CHRISTMAS EVE 2010!

Christmas Eve is my FAVORITE!  I love the busyness, the anticipation, the FUN that comes with the waiting for Santa to come!  This year was a little different--we didn't spend the day baking German Stollen like we usually do--we were traveling home from Thatcher.  We got to go out to lunch with my parents before we left town--yummy Mexican food, my favorite!  We arrived home just in time for our Allen Family Christmas party.  This year we had it at Grandma & Grandpa Allen's house and they decided to do soup and salads with home made rolls.  YUM!  We had a beautiful music program with the kids playing piano doing their Christmas recital pieces (have I mentioned that all my children have quit piano--except for Emie who wants to take lessons, but we can't pull it off right now with her schedule or our finances...)  I miss them playing piano and learning beautiful Christmas songs!  Then we read "I Believe" the book about Santa and Jesus, and how the spirit of Christmas and Santa are all symbols of Christmas--which are all meant to remind us of the true meaning of Christmas.  I love that book!  Shaun read "Twas the Night Before Christmas", and Trasi sang "O Holy Night" and brought tears to all of our eyes!  It was a beautiful and perfect night with friends and family!
When we came home, it was time for the kids to open their presents from each other.  We almost didn't have them buy them this year, but at the last minute--I decided this was too important of a tradition to skip.  I love seeing them draw names and think about the sibling they are assigned.  I love taking them to the store and seeing how picky they are, and how they want to get the perfect thing for that brother or sister.  I love that they really deep down LOVE their brothers and sisters, and want them to be happy!  This is one of my favorite parts of Christmas!  They had a great time opening gifts, then on to the next tradition of Christmas Eve JAMMIES so they don't come down looking all raggedy on Christmas morning!  They all looked so cute!  Then, one more thing to do--leave Santa some OREOS (don't you know those are his FAVORITE cookies???  Always have been!) and get to SLEEP!  Todd and I actually got some sleep as well since Todd was home all week working and had nothing better to do than wrap gifts from us to put under the tree.  We put our gifts out for the kids and went to BED!  What a great Christmas Eve!

Fun at Grandma & Grandpa's!...

The week before Christmas we headed down to Thatcher to see my parents & spend a few days with them.  Kimbie and her kids decided to come and play with us!  We had a great time making Reindeer cookies (a Christmas tradition at our house), gingerbread cookies, playing Nintendo (the older kids fight over it too...), riding the Rhino with Grandpa, playing card games, doing sealings & a session at the Gila Valley Temple (thanks to my Mom and Dad for the Christmas $$$ which bought temple clothes this year!), and eating GREAT food!  Thanks Grandma and Grandpa Metzger for such an AWESOME time!  We love you guys!

Abby's Photo Shoot...

Abby and her friend Alyssa had a little photo shoot in our neighborhood.  I think they took some pretty sweet pictures!  Even Ashlie took some of these!  What cute girls!

What a MESS!...

Here's 1,000,000,000 Reasons to NOT buy a memory foam Bean Bag...SOMEONE--who will not confess to the crime...(do you blame them?) unzipped the inner lining to the bean bag and left it open so that the memory foam bits were EVERYWHERE when we tried to remove the outer lining to wash it. It took us 2 hours to pick it all up and put it back into the bean bag.  The stuff was IMPOSSIBLE to pick up because it STUCK to EVERYTHING (static cling you know...)!  Children are a JOY at times like these!  :)



Abby's ROCKET!...

The last week of school to close their science unit on Space Travel, Abby's class got to go and shoot off ROCKETS at the high school!  Todd and Abby worked really hard for a few hours to get this thing ready to shoot.  Todd went with her to the school to help supervise.  They had an amazing time--and from what I hear, her rocket might be small but it shot up just as far as the big guys!  Good job guys!

Preschool Christmas Party...

We had a little get together for the preschool age cousins to exchange Christmas gifts, and play at the park before Christmas.  It was SO funny to watch the gift exchange!  Most of them wanted the gift THEY had brought, so if someone else was trying to pick it, they would get mad.  Too funny!  Don't we have the cutest bunch of little cousins!  Love these kids!

Braceless...and BEAUTIFUL!

Somehow, this girl managed to convince her orthodontist that her braces NEEDED to come off yesterday!  That's the thing about this girl...she has a way of getting her way...always.  I wonder where she get's that?  Part of it may have had to do with the fact that when he told her she should come back in two weeks, she threatened to go to the other orthodontist in town if he wouldn't take them off.  So Dr. Davis gave her an early Christmas present, and got those things off just in time for Christmas!  She doesn't even need presents now--what a great gift!  OH my...doesn't she look GORGEOUS!  Put those things back on...I'm not ready for this beauty to hit the world yet.  Love you sweetie!  You look GREAT!

It's beginning to look a lot like CHRISTMAS!...

We have the decorations out...we're getting the tree tonight! YAY! I LOVE Christmas!  Our AWESOME block party was last week and it was a blast!  They had Navajo Tacos, Popcorn, Hot Chocolate, Live music, jumping castles, hot dogs, and SANTA!  Everything kids could ever want.  Best of all, it was GREAT weather to sit and visit in--only 70 degrees!  I LOVE Arizona at Christmas time!  Jack was the only one I could get to go sit on Santa's lap for a picture--mostly because Ashlie & Josh were off having fun & didn't want to stand in line!  Santa asked Jack what he wanted for Christmas and he said "a MONKEY!"  HUH?  I haven't heard that one yet--(and he made a list with Ashlies help that's like a mile long!).  Oh well!  I am trying to get cards out this week, and do the lights on the house.  Most of all, I am trying not to stress out this year, and just to enjoy the season, and enjoy my family!  Life is too short to be stressed out every Christmas!



