nuts!!" Then I realized Jonah, who's keenly aware of detail but lacking discernment, would probably hop out of the car and tell the woman's kid, "hey! My mom say's your mom's cuckoo and she's nuts!!" Whoa, I had to back up fast. I quickly told the kids, I shouldn't have said those things, I need to work on using my nice words too and could we work on it together. It sobered me up.

I love that I thought my words were justified and "harmless" and how easily they came out in front of my three observant children. I have a sign on my car's visor "It's not about you" and I think I need to add another one, "Use your nice words". I need these reminders!

Gettin' our tree

I was SO excited to grab a $10 tree permit this year and drive out to the snowy mountains to claim and cut down our tree! I seriously didn't know people could just go into the forest and cut down any tree until I moved here. I thought is was just in the movies. We made plans to go out with our friend Deborah and her two boys, and I'm so glad we did b/c when it came time to leave everyone was fussy. Jonah was loudly proclaiming he HATED the snow and didn't want to go, the kids were fighting, and all of a sudden Trav and I felt tired and uninspired. If we hadn't committed to go with friends, I guarantee we would've found ourselves at Home Depot with our usual tree. BUT, I'm so glad that didn't happen! It was adventure, the thrill of the search, and it was so fun to be in the snow with friends!
Our beautiful tree! Which we cut down to size a bit to fit in our house of course. I seriously love this tree. It totally leans over at an angle at the top, but it's perfect.

My man.

What is this? Is Payton's hair down? I don't know how this happened, it must've fallen out of her ponytail with all her playing. I love her hair down, and I only get a glimpse of it this way a few times a week when she's out of the shower and waiting to get her hair rebraided. I wish she would ease up on her hair requirements...

Snow is always more exciting with friends!

Even Jonah had fun in the snow, against his own wishes.

It was such a tremendous day. By the time we got home it was dark, it was cold, we were hungry, but pretty pleased with ourselves. Next year we will go armed with a thermos of hot cocoa, a picnic lunch, and blankets for the ride home. I can't wait!

Weekending with the Solorios

Our good friends Nicolle and Josh came into town for the weekend last Thursday! Redding welcomed them with the coldest temperatures of the year, and needless to say, we had Josh decked out in flannel like a true Redding native by the end of their visit.
We spent the bulk of our time playing games of Uno. The kids LOVE Uno, lucky for us, Nicolle and Josh were willing gamers. The game got kicked up a notch by the concept of cheating and dirty play introduced, but the kids loved every minute of it. Thanks guys:) There was lots of screaming and laughing, mostly by the adults. Every game had its own drama and excitement.

The kids pretty much wanted to be wherever Josh was. He might be needing another vacation after "vacationing" with my kids.

The boys at the Sundial Bridge.

What's an outing with the kids without an injury or two?

The Ladies. I loved seeing Nicolle pregnant with her little one!

Wherever Josh was, the kids were...

Jonah earned a trip to U-Top-It, his favorite place in the world next to Waterworks, for good behavior at school. We all reaped the benefits of his hard work.

This was Davey's excited expression throughout the weekend. It's contagious.

The house is awfully quiet now, and our games of Uno are not nearly so exciting without the Solorios. We can't wait to introduce little Landon to the game when it's time!

For You Daddy

Here's a few more pics from our visit with my parents over Thanksgiving.
My dad took us to the Egyptian Museum in San Jose one afternoon. Jonah is studying Egypt in his class, so we took some pictures of him with his favorite exhibits for him to do a report on. This is him with LuLu a 28 year old female mummy. How weird is this picture of Jonah smiling by a two thousand year old mummy? He said the picture upset some girls in his class:)

We're always up for a good climbing tree.

This cracked me up! Davey said, "Look, I'm a mummy!" and quickly posed like this. Indeed there was a mummy in this exact position with his tongue hanging out. The boys were indifferent to the mummies, Payton was totally creeped out and wanted to get outta there.

My mom and Davey busy in the kitchen.

This is us with my grandpa at his ranch in King City where my Dad grew up. Crazy to have a house that's been in the family for over 60 years, so much history in one place!


My great aunt and uncle next door to my grandpa's captured two wild hogs and now keep them as "pets". These things were huge!!! It brought me back to Old Yeller when Travis was tagging their hogs, fell out of tree, was attacked by a hog, Old Yeller saved him, but got totally injured... It was so dramatic. That's what I thought of when I saw this hog.

Me and one of my amazing sisters who's coming to visit us shortly!

My love, who I was a snot to last night but still loves me.

Hope you like the pics Daddy!