Oh Yeah… February 11, 2009

Sorry so long! I have actually been working on compiling our 2008 blog into a published book (I don’t scrapbook, so the blog pretty much covers that for me, along with my journaling and keeping in touch with family and friends). The process has been… time consuming – to say the least. But no need to dwell on that. The real news; we’ve switched platforms and are now on blogspot. I’ve been posting there for a little while, but sorta forgot to let people know. Oops! Here’s our new blog address:

www.teamebert.blogspot.com

See you there!

Christmas Day! January 14, 2009

This Christmas was really special because it was a little different than years past. We stayed here with our own little family, and spent almost the entire day at home enjoying our time together. On Christmas Eve, I suddenly realized I needed a ‘festive’ breakfast. After all, we were starting our family Christmas tradition! I considered the breakfast casserole Brian grew up with on Christmas mornings, but knew Chase wouldn’t eat it. And the last thing I wanted was a battle over Christmas breakfast! So I decided on gingerbread pancakes.

  

I got the recipe out of my newest cookbook, and used our holiday cookie cutters, cool whip, and candies to pull it all together.  The first batch was a learning experience (the recipe was actually for waffles), but after I realized I needed to spray the cookie cutters with Pam, we were good to go. They were yummy!

 

Wait – did I say the day started out with breakfast? Let me back up several hours… let’s say about 4:00 am. That’s when Chase decided it was time to get up and open some Christmas presents – by himself! He came in our room at 4:30 and asked Brian if he would start the Clone Wars DVD he’d just opened. We were disapointed that he’d taken the liberty to start Christmas by himself, and he could tell. He said “Mom, I’m really a hundred hundred times sorry! I was just so excited I couldn’t wait any more.” We let him turn on his movie and we went back to bed. Then at 7:15 we all gathered around the tree to ‘officially’ start Christmas.

         

Luckily Chase didn’t open all of his presents at 4 am, because we got some pretty good faces out of him with the gifts he still had left! One present we sadly weren’t awake to see him ‘open’ was his “Star Wars” bedroom. I’d been working on making it for him, and we had him sleep in our room on Christmas Eve so we could put it all together and surprise him Christmas morning. I was worried he might not like it because he’d seen Pottery Barn’s version of a ‘Star Wars’ bedroom. But he loved it!  Even though we didn’t get his first reaction, we were pleased to see how happy he was even hours later.

 

And last but not least Santa brought Mom – oh, I mean the kids – a bounce house for the basement! I’m excited to have a place for them to get some energy out even when there’s three feet of snow on the ground. I think they’re excited too.

Christmas Eve! January 14, 2009

Christmas Eve was wonderful. We went to Brian’s family’s house for dinner, a gift exchange, and a special treat: talking to Kyle who called home from his mission in Peru!

  

Oh, my heart! January 11, 2009

When we were taking down the Christmas tree, Clara decided to climb the ladder just like she’d seen us doing. Well, it didn’t take long for her to fall off – into the Christmas tree (luckily). Chase, who was observing the whole thing grabbed his chest and gasped “Oh Clara, that hurt my heart!”

Early Christmas Present! January 5, 2009

According to Bill Murray in the movie ‘What About Bob?’ “There are two types of people in this world. Those who like Neil Diamond, and those who don’t.” I have decided to officially out myself by confessing; I am a Neil Diamond fan. Say what you will – I won’t be deterred.

All I can say is if I didn’t know my husband loved me before, I know he does now! He got us tickets to Neils concert here in Salt Lake on the 19th, where I joined with other true Diamondheads in singing ‘Sweet Caroline’, ‘Forever in Blue Jeans’, ‘Coming to America’, ‘Brother Love’s Traveling Salvation Show’ and many many more. I loved it all; The guys playing horns in matching suits, the middle-aged back-up singers in black mini skirts, even the senior citizens glaring me down for dancing in the aisle (fyi – Neil said I could).

 

I assumed that Brian would have remembered these songs from his mom’s record collection when he was a kid, but I was surprised that he really wasn’t familiar with most of Neil’s music. It’s started me on a personal quest to get my kids on the Diamondhead bandwagon now. Sure they’ll be ridiculed by the ‘other type’ of people, but it’s so worth it!

