So much work...so little time!

Wow- I can't believe the new year is here. I'm happy to say goodbye to you 2009, although we've had fun, there were some times that I didn't love so much and I'm embracing the change for 2010. The one thing I don't want to embrace is all these decorations! We're going to have to build a new shelf in the garage just for the Christmas stuff.

We're busy beavers over here, I've been remodeling my bathrooms and laundry room as well as a portion of the basement (I will post soon) so I have vowed not to take down these decorations until I have a place to put them (which will hopefully be soon). It's been wonderful to feel so great that I could put up three big trees (with a fourth ready to go in the basement next year when the construction is finished), and three little trees for the kids. It's been a fun holiday but now I'm looking forward to tropical vacations and springtime!

Tree in the "red room" or living room. I used my basement decorations for this tree this year because my mom in law got to come over and see my upper floor and I wanted her to see my "white" tree- normally this 12 footer is filled with formal red and green decorations- but I like how it turned out.

This is our family room tree. I love the black and white incorporated here. it's a funky "Santa" tree filled with different kinds of Santa's among other things.

This is our breakfast area- I have had this snow village for years (1997) but my kids want me to do a big village next year, we'll see how the storage room feels about that!

This is my candy tree. I had the most fun with this tree- everything would be edible if it were real.

My table- lots of fun stuff!

Sofa table- the favorite was the cherry candy canes- that jar is pretty big, although that's hard to see- my kids loved those things!

my favorite part about this is the advent calendar on the left side of the fireplace. We bought it in Carmel this year and we filled it with fun things to do to help remember Christ this Christmas season. It was so much fun to do with our kids- a new found tradition.

This Jim Shore Santa is also from Carmel- there is a Christmas store there that I had to go into our last trip and they shipped everything for me- so much fun- he's holding a partridge in a pear tree.

My "tree" in our room. I love my pussy willows and decided to decorate them with these cut glass snowflakes. I love the way they turned out and since they are "winterish" I'm leaving them up til valentines day!

if it weren't for iphoto!

Thank goodness iphoto keeps track of the dates my photos were taken or I'd have no chance of keeping up on dates of events. Yes, I have slacked big time on my blogs, but it's been a crazy fall/winter. We've had five birthdays (out of six), one baptism, three major holidays, several vacations, and a partridge in a pear tree! I will briefly summarize the last three months with photos and then try to do better at not using Facebook to micro-blog (even though that's really what I've been doing) in the future.

We picked Nellie up from the airport and were so excited to bring her home- she is a lovely furry addition to our family.

Cayden turned 12 along with three other boys in our neighborhood. We threw them a birthday bash they will never forget. We rented out the BYU practice facility and sixty of the boys friends came and had a blast!
My baby brother got married in Virginia at a beautiful vineyard, the only bummer is that it was Freeeezing that day and so the wedding was moved inside, but it was gorgeous nonetheless, and that was a momentous occasion.

Halloween was fun this year, It was a little crazy since Cayden's party was on the same day, but what would life be if not busy. The little girls were so cute in their hot pink leotards.
Maddy turned eight and was baptized by her daddy. We are so proud of her for making that special choice. I know every baptism is special but that day was so tender.
We did the annual Ottley family Christmas party and everyone participated. I feel that I now have blackmail material on Cayden when he gets older.
We spent Christmas in LA with my family and enjoyed the warmer weather. We saw Mary Poppins the musical at the Ahmanson and had a fantastic dinner at the Biltmore hotel after. It was lovely not having to make dinner, a welcomed reprieve.
The line up Christmas morning...even Nellie got a stocking, which she proceeded to attack- it was a singing moose.
My mom and I cooked side by side Christmas day and had so much fun. I feel like a little kid in a candy store at her house with all her china and crystal. She has enough place settings and variety to seat 80 for Christmas alone and it's always so fun to come home and see all the new and fun things she has purchased for the season.

Whew! Now I'm caught up until our next event. That's a glimpse into our life for the last three months- just the facts. It's been three months filled with fun and craziness...but I wouldn't trade it for anything. I hope that everyone has had a fantastic holiday season so far!

September Recap

My parents walked into my bathroom I started screaming...I had no idea that they had flown in to surprise me for my birthday (so they did a good job)- that was a fantastic weekend! My dad played football with Cayden and taught him some new moves...

