It's the year of the dragon!!! ANy reason is a reason to celebrate for me and this monday was CHinese new years. We got pictures for the kids to color(Jude and Dexy are Oxs, Ollie is a rat, and Alice is a tiger) and then let them make shakers full of colorful things. They had such a good time. Ollie kept exclaming "THIS IS THE BEST THING EVER" or something like that. He was super excited. Alice was determined to get at all the shiney stuff on the table and spent the evening rascalling her way up onto the table. Angie made up delicious pork potstickers and then Angie and I used some left over craft supplies to make some earrnigs. We had so much fun and hope that this year is going to be ever better than the last.

Our ward was having a soup and swap. Everyone brought a pot of soup and any items that they wanted to take to the thrift store. Everyone ate soup and then went "Shopping" If you wanted something you could just take it. It was a giat free for all and anything that didn't get taken went to the thrift store. It was a lot of fun and we all got some good stuff. Alice being the independent girl she is did some shopping of her own. She grabbed a skirt, a single shoe and then Aunt Angie helped her with some hair bows she had been eyeing. She happily toured the halls in her found item ensemble.This girl has style. And PS my soup won first place in a tasting competition. YEAH!

Jude's birthday is coming up, so I took Jude to the party store to get some ideas. Here is us just goofing off and being silly. We make a cute pair huh?

TODAY WAS SO MUCH FUN!!!!! There is a new toy store that opened up that makes me wish I was an irresposible billionaire. I just wanted 8 of everything. They had classic tramolines, scooters, and pogo sticks but then they had tons of new things. A big cup that you could sit in a spin on(the picture of Judeand I) a wierd "U" board that felt like you were surfing(Angie), jump rockets, y bikes, all sorts of things that I felt like I needed, forget the kids. But we all really had such a good time and will need to go back again.

WARNING!!! WARNING!!! WARNING!!! BLOOD AND GORE AHEAD! SQUEMISH PEOPLE TURN BACK!!!!




Ok with that warning in place I shall continue. Poor Alice got bonked up bad. I was getting dressed in my room while Alice and Jude were playing on a box behind me. I opened a drawer to grab a shirt and Alice feel right into the corner of the drawer. At the time I just thought she had fallen off the box onto the soft carpet and was just being a whiner about it. I finished getting my shirt on as she lay on the ground and lazily went to her aide. When I picked her up half of her face was covered in blood. I started panicking on the inside but held it together on the outside and got her to the bathrrom. She was dripping blood everywhere. It was so scary. The blood just kept coming and coming. Finally I got it under control and took her to the doctor(actually my mom did since I was keyless, thanks for saving my bacon mama*kiss*) where she had to get stitches. She was not happy at all. It was so sad. I had to hold her down, while another nurse held her head, while the doctor stitched her up. She only got three stitches but she fought the entire time. When she got home she was so tuckered out that she slept all afternoon and was still tired in time for bed time. She is doing fine now but what a scare.

No pictures today just two really cute stories that I don't want to forget. First off, it was dinner time and I decided to play a joke on Jude. I got his dinner all ready but then I hid it and got another plate full of just spinach. I set my yummy dinner down, then Derek's yummy dinner down. I gave Alice her dinner and then I set Jude's spinach only plate down and immediatley he starts crying. It was so funny and I wish I had a video camera. I might have to re-stage it. HA HA HA!

Next, Jude had been super curious about the stars. He always asks what they are and we simply stated "Stars." Well today we were on our way out for a late night errand and Jude sees the stars. He looks as his daddy and asks "Can I go have that star?" I lifted him up as high as I could and let him reach. Then he looked down at me and said "Can I go fly in plane and get that star." it was so cute!!!! CUTE CUTE!! Later on when we were getting out of the car he asked if he could reach again. So I lifted him up and let him reach for the star and he says "I want up that yummy star." What an adorable little boy. It was such a sweet moment. I wish I could pensieve it up into a little bottle and revisit it over and over.

Derek got a package in the mail that was full of packing peanuts. Derek very wisely saved them and I am so glad he did. I took the box and hid all sorts of things in teh packing peanuts. Toys, treats, thing like that. Then I set it in the middle of the floor and let the kids dig through the box. The loved it. And finding the treats was fun but the real treat was in spreading the peanuts all over the floor. Jude kept calling it snow and was having such a fun time filling and dumping the box over and over. They played happily in the mess for an hour till we made them clean up for dinner. But after dinner Jude requested "Snow" again and we wipped it out and spread it around for another hour of play.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! I think this is my first new year post. We have never realy done much so I have never really had to post anything. This year we had a good time. We went out for fireworks as soon as the sun went down. Smoke bombs, sparklers, all sorts of fun. They loved dancing around the fireworks and holding the sparklers and running around in the smoke. It was fun for all. Then we went inside and got Tokyos countdown and did a confetti pull popper that Angie made(they were so cute and sooo fun) and did our new years countdown. Then we played in the confetti and drank martinellis till it was time to go. We had such a blast.

We had areally good Christmas this year. First off Rob and Jan came down after 6 long months of not seeing them. The kids were so excited and it was sooooo nice to have them down (We love you guys) Angie and Brian made us a huge CHristmas eve feast and we all at ourselves sick with delicousness. Then we crazily pact our kids and there kids all in the same house and had a Christmas sleepover. It actually ended up working out great. Jude and Alice in one room, Ollie and Dexter in another. ANd all the adults watching movies on the couch till one by one we conke out. We woke up on Christmas and the festivities began. The kids were more excited about ripping off the wrapping paper then they were about what was inside. It was a great Christmas morning.
In the afternoon we had another CHristmas at my moms house. More stuff to unwrap which the kids loved. Jude was so funny though. Anytime he would open up clothes he would just toss them over his shoulder to dive deeper into the bag looking for the good stuff. He had us in tears. Merry Christmas everyone!