2015 Wrap-UP

December has come and gone and the year has gone with it. For whatever reason this year completely flew by and as I was taking down Christmas decorations today I honestly felt like I had just done this not too long ago. We've been busy this month with all the festivities of the season, but Thad and the kids made time for several outings in the new toy. Thad even let Sammy drive alone for a while so he could video tape.

I don't know how they get out to where he takes them, but apparently there are just enough empty fields and dry canals to get them out to some fun spots to ride. 

We even loaded it up to take out to the east side with cousins for a spin out there. It just barely fits in the truck and the whole ride out we were crossing our fingers the straps held.

And Peter just loves to wear his helmet. 

The kids had their annual Grandparents Christmas Tree slumber party with my parents the first weekend in December. They had a wonderful time and we had a quiet evening out with Peter. We very rarely take the whole family out to eat because for some reason they can't behave like normal people when they are all together. But one kid alone, even Peter, is great and makes for a fun dinner out. Also, he likes to make silly faces now.

They also visited Christmas Town with my parents and Brother and his family, but I have no pictures because Thad and I did not go. He had planned an anniversary outing for us that included massage, dinner, and the new star wars. More often than not our anniversary gets skipped because there is so much going on in December. Work party, Ward Party, Grandmas birthday party, caroling, looking at lights, and on and on it goes. But this year was nice to just skip out and have time for ourselves to celebrate us. 12 years has gone by rather quickly, and it's crazy to imagine how things will have changed in another 12 years. I am thankful for the life we have made for our family, and for the future we have together.
The week before Christmas Bobby & Kelsie were in town and we had a fun adults only evening. Walter brought his fryer over and the boys made wings and other snacks you put in a fryer, and we watched Sharknado 3. Yes, we did. And yes it's the most ridiculous movie ever made, but we saw the first 2 at the last beach trip so mom and dad DVR'd it for us months ago. It had to be seen.
Christmas Eve with the Bulkeley's was back at the Richards this year. It was easier to come to them than get Grandpa out and about. It was also a very small group, but a fun evening nonetheless. Grandpa Bulkeley surprised the kids by dressing up as the conductor from the polar express and telling them the story and talking about the Christmas spirit.  Then of course was the Santa letter and gifts.

 

Christmas morning was fun at our house. Peter knew what was going on this year. He was not happy about getting up so early, but once he saw the tree and gifts he was good.

Later in the morning we went to my parents for gifts, and skyping with Bradon for the last time, and a big lunch. The kids made out like bandits this year, and we got to spend a lot of time with family, which was wonderful. We've been enjoying the break from school and sleeping in like teenagers around here. They've been ice skating with Grandma. We hit up pioneer village, and had lot's and lot's of play time with new toys.

I even managed to squeeze in a project before Christmas got too crazy. This desk has been in thad's grandparents house for many many years. It's a nice desk but has been well used over the years. They needed to get rid of it to make room for some things for Grandpa to come home, so we took it for Sammy's room. This is almost a before. I forgot to take a picture till after I had already started on the top, but you can see it's original color.

The hardware is actually still the same, I just removed the scrolly plate that was behind the pulls. It's just the right size for his room and the drawers are just the right size for nerf guns and lego boxes. It's new years eve and we will have a quiet early night in with the kids as usual. Sometimes I wish we did a new years party or something, but then I remember I'd never make it to midnight anyway. Way past my bedtime.  I started taking down Christmas today while Thad had the kids out for a ride. I was hoping to have it all done before they got home because Sammy gets so sad about it being over. A few days after we started seeing Christmas lights around the neighborhood we had an interesting conversation. Sammy said "I just hate when they take down all the lights and decorations. It makes me sad and I feel like the world is over and I'm all alone."  I forget how sensitive he is sometimes and how tender his little feelings can be. And how long the year can seem to little ones. It goes so quickly for me now, but I remember when it took forever for Christmas to come.
This year has brought many changes, some that I like more than others. Here's to a new year and new adventures and accomplishing goals.

November in a Nutshell

I blinked and November came and went. Obviously the main event of the month was Thanksgiving, which was at our house this year. This is what our costco trip looked like the week before Thanksgiving. He's actually sitting on the turkey.

But one turkey is never enough at our house. So Thad went out the weekend before Thanksgiving and brought home one of these.

Don't worry, he didn't bring it home looking like that. There's no way I would have helped in any of the "processing" that has to happen. I don't care what he shoots, as long as it comes home looking like it does at the grocery store.  Also, that thing looks huge, but it's mostly feathers and fluff. Here's what it looked like when it came home. See? Grocery store.

We deep pitted both turkeys again this year and the meat just fell off the bone, but the wild turkey definitely had a bit tougher texture. The kids loved helping with the pit prep, which means make a huge bonfire and dance around it like Maleficents' minions in Sleeping Beauty.

I managed to steal one group shot from the day, though most of the kids are missing and a couple adults as well. But Grandpa Richards was able to join us which was s super big deal as it was his first outing from the rehab facility in three months. 98 and still going strong.

Dinner was followed by a rousing game of headbands. Yes it's made for kids, but it was difficult for the adults!

The next day the kids and I went to my parents to help put up lights while Thad went to pick up an early Christmas present. It was supposed to be hidden till Christmas, but he couldn't wait a whole month to take it out, so everyone has been enjoying it already.

Andi is a stress ball and doesn't like to drive because she is so worried about every little thing and what could possible go wrong, but she likes to ride with Thad. Sammy is actually a good driver, and for once in his life, follows direction behind the wheel. Peter just loves the buggy and will hang out on it in the backyard anytime.
We have also been decking the halls at home and Peter has been a big helper as usual. He climbed up one of the 6 ft tomato cages I was wrapping with lights and got stuck.