Isn't this boy ADORABLE?  I mean...I know he's the last one--and my favorite... (haha) but really, he's just so stinkin CUTE!  I love this age at Christmas time!  He's having a BLAST!

Abby's Orchestra Concert...

Last week was Abby's first orchestra concert.  She was SO nervous, and it was so cute to listen to her talk about it.  She is really excited that she gets to learn to play the violin.  She has really learned FAST!  Her 5th grade orchestra played, "Hot Cross Buns", "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star", "Mary Had a Little Lamb", and "Jingle Bells"!  Abby did an amazing job--and we are SO proud of you for practicing, and developing this talent that will benefit you and others in the years to come!  We ended her big night with a date with mom and dad to Pei Wei for dinner--where Abby almost choked to death on a piece of Pei Wei's Spicy Chicken (really, she did)!  Poor thing--we saved her though.  Abby is an amazing a beautiful daughter & we love you sis!  (BTW--thanks to ERIN for doing Abby's hair, and making her look SPECTACULAR for her big night!  I love that my kids can help do HAIR!)

Black & Blue Christmas...(rerun)

(This post is from last year around this time...but I was reading my blog book a few days ago and came across it and thought it was funny to read again.  Sometimes as parents we aren't always on our best behavior...are we?  Well...maybe you are...but we're not! 
Someday we'll look back & laugh (and our kids will be in therapy...)!  Enjoy...

 The family spent some time together tonight for family night eating out, doing some errands, and some shopping. As usual, anytime we spend more than a few hours with the kids, the nerves start to get frazzled as they fight with each other, are rude, don't listen, or say things that irritate us parents to the core...(that's how it goes in our family anyway...if you know us at all you already know that we have model children...). Anyhoo, this is about how the conversation progressed when Josh refused to put his seatbelt on to go somewhere & Todd was about to lose his mind...

Todd: "You better put that dang seat belt on or I swear I'm going to..."
Josh: Sticks his toungue out...
Todd: Gets out of the car to kill the boy...
Josh: "Okay, Okay...fumbling to get the seat belt on as fast as he can now with the look of pure fear in his eyes watching his dad come for him...
Me: "Seriously--Josh are you that crazy--you're going to get yourself killed!" (as I lock the doors so Todd can't actually get to him and kill him...)
Todd: Getting back into the driver's seat..."I swear Santa is bringing you NOTHING for Christmas...you ALL get oranges and toilet paper."
Me: "Where did the oranges and toilet paper idea come from?"
Todd: "Because oranges are food, and toilet paper is something useful."
Me: "HUH?"
Todd: "Be Quiet."
Erin: Laughing in the back seat...
Todd: "And Erin, you don't get anything either--you are ALL getting nothing for Christmas..."
Abby: "What did I do?"
Todd: "You're ALL rotten, stinkin' brats! You don't deserve anything"
Tami: "Okay, okay--we're trying to have a nice family night--be nice"

(You have to picture in your mind the radio is still playing nice Christmas music in the background--and Elvis' song "Blue Christmas" is playing right now...)

Tami: "Seriously--can't we just have a nice night with the kids without it turning into a fight--and can't you kids just be NICE to eachother and not be such ingrates...
Todd: "Tami--you just need to shut up right now and listen to the Blue Christmas song--or I'm gonna make it a BLACK AND BLUE Christmas!

We all started cracking up at that point--Todd included. Oh man--the Chrismas cheer is awesome at our house! We'll see if Santa pays the kids a visit...maybe there will be pictures of our kids with their oranges and toilet paper...stay tuned!

BLACK FRIDAY!...HERE'S the DEALS...

It's TIME for Black Friday!  You will want to plan our store into your day of craziness--because guess what?  We're not only offering one or two items for a special (that will run out in 10 minutes...)--we're offering the WHOLE STORE!  The Mall will be open early on Friday--at 6 a.m..  EVERYTHING STOREWIDE is on sale for 40% off from 6 a.m. to NOON!  After noon, the sale is still a good one...25% off STOREWIDE!  That means jewelry, nativities, pashminas, bags, shawls, crosses, rosaries, chess sets, olive wood carvings, ornaments, jewish items, ceramics, framed photos, YOU NAME IT--It's ALL on SALE!  We are trying to clear the store in one day--and make room for new shipments!  *PLUS:  Get a free gift with EVERY purchase...get an even better gift with purchases over $40! *(while supplies last...in store purchases only--this offer is NOT valid online).

17 YEARS!...

17 years ago today, I married the love of my life!  I have never once regretted that decision.  Has it been difficult?  Yep.  Have there been hard times?  You bet.  Have I wondered whether we would make it?  Yep!  But I don't know how I would live without this man in my life.  Todd is amazing in every way.  I still don't know how I lucked out and got him to marry me!  This guy puts up with SO much--those of you who know me well know what I'm talking about.  I am opinionated, I am obnoxious at times, I talk too much, I listen too little.  I know I make him crazy with my disorganized, go with the flow kind of attitude about life.  All that, and he still sticks around!  Thank you sweetheart, for saying "yes" to this CRAZY life with one CRAZY woman!  Thank you for always working so hard, for always making sure I have what I need--and most of what I want too!  Thank you for being an amazing father to our children, and for being the perfect example to them in every way.  Thank you for your faith, and your love, and for always being there when I need you.  Thank you for being worthy to hold the priesthood, and for blessing our lives with the way you live yours.  Thank you for having integrity, even in business, and when others don't have any.  Thank you for doing the little things that you know will make me happy.  Thank you for listening, and letting me whine and cry to you.  Thank you for being YOU!  I love you so much!  Happy Anniversary..."I don't want to be 82--with anybody else but YOU!"