I didn't want:
I wanted:
My bro is one sharp looking kid. I mean, man. He is a good looking man. Get rid of the extra people, sharpen the contrast, hues, saturation, shadows, free transform. I had been using "Auto smart fix" and that just wasn't cutting it. This is my new hobby. Everybody has something they like to do to unwind or something new to try. This is mine. We'll see how long this hobby sticks around.
Seems like there was so much going on during Christmas vacation. We went shopping for 2 families' Christmases, showed up at Dad's BBQ at the office for all the foremen and their families. (We counted at least 30 kids running around at the office and eating some delicious ribs, veggies, and of course, french fries-those go with any meal). Watched and enjoyed BYU beat Oregon State in the MAACO Vegas Bowl, helped make and deliver Christmas molasses crinkle cookies to neighbors, watched Sherlock Holmes and Avatar (both were most excellent), had a gingerbread house throwdown followed by shooting them to pieces the following day near Mt Charleston.
Every morning Brenden was up before all the other kids, so he and Pop Pop got to spend a little 'dude time' together. Brenden is really into trains right now and so Polar Express movie was too good to be true....add a little fire for warmth, pillow for some cushion, car to hold onto, and Pop Pop to snuggle with and its not hard to see why Brenden continues to ask me, even yesterday, to go drive and see Pop Pop again. His little brain doesn't understand why he can't just drive 6 hours while he watches a movie and takes a nap in the car to go see Grandpa. "Come on, Mom, you lazy bum. Let's go!"-is what his reaction to me telling him we can't go see Pop Pop seems to be. Can't blame him.
For Mom's Christmas gift, all the kids (and grandkids) gave her a plate with our hand prints. Kinda like what my Grandma King has in her kitchen.
Our hand idea was tricky since we had so many people. We had to over lap a bit, but at least all 9 kids (including kids-in-law) and 2 grandkids all got in on the Christmas plate.
Ash trying to figure out which hand looks prettier to put on Mom's plate? :)
Jared capturing Court on camera; Steph getting her hand painted red; and all 5 of us girls testing out the design to see if all hands would fit well enough.
2 Scotts. W Scott and B Scott. Dad was advising Scott #1 that it wouldn't be a great idea to smack your forehead if you forgot something.
Brenden didn't mind at all getting a bunch of cold, wet goo on his hand to make a mess on a nice plate.
Trent is trying to chat with the lady. She was nice. A little serious, but nice.
Poor baby Kyleigh was sound asleep, so we had to wake her up, take her out of her warm blankets, pour some cold, wet goo on her hand and smash it down on a hard plate. She was not happy, but can you blame her? Inconsiderate bunch of people. But it was worth it :)
One of my favorites.
For years, ever since I can remember, on Christmas Eve we open our Christmas pj's, read The Night Before Christmas, then Luke 2 and end with watching How the Grinch stole Christmas. We must be all getting old because this all happens after we come home from dinner (which used to be at Excalibur restaurant, but its closed so we went to Lawry's) and a movie. However, after dinner we all decided to skip the movie and head straight home to start our routine.
Grandpa always reads our story and does an excellent job. He was able to single-handedly keep Brenden's rapt attention the whole time. (And that with the movie tempting him in the background).
This year was a little different though cause Dad reminded us about giving during this season of receiving. Told us how Carnegie was a very successful business man and he gave a good portion (20%??) of his income away. But he did not wait to start that tradition/habit of giving once he made all of his money. He had always kept a meticulous record of all his expenditures and gave away his money to charities and whatnot even before making his fortune. Giving shouldn't be done with our excess or when convenient, but sometimes when it 'hurts'. I really love these impromptu lessons. I remember these more than most college or church lessons.
How great to have to double up on stocking hooks because there are not enough to accommodate all the stockings.
We had to wait for Court and Jared to arrive before we opened any Christmas presents. However, we did make one exception. Brenden got to open a new train set. He loved it. And Grandma loved holding one grandbaby while watching another grandbaby. She is going to run out of arms, probably, within the next few Christmases. What a fun problem to have-too many grandbabies and not enough arms to hold them. Her heart is sure big enough to hold them all.
