Recap

Here we are at the end of December.  It sure was a busy month.  I am glad for all the travels and adventures we had this month but I am glad to be settled back at home and into my routine. I'm a creature of habit so familiarity brings me happiness.  Not that seeing you all didn't bring me happiness...

   anyway mid December we flew down to Idaho to see MaceyJo get hitched.

I don't fly well so I get all drugged up in the airport (don't tell TSA) but the littln' is just awesome and travels so well she just zonked out.  I promise I didn't drug her too, but drugs (or m&ms) were on hand in case of certain possibilities.

For Christmas Jack and G got a kitchen playset for all the little grandgirls and they just loved it.  Loreli loved playing with this thing.  Surprisingly there were very few disagreements between the wee ones in regards to sharing the kitchen and its accouterments.

Here's a little video of Loreli and Ella taking a dance break from slaving all day in the kitchen.

A Love of Christmas

Loreli LOVES Christmas! Since Thanksgiving we have been wrapping presents and gradually putting them under the tree...well more like under the table since our tree is only 2 feet tall and sits on a table. Loreli loves all of the presents...not because she's seen them all, but because they are so fun to lug around the house by their bows. Funny girl!

She also enjoys using the presents as a step stool to get onto furniture and to see out the window.

Since we will be leaving on Monday for Wyoming and then going straight to Tennessee the following Monday we decided that we will open a few gifts today! Yaayyy for presents! I am sure Loreli will love ripping paper.

Cold Weather Climbing

Rock climbing is not typically a winter sport since you need your fingers to work so you don't die.

Jack turned the outside of their chimney into a rock climbing wall.  I say that is a fabulous use of space.   Exercise with the chance of pain.

It has been a while since I squeezed into my rock climbing shoes but I thought that I did okay.  I reached the top each time. 

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree

Every year on the day after Thanksgiving the fam goes up into the hills to bring back the family Christmas tree. 

It's a lot of fun but usually requires more work than you previously remember

We didn't have any boots for Loreli so Jenn was kind enough to lend us some extra gloves to stick on her feet.  

The Denson's were much better prepared for their little girls.

Then comes the difficult part of decorating 15 foot trees.

So my camera isn't a super fancy one like the rest of the world so this picture is terrible but you get the general idea.  The tree on the left is the Christmas tree decorated in red and gold and the one on the right is MaceyJo's wedding tree since the open house is being held here at the the manor.  It is decorated in her colors of turquoise and grey. 

The Activities

"I wonder if anyone will notice if I touch one of these buttons"

There were lots of fun activities but one night we had a minute-to-win-it

event with lots of hilarity involved.

Here is MaceyJo trying to knock down jugs with a baseball in a nylon stuck on her head.  We played Roberson borns vs Non-roberson borns and of course the true Robersons took the cake, or pie rather.  It is Thanksgiving after all.

Try rolling a ping-pong ball down a tape measure into a mug.  Impossible!

I did beat my spouse (which it the entire point of competitions) but I only got 1 out of 3.

Mysha and Jason had to roll tennis balls, bounce them off a broom handle and into three different baskets.

This one is good.  You put an Oreo on your forehead and slide it down your face into your mouth without using your hands.  Classic. I had the record time of about 3 seconds using a patented, secret move.

How would we ever get anything done with an awake child without a television and Disney?  

Those poor pioneers.

And nap time, the best Thanksgiving tradition second only to pie, a distant second that is.  Far distant.

Smaller is Better

At Jack and G's there is a little stroller and the whole week Loreli and Rivers were in a constant tussle over who got it. It's hard to teach an only child sharing.