Leid Discovery Museum

On Tuesday, December 13 Cayden had a field trip to the Lied Discovery Museum in Las Vegas. I went with him because I try to go on the field trips when I can with the kids. I do not like riding the bus though so we drove in and met his class. The museum is like the Discovery Museum in Salt Lake just not as big. There were lots of things to see and to do and the kids all had lots of time to do everything. They ate lunch there but I ran out of time in the morning and did not make us lunches I just grabbed some snacks for us. I also thought that we would be done by lunch and we would just get something on the way out anyway. The bus go there later than they expected so they stayed later than they had planned. Cayden liked playing the musical instruments that had not strings-they were on laser lights I think. he also made a snowflake craft and played with a tennis ball launcher. Many of the kids were lined up most of the day to try the indoor hurricane simulator. Cayden just liked to watch that. There was also a stage there that the kids could put on costumes and put on plays-Cayden enjoyed that alot. Mom did not like the other moms who were with other schools who were thinking how funny it was for the little girls to be screaming Lady Gaga songs and doing cheer like stunts by the stage. They kept wanting to have the girls do it over and over and video them. It was getting later in the afternoon and so by that time I had had about enough fun and had a headache too. After the field trip Cayden and I went to Trader Joe's to get some poinsettias for Uncle Robert's funeral and a little evergreen tree for him that he promptly decorated with tinsel when we got home.  Then we went to Costco and picked up a pizza for the family and hot dogs for us.

I Refuse To Tell You My Age But...

My birthday was Monday December 12. We started that day by taking Cody to the airport so he could go back to Provo then Don took me and Kyle to lunch at Olive Garden. After lunch we headed over to pick up my delicious lemon bundt cake and then went home where the boys had cleaned the house, put away their laundry and made me homemade ice cream and peanut butter cookies.  There was also some flowers that had been delivered, 6 blue carnations surrounding a pink rose in the middle.  Don had me order my new Iphone 4s over the weekend because my phone was on the verge of breaking.  The phone came on Tuesday while I was on a field trip with Cayden.  It was a good thing too because my phone officially stopped working all together toward the end of the day on the field trip.  My sweet neighbor friend brought me over a mini bundt cake and my visiting teacher brought me over some chocolate candy bars.  My friend Anjie made me a knitted scarf and my in-laws kept Kyle all day for the field trip.  Mindy brought me some lotions from Bath and Body Works and Teri from across the street brought me a CD and a gift card to Cafe Rio-my favorite.  Sheri brought me a sweet sign about families. I got lots of Facebook messages,texts and phone calls.  That was one of the best birthdays I have had!  The kids were cooperative and helpful, they cleaned the house and I did not have to fold one piece of laundry or wash one dish.  It was a lovely day! That evening Cayden and I went to the Valley Voices Christmas Concert with Grandma Dottie. 

