Christmas Adventure with Before and After Disasters!!

Oh the Christmas holiday arrived and went... and of course I am the slacker that takes forever to blog..I mean it's the new year!!

Well the BEFORE DISASTER happened a night before we were suppose to leave for Utah. I was in the kitchen getting dinner ready when I heard a crash and a loud cry. I found Nixon at the bottom of the stairs where there is brick to catch his fall... I "think" Darby helped him down the stairs and Nixon took a fall... there was blood coming from his mouth and his lip was already swelling. This boy of mine can find trouble so quickly... he has so many bruises and bumps I sometimes wonder if trouble finds him?
Well after much soothing of Nixon he was off and happy again. His lip swelled up good and he had a cut up at the top. Poor little guy was not happy though when he couldn't drink his milk as well that night.
Daddy made him happy quickly by playing airplane on the bed, and that's when I snapped this picture.

Nixon LOVES to find shoes and put them on and walk around the house. He gets so frustrated with Jon's shoes because they are so heavy but he can figure mine out and I find my shoes EVERYWHERE in the house. I guess it doesn't help that I leave them out too:) He must be my son though to like shoes!!!

So after the crazy beginning to our Utah Christmas Adventure we got on a flight that was oversold by 4 and made it to Utah. The flight down was a nightmare... one way has to be bad I decied both can't be good, can they?? So on the way down the plane was full so we couldn't sit by eachother so the agent said "Since you can't sit together anyway how about one of you sits in first class?" Well Jon did buy me a facial to destress me the day before so...I gave it to him and I got to sit with Nixon in couch inbetween two gentlemen that pretended to be asleep most the time. Nixon was not happy either and I spent most of the time in the back trying to keep him calm. Thank goodness it was only an hour and twenty minute flight!

When we got in we went straight to Katie's dance recital.
It was so cute to see the girls and watch them "wave" and dance that night.
Hailey

Chloe on the left is concentrating VERY hard and Hailey. They are in the same class and are best friends.

Mac wasn't so sure about me!

Watching Miss Katie for the right moves.

Nixon was pretty good, considering he had been on a plane for two hours. He liked the music and the dancing, he liked dancing too:)

Bella was so cute too...she is the shortest in her class!!

Mac and Nixon were trying to get treats from Casey.

The next morning we had my mom's Santa Party. Santa wrote us a letter and told us Mrs. Santa slipped in the kitchen and he was unable to make it, but he had an elf drop off the presents!! He is a clever guy!!

Nana got the presents and handed them out.

Nixon got a book and a moose.. he wanted Nana to read it to him right away.

He warmed up to Nana so quick... it was good for us!

The little snipes opening their presents.

Bella started reading hers right away too. She is a good reader and likes to read to Nixon too.

Jon got a tree ornament! Hooray!

After the presents we made gingerbread cookies, it's tradition. The best one however was the big blob at the end.. it figures!

Bella and Hailey

Chloe and Lilly

Nixon sat in Gramsy's lap and it was adorable. He pretended he was making cookies too.

We went up to Ogden and saw the lights. It was so cool, with all the lights and these cool little houses with fun displays in them. It was freakin' cold though.

Disregard that I look scary in this picture!! I am a goof! We went with Katie's family and Nana.

Nixon liked going into Papa Wally's room and watching sports. I think Papa Wally liked it too!

Nana, Nixon and Momma hanging out.

Sunday we had a party at my dad's. Santa came in and we all sang songs together. Hailey and Chloe helped with the jingle bells!

Nixon's liked Santa from afar.

Chloe sitting on Santa's lap.

Nixon's first time on Santa's lap... yep it went like we thought!

Not a happy guy!

Our little family with Santa. After this picture we ate dinner and then Nixon was so fussy, it was weird. THEN he threw up ALL over Jon, thankfully it was in the kitchen on tile floor and not on the carpet. Too much fun for this little guy!

Mac liked Santa about as much as Nixon did!

The girls came over and they all had a tea party.

Nixon sat there for a long time and he loved it. He even pretended to drink and everything.. it was adorable.

Bella reading Nixon a book.

How cute is that?

Chloe and Lilly were in the "stables" with their horses.

Monday night we had a candy cane party with the WHOLE family. Paul my cousin just got back from Iraq so it was a party for him too.
Shaping the first batch.

Uncle Mark made a golf club with a hole..hee hee!

Katie and Nixon playing pass with an orange in the kitchen in between batches.

Jill and Katie flipping the hot candy.

Here is the gang .. Party Animals I see.

Mac and Nixon ...sharing...NO!

Pulling the candy.

Go Hailey, her first time pulling.

Us girls... the cookers!! And yes we all have nice RED hands from the HOT candy.

Tuesday we tried to go down to Price to see Jon's grandma, aunt and uncle. The weather was a bit snowy through parts of Lehi but it wasn't awful, so we kept going. Then Provo, there was just rain so we headed into the canyon... Wow it was like night and day difference. There was snow covering the roads and it was snowing... we made it about 5 miles before we saw ambulances and a van turned onto it's top with shattered windows, there was a baby blanket hanging out of one of the windows and I had had enough. We turned around right then and headed back to Provo.

We did get to see Jon's good friend Kory and Mel Holding and eat at his pizza place there in Provo... YUM!! The Pizza Pie Cafe to be exact... you must try it!!
Then we headed back to Bountiful where Jon and I got to go on a date.. a what... a date! I took him to Bountiful Bowl.. I know you are jealous oh Bountifulites! We had a good time playing and I laughed when the guy at the desk said, "It's 6 dollars a piece or 12 dollars together." Yeah right like I have money on me, ever!



