Oh what fun it is to ride. . .

Oh what fun it is to ride in a 1 kids open sleigh. . .

I chose today to go sledding with my kids.  Even though it seems like it takes f-o-r-e-v-e-r to get them ready in their snow clothes it always turns out to be a fun activity. We went to a new hill for us, not as great as our usual "Kmart hill"  but a lot less crowded and closer so it evens out.  Peter who was fearless last year took a 180 and was the whiniest scaredy cat this year.  I don't know what to say but that I chalk it up to three-year-old's.  They really aren't my favorite.  That and he hasn't been feeling very well, so I guess I have to cut him a little slack.  The rest of us had a good time careening down the slopes with the cold nipping at our faces and making our cheeks the prettiest rosy color. Giving Williams hair the wind blown look and laughing and woo hooing all the way down.

Brennen tired on his last run.

I maintain that the boogie board is still the best sled.  You can try all the fancy shmancy sleds you like but the best ones are the cheap plastic jobs (and the boogie board).  After sledding for over and hour and trekking back up the hill about 50 times, carrying Peter up each time we were ready to call it a day.  A successful fun day.

Christmas Eve 2012

William

Landon

 Christmas Eve this year was bitter sweet.  The wonderful thing was that we were ALL together.  A total of 45 people eating and celebrating at my parents house.  One good thing about Wrights, is that you can put as many as you can fit in a room and they can all get along and chat and totally enjoy the chaos that is our family.
We can be a little overwhelming to others, but I wouldn't have it any other way.  We had a nice non formal dinner of Ham, potatoes, salads etc.  After dinner was cleaned up at lightning speed. (with that many hands it doesn't take long.) We got the little ones ready for the Christmas program.
Every year my mom writes a program to make our Eve special and every year its different.  This year was kept short and sweet.  With 23+ little ones its hard to keep them all still for the Spirit to enter.  All of us mothers are trying to keep our brood still and lose a little of the Spirit in the transitions.  However I was totally smitten when Ellie sang her solo.  My mom asked her to prepare a lullaby for when the Christ child was born.  She chose a very special song called Hallelujah by The Barlow Girls.  It really is beautiful and she pulled it off.  As soon as she was into her second bar all the children hushed themselves so all we could hear was Ellie's angelic voice singing praises to the new born king.  The Spirit was definitely felt.  At the end of the  program my mom asked my dad if he would bear his testimony.  He became so emotional all he could get out was "I have a testimony of Jesus Christ and I hope you all have a testimony too."  My dad never gets emotional.  It was all I could do to keep it together so I could see to play the music for our closing song.

Shane

getting on the costumes

I am so thankful that I have the wonderful family that I have.  I am grateful that we have the gospel in our life, and an understanding of the love our Savior has for us. I am thankful for the time that I have had with my dad and all the lessons he has taught me through the years.  And I am especially grateful that I was able to have one more Christmas with my dad as a whole family.  Merry Christmas to all.  May you all be as blessed as I am!

Scott with his sister and her kids Mandy, Kelsey and Jarom

Jenni our Hollywood angel

Gerogia

brand new Lucy

Georgia and her daddy

Grandma and Lizzy

Grandpa and Wyatt

Peter and daddy

King Jackson

Zadrozny crew

sweet Lucy as baby Jesus

Candle Light Christmas

Scott took everyone (his family and our kids) to Candle Light Christmas this year.  I stayed home with a very sick Peter.  Candle Light Christmas is something put on at This is the Place Heritage Park.  Its a Christmas setting a step back in time, so we can see how the pioneers celebrated this time of year.  The weather was nice and the crowds were minimal  making it the perfect night for such a thing. It is a little expensive but the kids get such great memories from it, its worth it.  When I think about it, its about the same as going to the movies.

  The crowd favorite was square dancing in the town hall.  Even the teenagers had a good time with this activity.  That's the thing about folk dancing (yes square dancing is folk dancing. (I was a folk dancer in college))  it is fun for everyone and brings everyone together.

There are live reindeer to feed and pet Comet and Blitzen were the stars this year.

They had a very quick witted Santa this year.  He made everyone feel at ease.  Even those pouting teenager were brought to tears (laughing tears).  When one of the little boys asked for Angry Birds Santa asked " Why would you want angry birds?  wouldn't you be better off with happy birds?"  Around they went to the different buildings and activities. Making old fashioned Christmas cards at the printing press, eating homemade doughnuts, talking to people about how lives were during those times.  Walking in one house there was a man sharpening an ax and the boys were totally transfixed.

 They also have a train ride to take you around to see all the lights.  It is definitely something to look forward to for next year.

