Getting Ready for the Eve!

We hope you're excited for the New Year!
Lets ring it in with applauds and cheer.
Sorry, too bad, there will be no beer.
But happiness, joy and fun we will hear.
Gather your loved ones far and near.
Be careful not to hit a deer.
Lot's of yummy food...don't fear.
We hope we will see you here!

What do I Know...

"Roots" flower shop in Salt Lake is the best! If you ever need to give flowers, or just get some for yourself, try them out!

324 South 400 West
Salt Lake City
801.363.7668

A Peek at Our Week December 8-14

What can I say, but it's two weeks till the big day and we are getting ready! We started the week completing our "Naughty and Nice" lists for a Mayfield family tradition. The game of "Naughty or Nice?" It has been fun checking off the good deeds we have done to be considered Nice. This year's game was especially special but that is a post in and of itself.

We have begun to read 10 special Christmas stories leading up to the big day. We read one a day until Christmas. It has been enlightening and calming to our family. You know your children are growing up when they actually pay attention and answer questions. It hasn't been all candy cane dreams and angel puff perfectness, but they are a teensey bit better at this tradition this year.

We have had some cute Carolers at our front door. A bunch of children in our neighborhood have gotten together to pleasure our ears with their angel voices. Cute!

Chris and I attempted Christmas shopping this year, much lacking ideas. For some reason our children have been extra hard to shop for this year. They really haven't wanted anything particular and Santa had to do a lot of guessing. But it is going to be a good year! And it only took us 3 hours to complete! A record for us!

The snow was a welcome and much anticipated event at our house. Saturday was spent playing in the snow most of the day. I don't know how they can stand the cold though!

We attended our ward's Christmas party on Saturday morning and had a visit from Santa. My girls sure talk about Santa a lot and you would even think they like him! But heaven forbid they sit on his lap. Oh no not that!



We attended the Mayfield family Christmas party part one. As part two of the party will be continued on the 23rd. Yes, we can't fit all the fun into just one night! We had a fun time. Ate my favorite kind of dinner, sandwich rolls and munchies. Had a gift exchange, in which it took us longer to figure out how to play the gift exchange game than to actually play the game. Finished up the night with the "Naughty and Nice" game, which was really sweet this year, as the children were very giving and thoughtful to one another! Then made our way home enjoying the beautiful snowy night. Keeping toasty with our seat warmers and watching Narnia, which Chris stole from, or should I say out bid, Cameron in the "Naughty and Nice" game, sorry Cameron!




Don't let me forget to mention the nightly Ballet performances our little girls have been doing for us. Even Presley is learning some moves from her sisters. They are so sweet! I am so happy to be their Mom!


Chris was my slave this week. I complained a lot this year and I guess it finally paid off as now I have my laundry room fixed up, a new toilet paper holder in my bathroom, patched and painted walls, and he even had time to do dishes! What a good guy. It was extra nice because I came home to all this being done as a surprise. Merry Christmas to me. I sent Chris to pick out a Christmas gift for our nephew as I am no good at picking out gifts for little boys. Guess what he came home with? A sling shot! I hope his parents are ok with that! He also couldn't resist buying himself a matchbox car, one he's been looking for for a long time, I guess! Chris also took the girls to teatime at the Grand America Hotel. Hot chocolate instead of tea though, and pastries with strawberries and cream. Is there a more perfect guy out there? I think not!!!


Michelle had a week full of goodness. It all began with a kick butt spin class. Then I got to get my hair done. Then I got to go Christmas shopping, ya I actually like to do that:) Then I got a lot of yummy treats from neighbors, so I did another kick butt spin class. Every year I go to the Grand America Hotel for Tea time with a few close girl friends. If you haven't ever done this you should. It is magnificently decorated for Christmas. The hot chocolate is soooo good, I always get the coconut almond flavor. Then they have the tastiest mini sandwiches, they're pretty and yummy. Then pastries and strawberries and cream! It was nice to have a fun time with my friends and a break from my kids. Then I stayed up till 2:30am friday night getting cinnamon rolls baked for our ward party the next morning, not so pleasant. Slept most of the day Saturday to recover.


