Christmas Eve - Part 1

Christmas Eve started out with work for the two of us...but work ended early for us and that was good! Paul and I started off our Christmas Eve celebrations with a good workout and then some house cleaning. I have to come home to a clean house...and Paul was a good sport about it :-).

Both of our families have pretty much the same traditions...so we split down the middle. First stop was my side.

Mostly we hang out in the kitchen where the food is:

We play with the chi'ren:

Then we all make our traditional bag lights (i love these):

Then comes the highly anticipated pinata!!

The honor of doing the pinata has been passed down from my Uncles and Dad to Morgan - my uncles/Dad were ruthless when we were younger...and Morgan has filled the position nicely. I have a really cool video of such evidence but it won't load, so whatever:

Dallin:

Aiden:

Bronsynn:

Now this little girl can really try your patience when she is up. Instead of going at it over and over like the boys, she will stand there...and stand there...and wait till she can hear it or feel it and then she will goof off because she thinks we are lying to her about where it is or that Morgan is purposely going to hit her with it (which all of the above has happened at least once before). She takes a while. Every year. No matter what we say. She takes a LONG while.

Grabbing the Loot:

And my favorite little boys in the whole wide world:

I love Christmas Eve. Ever since I was little it was looked forward to almost more than Christmas morning. Everything from the food that we make special for it or the games we play, the pinata, and the kids...it is my favorite. A lot of things have happened over the years and traditions had to be changed a little and we no longer see my mom's side of the family (with whom these traditions started with) but we have such a blast together and that's what I love the most.

A White Christmas

In my opinion, the only good place for snow is the mountains. I hate driving in it, I hate walking on it, I am sure that Paul hates shoveling it and if it stays in the mountains where it should then Happy Boarding to us! However, it's also not Christmas without snow on the ground and if we're gonna have snow, it might as well just come, eh? It was fun to get a ton of snow for Christmas...but now I am ready for it to leave (in the valley, not the mountains). I have a great husband though. He dons his snow clothes, grabs his shovel and his snow buddy and went out to shovel. It took him three hours - what a man! I would help him but we only have one shovel right now so instead I just make sure he comes inside to a clean house and a cup of hot chocolate!

(Can you tell I took these from my window?)

Merry Freakin' Christmas

Hope ya'll have a wonderful Christmas!!! I know I won't be seeing my close friends till after Christmas is over and done with so I hope you have a great time with all your families and that Santa brings you everything your little hearts desired this year...and may you not get any coal (although I think Ashley L. might be screwed there - we all know how troublesome she is). Love you and Merry Christmas!

This is What Happens When...

...we Madsen girls get together for our '1st Annual Fudge And Other Equally Tasty Sugared Treats Baking Shindig.' Sunday night we got together for some much needed laughs, carefree livin' and sugar buzzin'. The thing with getting together with my sisters and mom is that we laugh and laugh and laugh. I have some of the funnest times with them.

Here we are in our cute little aprons.....awwww!! Remember when I told you that my mom can't keep her eyes open worth a damn in photographs...and that my sister Amanda is next in line for screwing up the picture?? They struck again.

See me and Amber in the middle looking all pretty and picture perfect? And then the outsiders being dorks? That's pretty much how it goes every time. I have come to accept it.

Bronsynn was along for the ride because, well, she is a Madsen and the only girl grandkid, and she's more like a sister than a niece although still very much a niece...does that make sense?? Anyway, Aiden and Dallin were there for a little bit waiting to be picked up by their Dad and Aiden got to help Bronsynn get the peanut clusters started...he was so excited.

Amanda (she always takes good pictures when she is alone, the dork):

Amber:

Me! (Morgan said I looked like Raggity Ann in my slipper socks and retro apron. Ha! I love Raggity Ann!!):

And all the wonderful sugared treats that we get to snarf down and hand out to blessed neighbors....

Caramels:

English Toffee:

Fudge:

And Peanut Clusters:

also renamed as Steamin' Piles of Poo Stew...for obvious reasons.

Loves it!!

Zoo Lights

My family got together Saturday night to go and see the Zoo Lights at Hogle Zoo. They have some pretty cool light displays.

I love all the animal animations that they have. The kids loved seeing all the different animals lit up. There weren't many real animals to be seen but they sure did have a ball with the reptile displays. I loved Aiden's reaction to the boa constrictor. I can't even write it down cuz it wouldn't be the same. It was freezing cold as shown here:

And the boys got to ride the Carousel. I went with Aiden and he had to ride a tiger so he is giving his best roar:

And these are only some of the animal lights:

This one of the frog hitting the other frog in the eye while trying to get the fly was my absolute favorite:

If you go, just make sure to put on several layers, your snow pants, warm boots, beanies, scarves, super warm gloves and don't forget Hot Chocolate. We had all of those and it was still freaking freezing.

Just Hangin' Out

Friday my work let the whole office go at 3:00 so that we wouldn't have to drive home in the crappy snow during Rush Hour. That was super awesome. But I didn't head home...instead I went to my parents cuz I had something I needed to take to her and this way I got to play with my nephews who I haven't seen in awhile. I just love being able to play with them. Mom wanted to do something fun with her boys so she got out the sugar cookies and my mom made some homemade frosting. While they were getting that all set up, Aiden and I went on a quest for some knowledge. I loved watching Aiden eat up all kinds of information. We learned about mixing colors to make new colors, spiders, snakes, gorillas, brains, birds, Utah's state bird, the Rocky Mtns and this is him teaching me how an engine works:

So freaking cute. I love his imagination.

Here they are with Mom cutting out the cookies:

And Dallin grubbin' down on the frosting:

I love these guys!!

Christmas Parties Are Super Fun!

So Friday night was my work Christmas party and I love going. Every year we meet at the Jeremy Ranch Golf and Country Club and have appetizers and drinks and then sit down for a big fancy dinner. Everyone gets dressed up and everyone knows how much I likes to get dressed up!

So here is us goofing off before the party:

My husband straight belongs in GQ. Check out that professional posing!

Pics snapped at the party:

My favorite people at work - Heidi (left) and Ruth (right):

And this is us goofing off after the party:

Look! I'm Iron Man!!

I just love being silly with my man! He's my favorite!