Idaho, Utah or BUST...

...Happy New Year!!

Its been a crazy two weeks!! I really can't believe that its 2009! I know everyone says it that time goes faster when you get older, but heck I DON'T want to grow up and get old.

Well, as you can tell Christmas came and went. And boy did it come. I managed to get most of the things done on my list. I was up til 2 most nights, well one night till 3 wrapping gifts. Every year I say I'm going to do better so I wont have to stay up late on Christmas Eve and every year, well I don't manage it all too well. I really don't know why, it just happens.

Christmas Eve was great! I thought we were just going to have a smaller group this year, WELL, I was wrong (I know its not the first time and it wont be the last). Most of the family showed up along with our non-family-family (thats what we call the friends who are closer to us then friends but aren't family. Get it~Got it~GOOD). Anywho, the Wilsons and the Smiths all showed too and everyone seemed to have fun. Maybe it was all the food!!

Of course that night after everyone left the real fun began! Clean up one mess just to make another. After DJ and I got to bed, I remembered I forgot to put something out, and oops one of the kids was already up and the other had been up, opened the stocking and then went back to bed. So I put the gift out and I tried going back to bed, ya-no, couldn't do it. So I got up and started getting breakfast ready.

After a bit everyone one was up and the house blew up! There was paper flying everywhere. It was a mad house, which I'm sure everyone else had too.

Then it was on to Grandmas house (my mom) for Christmas again. It seemed like thats what it was all day. We'd open more gifts and then more people would show up and we would open even more gifts. Of course the kids thought it was GREAT! I just couldn't wait for it all to end so I could go to bed. (I still had things to do....)

BUT WAIT... when we got home we couldn't go to bed.... We had to get ready to leave the next day for Idaho and then Utah. I still had to pick up the house (had close friends watching Micky our dog and I didn't want them to see the house a pigsty) and then do laundry. Another long night.

BUT it gets better... We wanted to be on the road by early afternoon on Friday but after checking the roads, we needed to get chains for our truck. After searching all day, we got some thanks to Caylas best friend and his family. WE WERE OFF at 7pm!!!

The drive was a bit scary at times. We hit NV and had snow the whole way. Hit a couple of storms and had a couple of close calls!! Good thing hubby knows how to drive in the snow!!

The kids had so much fun at their aunt Kimmys house. They got to play in the snow, and build a big snowman, that started melting right away so the boys took a shovel to it and wacked its head off. Cayla had a double date while there. When I say double I don't mean two couples, I mean two boys took her out!

From Idaho we headed to Utah. NOW I thought Idaho was cold, oh my heck!!! Utah was freezing. One night it got below 0. Thats just wrong. See why I live in AZ. Yes I know my hubby hates the heat, he went around most of the trip with only a long sleeve shirt and/or his fleece sweat shirt on. Hes crazy!!

We got to see our dearest friends for a few hours, wish we could have stayed longer. Seth asked John to play the piano (Cayla use to love to listen to him play when she was little), I really could have stayed all night! Also Seth got to finally meet another grandpa up there. You'd think after 7 years they would have met.

We stayed at DJ's folks house, that was an adventure in itself. Had the BIG family luncheon on Saturday and had a baptism to go to also. After the baptism when everyone left the church, DJ thought Cayla should learn to drive in the snow and that I should have more snow driving time. Did I mention I HATE the SNOW! Anyways we had fun driving in the parking lot. Making the truck slid and then get it under control again. OOPS...their bishop came out and I'm sure he was wondering why we were driving crazy in the church lot. Oh well, the kids had fun making the car slide every which way.

On the 4th was the long drive home. The roads were pretty clear until...ready for this...until we hit AZ. About 40 minutes from Flagstaff we hit another BIG storm. But it was all GOOD! We got home in one piece, just a little later than we want cuz of the snow, but we made it by 9.

Now the real fun has begun. We've started packing up Christmas. Have you heard the song from the Forgotten Carols "I cried the day I take the tree down"? Well, we love that song and all of Christmas is packed up except our tree. If I had my way I would keep my tree up all year long. But I can't, I think I'll take it down this weekend. Then Christmas will really be over...BUT we have Valentines Day and Saint Pattys day, and oh yes, Easter coming up. I really do like HOLIDAYS!! HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!