Yummy chunk-o-love and her family

We finally got to meet this little yummy chunk-o-love,

Caysa Noel

She is so yummy... she almost makes me want to have another one.  But not quite.  With all the little neices my sister-in-law are cranking out... I can love them, spoil them, and not have to feed them or potty train them.  Best of both worlds.

Brett, Emily, Jonas, Makai & Caysa came to town for a couple days.  It was Emily's birthday, so I made yummy mint brownies... and these two licked the beater.  Don't you love Makai's eyes...fixed on the frosting?  Was he wondering what these two were doing?  Or wanting in on the action?

A good 'ole cousin game of duck duck goose

Brett, Em, & Caysa snuck away to The Cheesecake Factory to celebrate her big 3-0 while the boys stayed back and enjoyed our New Years Eve celebrations with...  good 'ole movie night.

For the time that Caysa was here... what we mostly heard, was "No, it's my turn!" and  "Can I hold Caysa?"  Emily was a good sport to let Caysa play musical laps with all the doting girls.

We only wish we would have all felt well enough to join B&E and caravan down to the Rose Parade.  Thanks for coming, even if it was a reaaaally short trip!

Better than a closet

Ama's camera is either lame, or the girls wouldn't stand still long enough for Ama to snap focused pictures... but you get the gist.  When Ama comes to town, she takes the girls to go play dress-up... at Marshalls.  They're in heaven if you can't tell.  Alexandra & Isabella dressed up in their Sunday best... to go play dress-up.

a re-creation of sledding at the cabin?  Why not.

this is what happens when I let them loose in my bathroom.

and a song Izzie performed for Ama...   Love it.

The one when HAZMAT was called in

It was the eve before Christmas Eve.  Actually, it was more like the middle of the night before Christmas Eve.. 2 am to be exact.  We had just finished wrapping every present there was for us to wrap (yay us, a night early)... we headed up the stairs to hear the doorbell ring twice.

Funny story... we thought it was odd and our first inclination was to check on Mom & Kelly. Maybe Kelly got up and roamed outside?  The front door does stick and is tough to open... but the doorbell?  At 2 am?  Really?

It wasn't Kelly... we opened the door to be greeted by a two stink/smoke bombs.  They were smoldering on the cement at the front door giving off an awful odor.  Curt ran to the curb... looked both ways, called out.... no one in sight.  Probably some bored teenagers... but who?

We didn't think any more of it until Christmas night at 4 am when we had a do-over-of-sorts.    Except no doorbell this time.  The blast was bigger than a doorbell.  Woke us out of REM cycle three.  It sent plastic shards and acid everywhere... this homemade water bottle pipe bomb.  Gosh... didn't seem random anymore.

So we walked through the shards {& what we later learned was acid}, went to church and when we came home I couldn't shake the feeling of being violated.  This time, it was an increase in violence... what would be next?  There is a history in this neighborhood of helicopters circling overhead, domestic violence, cops running down the street with guns drawn... and it hasn't included us.  Until now.  {It's really not that bad of a street... just crazy isolated incidents}

I called the non-emergency line and the moment I said, "water bottle bomb," one would have thought I said, "fire fire fire!"  She had me dispatched to an on-duty officer and they were on our doorstep within minutes.  Guess it was a bigger deal than we'd thought.  The police rebuked us for not calling the night of the smoke bomb.  Who knew?

The police spent most of Sunday afternoon in front of our house with different investigators coming and going.  They interviewed the older kids.. thinking there could be a middle school connection.  Then we found out that we weren't the only ones.  There were four other homes close-by that were hit.  So the thought was... as the incidences increased in violence, what would be next?

The real fun for the kids began when HAZMAT was called into the scene to test all the substances and clean it up.  Bummer....they weren't suited up in their cool marshmallow man outfits... but the kids all had their noses pressed into the front windows watching every move.  McKenzie was even trying to videotape it.  And that's when the cop got mad... "I better not see this video show up on youtube!"  "You don't want to tick off a cop!" She turned it off really quick!

The best part was that Kelly was ready to pack up the car and head out because of the incident.  He'd come outside and ask the investigators questions and walk around the scene, spreading the acid.  He even told them he's been an LA firefighter for 60, 70, 80 years.  (He's 83).  We all had a good chuckle.  So we had one of the cops tell him that he really just needed to stick around for three more days and wait it out.  That was enough for him... hearing it from a cop... and we all avoided the 'we're leaving now' conversation.

The other best part of this incident is that we get a new much- overdue and needed doorhandle... the acid ate through the fake brass finish.  And yah!  Painted door!  Gone with the disgusting mauve... in with rich brown or black.  Too bad the main floor didn't flood so we could get new carpet.  Is that so wrong?

Gingerbread, earthquakes, and tornadoes...

Everyone needs a kind-hearted child with that extra dose of sensitivity and compassion... Alexandra tends to consistently be that one in our family.  She's concerned for the welfare of others and is more sensitive to other's feelings than any normal six-year-old.  So on her very own, she called Ama and invited her & Kelly to spend Christmas with us because she couldn't stand the thought of them being alone in cold Mt. Pleasant without grandchildren to share the joyF with...  So we have Alexandra to thank for Ama gracing our home at Christmas this year. a

One of our traditions that I just never accomplished this year on my own... was gingerbread houses.  It's one of the kids' faves... because there generally are no rules about two for me, one for the house, three for me, one for the house, etc.  And with individual frosting pouches, eating that was easier too.  So Ama brought the goods...

... But it's the last time she'll ever do it with these six kids, I'm sure.  

