Family Time

 I know this isn't the greatest photo but I like it because it shows a bunch of my best friends.  It was a blast to get away from the kidlets for a few minutes and remember what it is like to be an adult.  I love the Rigbys.

And then it was back to being with the kids.  We were lucky to be able to attend Quincy's princess tea party.  Nothing is as fun and chillin' with cousins.

 Then we switched back to Howard land and the grandkids got to help Oma stuff the pinata.  I don't know if it is more fun putting the toys in or breaking it to get them out.

 Kristin taught Daisy how to make bird feeders.  I don't think Daisy would care what they were doing as long as she got to hang out with Kristin.

 Here are my cute grandparents with my cute baby girl.

The Howeird Village

I have heard a lot of people talk about having a Christmas Village.  Some of them are pretty neat but I never hesitate in saying that the one my sister does at my parent's house is unique.  This top photo only shows part of it but it does give an over-view of what you would see if you didn't look too closely.  Once you get right up there you find a town full of people who are really living.  

There are little carolers that have stopped for a cookie from an old man.

There are lovebirds trying to steal a kiss under the mistletoe while nobody is looking.

There is a band whose song is clearly being interrupted by this impolite town crier, much to the dismay of the conductor.

 And then there is this little girl who has clearly lost someone she loves.

If you take an even closer look you might find that there are some strange happenings.  Like this pig for example.  

Or this cow that really just wants to get religion.

And then, for those who really look closely, there is the more sinister side of this Dickens Village.  

If you ask me, this guy was basically asking to be mugged when he left the house wearing that jacket.

 The minster is creepy enough on his own but becomes even worse when you see what has happened to the dude waiting outside his church.

 This little girl is unaware of what her puppies have found buried in the snow.  Don't look too closely if you are squeamish.  There is a whole body connected to that hand.

And what is this guy digging for in this secluded forest?

Don't forget the monsters.

I don't know who would be more horrified.  The Department 56 people who sell these figures and get upset if you mix the "town" pieces with the "city" pieces or the Monster Village people who probably wouldn't appreciate their gore side by side with the quaint houses.
If you didn't already know I am weird, then you don't know me, but I feel that in a way the village explains a few things.
This is what happens when an English teacher marries a horror film buff and they reproduce.
What I see when I look at this village is my incredibly creative sister and a family with a sense of humor.  The best part is when people come by and don't really look.  They rave about how darling the village is and don't even notice King Kong.

The Hip-Haps

 So far we have been freezing our little buns off in Utah.  The good news is that it is just as cold in Eugene so we wouldn't have been able to escape it.  A bunch of Rigbys got together to see the sights at Temple Square.  These cousins have the best time hanging out.

 I couldn't pass up the chance to see the old ZCMI candy windows.  They didn't disappoint.  My girls clearly have a similar interest in sweets.

 The next stop was the Jazz game which was much warmer.  We had a great time even though they lost.

 If you have ever wondered what it looks like on the back row of the Energy Solutions Arena, this is it.  We found out that it is pretty awesome back there because the kids can run around and play.

 I have a new daughter.  She has long blonde hair and mouse ears.

 At first I thought it was Daisy and that she had dressed up but after several days I have realized that this is not a costume.

 She has also taken a job that requires that she spend several hours working on her "computer" which lived its previous life as a Battleship game.

 They have also been playing with a lot of Play-Doh.  Daisy worked very hard on this snowman whose name is Ooga Booga.  Rocky's was named Dasher.

 Rosy didn't have time for playing because she has been too busy stuffing her face with food.  The first couple of days she wouldn't eat anything but now she has two new teeth and an insatiable hunger.

 I took them shopping for each other and Daisy picked out a pink computer for Rocky and Rocky picked out a Play-Doh set for Daisy.  They have been taking the idea of keeping it a surprise very seriously.  I thought that the cover would be blown in just a few minutes but they haven't said a word.  The only slip happened when Daisy was whispering to me that she wants to play with Rocky's gift and her sister overheard her.  She thought she heard the word "pig" and she has been telling everyone that Daisy got her a pig.  She told me, "I don't really want a pig but I know Daisy is excited so I will for sure like it."  Daisy handles it in such a funny way.  She just gets a big smile and giggles like crazy.