Taylor started out the week sick, and even had to miss a day of school. I don't think this disappointed her much. She has been turning up the seat warmer for her friend, that we pick up for school, so that she will have a warm seat when she gets in. She also saw her name on Santa's naughty list at Gardner Village and said: "Mom is that the real Santa list?" I said "yes" She said: " I guess I have been kinda naughty this year!" Then she spent the rest of the day doing good deeds and making sure I noticed. She also experimented taking pictures of herself upside down. She is funny!


Brooke has been feeling like a queen because she gets to ride up front with me in the car. She has been choosing music for us, warming our seats up, and adjusting the temperature when it gets uncomfortable. She can't help singing when a Christmas song comes on, even if she doesn't know the words she will make up her own and continue on with the song.





Presley was such a helper this week. She helped everyone pick up their stuff. She took care of her shoes. She even did without a sippy most of the week. Presley got really excited at our stakes Christmas Cantata. When the choir sang "Away in a Manger" they got to the part where they sang "Asleep...asleep...Asleep...asleep" and Presley started to spark up and she began to sing along: "Presley...presley...Presley...presley" she was so happy that a song had her name in it!


And that's a peek at our week!

Smile or Else:)

Aren't they cute! You can see our little Presley has some attitude. They were really good sports, considering it was 30 degrees and we were all freezing our bummies off!







Thanks to Cristina for all her hard work! It was fun! You guys have to check out her work at christinamaephotography.com! She really has a gift!

Freezfest

We had some fun at Gardner Village. Christmas shopping, hot chocolate, donuts, and fun!

What do I Know...

My favorite candles are Salt City Candles. At Christmas I always buy the scents Christmas Tree and Holly Berry. It is extra good if you burn them at the same time. The mixture is wonderful. Christmas Tree is good because it creates that real tree smell that we long for. It's a subtle hint of pine that is just right and not to overpowering to the nose!

Best Brownies I ever made

Brownies:
1 cup butter softened
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups self -rising flour (As a sub for self-rising flour you can make your own by adding 3/4 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt to every 1/2 cup of flour)
1/2 cup baking cocoa


Marshmallow:
1 jar(7 ounces) marshmallow creme

Frosting:
1/2 cup butter softened
3-3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons baking cocoa
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 to 5 tablespoons of milk

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine flour and cocoa; gradually add to creamed mixture. Transfer to a greased 13in x 9in x 2in baking pan. Bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 3 minutes (brownies will fall in the center). Spoon the marshmallow creme over brownies; carefully spread to cover top. Cool completely.

For frosting, in a mixing bowl, cream butter. Beat in confectioners' sugar, cocoa, vanilla and enough milk to achieve frosting consistency. Spread over marshmallow creme layer. Store in the refrigerator. Yield: 16-20

Get ready for the best brownies ever! Everyone will love you!

Gym Guru says:

JUMP ROPE

If you need to get some cardio and you don't know what to do, try jump roping! They're cheep and can be found at almost any super store! I know Target has some. Get your jump rope, put on some workout clothes, don't forget some tunes for motivation and beat (ipod), and get going! I find it is a really good cardio workout! You may not be able to do much at first, but as you keep working at it you will get more coordinated, faster, and find you can do it longer. I started doing 20 mins, then increased to 30 mins, and am currently able to do 45 mins. I usually do 30 mins of cardio a day, but kick it up a notch if I have stress to get rid of or an extra treat I hadn't planned on! I love jump roping in the garage, in the basement, outside, at the gym, anywhere really. And you can pull it out whenever you have time! Try it and don't get discouraged if it seems too hard! Just do what you can and keep at it! You will get better, and it is sooo good for you!

