Utah Trip

Day one -Our day started at 2:00am on Saturday. We woke up and loaded up into our already packed on Christmas day car. I drove for a little over 2 hours before I started playing the "I think I will just close one eye game" and had Thomas drive. Our plan was to leave at 3:00 and drive to Vegas for a breakfast buffet break. Well Jonathan decided to be awake until we got to the high desert so we passed by Vegas with his eyes closed tight. We kept moving with a sleepy stop for gas and a breakfast stop in Mesquite. The rest of the ride was filled with naps off and on and playing with toys. Jonathan did really well and had lots of fun playing with some new Christmas toys. We got to Nephi in Utah and were ready for a lunch break where we stopped for Quiznos. The funniest sight there was a little sister of a family of 5 kids with her diaper, snow boots and snow coat on (no pants)! We kept going the rest of the way to Mapleton and arrived around 1:30. We had fun opening presents with "grandma Utah" and Kasandra aka Kas. Grandma got Jonathan a blanket and a popcorn maker just like she did when Thomas was little. We called it a pretty early night but not before playing our new Wii game with Kasandra.

Day 2 -We slept in (yeah for a dark and cozy basement to sleep in). We did skip out on church because Jonathan is not such a big fan of church nursery at home and who knows how he would do in a totally new place+ cold and flu season.... we went to a very uncroweded WalMart instead for some groceries. Then home for some naps and Wii. We also had some fun in the backyard with the sled and horses. Some family friends came over for a delicios mexican feast and then we got in the car to go and see the festival of lights in Spanish Fork. It is a golf course that charges 5 bucks to see the light display from your car. It was really cool and Mr. "ights" loved it. We came home put him to bed and watched The Proposal.

Day 3 - Thomas and I got to go snowboarding at Snowbird. Grandma was kind enough to watch Jonathan on her day off of work. We had a great time but were super sore because it was pretty hard packed and we were making sure we didn't fall on the hard stuff plus we aren't are young as we used to be.... we were remembering the time we went boarding and got super suburned in the winter of 1998... wow are we getting old or what?!? :0) not really. Jonathan had a great time hassling all the cats and feeding the horses. He also got to watch Kasandra for a bit at basketball practice. In the evening we went to see Grandpa W's huge Utah house. It's a pretty cool place (and not just because he keeps the heat on low because he is in Highland now.) Do you like how I came up with a grandpa-style joke.

Day 4: Today was mostly an at home day. We picked up Kasandra from basketball practice and went to visit Kathy at her work. She had fun showing off her grandson to all of her coworkers :0). We went to go lunch and shopping after that but we went to the wrong mall (that didn't have the store I wanted that is only in Utah). So we came home for naps and Kasandra and I watched a movie. We just hung around the house and went out to dinner at the model A cafe nearby since it was still snowing. Once JT was in bed we played a game of Bible based Apples to Apples (only in Utah!) it was actually pretty funny.

Day 5: It snowed. ALL day long! so beautiful! Thomas was feeling a little sick today, we weren't sure if it was allergy to the cats or a real cold??? We went shopping at the right mall and had lunch at the old spaghetti factory. Then we dropped Thomas, JT and Kasandra off for naps and Kathy and I went to the quilted bear. The quilted bear is a HUGE craft consignment store. It is amazing. I would have spend a ton more money but we still haven't heard anything about the house next door so I showed some restraint.... I can always go back if we do get the house. :0) I got cute litle signs for the bedroom that say " always kiss me goodnight" ".... and kiss me goodmorning too!" , Jonathan a beanie and a nativity kit that I will make for him. I also got a framed print that says "amazing grace". In the evening we played a few more games and packed up the car for our EARLY morning depature.

Christmas Day

In the morning we woke up and opened our stockings. Jonathan's face lit up the most when he got his own candy (a recees tree). We let him open it to have a bite not realizing how HUGE they are. You should have seen his face when Thomas' tried to take it away from him after eating half of it.... meanest parents ever! So Thomas took a big bite and gave it back to him... he was much better with his candy breakfast back in his hands.

On Christmas day we went over to my parents house to have bunch and open presents. Jonathan had a BLAST with his uncle Jay. He LOVES himself some Jay. If I tell him he is going to see lyssa he says Jay? They had fun while we were opening presents by piling all of the paper in the middle and then going to town wrestling and hiding and being crazy boys in general. It was so fun to watch. Jonathan loved his presents and kept telling me "op" to open them. We went for a post present opening walk and JT fell fast asleep in the stroller. While he took his nap we watched the movie UP.

In the evening we went up to Grandma W's house for more presents. It was pretty cool because all of the great-grandkids were there together. It was so fun to see everyone opening their presents. A few moments of chaos here and there but overall it was suprisingly calm for how many kids there were.

Christmas Eve

a little "stink - eye"

books...

family photo

On Christmas Eve we spent the morning packing up for our vacation after the holiday.... we have to pack so much more now that we have the bubsters to take with us to the snow. We opened presents as our little family. It was so much fun to see Jonathan "get it". Thomas and I kept our presents low-key this year because I am only working part time and we are hoping to get the house next door but I still got everything I wanted :0). My mom, dad, Kaitlyn and Grandma came over for a quiet little dinner. Then we went to the Christmas Eve service at church.

