Christmas 2008

Christmas was a blast this year. I decided that less is more and it proved for a fantastic day. Typically there would be junk everywhere from all the toys and things and by noon I'd be a crazy lady looking at the mess. But this time it was neat, clean and wonderful! As the kids get bigger so does the price tag of the gifts so you can only get a little before your budget is gone. And Santa thought we needed some "active" video games so that was a big part of our gift giving. Everyone has enjoyed playing Mario Kart on the Wii and I am terribly disturbed that I can't win. I used to be the video game champ when I was a kid, now my kids are showing me what winners really are! And the Rock Band has given us hours of fun together as a family. We have two guitars now so all of us can play together. Our favorite song . . . Eye Of The Tiger!!

Jordyn's highlight was this awesome stereo system that she can plug her iPod into and listen to tunes. It really rocks the house! She's so excited and loves the new tunes Santa brought her too.


Kayden was all over his new lego set. It's kind of like a Mars city and there a guys that fight each other and everything. He loved it, and loves watching mom put it together for him. What? That wasn't supposed to happen!

This is the kids having their Christmas day toast. Dad always cooks us a great breakfast (yes, Dad - mom cleans up) and the kids broke out the wine glasses to do it up right.

This ranks up there as my one of my favorite gifts that we got this year. Don and Deb gave us a goody basket with stuff to make dirty bananas . . . yum. But the funnest part of the gift was the life jacket for the bottle of rum! Last year in Lake Powell we wer all hanging out and Don was mixing his usually yummy blended goodies when Todd tossed him a bottle of Bacardi. It didn't quite make it to Don and we all thought it would pop back up out of the water. Bottles float right? Wrong. That brand new bottle is at the bottom of the lake! We laughed so hard when Todd was trying to figure out how to get down there and get it. Ha! So this little number brought back a great laugh.

But my all time favorite gift this year was from each of my children. This new fun wind thingy (I have no idea what you call them) hangs outside of my window in my office and I can look at it and think of each one of my kids. Kayden gave me the silver one on top and the butterfly in the center of it represents his free spirit and how he flutters around and touches everyone's life. The center one is a beautiful sparkling red that reads "faith", "hope" and "love" and it was for Zack. The gold one at the bottom was from Jordyn and the sun in the middle shines as brightly as she does. Todd's really getting good at the meaning behind the gifts wouldn't you say? I am amazed at the blessings that have poured in upon us this year and continue to come. I look forward to a fantastic new year full of happines, health and hopefully weight loss!

Christmas tune

Yes, I love this song.
Yes, it's Wham.
No Erica . . . it's NOT gay!

2nd Graders Rule!

So today Kayden took his turn for a Christmas Show. The 2nd graders got together and did a wonderful program called Christmas Memories. This is Kayden and Todd after the show.

Kayden had a part in the show. He was so nervous to have to speak in front of everyone. He did a wonderful job of course!Singing the songs looked painful for him, but he said he had a good time. He had a look like "are we done yet?" the entire time. (Todd did too to tell you the truth!)Ok so I realize this isn't my kid on the end but he was cracking me up the entire time. All of the kids were singing but this little showman really hammed it up. He had hand motions for all the songs and really got into it. The funniest part was he was the ONLY one doing the moves! I couldn't quit giggling. Check him out . . . he's pretty comical!

He totally stole the entire show! LOL!

Now and then . . . Jordyn style

While I was uploading the photos of Jordyn's choir concert I ran into one of my favorites of her when she was just 3 years old. I decided to do a "now and then" about her. Now . . . look out Harvard Business Law she's going to be a great candidate.

Then . . . cute as a button and not quite so feisty!

Jordyn's choir concert

Tonight Jordyn had her Christmas Choir Concert at school. I'm so happy she's decided to find her feminine side and wants to look pretty! We searched everywhere for the perfect outfit and boots to match so that she was classy enough for the show. And beatiful is what she turned out to be.

Photo op for her fan club. Kayden is her biggest supporter.

I threw this photo in as well because it's interesting to me that the entire 5th-8th grade is so tiny!

Christmas Dinner with Zack

This year Zack's boys home had a big dinner for the parents of all the boys there. The boys served us dinner like they were our waiters and it was nice to have Zack wait on us hand and foot. (He has potential for a future job while he puts himself through college!) Anyway, the dinner was nice and it was nice to spend time with him. After dinner the boys did a "Grinch" skit and acted out how the Grinch stole Christmas. Our Zack got to be the little baby girl Lucy Loo Hoo in the story and wear a girlie shirt, wig and talk like a girl. The other boys voted him in because he's the smallest in the bunch - how lucky!
We were lucky anyway and feel very good about the program he's in. He's making tremendous progress and I just know the new year will bring positive changes in his life!

All I want for Christmas . . .

