Merry Christmas!

Christmas Letter 2010

I actually did NOT send out a letter this year. I thought you could read our reminiscings right here:

JANUARY

Pinewood Derby

Two basketball teams

Two birthdays - Happy 11 to James & Happy 2 to Jayson

FEBRUARY

Jon & Jennifer see Mary Poppins at Pantages

Jennifer turns 37

Jayson enjoys going to My Gym with Mommy

James tries out for 5th Grade Basketball Team & makes it

MARCH

We visit Wild Animal Park

Jayson & I enjoy going to the park each week with Fern

APRIL

Thomas Family visits

Jessica turns 6

We visit LegoLand

We go to Utah to Attend BYU Ballroom Reunion at BYU

MAY

Jon & Jennifer see Brigadoon

Kids get out of school

Father & Son's Campout

Jessica's big dance recital

JUNE

Swim Lessons

Meet Chrissy & Jody (mission comps) at beach for mini reunion

Jon & I attend OCMCO Amazing Grace Concert at Orange County Performing Arts Center (I then decide that I MUST audition for the choir)

JULY

Summer Utah Trip

Spent 4th of July in Huntington Utah with lots of extended family

Enjoyed Westgate Resort with lots of extended family

Visitor Center Missionary Meet Up at park :)

Boys start summer basketball league on same team

Jon & I celebrate 13 years married!!!

AUGUST

Doheny Beach Camping

Three kids back to school all day - welcome so one-on-one time with Jayson (Wonderful Wednesdays return)

Raingutter Regata

Jon turns 38

SEPTEMBER

Apple picking at Riley's Farm

Audition for OCMCO choir and make it :) - weekly rehearsals begin

Jayson's first visit to Disneyland - just with Mom

Jon injures ankle & has to wear a cast for forever

Jon & Jennifer see Phantom of the Opera at Pantages (get moved to disability seating because of huge cast & crutches)

Jacob starts learning to play trumpet

James plays trombone in Intermediate School Band Concert

OCTOBER

Hyla visits from North Carolina on a surprise weekend getaway

I start Christmas photo shoots

Scout stuff, scout stuff, and more scout stuff

NOVEMBER

Jessica sings with Encore Choir in Founders Day Parade

Cowleys visit for Thanksgiving Weekend

Celena pops in to Thanksgiving Dinner as a surprise guest

DECEMBER

Parents & Brother visit for the weekend (plus one extra day since flight was cancelled)

Centuries of Christmas Concert (so fun)

Finish Photography Shoots for the year

Christmas Band Concert (James)

Encore Choir Recital & visits to retirement communities (Jessica)

Jacob's BIG hair cut - goodbye big curls - hello cheek bones

Our VIDEO Christmas Card

Want to see a flashback of 2010 for the Stock Family in less than 3 minutes? Here's your chance. Merry Christmas!!!

Ten on Tuesday (aka Catch Up Post)

1. Whenever Jayson senses that I'm off to another rehearsal or activity he says, "I'm going to miss you." He kind of picked it up from Jessica who clings to me when it's time to drop her off at school. But I find it quite endearing nonetheless.

2. Jayson has always been better at doing stuff than saying stuff. He usually won't sing or dance; just watches. But this holiday season I have caught him carrying a tune. And if you listen closely you can make out the words, "Jingle bells. Batman smells.. Jingle bells. Batman smells... Hey!"

3. I can see Jacob's cheeks. Jacob told the stylist that she could style it up more like Jayson's. His hair is SO dense. She kept thinning and texturizing. Still he has TONS of hair. Yeah for hair!!!

4. James performed in his band Christmas concert. I was so proud of him. I have enjoyed him coming home and telling me that he's received a new piece or he learned how to play triplets. I love hearing him talk about music instead of telling me of some Pokemon character's evolution.

5. Jessica's current wish: "For Christmas I want an American Girl Doll and to NOT have this cold." I hope she gets both.

6. Finished singing. Sang at the Centuries of Christmas Concert at the Orange County Performing Arts Center, at the Living Nativity held at a local church, and in the church choir today - including a duet with a friend and a solo for our women's group (Relief Society Class).

7. My boys tried out snow boarding and can't wait to go back in January (when it's not RAINING).

8. I still have traditional Christmas cards to get in the mail. But I also put together a VIDEO Christmas card that will be posted on the blog in a couple days :)

9. The Gift of Love - check. Mr. Kruegger's Christmas - check. Wrap gifts - check. Bake poppyseed bread - not yet.

10. This year I dedicated a little tree to be our music tree. I found ornaments of instruments and notes to decorate it. Jacob started to play the trumpet this year. James has continued playing trombone in his daily band class. Jessica joined Encore Girls Choir. I participated in the Orange County Mormon Choir this season. Just seemed like we needed a tree to represent all our musicality. I also added a watering can ornament to the tree for Jon. We have just started eating fresh broccoli from the winter garden. I also added a toy car and plane to represent Jayson - wish I would have found a little red train.

