holiday highlights

Danny had a sleepover at the cousins' house on Friday night. When we came to pick him up on Saturday morning, we were informed that he puked in the middle of the night. Kris told us that when he woke up and saw Danny puking (or when he saw Danny's puke on the floor, I'm not 100% clear on the details), he puked too. Lovely.

Danny had a pretty good fever too so I gave him some medicine, buckled him into the car and made him come on a little family outing anyway. Sickness is no excuse to get out of family Christmas bonding time. Plus, I had a 20% off coupon for the BYU bookstore that was expiring that day and no way was I going to let it go to waste. Such a good mommy. I know.

I guess the medicine worked because he was fine and happy walking around the bookstore (at least for the first little while). We got some stuff and then headed outside to do some sightseeing around campus.

No trip to the BYU bookstore is complete without purchasing a few (or more than just a few) chocolate Lindor balls.



And none of that white chocolate either. That stuff's not real chocolate. It's not fooling anyone. Milk chocolate and dark chocolate. My favorites. I ate one and then saved the other one for Dan's Christmas stocking. I'm a giver. He ended up giving it back to me but it's the thought that counts.



Photo op with the big Y on the mountain behind them.

Know what I love about this picture?

Danny's fireman boots are on the wrong feet.
One side of his pants is stuck in the boot.
He's holding Hard Puppy in one hand and his bag of candy in the other.
Cate's legs. She's a little bit knock-kneed and her thighs are terribly adorable.
Dan's smiling and the sky is blue.



Here's my best effort at a family shot. It's a good thing Danny's head is right there because it covers up the humongo zit on my chin very nicely.



We roamed around outside for a while since it was sunny and not too cold.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. I love that place. I spent some of the best years of my life there.

I had a good childhood. No complaints here. My parents and sisters are wonderful. I actually liked high school and even junior high too. I had good friends and lots of great experiences. I'm pretty sure band camp prepared me for the real world.

I love my husband and my kids are great. Duh. I'm thankful for them and all the good that's come to my life because of them. The good times just keep getting better (especially since I don't change diapers anymore).

But the years I spent in college are some that I will always treasure. Sounds really mushy and cheesy. Sorry. It's just the truth. I made some lifelong friends, learned how to have roommates (with 3 sisters I'm pretty sure I'd already been doing that one), went on my first date, had my first kiss (at the ripe old age of 19...good grief), found Dan (who was neither my first date nor my first kiss), and actually learned stuff! What could be better?

I walked around campus on Saturday fighting back tears a few times (and now as I'm writing this too...sheesh, I'm a cry baby). I love it there. I want my kids to love it there too. I think we're off to a good start.



We wandered around this huge building (that wasn't there when I was a student) with a big fountain in the courtyard. Danny loved it. He stood there staring at the water and then stated, "I'm gonna be standing here forever probly."

Less than a minute later we were on the move again.

The kids had fun walking around and jumping off these ledges. They weren't very far off the ground. No one got hurt.



Dan and I recreated our first kiss. The one where he leaned in, I turned my head and he ended up kissing my chin.



Ha. Just kidding. I'd never do that.

I just wanted a picture of us together. My big zit kept getting in all the shots. Dan switched sides and covered it up for me. Such a gentleman to kiss my zitty old chin.

The highlight of our BYU outing (besides the zitty kiss) was standing in line for the free gift wrapping. Two old guys were in front of me talking to a young man with one arm. They were just chatting it up like this youngster was some kind of celebrity. How honored they were to meet him. Wishing him well. A one-armed baseball star. Yadda yadda yadda.

I went home and googled "one armed baseball player from Utah" and turns out he is a little bit famous. Plus, he plays basketball too. And he's engaged. I heard him mention that to the old guys. Pretty cool that I eavesdropped on the conversation of a kind of famous one armed sports star on Christmas Eve day.

And then we went home where Danny slept for 4 hours and Cate made Dan play tea party with her for about that long.

I started a new Christmas Eve tradition. I'm pretty sure of it. I made Swedish meatballs for dinner and they were scrumptious, if I do say so myself. Really good. Almost as good as IKEA's. I even had a jar of lingonberry jam to go along with the meatballs. Yum. My grandma's maiden name is Monson so I figure we're Swedish enough to have their meatballs on Christmas Eve.

The cousins and their parents came over to eat and exchange gifts.



Danny finally woke up still feeling crummy and a little bit feverish.

Know what's fun about a sick kid on Christmas Eve?



Nothing.

Dan and Cate had fun trying out Danny's new Star Wars helmets. It kind of made Cate look like a little bobble head doll.



I got a picture of Cate later in her new jammies. Danny was feeling extra grouchy and crummy and would not cooperate. No new jammies and no picture. Party pooper.



I did manage to get a picture of them together the next morning. They sure are cute but I think a few smiling lessons are in order.



You can never have too many pillow pets right?



Cate got some pink girly Legos of her very own from Grama Bama.

I built the house and the car for her. She got busy decorating the garden. That's what she called the green flat square we stuck the house onto.



I think that's my favorite present. Pink Legos. Seriously cute stuff, people.



And in case you wondered, yes, Dan is a very good sport. The perfect daddy for a little daughter.



After church (which was only attended to by me due to the sickness level of my kids), we headed up to Grandma's house for more presents and a yummy turkey dinner.

Dan received a brand new head flashlight thingee from his brother. He put it to good use whilst carving the turkey.



Ricky and Billy kept sicko Danny entertained with their video games. Danny really is happy to just sit and watch sometimes.



Oh, this next picture just makes me laugh. I won't tell you how many pictures I actually took in order to get one where everyone has their eyes open and some of them are smiling. Good times.



I took a happy little Danny to the doctor Monday morning. It was strep. He's feeling much better now, thanks for wondering.




Cate and I went to Target later that morning (mostly to pick up Danny's antibiotics, but also it turns out we needed a few packages of 50% off ornaments for next year and a bag of way too salty popcorn...and a Diet Coke mixed with a squirt of Dr. Pepper) and boy, oh boy, did we ever feel sad that Grama Bama wasn't there with us. Cate sang a song called "I Miss Grama Bama" on the drive home. She mostly just sang "I miss Grama Bama" over and over again.


Other holiday highlights in no particular order with no accompanying pictures:

☢ the key lime flavored chocolate orange I put in Dan's stocking (mostly so I could eat it myself without feeling too selfish)

☢ Cate telling the lady at the gift wrapping station that she wanted lipstick, a phone and a computer for Christmas (the lady mentioned that sounded a lot like stuff a 14-year-old would ask for)

☢ only took me 2 days to clean up the aftermath (not counting the tree or all it's needles that are scattered around the carpet)

☢ my pants have only gotten a tiny bit snugger despite my over consumption of chocolate and under utilization of the stair master at the gym

☢ this little conversation I had with Cate on Saturday night (Mom, when is it Christmas Eve? Today! Is it snowing? No. Mom, it has to be snowing to be Christmas Eve.)

☢ the eggnog milkshake Dan bought for me on Friday afternoon

☢ buying the 2011 Lego advent calendar for almost 50% off (and I plan to use it through the year as needed. nothing motivates my boy to do good like Legos.)