Grandma's House

We came up on Wednesday afternoon to visit Grandma for the Holidays. It has been good to be up here to visit and spend time with all our family. It was a little different not being at home for Christmas Eve but special to enjoy the traditions with Grandma and Kieth. When James took the kids to Utah on the 19th, I gave the kids the choice to go and spend 4 days before Christmas with Grandma or stay at home where their presents were. I explained as best as I could that Santa wasn't going to be able to leave their gifts in Utah because we couldn't get them back. We wouldn't have enough room in our car for all of our luggage and presents. They chose to spend time with Grandma--but I think they thought twice about that decision on Christmas morning when there wasn't much under the tree for them. It was a little difficult to watch as a mom, but a good lesson as well about the true meaning of Christmas. Grandma was wonderful to buy some toys that would stay at her house but that they could play with while they were there. Malak really cracked me up while we were opening presents because he just got really comfortable and propped himself onto his belly and held is head in his hands and just watched so closely. He was really focused on what was happening.


On Christmas Eve we had a little spiritual lesson about the true meaning of some Christmas Songs. It was really neat to understand what the songs were about and their hidden meaning. I will never look at the "Twelve Days of Christmas" the same again. Then we sang some of the songs and let the kids open their pajamas that Grandma bought for them. We had a lot of fun!

Christmas morning was very quiet. It was just my family, Grandma, Kieth and Lizzy. It was so nice to watch then open their gifts and then eat our traditional breakfast together of toast, ham and orange juice. We just hung out the rest of the day until all the siblings got there. We had a wonderful Christmas dinner and enjoyed everyone's company. We got to play a fun game with the gifts that we had brought for exchanging. It was pretty mellow until Brent stole a gift from somebody else and then all the fun started. You have to be careful in the Wright family to not get everybody too upset..you know we all have anger management problems!! Ha ha! It turned out to be alot of fun and a new tradition that we will carry on every year on Christmas Day.

Party Party!

On Saturday night James and I went to his Christmas Party at Treasure Island. I usually hate these things because everyone is drunk and acting crazy. This year was no different, but I had a great time with my husband. We didn't have any kids to hurry home to, so we stayed out until almost midnight! That's very late for us old timers. We danced and danced and just really enjoyed each other's company. I had to change my attitude about his parties because last year he didn't invite me and went by himself! He's too dang handsome to go unaccompanied to those kind of events so I was very glad he invited me this year! We got to sit at the table with the Commander of the Squadron who James works for and all 3 First Shirts. It was alot of fun and we all had many things in common with our children, which made for great conversations. I was a little hoarse when leaving from shouting over the music all night long, but enjoyed it none the less. I am grateful for the military these days and for the security that we have being a part of it. It's been good to our family and we'll probably be around for a while longer so I'm glad that James likes it.

Jamie's First Date

Jamie went on his first date last night! He has been looking forward to this day for a long time. He actually took me on his first date last weekend as sort of a prelude to the real thing. He promised me I would be his first date and we had a great time. He drove and I paid. We went shopping for new suit for him for Christmas and then went to dinner at the Olive Garden. He was a complete gentleman opening doors, walking next to traffic, sliding my chairs in and initiating conversation. I was so proud of him. When we went shopping for a suit the realization came to me that he has passed from boyhood to manhood. This was the first suit that we've ever had to have him fitted for. I got very emotional when he was trying it on in the dresssing room because I realized that we don't have much time together anymore. He will be off on his own very shortly and I am going to miss him terribly. What will I do without my special, sweet son? I thoroughly enjoyed the special time spent with him and know that he will be nothing but a gentleman to these girls that wait to date him. Trust me, there is a lineup!
He asked his best friend Kelsey out for his first date. She turned 16 the day before and he thought it would be special to take her out. She has been a good friend to Jamie--although I think she likes him--but who doesn't??
He double dated with his friend Ethan Ewing and they took the girls to Opportunity Village and walked around to see the lights. They rode the train, ate funnel cake, and drank hot chocolate. He said he had a great time, and assured me that he didn't hold her hand or anything.
Thank goodness! We've had lots of talks about leading girls on and making mistakes by getting into physical trouble with them. As a mother I can only hope that he listens and makes good choices! Oh so scary to let them make their own choices! This is when faith becomes so important. I pray that he makes good choices not only in the girls he dates, but what he does on his dates! Good Luck Jamie!

Brrrr!!

The kids really enjoy sledding and being in the cold weather. I HATE being cold....not even for my kids. The lucky part about all of this is that they went early to Grandma's house and got to enjoy all that snow without me feeling guilty while watching them from inside. James actually took them sledding on Saturday before he drove home and they had a great time. My mom is so good about taking them out to play, too. They have a great hill just on the side of their house that the kids have enjoyed. My mom is great to stock all the warm clothes they would ever need. she invests every year in new ski pants and jackets just for us Las Vegans who don't own big coats. She's such a great grandma!! Malak however does not like the snow. He cried and fussed whenever somebody put him down in it. I guess he takes after me...uh oh!

