breathing easy (well, easiER, anyway)

I have been looking forward to the New Year, like I always do, as a chance to re-boot.  Kind of like the beginning of each month.  Or week.  Or day.  I  guess I need lots of re-booting. :)  We really enjoyed the holidays though.  It was nice not to worry about school for a while.  We stayed in town for the first week of break, getting stuff done.  I wrote out a list of ideas for what the kids and I could do.

It was actually nice not to try and fill in all our time with stuff to do, I have to say.  We just needed a week to sit in our jammies, watch TV, and eat. *As a side note, we did do a few of the list things, just not ALL of them.*  Christmas Eve we had our first piano recital with the Smiths (their daughter is our teacher).  It was fun!  Rachel was so excited when it was time to go, because she got her boots on all by herself.

The kids did the nativity -

And we had a grand time on Christmas morning.  The kids were all thrilled with all their loot, including a kitchen, a barbie house (one of my all-night projects), plants vs. zombies on the iPad, and lots of crinkly paper to try and eat.  I think I was the luckiest girl of all because I got three new toilets for Christmas.  YEAH!  It was one of those things that you don't know about your house until you move in and live there for a while...that the toilets are probably original to the home and you usually have to flush twice if you know what I mean.  Ick.  So, let's hear it for new toilets, YIPEE!  Kip got p90x, so we'll give it a shot (except we probably won't follow the diet to the letter)and  see if we get super buff.

The second week of break we headed to Grand Junction, which was fun also.  The kids always love seeing all their cousins and they had a chance to make tamales, see a movie, sled, hike, swim, play games, basketball, you name it.    Here is McKinley at the beginning of her first big hike:

And then at the end:

All tuckered out.

Rachel and Dad:

Ella "sledding;"

and Caleb and Dallin at the mica mine:

Caleb also lost his other other front tooth New Year's Eve, so he is an official jack-o-lantern.

We thought maybe this would be the year that the older two might make it to ring in the new year, but alas, everything fell to pieces by about 10:30 so the kids all went to bed and Kip and I watched TV with Mom and Dad T until midnight, then we went to bed.  Happy New Year! :)

Back at home, we spent Monday buying a new washer and dryer.  I know, new toilets AND a washer and dryer.  When we moved into this house, the former owner "kindly" offered to leave behind her set since she was moving into an apartment and didn't need it anymore.  We thought that was great!  Our old ones still worked, but not well.  After we moved in, we realized why she left them...the washer leaked into the basement and the dryer sounded like a 747 taking off.  After a view visits with an appliance repairman, and over $400, they were both fixed, and in his words, should last another 20 years.  We thought "Well, at least we got a nicer, newer set for $400-some odd dollars."  Wrong again.  Right after the 90 day guarantee expired, the dryer started overheating and set off the fire alarm; and we noticed a lovely water puddle downstairs and figured out the washer was leaking again.  DOH.  But we're certainly not putting any more money into these machines.  We did find some we liked, they are supposed to be delivered in about 1 1/2 weeks.  Until then, we're limping along doing loads on "small" (so it won't leak) and "low" (so it won't set off the alarm).  Better than a kick in the pants, I guess!

The kids are back in school and it has it's ups and downs, but generally is good.  We've gotten Christmas cleaned up and New Year's resolutions written, although after reading George Albert Smith's "personal creed" that he wrote at age 34 and lived by his whole life, I might need to do some revising. Maybe a few more lofty goals that have to do with helping other people, for example, although "getting a last will and living trust" is also important and much needed.

Ella lost another tooth also, and Rachel is doing fine on the potty (with the exception of one really bad day in GJ).  She is still at the stage where she must strip completely naked in order to use the bathroom, usually someplace besides the bathroom.  We surprised and delighted some Christmas carolers earlier in the season when she came to the door to listen with no pants on. McKinley scoots and rolls all over, chews up anything you give her, hollers when she needs something, and is an all around cutie pie.  Her two teeth are excellent chompers as I well know, having been a sometime chew toy myself.  (ow)

Everyone is doing just fine, and we are enjoying this new year!