We had a Christmas party at grandma and grandpa Mecham house on the 23rd and that is how we started out the Christmas party marathon. The real Santa always comes to Grandma Sherie's house, the rumor is they dated once. The kids get so excited for her party so that they can experience the real thing!We celebrated Christmas Eve at my Parents house. Every year on Thanksgiving we pick pixies, and then throughout December we give our secret pixies little presents. Then on Christmas Eve we reveal who our pixie is and give them our last big gift. It is so much fun, maybe even my favorite thing about Christmas!!! {>





Then Christmas morning it is back to the Brysons for the huge Christmas unwrapping! My mother declares every year that she is going to scale back but she love us all to much to do that. She really does create the most magical Christmas morning ever!Well that is how our Christmas celebrations went over.............we had a great time, but I am still tired from all the festivities. Hopefully after the New Year I will ketch up on my sleep and loose a few inches from my waist.

A White Christmas

I hardly ever just blog about my day......well some would say that I hardly blog at all, but I had a very sweet day. So in the spirit of "Counting my Blessing" I am going to share my lovely day with all of you.
I didn't have much hope for a good day when it started. I woke up grumpy from a lack of sleep (my brother-in-laws car alarm was going of every 40 min, He and my sister live in my basement.)Well I pulled my body out of my bed at 7:20...my children were all playing in Graces room with the door shut, so I snuck into a hot shower, that was my first blessing. Since it was the last day of school before the Christmas break, and considering that it was only a half day, I took my time getting the kids ready. We even stopped at the store before school to buy poinsettias for there teachers. They were 15 min late. It was sweet to watch the boys running into the school holding these huge flowers, so excited to give them to there teachers.
Grace and I then ventured off to the Grocery store on the way she stated " I like it when it's just us girls, the boys are stinky but don't tell them" We both laughed and started saying all the different smells the boys have...poo poo, farts, garbage, ect....But then she got quiet a said that the boys don't smell that bad, maybe they smell like Cinnamon and the girls smell like flowers. I told her she was probably right.
At 12:30 it was time to pick up my boys, as I pulled up to the school they were jumping up and down..yelling at my car across the parking lot. When they got into the car the excitement was palpable. It was defiantly Christmas fever! As we ascended up the hill to our house I decided to take a right instead of a left and go visit my mother. My sister-in-law Maryann was pulling into her driveway at the same time, she had her 3 kids and I had mine so we decided to make them all sing a carol for my mom...unfortunately my 24 year old brother answered, he wasn't quite as delighted as my mother would have been. I have to say that it is defiantly a blessing to have my family so close. Maryann's son is 9 months younger then Jonas and 9 months older then Nick. They go to the same school and are in first, second and third grade.They play at recess and call each other the 3 musketeers. Her daughter and Grace are 5 days apart and are best friends, they play together almost every weekday. But I am getting off the subject of my day. While at my moms house the kids played with her train, they looked in excitement at her HUGE Christmas village, then ran into the big room to marvel over the massive magical Christmas tree, all covered with tinsel. I don't know anyone but my mother who still puts tinsel on the tree....I LOVE IT!
When we got home the kids wanted to go play out in the snow. I usually HATE getting them ready to play in the snow, but not today. I would like to say I was was feeling so full of love that it was a pleasure to serve them, but the truth is it was probably the Excedrin I popped at my moms. As I bundled each of them up I couldn't help but feel all worm and fuzzy they just looked too cute, so puffy with only there smiling faces poking out from beneath there hats. I kissed each of their little noses(my 8 year old protested, but let me in the end). I then got my hat and gloves on so I could shovel the driveway. When I got outside my sister was pushing the kids down the hill. I love having her live with me. It was nice listening to her laugh and joke with the kids as I shoveled the drive.
After about an hour the kids informed me it was time for hot chocolate. I made it with my teapot....I love to hear the whistle! I topped it with whipped cream and sprinkles. After they finnished the kids and I got all cozy in my bed and watched Elf (We have a supper ugly projector and screen up in there....ugly but fun) I left half way through so I could make dinner. I made Pancakes and eggs, I rolled them up with cinnamon and sugar. Then I let them eat them in my bed while they watched the rest of the movie. I still haven't been in my room to asses the damages..but they had fun.
When the movie was over they came downstairs to play Santa, meanwhile I was cleaning there bedrooms. There was something so nice about the way they were laughing with each other. Soon Grace came upstairs to tell me she wanted to go to bed. She does that all the time, and every time she does it amazes me. Well I got her in her pink nightgown, brushed and flossed her teeth. We read some Mother Goose, and when I got up to go she put her little hands on my face and looked at me with her big brown eyes and asked if I could stay and talk "for just a little minute". So we laid nose to nose in her bed on top of her pink pillows, and talked about Christmas and school and "her" boys. Then I called the boys up they brushed and flossed (without argument...a Christmas miracle)
After I kissed them goodnight I went down to clean the kitchen..I turned on the TV and White Christmas was on. I had never seen it, so when the song Count your Blessing came on I was taken back by it's sweet message and I just had to share it with all my blogging buddies. I am sorry for how long and indulgent this post was..maybe you didn't even read it. I wouldn't blame you, but I just had to have a record of this wonderful day and publicly thank God for it.

