Christmas is done. 2012 is about to end...

I haven't blogged lately because I keep telling myself to wait until I can put pictures on the blog.  But I will wait no more!  So here's a little about what has happened the last few weeks;

The last day of school for Alex was on his birthday!  I told him the whole school was celebrating his birthday by having a fun, party day.  After school he went to wrestling, where those burly, macho men sang him "Happy Birthday!"  (They're the best!)  Then the fam partied!!  First...dinner out.  Alex's favorite thing to do - eat out!  We went to an A&W / KFC because Alex has decided they have the best fries.  Then on our way to play laser tag!!  He loves that game and is actually pretty good.  I love following him and letting him tell me to "Stay back." or "Wait for it..."  We also gave Alex a pre-paid card for the games they have there and he thought that was incredible.  I rode a little kids' ride with the grand kids, Cali and Alex and made a complete fool of myself.  They even made me ride it a second time so they could video tape it.  The kid running the ride was clapping he was so entertained.  Let's just say I let everyone there know I was on the ride with my screams.  Maybe Colby or Josh will let me put one of their videos on here.  Ummm.  Maybe not!

Alex and the grand kids and I made some fun projects for Christmas gifts.  It's always fun to make a mess!  I'm all for messes - but that's another subject.

Christmas Eve was a beautiful evening and Christmas day was quite and enjoyable.  Colby's family ate dinner with us on Christmas Eve then we went to GG's and Papa GG's to get their Christmas Eve gifts (PJ's!!)  Later that evening Cali's family and TJ's family came to spend the night.   They LOVE watching Alex's reaction to Christmas morning (one of the benefits to having a perpetual child in the home) but I'm afraid our times they stay over are coming to an end since they have their own children to enjoy.  After they left, I snuck in a nap while Mike fussed around the house.  (He's a fusser!)  Then Colby's family stopped by so we could give them their gifts. 

I have to admit, my Christmas was a little disappointing.  Don't get me wrong...it was a beautiful day and I got spoiled.  But you know how the best part of Christmas is when you find that one surprise that you can't wait for someone to open up and gush over?  I actually had 2 this year that I couldn't wait for everyone to see.  And they both ended up being duds! 

The first one was a drinking fountain tap attachment.  (Pinterest!)  You attach it to any faucet and it flows like a regular faucet unless you pinch it.  Then the water comes up like a drinking fountain;  BOMB!  I bought one for each of my bathrooms, thinking how much fun the kids would love to get themselves a drink and one for each of the kids' families.  Christmas Eve I was attaching them to our bathroom faucets...well, I tried.  They wouldn't stay on!!!  It was like they were too big or something.  Cali's bathroom has 2 sinks in it and the fountain fits on the right sink, but not the left.  What?  The other kids haven't said if theirs fits / works, which probably means NOT! 

My second surprise was some Fanta Red Cream Soda for Mike.  He loves Fanta Red Cream Soda but they don't make it anymore.  I found a website that lets you find those long-lost loves in the soda world if they are to be found.  I found some!  In Canada!  It was Fanta.  It was Cream Soda (and the person who put them on the site said it tasted just like the old red cream) but it was just cream soda.  Bummer!  Good thing Mike likes cream soda, but I spent money on shipping and handling that I wouldn't have if I had just gone to Wal-mart and bought him some cream soda.  Wait.  I wouldn't have bought any i the first place because that's not what he wanted. 

Oh, well.  It was worth a try.

Yesterday we had my dad's family Christmas party.  Good times, good people and good food!  I sat with my cousins - something we never do but I think will become a cousin tradition.  It seems you get together with your extended family, but still sit together with the people you came with and see everyday!  Not this time.   We were smart and picked a table off to the side and just chatted.  It was so nice!  (And can I get a shout out to my all time favorite stalker - HEY!)  So, next reunion, next party, next outing...girl's table!!!

So only 3 more days of all of us having time off.  Only 3 more days until we are back in the same old groove.  3 more days to spend being with the 2 greatest men in my life!!! 

