Happy Holidays

I’ve decided that things that I love, I love doubly when I enjoy it with my little family. For example, I LOVE Disneyland. I grew up 20 minutes away and had annual passes year after year. All my friends had them. We’d ditch school to go, or would swing by for a few hours on a Saturday and we’d always go when it was raining because most people would think it’d be raining at Disneyland, but I promise you, Disneyland is magical and no matter what, it was never raining at Disneyland. Those days we had the entire theme park to ourselves. I love it there. I didn’t think I could love it more. But the first time Austin and I took Dax, it was hands down the best Disneyland day ever.

Well, that is kinda how I’ve been feeling about this holiday season. Granted Dax is 4 and we’ve had a handful of Christmas’s with him, but this year, it’s been different. He’s understood a little more and I’ve seen the Christmas spirit shining through his little eyes. Thank goodness becuase I've needed it. Well, add Wyatt into the mix when last year he was barely walking, and it’s been quite a bit different in the best way possible.

Here are some highlights that I didn’t want to forget about why this Christmas has been so much fun!

Dax deciding that because we don’t have “one of those things on our roof” that Santa will be parking his sled and reindeer in the driveway and will come through the garage door. Works for me!

Setting up our two man tent last weekend, popping popcorn, watching the Grinch who Stole Christmas and having a campout underneath the Christmas tree. Never slept so good in my life.

Making not five, not 10, but 17 dozen (yes, you read that right) peanut butter balls with the boys. They are pros at tossing uncoated balls into the chocolate so I could cover them. Best assembly line ever.

Going to see Santa and deciding not to wait in the 2 hour line and appeasing the boys just as well with a ride on the two story carousal. Good thing we had Grandma to wave to!

Staying up until midnight labeling pieces of wood then staying up until 1:30 am organizing hardware a few nights later and then having to be out of the house for 10 hours last Saturday so Austin could put together a play set in the backyard. And now having to hide it from the boys for this whole week! We’ve rerouted the way we drive home and taped up the windows and I’ve told white lie after white lie. It’s been quite the sneaky chore but it’ll be so worth it come Christmas morning!

Listening to Dax tell Wyatt he needs to be nice or he is going to be on the naughty list. It’s true.

Introducing Egg Nog to the boys and having to run to the store multiple times since to stock the fridge. I don’t mind.

Having a pajama Christmas party with Austin’s family last weekend. Best idea ever!

Wrapping Christmas presents with the boys with the T.V turned to the “Sounds of the Season” station and praying we’ll hear Alvin and the Chipmunks. We’re never disappointed.

Watching Dax play a Wiseman in the nativity and then going to the temple lights and seeing his eyes light up when he saw the amazing life size nativity and baby Jesus. We stood in that spot for a long time remembering the birth of our Savior.

Wishing you a Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

Bon Appetit

It's not brownie. It isn't Oreo cookies. It not chocolate pudding, chocolate cake, or chocolate Teddy Grahams. And it's definitely not peanut butter balls, fudge, or Hersey kisses. That's probably what you'd find all over my face but that's beside the topic.

It's dirt. And soil from the garden. Probably a little bit of mud. And a cheek full of rocks.

And these are pictures of his look on a good day.

Does anyone else have this problem? Does anyone else find their son stuffing fist fulls of mother Earth into their mouth? Because I surely do not know where this is coming from or what the appeal is. At all.

The only thing I can determine is that it's genetic. You see, what I've decided is this is all my mom's fault. When she was a little girl she ate Rolly Polly's.

On second thought, I think I'm better off with a thick moustache of dirt limning his lips!

(But seriously, how do I make him stop? It's so unappetizing!)

Christmas Spirit

Where are you Christmas? That's what I have been saying for a few weeks. I know you are happening all around me, but why haven’t I felt that “Christmas spirit” yet? We have the lights on our house up, we have decorated the trees, and we’ve made gingerbread houses and lots of Christmas treats. We’re listened to endless Christmas music and watched a fair share of Christmas movies. We’ve read Christmas stories, drove up and down the streets marveling at Christmas lights. We’ve drunk eggnog and hot cocoa. We’ve been shopping, we’ve seen Santa, and we’ve played in pretend snow. And yet, still no Christmas spirit.

Of course there has been a thousand other things going on too the past few weeks. Austin’s little sister got married (congrats Misti and Boyd!), Austin and I celebrated out 8-year anniversary, and Thanksgiving came and went. Obviously Dax’s birthday consumed me. Austin had his interview for Occupational Therapy school earlier this month. That kinda puts your mind in a whirlwind…and no word yet. I was knocked out with bronchitis for a week. Austin had knee surgery last Friday. He’s doing awesome and is back on his feet and hard at work as always. Plus there’s 30 hours of work each week, being primary president, and chasing around my almost two year old is a full time job in and of itself. The boy is CRAZY!

