Holidays
We had a wonderful Christmas vacation! I wish I could say I was glad to be back, but I am feeling a little homesick today. Lincoln is in Oregon.........I wish I was there with him.
A recap of our travels....
We flew to Utah to stay with my family. It was so much fun to see everyone again. We had a James Family Christmas Breakfast on Saturday, and we took a photo of ALL 32 of us! (Sorry guys, I will get working on it, and post it soon!) That is just my Mom and Dad, brothers, sisters, their spouses, and all our kids. =) Our party started with a wonderful breakfast that in included my mom's homemade cinnamon rolls (worth the trip just for these!), casseroles, fruit, hot chocolate, bacon, and sausage links (our food assignment because of the "links"...ha ha ). We had a gift exchange with the grand kids, and white elephants for the adults. We came out with a Pirates DVD. =) The kids also did a talent show. I was so happy to be there!! The last time I had Christmas at my parents home, was when Wyatt was 7 months old!!!
On Christmas Eve we went to church. It was a one hour meeting that turned into a two hour meeting because it took them 40 minutes to pass the sacrament. That night my Mom made a delicious leg of lamb for dinner. At the table she said "Wyatt after dinner we can tell the Nativity story with my puppets, and I even have a DVD." Wyatt said "Um...... No Thanks, I think I have had a little bit too much God today." (How embarrassing!!) After dinner we did tell the Nativity story with the puppets (so cute by the way), and Wyatt was very concerned because the sheep only had one googley eye. My Dad just kept whispering to him that it was okay. After we finished I asked Wyatt what he had learned. He looked at me and said "I learned that we ate the Sheep." Everyone covered their faces to hide the laugher. We tried to make the evening spiritual, but every time we tried Wyatt would say something funny.
I was sick. I always seem to get sick before I come to my Mom's. I have to admit it was nice to have someone take care of me for a change. I got to sleep in.......my kids were waking up at 5:00 am for the first few days...so I tried to sidetrack them with cartoons....but then around 7 they would go upstairs and my Mom would make them breakfast. I am teary eyed typing that....not for my sake but for theirs. What a special memory for them. I had such a simply wonderful time at home. It was rejuvenating and peaceful, and I wish I would have eaten more homemade bottled peaches!
We were able to meet two sets of friends while in Utah. Brian, Melanie, Isabella, and Gracie from Maryland.. now living in California, and Kayelynn, Travis, Justin, and Tyler from Oregon. It was so good to see them. We had such a wonderful time talking, and eating, and chasing our kids.
The day after Christmas we drove down to Arizona, to be with Lincoln's family. We got to stay in his mother's guest home, so it felt like a home away from home. We only slept there that night, and then drove to California for Lincoln's Grandpa Tidwell's 80th birthday party! What a party it was! I don't know exactly who did the planning, but they should get an award! The decorations we Grandpa things....for example we sat at a table with some of his beloved books fanned out in a circle with a beautiful bowl in the middle. The other tables had themes such as a sailboat table, or a fishing table. Photographs of Grandpa (at all stages of his life) had been laminated and were at each table for you to take home. The food was top notch! Ceasar salad, pomegranate salad, two gorgeous brie cheeses, the biggest bowl of shrimp cocktail ever, a baked potato bar, fruit, ham, tri tip roast, and a chocolate fountain. There was a wonderful slide show with many pictures from Grandpas life. Oh, and birthday cake. The best part....Maryanne's daughter Abby adopted Natalia for the night!!! It was like I brought along my own sitter, and I got to enjoy most of the evening kid free. (Anyone that was there...please forget that it was my daughter that ran on the stage DURING the slide show!) Natalia has named her new baby doll ABBY, and repeatedly says "Abby nice, Abby nice girl". =) Becka and Maxximus, Spencer and Maricela, and there new baby Blake went with us...and we all stayed in a Marriot and used some of Lincoln's points to pay for it. Our room had two separate rooms with doors, and a fold out couch...so it was perfect for our 3 families.
We drove back to Lincoln's mothers house...which was a little crazy....Wyatt got sick, and Natalia has figured out how to unbuckle her car seat. Maricela kept having to buckle her back in.
Connie's (Lincoln's mom) house is unbelievable. I can't even describe it, I tried to for my Mom...and failed. It is gorgeous....it's right on the river, and has tons of windows (just one of my quirks...the windows are always the first thing I notice in any house...I am like a light meter!), the floor is fossilized limestone, the entry way has a gold leaf ceiling with a huge chandelier that spins, there was enough room in the living room for 3 children to ride big wheels AT THE SAME TIME and not bug anyone...........I can't go on.....there is too much. Oh I have to mention, there are two full sized kitchens in the house, and one in the guest house. Crazy, and beautiful!
