Merry Christmas 2010

For those of you who we couldn't reach by mail this year...

Christmas Eve

We have a fun tradition of hitting the Dollar Store as a family and buying gifts for each other to wrap up for Christmas. And I'm not sure what's more fun: Picking out the gift? Or wrapping it up once at home? ($1 can green olives below picked out for Grandpa--kids idea, love it)

Earlier this week, I had two very happy helpers this year. Leda was MIA because she was the 4th person in our family to be hit with the flu (high fever, body aches) this week. Luckily we were all feeling better before Christmas Day. Chase never did get it...fingers crossed it skips right over this particular kid of ours.




Aaron's folks were just ending a 2-week cruise that just happened to dock in San Diego on Christmas Eve morning. How lucky for us to get to pick them up and spend 24 hours with them before they headed on a plane Christmas morning to be with Uncle Paul in Alaska.

We headed to my folks house to join all together for a Christmas Eve lunch



My kids were a little bit in heaven here...


Lucy and Chloe just chillin'


Then it was back home where we exchanged gifts with Grandma and Grandpa




Later on, Christmas Eve dinner


A little McLendon Christmas Eve program





And ended the day with three pretty excited little kids...

Leda's dance recital

We think she makes a pretty cute purple cat!

(yes, I was in charge of her costume-and did my best with glitter paper and ribbon--Leda thought it was cool and that's all that matters)






Miss Roxanne


The Princess number


Her adoring fans (3 of them all the way from Utah!)


Grandma & Grandpa


And Aunt Kiki (I think they look alike and love it)



We were proud of our girl!

Silent Night

Highlight of my day: Chase leading me to the piano wanting to sing Christmas Carols. Spencer's idea to video tape and I'm glad he did.

Halloween

(Playing catch up before I print our blog at the end of the year)

Clear back at the beginning of October the kids started requesting (aka: barking orders) that they wanted to be "this and that" for Halloween this year.

And my reply to all this?

"Well, I already have your costumes! I bough them last year on clearance. Spencer you're Anakin, Leda you're a good witch, and Chase you're GI Joe."

(all for $7 total--thank you very much!)


We are blessed with good neighbors and had fun going door to door




Some of our neighbors had some pretty sweet decorations this year!


Aiden's Dad was pretty spooky this year. And Spencer was brave enough to ask him to pose in a picture



A neighbor around the corner got CRAZY into it this year with extra spooky decor on the front lawn


And transformed their garage into a mad scientist laboratory.



Back at home it was soup with Grandma and Grandpa


Oh and little love for Lucy on her first Halloween with us


And the best part of the entire night? (ask any of them) = anxiously awaiting the opportunity to hand out candy at the door.


(our super cute neighbor, Kristi)



And the next day while taking down the Halloween decor, Chase said, "I ate ALL my Halloween candy, Mom!" and I turned around to this:

Goof.

And last but not least, Aaron and I would like to thank the neighbors for filling our children's bags with: butterfingers, snickers & whoppers...in that order.

Tangled

This is weeks overdue, but I forgot to mention how much we LOVED the new Disney movie: Tangled.

So much so that we (a few of us) just may have seen it twice in one week ;)

But know what I loved more than the movie?
(and that is saying a lot, by the way. I LOVED the movie. LOVED).

I loved receiving this drawing:




Leda came right home and drew me a Rapunzel picture and left it on my bed for me to have.

Love it! And love my girl!

(boy, a lot of love in this post)

Sunday Funday

My kids wanted pancakes for breakfast yesterday morning...and I went a little crazy with it!



And breakfast was served on TV trays in front of a Christmas special on TV.


Off to Church to enjoy a beautiful Christmas Program where the kids got a chance to sing.


Aren't capable these days of containing the crazy...



Afterwards, it was dinner with Grandma and Grandpa. Chili, salad and very bad for you Chicken Crescent rolls that you can't stop eating. Literally. YUM.



Then Grandpa serenaded us with Christmas Carols


And Spencer did dishes just because he really wanted to.




And the best part about today?

Nothing (well, except attending Church) was planned or premeditated. It was just a day where we truly appreciated a wonderful 3-hours of church followed by being being together as a family.

What a beautiful, cozy, rainy Sabbath Day!

Christmas Quiche

Or anytime Quiche.

I tried this recipe (from my friend, Beth Blackwelder) years ago and I just love it.

It's pretty tasty and not terribly "eggy"...in fact, it only has 2 eggs in the entire recipe!


My changes are noted

QUICHE

1/2 cup Mayo (I use light)
2 Tablesoons flour
1/2 cup Milk
2 eggs, beaten
8 ounces swiss cheese (I use about 12 ounces)
1 cup of either mushrooms, diced ham, broccoli, bacon or combo of ingredients
(I only ever add about 8 slices of cooked/crispy bacon cut up and 1/2 a box of frozen chopped spinach thawed and squeezed dry)
1/8 cup green onions (I use one bundle)
1 unbaked 8" pie crust (I use 2 8" pie crusts)



Mix mayo, flour, milk together in a bowl. Then add the beaten eggs and mix. Add the cheese and other ingredients. Add spices to taste (Thyme and pepper is all I add. It needs no salt b/c of the bacon)

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

I've found that this above recipe makes enough for TWO 8" pie crusts.

I don't have a picture of them cooked, but un-cooked you get the idea of the yumminess.

The 80s

It varied between 80-86 degrees here in these parts this past Saturday, Sunday & Monday.

That's DECEMBER 11th, 12th & 13th for those that need the reminder that it's WINTER here.

Okay, so it's not all that shocking to have this heat wave happen during the "winter months" here in California. The day I brought home my firstborn from the hospital on January 31, 2003 it was a whopping 91 degrees. Blech.

And I'm not blogging about this warmth to brag, mind you. Really, I'm not. Ask anyone in my family and they'll tell you that I get REALLY grumpy when the sun invades my winter time experience. I turn into a real Grinch.

(And yes, I'm well aware that I must be living in the wrong state to not be able to fully appreciate the beauty of the sun coming out)

So what does one do when it's HOT outside? You take your turkeys to the pool, no?




Nevermind that it was December 13th.


They didn't seem to mind.

(Man I just love their little bodies and warm, happy smiles. These shots almost chased the "grinchness" right out of me!)

Oh and the next day after this above photo shoot it was 68 degrees and DRIZZLY. Ahh, California snow and my winter had returned. And Ugg boot wearing had resumed:

Thank.you.very.much.