A few Christmas pictures

I always get caught up in the Christmas morning hullabaloo and forget to take many pictures. Here are a few I did get.

Grace wanted to read "The Night Before Christmas" to Great-Grandma Van Fleet.

One last picture before the madness begins.

They both got new American Girl Dolls for Christmas. Hanna has Kit and Grace has Emily.

The face says it all.

Grandma and Grandpa Toly gave them iPods.

Grace loves to sing while listening to her iPod. Sadly one of her favourite songs is from our neighbours country cd she recorded.

"Fuzzy" Crocs have proved to be very useful.

Back from a holiday break

I have yet to even look at my camera and sort through the Christmas photos so it will be awhile until I get those up. We had an excellent Christmas and everyone seems happy with their haul. Ryan bought me an iPod Nano that I've yet to really explore but if you have any song recommendations I'd like to hear them. We spent this week sledding, laying around or mooching Guitar Hero time at Quist's house. I need to get me a Wii (hint: it's my birthday in 14 days!) so that I can spend hours at my own house mastering Guitar Hero.

Today was a rough one. I had to teach five twelve year old girls about the second coming of Jesus Christ. I've been teaching these girls all year and have never felt flustered or nervous but this was a rough one. It did make me reflect on the sad state our world seems to be in and then had me feeling kind of depressed. Benazir Bhutto's assassination is something I can't seem to get out of my head. The thought of the world in an Utopian state was sounding pretty good to me today.

What all my friends are getting for Christmas

Faux jean leggings. Banded waist. Length of leggings from inseam: 24.5". One size fits most. Imported.

A picture of Gracie

I went to see Grace's school Christmas program yesterday and it was really sweet. She sang Jingle Bells while doing sign language which I thought was cool. My only problem with these programs is that the other parents there with younger children let them do whatever they want in the aisle while I'm trying to watch my child perform. So I kept having to move because some kid was dancing in the aisle which blocked my view of Grace. I don't know why my kid is always on the front row, right in front of where the teachers sit. When it was done we went back to her classroom and I snapped this picture of her. She has smiley face stamps on her face because I'm that parent who forgets to send lunch money when my kid has school lunch. Why she chooses to have them stamped on her face I'll never know. You have to click on the picture to see the smiley faces. When I did that I noticed Grace is working on a nice pair of Toly eyebrows. Luckily she is blonde.

Santa

We took the girls to see Santa on Saturday which is something I worry they'll grow out of soon. I love hearing them talk in the car on the way there about what they are going to ask Santa for. It's a magical thing and I'll be sad when they aren't excited to do it. They always go together because Gracie is a bit "shy" of Santa. I'm feeling sentimental tonight about the girls and our family. We're so lucky that we got to have them in our lives. Christmas brings up a lot of feelings about the loss of Evie but I'm trying to focus on being grateful for winning the genetic lottery with Hanna and Grace.

I didn't come here to Jazzercise

In an effort not to gain 200lbs by Christmas, I have returned to The Gym. My goal is to get in two weight and one cardio class a week. The trick is finding the classes you like to go to and have good instructors. My old weight class was taught by Naomi who I believe had perfect arms. Her perfect arms motivated me and made me believe that maybe someday, I could have arms like that also. Naomi didn't fool around either. I got really strong going to her class and I probably lifted more weight than I ever have before. I was sore a lot but it was a good kind of sore that made me feel like I was accomplishing something. My whole working out routine was interrupted by our summer trip to Alberta, then adjusting to working (18 hours a week!) and then just general laziness. I'm back now but Naomi has left. I don't know where she went but it makes me sad and I know I'm not the only one who went to Gold's just for her classes. So the last couple of weeks have been a testing period for other classes. I found Shirley on Mondays that I really like and then I do a spin class for my cardio. Wednesday I decided to try out Lana's weight class hoping that I'd have found my trifecta of workout classes. I should have known when I walked in and only saw three other women there that it wasn't going to be fabulous. One of my pet peeves when taking a class is when the instructor has us work out like "girls". I don't want to do any of this Jane Fonda crap where I lay down on my side, put a dumbbell on my inner thigh and "lift, lift, lift". I know it might work out your inner thigh just fine but I want to put a barbell on my shoulders and lift like a man, dammit! I found myself getting angrier and angrier as the class went on. I left about ten minutes early feeling like I could have had a better workout with Gracie as my instructor. I won't be going back to Lana's class and instead I guess I have to now try out the new spin instructor on Wednesdays. Hopefully I don't get in a fight with anyone.

