Forgotten Carols, Christmas party & more

(The best part for a kid - finally getting to play with the presents.)

(My Dad holding Niyah.)

(The kids playing 'Simon says'.)

This weekend we went to Salt Lake to spend some time with the Marx family. My Mom bought tickets to the Forgotten Carols for she and Grandma Miller and all of the girls. My Dad and brothers and I were left watching the 11 grandkids at the hotel where we were staying. We thought it was going to be much worse, but it wasn't all bad. The kids got a little roudy, and I joked that we were going to line them up for 1 oz. shots of Benadryl (that would be an OD BTW) if it got too bad, but we survived. There are 4 kids under a year old, so each of us had a baby to hold and I WON, because my Niyah fell asleep and didn't wake up again until Crystal got back!!

(Hartney with her NEWEST babydoll from Zipporah - complete with her own backpack.)

This morning we all woke up and had a Christmas party complete with the Nativity scene and Miles acting as Sammuel the Lamanite, because my brothers Preston and Sterling took all of the animal parts. One highlight from our Nativity was when Crystal had to sit with Hartney who was acting as Mary, and a comment was made to the effect that mother-in-laws always have to be involved in everything -- seriously, does make you wonder if Mary and Joseph chose the manager just to throw their Moms off?

So after the Nativity we exchanged gifts and that was fun, then we all went to lunch at the Red Iguana in Salt Lake. My mom and Karen had made reservations there for my 30th birthday. The food was really authentic Mexican, and I guess they were on "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" on the Food Network. Crystal ordered 'la gringa' which was fitting for her, and I tried a chicken plate with a sauce from southern Mexico. Her food was better.

As for me turning 30, I'm buying a red Corvette tomorrow. Ha Ha...like that would make me feel in shape and younger. I told my Dad and brothers that if having 3 kids, driving a minivan and being married for 6+ years doesn't make me feel old, turning 30 shouldn't phase me. The problem is that all of those things DO make me feel old, and now I'm posting a message on a blog...what have I become?

(Hartney asleep on the way to the restuarant.)

Okay--WE ARE BLOGGERS--or rather "braggers," as I like to say:) We are currently living out of suitcases (a lot of them) at Grandma's house. The vacation will end after Christmas, and then it will be back to RE-AL-ITY. . .or the great Midwest!!! Since I don't have updated pics to put on this, I'm going to try my best at a slide show. . .and of outdated pics. I started a BLOG (with much needed help from my brother-in-law)--but I am NOT aware of all the unwritten rules that go along with it. . .except to KEEP BLOGGING. The idea of daily or even weekly seems daunting. I'm pretty sure dishes and poopie diapers should take precedence over yakking about how hard motherhood is because the dishes are piling up and my baby keeps pooping her pants. ANYWAYS---here it goes. . .