Here are 36 things about me.
1.  I used to be so grumpy about not being able to go anywhere and do anything but since Kyle was born I don't really want to leave the house at all-partly because it is so difficult with a baby also because I just want to stay home.
2.  I have been cooking a whole lot more lately-mostly since Kyle was born.  We ate a lot of crockpot meals the first few months he was born but now I have been cooking dinner in the early afternoon sometimes as early as 12 when I have a few minutes to get it done.  We have been eating alot of soup because it is easy, I usually have the veggies for it and I really like soup.
3.  I still have trouble with my neck sometimes.  There are days that I can hardly turn my head or I feel myself do something to tweak it out of whack.  Those days are few and far between for which I am grateful.
4.  I really would like to be more social with our friends and my own friends but I feel like I don't have time and then I would actually have to get dressed to go out anywhere.
5.  I love my bed and my blanket.  The blanket that I sleep with is actually a bedspread from when I was little. It is thrashed a bit and I have had to have my mom sew up some seams that have come  undone but it is just the right mix of warm blanket to cool material.  I take it everywhere when we go places to sleep.
6. I am also very picky about my pillows and there are many a night that I am asking Don to trade with me so I get the right ones.
7.  I detest matching socks and folding whites.  We have a bucket in the laundry room that I just dump the clean socks in so I don't have to match them. Don will do that late at night sometimes when he is watching his police or reality shows like Cops, Dog the Bounty Hunter and Hoarders.
8.  Raw hamburger meat makes me want to puke.  I have to psych myself out to get it out of the package to cook it if Don is not here to mess with it.  I would almost go vegetarian if it weren't for the occasional steak, Wendy's hamburger and boneless skinless chicken.
9.  I wish that I was a better mother.  I make lists of things I want to do for my kids or with my kids but most of them don't get done.
10.  I am quite OCD when it comes to certain things in the house.  All towels and washcloths have to be folded the "Mervyn's" way or I will refold them.  Dishes left out over night on the counter or in the sink irritate me as does anything on my freshly cleaned floor. 
11.  I love to read.  I like mystery, fantasy, and most fiction.  I hate hate hate filth in books and usually stop reading a book if it has too much garbage in it.
12. OK OK the one exception to that rule is the Outlander series.  Those books are seriously my crack addiction.
13.  My favorite book from last year is Same Kind of Different As Me.  
14.  I really want to kick my TV watching habit.  Since I was pregnant and Kyle has been here I have watched way too much TV.
15.  I like to watch Bones, NCIS, Castle, Parenthood, Big Bang Theory and Modern Family.
16.  I love Broadway musicals.  I have seen Les Mis a few times, Phantom, Joseph, Tarzan, Grease, Lion King, Mamma Mia, and Wicked.
17.  My favorite ice cream is Mint Chocolate Chip. Second place is Peanut Butter Cup
18.  I love fuzzy socks.
19.  Most of my handsoap is from Bath and Body Works.  I make the kids use the cheap stuff from Walmart.
20.  My body wash has to be the same as the body lotion I use.  Consequently I have multiple scents in my shower so I can change them up. 
21. I have to shave my legs every time I shower.
22.  I like board games and card games.
23.  I wish I could sew better.  I would love to make fancy quilts and cute things for my nieces.
24.  I have been taught to crochet probably 10 times in my life but I don't do it often enough to retain the knowledge.  I have it as one of my goals every year to learn to crochet.
25.  I like crispy cookies as opposed to chewy.
26.  I love my bedroom furniture.  I found a picture of it in a magazine,  ripped it out, and held onto it for years until we were able to afford it.  Then I took the picture to the furniture store and told them that is what I wanted.  Luckily they had it!
27.  Even though I have changed it a few times I always go back to blue in my room.  I have had purple and green comforter sets before but I still love blue.  
28.  I really am glad that I had boys.  I am not a girly girl and would feel guilty about not being able to compete with the hairdo's and bows and cutesy clothes that go along with girls. 
29.  I have learned that my testimony comprises many parts and each part I have had to get a bit at a time.
30.  I have learned that the atonement is very individual but that it encompasses so many aspects beyond just our sins.
31.  I have decided that even though my life is not perfect, I am not perfect and neither are my kids, I have been given what I need.
32.  I love the beach but refuse to take babies there.
33.  Shopping seriously is therapeutic for me.
34.  My husband is the greatest.  He completes me!
35.  I have always wanted to write a book. 
36.  I can't believe I am that number. 

