Christmas & other thoughts....

So........I need to rant. ready? Okay, here we go. 

During the holidays and post-holidays I have seen many, many, pictures of people's Christmases.  Through Instagram, facebook and blogs I have been privy to  "Christmas morning!" "Santa Came!" "Holy loot!" "I just spent twice our mortgage on crap from China and put in on a credit card with 22% interest-wahoo!!" type of holiday photos. ha ha ha....

People have gone crazy.  Off their freaking rockers crazy!  I can NOT believe how much stuff people buy for Christmas.  I saw a blog(no names here)where one kids Christmas covered an entire couch(not a love seat people-a couch!) and the entire floor around it.  I lost count after 17 wrapped gifts-just. from. Santa!-for ONE kid.  I sat there floored. aghast, really.(and kind of feeling sorry for myself and kids-ha!)   Do people really have that kind of money to blow? (I don't want to know..)

Now here is the thing-they probably do have the money to do it.  Let's just assume that it was paid for with cash and didn't touch their savings accounts.  Even so....really?! Is it needed? Probably not and how-HOW do you keep up with that as the child gets older and the list gets inevitably more expensive? Where do they put it all? And why take pictures and post them to every social media outlet possible?
My kids got ONE thing from Santa this year.  This year they both(Allie and Easton) wanted Ipod touches. I told them that was the only thing they could ask Santa to bring, being that they are pricey AND that their own mother didn't have an ipod until four years ago.;)  So on Christmas morning-it was that and a stocking and guess what? It was perfect. It was enough. They were ecstatic and haven't stopped playing with them since December 25.

Me and Paul also decided that our bedroom set was more than enough for Christmas-we didn't need anything else.

 I saw posts  of couples giving each other iphone5's and $500 gift cards to Nordstroms.


Um......I got a crock pot?  hahahaha....

Okay-rant over. God bless us, everyone. ;)


  So here are some of our holiday photos(mostly in order-)

Except these-these came after Christmas. Island Park with the family-I wish I had more photos, but I took most of the photos up there on my phone....which is now buried alive under a foot of snow at Powder Mountain. (grrr...) Moral of the story-zip up your pockets. ALL OF YOUR POCKETS.

 

 

The kids were waiting for the adults to take them to the sledding hill, but while they waited, they sled down the stairs to the cabin.  I swear it was just as much fun-and hilarious to watch.

 

When we put Olivia's baklava on she kept walking around saying, "I'm a baby ninja!"

Olivia and Talan....these two are becoming good little friends. Its cute to watch them together.

 

 

 

 

Christmas Eve at Grandma and Grandpa Hawker's house. The boys chillin' with a diet beverage and deep into a "What do you think Santa will bring" discussion. 

 

 Hanging out in the kitchen-talking & waiting for dinner

 

 Paul, hard at work on the Christmas puzzle

 

 How cute are my parents? They make Christmas Eve a special place and time for all of us.

Kind of killed me with their Christmas sweaters. haha.. 

AAAANNNNDDD.......here is what happens when Krystal is allowed to cook.;) She made a bread pudding that was delicious, but we kind of thought she might set the house on fire making it. Oh, Krystal-you make it fun. 

 

 

 

Look how old these three look! Libbie,Allie & Landi 

Christmas Eve Jammies! 

 

The Girls!

They all pulled their pants up as high as they could. Look at Libbie-she is hilarious.

And the Boys...watch out ladies.

 

Me and Paul's gift to Mom and Dad.

 

Christmas morning Ipods!

 

Olivia got a dog that jumps and barks-I think she wants the real thing, but this will have to do for now.

A little bling for that Ipod!

 

 

More Friends! These were from her Dad....he kind of stole the thunder with those two stuffed animals.  Along with loving all things animal related, Olivia is on a unicorn obsession, so when she pulled out a unicorn that was pink AND purple?! Done and done! Merry Christmas people! ;)

 

I got a crock-pot(I wasn't lying) and my mom and dad gave me some Sorel boots. I've wanted some for skiing and snowmobiling for years-they are SO warm-and cute too! Thanks again mom and dad!

Lego ni




 

Lego Ninjago and Just Dance 4!

 

 

Little People Princess House!(Dad's gift still won her favor.) haha.. 

 The only picture of me AND Paul during the holidays. This was Christmas Night at Grandma and Grandpa White's and I was exhausted! I figured out that this year was me and Paul's 20th Christmas together.(WOW-we are old!;) I guess 18 years if you take out two years for the mission-but he called me both of those Christmases too, so I'm counting them.

 

And completely out of order.....but the sledding hill in Island Park. This year my aunt Connie came with us and I have to say, she was my favorite part of the trip. I love being with her and around her. Love you Con! You are one of the best people in my life!

 

 

 Then it was back home-and into my very least favorite month of the year. January. Bleh...and it doesn't help that it has been wickedly cold. Add that to the fact that there is a horrible flu going around and I just pretty much think January can go to Hell. Oh wait....we are already there. When 7 degrees is the high for the day? Welcome to Hell. So to try and avoid the January blues, I started some projects.....I made a blue wreath for my front door.  I wanted to do a color that I have never done-and this is it.  I know this color is popular, but I've never been a huge fan.   I thought I would step outside my normal color palette.  Do I like it? I don't know yet....maybe. Sure. Still glad its on the outside though. ;)

 

 I have had a love/obsession with Les Miserables since I was a junior in High School. Connie introduced me to the music and I have been a huge fan ever since-I've seen the Broadway play twice and have read the book. So when I heard they were doing the movie as a musical and just like the play-I was skeptical. Then when I heard that Anne Hathaway was cast as Fantine? I was disgusted.  No way could the Princess of Genovia pull that off. So I took myself(yes, I went alone) to see it a few days after Christmas.

 

OH MY WORD!!  It was everything it needed to be. EVERYTHING. Anne Hathaway? She nailed it and gained a huge fan in me. I then went and saw it with Paul, who is also a huge fan of the music and he felt the same way.  I drive around listening to the soundtrack and can only listen to #5 if I am emotionally stable enough to handle it. (Ha...I'm totally serious though)

Disclaimer: If you are not into musicals-I cannot promise you the same feelings or emotion upon seeing this film. We all have our things. Its three hours of singing-people. It takes a certain mentality. If that isn't your thing-I get it.For instance, I hate basketball. Hate the Jazz. That's right.....I live in Utah and I hate the Jazz. If I were given front row seats to a championship game.....I would take the tickets, but I would sell them for money and buy cute shoes with that money. Hate basketball.  So I completely get it if this just isn't your scene-don't go see it.  (Nice tangent, right?) ha...

 

I was able to go day skiing with Paul all day yesterday.  I literally race down the mountain with a mile wide smile on my face.  It's like a little bird being let out of a cold, frozen tundra of a cage. Let's hope that February brings warmer temperatures and more snow-in the mountains only!

 

I've taken some fun pictures during this frigid month- I will be posting them soon on  THIS blog.

 

xo!