A Peek at Our Week Dec 1-7

We are enjoying the Holiday so far. We have been listening to Christmas music a lot, because of me I guess. Chris has snuck in a few songs of our regular music, as he can barely tolerate the holiday tunes over and over. We have also watched a lot of Christmas movies. Mostly, while I make dinner which can be a boring time. Making dinner that is.

We went to "It's a Wonderful Life" on Friday. It was at Kingsbury Hall by Odessy Dance Company. They do such a good job! The dancing is just spectacular! We brought Cameron, Sam, and James along too. It was fun to see them!

We had our family pictures done on Saturday morning (9am) at Gardner village. In order to make it to Gardner Village by 9am, I had to wake up a 5am just to have myself and everyone else ready by 7:45am. We actually all got up and were ready on time, and even arrived early for pictures. Unfortunately, Presley fell asleep on the way and if you don't know Presley very well, then let me enlighten you. Presley is very grumpy if she is woken up. She is so stubborn. So needless to say her pictures turned out pretty frowny. But she is still cute anyway! After pictures we headed to the bakery for donuts and hot chocolate, as it was a very cold photo shoot! I had an amazing cinnamon roll, I highly recommend it! Presley got so happy and was smiling so cute after that! Too bad we didn't think of this before pictures! We looked in the cute shops, and I think we all enjoyed looking in the Christmas shop the most! It was so fun!

We took a trip to Toy's R Us to see what everyone wants for Christmas. It was fun but tiring. We didn't make it out of there without buying a toy for each of the girls though! Something about "But we deserve it! We were sooo good for pictures, and it was soooo cold outside, and we didn't even whine! And we have been so good today!" And a few flutters of eyelashes. We were sold. Suckas!

It was my nieces birthday so we all got to go to Chucky Cheeses. I think they invented ADD, obesity, and gambling. Anyway the kids had fun, guess that's all that matters.

Chris is just working hard as usual. But still finds plenty of time to have fun and play, except this does cut down on the amount of sleep time he gets. He has made several runs to the grocery store for me, because I forget stuff and because we run out of milk a lot. He is also procrastinating putting up Christmas lights. Looks like I'll be doing that. It is a stupid thing to do, get up on the roof in the winter when it's wet and icy. Maybe we won't do it:)

I am enjoying a new workout with a killer ab regimen. It has me pretty sore though. I was telling Chris how much I enjoy writing and how I should pursue it. He was encouraging. On Sunday I got put in charge of writing the newsletter for Relief Society. I guess this shows how you should be careful what you wish for! When Chris found out he had a long laugh attack. I didn't laugh quiet as hard. I made the best brownies ever. My neighbor finally got me her recipe and I made them. They were sooo good! The kind with marshmallow in the middle. I had to send some with Chis to Halo night, so I wouldn't eat too many. I had fun doing some Christmas shopping. "Limited too" had a half off everything sale, and yes I went a little crazy in there. I am far from finished with Christmas shopping, but hoping to knock it out this week.

Taylor got to have a pizza party for achievement days. She enjoyed that. And thought it was great she didn't have to eat the yucky dinner I made. Taylor and I went shopping for an outfit she could wear in fam pictures. She picked it out all by herself, it's really cute too. She's sure growing up.

Brooke is a negotiator lately. Everyday she asks if we can go to the store and buy her a toy. She always starts out asking for the biggest possible thing and when that isn't successful she works her way down through things till she bargins for at least a pack of gum. I think she's spoiled, and I'm working on that one!

Presley is just a sweetie. She has her moments though, as mentioned above. For the most part she is really pleasant. I have enjoyed our alone time together while sisters are at school. She is so cuddly and getting more independent. She can sit quietly and play all by herself for a long time. This has helped me a lot, so I can get stuff done! We have been reading Christmas stories together and she sits and listens so quietly.

And that's a peek at our week.

Gym Guru says:

Post Thankgiving blues
from what the mouth chews?
Put on those running shoes
and chase away those blues!