Haircut

I took another trip to see Chad and get the horrible she-mullet I had going cut off. It had been four months due to our Disneyland trip and that's a long time when you have short hair. It feels so good to have it short in the back again. I'm posting these lovely Photobooth pictures because I'm getting too old and too lazy to care about taking a good picture. I'm getting old and I might as well embrace the beast. If you live in the Wasatch Front, I highly recommend Chad at Reflections Salon in Sugarhouse.

This is dedicated to my fellow mall shoppers

Prime Minister Brian Mulroney (just to clarify, this is NOT the real Brian Mulroney), Benetton, a guy doing The Robot, what more could you want? Throw in some Le Chateau and it's my teenage years summed up in a song. Sadly, my local mall had none of these stores. We had stores like Suzy Shier, Cotton Ginny, Mariposa and Bootlegger. I know a lot of you hung out at the Park Place Mall growing up so tell me about stores you frequented. Remember Freedom?

Proof that Gary Coleman lives here

Poor Gary is now having to sell his Saturn on Ebay. I love how in his description he says "you are looking at The famous Gary Coleman's Saturn." The first time I had a Gary siting he was driving this car. Apparently he has also opened up some sort of Christmas Boutique at his house. Hanna's friend has a mug he bought from Gary. I might have to check that out.
ETA:The monochromatic denim outfit and green Crocs are quite becoming.

Gary's Ebay Listing

Wife's head explodes while taking Christmas card photo

Like last year, Grace was crying two minutes into the process so we had to take a break to cheer her up. I told her she needed to look at the camera and apparently she heard, "GRACE LOOK AT THE DAMN CAMERA OR I'LL BEAT YOU WITHIN AN INCH OF YOUR LIFE!" Why else would she have started to cry? Oh that's right, I'm raising the world's most sensitive child. Long story short, they're all hideous or I should say, I look hideous in them all. I told Ryan to just pick one and call it good. This picture taking has been a serious blow to my self esteem. I'm getting old and that isn't fun, especially when captured on film. Here are the two I would have picked because you can't see my weird double chin in either of them.

The weaker sex

I saw this on Dooce and had to share. I'm not naming any names but I know some men like this.

BYU, SchmeeYU

I don't like to make fun of BYU because I went there and had mostly good experiences. My theory is, you knew what you were signing up for when you applied to a church run/private university, so don't whine about it when you get there. I also know you can party it up to your heart's delight at BYU just like at any other university, you just have to know where to look. Ryan hated the rules but I never had a problem with them. I broke some rules but I just made sure the Honor Code wasn't aware of my doings. My roommate who slept overnight at her boyfriend's apartment all the time and attempted suicide by swallowing a whole bottle of Tylenol, was not so lucky (If you read this Sarah, you know I love you.) I was reported once to the Honor Code in my sophomore year when I lived off campus. We weren't supposed to have boys in our condo after midnight but I was engaged and Ryan stayed past midnight all the time. I wasn't the only one in the condo who had boys there after midnight. Oh and we were also forbidden to have boys in our rooms. Bedrooms are gateways to hell! Someone in our complex called the Honor Code on us and I don't remember much coming from it. I'm sure we told them they were mistaken, that Wellington Number Nine was full of very virtuous young women who would never dream of having a boy in the condo past midnight. Why, didn't the very thought automatically sign you up for an unwanted pregnancy? I always had this image of Honor Code spies lurking in the bushes wearing dark sunglasses and trench coats. Watching and waiting for someone or something they could report. "Oh goody! Her shorts are not 2-Z-Kneez." or "Looks like he hasn't shaved in at least a day. That cannot be tolerated!"

