Christmas 2008

We spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with Cody's family in Salt Lake. We had a great time. Our children were very excited for Santa to come. We played lots of games on Christmas Eve with Grandma and Kevin and Christy. Ty and Paige went to bed but not without turning off the computer a few times and turning the lights on and being told to go to sleep about 50 times.

They must have been good this year because Santa brought them each a few toys. They had such a good time playing all morning long. We ended up coming home around 4:00 p.m. during a break in the storm. We enjoyed a relaxing night at home.

The next morning we went to Grandpa and Grandma Stevens house where Michael and Stacie and Becky and Scott and their families were. The kids had a GREAT time playing. We didn't even know they were there they were so busy playing with their cousins. We all had a really relaxing day. I think it was the first time in such a long time that I felt like I could just relax and not worry about getting anything done. It felt so good.

Yesterday we spent the day at home cleaning and getting ready for normal life. Last night we had a really good time. For my birthday Cody had the kids give me a popcorn bowl, popcorn and movie treats. Last night the kids were so excited because we popped popcorn, got out the snacks, pulled out some soda pop and went to the movies in our front room. They had such a good time and I actually sat with them during the movie. I didn't watch much, but I was in the same room. We had such a good time. They liked it so much that we decided that it could be something they earn in the future.

I think one of my favorite things was what Paige did. Abby and Rachel gave Ty a Mr. Potato Head for Christmas. Cody put Paige down for her nap and just left her there. Of course she didn't sleep, but she stayed in there for a couple of hours. When he let her out this is what she was doing.

If you can't tell, she has the Mr. Potato Head hat on her head, the glasses on her nose and is hold the shoes so she can be the Mr. Potato Head. She is such a CUTIE!!!

It was a GREAT Christmas. Now to get back to normal life.

Christmas Village

On Monday night we did one of my favorite traditions. It is going to Christmas Village in Ogden. I don't think it is one of my favorites because I really like the little houses (I actually don't know that I looked in many of them) it is one of my favorites because I remember going as a kid. We didn't get to go to the big city "down below" very often. However, at Christmas Mom and Dad usually took us to Christmas Village. We have now started doing it with our kids.

This year we were a few people shy for the festivities. Becky wasn't feeling the greatest so she stayed home and waited for us all to get to her house. Brock was sick so he and Cody stayed home too. I was lucky enough to get to take Ty and Paige all by myself.

Grandpa and Grandma were there of course as well as Michael, Stacie, Abby, Rachel, Scott, Aubree and Sydney. The kids had such a great time running around looking in all the little houses. However, the best event of the night was, of course, sitting on Santa's lap. I have been amazed this year that Paige will actually sit on his lap. It is so unlike her, but we will take whatever we can get.

After Christmas Village we went to Becky and Scott's house for hot chocolate and pie. It was really fun except for the massive fit Ty threw right before leaving. Everyone else was just glad it wasn't their kid throwing a fit and I was wishing it was one of their kids throwing the fit.

I am adding some pictures of the memorable night.

The next two pictures are the most telling of the night. Below is the excitement of a 1-year-old waiting for Santa on the cold night. The picture after that is the excitement of a 5-year-old waiting for Santa on a cold night.

Can you believe my Paige actually sat on Santa's lap without crying. Hopefully her nursery teachers don't read this. Maybe the key to nursery would be a candy cane.

Fondant???

It is now December and there is nothing that shouts Christmas louder than chocolates and caramels and wonderful homemade candies. This year, I decided that three kids were not enough to deal with. I was going to branch out on my candymaking skills. Well, tonight was the first of a few new chocolate centers I will hopefully be making. I attempted fondant.

For those of you who don't know what fondant is, please let me explain. It is that frosting stuff that goes on all the new cakes that you can mold and make just absolutely beautiful. My attempt at fondant was for centers for chocolates.

Cooking the recipe was so easy. In fact, I interrupted Becky's dinner just to call and gloat about how easy this fondant was going to be. The cooking was GREAT!!! However, it was after the cooking that things got a little dicey.

Fondant is pretty much just caramel stirred around. The problem is that you have to stir cooled caramel. Have you ever tried to stir cooled caramel. If you ever think you might want a good arm workout just buy some Kraft caramels unwrap them and stir them into a great big ball without melting them until they look like frosting and are no longer sticky! Good luck!

In the recipe you are to stir anywhere from 30 -60 minutes. My problems started in at about 3 minutes. My first casualty happened and my favorite wooden spoon broke in two. That didn't deter me. I had Cody come hold the pan while I stirred with my broken wooden spoon with two hands. I finally wised up and got out another wooden spoon. That spoon lasted about 10 minutes. I was NOT going to sacrifice my last and second favorite wooden spoon to this Christmas time wonder. I actually began to wonder if my 9x13 glass dish was going to survive the fondant.

The stuff finally started looking like what it was suppose to. I was so proud of myself for actually doing it. However, I am not in a hurry to make anymore. My hands were pretty red from stirring with the jagged edges of wooden spoons.

Just as a final note. Anyone who tastes one of these chocolates better tell me they have never in their life tasted something so divine!