What's been up since Family Photos??

Well....  it's been a while.  Again.   But here is our holiday recap like six weeks later.  

Raleigh's Christmas party is always a dress up theme.  Why???  I don't know.  It's quite possibly the stupidest idea anyone has ever thought of.  First of all, who wants to dress in costumes anyway?  And didn't we just have Halloween?  This year's theme was Cowboys and Indians.  Super Lame.   It's all awkward at Christmas Parties anyway and then we are not in our normal clothes?  I had such a bad attitude about it.  I really didn't want to go. 

 The big kids had to be up North for an event with their dad and so not only did I have to dress up like a cowgirl of all things, I had to find and PAY a babysitter.  THEN...  Raleigh casually mentions to me one night that the stupid event is in MESQUITE and that he has to be there for set up and tear down.  So,  we'd have to add at least two hours to the babysitting tab, so that I can drive down there and sit at a table while I watch him decorate?  I very nearly had a come apart.  I kinda don't deal with dumb things well.  

I decided that he should go down without me and I would show up 15 minutes after the thing had started and stay an hour max and then drive home and relieve the sitter.  That was the plan.

What a fun night.  Driving through the gorge by myself.  Walking into an event where I only know one person, dressed like Annie Oakley.  So excited!

As it turns out, it was pretty fun.  Everyone looked pretty cute with the exception of the 10 or 12 slutty saloon girls (not really staying within the "theme" if you ask me, but an excellent way to show your coworkers your big boobs) and the one nearly naked Indian Princess.  There was a mechanical bull which I had fun watching everyone else attempt to ride.  This is the only time I have ever been grateful that I have a bad back. 

 Huge Dorks.

 The next holiday event was Walt's black eye.  Which got blacker as the days went on.  We had scheduled to have the kids pictures taken for Papa and Nana's Christmas Present and that was squashed.  It's the first of many, I presume.  He kinda looked cute.

 Raleigh and Papa spent two solid nights assembling Santa Presents in Papa's garage.  They had a good time.  But the "big kitchen" had 47,000 pieces.  

 We decided to have Christmas Eve dinner at Outback this year.  A very good decision.  It was delish as always and took some stress off of everyone.  

 I woke up before every one else and snapped some Christmas Morning photos.  That room was completely full.  I mean FULL.  There are too many people in this house.  Next year I am giving everyone money.  

 I also found this darling bookshelf all assembled with a bow for ME.  I love it.  It is so cute.

 The eye

 Kaleigh modeled Raleigh's gift.  A Ute Black Out Helmet.  That has found a place on one of the shelves in my new bookcase.  

 Kaleigh in Christmas PJs

 Christmas Brunch 

 A very frigid game of Christmas Day Golf.  It was snowing. 

Garrett, Russ, Grant, Ral and Papa.  Brent was smart and stayed home to cuddle with his wife in the warm house.

 In between Christmas and Ryker's birthday, the flu found us.  But luckily, it wasn't a bad case and went through all of us very quickly.

 Kaleigh asked for a big kitchen and a little purse for Christmas.  Here she is modeling it.  She loves to be pretty and wear "paint nolish" and "glitter eyes" and tons of lip gloss.

 Here is the big stinker on his 3rd birthday.  Terrible Twos ain't go nothing on the Frustrating, Pull your hair out, Shoot me in the eye, THREES.  They suck!!  He is an ornery kid anyway, but throw in the Autonomy Phase and you could literally bawl every day.  Walt is very coordinated and athletic and determined and headstrong.  He knows what he wants and he makes sure he gets it.  He doesn't let people push him around and if he gets mad at you, he winds up like he's going to knock you out with his south paw.  All of those things will be very helpful on the football field.  I keep telling myself that he is the perfect personally for a kid that will be on sports teams with coaches tearing his head off at practices and games.  It will hardly phase him.  And I won't have to sit in the car sobbing my heart out because I can't stand watching my kids being mistreated.  He's tough.  

 Here are 8 of 12 "cousints"

 Raleigh spent his Christmas Money on a new pair of very expensive jeans that look spectacular on him.  This is not a good picture of them.  But I am so happy every time he puts them on.  Woo Hoo!

 This was our New Year's Eve at like 10:00.  And I was fighting to stay awake as usual.  Raleigh was very involved in a movie and the kids were plugging their ears so that they couldn't hear the fireworks.  I enjoyed myself.  It was actually really fun. 

 New Year's Day on the other hand.....  Not my best day so far.  

Raleigh and I woke up early and went to the Dillard's Sale.  And he, for some reason, thought we'd be the only people there and so when he saw that there were thousands of people lined up to go in, he got all mad and in a bad mood.  And put me in a horrible mood.  And I was all ticked off and sad for our annual Sakura Lunch.  Which I look forward to every year.  You can't tell, but I was not happy.  And I thought, this better not be a sampling of what this year will bring because this day SUCKED... like big time and I cried on and off the entire day.  Until about 8:00 when he came in and cuddled up next to me and apologized and told me that I was a "damn mess" but that I make him the happiest man alive and I didn't know how to take that really...  cuz it didn't seem like it was a compliment so much.  But, in his manly mind I think he thought is was and he was pretty proud of himself for saying such lovely words of affirmation and I looked all over for a sharp object that I could plunge into my jugular but none could be found.  So here I still am.

I suppose he's right.  A damn mess is a good way to describe me considering that I have all of these dependents and all but two of them rely on me completely for nearly everything.  And all problems that anyone has MUST and DO go directly through me.  And so I carry the weight of everyone's burdens and that gets to a person eventually.  And a melt down is the only way to release it.

One girl's "damn mess" is another girl's survival technique.  

Don't judge.  Be happy that I found someone who lays by me and laughs at me while I'm getting myself together.  

 I rallied.  The days following have been delightful.

 Here we are on Downton Abbey Night.  

We have been waiting for 43 weeks for it to start again.  

Such a fabulous show!!

 Kaleigh's first day in CTR 4
(Peyton was crying because I curled her hair and she wanted it straight and pulled back into a ponytail, so no photo of her today and she looked so cute too with her  "stupid girl hair"). 

Walt's first day of Sunbeams

 Walt's first Primary talk.  If anyone is wondering what true love is...  it's your husband helping your little boy give a talk in Primary.  Complete with holding up pictures of Jesus and whispering in his ear what to say.  I am so blessed.

Then...  my son went and got himself engaged.  He is marrying Crysti Cairns who will soon be Crysti Cairns Koenig.  They are getting married this summer in the St. George Temple and then they will venture on to Canada where my boy will become a Canadian Resident and get some free healthcare.  See.....  I have every right to fall apart and be a mess... wouldn't you agree?  I have Sunbeams and Newlyweds at the same freakin' time.  

 And finally....  this was our work study group party at Justin's totally amazing house.  We had our big test and if we didn't pass, we got fired, so we all studied our brains out while laughing our heads off.

We all passed with flying colors!!

Still employed, thank goodness.

Bring on 2015
I am pretty sure I can handle it