Get to the gym
or go for a swim.
Do this on a whim
if you want to get slim.

Don't forget what I said
let's get motivated!
It's all in your head
get up off your bed.

Get to the door
don't forget to work your core.
I could write more
but that might be a bore!

-gym guru

A Big Fat Peek at Our Week Nov16-30

We had a really fun, whirl wind of a last two weeks.








Taylor danced in the nutcracker at Weber from the 18th-22nd. It was a great experience. I went with her and helped out behind the scenes doing makeup and chaperoning. I got really good at painting faces like solders and buffoons! I also became an expert at buns, taking out curlers, costume changes, and touching up lipstick! We learned a lot of fun games like "Here comes Sally Walker" and "Elevate Your Body" Taylor and I will have to teach everyone. If I can remember, I thought I would never get it out of my head after how many times they sang it and played the game, but a few weeks go by and a 30 year old mind forgets more than you would think.



We had a really great Thanksgiving. We went to the Trump's and it was decorated so cute. Little oreo cookie turkey's, so cute! The kids had fun in the yard, I don't know how they can stand the cold though! My Dad took down the swings for the winter and we were all talking about how he should have left them up, at least till after thanksgiving. Poor kids. Then we all joked and laughed, as we realized the kids were all playing just fine, and in fact better than usual, because they weren't all bugging us to come push them on the swings! So thanks Dad we know you did it for us-right!:) We played with my parents new i macs, played the Great Dalmuti, the guys went and hit a bucket of balls, while the women got hooked on a 1500 piece puzzle, talked quilting with Grandma Cram, and then we moved on to crash the Mayfield's Thanksgiving party. At the Mayfield's we had a lot of fun and got hooked on fuse ball and another puzzle! Even Chris enjoyed puzzles this year, a break through in puzzle history. We got home so late that we slept till 10:45 the next morning. We never do that, and even the kids slept in!
















We got our Christmas tree and bought a bunch of new decorations. Every year we think we are set on decorations, and then we get these brillant but crazy ideas, and end up buying all new decorations. Any way it does look really good, even if I do say so myself. Getting the tree in the stand was quite a trick! I've never seen such a fat tree trunk in all my years. We had to saw off all the "nubbies," we had fun saying "Nubbies" all night. Someone would say it and we would all laugh, and say it again and laugh. Try it! Say "Nubbies" it's such a silly word! The tree is tilted funny because of it's freaking "Nubbies" and because it's too fat for the stand. I have no idea if there is even a bigger stand to buy. We also have about every tree stand possible after all our years of trees, because sometimes we do more than one or the type of tree is different... oh well I guess everything can't be perfect!











Speaking of perfect, putting on the lights was as far from perfect as it gets! I do the lights every year, because Chris says I'm sooooo good at it! But I wonder...? I was watching a Christmas movie and had the lights almost done on the tree when, POOF, all the lights go out but one strand at the bottom. I just about started crying, as it had been an hour of light stringing and kids anxious to decorate. It's like finding a needle in a hay stack! But with Chris' help and much frustration, and about 12 fuses later, 1 broken light bulb, a cut toe, 2 screwdrivers, 1 pair of pliers, and 3 fixes, and 3 more POOFS, 1 extension cord, and 3 almost crys, 2 massive headaches, and 3 kids running wild we fixed it! PHEW!!!

Moving on,

Taylor was asking about death and we were answering her questions. Then she said "Will my bones turn into fossils?" We thought that was cute. Taylor has also acquired her own bathroom time. I guess she's at that age.



Brooke had been spreading this white stuff all around the house. I couldn't figure out what it was or where she was getting it from. It looked like she had chewed up paper and spit it out all over. But it was hard as a rock and not wet, so I confronted her about this and she said: "Oh, Mom, that's just my play dough from Halloween! It turned to metal!" I laugh a lot as you may have noticed!


