Christmas to go...

We decided to take our Christmas party on the road. We're heading up to Oregon to party it up with the Earnests there. We abruptly left on Wednesday evening to avoid the winter storm that was forecast. George's birthday was a tiny bit over shadowed with our last minute travel plans. I will owe him a birthday post when we return.

We made it to Provo at 3:30am on Thursday morning. We are being graciously hosted by my sister and her family. The kids are having fun with their cousins. And we are all scrambling to do our last minute Christmas shopping. And of course we will make time for a gingerbread-house-making Christmas party tonight.

See you all after the new year!! Merry Christmas.

Advice from one buddy to the other...

Here is George's best friend Jack. Jack is a bit younger than George, but these two love to hang out and spend their afternoons together. We're at our house today. The boys were having lunch together, when I over heard the following advice from George to Jack:

"Jack, if you get married, but you still don't like girls yet, then instead of kissing them on the lips, you bite them on the lips."

Good luck with that advice boys. Let's just hope they like girls before they "have" to get married.

MAJOR accomplishment!

We are very pleased to announce that our very own Captain Earnest will soon be pinning on a flower. I'm just teasing. He hates when I call this symbol the flower. I'll see someone on base, and say, "He had a flower on, what does that mean?" All joking aside, this is great news. Darin will become Major Earnest hopefully sometime before the end of 2008. To quote it says, "In today's competitive, high-quality Air Force, this is a significant feat." Especially considering some guys achieve the rank of Major before they even settle down, or have a kid. We are proud to accompany Darin to this milestone in his life. I was proud to announce it to our sons. Proud to announce it to all our friends and family. Darin is the very best, most competitive (sometimes he forgets we're on the same team), high-quality Air Force officer that I've ever known. We love you Darin. Thanks for shining for us in the work force as well. Wear your flower proudly. Because I couldn't be more proud! Love you.

Watch Out Martha...

...Stewart that is. Our kids are going to give her a run for her money. A little Monday night family fun here at the Earnest house.

Snow Day.

Did you ever wonder as a kid why your mom hated a snow day so much?...I mean really, it sounds swell. Everyone gathered together, housebound. Staying in pajamas until noon. Playing video games. What's so bad about that?

But now I'm the mom, and I know why my mom used to wish we would have just had a two-hour delay! I don't think I will be able to handle this, all day long...

p.s. And if you are about to comment on how every little snow there actually appears to be in my back yard, just spare me! I already realize that there isn't really enough snow to cancel school. As I'm sure every other mother in the district has. It's just we haven't had a snow day yet this year, and the year is almost over. I guess they thought we wanted one, or something.

Thank goodness we started a family tradition this year. George had to do a report this weekend and make a poster about a family tradition he has. I thought he'd pick something about Christmas, but he thought all on his own about our international dinner nights. So that made all the Sundays worthwhile. He was very proud of his poster and amazed that he was able to do it all in one afternoon. Too bad that even with my kids, I have no ability to teach them how to work ahead and get projects done any sooner than at the last minute...

Of course, after school today he was saying to me that his tradition isn't that special. I was all outraged, and said, "What do you mean it's not special? That's a great family tradition that we have." And he said, "Yeah, but other kids were talking about Jesus and stuff." Yeah, that would have been good too, I thought to myself. But I was working so hard to not steer the project at all, and just let it be all his idea. (p.s. Darin helped him make the poster. I had to go do a Primary visit. Lest this is all sounding like I did it. Darin would be offended!)

Also on Sunday (it was Stake Conference), we tried to create a Christmas card photo. Almost my only opinion on Christmas cards is that there should be a photo. So I pleaded with my family to comply. With the help of the self-timer, we spent FOREVER trying to get that one magical shot. I'll hold you in suspense to let you know if we got it....

Anyway, good times had by all. Jane was doing her best to make the Christmas card photo impossible. I think she alone was responsible for some new grey hairs in Darin's head yesterday. Never mind the fact that Darin thinks we should probably get to pass on having a Christmas card photo since we have two 2-year-olds this year. But thanks for letting me try anyway, Darin!

It's December!

So I ran that 1/2 marathon to kick off the month of December. It was unusually warm and sunny that day. I think as we were driving away it was 60 degrees. So that wasn't the wintry mix of snow/rain that the weather man had been predicting. Of course, I brought the camera to the race. All the kids were there. It was a lovely day. And right as I crossed the finish line (yeah, that's the good news, I finished this time.), Darin mouthed the words "There is no memory card in it!", to me. That was disappointing. I had even run back into the house specifically to grab the camera. So, no memory card in the camera, of course. That's the way it's been going these days.

To make up for it, I was taking pictures at the Christmas tree lot later on that day...

(yes, Ruby is in her Halloween dress. Darin said these pictures would resemble our Halloween pictures. But you know how it goes with my girls. Sometimes it's just easier to let them wear the Halloween dresses.)

At home, the girls demonstrated equal excitement about decorating a Christmas tree as they do for cooking with me in the kitchen and folding the laundry. All things domestic apparently entertain them.

Later on that night, because of a nap, Jane was not going to be able to fall asleep at the appropriate time. We let her hang around until about 9:30, at which point even her loving parents were ready for her to go to bed. But she was being so chatty and funny, that Darin couldn't help himself but snap a few shots before sending her off to bed.

Jane's reaction to Darin telling her, that REALLY she was going to bed now. Real live heart break, captured on film!

So now we are busy preparing for Christmas, and of course planning a fabulous 6th birthday party for our man George on the 15th. This month already seems like it's going by too quickly. Hopefully I'll update again soon. Merry Christmas preparations to all...