Adams Family Christmas Party

On Sunday December 11, we had our Adams Family Christmas Party.  We had it much earlier in the month than we usually do because of everyone's schedules.  We had planned on it being on the 17th but DJ and Ashley went to a football game in San Diego and Dave and Amy went to a football game in San Francisco.  So day was out.  The Zundel's and Darbie went to Kauai over Christmas and we had planned on being gone to Provo over New Year's so there was not another time to get together.  We had our party at Grandma Dottie's and Grandpa Don's house.  Grandpa made his yummy chicken pasta and garlic bread, I made a caesar salad, the Zundel's made a vegetable dish with asparagus and red onions and Dave and Amy, and Darbie brought a lemon cream cake from Olive Garden.  Ashley made some delicious sugar cookies and ginger cookies.  We did not go hungry that is for sure.  After we ate dinner we opened presents.  The kids loved all their presents from everyone.  After the gifts we played some Christmas songs on some homemade chimes that Grandma's neighbor Delmar Leatham made for them.  It was pretty funny to try and keep us all together and to get the songs to sound right.  On a sad note, during the party toward the end grandpa answered a phone call and found out that Uncle Robert, Grandma Dottie's sister's husband had passed away.  It was not unexpected as he had been ill and was 85 but it was a bummer that it happened during our party.  We had a good time getting together and Connor did pretty well considering the fact that parties are really hard for him.  Don had to watch a bit of football with him downstairs while everyone else was  upstairs to sort of keep him grounded.  There was only one time where he really started to get upset and that was when he thought that he was not going to get to be Santa.  The next day was my birthday and we had to take Cody back to the airport.  We were so glad that Cody could come down and be with us for the weekend.  He did not go to our ward with us because he had a friend, Grant Pray, who had his mission farewell that he went to instead. 

Laura, Cayden and Caleb

Sweet sleepy Kyle.

Connor getting ready to play the bells/chimes.

Cody has taken on the beanie look.

Concentrating on the music.

A new hat from Aunt Darbie from Switzerland.

Love the hat!

And one more of the hats.

Money and giftcards.

Sweet baby in his puppy hat.

Kyle's gift from grandma and grandpa-a playmat.

Cayden got a music stand and promptly took it home to set it up and lead music.

Kyle's turtle from Uncle Dave and Aunt Amy. 

I did not get a good picture of it but the boys got an ice cream maker from the Zundels and they-actually Caleb has made multiple batches of mint chocolate chip and vanilla, a chocolate ice cream and a root beer slush.  We also have made 2 batches of citrus slush and plan on making many more delicious flavors.  Thank you to everyone for all the great gifts and for a lovely time getting together. 

Cody Returns and Kyle Goes Shopping

We picked up Cody from the airport on Friday December 9 for our family party.

We are very blessed that Don has so many frequent flier miles that we have been able to fly Cody home a few times since he moved up to Provo. After we picked him up we went to lunch at Brio, our new favorite place to eat. It is close to the airport in a fun shopping center called Town Square

After ate a yummy lunch we shopped a little bit but it was a challenge with Kyle being as it was our first shopping trip with him not staying in the car with one of us while the other goes onto a store (usually me).We went to Gymboree and Old Navy.  Between the baby, the stroller, the diaper bag, the return bag for Old Navy, the leftover food from Brio and the new shopping bags we looked very inept I am sure.  Kyle also got to experience his first diaper change in a public bathroom changing station.  It was quite a challenge for me as I have not done that for many many years.  We went home after that because it was exhausting just going to those 2 stores and lunch with a 3 month old! 

Caleb's Play

Caleb starred in 2 plays with his drama class again on December 7 and 8 .  The first play was called Pirates and Caleb played Captain Kidd.  He led a band of shipwrecked pirates looking for treasure.  The second play was called Carol's Christmas and he played The Ghost of Christmas Present and the principal.  That play was a spin on A Christmas Carol.  He did a really good job and is very talented.   His drama teacher asked him to stay on in drama for the next semester and every time we see her she tells us how great of an actor he is and how much she enjoys him. 

Student of the Month

Connor was selected as a Student of the Month for the month of November.  He got this nifty certificate and was pretty proud of himself.  He is doing so great at the high school and we are so grateful that it continues to be a positive experience.  (knock on wood)

My Mountains

These mountains always remind me of Utah and home.  When we are headed there and we come over the Santaquin pass from Mona and head down into Utah Valley, I see these mountains and just breathe a sigh of relief because we are almost there.  I saw these mountains every day for 18 years and did not realize how much I loved them until I had to travel to see them.   The mesa just does not do it for me like Timp does!