Thank you...

I just wanted to share a few items that made me happy this Christmas...

My DearlyFoam Isotoner slippers are the best thing ever! These lovely fleece covered foam pillows now surround my feet and keep me warm and snug. I no longer notice our ice cold hardwood and tile floors anymore. Why have I not discovered these sooner? Thank you Wade!













I was so happy when I saw Wade's face as he opened his Lord Vader Transformer. He had no idea it was coming and it made him so happy. He's still trying to figure out how to transform him back into the death star.














This is a book that I read over and over again as a kid. I had forgotten that it even existed until it arrived in the mail from Karen. Thanks for pulling at my heart strings on this
one.














How great is this? I bet Oprah will totally put this on her favorite things show...or not? I now have an organized place to stash my yarn and needles. Thank you Cher!














Mom also gave us this beauty. I am so excited . I have discovered as of late that I really enjoy baking and now I have a stand up mixer! I can make all the homemade marshmallows and meringue I want and the motor won't burn up! It has an auto knead function so I can make my own bread too. Wade and I are such nerds... we just finished the instructional dvd on how the mix and blend is going to change our life. It was hosted by a woman with an awesome bang claw hairdo. Actually it wasn't a claw, it looked more like a rose blossoming in the middle of her forehead.

Merry Christmas...

It's Dec 28th and I've decided to keep the Christmas holiday going as long as I can. I am having a hard time putting gifts away because they look so pretty under the tree and I am afraid as soon as they hit Ella and Thomas's room they will get lost and forgotten. Wade said that when he was a kid he use to make Christmas inventory lists for this very reason. We had such a nice Christmas this year. Although we did miss our family it was nice to just stay home and to not have to worry about going anywhere. On Christmas Eve Wade made chicken curry for Christmas Eve dinner. We had a small Christmas program. I played the guitar and we all sang Christmas songs. We read the nativity story and opened our pajamas. The highlight of the the night was Ella and Thomas's Nutcracker ballet performance. Ella had been practicing in her room a few weeks before with the door closed and the ipod playing dance of the sugar plum fairies. I decided their rendition should be called dance of the elephant thumpers. It brought down the house!

Christmas morning Wade lies in bed at what feels like the crack of dawn waiting for all of us to wake up. Every year since we have been married he does this. He can hardly wait, just like a kid. When the kids finally get up, I go out and survey the land, turn on the christmas tree lights and stoke the fire, actually the floor heater. I am writing this about to cry because I took an awesome movie of the kids running down the hall to christmas and what did I do...I accidently delete it. Ah well, I really can't dwell on it or I will have a headache all day. Here are some pics of the kids and their loot...

Santa Claus at the Grove

Here's Santa and his reindeer flying over the Gap and Banana Republic at The Grove.



Here we are waiting in line to see Santa. We waited an hour and a half to sit on his lap. I have to say it wasn't that bad. We had already had Crepes at the Farmer's market so our tummies were full and we took turns waiting in line. It was festive and full of people and I love people watching at the Grove. Everyone is so decked out in the latest trends. The Grove is basically an outdoor mall consisting mainly of rich Grandma types with fake tans, gay men with fake tans, Mischa Barton types with fake tans and young families like us. It is a true corporate paradise. We did have an awesome celeb siting though....Jodie Foster! She was shopping with her two boys. As you can see, Thomas fell asleep in line and woke up just in time to be grumpy to sit on Santa's lap. Ella asked Santa for a piano and Thomas just froze. His lip was curled under and quivering. That brave little boy held his cry in until he came off Santa's lap. It was sweet. We wanted to stay for the nightly fake snow fall but it had already been a long day and the kids were tired so we called it a day.

Underwood Family Farm

This year we went to Moorpark to Underwood Family Farms to find our tree. We go here several times a year with the kids. It's a big open farm with animals to feed and fruits and veggies to buy and ponies to ride. It's a nice break from the big sprawl of the city. The kids LOVE it and so do I. It was Wade's first time here so I was excited to show him. Ella was excited to go as a cowgirl and here you can see her giving me her cowgirl grin and a cowgirl stance. It was particularly windy that day and no one was there. I always make it a point to see the pig while I'm there. It is the biggest pig I have ever seen and as I marvel at the sight of this pig I can't help but invision the wonderful sausage, bacon and pork chops that would come from this mama. Mmmmm delicious. We picked a lovely 5 ft douglas fir. They made a fresh cut to the bottom and tied it on top of our car. Ella and Thomas got candy canes and some mistletoe. We drove home listening to Barbara Streisand on the local christmas station.

Wade is cool

Wade has a way of making people feel like a million bucks. For example, this passed Friday started as a downer day. I wasn't feeling well all day and I ended up going to urgent care and finding out I had a urinary tract infection. Nothing like a good ol' UTI on a Friday afternoon. On my way home, I call Wade discouraged and he, being in one of his hyper spastic moods (you know the ones, where he blurts out hip hop rhymes and such) says..."Let's go get your hair cut!" He had printed out a picture from the inet of a cute hair do that I had shown him a few days before. I told him I was too tired. He said, "I'll drive you!" So he drove me to Studio City to Floyd's Barbershop with kids in tow to get my hair cut. What a man. And wow, did it make my night. I came out feeling completely refreshed. Nothing like a good haircut and style and Wade telling me I look hot... (I feel like I'm in that Mastercard commercial... Priceless.) It really was...anyhow, here are pics of my sweet do and Wade the day after at the Chace Christmas Party.

Rainy Day in LA

The morning after our bout with the flu it rained. It rained all day. It brought much relief to our mental and physical state. Ella said the rain smelled like Utah. As it rained, Wade and I tried to rid the house of all its germs. I washed blankets, pillows and sheets and Wade scrubbed the bathroom.