The Man of My Dreams

Nate turned 35 last week. That means I have pretty much known him half of his life. When we met in high school he was this cute, funny, and completely clueless teenager. I was just head over heals in love. I chased him relentlessly. . .ok, maybe I wasn't quite that bad. He went on his mission. . .very dedicated to his calling. Despite difficulties with his mission president he knew who he was really there for and had a wonderful mission. He came back slightly wiser, but not wise enough to marry me right then. We have grown together for many years. Really, we have gained a lot of wisdom together. He has been the source of complete frustration and utter joy in my life (just joy now, of course). Nate is the Father that every kid should have. His children adore him and are totally loyal to him above all others. For his birthday he took Ben to a Jazz game. The girls and I were going to have a girls night and we did, after some disappointment on there end that they couldn't go with Dad. Apparently, I really need to up my fun factor.
Last night Nate had to work late. I was tired and kind of ornery when he got home. The kids were stir crazy. So, instead of relaxing and watching TV after a 12 hour day, he played games with me and the kids and then let me lay on the couch and watch TV while he did the dishes afterward. I just love him. He is a year older and a year wiser and a year more wonderful. He is the man of my dreams. Happy Birthday.

New Year's Eve

We saw "Tangled". It was super cute and I loved it. Then we marched around the house around 10pm to celebrate the New Year. Hey, my kids are not wise enough to check the time yet. Maybe next year we will actually have to let them stay up until midnight.

The Best Christmas Ever!!!!

Christmas is always fun. We were definitely on the go this year. Back and forth between our Ogden abode to Utah County for parties and entertainment. By the time the Stalker Family Christmas Eve was done I was ready for a long winter's nap. At about 9pm we finally loaded up in the van for out treck back to Ogden. Nate opened the sliding door to throw a couple more things in....and you will not believe what happened. The door just fell off. It was hilarious (well, I found it funny. Nate did not find it so funny as he was trying to get the door back on.). All I could think was "How are we going to get home without a van door?" I ran inside and got a couple more strong arms to help Nate out. Luckily they were able to shove the door back on and we were able to still go home. (We just got it fixed to the tune of $175). At any rate, the crisis was averted. It reminded me of many years ago when my family went out to dinner on Christmas Eve. The only place we could find open was a Wienerschnitzel. We all filled our belly's on super grease and we were ready to head home for Santa. Out to the car we went only to discover that my Dad had locked the keys in the car. Oh, the fear I had that I was going to miss Santa Claus. I am sure the kids were a bit worried about that same thing.
Well, anyway, we did get on the road. Arriving home pretty late. The kids all slept in Ben's room. Shockingly, they fell asleep pretty quick. Then, all we had to do is wait for morning. We woke up about 8am and had a delightful time opening presents. The kids kept saying "This is the best Christmas Ever". It was very satisfying that they were so happy. The kids made us books for Christmas. They were great with pictures and stories included. Nate and I were a bit slow and didn't get around to shopping for eachother. However, Nate, being the better one, did buy me a necklace that I love. Then I went out and bought maternity clothes on super sale after Christmas. We havent' really gotten anything for Nate yet. His birthday came up right after Christmas so it sord of threw me off. Anyway, blah, blah, blah. We stayed in jammies almost all day and played. It was perfect.

Grandma Stalker's Grandma Party

What do you get when you mix 11 cousins and a Grandma. A big fat party with tons of chaos. This was Grandma Stalker's Christmas Party. The kids had a blast and regardless of it being somewhat exhausting for the adults, it was worth it. Somehow I did not escape being one of those adults. . . even though I tried. Then, Nate, being the good sport he is decided to help out too. We survived. I am always so glad that my kids have tons of cousins, Aunts, Uncles, Grandmas and Grandpas. They are bountifully blessed.

The Nativity

I always love that we can do crafty things around Christmas. I saw this Nativity at Seagull Book and just had to have it. Mostly because I know one day I will look at that Nativity and remember my little children as they were. People keep telling me that I will miss that one day. :) We had so much fun painting these little figures and each of the kids was very proud of their finished project. I can't wait to get it out next year and find it a special place in our new home (we better have a new home ;).

Rachel's Kinder Program

A highlight of the Christmas season this was was Rachel's Kindergarten Program. Rachel was so excited to perform for us and I couldn't wait either. She was fabulous and knew most of the songs by heart. What I love most about things like this is the opportunity it gives to make individual children feel special. The bigger our family gets the harder it is to single them out for their accomplishments. A program night is a night to shine and the whole family gets to support and congratulate the one on a job well done. We all need that occasionally. Good job Rachel! You were beautiful and fabulous at your program.

Silent Night. . . Crowded Night.

Tradition dictates that we visit Temple Square every Christmas season. It is not optional nor will it ever be optional. So, we packed up and jumped on the Frontrunner to head down town SLC for some Christmas cheer. Now, let me just say, though it was crowded everywhere, we had a divine time. We always love the frontrunner. The kids think it is an extra special treat to get to ride on the train. . . and we get on at the beginning of the line so we usually get seats even on a busy night. We met Auntie Adrienne on Temple Square and bullied our way through the crowds to see all that we wanted. My biggest concern was losing one of my precious children, but then I realized I have three of them with another on the way, so what's one less. HAHA. Just kidding.

After making it around temple square safely we were starving. . . so we thought we would just pop on over for a bite to eat at the new eatery. HAHA again. It was closed. After an hour of looking we finally had to make our way back to The Gateway where we all got to pick whatever our hearts desired from there 5 star eatery restaurants. And, since I was feeling generous we picked up some cookies before making our journey back home. We arrived home around 11pm. Tired but satisfied with the adventure we had enjoyed. Can't wait for next year. . .when (note to self) we will visit Temple Square on a weekday. :)

Kick off to Christmas

Sadly, there are signs that my children are getting a little older. Such as the one I had when we took the kids down town to see the Christmas Village. I personally thought it was divine. The weather was fair, the lights and little houses were magical, and there were cute little groups singing and dancing on the stage in the center. With all that, Rachel broke down in a pouting tantrum and said she "did not really have that much fun." Why? Well, we didn't buy anything or get a treat. Essentially, we spent no money and she knew it. . . and true fun can only be had when you spend money, right?

Well, we only had to ignore her for about ten minutes before she got over it and we went home for hot chocolate. In the end, we were all happy. :) And hey, I was personally always happy.