I'm Thankful I'm not in prison.

This Thanksgiving we went to San Francisco with my family. It was great fun, family togetherness, food food and more food, Laughter, games, and visiting a prison! Really, this post is just about the pictures, so enjoy! Well I hope you all enjoyed my Awesome picture of my super cute children! And if any of you are wondering why my eldest is not in any pictures, it's because he went on the radio tour with his dad when we were at Alcatraz. Then he was playing halo with his uncles all thanksgiving....so I do love him, it's just boring taking picture of him playing video games.

Five a clock Monday morning

Woken up without a warning

#s1 and2 are vibrant full of glee

“Cereal, cereal” they demand of me

I pull myself out of bed

Down the stairs I slowly head

#2 is in my arms

#1 wants lucky charms

“Quiet, quiet” I softly plea

Do not wake #3

I drag my body back to bed

The babies call is what I dread

Awake to the cry of #3

A diaper change, she needs of me

As I quickly clean the poo

I hear the call of #2

It’s bath time now for the boys

Soapy tub full of toys

Water ends up everywhere

1 and 2 don’t even care

I shower now but not alone

#1 has an agitated tone

#2 has art to show

#3 soaking wet, head to tow

It’s off to school at 8:30

The baby is already dirty

First I drop of #2

Then #1, now I’m through

Naptime now for #3

Cleaning time for me you see

Wake up baby at 12:00

Pick up #2, we talk

Shopping now we go

With two kids we go slow

Now at home we have some fun

At 3:30 we pick up one

I make dinner, 3 kids at my feet

In walks dad, with smiles they greet

We sit down for our meal

But not without one big spill

Bath time now for the baby

She is so sweet our little lady

I lay her softly into bed

I slowly stroke her little head

Dad is gathering up the boys

#2 wants to sleep with toys

Cat Stevens dad will play

As the boys sweetly lay

The crazy day is now over

I spend some time with my lover

He is my husband smart and funny

He makes my life warm and sunny

Now as I lay in my bed

A crazy thought runs through my head

I dream of having#4

Yes I need at least one more.

The Photo above is of my children around the time I wrote this poem.....this is a photo of my children now!

So do any of you fellow bloggers see my problem..........Were the fetch is #4!!!!!!! I ask myself this Question constantly, I also ask my husband this question. We used to have mature conversations about it. I used to ask him questions like "So dearest, when do you think we could add another little angle to our heavenly home?" Now I just find myself screaming "WERE IS MY BABY!!!" Now I really don't want to be crass, but that is what I have become. The tic toc of my biological clock is slowlly driving me insane.
I will ask you....Is it sane to jump three rows in reliefsociety to grab another woman baby, and heaven forbid if that mother looks at her child...for if she does she will hear a shrill "TURN AROUND". I am not kidding, I really did this. I literally grab a baby from his frightened mothers arms and that yelled at her for looking at him..(I didn't want him to go back to her)
I really can't do anything about this situation....besides maybe drugging my man. I guess I just had to vent my frustrations. Thanks for reading Annie, Kristie,and Lori.

Hawaii

It has been too long since my last blog...and I can say I do not know how long it will be until my next, but I had such a great time with the Family in Hawaii that I had to write something and of coarse post some pics. The picture above is only my family but not all of them.....there were 30 of us on this trip, it was quite the crew. In 2007 we have added 2 new sister in laws and 1 new baby.


The trip had a bumpy start, first our original flight was canceled so we had to leave a day early and stay in Malibu for a night. Our flight from Utah to LA resulted in lost luggage and a search for an available rental car. The above shots show my children's delight in the situation.





But once we were there...their attitudes quickly changed. The boys had loads of fun on the water slides...and baby darlin' loved the sand pool.


We celebrated Christmas at the hotel. There were loads of questions about the logistics of Santa getting in without a chimney. Also "why were Santa's presents wrapped in the same paper as mom and dad presents"...."how did he get into mom and dads room without us noticing" ...it went on and on. But it wasn't to hard to explain, because Santa is magic!



One of our greatest adventures of the trip was going to all the waterfalls. The kids were great little hikers and the falls were all beautiful. Well...that was the trip...and this was the blog, I have to apologizes for the lack of amusing antidotes...but all my attention was focused on the technical aspects of blogging...and for anyone who know me, that can be very overwhelming.

Photo's of 2007