 Daisy has started calling my dad, Op.  I guess Opa just took too much effort to say.

Happy Wedding

Feliz was the most beautiful bride but I hardly got any photos.  I'm still holding out that more people will post them on facebook but for now this is it.

 The wedding was lovely, even more so because we adore these two so much.  Cody seems to be her perfect match and together they have captured the hearts of all their nieces and nephews.

Feliz has always been such an amazing person.  She was tough enough to hold her own against her 7 brothers but also developed a special sensitivity and grace that make it impossible not to love her. I have also been impressed by the close relationship she and Indee share.  She has always looked after her little sister with a fierce loyalty.  When I first met her she was only 11 and now she is this gorgeous, talented woman.  As much as I have always enjoyed my friendship with Feliz I have felt in the last few years that it has blossomed more as I have seen the way my girls look up to her.  Okay, okay, I've got to stop because I'm getting all blubbery.  You get the idea.  I love her and I'm so glad to see that she has fallen in love with a super-stud that knows how fantastic she is.

Update:

12 More Hours of Family Bonding

We survived another trek to Utah which is always something of a bonding experience for our family.  We left around noon instead of driving all night like we have been.  This meant that it took a little bit more creativity to keep everyone happy.

I took a few photos when we were about an hour in and everyone was in good spirits.  Brandon had checked out some great books for them to explore on the way.  Daisy was studying cupcake designs and Rocky was engrossed in the Super Hero Squad Show comic.  They weren't all that interested in the scenery until we got to Bend and passed a Sonic.  Rocky said, "Wow there is a Hedgehog here too!"  I don't know how she comes up with this stuff.

I was so busy taking this photo of Rosy a-snooze that I didn't even notice that she wasn't even completely buckled in.  

 

The girls were champs and they really tried to be cheerful.  Whenever any grumbling started I would remind them that we were en-route to see their grandparents and they would calm right down.

It is hard on those long lonely roads not to get a little lead-footed and we were pulled over a little bit outside of Ontario.  Luckily we got off with a warning but Rocky was very concerned.  She couldn't figure out why we would speed and I told her that sometimes when you are driving for a long time it is easy to get faster and faster without really noticing.  After that it was about every 12 minutes that her little voice would pipe up and remind us that we need to remember the speed limit.  You better believe that we didn't forget again.

Everybody thought it was pretty fun to have a car picnic and eat burritos in the dark and then we watched a Redbox movie for movie night.  

Brandon took this photo about 10 hours in and you can see that things had gotten a little crazy.

 Whenever Rosy would get whiny her sisters distracted her with their pillow pets which apparently also make beautiful bonnets.
And now, after a good rest they are reaping the rewards and watching Loony Toons with Opa.

Keeping up Appearances

I have mentioned it before but Rocky is always one of the first kids out of the door after school.  All the parents stand around waiting for the kids and since Rosy is usually in the party van I am usually standing back a little closer to the road.  She can't wait to tell me what is on her mind so she will start yelling as she runs toward me.  Once in awhile she wills say something normal about going to the library or playing at recess.  More often it is something completely random and it gets the parents all giggling.  Today she ran out and said, "Don't worry Mom.  I told all the kids at school about our Elf."
We don't have an elf, so I naturally was interested in getting more info, and if I'm not mistaken, so were some of the other parents.
She said, "You know, our Elf Under the Bed.  I mean, I made it up, but I told them it is what we do.  I said about how his eyes glow and I can see it when I peek under my bed at night."

Apparently the Rigbys have taken the Elf on the Shelf to a much more frightening level.  I would be concerned about what the other parents thought if I hadn't given up on looking normal the last couple of years when were dealing heavily with Krampus. 

Then there is Daisy who drew these "monster" fruits at a birthday party.  Monsters are totally birthday party friendly right?  

My kids are a little bit stuck in permanent Halloween mode but I can't really blame them.  All of this is coming from the same lady who couldn't resist seeing a notorious resemblance in her one-year-old baby.  It was just a perfect little Nutella Hitler mustache.