Christmas PJ's

Every Christmas Eve, we get new pajamas ---

Christmas Eve

I've been pretty sick the last few days with the flu. I know, great timing!! I've been really bummed out about it. We had to cancel our plans on Wednesday night. We were going to drive around and look at Christmas lights, but I wasn't up to it. I went to bed early because I wanted to get enough rest and get better for Christmas Eve.

Well, I didn't really feel better the next morning, but we went ahead with our plans anyway. We went to IKEA for breakfast and then to see a matinee of "The Tale of Despereaux". I fell asleep in the movie. Everyone else really liked it. I only saw half of it. I came home and took a long nap. Then I got up ready to make our traditional Christmas Eve snack spread, until I made it downstairs. I got really queasy and dizzy. We decided to order pizza instead. If I'm better tomorrow night, I'll make the snack spread then. We'll have our Christmas turkey dinner on Friday. Urg! Everyone has been really understanding and flexible with this situation -- I'm probably the one who is most bummed out, but trying to enjoy Christmas Eve and Christmas anyway.

Breakfast at IKEA.
We always wear Santa hats on Christmas Eve.

Daddy and Logan

Wicked in Detroit

Joshua and I went to see the musical "Wicked" on Saturday in Detroit. It was so fun!! I totally recommend it! We went with one of Joshua's suppliers and his wife, who had tickets for it. They also took us to dinner at one of our favorite restaurants in Greektown called "The Pegasus". I liked them a lot. They were really fun to hang out with.

Well, I forgot my camera. I left it in the car during the play. I wanted to take a picture of Joshua and I at the Opera House, or at least in front of one of the posters to document us going. Oh well. But we had a really fun time!

Here was my favorite song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKY0RejvuoQ
Here is Joshua's favorite song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRUeEJQSKbs&feature=related

Santa at Walker-Winter Elementary

I spent all morning last Wednesday being Santa's photographer at the school. One of the kindergarten teachers at Walker-Winter, Mrs. Florida, has a husband who plays Santa Claus every year at school. He is also a professional Santa Claus at other places around town too. So, she asked me to help take pictures with her camera. Whenever Mrs. Florida wants/needs pictures taken, she always asks me to do it now, actually ever since she liked the pictures I took of her kindergarten class on the first day of school. She said I should be a professional. I wish ... That would be a fun job. Anyway, it is a nice compliment and very flattering.

So, I took individual pictures with all the kindergarteners and Santa (all three classes), and then I followed him around to all the other classes around school and took group shots, and pics with teachers and Santa. Alex's teacher, Mr. Chris, uploaded the pictures I took to the school website photo album. He's in charge of all the technical/computer stuff in school.

Below are the pictures I took of Logan and Santa, and also Alex's 2nd grade class. Santa never made it to the 5th grade classes, so Jessica's class never got a picture with him.

Alex is in the front, in the red plaid shirt

Not yet too old to sit on Santa's lap

I captured a few pictures of Alex and Logan sitting on Santa's lap at our ward Christmas party this evening. Spencer and Jessica have outgrown it, but Jessica still made an appearance standing next to him, mostly to get the treat he was handing out.

Logan asked for a chihuahua puppy. We explained to him that he may not get it since Mommy and Daddy don't really want a dog in the house. He explained to us that he didn't ask us for one because he knew we wouldn't get him one, but he knew that Santa would because he was a really good boy this year. Oh no.... I hope we're not in trouble on Christmas morning....

Look at my big boys! Waiting in line to see Santa.

"Santa, I want a chihuahua for Christmas!"

"Santa, I want a Wii for Christmas!"
Alex still believes in Santa Claus... probably one of his last years. Spencer and Jessica were both in third grade when they found out that Santa wasn't real. Alex is in second this year.

Fun with Grandpa and Grandma

It was fun to have Grandpa and Grandma here for a few days! We did lots of fun things!!

Grandma read Logan stories from the Friend magazine

We loved playing games

... including lots of card games

Spencer loves Grandma

Grandpa and Grandma make us laugh

WE LOVE GRANDPA AND GRANDMA! WE MISS YOU!