I have to mention the food we ate there too....because it was wonderful. There was so much that Lincoln and I both have got to get back to the gym ASAP. We had Pies...chocolate, coconut, banana, cheesecake, and we had prime rib, shrimp scampi, fettucini alfredo, cheese fondue, fondue that you cook meat in (don't know what its called), a chocolate fountain twice, racelet (a swiss grill thingy), cinnamon rolls, and Belgian waffles with all the breakfast extras. Amazing!
We got to have Christmas morning (yes...take 3) with Adam and Penny and kids over the xbox camera. It was fun to see them........and torture them by opening presents and making them watch!! =) Just kidding.
One of the things I loved about the trip, is how much my children really loved everyone. Natalia and Wyatt ran to my mom as soon as we pulled up to her home, they remembered my brothers and began asking for favors immediately (Uncle Rob can you turn on the xbox?), they played with their cousins and laughed themselves silly. My kids loved seeing Grandpa walk in the door, and would say "Grandpa's here!" Natalia would talk non-stop about Grandma Connie, Grandma Ginger, and Ellen when I was TRYING to get her to go to sleep at night. She would say "Mommy has a nose, Talia has a nose, EVERYBODY HAS A NOSE!" Then she would name as many people as she could possibly remember and add "has a nose." She did the same thing with hair! Wyatt loved playing with Uncle Paul and his real light saber. There was a time that Daisy, the dog, thought Paul was really trying to hurt the kids during a light saber duel, and she stepped in between the kids and Paul...and wouldn't budge. He was fighting Natalia, Maxximus, and Wyatt and they all had light sabers. It just make me mushy to think that they love all these people and we are so far away. I hate it. I am so thankful for the memories they were able to make on the trip.
I'll post pictures.....
LINCOLN GAVE ME HIS COMPUTER! Can you tell how excited I am! His is super fast, and my post processing workflow for my business is going light years faster. I am so happy I could dance. He also gave me an external hard drive that will AUTOMATICALLY back up new music and picture files everyday! (This is me crying tears of joy!)
A recap of our travels....
We flew to Utah to stay with my family. It was so much fun to see everyone again. We had a James Family Christmas Breakfast on Saturday, and we took a photo of ALL 32 of us! (Sorry guys, I will get working on it, and post it soon!) That is just my Mom and Dad, brothers, sisters, their spouses, and all our kids. =) Our party started with a wonderful breakfast that in included my mom's homemade cinnamon rolls (worth the trip just for these!), casseroles, fruit, hot chocolate, bacon, and sausage links (our food assignment because of the "links"...ha ha ). We had a gift exchange with the grand kids, and white elephants for the adults. We came out with a Pirates DVD. =) The kids also did a talent show. I was so happy to be there!! The last time I had Christmas at my parents home, was when Wyatt was 7 months old!!!
On Christmas Eve we went to church. It was a one hour meeting that turned into a two hour meeting because it took them 40 minutes to pass the sacrament. That night my Mom made a delicious leg of lamb for dinner. At the table she said "Wyatt after dinner we can tell the Nativity story with my puppets, and I even have a DVD." Wyatt said "Um...... No Thanks, I think I have had a little bit too much God today." (How embarrassing!!) After dinner we did tell the Nativity story with the puppets (so cute by the way), and Wyatt was very concerned because the sheep only had one googley eye. My Dad just kept whispering to him that it was okay. After we finished I asked Wyatt what he had learned. He looked at me and said "I learned that we ate the Sheep." Everyone covered their faces to hide the laugher. We tried to make the evening spiritual, but every time we tried Wyatt would say something funny.
I was sick. I always seem to get sick before I come to my Mom's. I have to admit it was nice to have someone take care of me for a change. I got to sleep in.......my kids were waking up at 5:00 am for the first few days...so I tried to sidetrack them with cartoons....but then around 7 they would go upstairs and my Mom would make them breakfast. I am teary eyed typing that....not for my sake but for theirs. What a special memory for them. I had such a simply wonderful time at home. It was rejuvenating and peaceful, and I wish I would have eaten more homemade bottled peaches!
We were able to meet two sets of friends while in Utah. Brian, Melanie, Isabella, and Gracie from Maryland.. now living in California, and Kayelynn, Travis, Justin, and Tyler from Oregon. It was so good to see them. We had such a wonderful time talking, and eating, and chasing our kids.