Tay Da Head Sploding

Last night I taught my kids what happens when you forget to pierce your baked potatoes before cooking. Three of the six exploded all over the oven.

Jayson kept going around the house saying, "Tay Da Head Sploding."

translation: PotatoHead (potatoes) exploding :)

Dear Kmart

I haven't visited your stores in YEARS. Today you completed my shopping list for my little girl. She wants matching outfits for her and her doll. I had a bit of skepticism, but was SO delighted to find beautiful matching holiday dresses for only $15. Since I went through every rack in your What A Doll section, I even scored the very last matching nightgown. Turns out it was marked down to $7.99. What a deal!!!! I'm so glad that I don't need to order a custom outfits from Etsy that won't get here in time. I'm thrilled that I don't need to learn how to sew. I'm so excited to see the pair of them all dolled up.

A million thanks!!!!

Me

Thankful for a Surprise

My sister came to Thanksgiving dinner as a surprise. She was heading to Sea World and decided to stop for a bite of turkey (and POTATOES, and pie).

Her cell phone pic is the only tangible evidence that she was here.

She met up with me and our sister who was staying the weekend with her family. How cool to have a feast with family!!!

Loads

I have to wash every last thing in my house. I'm trying to finish off my laundry soap because starting next week I'm going to need He detergent as in High Efficiency. Our new washer and dryer will be installed soon.

So I know that Black Friday Weekend is a great time to find deals. We've been doing a bunch of online shopping. Boxes are arriving already. Despite all the discounts, the bottom line really is: How much did we spend????

Answer: loads.

October Rundown - Week 3 - part 2

I guess doing a weekly rundown is like a huge run sentence because we keep having big long weeks full of activities, so I just decided to break this week down so I could keep all the highlights in our family journal (do you like my run on sentence?).

Did I mention that Jon was on a business trip in Las Vegas? I don't sleep well when he is not home and the kids all have meltdowns when he's not here. I'm thankful that my kids have a father in the home that makes them feel safe, but it sure is a pain when said father needs to be at a distant meeting. James and Jacob usually help bath the little kids or read their stories and then they like to stay up later with me :)

I met Chrissy, one of my mission companions, for lunch. She drove out to meet me at a pupusa place. What are pupusas? If you don't know, you are missing out. They are a Salvadoran dish that I was introduced to when I lived in Takoma Park, Maryland. YUM!!! Chrissy & I were a bit disappointed when we saw the big FOR LEASE on the building and found out that the restaurant was closed. We went to Soup Plantation instead which wasn't as cool of a restaurant, but the company was fabulous. Jayson was a bit of a beast - lying of the floor, pouring out the salt, switching seats, etc. But Chrissy is the best!!! Meet you anytime.

I went to my first School Site Council meeting ever. I volunteered to be on the council, but you have to be voted in. I didn't win, but am the alternate which basically means that they don't really want you to come to the meeting unless an actual council member can't make it. The meeting went on FOREVER. I finally had to leave early because Jayson had been at a friends for an hour past our scheduled pick up time and I needed to make dinner before leaving for choir practice.

Friday night was Date Night with James. I kind of wanted to have Jon to myself, but we needed a time to celebrate James' straight "A"s. We dined at TGI Fridays and played at GameWorks. I enjoy talking with James. It's so hard to have a real conversation with the other kids in the mix.

Finishing off the week was teaching a class at a Music Workshop & taking family photos for a friend. I'm nearly done with all my editing projects and hopefully will start blogging on my photography blog soon :)

P.S. Here's the reason we keep running out of paper drinking cups:

Fire Drill

A couple nights ago at our house all sound asleep. This was a major accomplishment since I was coming off of a major migraine.

3:00 a.m.

Fire alarm goes off and triggers the ceiling devices in every room. Not the annoying chirping when batteries are low, but blazing pulses of high pitched screams.

I want to hit the snooze button.

Jon goes to the kitchen to check for fire.

Jacob awakes and freezes in a slumbered pause.

James sleeps.

Jessica sleeps.

Jayson sleeps.

Jon is fanning the downstairs sensor.

The alarm ceases.

There's no fire.

Jacob lies himself back on the floor and sleeps.

Jon returns to bed.

I lie awake.

No sleep.

Jon lies awake.

No more sleep.

3:15 a.m. Jon gets up and goes to work.

I toss.

I turn.

Finally I sleep.