Christmas

CHECK OUT MY NEW CHRISTMAS CAMERA!! AND THESE HOLIDAY MOMENTS....

Bad Influence

I grew up on the diet coke. It was a staple in my family. Everyone knew that if they wanted a coke product all they had to do was go the the White's and check the fridge in the garage. It was always fully stocked. I remember my mom putting "Tab" in my sisters bottle to keep her quiet on a drive bc she didnt have anything else to offer her. At the time I remember thinking it was normal. Doesnt everyone do that? So In my family, its not only accepted to drink coke products, its almost required. And we like to start them out young. The younger the better..

ie.. This picture demonstrates grandpa helping his 1 yr. old grandaughter have a taste.


Scott grew up with a different story. He tells the story of walking down to the local 7-11 and buying a coke with his own money and coming home only to have his mom take one look at it, scold him and dump it down the drain.
Ive also heard the story of the Smith family out to dinner and Jeff ordering a coke. Genevieve {Scotts mom} bluntly said "I will not pay for your drink if you order a coke!!" So he changed it to a rootbeer, which sufficed for her.
I always knew that my addiction bothered her, but being the patient, kind person that she is, she never said much about it. At first, I was uncomfortable even bringing my diet coke into her house. But slowly that seemed to be more and more okay. She would say things like "if you guys want to poison your body with that stuff, thats your choice.." She was talking to me and Scott, Anth, Kathryn and Heidi bc Gary never saw much of a need for it either. We would just laugh.
Then the most wonderful thing happened! Kathryn married Randy! And he is just as much a fan of the diet coke as me! Well when Randy would come and stay with Genevieve for Christmas he would buy 12 packs and leave them in the garage. This was a bold move.
I have a song on my ipod by Pink called "bad influence" and I have to smirk a little when I hear it bc it reminds me of me. Or at least what some would say reminds them of me..{maybe not now so much, but once upon a time.} The lyrics among others are "I cant help it I like to party, its genetic, its electrifying, wind me up and watch me go, where she stops nobody knows, A good excuse to be a BAD INFLUENCE on you! and you, and you!! But to be able to influence my mother in law??!! NO WAY! So you can imagine my shock when I showed up this year for Christmas Eve and saw this in her fridge!!!!!

NOT IN THE GARAGE, BUT INSIDE THE HOUSE, IN HER FRIDGE AND ON HER DIME!!! THIS YEAR, SHE ACTUALLY BOUGHT THE POISON FOR US!!

I said "GEN! you bought us Diet coke??!!" And she just shrugged her shoulders and smiled. I was stunned. And can I say with a little of my bad influence coming through, I was a little bit proud of her??

At least im not solely to blame for this atrocious accomplishment...Randy....Heidi...

The Great Outdoors

Scotts brother Gary works in Solitudes medical clinic a few times a month and gets free passes to ski, so being the generous person he is, he invited Scott and I to go last thursday. Well we didnt have to think twice. Ummm, lets see, hanging out in the moutains, free skiing, beautiful day vs. staying at home, going to work and stressing about Christmas...No Brainer.




Dont worry, He wont kill you. He just looks a little crazy.

Nice old guy took our picture when we got off the lift.

awwww, cute....

These two spell T.R.O.U.B.L.E

Lunch at the lodge. Garys on some new diet where he wont eat meat unless its organic but he had no problem putting away A hotdog smothered in chili, jalapenos, and onions...hmmm. Im glad I wasnt Heidi the next day.

When I was taking pictures of Scott and Gary, "Pat" there on the fireplace was thinking I was taking pictures of him. So I took one of him as he sat and told me how "ohh, this is what happens when you ski really hard." Oh I see, so you're telling me that the two hours of physical effort you put forth entitles you to sit on the fireplace in the lodge, drink beer, and try and tell everyone how you are way more tired than them?" Ok, just so were clear, thanks "Pat"

Poor, Poor Howard.

Gary shredding

Scott shredding

and me trying to shred.

Always look on the Bright side of Life..da da da da da da da

This is where you DONT want to end up while skiing. This is the clinic Gary works in.

And this is the guy who will be taking your x-ray if you fall.

These guys are the cute avalanche doggies that hang out in the clinic in between training sessions.

THANK YOU FOR THE FUN DAY GARY!!! YOUR'RE THE BEST!

