E and K see Mary Poppins!

Tuesday night was the big night! Time for Mary Poppins!

We went to California Pizza Kitchen for dinner and while we were waiting kenedy wandered around looking at all the decorations. Notice her fancy socks? She asked if it was OK for her to wear them and I said "go for it". I think she looks adorable



Ordering her dinner. :0)

Outside th eparking garage under the restuarant they had curbside pickup for the theater. We wee told they picked up every few minutes but when we went outside we discovered we just missed the last ride. Oh No. Another van came along and said he would take us even though it wasn't his route. Between you and me I don't think he was telling the truth and was just trying to get extra tip money. but whatever, he took us and we made it in time for the show.





Mary Poppins was fun. the play was very different from the movie which I didn't really like but there were some fun stunts and I liked how they did the supercalifrag number. Overall I really don't have a desire to see it again but it was good to experience.

After the show we went outside and waited for our ride back to our cars. the first one that came along only had room for some of our group so me, Heather, Ashleigh and Kenedy were left behind. Oh well we got a cute picture out of it!

E and K in California!

So I am finally posting pictures from our trip to California. Despite Kenedys earlier reluctance about this trip she did start to get very excited about going.

Our flight left at 6:30am and so we had to get out of bed pretty early, Kenedy was not thrilled about that but it meant we arrived in Cali at 9:30am which was really nice. We took this picture at the airport while waiting for our flight. do we look tired? :0)

Avynlea and her Aunt Erin are very close and proclaim to be best friends forever. When avynlea saw me wearing my BFF necklace that Heather gave me, she had to get something for her and Erin. She bought the best friends keychain with her own money and was very excited for Erin to have it.

Here is Erin with her half of the keychain. Do you also see the cute ladybug barrette in her hair? She made it and decided to give one to Avynlea so they could also have BFF barrettes.

here are a couple random pictures of kenedy in Cali. heather bought Taylor Swifts newest cd and on it in the special features were her music videos and makings of. So one morning was spent watching all of that.

yummy See's candy sucker from grandma that she was slurping on while watching the videos.

A picture of the kid happy to be in California.

Stepping into the box

After we opened and played a little with our new presents we headed over to Keffords parents for some more Christmas fun. Now while I didn't get any pictures of our gifts, our HUGE "stocking" boxes, or Bob and Alison opening their gifts from all of us kids (a picture puzzle for Bob and a custom calendar for Alison), I did manage to get pictures of some of the kids playing in a box. I think Trevor got a new gun for Christmas and when Ryker and Avynlea saw the tall box it came in they had to try it out.





The next day Ryker took apart some boxes to build himself a little city. He even had a Target and parking lots. I love his creative mind!

Present time, present time, open the present, see what's inside!

Finally we all got to open our long awaited presents. We go in order starting with the youngest. Everybody has to sit on the couch unless it is their turn to open a present then they get to sit in the middle of the room so the rest of us can watch and see what they get.

First up was Rylee and the first present she got to open was one that Ryker and Kenedy picked out for her.

Now it's Avynleas turn!

A Three Musketeer Barbie Doll! This was high on her list of wanting items and so she was really excited to get it.

Ryker got a really heavy item to open first.

A set of real tools. He saw some at the store and kept telling Kefford that he needed real tools now that he was older. Those fake tools just don't cut it anymore. The real tools kinda make me nervous thinking of all the destruction he could do with them but maybe he will surprise me. :0)

Finally Kenedy gets to open her first present.

A Three Musketeer Barbie for her too! All three of my girls wanted one this year. I thought I got the colors right but after they were opened I was told that Kenedy wanted the purple and Avy wanted pink. Oh well, but they were gracious about it so it was all good. Rylee got a little Kelly doll Three Musketeer that came on a little pony.

I opened my first present from Kenedy and found a candy thermometer. I wasn't sure if it was more for me or for her. She wanted to make candy the other day and had to borrow a candy thermometer from our neighbor. She will get as much use out of it as I will so I guess it is for both of us!

What did kefford open from Santa?

A new Boise State hat! Isn't he so cute?
This is where I got tired of taking pictures and had to stop for a while so I could enjoy all the gift opening without stressing about getting the perfect picture. but when it was time for Kenedyto open her next present I had to document it.

Reading it over trying to figure out what her gift is. OK so I will stop the suspense and tell you that what it was, was an itenerary for me and her to fly to california for a week. Back in May I found out my family were buying tickets to go see Mary Poppins the Broadway tour in LA. I thought that it sounded like fun so I bought two tickets for me and Kenedy and thought I would give them to her at christmas along with the flight. How fun for us to go together and spend time with each other and my family without her siblings. Great present right? Hmmm. Fast forward to December and when the kids are writing out their wish lists. Kenedys was a little ridiculous. She had anthing and everything on that list, a motor scooter, every toy imaginable, camera, video camera, a baby sister! I had to sit her down and tell her that those big items are not going to happen. I will do my best to find some of her smaller wishes, like the barbie, but I already had her big present and it was really cool. She was down with that and I thought everything was grand. Until she started telling people how glad she was not to go to California this year..WHAT? Seriously she was so excited that we did not have plans to go to California becasue she really didn't want to go. I finally questioned her on this and she said she doesn't like going on Christmas becasue she can't stay and play with her new things and she doesn't like going before becasue we don't get to open presents until we get back. Well no worries right? We were not leaving until a couple days after and this time is different becasue it was just me and her.
So now I am very excited as she is opening her gift...

