A December to Remember [Part IV}

Tuesday, the 20th of December, 2011 really was the start of our fun in Utah.  Not that the temple wasn't a highlight, but that, in my mind, was still a part of the TRIP... and the driving just really isn't my favorite part.  Though, I was very grateful to have Eric with me to help and make me feel safer!  {And I don't know how he did it without getting car sick, but he read them like 8 chapters of the first Harry Potter book!}
So... after we got to Gma Pam's and spent the night... you KNOW the first thing the kids wanted to do!  Go OUTSIDE and play in the SNOW!!!!  So... after stalling for a little while, we suited up and headed out for some serious fun!

Ella is a giant splash of color!

Why is climbing a fence just so inviting??  Lexi does it every time!  {And so does Braeden!}

This doesn't look like it's going to go Ella's way.  ;)  She's already got her hands up in surrender, but the look on his face doesn't tell that he cares!

Now this is how it should be!  EVERYONE SMILING and having FUN!!!

Ewww... though I have to admit that this is exactly what I did when I was little.  :)

Think quick... what movie does this make you think of!!??!!

Poor Ella!  She kept getting snow between her sleeve and the glove.  It wasn't making her happy, so... we came up with a solution!  It's called electrical tape!  Yay!

And now she's ready... again!

I'm pretty sure Grandma never let me have kitchenware to cook with snow and eat it outside...  :)

I look like Grimace's sister!

Making sure they're ready before letting Braeden take over at the wheel!

What we LOVE to see!  Happiness!  Pure and simple... not costing a lot... not requiring a lot of maintenance.  :)

All of the following shots will basically be about watching the faces of those doing our favorite snow pastime!

What needs to be said!??!

And just like any other RIDE... we've got our hands up!

Heave... ho...  Focus and LEAN!!

Yep... we have two tongue concentration kids!!  Haha!

Don't judge.  You know you would want to do what's about to happen... Every once in a while kids really need to just be dumped OUT!

And then, of course, we feel bad because someone ends up like poor Ella!  :(

Time to relax!  Lexi... and my collection of Christmas bears on the couch behind her!

Braeden and Ella cuddling to watch a movie!

Um... this is no ride for a pantywaist!  They aren't messing around and going slow!

Same lights... many years gone by. 

Next day... with Gma Linda and Caroline!!  Lexi is driving again!

And she doesn't even know she lost them!

So says her expression when she comes around the corner and sees them all waiting for her again!  Hahaha!

Gma's Linda and Pam watching the mayhem!

Teaching Caroline to drive.

Absolutely CLASSIC!  Again... watch the FACES!!

Ella and Gma Linda... CRACK-ME-UP!!  Especially when I thought we would NEVER get Gma Linda doing this behind an ATV!!  :)  Love it!

That's better... but someone better LEAAAAAN before they end up being dumped, too!

How nice they are... don't you think...??  To help shovel my mom's yard... OR...

...NOT!!  They have better plans than service.  Sillies!  Lexi and Caroline

And now they're all at it!!

LOOOVVVE IT!!  :o)

And just when we were about to go for another round on the 4-wheeler, Cornell and Tiffy came to get it.  My mom had lost track of time and forgot to tell me that he was coming to get it...  Fortunately he let us keep it!  Yay!  :o)

I was telling my kids about the couple of nativities that were standard in our home when I was little... and this is one of them.  The steer's horns are just metal springs.  I loved it then and I love it now.  It brings back so much when I look at it and remember the Christmases I had in this house.

Before we left, we had Gma Pam open up her Christmas gifts from us... with obviously a little help from Lexi and Ella.

Ready for one more round outside!  Lexi

BOGGLE!!  And we play this almost every time we're at Gma Linda's, but I never post anything about it because I stink at this game, BUT... NOT THIS ROUND!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Yay for me!  I got 11 and Gma Linda and Gail only got 2!  A-mazing!!!  Literally NEVER happens against these two!  They are walking dictionaries!  It was dumb luck, really.  I got all the "ock"s!!

:(  Gas in California hasn't been this cheap... well... since I can't remember when!  I had to capture the moment and be grateful, even though I think $2.84/gallon is still TOO EXPENSIVE for gas.  I'm going to rant for a second.  Get ready!  {It will also date me a little!}  When I started legally driving gas was only 99 CENTS a gallon!!  9 years later when we moved to Chino Hills, CA it was $1.54/gallon.  {And you'll be surprised to know that at that price, it was 2 cents CHEAPER than it was in Cedar City!!}  That makes the rate of inflation just barely over 6 CENTS a YEAR!!!!!!  Since that time we are today at $4.13/gallon.  It's been almost 9 years since that time and the rate of inflation has increased to almost 28 cents a year... per gallon.  Yeesh!  Rishmiculous!  And our commuting has increased so much that I can't even think about it.  I won't tell you how MUCH we spend on gas every month, but I will say this:  the amount we spend monthly on gas would have covered the mortgage AND all the bills on our condo in Cedar... plus a little.  That's just SAD!!!