end of the year

Our last week of 2010 was full of fun, surprises, and lots of together time...

These first pictures are taken at my friend Erica's house.  Her husband puts this together every year in their front room, and it's a work of art.  Department 56 stopped making these, so they are real collector's items now.  

Christmas Eve!!  With pajamas on and the cookies and milk out, the boys were ready.

It's hard to tell, but we had 3 different train tracks set up at this time--the electric Polar Express around the tree, the wooden Polar Express, and the huge Take Along Thomas train set.  It's sad that the boys are getting older and don't play with trains so much anymore, but I love the magic of Christmas that allows you to feel like a kid again and get all these fun things out.  

Ben made this amazing poetry book at school to give us for Christmas.  As soon as I find it (it's been missing since I went to California for Gma's 90th b-day), I'll copy some of the poems and post them.  They are so funny and I'm so sad I can't find it right now.  :(

Santa knew that Ben, Will and Jake love movies, so he brought each of them their favorite ones with other surprises.  Ben got the Back to the Future trilogy on blue-ray and this '81 DeLorean from the movies;  Will got Ghostbusters 1 & 2 and a Stay Puft Marshmallow Man bank (seriously, how does Santa find these things?!), and Jake got the original Jaws movie with a stuffed great-white shark.  Notice that each of these movies are at least 20 years old!  They love anything old...including us! :)

We all got into helping Daren with his Christmas present--an old-fashioned popcorn machine.  

Unfortunately it was one of those presents that didn't work out too well, so it was fun while it lasted, and we'll go back to enjoying our microwave popcorn.  It would have been perfect in our movie room, too.  

Ben had a Christmas piano recital the Monday night after Christmas.  He played Frosty the Snowman and Joy to the World (as a duet with his teacher, Rachel.)  He did a great job and had many other family members there to support him...

...including Brenda and her kids.  We kept three of them that night after the recital to sleepover, including Ciera, Garrett and Gage.  The next morning they were introduced to the Back to the Future movie.  You just won't escape it if you come to our house!!

WINTER TRAIN FESTIVAL

at Promontory Point

lunch/dinner after that at Robintino's with extended Cox family

And finally, to wrap up the year, we had our own little celebration going on here, with Thomas who joined us for the evening.  These guys all loved playing Legos, drawing, and playing Lego Rockband.  Will and Daren didn't quite make it to celebrate the New Year at midnight, but Ben, Thomas, Jake and then Tom, Julie and their gang joined us for the countdown.  Happy New Year!

midnight morning

Last night when I put Will to bed, he was asking for his "midnight snack."  I was tired and told him he could have it at midnight, and off he went to sleep.  I guess 5:09am is close enough to midnight, because that's what time he got me up this morning.  So, while he is eating his pizza and drinking his milk, I'm writing another post because I'm trying to be a frequent blogger.  :)  (I know what you are thinking--pizza at 5am??  With this kid, you do what you have to do!!)  

Ben finished another painting, and it's really cool.  It's a picture of the top of the mast at one of his favorite places--Pirate's Cove.  

february resolution

I have been a terrible blogger lately, and I've decided to change my wicked ways.  In looking back at some of my older posts, I used to blog often, and mostly about the little things we did.  Lately it's been the bigger events, but even then I haven't been great at that either (did you see my post about Christmas...no?...see what I mean?!) and in all reality, I'd much rather remember the little details of our everyday lives.  So, one month in to 2011 and I'm finally making a resolution to blog more often.  Starting today with, who else, these three boys who are growing up way too fast for Daren and me.

The other day I was really trying to like my 50mm lens more, so I stuck it on my camera and went around taking pictures.  This is a familiar sight on the weekends around here, since it's the only time the boys can play video games, and I loved how they were just lined up perfectly to play.

Their concentration is so intense when they play--talk about being in the "zone."

This is what they have been playing every chance they've had for the past 2 weeks.  Little Big Planet 2 was supposed to come out last November, but for whatever reason it got delayed until January 18.  The boys were crushed that it wouldn't be here for Christmas, although Will was sure Santa could pull some strings and get it for them in time, but no.  I heard the countdown to January 18 for weeks leading up to it.  They had to earn half of the money in order to get it, which wasn't easy for them to do.   In fact, as badly as they wanted it, they didn't earn all the money until Wednesday the 19th.  That's what a little adhd can do to you--hard to focus on something even when you really want it.  So on Wednesday when I picked up Ben and Jake from their bus stop after school Jake said to me, in his most excited voice, "Mom, have you experienced the awesomeness of LBP2 yet?"  What??  Like I'm sitting at home all day playing it while they are gone.  It made me laugh, and we did make an exception for playing during the week that night.  They love this game, and I love it because they are so creative with it.  You can build your own levels, and so they are constantly creating and playing levels which I can't even begin to understand.  It's already happening, where my kids know more about technology than me!!  

