Woulda Coulda Shoulda...Still Good

While I've enjoyed receiving many of yours, a Christmas card featuring the Parker boys was one of the things that went by the wayside this year...I have no one to blame but myself & other uses for my paycheck:) My sisters tried hard by taking the pic & designing the layout (thanks again Rach & Britt), but I failed to do the rest=getting it printed, addressed & stamped--Pretend this arrived in your mailbox & know we are thinking of you even if Santa has other priorities on this Christmas Eve:) Thanks to those of you who maintained the tradition; I'm already regretting it, but this mom needs a lot more than 12 days o' Christmas!! While I am grateful for a job, sadly with a full week o' work it just seems like another weekend?! Well, all I want under the tree @ this point is to lose this Scrooge attitude:/ Pretty sure a good movie, traditional prime rib, chimes and 2 full days with my husband, parents, sisters & bros-in-law will take care of that although should be duly noted that we will sincerely miss Rachel & the Uffens in WA!SO this is how it actually went down...Can't skip T'was the Night Before Christmas white elephant gift pass & if you couldn't already tell, Luke isn't into posing for cousin pic or any grp for that matter?!










Chimes are tradition as I mentioned even if this year's version was pretty snappy:) My dad as conductor is the classic part-he doesn't mess around:)














Santa found our house, but wrapped a few pics of what would arrive with next paycheck:)




Mean mom didn't let medium and large boys go downstairs right away 'cuz thought for sure small sleeping beauty would be awake any second...or 10AM?! My kind of Christmas am, but not sure it was theirs:/ oops! Should've left him in bed & opened presents with him!?! He's so very 2 y.o.-ugh!

Want a dollar? Go out in the st & holler!

Difficult to think of a title for this post, but plenty of Grandpa Dick's jokes to go around so figured this choice would @ least put a smile on your face) Now if only I could remember all of the rules to the many card games he & Grandma Lou taught us...Anyway, my sisters & cousins have beaten me to it either via similar blogs or FB but nevertheless, my turn to express my love and gratitude for being related to such a man. Tomorrow I will fly down to his funeral courtesy of his son, another great man, my father! While we definitely feel the void that will be left by the absence of his quiet dignity, I'm grateful for his parting gift of time together with extended family that I wouldn't have otherwise enjoyed albeit short n' sweet--
I will never forget when he called Chris "Chief" back in 9th grade when they met for the first time nor will he as he was so warmly welcomed by my grandpa. He was very good-natured & so positive toward each person he encountered. He shared his love of music freely & inspired us with his mission to Nauvoo...Will always remember when we got to visit them there! I so appreciate their efforts to be at important events in our lives, send thoughtful gifts & remember ALL in the family even if it was belated @ times, to which I can definitely relate:) And I'm grateful that he will no longer experience the pain that accompanied his last days of mortality now that he is truly home for the holidays!

Take a time out from holiday prep...

If you're anything like me, trying to pace myself with only 18 days left until Christmas not to mention that almost 2011?! I have a plethora of resolutions that should come with this new year so where to begin?! Want to be realistic n' prioritize what really matters in our celebrations @ this time of year...As a result, I think you should give this gift! Better yet, ask Santa for a ticket yourself:) http://deseretbook.com/timeout/event/145
Won't help those of you who are all about immediate gratification since gotta wait until April, but guaranteed to be worth the wait!!

Christmas in Evergreen

Kinda goes against my nature to visit the man in the red suit right before the Apple Cup, but that we did after boys wore Christmas plaid to Festival of Trees with Aunt Cait! Pushed my luck further by trying on a couple o' dresses for holiday party but had to wait for reindeer feeding?! We shall see how it turns out since dad is a Santa snob & they had to be taken @ Nordstrom so don't get to see real deal until this Sat--In meantime, picture this: Huey deliberating between stuffed animal props & rocking horse in forefront with older boys on Santa's chair & Afro St Nick chilling in the background all in hopes my youngest didn't freak out any further...No doubt I'm gonna get my $ worth eh? Candy cane reward in all its stickiness made it worthwhile for 'em!
Rest o' photo ops not as plentiful as I'd hoped (esp with youngest napping on my shoulder 'cuz I never think of a stroller:/ :)
Also thought would be most effective use of time since then they were set to go straight to baptism of Cole's buddy same afternoon...As I came back to my house & looked around, pretty obvious others have way more of a knack for holiday decor, but oh well! S'pose I was blessed with gift of appreciation instead:)
On to pick out ours for FHE!! Had to hurry to get pic with mom since older boys spent rest o' time lapping the lot?!
Huey was pretty much glued to his dad for the duration of the outing. In fact he wept openly when we had to divide & conquer for bball practices x 2. Trust me, next time I will be more than happy to send him to the latter with dad:)For the record, the one on left is lucky winner in our wham-bam-thank you ma'am- selection process...Would include pics of decorating & finished product in all its sentimental glory afterward but alas! They would only feature silly mother slaving away while father & sons ate ice cream & watched Husky bball?! Bah humbug!
T'is appropriate post to conclude with mention of my devotion to this great state by admitting that the song Christmas in the NoWest brings a tear to my eye every time:) I'm not ashamed! Cheesy perhaps, but take away the presents and you still would have a tree! 'Cuz Christmas in the NoWest is a gift God wrapped in green:)