Christmas at Our House

We decided to let the kids open a few presents on Wednesday night before they went up to Grandma's house. I would have felt bad to make them wait so long to open their gifts. It was a crazy day that day getting ready to send them off--so it wasn't the same as actually waking up and opening presents but the kids didn't seem to care!! We actually read the Christmas Story to them and talked about the "true" meaning of Christmas....do you think they really get that part?? Maybe one day it will sink in if we keep enforcing it every year. I think their favorite gifts were from Jamie...he bought them robes. He used to always wear one when he was little and he's passing that tradition on to his younger siblings. Kai likes to take off his shirt, leave his pajama bottoms on and sleep in his.

We had alot of fun decorating the house this year. It's always kind of an overwhelming thing for me so I decided not to put everything out. I liked it better because it became fun and the kids liked helping me. I changed our Christmas Tree decorations this year---almost 8 years of the same ones--it was time that they went bye bye!! I tell myself every year I am going to invest in new stuff and then miss all the sales, so this year I just bit the bullet and got what I wanted. I am enjoying the new things! I was so proud of my husband and his decorating skills outside. It's usually a bit of a fight to get him to hang the lights, but this year I didn't have to say a word! He was very happy with his accomplishment and enjoyed looking at the lights.

Will I?

Will I ever have time to blog again??

Jamie's 10K

Jamie decided he wanted to run a marathon on Thursday and signed up for the race on Saturday. I thought he was crazy because he hadn't been really training or anything besides soccer which ended over 2 weeks ago. But he signed up anyway and kicked butt! He came in 3rd in his age division and ran the marathon in 47 minutes! I couldn't make it to take pictures because I had to work, but I was very proud of him none the less! He's been a little sore for the past 2 days, but said it was all worth it. He's thinking he might run track in High School now that he's figured out he likes it and is good at it!

Yay for Nursery!

I just wanted to blog about this real quick even though I have some catching up to do with our trip to Puerto Rico, but I didn't want to forget my thoughts!! I am so grateful for Nursery! Malak is finally old enough to go in there legally! One of my best friends is the Nursery leader so we have cheated a few times when we both had to teach or something like that, but he went in on Sunday for the first time all by himself! And he did very well, except the time that mommy peeked in on him to see how he was doing...woops! He kinda lost it for a minute, but recovered quickly. I got in big trouble from all the Nursery workers--won't let it happen again. I don't want to ever mess up my chances of somebody else taking care of him so I can enjoy church again!! He is becoming such a big boy and I am realizing that these are the "lasts" of the "firsts"! Only one more to potty train, only one more to start preschool, only one more left to really cuddle with when you can still comfortably hold them on your lap, only one more to teach how to talk and watch the process, only one more to learn what time-out" is, and so many more fun things to teach my baby!!
Madelyn got to bear her testimony in church yesterday for the first time! I was so proud of her and how strong her testimony is. She has been wanting to bear it for a long time, but I wanted to make sure she understood what it meant and that it was very special and serious--not something to do every Sunday and say the same thing over and over. We had a special FHE about testimonies a while ago and she hasn't said much about it since, but on Sunday she really wanted to go, so I let her and she did such a great job!! I was very proud of my girl!

Halloween Puerto Rican Style!

We woke up all too early yesterday and went to Abuela's for pancakes and bacon. Jamie was still in bed, so I guess the heat didn't get to him. He said he actually slept really well. He has said more than once that he loves it here...maybe it's in his genes!

We ran around most of the day yesterday. We drove all the way out to the Army base here for a few toiletries because it's "cheaper" on base but the drive was ridiculous and the line to get on base was even worse! Everyone on the island obviously has a military ID and went to go purchase alcohol for the Halloween parties! After shopping and buying a bunch of stuff we didn't need, I was exhausted! We went to Wilbur and Myra's house and rested while the kids played. Malak had a blast no matter where we were. He found things to entertain himself...like the mopping bucket--it became his car and they pushed him around in it. He likes to feed the dog and chase it around...why do we buy our kids expensive games when we can just give them a mop and a bucket?

We then took a drive up into the mountains where Wiso lives with his wife and son. They live in a gated community so we felt it would be safe enough to let the kids trick or treat. Everyone else had the same idea as us because the traffic again was crazy! It took us almost an hour and a half to get there which should have only taken us 45 minutes. We got the kids all dressed up and took them out to get some candy. It was a huge group of people that we got stuck with and they sing at each person's house.....Trick or Treat, Halloween. Dame dulce no mani. No te escondas, que te vi. En la casa de Pepi. Translation is Trick or Treat, Halloween. Give me candy, not peanuts. Don't hide bcause I saw you in the house of Pepi. It's very cute when all the kids say it but some things just don't translate!!

After all the candy getting we settled back at Wiso's house to eat Pizza and have our own little party. We played pin the tail on the donkey and they had a pinata. It is just so much fun to celebrate with James' family. They really know how to get down and be crazy!! I have really enjoyed watching my kids play with their cousins who don't speak any English. They all get along so well even though they can't really communicate. And I don't know if my spanish is getting better or what but I understand almost everything. It's been a great trip so far because I can understand what everyone is saying and I don't feel so isolated. Jamie is speaking a lot of spanish with his cousins and it's been good for him to apply what he's learned the last 3 years in Spanish class. It seems to be coming together for him.

The drive home only took 45 minutes--thank goodness and everybody slept wonderful last night! We didn't even get out of bed until 9:30!!! Hooray!!!