Happy 2013 to all!  May all our wishes come true!

The Big 5-0 for George

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY GEORGE-EE...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!!

 

Mike celebrated his 50th birthday this past week!  And we celebrated with fun, family and flying.

You read that right...flying!

 

I saved up and hired Utah Paragliding to take Mike on a tandem paragliding ride.  They were awesome!  Jonathan kept in touch with me throughout the week about the weather, and even texted me at 7 am with an update, and Hal did all the flying with Mike.

 

No one told Mike what we were doing, and if you know him at all, you know that may not have been the best idea.  ~ANXIETY~!  He stewed and worried about it for 2 days before, up until we pulled into the parking lot and I showed him a sign of where we were.  I kept telling him I would tell him if he wanted me to, but he held tough and was relieved he was going paragliding and not having a surprise party for him.  (Someday this man will trust me!!)

 

When I showed him the sign, Oakland asked what we were doing there.  Cali said, "Papa's going to jump off that mountain."

 

"NOOOOO!  I don't want Papa to jump off a mountain!"

 

I woke him up early so we could get to the site by 8:30.

 

 It was REALLY windy up on top so he had to sign them in the van so they didn't blow away.

 

 And everyone else hung out in the van waiting for him and Hal to get ready.

(Brandon, Alex, and TJ)

 

 (Ash with a cold, red nose held by Kierra)

 

 (Kierra holding Ash, Mo, Colby, Oak, and Cali)

 

 

 Getting suited up

 

 

 Hal and Mike walked down the hill a ways...

 

 ...Hal took the 'wings' out of their container and hooked each of them up...

 

 ...the fam got out of the vans long enough to watch...

 

 ...they took a few running steps...

 ...and they were off!!

 I took this picture to show how far away they got at times.  And to show the guy with the red wings; he just flew there.  In that same spot.  The whole time...

We got to watch a few hang gliders take off...

Mike and Hal did some see-saw moves...

 



This is a tandem hag glider taking off.  Notice the dog...

That's the dog in the middle of the bottom of the picture.  If the pilot isn't doing a tandem flight, the dog jumps on his back as he's takin off and goes on a ride with him.  The lady in the blue coat had to yell, "NO!"  "STOP!" until the 2 had actually taken off so he wouldn't jump on the pilot's back.

 



Then Hal and Mike swirled down, down, down...

 



...took 2 or 3 steps when they reached land and that was it!  It was that easy!

 



After the 45 minute ride, he was all smiles.

 



I guess I did ok with his 50th birthday present!?!

 



And then the girls threw rocks!  What a day!

 

We went home and vegged for a few hours, then we all went to lunch, including both sets of parents. 

 

I love this man so much!  He is my best friend and he makes me happy.  I hope that at least for this day, he could feel some of the joy that he gives me!!!



HAPPY 4TH BIRTHDAY McKALLISTER!!

The day was a rough one for Cali (and probably Josh, but he had work to take his mind a bit away from reality).  We first took Oak to a friend's party out by their house.  It's amazing how just driving in the car can wipe Cali out, so when we got home at lunch time she slept the rest of the afternoon away!  But her honey Josh had planned a birthday party for Mac; he had invited family and friends on the down-low to meet at Mac's park at 8 pm. 

 So when Cali and Josh pulled up...

 ...this is what she saw!...

There was a very bitter-sweet singing of Happy Birthday...

...then the releasing of balloons so McKallister and Quincy had something to play with in heaven.

(I love this picture with the big bunch of balloons in the upper left corner, a small bunch that Oak and Cali sent off together in the lower left corner and the moon in the upper right.)

Some of the balloons got stuck in the tree, not sure they wanted to leave the fun of the party!!  And who could blame them?... 

...all the kids, big and small, really had a great time at Mac's park...

...and they even got to run through some sprinklers...

and with a beautiful sunset to end the day...

...we got to be reminded again of our angel baby on his special day, and now he has his little brother with him forever!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY McKALLISTER!!  WE LOVE YOU!!!