After Bowling we went to Keva juice and shared a Keva... Yum it was like being in High School again. I made the mistake of letting Nixon have a sip when we got back and he never gave it back to us!

It snowed just for us in Utah, it was gorgeous! We took a walk over to Casey's and Nixon thought it was fun to walk in the snow.

He got a little ride too!

Nana, Nixon and Momma walking along in the snow!

Chloe came over later and came in and said "I'm a movie star!" She looks like one too:)

Wednesday morning we went to breakfast with the whole gang, to IHOP.

Our food took FOREVER, so long in fact we started making paper airplanes out of the place mates and flying them back and forth along the table. Nixon was better than me... how does that work?

Lilly and Bella giving kisses!

Nixon snuggled with Bella and watch Old McDonald's Farm!

Freakin' cute!

Then he snuggled Aunt Katie.. what a snuggle bunny he is sometimes!

Wednesday night we all went out just the adults! Well we went to Texas Road House where Katie waited on us... she was funny! It was delicious!

Christmas Eve morning we all got together and exchanged presents! Nixon got up early of course and he was cute playing by the tree.

Hailey and Nixon! Ready for presents!

My mom got these cool bags to put the kids presents in so they weren't tempted to open them before Christmas! AND it worked!

We all went in on a drill set for Papa Wally, he was in need of one!!

Bella with her new outfit!

Nixon got a hooded towel from Nana, it is a bear and is so dang cute!

The girls got matching outfits!

Nixon was slow at opening his presents, it frustrated the girls. It was kinda funny!

Jon got an Aebelskiver pan.. I am freakin' excited!! It is a breakfast pancake ball.. and oh they are SO good!

Nana knitted Tim and had and scarf!!

We gave Mac a book! It makes noise and has flaps... what else is there for kids!!

Mac gave Nixon a tie.. it's freakin' cute!! I love it!

Toys, Toys, Toys!

A block train!

And a school bus that sings!

While everyone was napping Jon and I made a gingerbread house.. cause we were bored!

I hadn't made one in a LONG time, it was fun to act silly and make one.

It did turn out cute though right!

Christmas morning we all got up and opened a few more presents! We gave Nana some blocks that can spell all kinds of fun things for the different months and a Hogwarts scarf!

Nixon got some awesome animal sound books!

He does LOVE animals!

I got a cute sweater!

Nana's Hogwarts scarf!

Jon got his mini pens.. you have to special order them.. but they are perfect!

Cute boy on Christmas!

Jon and I always get matching PJ shirts, it's a fun tradition.

Our little family! Merry Christmas!!

We went down to see my Dad before heading out on a plane. Nixon loves to ride the tracker!

More Presents!

Playing with the little kitchen.

Nixon wasn't so sure about us placing him with Grandma and Grandpa.

"Oh wait, a dog!" Distraction!!

So after our Christmas morning we headed on a plane and headed to Spokane! We got in about noon and went straight to Mark and Karen's.
Mark got new croc's from us!!

We made Karen a calendar of all the family!

Nixon got a race car!!

Jon's brother was in town too, for Christmas. This is Kathleen, she got an Ipod for Christmas!

We went up to Grandma Spear's for dinner, I mean we what is one more stop on Christmas right??

Karen got pictures of all the family hung up for Christmas. Then Jon and Ryan put up a chair rail.

Cute huh.. Emily did a great job!

All the cousins.. minus Will!

Brandon, Kathleen, Cody, Garret, Katie, Tanner and Nixon!!

Shocker.. Nixon was wiped out as we headed home, finally!

So Nixon went to bed but Jon and I opened our stockings and our presents, at 9 pm on Christmas night!

Jon got his water pitcher that he wanted!

I got some clothes, I love clothes!

New jeans.. oh it's been so long.

Jon got some new t-shirts. Boys go through clothes so quickly, why is that?

A new spout for the kitchen! Jon gives very clever presents!

Oh our Christmas wasn't over yet.. next morning it was Nixon's turn to get his presents from Santa!

His stocking!

Nixon liked to ripe a little bit of paper off and then stick his hand into the present and wonder why it wasn't coming out!

Trucks, and cars.. what else is there for boys? We got him that new chair that matches our furniture... I love it and I hope he does too!

Yeah, the truck he found so many times before I wrapped it!

For some reason this picture won't upload the right way.. but he loved playing with his new cars. Driving them all over his new chair!

Such a boy!

Christmas was over and all threw house, Nixon was playing with the pasta in the house??

He was so fascinated with it, I couldn't stop him from playing with it!

Nana made him this card board table house... it's cute huh?! Nixon LOVES it and so does Darby!

Darby chased Nixon in and out of it all morning!

Inside!

He just laughed and laughed!

Nixon's new tie! What a handsome guy!

He looks like such a big boy!

AFTER DISASTER

So the Sunday after Christmas we went to Mark and Karen's for dinner and Nixon touched the fireplace that had been on all afternoon. He screamed for an hour and a half straight. We finally called the doctor Karen works for and got him some cream to help heal it! The next morning it looked like this! So sad!!

They had huge blisters on all four fingers, a little one on the thumb and some on his palm. We wrapped it every night and it is looking so good right now, but it was not fun for a few days!