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...

Ready to Run.

I stepped out of the shower the other morning and Ruby informed me (looking like this) that she was ready to go running too. She had my running watch on, and what they call my running hat. So that was funny. Can you imagine if I looked anything like this when I stepped out the door to run?!

But I will be braving the elements to go and run here. And of course, the weather man is calling for snow through the night, and RAIN in Pueblo in the morning?! What kind of luck? Oh well. I'll be there. But I'll definitely have more clothes on than Ruby and Jane do...

Lunchtime at the Bird Feeder

This is the view outside of my kitchen sink. For mother's day two years ago I said I wanted a bird feeder to hang in the tree. Lunchtime is particularly splendid. Today there were three birds having lunch together. I ran to get my camera and as soon as I was about to snap, they all flew away. Other birds hang out in the branches waiting for it to be their turn for lunch.

Is it a sign that I'm becoming an oldish mom-type lady that I get all excited about my bird feeder and lunchtime in the tree? It is lovely though, don't you think?

A Hiar Cut.

So I was getting some grief from certain family members about Ruby's somewhat mullet-like hair-do. So she got it cut. I think it's smashing. Jane was offered a haircut as well. She refused. The lady tried to persuade her with several different offerings. But Jane would have nothing to do with the haircut. I will try again on another day. In the mean time, this will help people tell them apart.

Thankful for Thanksgiving

It was a lovely holiday this year. We were blessed to have family come. Darin's parents and little sisters, with brother-in-law Taylor. My parents, and two little sisters came too.

Rachel arrived first on Tuesday night. In time to help me with a few last minute craft projects and baking!

We managed to throw in a Thanksgiving Turkey Trot on Thursday morning. It was 19 degrees! But wonderfully fun.

Doing a little sightseeing with the family. This was taken at the Broadmoor.

Henry was baptized!

I hope he'll always remember how lucky he was to have so much family there with him.

Did you do this after Thanksgiving? Look through the adds to see what store you should be at at 6am? We did. And in fact, Darin and I started our shopping at midnight! A little date up to the outlets that opened at midnight. It was crazy. We probably won't ever do it again, but it was something to behold. That's for sure...

Anyway, it was a fabulous time. I am personally so grateful to everyone who made the effort to share it with us. Despite the freezing winter temps, I felt all warm and cozy with so many people around. Thanks everyone for coming and making it what it was. We love you all.

Special helpers, are hardly any help at all....

I just had to post this. Not that I'm feeling sorry for myself or anything, but EVERY night when I go to cook dinner, Jane and Ruby instantly hear me working and come rushing in. They each grab a chair to "help". They always position themselves in a most un-helpful place. I have to work and move all around them. All the while they inevitably have a separate agenda. And ALWAYS eat more of their dinner while it's being prepped than they do at the table.

Last night I was getting so frustrated I was nearly in tears. I was so close to screaming at them, moving their chairs and sticking them in time-out, or something. But then I counted to 10 and tried to calm down. I thought, if I can't change it, then why don't I document it. Try to see it in a different way. I can't say that it made it any easier to cook, but at least it gave me a distraction from my frustration. I mean, someday (in like one million years), they will be gone, and I will smile a whimsical smile (in my silent kitchen) and think back to the day when my girls would come running the moment they heard me in the kitchen. Back when they still believed they were my best-friend. So I'm trying to be grateful for my special helpers.

Like I said, they can't miss a moment of kitchen action. After dinner was over, I quietly started a pot of hot chocolate for dessert. And sure enough like little puppies, they came running, grabbed their chairs to "help".

Jane sniffing the cocoa.

What To Do?!

This is George.


He just can't seem to help himself. Despite the new rule and the new camera, I go to download MY photos, and this is what I find...You would think he would be smart enough not to snap the shot that would be so self-incriminating. But what can I do with a face like that?

We Went to the Zoo, and some other stuff...

Darin was in Idaho this weekend with the LDS Cadet Choir. Official duties and all. So we had to find a way to pass the time without him. Would you believe that on November 10th in Colorado it was a beautiful 72 degrees?! We had talked about going to the movies, but with that kind of weather, I just couldn't resist finding an outdoor activity. And while I am not a huge zoo fan, there are two good things about our zoo here in "the Springs".

1. The Giraffes. They walk right up to the edge of their "cage" and kids can feed them. It's right when you walk into the zoo. No wondering around forever to get to the thing that you actually want to see. First thing, right off the bat, the kids are feeding the giraffe and having fun. I have to admit that for a non-animal person I still get excited about how close the giraffe get to us.

Can you see that I'm not the only person in the family who's a bit of a non-animal type. Look at Henry's body position as George is feeding the giraffe.

The boys insisted that we photograph this bird. They loved his hair.

Ruby's request was to see the elephants.

Which brings me to the second good thing about our zoo. 2. It's location. It is sort of carved into the side of one of our mountains. Your visit to the zoo is a mountain hike up, and then you climb back down on your way out. I think it's genius. And the whole time you get sweeping views of Colorado Springs as you climb up and up. It was a beautiful day.

George and a black bear. (Just so you know, it took quite a bit of negotiating with George to limit the number of pictures of him with an animal, or just an animal.)

And then Sunday rolled around. We actually made it to Sacrament meeting on time. And then we even managed to make Swedish meatballs again, giving Henry a reason to use his new apron. Thankfully, the cadets had a 7pm curfew on Monday, so Darin returned home just in time for dinner on Monday night! A good time had by all.