Presley got babysat all by herself, because she was too young to attend the Nutcracker. It was the first time she's ever been babysat without her sisters. She went to my neighbors house who has a little girl her same age, that Presley is good friends with. Presley could hardly contain her excitement to go to Laura's house (her friend) for the night! When I went to pick her up my neighbor said: "I have to tell you a funny thing that happened while you were gone. Presley walked out the front door and started walking to your house. I followed her and asked her where she was going. She told me she was going home to go potty, and that she would be right back. I tried to explain that you were gone and the house was locked but she got really upset. She sat on my couch for a half hour with little sobs as she was trying to hold it until you came home. I finally picked her up and took her to the bathroom, but we didn't quite make it! So thanks for the extra undies!" I thought that was cute that she wanted to go home to go potty!
Presley is very particular about who helps her go potty! She hates anyone to see her naked. This is really good, but can make for other troubles.




Chris and I are doing well. I'm a little stressed about the holiday coming up, but that's nothing new! It seems I always have stress as Chris has recently pointed out to me, so I'm working on that! Chris is grateful to have a seemingly secure job at the Church in this time of recession, as am I. We're both enjoying the low gas prices! I saw twighlight and was disappointed. Chris played x box a lot. I cleaned a lot. We ate chicken a lot. Oh and we were on time to church for the first time in about 3 years. We're feeling pretty good about that one! Celebrated Grandpa Norm's 60th Birthday, it was sweet and fun! We shared memories of Dad-I'll have to post our poem later! Mostly, we have felt blessed and happy in these past weeks of Thanksgiving! I'm grateful we have each other to bolster one another up in our times of need-thanks Chris!

And that's a big peek at our week(s):)

What do I Know...

Don't buy the expensive stuff! Recently we had our dishwasher door repaired. I spent about an hour before the repair guy came scrubbing, unsuccessfully, the grime in the dishwasher. I was feeling pretty embarassed about it, after all, I am a clean person! I had been wondering, for the longest time, why it was such a problem. I figured it was the water around here. Good thing I couldn't get it clean, because the repair guy saw and told me it's cascade dishwasher detergent. He said all the expensive brands of detergents are full of additives that collect on the inside of your dishwasher and dishes! He recommended I start buying the cheapest generic brand of detergent. Boy, was I skeptical, but it worked. You should see my dishwasher and dishes now. They are sparkling clean, no more icky film. So don't buy the expensive stuff!

What do I Know...

Ok, I love it when people share their little secrets of success or such. I am going to start sharing mine.

I think Downy, April Fresh, fabric softener is the best. But, if you're like me and crave change, Snuggle exhilarations, peach blossom & sunshine swirl is one of my new favorites. So try it out.

Also, The Children's Hour in slc is my new favorite shopping spot. It's about 900 E. 900 S. in Salt Lake City. They sell clothes, books, toys, and boutique type treasures. My girls were entertained for 2 hours with the little girls section of toys, books, and clothes. We bought Tay some boots, me a cook book, and some cute socks.

Christmas Pee

We went shopping for our Christmas Tree today. The girls were running around the tree lot, while Chris and I followed. They were having the time of their lives hiding in trees, seeking out the perfect tree. Taylor quickly made us aware that she needed to go to the bathroom. We found a port-a-potty for her to use, by this time it was dark and scary. She refused for a while and then had to go so bad she had to succumb to the dark and scary port-a-potty. She came out crying because she didn't realize she needed to put the lid up and went pee on the lid and all over herself. Chris and I are still trying to understand how you can sit on the toilet and not realize you haven't put the lid up. hee- hee- hee. We were laughing about the poor succor who will use it next and wonder why the toilet is all wet. We had a big laugh about this afterward. As this year will be remembered as the year we picked out our tree and Taylor had a Christmas Pee.

New York in October

Here's some pics of Chris and my New York trip. I'm putting all of them on facebook if you want to take a look. Central Park
Subway
Times Square
right outside our Hotel
Shopping on 5th avenue
My dream apartment, if I lived in New York.