A White Christmas Afterall

It has been a bit cold in Utah. Lady Hiva and I are trying to cope with that drastic change. However, our Lucky Dragon has adapted quite nicely. This past week was enjoyable. It was special because for the first time in a LONG time we were able to celebrate Christmas with the extended family.

On Christmas Eve Lady Hiva spent the day making delicious candy and cooking for the evening with her siblings. That sounds great but it meant I was banished to do some last minute shopping to several stores with included going into Wal-Mart---a store I struggle with normally let alone with crazed candy filled, over stressed parents running around viciously trying to find the perfect toy (I wanted to tell them they should have not waited so long) There were times that I wondered if the three small items I was buying was worth dealing with the rude crowds and long lines. But I am happy to say that I survived!

The party with Lady Hiva's family was fun. If you are looking for a place to torture yourself, this is the place to go. We played "Pie Face" the hit game of the season where you twist a roller in anticipation of a large gloop of whipped cream to slam into your face. The next game up was rolling a dice and eating jelly bellies where you had a 50/50 chance of the bean being a fruity normal flavor or some horrendous flavor like vomit, skunk, stinky socks and rotten eggs. We had our share of laughs watching people gag, cry, make faces, and in my case, I ate a vomit flavored bean that kicked in my gag reflexes and I spent the next five minutes heaving over the rubbish bin---yeah it was a great night!

Making Cricut houses to put Lady Hiva's homemade candy in it

Playing "Heads up"

Tasting Jelly Beans

Feel the anger

On our way home it took nearly two hours to make a trip that usually takes under 40 minutes because of the heavy snow.  There were some nerve wracking moments when I thought for sure we would wreck, but happily we made it home alright.

My little helper with the snow. He has decided that his lawn mower is a snow plow and loves to "push the lawn mower." As we were pushing snow one of our neighbors walked by who has straggly long hair and a beard and Tau'aho loudly said, "Look Daddy, it is Jesus!" The neighbor started to laugh and was laughing all the way up the street until he went into his house. I am glad that our little guy sees the best in people when it seems it is easy for adults to see all the negative. Oh the pure love of a child.

Christmas Day was fun. Tau'aho was so excited to open presents and would not even look at the toy until he had pulled EVERY LITTLE PIECE of paper off of the box, no matter how small. He loved his trucks and balls--of course. We next braved the scary weather and snow again to drive to Southern Utah. Talk about more pressure to make a scary drive. Again, with slow and steady going, we made it.

Singing Kareoke

We spent the next two days enjoying the outdoors--even when it was cold I could not feel my fingers--and loved every minute of it. We fed cows, rode horses, tubed and rode sleds in the powder snow, froze so cold my jeans literally stayed in the same shape after I took them off!

It was a special week, one that we feel so blessed and happy. We are glad we are near family so often and our little guy can develop relationships with them.