Utah - The Finale

Every morning begins with board games at grandma's house. I'm a slight board game addict so this makes my heart swell. 

Ollie is a little young for board games, so we let him watch Dora on the couch. We have this setup so that he has to stand to see the screen. He needs a ton of practice walking and standing on those weak and chubby legs of his. It's all I can do to keep myself from strapping his legs to mine and running around the yard to speed up the process. 

Abby was pretty intense about how/when/and for how long she was going to get to hold her cousins. Holly was a lot more carefree about it than I was. Perhaps it is because she hasn't seen one of her kids take a nose dive off the couch while Abby was "watching" them.

All we wanted was one stinking picture of all four of the grandchildren in it. Jeremy tired everything he could to get Ollie to stay in place and look at the camera.

Then Jeremy had the great idea to hold the DVD player behind Holly so Oliver would watch his show during the picture. Spencer chimed in with some drumstick hitting to keep the twins focused on the camera. Clearly, we looked like the children and they looked like the annoyed adults. 

Even though I lived in Utah, I had never visited the "This is the Place" monument and village. It was totally cool. They recreated (sometimes using real personal belongings and houses) of the first pioneers. Jeremy has a secret desire to someday pack it in and live off the grid for a while. That sounds like a nightmare to me. Visiting this quaint small village full of dirt floors and gardens confirms it. I'm a taco bell/movie/hot shower/legs shaved kind of girl. For me, this is NOT the place.

The highlight of the tour was a beautiful manger with live carolers. We all got a little misty-eyed thinking of the sweet Savior and His humble birth. How thankful I am.

Abby made her first Christmas tree ornament. We got to hear that bell for the rest of the vacation.

Santa thinks we're nice, which is weird because I've always been a little naughty. I guess he doesn't check his list twice.

Denna was kind enough to let Abby put her homemade bird feeder -- a pine cone with peanut butter and birdseed on it -- in her tree. 

My friend Marg was in the neighborhood and took me out for dinner and shopping. She also brought the most DELIGHTFUL white chocolate raspberry cheesecake for me to eat by myself share. Just perfect.

This was the Lyman Christmas dinner. 

Abby with her great grandparents.

Abby made a ton of friends when we were home. They were kind enough to show us the awesome blow up  kingdom. It was full of bounce houses, two story blow up slides, and blow up obstacle courses. We can't wait to go back.

Holly and Spencer were kind enough to watch Abby and Ollie while we went to see The Christmas Carol. Abby was kind enough to pee on their carpet and taunt their dog while we were gone. 

The Robertson family Christmas.

One of the highlights of being in Utah was hanging out with Jeremy's brother, Cody. It has been a difficult/successful year for him, as he just completed rehab and got hired on as a cook at the center. Cody is amazing and we are so proud of him. He was assigned to help with Christmas dinner at the center and it was PACKED. Yes, this is the place where all the celebrities come to get clean. It was amazing to see how many people where there to support a family member or friend who is struggling to overcome an addiction of some sort. Addictions to anything -- including mine to food -- can be overwhelming to deal with on your own. It takes a certain amount of courage and faith to ask for help. Cody is a great example for all of us.

Here are two things grandma will let you do that I won't: (1) take pictures with her pretty expensive camera while standing on a chair in the middle of a restaurant.

And (2) put on makeup while we wait for our food. No one tell her she looks like The Joker.

This sums up our family picture experience. If only you could see mine and Jeremy's faces. They were equally as happy/angry.

The Christmas Window Horror

Our first snow of the season came yesterday morning. Abby was thrilled to ride around in her sled while I pulled her. It was a raw deal for one of us. Strangely, it was pretty warm outside. 

Oliver will put his fingers anywhere. And I mean a.n.y.w.h.e.r.e. He's also a big fan of putting his fingers in my mouth, so when I get the plague you won't have to guess were I got it.

Jeremy loved these drawers as a baby and Ollie is just like his dad. He spends a good part of the day sitting in them or emptying them out. 

When not in the drawers, Ollie is terrorizing the Christmas tree and jumping on the presents below it.

Oliver is probably not going to be a prophet, as he quite frequently stakes claim in the manager and throws the Savior overboard. 

He always seems rather surprised to find the baby on the floor. How did it get there?

In the meanwhile, Abby and Grandma have been cooking up a storm! 

Yams and apples:

Cheese balls:

Christmas sugar cookies:

Aunt Holly and Uncle Spencer gave Abby a gift certificate to Build a Bear. If you've never been there, it's a place where you get to hand make your own stuffed animal. First you pick the shell. Then you select a sound you want it to make. Next you get your stuffing on. Pick an outfit, give it a name, make a certificate, pay the big cash..... and you're done. Abby stinking LOVED it. 

Everyone wanted in on the action, so there were six adults for one bear. There were a million super sweet and adorable outfits. Some I would have worn, if I were bear sized and needed a hole in the back of my clothes for my tail. With all those great choices, Abby selected a knit sweater, jean shorts, see-through high heels, sunglasses, and a hot pink cellphone. Just like in real life, I congratulated her on making a fun choice and then gave other parents looks that said, "Whose child is this and what were they thinking when they put that outfit on her?" She named the bear Abby, of course.

This photo is here so that I can show off my Beijing squat. Offensive, I know. But if you ever lived there, and I have, you would know that real Beijiners can squat for hours with the most meticulous balance. It's awesome and I've always coveted their mad skills. Now that I don't have thunder thighs, I can also squat like a trooper. Try it for five minutes and then tell me it doesn't take talent. Be jealous!

I love this photo and I'm going to frame it for my living room.

Who has hot hair? 

Olivia Newton John called. She wants her hairband put on correctly. 

Denna got to speak at her Stake Conference while we were visiting. Elder Ballard was there. There is no pressure like speaking in front of an apostle. 

I love this Nativity scene that Spencer's parents sent back from Ghana. They were mission presidents there.

So grandma had the awesome (?) idea that Abby should put up the Christmas window stickers unsupervised. 

Be Still My Soul. 

Things were upside down, overlapped, unevenly spaced, and unequally divided by cartoon theme. I might have literally shed a tear. All I want for Christmas is some OCD medicine to overcome this window of horror. I have a feeling I'm going to be fixing it while "sleep walking" this evening. And by "sleep walking" I mean setting an alarm and counting down the minutes until it's done.

I caught Grandma taking apart the CD player this morning. She's hardcore about getting things done bright and early!