That brings me to the whole "guys must shave" rule. That is one I never got the point of. I just don't see how a five o'clock shadow could lead to sin? Like the scruffy face is the gateway drug of immorality. First it's a unshaven face, then it's beer and hookers. Ryan was busted for this a couple of times. Once at the testing center and once at the pool. If you know Ryan you know that he couldn't grow a beard to save his life, so it's pretty comical that he was busted for this. I'm going to post some Honor Code posters for your amusement. They were even better when I was going there back in the 90's but I can't seem to find vintage "2-Z-Kneez" posters.


Could these two be more bland? I think that guy might prefer the company of gentlemen, if you know what I mean. Click on this to enlarge it so you can read the fine print.

Tricky Jesus

This made me laugh out loud when I read it. I think I have an odd sense of humour. You have to click on the headline to get to the funny part.

Christmas Trees More Expensive

Due to high fuel costs, the price of Christmas trees will be around 10 percent higher this year. What do you think?

Something I like, a lot.

It's confession time again. I've become addicted to Spanx. Until you've tried one of these you can't appreciate how fabulous they are. I bought one off Ebay last spring and now I can't go to church without one. I say church, because that is were I usually have a dress on but I have worn them with other outfits and to other places. I wore it to my high school reunion because we all know those are all about who got the fattest. I should take a before and after picture but that's just not going to happen. So instead I'll just say that the miracle which happens when I wear one is that my roll that is usually there when I sit down disappears. Shirts that once could not be buttoned, can be buttoned with ease. Bottoms that once jiggled, jiggle no more! It's a pure vanity purchase but I'll admit that I can be vain. It's like the Spanx has a brain and this brain tells my body what it should REALLY look like.

Now for the drawbacks of the Spanx. I hesitate to mention it because the positives grossly outweigh the negatives but I have to tell you the truth. The Spanx is ugly. I won't even let Ryan see me putting it on because it is so unflattering. As unflattering as I think it is, it isn't nearly as bad as most "control underwear" out there. The Spanx is also an ordeal to put on. I was describing it to friends the other night and they were laughing pretty hard by the end of my description. Basically it's like stuffing a sausage. I'm pulling and wiggling myself into this sausage casing, having to stop now and then for a rest because I'm out of breath. It's not pretty. When I'm doing it I'm thinking to myself, "Am I really doing this? Is this really me stuffing myself into this ugly nude "girdle" so I can look like I've been going to the gym on a regular basis when actually I've been eating gas station nachos three times a week?" Sadly I feel like it's worth it. I look in the mirror after I get my clothes on over it and think, "Not bad. Not bad at all."

Random pictures for your viewing pleasure

Hanna and Grace requested I take this photo today to show Grandma and Grandpa Toly the great thing they built. It was right before church when they asked to have the picture taken and Grace wanted to wear this lovely outfit. I bought this outfit for last Christmas because it had a matching one for her Bitty Baby and it was on sale. I'm now thinking it's a bit insane but she gets a lot of compliments on it. I'm also posting some photos of our big snow and Ryan using the new snow blower. Ryan had to shovel our driveway, Grandma's and Nancy's very long one that goes down to her entrance which usually took hours. He's liking it a lot and swearing a lot less whenever it starts to snow.

Thanks to Aunt Becky for a good toy. Notice the undecorated Christmas tree in the background. I tackled that later and I must say it turned out quite nicely.

The girls were out in the snow for hours. I think they would have stayed out all day if I hadn't have brought them in to go get the Christmas tree.

Look at how he handles that snow blower. Now that's manly.

Hanna's activity days talent show

Hanna had to display a talent she had for activity days (church girls program) and she chose to play the piano. I had to miss it due to partying it up and outlet shopping in Park City with friends. That makes me sound like a fabulous mother but we had this planned before the talent show was planned. Ryan took Hanna and Grace and was able to reenact the "good" parts for me at home. Apparently there was unicycle riding and unicycle dancing with the unicycle as a prop by one of the leaders. I'm sorry that didn't get taped but Ryan did a good job of acting it out for my amusement. Hanna did a great job and I was amazed with her ability to turn the page and then continue to play. She's only been playing for a year and I'm mainly happy that she seems to like doing it.
*for some reason it's playing the video twice*

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