Time Capsule

We were married in 2000. We bought 2 time capsule ornaments that year. One for the millennium and one for our first Christmas together. They each had slips of paper to fill out. We liked them so much we made our own slips for the following year 2001 and again in 2002. Then, I guess we got lazy. So I'm starting the tradition again this year, except on the blog.The Story of our 11th Christmas together.
That Christmas, when the weather was cold, as usual, some snow on the ground, but not fresh. We lived at 129 W 400 S.
At that time, the news was full of stories of things like: A recession recovery, political unrest, charitable communities.
We shared lots of Christmas traditions, including: Our animal advent calendar, Christmas eve pjs, pics with Santa, homemade gifts, Christmas story from the bible on Christmas eve (this time with a production put on by the grandkids, ET was a camel, "W" was a donkey, PBTB was a wiseman, I was the narrator.), christmas presents from celebrities.
and celebrated the season with special people like: our families, welcoming Trish and Leo this year.
We got each other presents like: PBTB got me a yoga starter kit. The boys got me some yoga dvd's. I got PBTB 2 books from the Hunger Games trilogy and a blacksmithing book. (Mostly our gift was the new house.) The boys got PBTB a bert beanie. ET gave "W" a spine covered dinosaur/lizard and "W" gave ET a large puffer fish ball.
But those were fleeting things.....
We knew that for our 11th Christmas, and every one to follow, our love for each other would be the best gift of all.

2010
A time for remembering, a time for sharing, a time for celebration...a time to look back.
Enjoyed: moving into our new house, learning many life lessons on our journey, seeing our boys celebrate birthdays and holidays, teaching our boys
Celebrated: Getting daddy back, Thanksgiving in California, our family members conquering cancer.
Accomplished: building an entire home start to finish by ourselves (ok, mostly PBTB, but I built the kitchen)
Welcomed: Trish Hoy and Leo James Wright
Remembered: To be honest, both of us are lucky that we remember our first names. It's amazing how much you don't retain when you're in survival mode.

2011
Believe in the new year that is given us-new, untouched, full of things that have never been...a time to look forward.
Resolved to: make it to the temple monthly, spend time together as a family and with each other individually, and work diligently to finish up loose ends in our new home. PBTB, work hard in school, take time for himself (seriously difficult for him) Phoebe, learn yoga, practice patience, learn, learn, learn.
Predict that: We will be able to grow our family through marriage and babies. Next year at this time, our house odds and ends will be complete.
Hope for: good health, prosperity, faith, determination.
Plan to: have PBTB start back to school (full-swing), survive, keep up with goals and schedules.
Dream that: We can do our very best to provide for our children and give them every opportunity we are capable of. We stay healthy and happy.

Better Than A Hippopotamus

The boys on Christmas Eve in their pj's that I always con my mom into helping me with. We both about died when "W" chose his giraffe print fabric, but they ended up pretty cute. And a few pics of Christmas morning.

Looks Can Be Deceiving

For anyone who was waiting. Here are pics of our house, our home, PBTB's ultimate masterpiece. Isn't it funny how it looks like I've got it all cleaned and organized? It's not, I didn't even dust or wipe down the bathrooms :) I'm tricky like that. That's why no one gets to come visit for another couple years. Ok, ok, I'll try to make it months or even weeks. These are just a few of my daily smile makers. Some aren't ready yet, like my gold dining room and the mantle. We've got projects to last us another couple years.

Kris Kringle

Despite my very convincing efforts, ET is still not diggin' Jolly Old St. Nick.
I'm happy to have Santa Visits back at a local business.

Candy, Candy Canes, Candy Corns, and Syrup

This was my first attempt at making a gingerbread house. "W" decorated his, except the frosting, all by himself. ET just enjoyed the four main food groups. (ET was limited on candy colors, he's allergic to red dye, so no red, purple or orange)

O Christmas Tree

We were serenaded by ET singing "O Christmas Tree" while we decked the halls.

Wild Animal Safari

San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Safari (which is in Escondido, strange) was my favorite day. This place is a little chunk of Africa within driving distance. Most of the animals (giraffes, rhinos, gazelles, cranes, ostriches, cape buffalo, flamingos) are just roaming wild on a vast grassland) The scenery was out of this world. And then there are cheetahs, lions, gorillas, tigers, elephants, etc. in their own quarters. The demeanor of the animals was nothing like at the zoo. This place is a true habitat, not just a cage. The sociology of the animals was fascinating. We watched some rhinos in a shoving match for about 30 minutes. "W" did not want to leave. And the best part was a tour on an open bus that took you around to see everything.

Reach For the Sky

After avoiding the Thanksgiving day crowd at Disneyland, Black Friday couldn't have been any better. But, we had a fabulous time and it was magical, just like it should be. We had a small hit-list which made things laid back and stress free. If you have never been to Disneyland around the holidays, I highly recommend it. The magic of Disney is on steroids. My favorite was It's a Small World (christmas style). The boys' loved the parade. ET yelled "Woody!" when he spotted him in his adorable raspy voice.