Daddy and Eliza grew a 24 lb watermelon...actually five of them...WOW! They were so proud (and we loved eating them).
Cord and I had a great time going out over and over again for my birthday- I was totally spoiled- I had Kenzi take a picture of us before we left so I'd have a snapshot of the two of us.
I'm wearing ALL of my birthday presents...at once. I think my favorite is my reclaimed leather handbag- so cool!
I liked my happy birthday sign...as in, it was cute- but I don't know that I love advertising that I'm getting another year older~
Eliza's first day of preschool....
Zander even saved a place for her.
Hannah's birthday at school- her real birthday present comes this Tuesday when we go to the Miley Cyrus concert and then stay in SLC for the night- she is soooo excited
We had to do a "take two" because the bakery shorted me a dozen cupcakes so we did ice cream sandwiches...gotta roll with the punches.
ahh! I hate decisions. I had to choose which dress to wear for my brother's wedding (I'm in the wedding). I came up with three good choices and had cord take pictures so I could see what they really looked like- once this first one gets altered, it will be the winner!


Eliza's first field trip was to Wheeler Farms this past week. She loved chasing the geese who were as big as she is. They were not afraid of her in the least and she can't wait to go back and feed them again.

I love Shirl!

From the moment I met the Ottley's and sat on Linda's bed that night, I knew I was going to fit into Cord's family without too much difficulty. Not too long after we were engaged, my spring contract was over and I needed a place to live until the wedding. Instead of renting an apartment clear in Provo (Cord lived in Highland 1/2 mile from where we live now), Cord's Grandma Shirl invited me to live in her basement which was completely empty and set up like an apartment. I accepted and lived with her for about a month. During this month, I quickly fell in love with Cord's Grandma the way I had fallen in love with him. She was charismatic, charming, loving, intelligent, funny, and full of life. She was a night owl just like I had always aspired to be (but my parents always wanted to go to bed at 9pm).

Shirl now lives in St. George with Cord's Grandpa Milt, whom we love and adore. She has written several books geared toward teenagers and young adults- but her messages are relevant for all ages.

In church two Sundays ago, there was a discussion about moral decline. I found it so interesting that this is exactly what Shirl had blogged about maybe three days prior? She has a true gift and I hope you enjoy reading her blog and I believe she will talk about her books.

I got pinned!

Last night was Cayden's court of honor. He received his Tenderfoot, Second Class, and First Class last night. He's well on his way to being able to drive now. Our goal is actually help Cayden get his Eagle by the time he is 14, so here we go!

He got these awards with many of his good friends...such good boys!

Just before the event started, his leader asked him to recite the scout oath or motto...Cayden did both from memory, then Brother Bruschke asked him to add turning the light bulbs with each character trait, and that messed Cayden up a bit...Britt to the rescue!!! Here is Cayden reciting the oath (i think) and Britton the motto (i think) or vice versa.

The comic relief of the evening was the color guard. I had gone to the back of the culteral hall because Eliza was being so naughty. I decided to do something useful so I started to cut the cake during the slideshow. At the very end, during the color guard retreat, Cayden was in charge of the flag and his friend Daxton was calling things out. Cayden got to the flag and Dax was at the front and they both froze. Cayden felt like he should say something so instead of just walking down with the flag, he said, "ready, begin..." and led the audience in the pledge of allegiance again. Cord said he was laughing so hard that he literally could not recite the pledge. Cord said later he said he felt a little disrespectful (but that he wasn't the only one laughing that hard!). I couldn't see Cayden from the back but I could hear what was going on. When they got to the back I just gave Cayd the thumbs up...what are you gonna do right? at least the pledge was said twice and not at all I guess....ha! I love that when we got home Cayden was laughing just as hard at himself as we all were!

Bully!

Cayden is playing football this year like I've talked about and we're all enjoying the experience. It's challenging and exciting and he's working hard to make his coaches proud. Cord and I are not aficionados so we're not taking him home from practice talking about plays and how he could improve them and sometimes I feel like I have let him down...maybe I need to take a football class- do they have those for moms???

This is Stockton- Cayden's closest friend. He's also the coaches son and our neighbor. Stockton spends his time telling Cayden about all the positive things he's doing in football and maybe what he could do to improve a few things as well. He also spends his time entertaining us with a little R & B dancing now and then...we love this kid!

Isn't he handsome?

First day at practice, he didn't have a jersey yet and this one obviously didn't fit him.

The rest of football season has been spent blowing up bottles with The Works toilet bowl cleaner and having boy/girl parties at our house (which I lost my camera for...my mom was dying). We've had such a blast these last few weeks and I wouldn't trade this time for anything in the world. He has the sweetest friends who obviously have great families- they come up to me on Sunday and thank me for having them over the Friday before. It's a party at the Ottleys.