But I love love love this time of year and I am so frustrated that I have been more Bah Hum Bug than Mrs. Claus. I want to feel the Christmas spirit, I want to be enjoying all that is going on. There just hasn’t seemed to been any time.

Thank goodness for traditions!

This past weekend we had out third annual Kreipl Family Progressive dinner. We started this a few years back when Jamie and Joe and their family were in town. Everyone prepares a course and we travel to each other’s houses. It is a wonderful way to get together with family and enjoy one another and this time of year. The food is always great, everyone’s homes always feel so nice and cozy decorated, the kids enjoy playing together and the adults love the good food and great company.

We seem to add a new element each year. Last year it was a kid’s gift exchange. This year, it was the nativity story. All the kids were given an assignment by my mom on who they would portray. With 10 grandchildren here, the numbers we perfect. We’d have a narrator, Mary and Joseph, two Sheppard’s, an angel, and Dax would be one of the three Wiseman. The only one left was Wyatt. What was his assignment? No, not baby Jesus (he’s a little too naughty these days). His big role….an animal. Yup, an animal with a question mark. My mom sends these great emails to all of us all the time and for this email each child had this wonderful part they would be next to their name and Wyatt gets an animal with a question mark. I couldn’t stop laughing. How was I going to do this?

The costumes weren’t supposed to be a big deal. With all that was going on I even told myself I couldn’t pull out the sewing machine or spend any money. This was going to be fast and easy and perfect. Well, at least Dax's was. A pillow case, a scarf, a vest/rode made from a pile of fabric I found hidden in my closet, and a headband from an Indian costume and whala! He looked adorable and was so excited. Wyatt on the other hand I couldn’t quite think what to do. Then I decided. He needed to be a sheep. Of course there are sheep when you have shepherds. I thought that would be the most appropriate animal for him. So, in keeping with my promise to spend no money and do no sewing, I set out with a white t-shirt, cotton balls and hot glue. Add a little head band and felt for some ears and we had ourselves a sheep in no time. Look at these two???
How can I not have the Christmas spirit after that??

Four

How can it be? Really, how do they really look older on their birthday? Do they really age like that over night? Yesterday, on Dax's official 4th birthday, he looked a little taller, a little bigger, a little more mature, more handsome (if that's even possible), funnier than usual, sweeter than usual, as fun as always. My baby is growing up. It's hard to believe. I can still remember that freezing Utah day he was born and all the white snow that covered the ground. I had the most beautiful view of Mt. Timp from my hospital window. I think I thought it was so white outside because Dax was born with such black hair. I can still see that squishy baby face in him. He has made our lives so complete in just four short years. Happy Birthday Dax! We love you!!

Okay, on to the party festivities from the weekend. We planned a little circus and tried to keep costs at a minimum. I've since learned that keeping costs down means more behind the scene work on my end. But, I think it turned out just as we had hoped. We transformed the backyard into a circus minus the clowns because halfway through planning I learned that Dax doesn't even like clowns. Good thing I know that now!! I ran across this adorable party online a few weeks back and basically got all my ideas from there. I don't know how to add links to my posts, but the site is called thoughtfullysimple.com. Super cute stuff. Here are pictures galore...and these are just a few!

The decorations and concession stand:

The concession stand was made with crates and vinyl table clothes. So easy!

On the menu: corn dogs, chips, lemon aide, candy, popcorn

When the children first arrived they got a bag filled with tickets. They loved counting them out for games and food.

I had been seeing banners like this all over the Internet and blogging world so I tried my hand at one. Austin didn't love hanging it onto the stucco but it sure looked cute! :)The photo booth:

My favorite part of the party! Nothing more than a refrigerator box with some fabric...oh and about 4 cans of red spray paint. I had a tub full of dress up whatever's and the kids (and some of us "big" kids) thought it was really fun! The games:

Gone Fishin', Duck Pond, Lollipop Tree, Tin Can "Shoot", Ball Toss and the bounce house

The birthday boy and the party bunch:
Phew, I had to contain myself with the amount of pictures. I think I need to start recycling Dax's birthday parties for Wyatt. Does that make me a bad mom?

Sneak Peek...

...of Dax's 4th birthday circus party complete with a photo booth, concession stand, circus games, and bounce house.

