Our little day trip to France.

We got up bright and early yesterday morning and made the 4 hour drive to Strasbourg, France. Due the recent purchase of a mini van, we were able to take our friends Alex, Leah, and their little boy Wilson with us. It was a really fun, REALLY cold day. Filled with crusing around the city, eating lots and lots of crepes, and taking in the views. Here's a few pictures of this awesome, gorgeous city.


We TOTALLY looked like tourists with our cameras at the ready, our double stroller, and Alex wearing Wilson in his baby back pack. We didn't care.

Matt making a BEAUTIFUL smile for the camera.

Inside of the cathedral of Notre Dame. Not the one is Paris...there's more than one! Did you know that? Neither did I. Now I'm left wondering if there are more than two.

Just a cool picture.

Cool astronomical clock inside of the cathedral.

Me in front of the cathedral.



Isn't it gorgeous?

Matt and Alex and Leah.

So this is why it sucks to travel around Europe with a stroller. No elevators. I just bought this Phil and Teds Sport double stroller from my friend Danielle who is done having kids...I LOVE LOVE LOVE it. Look it up online, you'll love it too.

Love him.

Trying to warm up some VERY cold, VERY tired kiddos. Aaaaand waiting for my Kebap.

This lollipop saved our lives yesterday. Hallie would not stop WHINING, then we found a candy store. I let her pick out one thing, and this was what caught her eye. It kept her mouth busy and quiet for hours.

Good good day, and we got to check one more destination off of our list.

I had a tooth pulled today...

It hurt really bad.
It was a baby tooth (molar) that has no permanent tooth underneath it.
I have to wait for one month before I can see the dentist to get an implant (a TOOTH implant).
I could see how people get addicted to pain killers.
They're the best.

I look like a hillbilly.
Matt thinks hillbillies are sexy.

Let me tell you what I love about you.

-How you have taken on the roll of making sure I'm on time to all of my appointments. You tell me every five minutes, "you have to leave in 15 minutes." "10 more minutes!" "Sara, you need to in the car in 5 minutes!" And I yell back, "STOP BEING MY MOTHER!!!"
-How you have turned our sweet little two year old who used to say "hold me Mom, hold me." Into a violent monster with a simple gift of a pair of boxing gloves. Now he says to me, "I'm gonna punch you in the face!" Lovely.
-The way you think it's funny to tell other adults at our church all the stupid things I have ever done in my past. Whenever you have been hanging out with another adult male from our ward, I start getting weird looks and comments like, "I heard some interesting stories about you from your husband." I turn bright red, run to find you, then lecture you on letting everyone at Church think I'm a saint and how they don't need to know all of my past antics. Bless your heart.
-How when I get home on a cold day from running errands you have a cup of hot cocoa waiting for me.
-You are always so honest, even if when you come up behind me and poke me in the sides and I say to you, "Are you poking my love handles?" You say, "Yes I am, both of them." You would never tell a lie, even though sometimes I wish you would.
-I love how we could get into a full blown, punches flying, fight in the isle at Church over a pen that we both want to take with us to our next class. I throw it down the isle away from you and make a dive for it. Then run away in victory with a smile on my face, only to discover that you weren't lying and you had already put a pen in my notebook for me. So I have to walk back with my head hanging to give you back your pen.
-I love how it doesn't matter what you are doing, if I turn on the tv and get all cozy on the couch, you have to drop what you're doing to come and have a cuddle and watch a show with me. You just can't resist.
-How you have been secretly tracking my cycle for years so that when I have a little melt down you can determine weather or not it is legitimate. Then when I tell you I started my period you make little comments like, "Thought that was coming soon." Or we will be shopping and have had a little disagreement, so when we're going down the womens products isle you will grab a box of tampons and throw them in the basket, accompanied with a little smirk.
-How much fun we have planning our next adventure. Maybe going to see Wicked in London? Yes, I think so. Then Italy in April? Ok, lets do it.
-Whenever I have a talk with a hair client or someone who has been married for a long time and the topic of husbands come up and I start spouting off my opinions on what it takes to keep your hubby happy they look at me I'm an idiot and say, "How long have you been married? 5 1/2 years? Just wait honey." Like I'm some naive fool who doesn't realize that marriage actually is horrible. Makes me so angry...then makes me wonder who the fool really is. The point is, I love that I will still love you and will be trying to keep you happy in every way I can when we've been married 30, 40, or 50 years.
-I love you Matt, because you're you. I needed someone who could laugh through this crazy life with me...and I got him. When I'm being crazy hormonal you look at my tear streaked face and you laugh and hold me. Then I laugh at what a psycho I'm being. I needed you and I love you.