Uncle John put the train set together for little B. But apparently he forgot to tell B that you don't gas up your hand. It's for the train only.
What do you do while still waiting for Aunt Court and Uncle Jared to come over to open gifts?? Push baby sissy in your dump truck around the house.
Christmas morning breakfast fills us entirely. Waffles, OJ, eggs, bacon, sometimes sausage and ham. We do not need a lunch and are perfectly content to wait until 2 or 3 for Christmas dinner. Turkey, Amana Ham, gravy and dressings for each of those, jello pretzel salad, green salad, rolls, creamy mashed potatoes. Wow. Alot of good food.
Teaching Brenden table manners. He needs to learn good etiquette.
No idea. A Hawaiian thing?
Mom got a plate, and Dad got a lion. Just what he's always wanted. Steph happened to be in the car (during Thanksgiving I think) as Mom and Dad were driving along and Dad saw a house with some lions out front. He said something about how cool that was and how he wanted one in his front yard, but Mom commented on how ugly it was. He's a good boy and didn't do it without the wife's approval......so us kids got him one :) He had no idea this one was coming.
Dad got himself, I mean the grandkids, a bike trailer. Nothing like a beautiful, sunny Christmas morning for a leisure bike ride.
Trent and I tagged along for the virgin run.
Dad has become somewhat, no, that's not the right word, a major bike guy. He can tell you the right tires for the ride road, down to the right nuts, bolts, screws for an optimal ride as well as the right attire too look good as you pass the other guys by. When the guy does something, he does it right. So it was comical when he came home with this old fashioned beauty. He rides it around the neighborhood ringing the bell, gear-less and handlebar brake-less.
Pop Pop waving to little B. He loved his trailer ride...
....so much so, that when we tried to take him out of it, he protested, so we took him out for some more...
...this time we ventured out of the neighborhood to the surrounding area. This house is amazing during Christmas. They set up their lights and display to coordinate with music and put on a show each night. Hope his neighbors enjoy it as much as we do.
King Family Gingerbread House Throwdown. One hour. Must include surprise ingredient-marshmallow. May use whatever is at the house.
Steph and Johns cozy cottage. Marshmallowman, gold entry, swimming pool in back with diving board, and a campfire.
Court and Jared house photo on top. Ash, Maddy and Scotts on bottom. Court had neat looking bench with candy cane as legs, swimming pool, marshmallow man and real 'trees'.
Ash, Mad and Scott relied heavily on 'other accessories'. Decoration trees, Brenden's train, conductor, signs and animals. Turned out cute looking though.
Trent and I had a bike path with a sweetart-wheel bike going over a jump, a King garage and a tennis court using marshmellows as rackets.
We didn't spend so much time on the house itself as we did the surrounding areas. (Mom and Dad were the judges, so we tried to sway it our way with the bike path and tennis court.)
All gingerbread houses together. We took ours and the Cannons (Steph and Johns) out to the shooting range for some target practice.
Maddy had a very good shot. She did surprisingly well. Probably better than most of us.
Trent and I trying out the rifle
Scott showing me that we all practically missed the girl on the bike.
Our gear.
Mom did pretty good, too. In background you can see 2 gingerbread houses, girl on bike box and a few target boxes.
It was surprisingly cold just a few minutes further north so alot of us would load the gun, shoot and then jump back in the car. Brenden would blow on our hands to warm them up once we jumped in.
Uncle John. He should come up to visit sometime...maybe Sunday dinner??? You can bring your wife.
Some bad hombres.
Westernized bad hombres.
The 2 responsible for new train sets, baby toys, movie theater trips, gun shooting, Christmas buying, superb food, BBQ grilling, gingerbread house throwdown, and a genuinely fun holiday vacation.
Thank you. We had a blast. Wish we didn't have to wait 2 years to do it all again.
I think we need to see you both again soon. Kyleigh misses you.
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