Diamond in the rough

I had to share this story because I think its amazing. One of those things were the cosmos allign and something simple yet so big happens.

My cousin moved here from San Francisco recently and while her husband has found a job, things just simply havent been going their way. They've been feeling a little down and out and sad. Its hard to leave your home. And although they have family here, San Francisco is what they've known their whole lives. Leaving the chaos of city life that they know and love and coming to a little city called Cottonwood Heights Utah. Well, I think they have been a little depressed. Brooke has been coming to my house mon. wed and fri. every week to hang out while her little ones are in school by my house. See, she has a newborn and since its during his naptime, she has found that he gets a longer nap if she lets him do it here in between dropping and picking kids up. Plus she's a little lonely and we both have enjoyed the company.

Well the other day, she called me after she left my house and in tears exclaimed that her carot diamond had fallen out of her wedding ring and she didnt know if it was here or at her house or in the car, or down the drain for that matter. She asked me to keep my eyes open. I assured her I would. NOW, if any of you know me, You know I have a love for diamonds. Its more then just a crush, its something I have had since I was really young. In fact, I remember sitting behind all the women in church and checking out their diamond rings. I remember thinking that none of them were that great and why would they choose such a dinky little thing in such a dumb setting. And that when I get married, I will have an awesome diamond. Well, that was before I knew they cost thousands of dollars. SO when I knew that there was possibly a carot diamond laying around my house, I was going a little bit crazy. I got on my hands and knees at once. But no luck. Then I searched my garage and my driveway, this was really difficult bc of the snow and ice on the driveway. Not to mention the salt. So EVERYTHING looked like a diamond. Then I got the idea of vacuuming up everything and going through my vacuum with a fine tooth comb. I did this, it took at least an hour but again no luck. Well in the mean time it had snowed several times and Scott had snowplowed the driveway and shoveled it. Ive kept my eyes open wide for several days now and no diamond.

Well today when I got back from the store I noticed the snow had melted quite a bit and I thought I would check the driveway one more time, and guess what?! There it was!! Right on the edge of the driveway against the grass line was a shiny object, I picked it up and was shocked! There it was! I still cant believe it was there, after all that its gone through! Cars driving in and out several times, snowstorms, plowing, shoveling, kids playing...it just sat there in all its glory, unharmed, unbroken, undamaged, just perfect, as diamonds are. I immediately got on the phone to tell Brooke of my find and of course she fell to tears again. I called everyone in my family to tell them the news, I think I was just so shocked I had to share it! Gretchen cried out "Its a Christmas Miracle!!" And at that moment, it really felt as if it was.

Now I know this may sound like a dumb story to you, but it involves diamonds, and there is nothing dumb about that.

Holiday randomness

Oliver loves to dress up. He creates all these outfits himself with things around the house. This is him being an indian for Thanksgiving. Notice the pheasant feather in the headband and the creative baby wipe for a loin cloth. That is an arrow in his hand.


This is the Cottonwood Heights Turkey trot 5k. It was fun and freezing. Not a great time for me but still a great time. {Erin, Scott, me and Stacie}

And you better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout Im telling you why,..SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN!!! {again, this is Oliver}

Its beginning to look alot like Christmas!! First snowfall of the year!

I remember doing that as a kid, going out when it was dark outside and playing in the snow. I remember thinking I was getting away with something because it was dark and I just thought my parents forgot about my bedtime. Little did I know, It was probably about 6:30.

And of course the making and decorating of Christmas sugar cookies. These little gems are just way too pretty to share with any neighbors when were done, so we get to keep them all to ourselves.

Throw in a little Christmas piano recital at the festival of trees and you surely will get in the Christmas spirit. As long as you can ignore your two boys running around like rabid little beasts!

Soyer came home the other day so pleased with himself bc he learned to roll his own snowmen that day in school so he emptied his backpack, proclaimed he had no homework and ran out to make his men. He was so proud as was I. I couldnt believe he did it all with no help from anyone. Thats always a monumental moment when your kids can figure hard things out all by themselves. So here they are, his two new friends. {And yes those are 2x4's for the eyes and nose...and yes, he is wearing only socks outside.} Mother of the year.

Then the next day, 5 minutes before school he whipped out the homework that he hid from me to go make the snowmen and said, "MOM, you forgot to help me with my homework!" Needless to say, Soyer wont be going out to enjoy his snowmen for a few days...