Baby it's cold outside.

So I've been holed up in my house with my flannel and a good book. And a diet coke.

The voice of reason.

Today during quiet time (my very favorite time of day), Hallie was downstairs watching a movie, Chase was sleeping, and I was nice and cozy under my covers reading a good book. Hallie comes walking into my room and plops herself down next to me, "Mom, I have to go to the bathroom."
"Ok, so go to the bathroom."
"But Mom, I'm too scared to go to the bathroom by myself!" She is scared of EVERYTHING these days.
"Hallie, there is nothing to be scared of in the bathroom." I go back to my book and she sits there, looking very thoughtful.
"But Mom, the garbage can in there is REALLY full!" I'm starting to think she is a little crazy.
"Sooooo??"
"Well, what if something POPS out of the garbage can?!" I start laughing. Her little imagination seems to be getting the best of her.
"Hallie, there is NOTHING scary that will pop out of the garbage can. There is nothing scary in our house. Now, go to the bathroom and leave me alone...it's QUIET TIME!" She gets this sassy look on her face and raises one eyebrow at me,
"FINE! But I'm NOT going to flush!"
"Fine, I don't care if you flush." She gets up and starts to walk out of my room, then spins around in the doorway to looks at me again, "And I have to POOP! And I'm still not going to flush!" Then she spins back around and leaves the room. Needless to say the next time I went to use the restroom there was a pre-flush involved.

Blessed.

I couldn't help but feel very blessed this Christmas. I felt blessed to have such a wonderful husband and children. I felt blessed to have such a big, fun family. I felt blessed to have financial stability in a time where there is so much financial concern. I felt blessed to have been taught the reason for Christmas my whole life, and for being able to share the miracle of the birth of our Savior with our children. It was a truely happy Christmas filled with family time and fun.


Here is Hallie, drunken with the Christmas spirit. :)

As per family tradition, the kids acted out the Christmas story, with David as a very cooperative donkey. (Some members of our family thought we should call him the biblical term for a donkey...but I would never use that kind of language. :) )

And baby Ben was a very cooperative little Jesus. Don't you just loooove Mary's bright pink fashion statement? haha.

Christmas morning is one big blur of wrapping paper, squeals of delight, and opening toy packages.





Santa brought Hallie the bike she has been asking for....we couldn't get her off of it all morning.

My nephew Alex stole my other nephew Owen's razor and was determined to be one of the big kids.

Love my boys.

Ok, I breathe a sigh of relief of having caught up on all my Christmas pictures and move on with my normal blogging life again. Hope you all had a Very Merry Christmas!

It was such a busy trip!

And it so nice to be home to our quiet, comfy house. Even if I do already miss my family. Lets catch up on the last month or so, shall we?


We went down to the pier quite a few times, and loved it always.

My friend Kelsey brought her cute little boy Blake with her to come and visit me in Cali. We had a good time (aside from a nasty puking incident which I'm sure Kelsey would rather I not share) and ate good food, watched good movies, bought yummy strawberries, went to the rainbows sandals outlet, and only had to make one trip to the urgent care. :) It was good to get to see them and finally meet Blake.

I took a little time while Hallie and I were on the pier to explain to her what the horizon is.

