Santa at our Christmas party

Ben and I were in charge of the ward Christmas party (and the Halloween party, which is why I have no Halloween pictures of our kids).  This time I made a real effort to enjoy some time with the kids and not run around like crazy.  I even slowed down long enough to sing a duet with a friend.  In front of everyone.   There is a facebook photo somewhere as proof, but I totally want credit from whomever is in charge of assigning credit for such things.  I've been living for a while with a series of deadlines and I'm really hoping that we can all relax for the holidays and just enjoy each other.  (serenity now?)   Maybe even get healthy!  Obviously, my kids enjoyed themselves and I just need to chill out.  

In any case, Merry Christmas to all!

The first 40 years

40 years ago my parents got married.

Aren't they cute?

The stories about their courtship and early marriage used to be  pretty funny to me.  I mean, really?  Parents aren't people.   Lives before kids are clearly only mythical.  I suppose the possibility exists that they had interests and such, but I really doubted it.  After all, if they liked each other so much why did they introduce all us kids?  Clearly, they were bored.  

And then there were 3

But truly, parents only exist for us kids, right?

Obviously, they thought I was so marvelous they
decided to have more kids.      

 Anyone who doubts kids don't come with personalities needs to see this picture, and Sheldon hamming it up for the camera.

fast forward a few years and you have all 8 kids!

Then came the good part (or so my mother assures me).  Grandkids!

There's just a few of us, now

I may be just the tiniest bit prejudiced, but I believe my parents are the two most awesome people on the face of the earth.  And the most patient, considering they raised me and didn't go crazy in the process.  And longsuffering since they still put up with me.  

Now that they are done with the diapers and carpools they get to travel the world as adventurers!

Germany

Maybe in another 40 years they will finally get to travel with just the two of them ALONE?

Nobody took any pictures in November

But Ben and I attended a dining out.  Which is like an Air Force prom.  I am fairly impressed that we made it at all considering we were at the hospital a mere hour before this photo was taken.  Not for us, but for the neighbor across the street who was babysitting a child who had a breathing emergency.   You should be very impressed that I bought a fancy dress and even got my nails done did and my hair done did by a professional.  Fancy!

And mom, see the pretty earrings you bought me for my birthday?  I should probably send you pictures of all the other sparklies you financed.  Deanna (who got her ears pierced for her birthday) is especially appreciative.   

November wasn't our best month ever.  There weren't more than 3 days in a row the entire month where someone didn't stay home sick from school or come home sick.  The trend has continued into December and I am ready for it to be over.  Someone please send the health fairy our way for Christmas, please?

Octobre

In October we:

replaced the swamp coolers with a/c units
The whole neighborhood came out to
watch the crane lift them onto our roof

Went to the zoo

With Noah's kinder class

Hosted 2 halloween parties

And actually decorated for Halloween (kind of)

failed to get pictures of the kids in their costumes

But took pics when we gutted our punkins!

Knives and kids, what could possibly go wrong?

In

Fourth time is the charm

Except for Talia and I, who were at bells practice, and the lazy teenagers who wouldn't get out of bed.

Glow

watching the balloons inflate

The German balloon.  It's a pig and says 'gut'.  I love this
(plus:  Sparkasse!)

Being weight on the basket earned Ben a pin.
He wants to be chase crew for next year.  

one balloon thunderstorm Friday morning

I would like to point out that we became very diligent about checking the weather and the fiesta website before each of these failed trips.  However, by the time a dawn patrol and glow and ascension is cancelled, it's already time for the thing to start and if we weren't already at the park we'd be stuck in traffic.  I'm fairly sure this is just an elaborate hoax to make sure as many people as possible have to pay to park.  Or maybe all the money is in the food sales?  In any case, the 'good' weather we left in quickly deteriorated into a thunderstorm and a downpour of rain.  This is the safety patrol balloon, who usually flies the dawn patrol (the lady in charge was hilariously arguing with the fiesta officials).  Irony being if they had gone when scheduled they would have been done flying by the time the storm hit, but the officials made everyone delay to see what the storm would do.  And then the whole shebang was cancelled.  Except for the chainsaw carving.  

no-balloon fiesta Thursday Night

The German balloonists!  

At least we all enjoyed the fireworks!

The first part of October

The husband took a tour bus tour of the Trinity site, where the world's first nuclear bomb was set off.  It's not that far from here, but the site is closed to the public except for one weekend in the spring and one in the autumn.

The ranch house

restored 'clean' room entry

Trinitite--radioactive glass fused from the heat of the explosion

Our second bell choir concert

We attempted to attend the Albuquerque international balloon fiesta on the first day of the fiesta.  After making it through horrendous traffic and wandering in late, the whole shebang was cancelled.  So we walked around and bought outrageously epensive food and collected balloon cards.  

The only balloon we saw even halfway inflated, the winds
were too gusty to even let the balloons inflate and glow.  

NASA tent