Christmas 2009

We had a great Christmas with all of our families, the only one that couldn't be here was my brother, Doug. We are so lucky to have wonderful families that we are able to spend time with.

We started off our Christmas Eve day with Ethan taking a ride with Papa Steve on the 4wheeler and reading some books with Grammie, while Mommy made the sugar cookies for our annual tradition of Taco dinner and then decorated cookies for Santa. My mom had surgery on her good-bad foot the Friday before Christmas so she has had to stay off her foot the whole time we have been here.



Eating some cookies with Daddy.

Decorating cookies (SIL's Dad, SIL's Mom, my SIL Kristina, my nephew Jacob and neice Ellie).

Ethan then got to open his Monkey PJ's and a few small presents from Grammie & Papa. He wanted to take a picture with Uncle Newell and his cool plastic hat he made out of the plate packaging.


Christmas was a busy day....we woke up and tried to keep Ethan entertained until the rest of Jeff's family all got to G&G Hadley's house. We finally let him open his train set from Santa while we were waiting.


Grammie Hadley got Ethan these Lightening McQueen slippers...he has not taken them off since he opened the package, even sleeping with them on.

Grammie Hadley got a new car because her's was totaled a couple of weeks ago.

Aunt Lori made Ethan a new quilt for his bed, Mater and Lightening are always a big hit with Ethan.


G&G Hadley and aunt Lori gave Ethan this awesome tool bench, it came with an engine block that you can take apart as well as a car that you can take apart...Ethan saw the car first, ignoring the tools but has since figured out how to take it all apart and test it out.

We then headed over to my parents house to open presents with my parents and brother & family.

Uncle Doug gave Ethan a road rug from IKEA and gave Jacob a compass, both boys were very happy with their gifts. Ethan also got a Tag Junior from G&G Berg with some new books to help him learn his shapes, colors and numbers.

Here is Bell with the eisle that we gave her.

Christmas vacation - Part 1

Well we made it to Hurricane after a fairly good 12.5 hours the first day and 5 hour drive the second day. Ethan and Copper were both very good but by 9 hours we all were ready to get out of the car. We stayed with my brother Doug that evening in Salt Lake and got to check out his new condo.

One of Jeff, Ethan & my traditions each year is to get a Christmas tree from the tree farm, however, since we were coming to Hurricane this year we asked Papa Hadley to get a tree permit and we went and got a tree the first full day we were here. There is massive difference in getting a tree from an Oregon tree farm and getting one from the Utah/Arizona desert, but we had a good time nonetheless. Jeff and I had to keep a close eye on Ethan to make sure he didn't trip and fall in any cactus and they had a snowball fight while we waited for Papa Hadley to bring the truck up to get the tree.



While Ethan and I decorated the tree, Uncle George and Avery were playing with one of the beautiful wood bowls that Papa Hadley make.


A few minutes later I looked down at Avery and she smiled back with blue slobber. Papa Hadley signs his name on the bottom of all his projects and apparently it comes off with baby slobber. George and I had a good laugh while trying to get it off Avery's face before her mommy came home from work.




Ethan has had a good time playing with Avery, she is 7 months old. He has been trying to play ball with her, but she hasn't quite caught on...an neither has he.

Playdate and Christmas present exchange

This morning we went to Peyton's house for a playdate/Christmas gift exchange with Peyton and Hunter. My camera is packed for our trip so...Thanks Nic for sending me some pics. The boys always have a great time playing, although Ethan usually wants to play with whatever someone else is so sharing is really hard but we are working on it. Hunter and Ethan both were enamored by Peyton's train set and both will be so excited on Christmas morning. Ethan also really was intrigued with the snow globe that Peyton had (plastic of course) so I will have to keep my eyes out for one.




It is also a great time for me to have some adult/girl time with my girls...I love hanging out with Amy and Nicole.

Ethan gave his buddies some sticker books. Peyton gave him a battery powered skil saw and Hunter gave him a stuffed puppy, a book, and a Cars stamp set. Thanks Peyton and Hunter.

Yummy!

Tonight I made my first Risotto, not too complicated just patience and time. It was supposed to be mushroom and asparagus risotto, however, I forgot that I needed the mushrooms for this and used them all in the spaghetti instead. I also made a lime pork tenderloin to go with it....very tasty!

Santa visit

Today Ethan and I went to see Santa at Mall 205. We have visited Santa here for the last three years and he is so very nice and looks just like the real one. Ethan was really excited to see Santa, until Santa started talking to him. He sat on Santa's lap for several minutes eating the candy cane Santa gave him while the lady was getting the camera ready to take his picture. Ethan did great, no crying but no smiling either. He did whisper that he would like a tar-tar for Christmas but not sure that Santa knows what that is...or maybe he does.

Dancing skils and jiber-jaber

Here are some videos of Ethan goofing off...he cracks me up.