We went to Disneyland (aka the Happiest Place on Earth) and Matt found Nemo.

I proved to Hallie that I could fit my "big bottom" (her words) into this little jet.

And my kids found a house just their size. I informed Hallie that if she ever told me I have a "big bottom" again, she would be living here.

What can I say? We love this place. Chase LOVES Mickey Mouse Club House, so he was pretty much in heaven/on crack (can you put those two together??) all day long.

When Hallie was little and we lived by the beach she was un-human in how tan she was. She also had a mullet so her hair was always in pigtails. People always used to tell me she looked like the coppertone girl. So I had to get a picture in front of this billboard.

This is the point where Chase discovered that he could meet the actual disney characters at Disneyland, he was so so so so happy. His only complaint? "He won't ANSWER me!!!" He would talk each of the characters ears off, and course, they would say nothing. It would make him soooo mad.

The water park at California Adventure was way fun too.

After the water park Hallie was so soaked I took of Chases shirt and put it on her and just left him in his undershirt. Then we found Pluto, the coldness left Hallie's body and the euphoria took over.

This was the only guy Chase wanted to see all day. Also the longest line we waited in all day. It made him so happy though.



Isn't it magical? I felt like a 4 year old girl again getting to watch Hallie's reaction to the magic of Disney.

I did a lot of hair cutting while I was in Cali. This is what I look like when I'm forced to cut my 14 year old brothers hair with my Mom's clippers which somehow managed to cut his neck a TINY bit. Then he lays on the floor for a half hour because he's SURE he's going to pass out. I sit on the stool telling him to stop being a baby, get up, and let me finish so I can go on with my evening. Yes, I'm aware I look possesed.

This is what Hallie looks like when she's been eating too many cookies.

My sister Rebecca and I.

This Hallie telling her cousin Ella the secrets of the diaper head clan.

And attacking her Aunt Elizabeth.

My sisters and I decided we were done cleaning up after all these kids and put Chase and Alex on dish duty. It was all going well until Chase discovered the bottle of 409 and drenched his cousin Alex with it.


We spent some time feeding the ducks...and oh man. Was that an adventure.

My brother in law, Robert, decided while the kids fed the ducks...he would try to catch them. Then the kids would not only get to feed the ducks...but PET THEM TOO!

I think the guys had more fun catching ducks then the kids did petting them. Whatever keeps them happy. :)


Yeah, that duck doesn't look too happy.

Try to ignore my weird hair in this picture and focus on the cuteness of this little boy.

Then I got a good idea of torture to inflict on my child. Here are the steps in case you are wondering how to repeat my scenario.
Step 1: Have your 4 year old child lay on the ground at the duck park
Step 2: Sprinkle said 4 year old with bird feed all over her body

Step 3: Watch child be attacked by hungry ducks
Step 4: Laugh yourself silly as your 4 year old also laughs herself silly.

We went to the beach for the day and the kids just couldn't stay out of the water. So I stripped off both of their pants and let them go to town. They were soaked and sandy by the end of the day, but most of all, HAPPY.

Matt and I and my brother in law Steve helped the kids build a sand castle. It turned out looking more like a spanish mission, but the kids got the idea. :)

Matt working hard on making windows for our castle. Chase working hard to knock the whole thing down the entire way through.

mmmmm mmmmm good.

Nana cozying one of her grandbabies at the beach.

This picture makes my heart happy. This is Mimi's bed. Anyone who is related to or friends with my grandmother has spent many an hour sitting on this bed talking about politics, religion, their futures, gossip, the things that make them happy, and the things that make them sad. The going rate for Mimi's counsel? A milky way midnight. This is most of the grandkids (missing a few) that decided Mimi's bed was the best bed for jumping on.

Thank you Mimi for letting my kids create the same memories with you that I have had.

I'll post our Christmas Eve and Christmas Day pictures soon then I'll be done playing catch up and on to normal blogging. Did I tell you Matt made me another blog book for Christmas from the year 2007? Did I tell you I love him?