Finally i take pity on her confusion and blurt out that we are going to California together, yay I am so excited! Uh-oh. Can you see in the picture how she is processing that. Maybe you can't tell but that expression says it all. She. is. not. happy. Wanna see?

Yup, what happened next was a full on screaming tantrum! She was crying she was yelling she was mad! Finally we made her go to her room to calm down. I lt terrible, I really thought she would be excited. kefford finally went upstairs to calm her down and talk to her. She confessed to Kefford that she hates flying becasue she always gets sick and that is why she doesn't want to go. He talked to her and told her how much fun it would be and it was a different airline and it would be a smooth ride so she would be ok. She finally came down and apologized and we went on with Christmas. Don't worry she eventually thought it all over and became more and more excited about the trip. going to see Mary Poppins, seeing her cousin Alyssa, just me and her, it really grew on her so that when it was all said and done she realized she got a pretty great gift. But boy was it DRAMA! I guess in hindsight I should have just told her beforehand and let her ease into it but I never thought that this would her reaction. live and learn!

Kefford got a Cleveland Cavaliers shirt. He really likes that basketball team and so I was excited when I thought to get his a shirt.

Rylee got the Ariel baby she was longing for. Anytime she was asked what she wanted for Christmas she said and Ariel Baby. Rylee loves playing with babies!

I also got Kefford a Lakers T-shirt. He has to support the Lakers bacasue I am from California and my famiily are huge fans. I think he is cool with it!

We took the kids to the dollar store and let them pick presents for each other. Avynlea saw these funny glasses and insisted on getting them for Ryker. He thought they were resally funny, there is a wind-up on the nose to make the mustache wiggle back and forth...so cute!
After all the present opening the kids really enjoyed hanging out and playing with their new toys!

Avynlea got quite a few Barbis this year and was in heaven playing with those. I think she likes owning her own now and not having to only play with Kenedys.

Rylee loves her new Baby and carried it around all day long!

And Kenedy had playing our new WII game "Babies first steps".
Despite the drama moment we all had a really fun Christmas. My favorite present is the one I am using right now, my own netbook computer! At some point I will have to post some pictures of it in all it's cuteness glory. but for now I will just enjoy being able to type whenever, and wherever I am at.

Christmas Morning

When we put the kids to bed we told them they were not to get up until 7:00 the next morning. It worked and at 7:00 i got up to go to the bathroom and when I came out Kenedy was waiting for me. She went around and woke up her brother and sisters and they got their stockings and climbed into bed with me and Kefford to open their stockings. In our house Santa wraps all of the stocking stuffers and leaves them on our beds. It is something I grew up with and I love the tradition.

After the stockings were opened the kids had to go get dressed and be ready to go downstairs and open the presents under the tree. Now let me stop here and explain something. In my family we spent Christmas lounging around in our pajamas..all day long. We always got new pajamas and we wore them all day. Of course if we were going to Grandmas and Grandpas we changed into our clothes but if not the day was spent, happily, in our pajamas. Kefford did not grow up that way. They were not allowed out of their rooms on Christmas morning until they were completely dressed and ready for the day. I don't know why but that is what his dad insisted on. I like my traditions and Kefford likes his traditions, so our compromise is pajamas to open stockings and dressed to open presents. I really don't like it but that is what compromising is all about. I think I am going to push really hard for my way next year!

So now the kids are dressed and we let them come downstairs one at a time. It is supposed to be in order of age but Ryker already snuck down the stairs to take a peek so his punishment was to go down last. I know, how mean are we? :0)


the tree and all the presents!

Twas the night before Christmas

Kefford had to work until mid-afternoon and so I was a little worried about how the day would go with the kids all excited and him not here to help keep the calm. I decided to make it a lazy, easygoing type of day and that seemed to work out pretty well. Every year the kiddos get a new ornament and this year I bought little wooden elves that they could color and then we would stick their pictures in them.




They did a good job coloring and when it was time to put their pictures in I realized I made their faces a little too big for the cutout. But you know they looked really cute even if they were a little silly. Rylee was scribble coloring pretty colors all over hers and then grabbed black and colored that all over what she had done. It trned out interesting!


They also got to open their new pajamas to wear to bed. Don't they look oh so cute? I, of course, have to follow in the traditions of my youth and take the "new pajamas in front of the Christmas tree" picture. if you make the picture bigger maybe you can see them holding their new ornaments!