So much for my "simple" party planning.

More to come...I'm exhausted!

P.S Don't you love that you can't even see the boys' eyes. Yup, circus!

New York, New York

It’s official. I heart New York.

It's been over a month since I was there with my mom and sisters. (I had a little fiasco with the hundreds of pictures we took and loading them onto my computer, but finally, finally I can post about the wonderful trip. )

Over the summer my mom turned the big 6-0. For a good couple of years she had been saying for her birthday she wanted to go to NY with her girls. So the second she said it I started saving. I’m talking every birthday check, every Christmas card, two major garage sales…you get the idea. It seemed like years away, literally. And in October the magic date arrived. I had saved the money to do everything and more. We left our husbands. We left our kids. I took time off work. We planned our days strategically. We spent two days total flying across the country. And we spent 4 glorious day in the amazing city of New York.

Yes, I heart New York! It lived up to everything I had heard, seen, dreamed it to be, and more. I can not wait to go back one day. I loved being in a new place, loved being with my hilarious sisters, loved being with my amazing mother who I love more and more each day and happen to think she looks pretty darn good for just turning 60! There is not one thing I would change about that trip. I think back now on it and feel so blessed to have 4 amazing sisters and a mom who are so truly amazing and who I love with all my heart. How did I get so lucky? Thank you mama for wishing this for your birthday. Maybe I’ll be making a similar wish for my 30th next year. Everyone start saving those pennies!

Here are the highlights courtesy of my sister Jamie's blog who is a much better, concise writer than myself:

We Ate: New York cheesecake. New York Pizza. New York pastrami sandwiches the size of our faces. New York macaroni and cheese, muffins and cupcakes from the cutest bakeries ever. A very delicious, authentic Italian dinner. We didn't, however, eat at Dim Sum A Go Go in Chinatown. Apparently, some sisters didn't think it looked safe to eat there. Ha! (Insert Bryn-Duh, of course a hot dog from a cart like a true New Yorker!)

We Watched:
In the Heights on Broadway. Wicked on Broadway. A taping of the Regis and Kelly Show with Hilary Swank. The Today Show with Matt Lauer and special guest Maria Shriver. A TLC show recording a wedding in the middle of Times Square. The filming of Gossip Girl at one of the hotels across the street from the New York City temple. Donald Trump recording The Celebrity Apprentice in Grand Central station with celebrities Sharon Osbourne, Darryl Strawberry, Brett Micheals, Jesse Ventura, that one Australian cook, etc. Air Force One and many more helicopters land with the President who was giving a speech one street away. We also watched as Bryn spotted and chatted with a team from this seasons Amazing Race...Zev and Justin (who by the way, were totally flirting with her). Those were nice guys, who were so flattered that they were recognized on the corner of a busy New York street. So funny. (insert Bryn- so NOT flirting!)

We Rode:
The subway (so dirty). Taxis (so grateful to be alive). Double Decker sight seeing bus (so cold). Ferry to Statue of Liberty (so beautiful to see the New York skyline from the Hudson). But mostly we didn't ride at all, just walked our fannies off.

We Sight saw (Yes, I looked it up. That is correct.)
Central Park. The Palace. Statue of Liberty. Top of Rockefeller. The Empire State Building. Times Square. Grand Central Station. Battery Park. Ground Zero. Chinatown. Canal Street (is that really sight seeing?)

One super, busy, incredible, memorable, wonderful trip I will never ever in my entire life forget!

Arizona Winters

I am a funny boy.

A. Very. Funny. Boy.

I like my yellow boots--Scratch that--I LOVE my yellow boots.

Some might say I am obsessed.

My dad is a little embarrassed for me when I insist to wear them around town.

My mom thinks it's cute until I fight her tooth and nail to wear them to bed. She always wins.

I tend to wake up at the crack of dawn.

I'm not able to go outside until the sun comes up though. Sometimes that is hours. And that makes my mom sad that she has to listen to me cry at the sliding door. It's only a matter of time before I figure out that silly lock.

When I get outside I like to sit. Like a bird in a tree. Just sit and listen.

My dad grew some green winter grass this year. I helped spread the seed and it's beautiful. But I don't run on it first thing in the morning. Nope, I sit and look at it.

You may not think it gets cold in Arizona in the winter, but it does. It was a cool 50 degrees this morning.

But lucky for me the high is 73.

I get to strip off the boots, take off my hat, run around in my t-shirt and play outside all day long.

I love AZ winters.

Even if it doesn't ever rain and these crazy yellow boots I love never get put to any real use.