The Happy Holidays

Whoa!! Time flies when you're...having...fun? Joke! We've been busy flying home to see the parents and spending time with siblings before the holidays.
Now, before you say, "Hey! You were in SLC and didn't call??!!". We were there for only a few days and ALL were spent with family. We attended a Poulton dinner, knitting party, Kimberly's 50th birthday party, Hannah's birthday and time watching Monsters Inc. with Kell.

Back in Spokie we had a ward Christmas party, which was also an ugly sweater contest and Mac won. He was wearing a woman's sweater that had cheesy stuff glued all over it. The missionaries won for the couple category. Noah just ate crap all night.








And time with the Merendino's (Mac's mom and her husband). We took a ferry out to the North Pole to see Santa. Noah was cold, but too transfixed on what was going on to complain. Santa read out his name too.

I guess he was good this year because I think he received every dinosaur he asked for (and a few he didn't). Noah even got a Buzz Lightyear.



I hope y'all had a wonderful Christmas! And as always...we miss you!!!

Christmas Tree Huntin'

The cool thing about living in the Evergreen State is that you can buy a permit to cut down your own tree for 5 bucks.
That's what we did. We piled up the friends and went into the wilderness to get the perfect "wild" Christmas tree. As apposed to the "tame" ones at lots.
Besides the fact that none of us could feel our extremities within 5 minutes it was fun. Noah just jumped up and down and laughed at himself, while some other children complained about it being 8 degrees out and they wanted to go to the car (maybe I was one of them).
We settled on a little, but fat tree named Billy Bob. What? Yours doesn't have a name? He's a sparse little thing, but he does a good job doing what he does and we love him in our home. Noah loves to say good night to him and wakes up wanting him to "turn on".
All the boys were so cute out in the snow I had to take pictures. So...


This kid I saw

Sammy

Ben or as Noah says, "Benji Ben"

Peyton

Jamesy

Tyler

Sam

Bored.

Things happen when you see your husband two hours a week. When you're putting your son down at the crack of dusk (which in Washington is around 3:45pm). You might stay up on the computer taking pictures of yourself. I don't judge. You shouldn't either. But I may have to post some rather good pics of me tonight. Only because they're good. And I may suffer from severe narcissism. Doesn't matter.











My inner 7 year old was having a ball...

Why I'm grateful for my boy named Butch.

The Machan's spent the day at some friends house with the missionaries. It was amazing food! Thanks to them we had pumpkin creme brulee. I know, the husband is an excellent cook.
We played games with them and the boys played upstairs.
You know when the room gets really quiet you know something bad is happening to your child? Or they're getting into something they shouldn't?? That did not happen. I could hear them. They were playing so nicely (first sign something was wrong).
I was doing some dishes and Rachel went to check on the boys. Next thing I hear is Rachel screaming "NO!!!!" I asked if everything was alright, which she responded, "no". Aahhh crap. I reach the top of the stairs to find Noah happily playing with a toy, but with a lot less hair on his head. Yep, Jamesy (being 3 years of age) cut his hair. He was about to do himself, but started with Noah first.
I was laughing pretty hard, but also having some sads about it too. Jamesy was the most upset. He ran to his room crying. Jamesy gets his hair cut and gets a cookie afterwards. He thought by butching my son Noah would get a cookie too. Sweet.

When we came home I put Noah to bed and said prayers. It was then that I became aware of what I was most grateful for on Thanksgiving day. A 3-year old boy had a pair of scissors unattended. Noah could have been disfigured, or much, much worse. So, as much as I liked his hair I love him more.








Happy Thanksgiving to all of you. We hope you had a wonderful day!!

Halloween

Ok, Noah was Elmo for Halloween. Here's the thing-I know I can be annoying and usually piss the person I'm bugging off to no end, but Noah is different. When I start to bug him he only laughs harder, which makes me do it more...and I laugh harder too.
I start taking pictures of Noah by the door and can't stop! He was too cute!! So then he started running away from me. He ran to his room laughing the whole time. I caught up to him on his bed and he tried to swat at the camera while laughing. It takes a great person to laugh while I'm pestering them...


We went to a church function called a "trunk or treat" and ate dinner. Noah and his friend Ben were the two terds lying on the floor in the middle of everything. Idiots, but still really funny. Man, i was pretty camera happy that night.

I hope all of you had a great Halloween and look forward to seeing your little ones in costume!

Mac is 30!!

Wow.
I'm married to a 30 year old...and some day real soon Mac will be married to a 30 yr. old too!
Ok, we got up and went to Greenbluff Farms (a cluster of little farms that sell fruits and what not during the seasons).
We first went to Hansen Farms and bought freshly made applesauce with carmel stirred in, so good until the birthday boy didn't blow on a bite for Noah and now he can't taste anything. Mac also got a carmel apple and that is one of his favorite treats.

Next we went to Greenbluff Gardens and picked out our own pumpkins! So fun!

Unless you thought you picked a good one and the darn thing is rotting on the other side (let's be honest, the whole farm had rotting pumpkins), but in the end we settled on three orange, one cinderella and one ghost pumpkin (for Noah and his hair) and they were all in pretty good shape.
Happy birthday Mach! We love you!

I am sooo domestic!

After many hours of picking stitches out and maybe a few tears...I have completed my very first project.
May I present to you...The Quilt.



I made this for a throw on our couch. It's warm and does the trick. So if y'all want the pattern it's super easy!!