santa came!

We had a fabulous Christmas. My mom and dad made it on the 23rd, just ahead of the blizzard we had. Christmas Eve was spent in the kitchen baking up a storm! We made cookies, divinity, pies, all sorts of tasty stuff. We went to church that evening and then came home to set out cookies and milk for Santa before Brecken headed to bed. My sister and her family made it here just after 10:00 that night. The above picture was taken before church on Christmas Eve. It was the first time in months Brecken has put on "real" pants- and of course, thy didn't last. We ended up at church with him in sweatpants. But hey- they were brown and matched the fleece shirt he's wearing- and I'm amazed the shirt stayed on and he wasn't wearing a t-shirt in addition to his sweatpants! :) I don't know why he wanted the hat on in this picture. I didn't ask. :)

Christmas morning was fun-filled as usual! Brecken loved his presents. Santa brought him a big boy bike! (excuse the fingerprints that are apparently on the lens of my small camera- That's the camera Brecken uses. :) )

Santa also brought a sled, a book, a bucket full of dinosaurs, a super cool stick horse that makes horse sounds when the ears are pushed, Candy Land, and a few other small things in his stocking. One of the other presents that he got that was a favorite was this HUGE stuffed dinosaur. My mom and dad gave it to him. It takes up quite a lot of Brecken's bed when he wants to snuggle with the dino at bedtime! It is a brontosaurus, but Brecken named him "Pterodactyl". :) He also got the movie "Curious George: A Very Monkey Christmas". So far, we have watched it four times. TODAY. About 10 times total.

Josh made a delicious prime rib for Christmas dinner and we had all the fixin's- we were quite stuffed!

We took Brecken up to Josh's school yesterday so he could ride his big-boy bike down the hallways and in the lunch room. Our house is just too small to ride it inside, and with all the snow we got over the weekend, there will be no bike riding outside for quite a while! Good thing he got a sled, too. :)

Now all our company is gone, in time to wash sheets for the next set of company coming! We are doing Christmas with the Sandlians over New Year's.

letter to santa

Brecken's preschool teachers helped the kids write letters to Santa. They were sent home today, as today was the last day of school for the year. Here's what Brecken's said:

"Dear Santa Claus,
Ho, ho, ho. I would like a dump truck and a dirt bike. I need a fishing pole because my other one is green and blue. Daddy needs a bike. Mom needs a bike. Merry Christmas!

Love,
Brecken"

And Santa wrote back!

"Dear Brecken,
Ho ho ho to you also. That is my favorite thing to say! What is your favorite thing to say? I was in Saratoga the other night for the parade and I had an awesome time. I got to see the lighted floats, meet with the children and also I got to eat some good chili at the Community Center.

The elves have been making a lot of toys this year. They are making a lot of trucks. Trucks are their favorite things to make and they make all different kinds. We have made a lot of fishing poles too. We make fishing poles in every color. Do you like to fish? We only get to ice fish here at te North Pole. Ice Fishing is fun too.

The reindeer are outside playing reindeer games. I think they are playing tag. Tag is a good game for them to play because they have to run a lot and that gets them in shape for the long trip we take on Christmas eve.

Be good and I will see you on Christmas eve.

Love,
Santa"

this little light of mine

And I'm gonna let it shine!!

Brecken came home from preschool the other day with a present and wiggling with excitement. He made it for Josh and I at school that day, and it was wrapped with hand-painted wrapping paper. I asked if we should put it under the tree but he could not wait for us to open it, so as soon as I got home with him, he opened it for me. :) And inside was this gorgeous, beautiful candle holder with a candle inside. It's the prettiest candle in our house. He had glued tissue paper to the glass holder so it looks like stained glass when the candle is lit. He told me, "Mommy! I made it just for you and it TURNED OUT!" Oh, how I love that boy. And YES. I will let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

snack time

I'm going to have to have Josh ask Brecken's teachers tomorrow when he drops Brecken off, what they had for snack today. Here's the answer I got when I asked B this afternoon. Are you ready for it?



RAMEN NOODLES.


Um.... really? Pretty sure not! But I asked him about 3 more times throughout the afternoon and evening, and got that answer every time. That's what he told Josh too. Hmmm.... some clarification might be needed. Not that I mind.... I just am highly doubting that snack time with 16 3-year-olds was Ramen noodles. :)

letter from the liver doctor

Finally, some results from my blood test.

"Dear Kara,
It was a pleasure to see you at our Fort Collins office. Your lab tests were normal. Sill consisted with focal nodular hyperplasia. Please call me if you have any unexplained symptoms. I do recommend a follow up ultrasound in 6 months. If you have any questions, please call."

PHEW!

o christmas tree

Yesterday was our hunt for a tree. We ended up on the other side of Encampment this year, and found that the assortment of trees over there is much better than on the Snowy Mountain Range, where we usually go! We got home with a great tree. Sometimes, we get the tree home and realize that it's pretty ugly- the wrong shape, a big bare spot, not a nice triangle, etc. This year, we were pretty proud of ourselves! (Though I can't take much credit. I mostly took pictures while Josh did all the work. Wait. Not mostly, I guess. That's ALL I did. :) )

Brecken mostly stood around and cried. He didn't want his snow pants on. Hey- at least he loves his boots this week. Even asked to sleep in them the other night. Unlike a couple weeks ago...

He was shouting, "NO! I don't want my picture!!"

it's begun

Basketball season, that is. It actually started a few weeks ago, but this weekend opened up GAME season! Josh's team played in the Carbon County Classic this weekend, in Encampment. They beat Hanna last night, lost to Baggs this morning, and then won against Cokeville this afternoon! 2-1, not a bad start to the season. They were really fun to watch. I've always enjoyed watching the Saratoga boys team, they play really well together and it's just fun. I'm not sad that Josh made the switch from girls this year! I also had forgotten how much faster boys games are. No fouls every other play, not NEARLY as many jump balls.... it's way more fast-paced, which I think is what makes it so much fun to watch!!

Brecken did really well at the games. I made sure to sit where he had some room to move, and also packed his backpack full of books, coloring books, crayons, cars, etc. Between all those things, I was able to keep him occupied pretty well. :)

Tonight we went to the Christmas parade downtown. No pictures though, because it was so.cold that I didn't dare take my gloves off to get the camera out! Brecken was bundled up in his sweats, his snow pants, boots, gloves, hat, and coat, sitting under a sleeping bag. He enjoyed the parade but was glad to get back in the warm car and head home!

Tomorrow we plan to go cut down our Christmas tree- then I can get presents wrapped and put under it!

the best of intentions

Every year, I have the best of intentions to get my Christmas cards sent out early. And it seems that every year, they get sent out at the last minute again! I *might* make my goal this year- I took my cards with me on my trip with my high school kids last week before Thanksgiving so I could work on them. :) Teachers have nothing to do during those two days, and I did make a pretty good dent in card-addressing. (In between trips downtown, the Union Bookstore, etc.... Hey- Laramie has stores to shop in and Saratoga really does not, so I had to take advantage of it! :) )

I have discovered, however, that too many people in my address book MOVE! You should see the list of people I need new addresses from since last Christmas!! Ridiculous! hehe. If you read this and I need a new address for you from last year, will you please leave a comment on here with your new address? Then I'll delete your comment instead of posting it, so rest assured, your address will not be floating around cyberspace. :) If you aren't on my list and you would like to be, give me your address too!