Sugar highs and the high-energy with big kids that want to destroy & eat the houses faster than they can make them-- nope, she didn't bargain for that.  I should have snapped a photo of the earthquake that hit Monson's and the tornado that tore through Brayden's.  Then we'd remember why.

Thanks, Mom... for being a sport & carrying on the tradition!

Christmas Morn.

Isabella says it all...

Joy Noel in our hearts

We've never been unemployed for Christmas.  We've never been unemployed for longer than three months... and this year we shot that right out of the water and continue to set records. 


We've never exhausted our savings and had few to zero options in our immediate financial present & future until this last summer.  It's been a whole insane year of financial crazy.  It's also been an insane year of amazing blessings and tender mercies.  I have no other words to adequately express those feelings.




It's much easier to focus on needful things when you have no other choice. It's much easier to continue to sacrifice wants and some needs when we seek to gain a little understanding of the sacrifice and embrace our challenges wholeheartedly.  


Yes, some days are tougher than others... some days we turn into two antagonistic nightmares.  Other days we force ourselves out of bed.  But at some point we do it (becuse we have to) and press on.  Curt hasn't quit looking for work and he hasn't quit furthering his education in the tough times.  There is light somewhere at the end of the tunnel.  There is hope in all things.


It's so incredibly sobering when so many others are cognizant of our struggles and generous beyond words.  It's that extra phone call, the note in the mail, the random 'thinking of you' email, the quick lunch date, the ear, the shoulder.  We have been blessed.  Heavenly Father will never forget His children.  Looking back at this last year, which was supposed to be our year to 'rebuild'... I chuckle a little bit.  But I think we've done just that in almost a spiritual sense.  We've changed our thinking.  I actually wouldn't wish for a different challenge at this time in our lives.  Call me crazy.


How grateful we are for the resources and gifts of love, tokens of kindness, all the small & simple things, and a few really large ones that have been sent our way and thrown us to our knees.  We were all geared up and actually quite excited to have a Christmas that has been unlike any other.  We weren't worried for the kids... these kinds of lessons and experiences are among those they'd remember for a lifetime.  


The love we felt this Christmas season was truly humbling... in an indescribable dose.  And all this is why.  Christmas for us has always been about a big family service project... and all the other wonderful traditions fill in the gaps and bring us all immeasurable joy and allow us to properly reflect upon our Savior as we turn our hearts to Him.  Sure, there's Santa and commercialism-- that's part of the butterflies & excitement.  Most the time it's too much.  Certainly our children have never gone without.  This year, we were all willing to do without.  The older kids each came to us at separate times saying they only needed pencils and shoes since his were a size too small and had holes.  One needed a jacket & socks, another needed nothing, but wanted a book.  Each of them told us we could have their money they had saved up so we could pay the bills... they were so sensitive and fully willing to sacrifice their own means so the little girls could have Christmas.  Lesson learned by all.  And I am one grateful mother.


But this year we weren't quite ready for what was in store.  And it was a lesson in gratitude and humility to try to graciously accept all the amazing outreach.  We were still able to participate in a wonderful service and reach outside of ourselves.  But we were the recipients of basically most of Christmas Day as our children know it.  It's harder than you might think to be on this end.  This is a first for us after 16 years of marriage.  So a heart-felt thank you to all, near and far.

Christmas Eve Traditions

For the last few years, Brayden has taken charge on our Christmas Eve Program.  I always look back...bummed, that I didn't capture the night sufficiently with pictures.  This year was no different... I'm bummed... didn't capture it. I'll learn.  I'll learn.  And that's also bad flash.

Brayden has not had violin lessons in over a year now, but practiced and performed a number especially for us... a treat for me.

McKenzie & Monson both played the piano...

And Alexandra, Isabella, & Viviana performed their 'Gift to You' number from kid karolers for Ama. 

kisses for Ama b

We all contributed... Curt told the story of the Christmas 

Orange... something we traditionally receive in our stockings year after year.  And we all did our Christmas Eve puppets as we read Luke 2 and sang lots of beautiful Christmas melodies.  Again, no photos.  But there's plenty of cute little Vivs fully enjoying our Christmas Eve.

Christmas Eve I usually let the kids open their handmade gift from me...

and it usually ends up being their most treasured fave.  Just saying.... 

happiness is homemade

2010 was the year of the magnet boards... all personalized for the boys, and spiffed out to their personalities, for the girls.  These took HOURS.  Especially Brayden & Monson's.  The best part about them was the cost.  Taipan practically paid me to take these off their hands last spring.  

The boys is not only magnetic, but a chalkboard too... that made them even more giddy.

One day, I laid out a whole bunch of different fabrics and had the girls each choose their absolute fave.  That's what they got, so no bad guessing here.  I wanted to do a monogram of their initials on the wood... may still do it later.  Time was running out.

My boys each have like a gazillion teams.  They had no idea what I was doing... but I asked them to rank their teams so I could at least narrow it down to something do-able.  Did I say these took forever?  Cause they did.  

My mom hates cameras.  can you tell?  She'll rarely look at the lense.  But I take the photos anyway.  
I added detail to her corners... and it's polished and just so Ama..

and I couldn't resist making one for me... a bird's egg blue toile.  Lovey.

And another favorite tradition... Christmas Eve Jammies.
We have some pretty great family that watched out for us this year and even down to the PJ's...made that tradition still possible.F  Thank you dearly, you know who you are.  See.. yet again, a picture of all of them would have been nice.  Oh, ya... they were too giddy to even obey long enough to group together for a picture.  Except for these three cuties.