Curing the "January Blues"

Below is the awesome cure for the "Jan. Blues" that I recently discovered...

Mix some close friends plus a heaping amount sunshine and blue skies, add a week with no kids (well, babies don't count...), with lots of late-night talks while eating your favorite ice cream.  Next add in lazy mornings sleeping in, several shopping sprees, eating out at your favorite places, some good movies and...walah!  You're CURED!!

LOL!  =)   On a more serious note...I really had a wonderful, amazing time visiting all my old friends in AZ.  Thanks so much to my dear friend Britni who invited me to stay with her for four days for her B-day!   She is such a sweetheart. (We found an incredible deal on Allegiant Air that flew straight from IF to Mesa.)  I couldn't have asked for anything more.  The weather was perfect (it even got up to 80 degrees a couple days!), and I got to do everything I wanted.  It was hard to leave. (Thanks to my mom and Britni's mother-in-law who watched our kids for us!)   I really needed this beak more than I knew.   It has given me that extra "boost" to make it through the next four more months til Caleb can complete his externships, graduate from medical school and we can be a whole, complete family once more.

Here we are about to board the plane

Okay, so not the best picture but I had to take it of the two of us since this was Capri's first time flying.  She was perfect the whole time and fell asleep in my arms.

Our old BUNCO group  

Britni was kind enough to host it at her house during the week I was there so I could attend and catch up with everyone.

L-R:  Jeni, Kristy, Joanna, Alyssa (my old roommate from BYUI from 6 years ago!!), Jill, Jesica, Stephanie, Danielle, Michelle, Courtney, Britni, Nicole, Angel, Megan, me, Brenda, (not pictured:  Megan and Jen who were kind enough to take the picture and Michelle G. who had already left.) 

Our baby girls got to "hang" out together too.  Capri and Austyn are only about 6 weeks apart.  Let me just say that it is sooooo relaxing to only have ONE child to take care of.  (One of the best parts is sleeping in!)

One of the things I really wanted to do was visit my friend Sara and her twin baby girls that were born the day after we moved away from Glendale.  Klara and Cozette are totally ADORABLE and growing up so fast!

Another thing on my "list" was hanging out at one of my most favorite places from our three years there:  yep, you guessed it--the San Lagos Pool and hot tub!  I have sooooo many memories from that place.

The weather really was just gorgeous!!  Only in AZ do you WANT to go swimming in January!  (Unfortunately one day wasn't enough to get my old tan back...)

Also on my "list" was a trip to the Anthem Outlet mall.  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE that place!!  Our friend Kristy was able to come with us (thanks for watching her kiddos, Joanna) and we shopped til we dropped--nearly 6 hours!

Having lunch at the food Court

On my last night there there Britni planned a fun GNO:  We went to Cheesecake factory (miss that place!) with one group of friends and then to a movie ("The Tourist") with another group of friends.   Britni and I stayed up late talking and eating ice cream when we got home.  

L-R:  Carlie, Courtney, me, Britni, Sara, Jessy

Here we are at the Mesa airport on Fri. about to say goodbye...
It was hard to leave

Thanks so much, Britni!

'til the next AZ reunion... 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Happy New Year 2011!!!

On New Year's Eve we went to a party at Caleb's brother's house.  We had dinner and then played the Roberts' family's favorite game of all time--"Rate Your Mate."  It was hilarious as always.  Thanks for hosting, J&M!  One of the things I love most of all about living here in IF (besides being near my parents) is being near two of my sister-in-laws.  They are some of my dearest friends and I'm doubly lucky because we all have kids the same age and gender.

The guys

The gals

Caleb and I with Jacob and Marisa and Eric and Kynda

Caysja had a little New Year's celebration at Preschool.  They made party hats and drank "sparkling cider" in tiny cups.  (Moms were invited too.)

CHEERS!

Caleb's best friend and his wife, Ryan and Heather Inns, came and visited us for a little while before they had to fly back to Georgia.  It's always fun to see them.  We miss you guys!

Jan. is NOT my most favorite month.  I usually feel like it's easy to get down.  It's so cold, there's nothing to look forward to (no fun holidays) and it's usually gray (at least around here it is.)  So this year I believe I've found a way to cure my "Jan. Blues"...it's called...a  PLANE TICKET BACK TO AZ FOR FIVE DAYS starting next week to see all my awesome friends and enjoy some SUNSHINE!!!  To say I can't wait is totally an understatement and I'll just leave it at that!

Thanks, Britni for inviting me and to my mom for watching my kids!

See you soon, AZ!

Christmas 2010

We had a great Christmas--made all the more wonderful by the fact that Caleb was home with us for 10 whole days!  We loved every minute of it.  The only downer was that right after Christmas everyone (except me) got sick with coughs, colds and weird fevers that lasted for days.

Caleb getting some bonding time with Priesie Princess

(sorry, I forgot to rotate it)

My Grandpa and Capri

Family shot

We spent Christmas Eve at my parent's house.  After dinner we had a little program with my dad reading Luke 2 and Caysja "acting" it out by moving my mom's nativity set all around.  (Originally we were going to act out the nativity story with our kids, but Crew was starting to get sick and was rather grumpy.)  Then Caleb read "the Night Before Christmas" as is our tradition.

Christmas morning was so much fun!
 Caysja really got into the whole Santa thing this year and she was sooooo excited to see what she got...

"Our Generation" doll for Kiki

Priesie's 1st Christmas

"cycle cycle" for Crewser man

Caysja made us this special ornament in preschool and kept it a secret the whole month! So sweet!

Caleb's gift from "Santa" (--big boys like guns too!)

Between his birthday and Christmas presents, Crew got 6 motorcycles!  I think he's all set now.

It's a sad day in your life when the Christmas gifts you want are things to help you do your chores!! (Thanks, Chalise, I love it!)

After our Christmas, we went over to my parent's house and my kids had Christmas #2!

Thanks, Mom and Dad--you spoiled us!

Later the next week my sister Chalise and her husband Steve came to visit and we had Christmas #3!  This is the GORGEOUS blanket she made for Capri.  Is she incredible or what?!?!  Love you, Liesie!!!

She made Caysja a smaller one for her dolls.  (She sleeps with it every night.)

Crew got some "tractoos" as he calls them.

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas too!

*S*N*O*W*

We were sooooo excited to have Caleb come home for Christmas!  We'd be driving in the car and listening to the radio and Caysja would say, "Mom, that's OUR song--all we want for Christmas is Daddy to come home!!"  It was too cute so we had to make him a sign.

He got home the day before Christmas Eve and it snowed.  It was perfect for making snowmen--and we didn't stop with one...

...pretty soon we'd made our whole family!

On Christmas Eve day, we went sledding with Caleb's brother Jacob and his family up in the mountains near Kelly Canyon.  It was so much fun!

Caysja and Mariah 

Enjoying hot chocolate in the back of Jacob's truck

Love this handsome guy!

Group shot (Crew and Capri are home with my parents)

Snow is generally not my favorite thing.  I don't like to be cold (especially after living in AZ for the last three years!) I don't like to drive in it, shovel it, or feel it getting my hair all wet.  BUT, I do have to admit that there is just something so magical and beautiful about a "White Christmas" which I haven't experienced in the past three years.  It really puts one in the "holiday spirit".