Happy Thanksgiving

My parents came to visit us this year for Thanksgiving. They got here on Wednesday night and we've been having a really great time. We had our Thanksgiving around 1:00 pm on Thursday and played games the rest of the day. On Friday, we went to see the first showing of the movie "Bolt", then my parent's treated us to lunch at "BD's Mongolian BBQ". Afterwards, we did a little Christmas shopping. In the evening, the adults went to see "Four Christmases". My parents are huge movie buffs like myself, maybe even more. I think tonight we'll probably go see the movie "Australia" too. All day today we plan on playing games with the kids and eating Thanksgiving leftovers. They are here until Monday and we'll be sad to see them go. We've had a fun holiday so far. Hope everyone else is as well!

Logan's Rash

I'm home from work today to stay home with Logan because he has strep throat. I took him to the doctor after school yesterday, but the weird thing is that he wasn't even complaining about a sore throat, or had a loss of appetite, or loss of energy, or any of the usual symptoms. The nurse took his temperature at the doctor and he had a fever too -- I didn't even know! He was acting totally fine all day at school. What I was concerned about was a rash on his face, specifically around his eyes. His right eye was beginning to swell even. I thought it might be pink eye or something, although the whites of his eyes weren't pink. It was only pink around the eye and it was swollen, which was my main concern. The doctor told us that a rare symptom of strep is a rash that appears on the face. She actually thought it was an impetigo rash at first until she looked into his throat and the culture came back positive for strep. I was asking all kinds of teachers and parents at school yesterday what they thought the rash on his face was, and no one knew! Anyway, he's on medication and will be able to go back to school tomorrow. I guess we both will. I'm going to take advantage of my day off and get lots done around the house today.

It looks better today, but you can still see his swollen right eye and the redness around both eyes. He had a rash around his mouth too, which you can also see in this picture. He said it was itchy and was rubbing his eyes a lot yesterday. Poor little guy. I'm glad we got it figured out though.

Halloween Activities 2008

Sorry that it's been awhile since I've blogged on our family website! My job and keeping up with the house & kids have been my main priority. Not to mention my calling at church as the primary chorister. That keeps me on my toes as well! I knew in August when I accepted a position at the kid's school that it would take some adjusting to my new situation, and that things would become a little more arduous than ever before, but I really didn't anticipate how hectic my life would actually become! Everything has become a balancing act. I've had to prioritize a little bit better and improve my organization skills a little more. It has been several months of learning and growing. I'm hoping it only takes a little more time until I don't feel so out of control!

I've tried my best to keep things as normal for the kids as possible, although they've had to pitch in with a little more housework. So has Josh, but he's been amazing at helping and supporting me. We've also been trying to enjoy the beautiful fall weather. The temperature has been up and down, as usual, and the fall colors were amazing. We still have some fall leaves on the trees, although the peak season is over.

Our October has been FULL of Halloween activities! I was asked by Jessica and Logan's teachers to be the room mother for their holiday parties this year. Their teachers know me really well, and although I was hesitant at first to help with both classes, I decided to take the plunge. (My mom advised me that in the future I should learn to say "NO". Sometimes that's hard for me... especially with people I don't want to disappoint.) So I ended up using my free time (what free time!?!) the week before the Halloween parties to get the food and many different crafts ready, and also find parent volunteers to help out. On the day of the parties, Joshua took work off to come help in Logan's class. He painted pictures on the children's faces. Then he went into Jessica's classroom and recited a funny Halloween poem.

On Halloween evening, we had a family Halloween party. We made some "Jack-O-Lantern" english muffin pizzas, and had lots of other fun Halloween-themed foods for the evening. Then Spencer went to a friend's house for a Halloween party, and I took the rest of our kids trick-or-treating around the neighborhood. We came home and watched some kid-friendly Halloween movies. It was a fun evening!

Here are pictures of a few of our Halloween festivities this year ---

Logan trying to eat a "donut-on-a-string" at our church Halloween party

Alex at the church Halloween party

Jessica in the Halloween parade at school. She wanted to be a pirate.
(Her last year in elementary school... sniff, sniff)

Logan's Halloween party at school
(Notice the face paintings on each kid, courtesy of Josh)

Logan was "Black Spiderman" (He wanted a spiderweb painted on his face)

Alex and Logan making "Jack-O-Lantern" pizzas

Both boys wanted to be "Black Spiderman" this year. The costumes are reversible -- Red Spiderman is on the other side. They'll have fun playing in them during the rest of the year.

