Need a new totally awesome Christmas tradition?

This might be one of my favorite ever! I just read this on my friend's blog...

http://thericescoop.blogspot.com/

Christmas at the Fotheringhams

I love, love, love Christmas! It starts with the decor:

We go on top secret Santa missions with code names. Mine is "GAGs" for "get-away-girl", Russ is "Lightning", Chad is "Ferrari", Sarah is "Kitty", and Alyssa is "Kitty Kitty".

We do the Nativity skit on Christmas Eve. Grandma made the costumes and Russ was a surprised shepherd and a donkey:
Mom and Dad braved the snow and visited. They never stay long enough and I drink them up like the finest wine! They kept everything spotless as the "bag lady" and "bag man" collecting wrapping paper as we went. Regarding Christmas dinner, Mom promised to keep it "simple" (which she interprets as making 12 fancy homemade dishes to feed an army in addition to the staples I made). Years ago we decided to do donate to a worthy cause instead of exchanging gifts and we've kept our promise.My favorite parts of Christmas day are the heartfelt hugs saying thank you for gifts given:

We had the 3 elders over all day. We ate fancy food and had a ping pong tournament (top prize was a Viagra tie), played volleyball surrounded by glass in the family room (totally scary but totally fun!), played games, and had a talent show.

The last gift of the day is always a treasure hunt.

My Christmas present to myself is this mahogany dining set. We had our old table for 13 years! It was like saying goodbye to an old friend that had been there through thick and thin. A bit sad, but I'm ready for an update!

Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday to Him who saves us all! I feel abundantly blessed with family and friends at this most wonderful time of the year!

What are the chances????

At Chad's Black Belt Graduation Ceremony, Ava started to pee her pants while sitting on my lap. I felt the warmth dripping down my legs so I quickly stood her up and caught the rest with a blanket. A minute later, I realized my camera was wet. It was hanging from my wrist while I was catching her accident and it got soaked!

About 10 seconds later, something inside the camera exploded and it was officially broken. So no pictures of Chad getting his black belt with all of his instructors kicking him in the stomach as they do for the ceremony.

Really, what are the chances of a camera breaking because a child pees on it????

Winners Never Quit, and Quitters Never Win!

I never could imagine this day many years ago. CHAD JUST PASSED HIS BLACK BELT TEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Holy cow, this is real. It is so exhausting, it is 5pm and Chad is asleep:

When Russ signed Chad up for karate 4 years ago, I was upset. They require intense focus and discipline and perseverence...the VERY things that Chad having Asperger's Syndrome struggles with. However, we thought this may help him in those areas. And it has. And here we are today.

The school produces numerous state champions every year. The testing is incredibly intense. He had to memorize a book about 60 pages thick and test for 9 months all leading up to the BIG test that was today. We went to class 4 times a week all year and passed up on several weekends away because Chad couldn't miss phase testing class. I cried many tears along the way because it was hard to see Chad struggle at times. We practiced and practiced at home. I said "I hate Karate" about 100 times (only to Russ) and wanted to quit just as many. Chad proclaimed that he was quitting several times too (it's hard to lose every sparring match and grappling match...over time he started to win). But every one of us and Chad knew that it would be something worth fighting for and he would get there with sheer will power. Winners never quit and quitters never win.

After 2 hours of weapons, forms, sets, self-defense, grappling, and sparring testing, they had to spar and grapple each other, other black belts, and instructors. Chad got elbowed in the face a few times. Sweat was dripping like a rain shower.

The last part is the one hundred pushups and situps. At this point they are all so exhausted, it seems impossible. But they let us get right next to the testers and cheer them on. This is when the tears flow from everyone in the audience.

Chad reminded me of a woman in labor. It was like he was giving birth to a black belt! I have never seen him work so hard for something and I am SO proud I feel like shouting it from the rooftops.

Chad, your perserverance and determination are worthy of black belt! Congratulations. Nothing is impossible. You have learned that when you get knocked down you get right back up again and continue the fight. I LOVE YOU, CHAD!

SNOWPOCOLYPSE

We had record breaking snow today. The most EVER in history here. After 3 hours straight of shoveling snow by myself, my whole body cramped up and I couldn't move. The snow was so high I couldn't throw it high enough over the piles I had made anymore anyway. It was time to call it quits.

So I went inside to fix lunch and my whole body was shaking from fatigue...something I have never experienced. I couldn't lift the bag of tortillas onto the counter! I shed a few tears mainly out of shock at how my body had become so disabled I couldn't lift a bag of tortillas! I see how people die shoveling snow every year.