Shopping

Yesterday we (me, mom, Kaitlyn and JT) got an early start (7:30 departure) to go and visit Alyssa down in Simi Valley. She had some thrift stores (and a Nordstrom's rack) in mind for us to go and check out in Ventura. We met up at her apartment that she has decorated super cute in general but especially for Christmas. We had a blast doing some shopping even though we didn't buy a ton like we do at our usual stores. I guess that's good since I used a whole tank of gas to get there and back. :0)
Apparently Irwindale smells like a dirty diaper because we pulled off at a McDonalds to change JT... nothing. So we got coffee instead.

We found a place down there called Jonathan's.
Eating lunch at the Habit... so yummy and just a block or two from the beach! It was a beautiful day!

On the way home I was very thankful that I live in Beaumont and do not have to deal with traffic all the time. The ride home took a LONG time. Even with Grandma's entertainment in the backseat we couldn't go straight home. Let's just say we reached Defcon status around Rancho Cucamonga and had to take a break with Jonathan for some dinner. He was a really good buddy all day but was ready to be out of the car once we got home (we all were!)

Lights at the Mission Inn

On Monday we ventured out to Riverside to see the lights at the Mission Inn in the rain. We met up with Thomas' dad to eat dinner at the Mexican Restaurant there. I was thinking... Monday... early... a little rain... it shouldn't be too busy.... well turns out EVERYONE was there! Since we didn't want to wait 2 hours for dinner (have you met Jonathan when he is hungry.... NO WAY!) We buzzed over to Spaghetti Factory for dinner (so yummy and Jonathan looked so big eating his big plate of noo noos (noodles). We went back to check out all of the lights. Jonathan was in heaven and loved looking at all of the displays. I wished I had on my glasses for better people watching but the lights were beautiful even if they were a little fuzzy :0).

On a side note on Sunday we went to my "old" partner teacher's church to see their living Christmas tree performance. It was at 7:00 which is JT's typical bedtime. I was worried we wouldn't make it more than 1/2 an hour. He LOVED it!!! The music and "ights" were right up his alley! :0)

DeYoung Christmas Party!

Can you tell I am totally off work and trying to get caught up on things?? :0) Last weekend we celebrated the DeYoung Family Christmas party. I love this party because it is more focused on fun, food and family and not so much on the presents. We do exchange a few little gifts but it is just simple and no pressure! I love it! Jonathan is so into presents this year it is so much fun.
He loves being the center of attention... he was putting this block on his head while we were singing Christmas carols... we won't talk about how he tried to pull off his pants too... (slightly embarssing)

The first present of 2009! I do come from a family of girls who are are bag - recyclers.... it does have some blue on it. BTW we love to say that we are "green-friendly" instead of cheap!

Helping great grandma open one.

Hanging out with Kaitlyn...

It was a yummy good time too... we had our traditional ham buns, beef dip, jello salad, salads, desserts....mmmmm

Us girls did not do a "christmas show" like we did when we were little and I think everyone still had a good time. :0)

Baking cookies

One of Jonathan's favorite things to do this Christmas season is to help me bake "coo- coos". I have even started to let him lick a little bit off the beaters which he LOVES. When we bake he helps me stir, dump and taste! He loves watching too. I did have to wait with the sugar cookies until he was napping to cut them out. He would have been happy to eat up ALL the dough raw (which is really yummy but just might make him sick!) This year I frosted one batch for our small group and then we ate the rest without frosting. Oh well. When he sees the cookies out he always asks "peas?" so he can get one... it is just so darn cute he has eaten his fair share of cookies.

OB Christmas parade

A couple of weekends ago we got the Christmas season started right by going down to San Diego to see the Ocean Beach Christmas parade. It is always so fun but it really makes us miss living down there. Grandma W and Antonette met up with us too so that was fun. Jonathan was not his happiest self. It was REALLY crowded and we left a little late so we didn't get the best seats. We ended up watching from the elementary school for a while and then just walking the route with the wagon (which Jonathan LOVED). I guess it is hard for a man who wants to be on the MOVE to be still for a minute. He did love the "ights" and his first hot chocolate. :0)
Snuggled up in the wagon (it was really cold!)

Trying to get a better view from Thomas' shoulders.

This was the coolest reindeer!

Ready to go with Antonette (supporting the home team the Chargers of course.

Ocean Beach is just so chill. We love the people and the atmosphere down there. There is also so many fun things do do. When we first got there we went to a park down by the harbor and watched boats and seals and Jonathan could run and play. We always say that someday we will move back. hmmmm. I only wish that we could pick up all our friends and family and move them with us... then it would be perfect! :0) so for now we will have to just visit which is just fine with me.

Stayin Alive at 25!

My groovy middle sister turned 25 on November 26th. Since her bday fell on Thanksgiving we celebrated the weekend before. We had a blast getting all dressed up in our best 70's attire. She booked us as a group at a rink near where she lives. It was so funny because the party was pretty much what you could have expected for a kid who was turning a single digit. We were there for family night skate... there was another party celebrating of a little girl who also dressed up with her friends in their best puff painted shirts for her 8th birthday. Awesome. We enjoyed cake that her friend made and icecream and soda provided by the rink on coloring page placemats. Since we had a sitter Thomas and I went out to dinner to Karl Strause before heading home. It was a super fun night! :0)Happy Birthday Kaitlyn.