petting reindeer

Ellie and Santa laughing it up

William being interested

one quick witted Santa

writing letters to Santa

making Christmas cards

square dancing

square dancing

Jarom conjuring up his inner geek

Where are you Christmas

Often as adults I think we find ourselves looking for that special spirit of Christmas. We get caught up in all the craziness.   No matter how many lights we put up or Christmas specials we watch it tends to evade us. Maybe it's because that childlike anticipation is tainted by exhaustion or lack of surprises. The world tries to tell us that Christmas is about families, and that's good but that is not what Christmas is really about.  It's about the birth of our Savior.  I think if we can remember what all the  symbols of Christmas stand for we could gain that spirit a little easier.
We see bows, trees, lights, Santa, candy canes and many more things that are symbols of Christmas but whose symbol of Christmas?  The World's or God's.
If we could all see the symbols for what they really are it would help us/me a little more.  ie; the lights that we coat our houses and trees in are to remember the star.  The candy canes are to remember the shepherds, and Santa himself is the symbol of Christ.
In reading one of my Christmas books there was a story of a family who were always exhausted by the time Christmas came around and vowed one year to have a sensible Christmas.  They finally got around to their sensible Christmas.  They drew names and each present could not cost more than a dollar. They didn't bake all the goodies or deliver treats to people and when Christmas day arrived they were very relaxed but left feeling unsatisfied.  The mother broke down and said what a horrible Christmas it was.  She knew that so and so down the street loved her treats and she didn't get any this year. As they talked about it the mother announces that "We can't afford to save on Christmas. . .  It shuts off the heart."  Another daughter rights a letter to her sister that reads "Mom feels, that the strains and stresses are the birth pangs of Christmas. . . I am certain that it is out of our efforts and tiredness and turmoil that some sudden, quiet, shining, priceless thing occurs each year and if all we produce is a feeling as long as a flicker, it is worth the bother."
That happened to be just what I needed to hear. Maybe if I can remember this next year that special spirit will arrive a little faster.

End of the World party

Scott really wanted an "end of the world party"  He kept asking me over and over again if someone was going to have one.  I can take a hint so I came up with an idea Thursday morning.  (The end of the world was supposed to happen Friday.) I thought what better way to end the world than without any regrets.  So I communicated with everyone to get a few items from their bucket list.  I was very happy that quickly got back to me because this was a big idea with not a lot of time. It needed a lot of preparation

I was going to create the opportunity for them to accomplish things from their bucket list.  Thank goodness I was blessed with my Mom's quick creative thinking or this could not have happened.  I told everyone that I would be serving a main course then assigned sides and desserts for them to bring because lets face it I'm not super woman.

 My brother Drew and his family came appropriately prepared for the occasion.

When we were all fed I gather the adults around for the "special presentation."  They had no idea what I was going to do. They just knew that I asked for their bucket lists. I had everyone come up one by one and we crossed 2 items off of each persons list. For instance,
My sister Laura wanted to one day own a house and have a family.  So I wrote up a mortgage agreement that was paid in full and presented her with her new house ( A little ceramic house from the dollar store) and 3 children ( little toy kids)  Plus a realistic looking plane ticket to Machu Picchu.
My dad also wanted to go to Machu Picchu so he got a plane ticket as well.
 Then he and my mom wanted to learn Spanish. I just so happen to be married  to a fluent Spanish speaker who taught them Spanish.
 My  Mom also got a plane ticket but to Croatia. Now it needs mentioning that these tickets were good for 12/22/2012 however because the world was "ending"  they might not work.

My sister Kate wanted to own her own island and a dolphin.  So she got a deed to her island with pictures "that I had my good friend turn into a calendar". She even got her very own dolphin.

My sister-in-law Stacy has always wanted to be one of those flying squirrel people that jump off high places in those special jumpsuits.  That took a little time.  I dug in the dress ups for a jumpsuit I know I had and turned it into a squirrel jump suit.  I had her put on the suit some goggles and stand on a stool.  Then I proceeded to point a fan at her so she could get the full experience then had her jump off the stool.

My other sister-in-law Sarah has the dream of kissing her hubby on top of the Eiffel tower.  For this I printed out a picture of the Eiffel tower and had her kiss my brother.  Her next item was to hug the prophet.  To make this as lifelike as possible I printed off a picture of the prophets head and wore it as a mask so she could hug the prophet.

Jared wanted to get his pilots license so I created a license using print shop and card stock along with a few business cards to get him started.  However first he had to learn how to fly.  I was the instructor and taught him the basics of flying . . . . a remote controlled helicopter.  When he got the hang of it he earned his license.

Drew wanted to paddle a canoe down a river. So I made a wooden canoe for him and told him it there was a life size one just like it on the Nile but  the reservation is only good until tomorrow. He also wanted to own a catamaran to sail around the world.  For this he got a boat and a travel magazine.

the dead animals

dwarf tossing

midget fighting

My brother Scott wanted to fly a helicopter and shoot animals from the helicopter.  I had him try out the remote helicopter then tossed some animals on the ground and gave him a gun to shoot the animals.  He has also wanted to fight a midget so I brought Brennen up and told him, "Here's your midget get ready to fight."  They wrestled to around and then turned it into dwarf tossing. Gotta Love It.

My Scott wants to go to Hawaii.  So in his bag we pulled out a plane ticket and an ugly Hawaiian shirt with a shell necklace.  I had my sister-in-law Stacy who lived in Hawaii teach him the hula because it wouldn't be a trip to Hawaii with out a hideous shirt and learning the hula.

Amy wanted to paint a canvas and scuba dive in Fiji.  I had 2 canvas's for her. One I made her paint right then and there so she could check it off her list in case the world really did end the other I let her take home. For her Scuba I gave her some goggles and told her to go downstairs. I glued a bunch of fish on the magnet wall downstairs then drew all kinds of coral and sea life on the wall.  Unfortunately most of it was erased by the kids before we got down there.
The whole night was a lot of fun.  I was a little hesitant worried that they might think it was stupid but who was I kidding.  This is my family and my family is awesome.  They make the most out of everything and all had a great time.