O Holy Night Preview

Not even December yet, but decided it was a good Sunday evening activity to break out the Christmas decor so we could max the value & get over Seahawks' loss not to mention the right Cougars:) Love that my boys' fav part is setting up the Nativities; prob said that last year, but makes me smile every time!
Plenty o' distracted moments n' rough-housing to go along with it considering they are boys & this was round 2 since tried to help my parents with the same earlier this weekend, but tough to multi-task during close football games?! Dawgs' win was the saving grace to an otherwise sad Saturday--Realized that bit removed from high school scene so not as invested in the Viks as in years past, but coming up on college bowls to make our days merrier:) I believe...there's life after football:)

T'is the Season Already?!

The boys have been bugging me to create some holiday JibJab videos:) Since I actually heard Christmas music already on 106.9 yesterday, might as well post this too...

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

I Keep on Fallin'

This is truly how my camera found 'em not just slave son labor?! Pretty sure they originally thought they would earn some kind of money outta the deal, but encouraged Cole to just count it toward merit badge or something as comm service:)
This is near the entrance to the neighborhood & was sweet to see them so industrious on their own-never mind that mom usually has to finish their projects but hey! Can't complain on a midweek day off that was actually sunny in the Great NoWest! They weren't nearly as eager to capture the moment digitally as I, but had to be done since they will be so much older & wiser next fall:)
Some of the leaves were half Huey's size?!

T'was the Night Before Halloween

Must admit I was quite impressed with the ward carnival this year:)
Started off with a (cup)cake walk hosted by Bishop Williams in an inflatable sumo costume...should've gotten pic of that not to mention the creative monster & skeleton cupcakes that put mine from earlier post to shame!
Also went through wall-to-wall (& almost to ceiling) box maze set up in the Nursery that might've actually come in handy on Sunday:) On second thought, Huey is still recovering from scare by a few porches we encountered-ugh!
The gym was filled with other games too--Older boys pictured here with Mario the Missionary (other elder was Phantom of the Opera?!:)
Cole was victorious in the ping pong game so he is proud new owner of goldfish that bears the same name in addition to getting jumpstart on candy stash...Not a moment too soon 'cuz we lost Rocky the Beta earlier in the week:/ Wasn't really overjoyed @ the prospects of yet another pet on our kitchen counter, but how can you say no to that face? Cait the Homecoming Queen (notice her pretty eyes compliments of Sephora pre-party) & I thoroughly enjoyed decorating HOMEMADE doughnuts...
Luke really wanted to be this giraffe circa 2002 (yes, it's 3-6 mos size folks)But we finally convinced him that Megatron was awesome & apparently very Cinderella-esque:) Swear it was his idea!Here they are all together before they hit the neighborhood for the real deal--

Mash of Activities for My Lil Monsters

We've had a lot o' Halloween fun thanks to mask making:













Lattin's Cider Mill/Farm (A for Atmosphere/F for pumpkin selection; already had to throw one of 'em out?!) Tried to sport the seasonal orange, but had to make boys peel off purple outer layers for glimpse despite the rain:/


















T'was fun nevertheless with Aunt Britt & Ben in town esp 'cuz t'was his first Halloween!!























We decided to indulge the 2 youngest in a pony ride. Prob had to be there, but silly to hear Huey's homage to Backyardigans when we sang "Ridin' the Range--Ridin' the Range --Let's Go!" & he came around again shouting "Ya-hoo!"


















Promise I take plenty o' pics of the other 2 boys ie Cole the Scarecrow n' Dane singin'/dancin' the rain;














However, Luke was the one who really got into the selection process this year except for maybe during his "children of the corn moment":
We moved the fall festivities indoors to Charlie Safari after soggy morning @ the pumpkin patch!
First time for even dad to try laser tag...7 rounds:)






















Ben napped like a good boy amidst the chaos, so Britt & I just watched the madness while Luke jumped around in toddler area & Cait earned some serious tix in the arcade!






















Tried out candied pretzel sticks/ghost cookies/mummy pizzas (all about food even before actual trick or treating:)

















Last but not least, squeezed (perhaps squoze?:) in traditional pumpkin carving although I didn't get the memo that our cool green one home-grown by Bergesons in Central WA that Dane elected to carve was NOT HOLLOW. Thus my dirty work took bit longer than usual prior to their design time. Don't let Cole fool you-he volunteered his efforts when last scoop required before literal carving could commence:/