How We Spent our Winter Vacation

Nothing.  Literally nothing.  After Christmas, we had not one thing on our calendar.  One day I looked at Dustin and said, "We have to actually plan something and get out of this house.  I don't know if I can lounge around in my pajamas one more second."

Once I started writing it all down, it sounded like a lot, but I can promise you that we spent a lot of time watching TV all piled in my bed, eating take out and the kids never got dressed or combed their hair for days at a time.

So for the last 12 days, here's how we spent our time:

Dinners with friends.  Including the elusive Maroneys who thankfully did not break up with us.

We actually sat outside since Postino's was so packed.  Luckily between the Arizona winter, a fire, heaters and our coats we were toasty warm.  That's a lie.  I was still cold sometimes.  I'm always cold.


Ellie disappeared for multiple sleepovers and had a few over here.

We rang in the New Year at the Haymond's.  We did a great job of keeping the children awake until midnight.

 

Nate got stung by a bee on his lip.

 

He had a can of soda outside that he mistakenly left unattended.  Went back for a sip and the rest is misery.  I've actually never been stung by a bee before so I asked him what it felt like.  He said, "It feels like getting a baseball thrown into your face."

Saw Les Mis!!  We waited a whole extra week thinking the crowds would die down, but it was still a completely packed theater.  I loved it because I don't think I could not love Les Mis.  I did not love Russell Crowe.  Everyone else worked or was tolerable for me.


Bowling with the Bryners.  It was actually spend-as-much-time-together-as-possible with the Bryners.  We played in the arcade while we waited for our lanes.

The boys signed us up for TWO games of bowling

And mistakenly thought there would be no wait at Oregano's.  But if I'm going to waste the day away with someone, I would definitely pick the Bryners.

Got pedicures with one of my very favorite Laurels.

Holiday party at the Johnson's.  They have a ginormous (hopefully you will understand why this is the perfect word choicen in a moment) screen in their backyard so they light all the fire pits and serve hot chocolate and goodies while everyone chats and the kids watch a movie.  This year it was Elf.  Perfect.

We babysat our favorite baby, Jameson.  According to Luke, he's actually "Lukey's baby" and all the kids fought over whose room he would sleep in.

I ran A LOT.  I'm up to 17 miles.  We go for 18 this Saturday.  So far I haven't wanted to die, but then I think, you still have to run 9 more miles.  But then I think, what's 9 more miles after that many?

An EPIC basketball game between Tim and Dustin.  Tim still pulled out the win, despite insisting that the hoop is 10' 3" instead of 10'.

Birthday party/playdate/lunch for Nate's best friend, Travis.  They did not wear the same shirt on purpose.

Played with all our new Christmas gifts.  Is it really necessary to go anywhere when you have so many new entertaining things?

Ellie and Nate both got iPod touches for Christmas, so they spent a lot of time having incredibly intelligent text conversations with cousins.  Like how much they like marshmallows.

Or videos about bored they were.  Or trying to figure out if it was Ellie or Nate who was texting with Zach or was it Matt??  I'm actually so happy that they have this chance to communicate with their cousins even when we live so far apart and see each other so infrequently.

We had a fun BBQ at our friend's house.  They had family in town for over a week during Christmas, so we were all happy to converge on their house and remind them how much of a mess our children can make when they're all together.

Sadie went for a sleepover with some of her bestest friends -- Avery, Lexie and Brynley.

Molly is a much cooler mom than I am!!  Make your own pizza, movies, and homemade donuts for breakfast. 


Froze to death while we went powerless for 3 days.  On purpose!

 

Oh wait, you want to know why I temporarily lost my mind and agreed to such insanity?  So do I.  So do I.