Their were 6 neighbors with snow blowers buzzing all around me and the only ones shoveling were men or teenage boys. I am THE WOMAN! The only woman out in my neighborhood in this stuff anyway. Look at what I did by myself with a shovel. My masterpiece:

These cuties helped for about 5 minutes and got too tired. Sarah proceeded to dig a 15 foot long tunnel with a friend. Which was fine with me because I love to see them have fun! Plus, I was feeling like I could conquer the world. And I did.


What is snow without a batch of my famous "snow ice cream" (just add a ton of sugar, a drop of vanilla, and some condensed milk...but I just add sugar because it's the easiest)? The kids always beg me to make it:
And this is how we finished our day. Ava waves, "Goodnight!"

Reunited and it feels so good!

Taking a step back from my daily schedule was such a huge blessing. It truly made me appreciate and be so grateful for the joys of motherhood. When I am in the middle of the stress, a vacation sounds like the most wonderful thing. Then I go on vacation and my heart aches because I miss my dear little ones! It took me 3 days to get rid of that anxious feeling. I seriously had visions of asking my mom to put the kids on a plane and I'd pick them up at the airport, but then I realized they'd have no idea how to make the connecting flight in Seattle. But after about 3 days in Hawaii, I totally got the swing of things and was in full relaxed vacation mode.

When I saw my children again after a week away, I was overwhelmed with how absolutely beautiful they were. They have never looked more beautiful. They seemed so old and big too. And it seemed like there were so many of them!!!! Strange, I know I should know how many kids I have. Ava wouldn't even look at me when we reunited. She is NEVER shy (this is an understatement), but was acting shy towards me. It was really funny.

Chad called me "Grandma" by accident 3 times the day we got back. Chad keeps telling me how "Grandma woke up early just for us" and cooked them breakfast and how I need to do this too. Grandma has his heart I tell ya.

When I got home I was SO overwhelmed with gratitude for my dear Mom and Dad. The amount of organization, cleaning, repair, decorating projects they did is astounding and I swear they had to have not slept to accomplish all they did. My dad is a rocket scientist (he fixed my computer, printer, 2 faucets, hung a 1000 pound mirror, made shelving, and more) and my mom is a machine (cleaned and cleaned, sewed, baked and baked, and organized all sorts of things). Why didn't they teach me how to be just like them??? The amount of adoration I have for them is infinite.

Kauai is an amazing island. I took 300 photos! Here are a few...

This is a chocolate tree (cacao tree)...these fruits that grow on the trunk have the bean in them that produces chocolate. We took a chocolate farm tour and learned how to make it (SO labor intensive) and tasted expensive chocolates from all around the world in a blind taste test. Did you know that wine has 250 flavor tones and chocolate has 500?!

Each island is represented by their own flower lei...Kauai's is a purple orchid.

I've always wanted to drink straight from a coconut just like they do on Survivor and I got to for 5 bucks! This guy was hilarious. I was like, "Do you watch Survivor?" And he says, "No...they should watch me!"
Our favorite things we did were all of the gorgeous butt kicking hikes. We schlopped through tons of mud on the Kalalau trail along the Na Pali coast.

This is for my husband when we are in our 70's and I'll be like, "Honey, just close your eyes and picture me in my 30's!" :)

My handsome Honey!

The "Tunnel of Trees" by our hotel:

The islanders were awesome at church and even crocheted leis for all of the visitors:

This tree was the only thing holding me in place as I hung on to look over a 400 foot cliff over a waterfall after a long hike in Waimea Canyon. Russ wouldn't even go there:

Looking over the waterfall:

The waterfall reward after hiking nature's stair master:

Hiking Waimea Canyon. My phone almost rolled off this cliff!

At the luau, I was thoroughly entertained trying to get pictures of this guy's butt. The wind would blow and you could see the whole thing but I never snapped in time. I needed this comic relief because I was missing the kids and worrying about my mom that first night!

Poi:

Our Thanksgiving dinner...

The Fantasy Island waterfall:

The Na Pali coast from my helicopter ride:

Such hard work:

The Grand Hyatt. I ran into JW Marriott in the hallway after our hike. I thought it was funny that he was staying at a Hyatt! Must be doing market research:

Not being a morning person, this might be my first sunrise ever!

This was all incrediblely dreamy and a ton of fun and still way too good to be true. I LOVED it. But my greatest blessing from it all was increased perspective on what brings the greatest joy. That is family. And I have it all around me all the time! I am blessed.

Thank you Mom and Dad and Russ for making all of my dreams come true! I better make another "life list" because I knocked a bunch off in one week!