Snow, snow and more snow January 5, 2009

We have gotten a lot of snow already this winter. Chase, loves it (he went skiing for the first time on Friday and did great). 

 

 

 

 

Clara was trying so hard to be a big girl with her baby and purse. She makes me get her all ready to go outside (a twenty minute process) and comes in crying two minutes later. A girl after my own heart I guess.

 

 

 

 Chase made himself a ‘snowboard’ out of a piece card board and tested it out on the piles of snow in front of our house.

  

 Brian has certainly burned his share of Christmas Calories by shoveling so much snow – but still takes time  to have fun in it too.

   

  This poor snowman only got a body and one arm before another storm rolled in and everyone came inside.

    

Christmas time is here again… December 24, 2008

Making gingerbread houses with friends… So Fun, So Sugary, So Messy!

 

Wrapping gifts - Clara enjoys helping out in her own special way!

 

Breakfast with Santa - he was the real deal! And although Clara gets so excited and screams ‘SANTA’ every time she sees him anywhere (on a sign, a balloon, wrapping paper, etc.) she refused to go near him without me.  Chase knew extactly what to do though – he rattled off his list like he’d practiced it several times: “A dinosaur, Star Wars legos, and a kids camera.”

 

Putting up the tree… with two of the four of us scared of heights (we won’t mention who) it’s always interesting getting the angel on top!

 

And of course the Cornwall family Christmas Party (Brian’s Mom’s side) white elephant gift exchange.

 

From left to right: Alli (Cousin Ryan’s wife) and their daughter Lauren, Grandma Diane and Chase. Lauren and Clara (second cousins nine days apart). Grandma Cornwall and a random purple ‘thing’ pillow.

 

 

 

 

And after all the fun, we’re all tuckered out.

Family Fun December 12, 2008

Just horsin’ around with Dad!

 

 

 

 

 

Clara’s “CHEESE”! face right in front of the camera. She either has to be right in front of it, or refuses to look at it at all. Taking Christmas pix for this years cards was a treat!

 

 

 

 

‘Theater Seating’ with boxes and jammies.

  

Clara with her doggies (well one is a lamb, but she claims it’s a ‘goggie’).

Gobble Gobble December 9, 2008

We went to Colorado for Thanksgiving, to visit the Berry’s! Kim & Brad, Zack & Kylee, and Mom, Dad & Papa joined us there.

   

Brian and Brad mad the real turkeys for dinner while the kids made turkey treats out of graham crackers, Reece’s cups, candy corn and cookies.

   

All the cousins LOVED hearing Grandpa Paul’s spooky stories and having Oma teach them how to crochet.

 

Brian and I were lucky enough to watch the little girls (Clara and Juliette) while everyone else went to the Nutcracker. They were so cute playing together, mess and all!

After eating lots of yummy food we went on a cccooold walk along the Colorado River.  Watching my kids embrace in a spontaneous hug warmed me right up!

 

Thanks for hosting Berry’s, we had SO much fun!

It’s still October right? November 23, 2008

We’re trying to play catch-up on the blog again, so here’s some pix from October. Brian had a great 31st B-day (on the same day as General Conference) and got a special home-made gift from Chase… a robot of course!

  

Later in the month we visited the zoo! We hadn’t been there as a family since Chase turned two, so it was long overdue. Mischievous Clara, tried squeezing behind gates and fences, determined to sneak into animal habitats and on the carousel ride… again. She loves rides, and since they make Brian sick she miraculously let me take her. 

 

Clara has been veryterritorial of her Dad lately. She’s going through a phase where she wants nothing to do with anyone else but Bri. I could share some experiences to illustrate her behavior, but I think this is a phase we’ll want to forget as soon as it passes.

We also went to Lagoon’s ‘Frightmares’ with Kim, Brad, Zack, and Kylee. Don’t ask who the random girl is in the black t-shirt. It was so fun to hand out with my siblings spread out across three counties, but to sum up ‘Frightmares’: we hit three rides in four hours! Oh, and we can’t forget the smelly haunted house. That was definitely (not) worth waiting in line for an hour and a half for. The good news; it was free!