Gray day

I just hate it a few days after it snows and everything is so gray - the snow is dirty, the branches are bare, the sky is overcast - it's just ugly. Add that to the fact there is still at least 2-3 more months of winter and it is a little depressing. The famous Utah inversion will begin this next week where cold air and gunk gets trapped in the valley and creates an eternity of gray days until a fresh storm comes along and blows it all out of here.

The bright point in my weekend came last night when I went alone to Walmart and got a great deal on the after Christmas clearance sale. I've got all my wrapping paper for next year and it's really cute! Sometimes it's the little things that make me happy - or maybe thay make me a dork! Either way, I got out of the house by myself and spent a full hour shopping with nobody whining, crying or throwing things into my cart! I almost didn't come home - almost.

White Christmas

What an awesome Christmas - it started snowing about 3pm on Christmas Eve and didn't stop all night. We had a white Christmas - it's been way too long since that happened! Today is the 26th and we still haven't had our street plowed AND it is supposed to snow more today, in fact there are three more snowstorms in the next 5 days. YEAH!!!!

On Christmas Eve, we had the family over to our home for dinner and opening presents on my side of the family. It was a really fun evening and the kids were bouncing off the walls in anticipation for tomorrow. Scott and I finally got to bed about 1am.

After struggling with Audrey waking up 3 times during the night, the kids woke us up just after 7am and I was sooooo tired!!! My mom had stayed the night, so we all got up and after a brief picture on our stairs:

went downstairs to see what Santa had left us.

We had a great time opening gifts. Scott got me a diamond necklace, some silver earings, perfume, and a tanning pass (apparently I am too pasty white). I gave him mostly clothes and also a framed picture collage of our family – that he LOVED. Kesley got an ipod, but was upset she didn't get a cell phone. She also got a lot of clothes and accessories. Dallin got his new bike and lots of toys to keep him busy. Hallie got a princess table and chairs set, princess barbies and half a dozen other things "princess". Audrey got a radio flyer little bike, lots of toys and a princess doll. Santa even left a stocking for my mom. Browning (the dog that used to be ours, but we gave to my mom to keep her company) wandered around like a lunatic. He always gets weird on Christmas morning - we don't know why.

Later that morning we went to Scott's parents and had a great breakfast and exchanged gifts with his side of the family - only his parents and Nick & Kellie were there this year. After a great afternoon nap at home, we returned to his parents house for dinner and visited with more family. It was a great holiday and I am exhausted. Now today I get to clean up the aftermath, but at least the kids have lots of new things to keep them busy. I'm hoping to not hear "I'm bored" until at least tomorrow.

Merry Christmas 2007!

OK, so I am finally trying this out and I have to say I feel a little weird about writing - I have NO clue what to say! I guess I will just intro my family. I am Rachel. I'm married to Scott and we have 4 children. Here are some highlights about each of us:

Rachel (34)

• I work part-time at the Utah Department of Health in the HIV/AIDS treatment & care program. I've been here for 8 years and love the fact that I am actually using my hard earned college degree, I am able to be home a lot with my kids and I have full insurance benefits (woo-hoo)!
• I am so lucky to be the mom of four great kids. We really struggled to get our family put together and I am just amazed we have been so blessed. After all the different ways our children came to us, we are extremely thankful to be a family!
• In my spare time (yeah, like I have that!) I like to scrapbook, go for walks, read, play with my kids, shop, cook, watch movies, and spend time with my husband.
• Some of my favorite things are: holding my sleeping baby, fresh snow, coconut lotion, days off with pay, tomato soup, someone helping me with housework, fresh sheets, kisses from puppies, pedicures, a good hair day, opening presents - but I equally LOVE giving gifts to other people, winning an auction on ebay (it's an addiction!), shopping, making lists and crossing off items as I complete them, I could go on and on...

Scott (almost 35)

• Scott currently works at a power equipment store in sales. He spent 8+ years as a State Trooper and decided to leave police work when the pressure became too great and he just didn't love it anymore. He's trying to decide what he wants to be when he grows up. Our goal for '08 is to decide if Scott will go back to school or find another job. My goal is to be supportive and patient - I have a hard time with that!
• Scott loves his family. Not just our immediate family, but our extended family too. We spend a lot of time with them and they are a great blessing to us. Scott is very close to his parents and siblings and it is a big strength to him.
• Some of Scott's favorite thing to do are: camping, 4-wheeling, yard work (he really likes mowing - I think it's therapeutic), taking naps, watching movies (right now we are watching 24 Season 6 series - it's very addicting), playing Halo with Dallin, going out with our friends, and having the day off.

