"Other Highlight" Pics

Christmas in Idaho - by the pictures that aren't in order

Highlight - the surprise. Surprise, we are having a baby. Most people probably know that by now. He is due February 14th. I kept this a secret from my family for 7+ months so they could have a big surprise at Christmas. We got to my parents house before they got home from work so we could videotape their reaction. I wrapped my stomach in wrapping paper.

Highlight - Kyleigh and Katelyn waited by the window watching for GG and Gpa to come home. They could hardly contain themselves. It was their surprise, too. It isn't easy for a six year old to keep a secret like this. Nobody really understands what Katelyn is saying when talking to her on the phone, so that wasn't a big problem. My parents reacted about like I expected them too. My dad started laughing hysterically and my mom started screaming and jumping. That was definitely a highlight of our season.

There were so many other highlights. Brace yourself for Christmas by the pictures.

Highlight - Making sugar cookies with GG.

Highlight - playing in the snow.

We played in the snow all that we could. We didn't get a big snowfall until the last few days of our trip, but we made the most of what we had. We don't have alot of heavy winter clothes. We layered up the girls with about every warm thing they own. As far as boots go, we took their gardening boots and put three pairs of socks underneath. In this picture Katelyn is wearing her bathrobe as one layer and Kyleigh is making a snow angel. Our first trip back to the beach she made a sand angel. Sand angels are harder to clean out of one's hair.

Highlight - roller skating.

We took the girls to the roller skating rink one day. This show's Katelyn's intial reaction. Eventually she was "skating" all around the carpet and even ventured out on the rink for one trip around before we left.

Kyleigh really enjoyed herself and was brave enough for the rink soon after arriving. Rusty and I also skated. For those who worry, (Mom and Holly) I was careful.

Highlight - roller skating... again.

The girls enjoyed it so much they begged to go back and we did so on New Years Eve. This time Katelyn got out on the rink immediately and wouldn't let me hold her hand. She was dancing to the music and was the last one off the rink when it was time to go (except the old guy with the bandanna skating around doing his own little dance to the music).

Highlight - my devious nephew.

My mom had a paintbrush sitting on the counter inside a baggie. It still had some tan paint on it. My barely 2 year old nephew Payton got ahold of it. Nobody knew that until he came booking down the hall and chucked it over the banister. We picked it up and put it away. No harm done, right? A few minutes later my 6 month old niece started crying. She was up from her nap. My brother in law went in to get her and came out very concerned. She had something on her head that they couldn't place. Rusty walked in on the conversation about what could possibly be on her head. He put two and two together and started cracking up. Payton had made the most of the leftover paint on the paintbrush and painted Alma's head. Then ran away and disposed of the evidence.

Highlight - Mom and Dad with the grandkids.

My mom and dad had alot of fun with all of their grandkids. Even though it was alot of really loud fun. They all settled down for a reading of the night before Christmas on Christmas Eve.

Highlight - Christmas morning.

Christmas morning brought lots of smiles. Rusty has a new skill to learn. He got a book/CD combo on how to yodel.

Highlight - snuggling baby Alma.

Her cheeks are really so kissable.

Highlight - Tucker and his Cars fettish.

Tucker is the biggest fan of the movie cars. Aunt Karla hit the nail on the head with a new pair of cars pajamas and matching slippers. Payton was asleep when Tucker opened his pajamas. When Payton woke up Tucker shoved the box at Payton and insisted he open it immediately. Tucker was trying to pull Payton's clothes off before the box was even opened. On Christmas morning he opened a cars computer from my mom and dad and neither he or Payton cared to open anything else.

Highlight - prime rib for dinner on Christmas.

Rusty was our chef. It turned out delicious, despite the neighbors melted meat thermometer.

Highlight - Christmas morning excitement.

Kyleigh and Katelyn were so excited that Santa had come. Rissie couldn't be at my mom's house on Christmas morning, so we had another Christmas from GG and Gpa in the afternoon. Two Christmases in one day. Who can stand excitement like that?

Highlight - the Wii.

My mom and dad's big present from us kids was a wii. The smiles say it all. We spent several days bowling, boxing, and playing golf and tennis. No one could beat Kyleigh's boxing record.

Highlight - easy bake oven desserts (including a 3 tiered cake).

Kyleigh got an easy bake oven from my mom and dad. She spent every day cooking us up miniature delights and serving them ceremoniously after dinner, but only to those who had eaten their food.

Highlight - Nate.

We got to see my brother. And we still love him, despite his sweatshirt.

Highlight - Christmas Eve party with Larsen family.

We got to spend Christmas Eve with Aunt Karla and Uncle Mel and Aunt Mardyne and Kayla. We had an ornament exchange and a ham and turkey dinner. Kyleigh and Katelyn got pajamas and slippers from Aunt Karla and Uncle Mel and love them.

Highlight - Cousins.

Cousins are so fun. Here are the four of them (minus Alma who can't quite hold herself up to peer over the fence, yet). They are looking at the dogs in the neighbors yard.

Highlight - 24/7 Dad on vacation.