Jessica read a Halloween story to the boys before we went trick-or-treating

One Pirate and two Black Spidermans

Pumpkin Patch

We went to a local pumpkin patch on a very chilly Saturday morning to pick out our pumpkins a few weeks ago. Even though it was windy and cold, we had fun anyway. Here are some pictures we took. That evening, we had a family pumpkin carving party. The boys carved a pirate flag into their pumpkin. And Jessica and I carved a cat and the moon into the "girl" pumpkin. We roasted pumpkin seeds and had apple cider. It was a fun day.

Logan's 5th Birthday

Grandpa, Mom and I got back from our LDS Historic Tour around Lake Erie on Thursday night, October 2, just in time for Logan's 5th Birthday on Friday, October 3. I can't believe my baby Logan turned 5 years old. Wow! Has it really been five years?

So, Logan has had his birthday planned out for a few months now. He decided in July after seeing the preview for "Beverly Hills Chihuahua" during the "Wall-E" movie, that he wanted to see that movie on his birthday, especially after it stated ... "In theaters October 3". And he didn't forget! Logan hardly EVER forgets!! So, after the kids got home from school on Friday, we went to go see it. Afterwards, we decided to browse the Halloween store which was only a few doors down from the theater. Logan is getting less creeped out by scary and gory things, especially since last Halloween. We can tell that he's beginning to have the same fascination with scary things as Spencer does.

Anyways, after that, we went to McDonalds for his birthday dinner and home for cake and opening presents. He got everything he wanted, plus some. He loved everything so much that he couldn't decide what to play with first, so he just rotated through his presents all evening. What a great birthday for Logan, especially having his Grandma and Great-Grandpa there with him!

Logan in the car on his birthday

At the movies

Grandpa at the Halloween store

Logan with his cake and presents

Logan's first present was from Grandpa -- a cap rifle/pistol set

Cowboy Logan

It's a gunfight!

Next was a webkinz pug that he REALLY wanted!

He also got a Lego set

Logan also got a Nintendo DS. All the other kids in our family have their own DS, and he's been feeling left out for awhile now. He is very happy to finally have one too!

He got two Nintendo games from Grandma and Grandpa Williams. He is very excited!!

Logan with his presents

Logan playing with his Lego guys

Logan and Grandma Williams

Niagara Falls

The last two days of our trip (October 1 & 2) were spent at Niagara Falls. Neither my mother nor my grandfather had ever been to Niagara Falls. We explored the Canadian side and the American side of the Falls, and had a fabulous time. We drove home through Canada to complete our trip around Lake Erie.

On the Niagara Incline Railway (history about it HERE)

Canadian Horseshoe Falls
(and Maid of the Mist Boat)

The American Falls

Uh-Oh.... Whoops!

Grandpa and Julie went on the Maid of the Mist

Mom took a picture of our boat as she watched from above. We were in the very front at the top.

Grandpa under the Falls getting sprayed by the mist

Julie and Grandpa under Niagara

We went to a Niagara Falls Daredevil Gallery where we saw the world's largest collection of Niagara Falls history including the real artifacts and vessels used by 16 daredevils who have challenged the falls.

"Journey Behind the Falls" -- Mom and I in a tunnel underneath and behind Niagara Falls

Grandpa and I at the base of Niagara Falls

At night, the falls are hypnotically illuminated in alternating colors. Mom and I stood in the rain with our umbrellas for about an hour watching the colors change.

The next morning, we explored the American side of Niagara Falls. Here we are at the "Horseshoe Falls"

We saw many rainbows


On the bridge over "Bridal Veil Falls"
(a small, separate falls directly to the right of American Falls)

The three of us next to American Falls

On the "Three Sisters Islands" just upstream from Horseshoe Falls

Three Sisters Islands


The view from our hotel room. We could see Horseshoe Falls and all it's mist rising above.