Kesley (14)

• Kesley is in 8th grade and started a new jr high this fall because of our move. She wants to go to beauty school eventually and already loves doing hair (hers and whoever else will let her). In our school district they have a program in high school where she can also attend classes for her cosmetologist license, so I am hoping she'll take advantage of that in a few years.
• Kesley loves to hang out with her friends and loves to instant message them on the computer. She is dying to have a cell phone, but Scott and I are holding out for her grades to improve (we can only hope). She loves clothes and has her own unique style that she is very proud of. Kelsey is a total night owl - she loves to stay up very late and then sleep in. And this girl loves sweets - she is a candy-o-holic. She loves it when I make cookies or brownies, and I have to admit I really love making them for her.
• One of her biggest talents is her creativity. She is very gifted with her ability to draw. When she was younger she drew hundreds of individual people - each unique with their own hairstyles, clothing and names. She spent hours drawing and creating her own world of people. She is a great scrapbooker and I hope we can get my craft room in order and scrap together this next year (it's the last room I still haven't unpacked and organized - it's only been 6 months!).

Dallin (7 1/2)

• Dallin is in Second grade and also started a new school this fall. he is doing so well with his reading and is making lots of friends - maybe too many since he gets in trouble for talking a lot. His best friend is another boy named Dallin - they are so wild together! Winter is tough because I can't send them outside to play, but at least our basement is great for them to be loud and away from Dallin's sisters.
• Dallin is really looking forward to getting baptized this spring. I can't believe he is almost 8, it really feels like just yesterday he came into our family. One of my most favorite things about Dallin is his eyes. They are piercing blue and are just beautiful. I also love the tender side of him - when he hugs me, I know he really means it with all his heart. He has always been a snuggler - as a baby he loved to be held close and rocked and he still likes to sit right next to you when we watch TV or are at church. Sometimes it's a little claustrophobic because he's almost sitting on top of me, but I love that he still wants to be close to me.
• Some of Dallin's favorite things are: playing baseball, jumping on the trampoline, riding his bike (even in a snowstorm he gets so mad if he can't ride his bike to school), playing video games with his dad, eating - he is always hungry!, playing with his friends and his cousins, and watching movies - his favorites right now are Pirates of the Caribbean 3 and Transformers.

Hallie (almost 3)

• Hallie is my drama queen. She gets all worked up over everything and makes even little things into a huge commotion. Just last night she was in tears because Scott turned off the bathroom light BEFORE she finished pulling up her pajama pants all the way. She just couldn't continue with the evening until the lights were back on so she could "see" her waist so the pants were on correctly (like it was going to disappear in the dark or something). She is very precise about the way things should be done.
• Hallie loves everything princess. She can spot a princess item at any store we walk into. I don't care if it's princess toothpaste or princess shoes, she finds them. She especially loves her Cinderella dress-up dress. She won't wear it over anything though, so now that it's winter, she's freezing in it - and you can't wear socks with princess shoes (according to Hallie), so her feet are ice cubes.
• Other things Hallie loves are: Polly Pockets (especially this princess ones), brushing her teeth - she brushes them at least 8 times each day (hey, there are far worse fetishes), bows in her hair, sippys of milk in the microwave, the fisher price nativity set - she has lost the cow and baby Jesus was missing for awhile, bananas, popsicles, movies (her favorites are Matilda, Princess Sing-A-Long Songs & Shrek), and Hallie loves to get her free cookie from any grocery store bakery we go to.

Audrey (1)

• Audrey is my sweet lovey baby. She gives huge slobbery open mouth kisses and lays her head on you and says, "Ahhhh". She is very good natured and has the silliest grin and giggle. I just love to talk with her and hold her.
• Audrey is FINALLY starting to sleep through the night. After more than a year of waking at least 2-3 times each night, her Dr suggested she might have gastric reflux and put her on a daily antacid. Oh my - it has helped soooo much! Most nights she only wakes up once and this week she has slept through the night twice. This is one overjoyed mom!!!
• Some of her favorites are: her baby dolls - although she has to fight Hallie to play with them, Elmo, any toy that is loud and/or plays obnoxious music over and over - she loves to make noise, a warm bottle of milk, her binky, dried apples, licking the beaters when I make treats, her daddy - she is a daddy's girl, her new big girl car seat, and the remote control or anyone's cell phone.

Wow, for a first blog, this is really long. But in a nutshell, it's who we are. I love my family and I am excited to keep a blog of important events in our lives. Hope you enjoy!