It's time to revisit the holidays

I think it's been long enough.  I've had time now to separate the fun days from the "not so fun" days.  Let me elaborate.  I'm sure this won't be much different from many of your holiday breaks seeing that the flu was traveling like wildfire.  I won't go into details...I don't want to relive those memories :)

We drove to Idaho, stopping for a night in Henderson, NV and another night in UT with Brevin and Amy.  All good memories, no worries.

We met little Dane for the first time...what a cutie!

Then we bundled up for the lights on Temple Square.  Paige was giddy with family togetherness. . .  Skipping through temple square with thousands of people around and hugging any family member within reach.  She just loves it when we get to see family.  It was a little cold, but not bad.  I though the kids would complain, but they were so glad to be there with everybody.  Not one word of complaint.

On Christmas Eve morning we woke up and got ready for the last leg of the drive to Mom and Dads.  The weather was clear. . . Tyler was bummed.  He was hoping for gobs of snow. 

Christmas Eve dinner was yummy homemade tomato soup and sausage bread.

The kids opened their jammies and we watched the church Nativity video...love that one.  Then, off to bed.

Of course, in following tradition...we have to wrap the door.

I love this part!

We emptied stockings before church and then got all dressed up to go to sacrament meeting.  I really like having Christmas on Sunday.  All of the music and the great talks combined with taking the sacrament really bring a great feeling to the day.

After church we finished opening all of the gifts and ate turkey dinner with pies!

That's when we really started to understand the severity of the flu situation.

Corinne called saying that one of the girls was sick.  They didn't come for dinner.  The sickness continued....ALL WEEK.

We snuck some fun activities in between the puking sessions.  

Sledding in Victor with Ryan and Marilyn

Playing at the school gym with all of the fun new Christmas toys

Dinner at Bamboo Garden

Shane, Tyler and Grandpa shooting skeet

and Tyler's 11th birthday party...bowling, pizza and oreo cupcakes

It really turned bad in the middle of the night after this party.  So, that's where this post ends. 

We're glad that we could visit for the holidays.  It's crazy and hectic, but the best memories are made that way.  I'm sure we'll laugh about it later.

L-O-V-E

Morgan and I walked Ferb to the bus stop today to pick up Paige.  I had that rock-in-the-gut feeling that Paige may not want to see me, so I softened the blow by bringing along the fluffy white dog.  I may have forgotten to put lunch money in her account this weekend, even though she pleaded with me on Friday to "please put it in NOW so I don't have to eat the cheese sandwich."

I am a horrible person.

I blew her off.

I told her I absolutely would NOT forget.

She had to eat the cheese sandwich, and to make it worse, so did Tyler.

I tried to joke with her.  I said, "I'm so sorry!  I really am!  Is the cheese sandwich so bad that it makes you want to cry?"

She said, "I did."
"You did what? (rock in the gut growing bigger and bigger)
"I did cry."

Apparently the cheese sandwich is a nasty cold hamburger bun with nasty cold cheese on top.  Nothing else.  I think they might get milk with it.

WORST MOM OF THE CENTURY!

But, like kids do, she forgave me by the time we got to our street.  (I still have not forgiven myself.)  Then she told me the following story:

"You know Alex, in my class, who called me on the phone?  He likes me.  I mean he LIKES me like L-O-V-E, likes me.  He said I have a girlfriend, and I said, who?  He said I had to guess.  I guessed all the girls I knew, Mom, but he said no, no, no...  I said, then who is it?  He said, I'm looking at her!  I told him I don't have a boyfriend, but he says I do.  I told my friends at recess and they said....WHAT?!?  He asked me who I liked and I said NOBODY!"

That's my girl.

She may have mentioned at dinner that he smells his own pits occasionally.  Ya, let's steer clear of that one....mkay?

holy schmoly

I can't believe it's been 5 months since I last posted. This season has been madness at our house. . . as it always is. Let's see, where did we leave off?

September
It is 190 degrees outside (ok. I might be exaggerating)
School is in full swing
Tyler started up guitar lessons and Paige has jumped right into Let's Play Music for the 3rd year.
Morgan has been potty trained. . . well, mostly . . she's a stubborn little whip.
Ferb spends most of his days laying on the tile to cool off.
Legoland is graced by the Theobald family presence
A ward party at the local pool is a huge success with our family, especially Shane who, at one point, exclaims that "he feels like a kid again!"
Photo season has begun. . . sweat and all

October
Brainstorming Halloween costumes
Mom and Dad visit during Fall break (Morgan may have peed on Dad while they were taking a cat nap in the chair)
Tyler's flag football team starts up again.  Ty plays quarterback
Shane takes me to dinner and shoe shopping for my birthday!
Halloween costume making begins
Shane decides to be Buddy the Elf for Halloween and is the hit of every party
Ferb revisits his puppy phase by digging up our backyard and being generally naughty
(the change in weather apparantly gave him a renewed sense of destruction)

November
A trip to visit my peeps out in Memphis yields
1.  my first visit to Charming Charlies. . . hello, what has taken me so long!
2.  5 shoots in 6 days of some of the most well behaved families ever
3.  a full week of sleep deprivation
4.  one LONG conversation on a plane to a very kind lady obsessed with tatting.  I now know a LOT about tatting
5.  Some great Estate sale treasures. . . one large vintage suitcase full to be exact
6.  more great memories

We sneak in our annual visit to Sedona for Continuing Education conference
My Memphis baby turns 8 years old!  (That's Paige)
Paige's birthday party doesn't go quite as planned, but she is happy with the end result anyway.
Thanksgiving is spent at home with a 15 pound turkey and a whole lot of sides. . . that my kids tell me they don't really care for AFTER they have been cooked. . . wow.
Black Friday is rainy and cold, but shopping is pleasant, people are friendly and 3/4 of the Christmas shopping is done.  24 hours without sleep is killer on my body.  (Note to self. . . a nursing career is not for you.)
The Christmas decor goes up the day after Thanksgiving.  The living room console is perfect for the nativity!
Our family Christmas pictures go great.  The kids are cooperative and the timer works so well.  I love that we can pull that off.

December
family Christmas photo shoots are officially over. . . PHEW!
Har and Barb come for a visit.

My little Paige is baptized!
Tyler dominates his last football game with multiple assists as quarterback, 2 interceptions and 1 touchdown!
We get to go to an MC6 show at a retirement community in Mesa
The kids sit on Santa's lap at Bass Pro Shop. . . Santa is not so jolly.
We celebrate Tyler's last flag football game at Peter Piper Pizza. . . now on to tackle
Tyler's spring tackle coach wins the Biggest Loser