The Shelton's came for the weekend before Christmas. It was a non-stop party.
Courtnie, Liza, Angie, and me.
Bruce, Dan, and Dave.
We ate lots of food.
Papa Doug and John.
Grandma Trea was Santa for the night.
She knows just the right things to give- Kiki was thrilled by her book about cheetahs and her new toy dinos.
Charlie received a cross-bow and the rest of us received protective headgear and plastic cups.
Grandpa Jack made a funny face because he was so excited about his big big present.
The Barratt boys just can't resist flipping the bird when the camera is near.
It's a real situation sometimes.
Daniel was very mystified by today's technology.
Theo and Liza.
We spent Christmas Eve at my mom's house.
There's nothing like receiving a present as big as you are.
Aunt Lindsay specializes in Christmas hair-do's.
The girls came home from my mom's and opened their Christmas PJ's.
Official Christmas Portrait of Baby Boeuf.
Santa found us, of course! Kate woke up at 5 and I told her it was too early to be up, and that kid actually went back to sleep.
This is her usual facial expression.
I think I have a teenager already.
The aftermath.
We had dinner Christmas night with Grandma Kay, then headed straight out to Phoenix.
After a barely tolerable night in Mesquite, we are safe in Arizona with Bruce's family.
We had a great Christmas- lots of time spent with family and friends. It seems such a contrast to last year on Bohol. That was a fun Christmas too, but it also made me very happy to be home in the snow and cold and company of our nearest and dearest.
LaBoeuf has settled
right in to life with us. He has such a sweet personality- he loves to cuddle and play. We have fallen in love with our baby puppy.
He thinks this is his own special spot when I practice. I don't mind it until I need the pedals.
LaBoeuf was neutered a few weeks ago. He was not happy about the whole affair. He cried the whole way home- tears even came out of his eyes.
He had to wear the cone of shame for 5 days.
Words can't describe his hatred for the cone.
Eventually he found it useful though...
It was a handy tennis ball catcher.
It reduced the amount of splashing at the water bowl.
Snow shovel.
He was very relieved when the cone came off and he could resume his normal life. Well, as normal as life can be after you've had your testicles removed.
The Winter Recital
for my piano studio was a couple of weeks ago. I joined forces with my mom and friend Steph (who both had students playing also) for 90 minutes of excitement and nervousness.
Steph teaches Kate. (Have I not done a blog post titled, "Never Teach Your Own Child Piano Lessons"? I should. I'm grateful every day that such a competent pianist is willing to teach my child so I don't have to.) Kate played "The Snow Castle Waltz" by Melody Bober, and she did a really nice job. This is, by far, the hardest thing she's played. She came home with the music a couple of months ago and said, "...and I'm going to use the PEDAL!" Sometimes I forget how exciting these musical milestones can be.
Recital days make me a bundle of nerves! I want my students to well, and just as importantly, I want the PARENTS of my students to think they are doing well. I think I am just as nervous when a student of mine performs as when I perform myself.
It was a relief for all of us when it was over, then. I usually book the recital hall for 2 hours and have 2 separate recitals, but when I booked this year, only a 90 minute block was available, so I had to have just one. long. recital. I felt very grateful that so many people came and supported we teachers and cheered on their kids.
There's been a lot of criminal activity around here lately.
This started out as a olive AND sausage pizza.
This one kept up her mother for a seven hour nighttime puke-fest then happily ate eggs and toast with her grandpa showing no adverse effects.
I left for my morning run while it was still dark and thought someone had dropped a bag of leaves on my corner, but when I swung my headlamp around I realized that the "bag of leaves" had a face.
I hear from my neighbors that dogs were actually the culprit, and not a car accident, which is what I originally thought.
We spent Thanksgiving in Pocatello with my mom, George, and the Shelton's. We drove up on Wednesday in order to get the baking started. While Liza, Merrilee, and I worked on pies, stuffing, and sweet potatoes, the kids made "acorns" out of nutter butters, kisses, and chocolate chips.
I remember my mom wearing this apron when I was little.
Somehow Liza ended up with it, and we were happy to see it back on it's rightful owner.
Katie joined in for the festivities.
My cute mom and sister.
The kids were hungry for a big bird.
Despite the many offerings available, this kid wanted only a turkey leg for her Thanksgiving dinner.
Of course, then Charlie wanted a turkey leg too.
Also of course, neither one of them actually ate their turkey leg.
They just wasted it and then wanted a bone picture.
This is all we did Thanksgiving night...lay around, get fat, cuddle our kids, and plan our shopping for Black Friday.
Check out that tongue.
We went through Logan on the way home to see the Judd-Murrays. After a day of Thanksgiving fare, Indian food seemed just the ticket. Kate has retained her adventurous palate she developed in the Philippines. Kiki, not so much. She ate a chicken leg and rice.
Lachlan, Kate, and Kiki
Jeff and Jack
All in all, it was a fun holiday...Christmas here we come! We are excited to have the holidays a little closer to home this year.