Which includes horse rides on Daddy/Uncle T.

Other highlights included (pictures on second post):

-A day trip to Salt Lake to see the lights on temple square, go on a carriage ride pulled by Bart the horse and eat at the soup kitchen.

-Rusty and Tyler went duck hunting for a day.

-Sledding ( yes, I did that too).

-Building a snowman as tall as Rusty with a cowboy hat and a purple scarf.

-A trip to the Idaho Falls temple for Rusty and I.

-Spending a few days with the Christensen clan at Rulan and Kath's. The fun never stops with 19 grandkids to play with in one house, and we got to do that twice.

-Taking the girls and Tucker to see the Princess and the Frog.

-Playing at the playground in the mall.

-Visiting Uncle Randy in the hospital. He was up and able to talk to us.

-A quick visit from Uncle Steve and Uncle Brent.

-A quick visit from my cousin Justin and his family.

-FOOD! Suffice it to say there was no shortage. Personal food highlight - birthday cake and chex mix.

Chinese hat dance...recital

Kyleigh just finished her winter showcase dance recital, titled "nutcracker sweets." Her class performed the chinese hat dance. Kyleigh did a great job. She practiced and practiced and had the steps down pat. She practiced so much that at her last class she was finishing the steps half way through the music. Her teacher reminded her to slow down, and she did a great job at the recital. I was the class chaperone and had the job of wrestling with the chinese hats. All of them were broken and the straps were duck taped to the hats. When I had the girls lined up outside the stage two of the hats came untaped. I quickly fixed them with more duck tape. Crisis averted. Then when we were lined up on the side of the stage one of the same hats popped off again. I was out of duck tape and she went on with her hat on halfway. She had to pull it off and kick it to the side to keep dancing. I've decided that I'm not much of a stage mom and chaperoning at dance recitals stresses me out, but Kyleigh liked having me with her so I guess I'll do what I have to do. Katelyn has been dancing the chinese dance all over the house every day. One more year and she can start ballet also.

It's an Idaho Christmas year! We are so excited to spend the Holidays in Idaho. When we are on an Idaho year we always have a pre travel party to celebrate a Cook Christmas. We received a stack of flat rate boxes, got a turkey with all of the fixings, and of course some cranberry muffins with butter sauce. Everybody loved their gifts. Pictured below are some of the festivities. Naiya with her "nuggle" (her word for blanket), Katelyn with her tinkerbell figurines, Kyleigh with her digital camera, Rusty on his hang board (made by Mike out of monkeypod wood), Holly with her BSU Mr. potatoe head, Russ and Mike with their new shoes, the girls playing with their new barbie house and barbies, and the dinner feast. All of the gifts were from the Cook family, except the dollhouse. That was from Rusty and I to the girls. It is kind of a given that you can't take a barbie house on the plane, so we went ahead and gave it to the girls. Rusty spent so much time on this thing and it turned out beautiful. He had saved scraps from several jobs, and had things like handmade wallpaper, tile, oak trim and nice carpet to put inside. I was mostly Rusty's company while he built it, although I did sand all of the oak trim, puttied the nail holes and learned how to countersink finish nails. We had almost decided we didn't have enough time to get it done, but went for it anyway. Rusty has been working on it every morning at 5 and every night after the girls went to bed. We finished Saturday afternoon, the day before our party. His hard work was rewarded with the girls' excitement. They played with it the rest of the night and the next morning Kyleigh woke Katelyn up playing barbies too loud. Then I walked in their room just in time to see Katelyn roll out of bed directly onto her knees and start playing with Kyleigh. It was great. We loved all of our gifts, but miss getting them directly from the hands of the givers. It is hard to always be missing one family at Christmas but we are grateful that they are mindful of us and so thoughtful as to send us such nice gifts. Thanks to the Cook family. We love you!

Furlough Friday

The state of Hawaii just instituted furlough Fridays. Because they needed a way to balance the budget they decided it would be O.K. to take 17 school days away from the children. Hawaii public schools are ranked 47/50 so how they could justify that is beyond me. Anyway, my friend Wendi decided she wanted to make volcanos with her girls on furlough Friday and invited us to join them. We made it a homeschool field trip day. Not only did we make paper mache volcanos, but we decorated gingerbread cookies and spent the afternoon at the beach. The pictures of the volcano below are backwards so just pretend you are watching the volcano process in rewind. We made the volcanos on Friday and shot them off on a Monday night with the help of the dads. We tried baking soda and vinegar but got a pretty slow response with that. We also tried dropping mentos into diet coke, which is the blast pictured below. It was a great project and a great day. Thanks to Wendi for always having something fun up her sleeve.

Neighbor Gifts

Our neighbor/friend/work gifts this year were chocolate covered spoons with packets of hot chocolate.

Rusty and Kyleigh studiously dipped.

Katelyn ate a lot of chocolate.

Then Katelyn ate some more chocolate.

I was in charge of the swirls and peppermint.

Both girls took over the lick the bowl duties. Which meant more chocolate for Katelyn.

I hope everyone enjoyed their chocolaty peppermint hot chocolate.