The day after Christmas we drove down to Arizona, to be with Lincoln's family. We got to stay in his mother's guest home, so it felt like a home away from home. We only slept there that night, and then drove to California for Lincoln's Grandpa Tidwell's 80th birthday party! What a party it was! I don't know exactly who did the planning, but they should get an award! The decorations we Grandpa things....for example we sat at a table with some of his beloved books fanned out in a circle with a beautiful bowl in the middle. The other tables had themes such as a sailboat table, or a fishing table. Photographs of Grandpa (at all stages of his life) had been laminated and were at each table for you to take home. The food was top notch! Ceasar salad, pomegranate salad, two gorgeous brie cheeses, the biggest bowl of shrimp cocktail ever, a baked potato bar, fruit, ham, tri tip roast, and a chocolate fountain. There was a wonderful slide show with many pictures from Grandpas life. Oh, and birthday cake. The best part....Maryanne's daughter Abby adopted Natalia for the night!!! It was like I brought along my own sitter, and I got to enjoy most of the evening kid free. (Anyone that was there...please forget that it was my daughter that ran on the stage DURING the slide show!) Natalia has named her new baby doll ABBY, and repeatedly says "Abby nice, Abby nice girl". =) Becka and Maxximus, Spencer and Maricela, and there new baby Blake went with us...and we all stayed in a Marriot and used some of Lincoln's points to pay for it. Our room had two separate rooms with doors, and a fold out couch...so it was perfect for our 3 families.
We drove back to Lincoln's mothers house...which was a little crazy....Wyatt got sick, and Natalia has figured out how to unbuckle her car seat. Maricela kept having to buckle her back in.
Connie's (Lincoln's mom) house is unbelievable. I can't even describe it, I tried to for my Mom...and failed. It is gorgeous....it's right on the river, and has tons of windows (just one of my quirks...the windows are always the first thing I notice in any house...I am like a light meter!), the floor is fossilized limestone, the entry way has a gold leaf ceiling with a huge chandelier that spins, there was enough room in the living room for 3 children to ride big wheels AT THE SAME TIME and not bug anyone...........I can't go on.....there is too much. Oh I have to mention, there are two full sized kitchens in the house, and one in the guest house. Crazy, and beautiful!
I have to mention the food we ate there too....because it was wonderful. There was so much that Lincoln and I both have got to get back to the gym ASAP. We had Pies...chocolate, coconut, banana, cheesecake, and we had prime rib, shrimp scampi, fettucini alfredo, cheese fondue, fondue that you cook meat in (don't know what its called), a chocolate fountain twice, racelet (a swiss grill thingy), cinnamon rolls, and Belgian waffles with all the breakfast extras. Amazing!
We got to have Christmas morning (yes...take 3) with Adam and Penny and kids over the xbox camera. It was fun to see them........and torture them by opening presents and making them watch!! =) Just kidding.
One of the things I loved about the trip, is how much my children really loved everyone. Natalia and Wyatt ran to my mom as soon as we pulled up to her home, they remembered my brothers and began asking for favors immediately (Uncle Rob can you turn on the xbox?), they played with their cousins and laughed themselves silly. My kids loved seeing Grandpa walk in the door, and would say "Grandpa's here!" Natalia would talk non-stop about Grandma Connie, Grandma Ginger, and Ellen when I was TRYING to get her to go to sleep at night. She would say "Mommy has a nose, Talia has a nose, EVERYBODY HAS A NOSE!" Then she would name as many people as she could possibly remember and add "has a nose." She did the same thing with hair! Wyatt loved playing with Uncle Paul and his real light saber. There was a time that Daisy, the dog, thought Paul was really trying to hurt the kids during a light saber duel, and she stepped in between the kids and Paul...and wouldn't budge. He was fighting Natalia, Maxximus, and Wyatt and they all had light sabers. It just make me mushy to think that they love all these people and we are so far away. I hate it. I am so thankful for the memories they were able to make on the trip.
I'll post pictures.....
LINCOLN GAVE ME HIS COMPUTER! Can you tell how excited I am! His is super fast, and my post processing workflow for my business is going light years faster. I am so happy I could dance. He also gave me an external hard drive that will AUTOMATICALLY back up new music and picture files everyday! (This is me crying tears of joy!)
posted by Jeri at 6:55 PM
2 Comments:
Wow! What a trip! It sounds like you got a lot done and had such a nice time. What an adventure.
Automatically backs them up, eh? My hard drive has to be coaxed: "Listen Externy, could you possibly take care of these pictures for me? How about these books? Ok? Just a few of them?"
You're back on the blogger! :) I'm so glad you had such a great trip! Can't wait to see the pictures!
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