School project

This week at school Jordyn had a pretty cool assignment. The entire 5th grade had a wax museum and each student had to choose a real person from the past and read a biography on them. Then they memorized 10 facts about the person. Parents visited the students and pushed a button and they spit out the 10 facts they had memoriezed. They had unique figures like Pocahontas, Queen Victoria, Dale Earnhart and even Elvis! Jordyn was Louisa May Alcott and had so much fun!

As we left Jordyn's clasroom we ran into Kayden on his way to lunch. What a cutie!

What the kids are up to

Well this photo needs no explanation at all does it? We're into "friends", "friends" and more "friends". Heaven help her parents.

Meanwhile, Kayden made his fort in his closet! His cute ideas kill me.

The Crazy Dog Lady

It was as big of a shock to me as it was everyone else that I got a dog. Who would have thought that me . . . totally uptight clean freak . . . would welcome a messy, poopy animal into the house. Now I can't live without her. She's not a bit happy about the new sweater I got her for the winter either. But she'll forgive me. She gets to sleep at the bottom of my bed. She's become like a child - and my favorite because she doesn't talk back!

Now . . . and then

So Todd and I never get our pictures taken together. We had Jordyn take a quick shot of us and I thought it would be nice to put a current photo us together on our blog. For posterity right?

Well I couldn't help thinking about how much I enjoyed seeing Chelle's flashback photos on her blog recently so I had to giggle at our flashback photo and include that too. Todd and I are coming up on 17 years of marriage. I don't know what surprises me more . . . that we've made it all these years or that we are THAT old! Enjoy a good laugh on me today!

February 1992

Todd's slice of crazy

When Todd decides to do something he does it all the way. For the last couple of years he's been building a rock crawler out of his Rubicon and he's build a mighty fine machine. I don't have the right words for the experience he had in Moab last month but hopefully I'll get him to edit this and post some comments. Hopefully from the photos you'll be able to get an idea of how much fun he had. It took about 3 days to get the smile off his face after he came home!

Cary Robarge was there as well and took a little tumble. Ooops. At least he was okay!

Don Bushman was as well. This is him observing the mess of pop and ice in the back of Cary's explorer!

I've got to figure out a way to get that statement plastered on his Jeep somewhere!

Bowling Langenfass Style

Well we've made bowling a regular activity for our family. The kids absolutely love it. This weekend we decided to see just how good Erica really is and we took Harry and Erica with us. There's the best little bowling place not far from their home in Sandy so we took a shot at it. (I had to throw this photo in cause they're so damn cute.)
So I love to bowl. I used to be really good. Good enough that I could have been on a league. That was then, now I'm old. I have tennis elbow. What the? I don't even play tennis! But that's the diagnosis. So my game has took a dive but it's still worth going for the fun.
Here's Jordyn with her sparkly ball! She must have gone through about 5 balls before the game was over. Each time the weight got a little less!

Not long into our game Harry pulled a muscle in his upper leg. Okay his butt. He was in the middle of a beautiful delivery and his leg went wacko and he was done. He kept us company at the table and became our play by play commentator. But I think he just wanted a butt rub. ;)

It's too bad too becuase Harry has natural talent. He's a great bowler . . . but nobody can beat Erica!

Here's a terrible shot of the screen. I had to take it because I was in the lead. You can't see the picture clearly but it's my only proof that I was ahead of E for a few seconds!!! She really rocks . . . and she's so modest and innocent about it! Love you E!!!

Anyone who would like to challenge the Dickerson clan on a few rounds of bowling is welcome to bring it on!!!!

I love you guys

On Thanksgiving I was able to go to my mom's house and spend some time with my side of the family and mostly catch up with my sissy's for a little while. When we get together we have more fun than we should and we forget others are even in the room as we laugh and fool around like we're still in our tweens.
This is me with Ele (who lives in American Fork) and Janna (who lives in Napa, CA). I love spending time with both of them and can't wait until we can have another sisters reunion.
The older I get the more grateful I am for these wonderful lifelong relationships I have with my sisters (I have 2 others that live in Virginia as well).
The saying is true, if we weren't sisters we'd be friends for sure!

Happy Thanksgiving

Todd is thankful most for his family. His wife and children are the most important thing in his life and what makes him happy. Todd feels blessed to be part of such a wonderful family, immediate and extended, and loves how much he means to them as well.

Amy is grateful for second chances. She has realized that no matter where life takes you there is always the chance to learn from your mistakes and try again. Our experiences make us who we are and unless we have them, good and bad, we have no other way to build character and strength.

Zack is very grateful for his family. He realizes how easy it is to take family for granted and loves each and every opportunity to spend with loved ones.

Kayden is just happy to be alive! He is always happy and playing with one thing or another and today he's most grateful that someone out there invented the XBox so that he could have so much fun!

Jordyn is grateful for her freedom to choose what is best for her in her life. She is blessed to have a good school to attend to help her grow and learn life skills and she can't wait to grow up and use them!

Ebony loves her family. She is grateful for every moment spent rubbing her belly and taking walks. She has brought so much love and fun to the family that we can't give her enough back.