Poor Baby

What happens when you touch a really really hot grill.

I do not recommend trying this at home.

I'm sorry if you liked it...

(Warning- book spoilers within)
But, seriously, what is the dizzle? Why can't I bring myself to finish the end of this book?

It has been sitting by my bed for more than a week now and I lazily read like 2 pages before bed occasionally and then fall asleep. Twilight had me up reading til way past my bedtime. And it's just gotten too wierd. At least Twilight had a sense of normalcy. In my book, many things have gone horribly wrong.
Here is just a short list of the things that bug me about this book...
1) Bella got pregnant with a strange spawn of some sort and Stephanie Meyer was trying to reach out to our motherly senses and make us have like a certain love for this thing. Eew. Was anyone else grossed and wierded out by that whole thing? And then, of course, it was like beautiful and awesome.
2) The name Reneesme. I cringe every time I read it.
3) Jacob "imprinting" on her.
4) Bella miraculously skips the entire infant stage. Bal-o-ny.
5) It's horribly slow.
6) Jacob sticks around for all of this. Dude, she doesn't love you. Get over it and find a new friend.
7) Bella's dad is okay with not knowing the truth behind everything.
8) I can't get a handle on what "Nessie" is supposed to be like. She's 4 months old but like 3 physically and 35 mentally?
Anyway, I really am sorry if you liked it. I will finish it just because I'm already on page 635 and so I might as well but I have to say that it's been a struggle.
Am I the only one who feels this way?
Gripe at me and tell me what YOU didn't like.

Why I Love January

In picture form

the results are in.

And the winner for the best Christmas gift this year goes to......
Santa Claus with his "thing with the hippo and the cacheeta and the spider" toy.



WHAT WAS THE FAVORITE GIFT AT YOUR HOUSE THIS YEAR???

Christmas Catch-up

Christmas was magical as always. We spent our holiday in Utah, bundled up indoors for days before daring to brave the cold. It was perfect Christmas weather since we didn't want to leave the house anyway.
We decorated a gingerbread house with these goodies (and I can't for the life of me find any of the pictures I took of the end product)

And on Christmas Eve we acted out the Nativity. Here's a picture of the lead roles. The rest of us were the livestock, angel, innkeeper...you know the story. Oh, and the babies took turns being Jesus. Once Nolan got cranky Annabell took over and did a marvelous job (pigtails and all).

We decorated cookies for Santa and read stories and sang by the tree.
And that night Mr. S came and filled our stockings, piled gifts under the tree.

He also snuck into my room and gave me some terrific thunder-thighs, a butonk-butonk butt, and a spare tire (that sneaky Santa) . (won't put a picture of that)

We played in the snow and went sledding...(yes, this is Nolan in girl winter clothes)
And he got his batman jammies...

And the "thing with the scary gorilla, the hippopomus and the cacheeta."
It was an awesome Christmas and Spencer also gave me the best gift and took me to "The Garden" restraunt downtown, an "Off Broadway" play, and the Little America hotel for an over-nighter (away from the children) for our 6th anniversary (we're getting old, aren't we??) It was awesome.

For those of you who didn't get a Christmas card, I'm so sorry and here's the dealio....I sent out the first batch and thought I would remember who I sent them to so that when I got more stamps but didn't and couldn't remember. SO, here is the picture you "missed out" on, taken by my sweet photographer friend Sheena Jibson (http://www.sheenajibsonphotography.com/ Call her- you won't be dissappointed!!)

Just Random Thoughts

AHHH...Isn't this gorgeous?? I thought I was such a clever photographer finding this spot and climbing up the soggy sandy dirt to take this picture. Then as I was leaving there was a lady coming to take a picture in the EXACT spot with her camera phone.
Anyway, in the foreground here and off to the left of the picture are some nearby orange groves. The navel oranges this time of year totally rule and we can't get enough of them (i.e. diarrhea (diarea? diareya??). Another reason I love Caleeforneeya. (why do I giggle at the word diarrhea?)
Moving right along...how is everyone's Christmas going thus far?? Spence and I went shopping a week ago together to get stuff for the kiddos. We (i) had so much fun looking at all the cool toys. Then this week we found better deals on the stuff we got and ended up returning everything we bought last week. Christmas time is totally insane, is it not? I love it, though. Minus all the lines and cranky people. I have felt more Christmas-y this year than any previous year. I cannot WAIT to see Carter's face when he opens his presents this year. I am pretty sure I'm not going to sleep a wink Christmas eve.
By the way, is anyone else engraining in their kids heads what they (the kids) want for Christmas this year? (Batman jammies and a light saver. Ask him. This is what he'll say)
What are your kids getting for Christmas??
(p.s. this is one of those crowing moments in my life. My 100th post)

This is us today

And has been us the last three days.
All day.
Every day.
And this piping hot baby will not let bodily contact cease between us.
I'm sweating.