Christmas 2010

I'm more than a little behind in my blogging, but as this is the only journaling I am doing these days bear with me or just skip it all together, because I still have Christmas to get through!

As busy as the season always seems to be, I love it!

I love knowing that when all the lights and decorations are hung, the shopping is done, and the parties and programs have been attended, there will be family.  Lots of it!  We gather at my parents house with as many as can come.  There is always tons of food, more than a few big personalities,  lots and lots of loud laughter and voices and plenty of hugs!

Tons of pictures are taken to document our night of tradition.

You don't have to twist anyones arm to get a real smile...

Well some need their arm twisted on occasion...

The Nativity never fails to entertain.  When the kids put on their costumes and my dad begins the story telling they always have our full attention

 Jessica was so excited to be the donkey this year and even made her own ears and donkey nose!

Brynne and Ashlyn were the sweetest little angels

and Drew was the cutest little wise man

When the costumes come off we are always ready for our two horse open sleigh ride through the neighborhood!

I think Drew missed the memo about the hats and accessories this year though...

When the sleigh ride is over and we are warmed with hot chocolate and warm food, our company starts to dwindle.  We head to our homes to finish up the wrapping and wait for Santa's visit.

 

 

(Sometimes when Santa's helpers don't get enough sleep they miss out on all the action!)

A third day of celebrating is always in order and we head up to Sacramento to wrap things up.

We visit and play games

at the table or on our phones

The kids excitedly share what was under the tree this year

And eventually we get around to the present game.  

Garrett is still thrilled with his stealing of the purple snuggie.

I never did hear how Michelle reacted to Rick's generous donation of his win to her collection of goods in the cabinet of her family room!

There are always traditional Christmas movies to watch

 And often the kids run a little wild

Regardless of what it is that we are doing, we are all just grateful to be together.  That's what the holidays are all about!

Twisted

So I'm just gonna put it to you straight.  My boys are wrestlers and it makes me feel sick.  Literally.  I have no problem with the sport in general, although it would sound a bit TWISTED if you tried to explain to someone who didn't understand, why my boys like to put on a stretchy little suit that resembles a woman's swimsuit with legs, and roll around a mat in a stinky cafeteria or gym once a week.  I actually believe they are learning great skills for defending themselves and building strength and confidence.  My real problem is in the watching.

Just a little background here might help.  When I am selecting entertainment, like movies for example, I would never choose the ones that are dark or scary.  I don't even like some of the really intense action movies.  I watch the whole time with every muscle flexed and my jaw clenched.  I leave feeling tense and a bit exhausted, I don't want to pay money to feel that way.  And so of course my boys decide with the encouragement of my husband that this the sport they want to spend their winters playing.

They have grown up wrestling with Jeff as it was a sport he always excelled at when he was in school.  Every Sunday at some point my living room or my moms turns into a WWF scene.  The boys wrestling each other their cousins and even tag team their dad.  But it's all fun and games and no one wants anyone else to get hurt.  Outside of the house it's a different story though.

Every Friday I gear myself up to watch their meets.  Luckily, they are both quite good and rarely loose.   I  feel a nauseous pit in my stomach as I watch them shake hands with their opponent and the match begins.  They roll and TWIST their bodies up until either they or their opponent makes one wrong move and then BAM they are done. Stuck in a position that they physically are incapable of getting out of.  The winner has complete control and the looser is stuck on their back. When my boys loose and I've watched them struggle and fight to remove themselves from someone else's control but just can't get away, I'm  tense for a good 30 minutes afterwards and wonder if I'll throw up.  When they win I feel relief, but always scan the crowd sympathetically looking for the mother who just watched her son get TWISTED up by mine.

Mama Bear instincts aside though, they are both having a great season.  They have both placed well at recent tournaments and have way more wins than losses at their weekly meets.  Both boys even love the time they spend at practices.  I love seeing them happy and triumphant, so as TWISTED as my stomach may get, it really isn't all that bad.  At least that's what I keep telling myself.

You Never Know...

There are no guarantees in life, but there are a few things you can usually bet on.

 It would be safe to say I'll continue finding a weekend in December to gather a few friends together for a hilarious evening.

You could put money down that my beautiful friends will come if they're in town.  It would also be safe to wager that this isn't the first picture of Rod wearing this super excited expression.

You can usually count on me being in only one or two of the photos for the night and really not liking what I see...

 You can almost guarantee that everyone will be smiling like Jeff after tasting the delectable baked goods Corey brings to share.

 But beyond that, the rest of the night is up for grabs!

You never know what stories your spouse will chose to share about you.

You never know which of the men can actually do a toe touch, or will go home with a book full of tips on being the best dad including a rubber finger  to pull!

And who would have known that Fashion Fair Mall's break dance champion was in our midst?  Or that he can still rock those moves in a Sauna Suit (as seen on TV) or coconuts and rubber gloves?!

Who knew that our very own Miss California is money with a shotgun and was thrilled to go home with "The Peacemaker"

You might think that Bieber Fever is just for screaming tweens, but I'm here to tell ya, not so!! Bieber Fever struck my house with some serious testosterone!

 You never know when you'll be in need of boosting your patriotic spirit, which is why Jason really scored with the Obama Chia Pet "Determination".  Talk about the gift that keeps on giving...so many possibilities with this one!  In the kitchen it's somewhere to wipe your sticky fingers, in the garage as an addition to your cat's litter box, or at your vanity for some hair do inspiration...you never know!

You also never know where our friend Natalie will travel from year to year and just how much will be added to her growing scrapbook.  Jeff was thrilled to bring her into the Bohn family for the next year.  What will we do with her and where will she go? You never know...

You never know when you'll feel like you just need an extra layer of protection in other places than the usual areas. Who knew that Handerpants were there to fill the need?  With so many uses including texting, doing construction, cooking, cruising on the road, for the elderly, and night blogging, it's hard to guess what Charisse will wear them for!

And finally, when the Lawrences show up you never know just what they've got in store.  The goldfish a few years ago set the bar pretty high, but this year they totally out did themselves when they brought a live chicken!  No one would have guessed I'd let the chicken in the house.  I bet they'd all be surprised to learn the McCauley's have kept her, named her Nugget and built a pen on the side of their house! 

People say there are no guarantees in life but am pretty sure I can count on one.  A night full of laughter as long as this tradition continues!