One More Goodbye and Some New Year's Joy

On the 30th we said goodbye to our final visitors of the holidays. Boo. It was so fun having everyone here!

Grandma and Grandpa enjoy relaxing as much as the rest of us do, and with the colds they were nursing upon arrival, as well as Luke's fever, that was our main activity during their visit: relaxing. No complaining here! After a busy Christmas week and an amazing baptism, it was quite nice to just hang out. Adam, Zach and Nicolle went out for sushi one day, and we all caught Bolt in 3-D at the theater (Pixar, you've done it again!), but other than that, we just took it easy. We are so glad they came in spite of not feeling 100%, and having to brave the snow-covered hills in the NW to get to us!

Even though the visits are well-worth the goodbyes, they are always sad. And with the quick holiday visits from my family an Adam's, it felt like we were saying one goodbye after the other. My friend Kendra, in a recent blog post, said that she always has the blues for a bit after spending time with family and then having to return to normal life. It is so true! Our house feels so empty and quiet; and the visits reminded us of just how much we really miss you all! Come again soon!

Anyhow, we had such a great time with Grandma and Grandpa here, I had to post a few more pictures:

Whatcha doin' Grandpa?

Fishy kisses from Grandma Nicolle brought me these lovely roses (aren't they a cool color?!) after a delicious sushi lunch (the less "posh" Dan and the "not-cool-enough-for-that" I opted out...not yummy!) I love fresh flowers, and have been frequently gazing at them with a contented sigh since she brought them home.
The Boys with Grandma and Grandpa
During their visit we had some nice and warmish, but pretty blustery days--here's snow blowing off Pike's Peak.

We also had a great New Year's Eve! As most of you know, NYE is a pretty mellow night once you have kids. So, no, we didn't go to a hot party or out for a fancy night on the town. Actually, it was just the kind of night we love...quiet, games, goodies, friends and a lot of laughter. First, the six of us had a New Year's feast, including sparkling cider and...wait for it...leftovers!! Yeah, yeah, no big special dinner, but, hey, isn't cleaning out your fridge a good start to the New Year? That was followed by a "fireworks" display put on by the boys, featuring four large boxes of Pop-Its, courtesy of Grandma. Finally, we made some resolutions (awww, j-eah, now she's got it!) all together, tucked the boys in, wished them a Happy New Year with kisses and hugs and went to answer the knock at the door. Our friends, Jenn and Vern Maloy, were able to sneak over to our house for the evening, kid-free, thanks to Jenn's very nice parents who are in town for a visit. They brought some new games they got for Christmas, popcorn and nuts to munch on; and we supplied the candy-because we always have that in abundance around here. Oink, oink. They are such a great couple and we had so much fun ringing in 2009 with them!

We learned surprising things about each other! Such as: Adam thinks I would rather date a mustache-less Tom Selleck than a one-legged Johnny Depp (seriously?! We're talking Johnny Depp for goodness sakes! Officer Tom Hansen, Edward Scissorhands, Captian Jack Sparrow! A little odd maybe, but always hot, even without a leg! Not that Tom Selleck is all that bad...for a guy older than my dad!) and Adam would rather smoke 100 cigarettes through his nostrils than lick 10 New York City public telephone mouth pieces (ug...). Thanks, Would You Rather? hosted by Howie Mandel on DVD, for the information I never wanted to know about my spouse and friends! Later in the evening, Adam was found to be the Ultimate Cheater! Awesome! We watched the ball drop in New York and toasted to a great 2009; and if '09 is anywhere near as enjoyable as last night, I am sure it will be great!And a New Year's kiss for my One and Only. Don't worry, we took this after Jenn and Vern left so we didn't gross them out...instead I decided to post it and gross all of you out!

New Year's Day found Adam and the boys at the nearby middle school meeting up with some of the guys from the ward for a New Year's Bowl. He says they now plan on having one every holiday. My favorite upcoming bowl? The Love Bowl! In the pictures below, Adam is in green, Ben's in the yellow jacket, and Zach is in the bottom picture in the black hoodie.

Josh got in on a few plays before he started grouching about everything. We thought he was just cold from the wind and grumpy from not getting enough sleep over a handful of busy weeks. I was headed to the Y for a run, so I took him with me so he could go to child watch where it is warm and he always has fun. When I picked him up he looked terrible...I took one look at him and knew...the fever had found another victim. The child care workers said, "He looks really tired. Were you guys up late last night?" Uh, Josh wasn't. He was so pale and sad! I felt horrible. Poor Joshie! And so sorry to every child in the room and their families! I hope he didn't share his germs too much! I couldn't believe the child watch workers didn't figure it out and call me back. When we got home I was taking his temperature (which was 102.4) when he said, "Mom, I have tears in my eyes, and I need to go to bed now." So we snuggled into his blankets and I held him until he fell asleep, which didn't take long! He got a wee nap and was feeling much better after, plus the dose of Children's Advil did its work. Thank goodness for modern medicine! Hopefully this won't hit all the boys, and that Josh will move through it quickly! Not an awesome way to start out the New Year, but maybe it just means we are getting the yucks out of the way and will be clear for the rest of '09! Too much to hope for? Nah!

Happy New Year Everyone!! Have a Wonderful 2009!