After playing video games for a while, they decided it was just barely warm enough to go outside to jump on the trampoline.  They are just dying to get out and run around, but it's been so freezing cold here this winter.  Spring can't come fast enough!!  

p.s. Christmas post coming very soon--I have all the pictures uploaded, I just have to write.  Or maybe not...

200 in carlsbad

Last weekend I was enjoying the sunshine and warmth of San Clemente/Carlsbad with a great group of friends, known affectionately around our house as "the running girls."  I took the lead on taking most of the pictures, but totally missed out on one day because we left to go running in the morning and didn't make it back to the house until sunset that evening.  Nevertheless, we had a great time, and I got to witness a very cool thing--our friend Deb ran her 200th marathon!  2-0-0 M-A-R-A-T-H-O-N-S!  I can't even begin to fathom what an amazing accomplishment that is.  The time.  The dedication.  Deb started 34 1/2 years ago in a pair of tube socks and a pair of Kangaroo shoes (I think) at the first St. George marathon, and is the only person to have ever run every single St. George marathon since.  There were only 38 people who ran the first SG marathon, including 4 women.  Since then, Deb has traveled all over to run marathons, she survived breast cancer, she is a retired first grade teacher (30 years!), and is an inspiration to everyone who knows her.  Here's a little video I put together of our weekend.  I hope this works!  Just click on the link just below this with the date.

20-24 January 2011

Deb and Kelli ready to run the Carlsbad Marathon

"the running girls"--Terie, me, Jolee, Gerie, and Nan

happy 90th!

My grandma turned 90 years young last Thursday, January 13.  When my mom and I realized a few months ago that Grandma's birthday was going to be a milestone, we decided to turn it into a party.  A surprise party.  I love surprises, and this was a very fun one to plan.  Grandma knew I was coming down last week, but she thought it was just for a visit, and how convenient it was during her birthday.

What Grandma didn't know is that my sister, Brenda, and my brother, Darren, were also coming down.  I made arrangements to sleep over at her house Wednesday night, and a few minutes after I got there guess who showed up?!  You can still see the look of surprise in her eyes as she is hugging Brenda.

 I thought this was a sweet moment as Darren held on to Grandma's hand.  

 Brenda brought Sydney, who found a new best friend in Darren.  Here she is "bumpin" (jumping) to him.

Thursday morning I made Grandma a special breakfast with cheese blintzes, topped with Mom's homemade blackberry jam (my favorite) and sour cream.  After that we cleaned up and then opened up the big blue trunk upstairs to look through old pictures.  I came across a real gem I had never seen before--one of her and Grandpa just a few months after they were married.  I asked Grandma lots of questions, and I thought it was interesting that one big thing she remembered from her childhood was in the 4th grade, when everyone was let out of school to see a helicopter fly over, because they had never seen that before.  Something we don't even think about these days.  She has seen a lot in her lifetime.

I had to include this cute one of Grandma and my mom when she was a young girl.  

 Did I mention my hairdresser happened to be in California with me?!  I love it when she takes care of me. :)

Even though most of the surprise really wasn't by the time the party started at Grandma's house, (secrets were leaked out throughout the day, on accident) Grandma was still thrilled about everyone who came.  My mom and dad went to a lot of work putting this party together.  We ate Grandma's favorite dinner, spaghetti.

 Eric might disown me for including this, but hey, at least I didn't include the video!  

He had to cover-up because the spaghetti sauce went everywhere.  

 Grandma and my cousin, Kelly.

 Grandma and Grandpa's two kids--Grey and Bonnie (my mom)

 What would a party for Grandma be without a program by the great-grandchildren...and Darren.

 Mom had Grandma and Grandpa's wedding picture enlarged and framed by Darren.  They basically eloped 2 weeks after she graduated from high school in Arizona.  Grandma was 18 and Grandpa was 17.  They were just pups!!

Seriously, how can this beautiful woman be 90 and make it look so easy?!  She is one of the most caring, loving, classy, and generous people I know.  Grandma, you are the best--I hope I've got your great genes to live long with good health and look amazing.  I love you so much!!