D.U.I.?

Yesterday, I was driving home from teaching preschool, talking on my cell phone, when I saw the dreaded flashing lights in my rear view mirror. I pulled over, but was genuinely confused as to why. The police officer came to my window and I sweetly asked "Officer, would you mind telling me why I was pulled over?"

He replied, " Mam, have you been drinking this morning?"

I was shocked! I told him I absolutely had not. (I did not tell him that I have never had one solitary drop of alcohol in my entire life!)

He then informed me that I was "swerving all over the place" (What the ????) and going 10 over the speed limit. Personally, I think he was exaggerating a wee bit on the swerving. I might have been slightly distracted because of the phone call, but I certainly was not "swerving all over the place." Anyway, I continued the sugary sweetness and apologized profusely for not being more alert. Apparently, he believed me on the drinking (I guess he thought I looked respectable) because I was not forced to succumb to a breathalizer or walking the line. (Can you imagine the horror if I had to do that on the side of the road?)

He went back to his car with my license, insurance, and registration. I was praying intently that he would not give me a ticket. (I recently got a $70 one for not coming to a complete stop at a stop sign in my neighborhood.) I knew that if I got another one:

A. Brandon would be furious.

B. My insurance would probably go up.

C. My precious Christmas budget would be cut into.

Fortunately, he came back and told me to "just be more careful next time." (I'll call it a Christmas Miracle. ) After I drove away, I started laughing hysterically. I mean, I got pulled over because the cop thought I was drunk! I find that hilariously funny. ME??? Driving under the influence? Come on!

So, the moral of the story is this: don't talk on the phone and drive. If you do, try not to "swerve all over the place."

(I realize this post makes me sound like a total ditz and a horrible driver. To my defense, I hadn't had any traffic violations for 4 years before the stop sign incident.)

Crickets, Sweaters and Cocoa...Oh My!

Brandon, Patrick and Stoney Basking in Sweater Beauty

As you probably know by now, I love to entertain. This last weekend we had a Christmas party and invited 8 couples. We required all guests to wear Ugly Christmas Sweaters, which apparently is quite the trend nowadays. I had to search many, many thrift stores to find attire for myself and for Brandon. They are hot commodities! My friend Shannon had to resort to making one for her husband, Patrick (pictured in the middle in the picture above). Is she crafty or what? The lights on the trees even lit up!

I made all the guests join me in playing Christmas songs on chimes. Each person gets one chime which is labeled with a number. I had posters of Christmas songs and each person hits their chime when the number comes up. Everyone was skeptical at first, but it ended up being a hit!

We did a white elephant gift exchange. One of the gifts was a box of live crickets that caused quite a stir. There were some other clever gifts like one that included a can of beans, a bottle of Beano, and some air freshener. Nothing like mature adults laughing about passing gas!

'Tis the season to overindulge...I had all the guests bring an appetizer to share and we ended up with a great assortment of food...spinach dip, veggie pizza (thanks, Holly!), orange rolls, fruit and dip, taquitos, shrimp and more. All of this yummy holiday eating is helping increase my girth until soon I will resemble Old Saint Nick.

Brooke and Holly

I decided to put out a hot chocolate bar. I made a big pot of hot cocoa on the stove, and then put out a tray with all kinds of things to mix in.

Cookies for dunking were also a necessity.

For my centerpiece, I used an easy idea I got from my Mom. Take three glass cylinders, fill halfway with real leaves (I clipped mine off of the bushes in my front yard), pour in some real cranberries, fill with water, and float a candle on top. They are simple, but I think they are so beautiful. (They will last for a week or so.)

Brandon ended up with a wooden tie (yes, made of wood) after the gift exchange. He kept threatening to wear it to church on Sunday, but thankfully, he did not. Knowing him, I wouldn't be surprised if he tries to wear it to work. Would you buy furniture from a man in a wooden tie?

Are we hot or what? Look out, Brad and Angelina!

I'm already trying to think of the next reason to have a party. Martin Luther King Day?

It's Beginning to Look Alot Like Christmas...

I feel as if I missed Christmas last year. I was busy figuring out the business of motherhood. So this year, I am excited to resume all of the things I adore about this holiday.

Addyson's blessing day last Christmas in Utah...
She loved every minute of it!

I've been decking the halls...

I love my nativity set. It's taken me three years to collect

the pieces and I still don't have them all!

Amazing wall hanging my uber-talented mother-in-law made.

and trimming the tree...

and thinking about my favorite Christmas traditions.

*One thing I do is buy a new Christmas children's book (or two...) every year. I love pulling out my collection along with my decorations. When I have 25 of them (and when Addy is old enough to appreciate this), I am going to wrap them all individually, put them in a box, and read one to her each day of December. They will be our Christmas countdown!

*On my mom's side of the family, we all gather at Grandma's house on Christmas Eve for a visit from you-know-who! Everyone sits on his lap, even the adults. Even though I think Santa enjoys it a little too much (if you know what I mean), we all love it and it wouldn't be Christmas Eve without it!

Me and Mr. and Mrs. Claus 2007

*I always dip pretzels in white chocolate and deliver them to neighbors and friends...a tradition I picked up from my mom. There's something about sweet and salty together...scrumptious!

*It's delightful to drive around and look at Christmas lights while listening to one of the following holiday CD's:

Winter Song- Sarah McLachlan

The Forgotten Carols- Michael McLean (Cheesy, but who can resist?)

Merry Christmas -Mariah Carey

The Christmas Album -Neil Diamond

Christmas Extraordinaire-Manheim Steamroller

Of course, the driving must be followed by a big, steaming cup of hot cocoa (and a sweet treat can't hurt!).

I'm giddy just thinking about these things. I love traditions. I want to hear about yours! Please tell.

Family (Dys) FUN (ction) !

For Thanksgiving my whole family came to our house...my parents, my sister Roxy, my brother Tyler and his girlfriend Aubrey. It made for a full house and a whole lot of family togetherness!

The highlights of the weekend...

1. Our delicious Thanksgiving meal!



Of course, I ate altogether too much. We had turkey and the BEST gravy (courtesy of my Dad), mashed potatoes and green bean casserole (courtesy of my Mom), and candied yams, stuffing, green salad, rolls, and pies (courtesy of me). It's so great when everyone pitches in...it didn't even seem overwhelming! And I was pleasantly surprised at the way my pies turned out.



Brent carving the bird.


2. I finally got my Dad to play a game with the family. He usually refuses...but he gave in this time! We played my new favorite game, Things, and we all laughed hysterically! I think I may have convinced him that playing games is fun...we'll see at Christmas.






3. Playing Ping Pong. Brandon pulled our ping pong table out of exile and set it up in the living room. There were hours and hours of match ups (mainly between Brent, Brandon and Tyler).


4. Watching my favorite Christmas movie...National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. It's a tradition. What's better than Clark W. Griswold trying to put up Christmas lights, cousin Eddie emptying the crapper into the sewer, and electrocuting Aunt Bethany's cat? Good times.

5. Trying out a new restaurant for lunch...Thanks, Dad!



Ty and Aubrey

6. Going to the Festival of Trees with Mom and Rox.

7. Just hanging out and spending time with each other. Although being with family in such close quarters is sometimes an exercise in patience, I love it when my family comes to town!


Brandon, Stampy and Roxy




Grandma and Addyson




We're already couting down the days until we come for Christmas!