But he did let me make this porch sign uninterupted, so I'm calling it a win.

And Sunday we decided if we didn't take pictures that day, Christmas cards just wouldn't be happening.
So Thads parents came over and helped get a couple good shots. I really do plan on sending out cards. Plan being the key word. If you don't get one from us here's our picture. Merry Christmas.

And a few of the kids.

We tried to get a group of the kids but Peter had past his limit of cooperative time for the day, so this is as good as it got.

In other news we've been bunny sitting for a few weeks. It's got a little house with food and water, but it mostly just roams the backyard and gets it's exercise by running from the children.

And now I feel like Christmas will be here tomorrow. The year is just sprinting to a finish. Here's hoping we can keep up!

Everything is Awesome

It seems like every holiday is coming way too fast this year. I was not at all ready for Halloween when it came, but we scrambled and made it work. We picked out and carved pumpkins for FHE.

 

I usually resist dressing up for Halloween. I just don't love it. But Thad does, and his enthusiasm has spread to the children. This year he decided to be Emmett from the lego movie, and the kids jumped on board with their own ideas for lego movie costumes and drug me in as well. Thad was busy with his costume so the week before Halloween I had to figure out everyone else. But the hassle ended up being worth it, our family costume was a hit.

Sammy was a great Lord Business

And Andi wished we had made her unikitty head double sided so she could be the angry unikitty too. But that was just beyond me.

We wanted to put peter in a red box as the piece of resistance, but he wasn't having it. So he wore the piece instead. His costume was symbolic, as he really is the piece of resistance in our home at every turn.

Close up of Emmett. Don't worry all these pieces have now been stored above the garage for future use, or posterity, or something.

We hit up the ward trunk or treat Wednesday night and went around the neighborhood Saturday night, so the kids are sufficiently stocked on candy.
Soccer season has come to an end. Sammy had his Pizza party last week and Andi's is this week. Andi loved playing but Sammy was ready for the season to be over. He had fun, but just doesn't have the competitive drive and aggression that she does.

Surprisingly I don't have any tantrum pictures to post today. Not that there haven't been any, I just haven't managed to get pictures. I will say they have been fewer and farther between in the last weeks. I'm not sure if this is at all related, but Peter finally got on board with potty training. It's been 10 days since I told him that we were out of diapers and the store was out too. Not a single accident. Which obviously means he'd been physically capable of this for a while, just more stubborn than I could deal with. Oh well, it's finally done and I think we are both happier now that it is.

Fall is Flying by.

 This month is flying by and we've been busy. We finished the bathroom makeover and I just love it.Dark tile floors, and a whole lot of white trim. My favorite.

Here's a reminder of what it looked like before. Okay, so this is not a true before becuase I had already taken off the old baseboards and stuff off the walls.

 This week has been the busiest by far. Wednesday night was standards night, in our backyard. It turned out beautifully and the speakers were wonderful. It was just a great night.

I also loved these cake stands we cut from a log. But Sammy decided to roll the little stands across the patio and knock off every piece of bark. The bark was essential to the look I was going for, so I had to glue them all back on. It was a mess.  And one of them wasn't holding well, so I glues on some lace to hold it in place. But I actually liked the lace detail so it wasn't a total waste of time.

Saturday we celebrated Sammy's brithday with a couple f this friends at Camelot. We gave him a choice, party at the house with lots of friends, or camelot with two, and camelot won. And I think it was a great choice. They started out on the bumper boats.

And the boys ganged up on Andi.

She was soaked by the end. Only in Bakersfield would it be okay to run around soaking wet at the end of October. 

Then it was on to mini-golf which was comical. There was some definite cheating going on and several shots off the course.

But everyones favorite part was the go karts.The boys took it very seriously.

Andi was too tall for the small track and got to ride the big carts this time. And then immediately asked if we could get a go cart.

Then it was off to Ice cream at one of our favorite places.

Sunday was the kids primary program at church and it was so weird, but also nice to watch from the congregation this year. I've been up there with the kids for the last 8 years and it was fun to just watch. This miracle happend before the program started. Grandma has the magic touch I guess. He sat on her lap half asleep for a good 15 - 20 minutes.

After church we decided to go visit my Dad who is back at USC recovering from another surgery. After visiting with mom and dad for a while we took the kids over to see tht temple. I can't believe we haven't taken them before. They just couldn't get over how big a beautiful it was. And now Sammy is impatient for the day he's old enough to go inside.

And now for the round up of tantrum pictures, it's also been a busy month full of fits. This one was in the Lowe's parking lot. We had just come from smart and final and while there I had failed to get a basket. He was still so upset about it by the time we got to lowes that he just lost it and rolled around on the ground for a while.

This happened because I made him get dressed. Clothes are offensive.

I think this was because he couldn't have the toy Sammy was playing with. The new birthday toy. 

This one if self explanatory. We brushed them yesterday, why on earth would we need to do it again?!

 And this is what happened when Grandmas magic touch wore off at church yesterday. He's a mess.

We took all the stools out of the kitchen a week ago in an attempt to keep Peter off the counters. He's always on the counter in the middle of what I'm doing. I took this on day 2 of no stools. Obviously it didn't work. He was very proud of himself for scaling the side of the counter.

He also learned how to disassemble pens. Thanks Reid. But thankfully he also knows how to put them back together.

Sammy has been taking things apart too. It's exciting when things like the blender break around here. Seriously, hours of tinkering fun.

And now we are in the middle of making Halloween costumes and prepping for a baby shower. Things just never slow down around here. Christmas will be here before I know it and I'm so not ready!