Hibernation

Alex has the right idea. This is exactly what I wish I could do this time of year. Crawl under my pillows and blankets and sleep through the winter. Oh, to be a bear...

Home for the Holidays

We were very fortunate to be able to go "home" for Christmas this year. Home as in Napa, CA. Utah may be my primary residence, but Napa is home. Steve and I started the trip off on a great note by going to the Oakland Temple. My parents were working at the temple that day so it was neat to be there with them. I hadn't been to the Oakland Temple in years, and it was Steve's first time there. We loved how majestic it is and how you can see across the Bay over to San Francisco from the temple.

The next day, I left my heart in San Francisco, but I also lost my cool somewhere between Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39. We love going to the City as a family... but without fail every time... and I mean EVERY time, we end up getting very "testy" with each other as I am trying to maneuver the streets of San Francisco, looking for a parking place that doesn't cost a million dollars an hour, with 2 back seat drivers who think they are "helping". By the time we end up pulling into a parking stall (in the SAME garage we park in every time and should have just parked at in the first place), my blood pressure is soaring and I am thinking about feeding my family to the sharks. But... all is not lost. What is the cure for restoring a little family love and unity? An authentic San Francisco sourdough bread bowl filled with delicious soup or chowder...

Alex's favorite part was watching the Sea Lions, he could have sat there for hours.

Alex helping to tell the Christmas Story on Christmas Eve.

Can't forget to leave a treat for Santa! This was the perfect age for Alex this year, old enough to really get what is going on, but young enough to completely believe with no reservations.

Christmas morning, waiting patiently to see if Santa came...

Love his expression here...

Here he is saying, "Oh my gosh!!"

Pure joy!

It was nice to have Christmas on a Sunday this year.

Soooo much good food... every single day. My motto for the week was "Weight Watchers, what's that?"

Aunt Lesley and cousin Weston teaching Alex how to play his new Candy Land game.

Of course, no trip to Napa would be complete without a drive "up the Valley" enhanced by a stop for lunch at Taylors. Nothing like eating outside in the sunshine in December.

Then a nice walk through Alston Park to work off the garlic fries we just ate.

I'm so lucky to have grown up in such a beautiful place. We had a really great visit. Alex was like my mom's little shadow and kept her busy doing puzzles and reading books. We were sooo glad that my brother Brett and his new wife Jessica got back from New York in time to see us before we left. Steph and her cousin took the ferry to San Francisco the day before we left also. At the end of each visit, as we are driving back I think of all the things that I had hoped to do but forgot or didn't have a chance. I guess we'd better go back this summer to cross those things off our list!

"Decking the Halls"

I had a one of those moments the other day where your motherly intuition is telling you that perhaps you should go see what your 4 year old is doing... but you're too wrapped up in watching that DVR'd episode of last night's Glee to pause it and check on said 4 year old. 4 year old was extremely proud of his "decorations" he put up (in an astonishly short amount of time, I have no idea how he did it so quickly), that I couldn't get mad and I couldn't bear to take it down for a few days.

Way to get into the Christmas spirit, little man!

Now that Alex is getting older, I really want to create memories for him during the holidays. Alex and I kicked off the month by going to the Festival of Trees and had a great time, went to a showing of The Polar Express at the movie theatre, but otherwise really haven't done much.
We haven't gone to see the lights at Temple Square for a few years and thought it would be a lovely way to spend a Sunday evening.

Now, I love my husband dearly, but I really must remember that these types of outings are funner without him. He dislikes crowds, and no matter when you go to Temple Square at Christmastime... there's just no getting around it. Consequently, he turns into the Grinch and I get ticked off because he's putting a damper on my mission to make a memory.

Did Alex enjoy it? Hard to say. Poor little guy kept having to pee every 15 minutes because it was so cold outside. I did get a few nice pictures though...

I got Alex and I (without Steve) back on the Christmas spirit path today by making Christmas cookies. Baking and decorating sugar cookies with a 4 year old turned into a 3 hour long chore, but seeing how excited he was to deliver plates to neighbors made it all worthwhile. Especially when our Hispanic neighbor answered the door to see this cute little guy proclaim, "FELIZ NAVIDAD!!"

boys will be boys...

What is it with boys and sleeping with their hands down their pants? I promise there isn't any "monkey business" going on here... just for warmth I suppose? With his hand propped behind his head and mouth wide open snoring, he looks just like his dad. Alex just saw this picture and said that he's not sleeping, just resting his eyes. He must have heard his dad say that in church one day... ha ha

Thanksgiving Fun and Surprises

Our Thanksgiving festivities began this year with a "Thanksgiving Feast" at Alex's preschool. I was excited that I was able to go help. It was fun to see what Alex does at preschool each day.

A few days before Thanksgiving, Steve received an early Christmas gift. His sister from Mississippi, along with her family had travelled out to Utah but kept it a surprise from Steve. We went over to his nephew's house for dinner Tuesday night, you can imagine his shock when Josephine and her family popped out of one of the bedrooms! It's been great getting to spend time with them this week. We had a lovely Thanksgiving, divided into sections. Part One: a "Southern Style" Thanksgiving with Steve's family, complete with cornbread, homemade mac 'n cheese and black eyed peas. Part Two: a traditional "white folks" Thanksgiving meal with my sister and her family, then Part Three; back to Steve's nephew's house for leftovers from both feasts!

A Lilly Family dance party... black folks sure know how to have a good time (although I must confess, I appointed myself as photographer and videographer because I was a little self conscious about being the only white person dancing... don't get me wrong, I can hold my own on the dance floor, but still...)

Alex's new look... I call it, "Justin Bieber meets Joe Jonas with a pinch of Chris Brown for a little added color".

The Definition of a Missionary

I came across a quote the other day that I absolutely fell in love with. It says,

"mis-sion-ary (noun) a person who leaves their family for a while, so others can be with their
FAMILIES FOREVER"

My heart aches tonight as we just learned of a young man who went to Kearns High that Steph and Steve knew. He was nearing the end of his mission in Texas and was tragically killed, along with another missionary while riding their bikes. I can't begin to imagine the devastation and heartache these elder's families are feeling right now. I can only pray that the Lord will wrap His arms around them and bring them peace and hope at this time.

This also hits close to home as our family has 3 missionaries out in the field right now. I am so proud of these young men and am strengthened by their examples. I am also in awe of the strength of their mothers who bravely send their sons off for two years. The very thought of one day doing the same with Alex is more than I can fathom.

In the meantime, all I can do is continue to pray daily for these young men as I also pray that one day my son will be as valiant as his cousins.
Elder Kujanpaa- Indonesia

Elder Eide- Brazil

Elder Cragun- Baltimore, Maryland

Halloween Happenings

A few weeks ago, we had a church activity where the kids could dress up. We didn't have an official Halloween costume figured out for Alex yet, so Steph and I threw this together last minute and it turned out pretty dang cute if I can say so myself...

In this picture, Steve was so impressed because he thought Alex was demonstrating the proper technique for catching a football... I didn't have the heart to tell him he was actually making the "U" sign for the Utah Utes.

We took advantage of the beautiful (probably for the last time) weather last weekend to go to the pumpkin patch.

Yesterday was the Halloween party for preschool. The parents lined the sidewalk for the kids to parade in their costumes, then they performed a Halloween song for us.

My sister made her son an adorable squirrel costume some 20 years ago which we turned into a chipmunk. Alex has been on an Alvin and the Chipmunks kick lately and thought this costume was pretty cool!

Alex and his beloved "Miss Tami".