trimming the tree

Dear Dallan, DECEMBER 3 2008

GREEDY!!! GREEDY!?! What is this greedy stuff? I write you a good long letter almost every single week. Any YOU are calling ME “greedy.” You are lucky to be getting a letter this week after a comment like that. In fact after I get my Christmas letter from you, you just might not get any more letters from me. I’m good with that. No but seriously did you have a good thanksgiving? I did and I am almost caught back up on the laundry. -- nope Now I am not.
For Thanksgiving , While Mom, Dad, and Garrett were busy sunning themselves, We had Jon’s brothers Ed and Jason, and his wife, Nanette. Nanette’s brother and his roommate who is from Chicago with us. Only 15 folks 16 if you count William and 18 if you count the twins Nanette is carrying. We did the usual thing ate, ate, and ate. We smoked a turkey in Jon’s new smoker it was good but not quite the traditional Thanksgiving taste. We threw all of the kids in and out of the hot tub. Then early on Friday morning (4 am)we blasted out of here to fight the mad crowd of shoppers anxious to get the good deal. I got all the things That I wanted on my list so now we just need to get a couple more things and play the count down waiting game.
We had tickets to the Saturday night Jazz game and we thought we had them sold but at the last minute the guy backed out so Jon and I and Todd and Wendy found babysitters and headed down to SLC only to watch the Jazz get creamed! Then as we were traveling home we missed the Pocatello exit and were almost to Snowville when we realized our mistake. So By the time Sunday morning rolled around I was very very tired.
On Monday for FHE we decided that since it was the first day of Dec. it was a good day to decorate a tree. I had already VETOED the idea of cutting our own down and sent Jon off to town to find one. HE came home with a beautiful tree from LOWES and then we started hunting for our tree stand. Well long story short we couldn’t find it. We don’t know if it got moved when we moved or lost or whatever so I sent Jon back to town. He came home with a tree stand entitled “Santa’s Last Stand” I think it cost more than the tree but so far I LOVE, LOVE IT! It only required one spearing of the tree and no extra adjusting and there is no string attached to a hook in the ceiling to hold our tree up. I even moved the tree by myself and the thing did not even wobble and waver. If you are in the market for a tree stand don’t mess around! I highly recommend this kind of stand. Anyway by the time we got the tree up and had tested and threw away half of the strands of lights we have, we allowed the kids to put on only the cutest ornaments and then sent them to bed.
On Tuesday I finished decorating the tree and putting up Christmas decorations. It is no wonder why Mom would often lose her cool when we would try and “help” her put up Christmas. I truly now know why she did not enjoy it. And why we were often sent the other room. Christmas is for Kids but the decorating part is not that fun with kids.
William can now roll from his back to his tummy. He is in much greater danger now of being stepped on. Erica keeps dragging him around the house like a dolly. And Stiles loves to lift him up way over his head. Hunter continues to give him kisses on the head, so usually Will has a great big sticky slimy spot some where on his cranium. Marcus is often upset because someone else is “hogging William” when he wanted to play with him. Since Will started to giggle and wiggle he is a popular kid around our house lately.
Jon got on and rode our colt MAC on Saturday for the first time. Mac was totally cool with the whole deal. Jon was able to saddle him up and get on without Mac being tied up or anything. Jon has been watching a lot of U TUBE on how to train your horse. I must say it is awesome to watch Mac follow Jon around like a little puppy dog.
Marcus is on the count down to his birthday. He has it all marked on the calendar and is proud that he can count the days now. I can hardly believe that he is going to be 6! He has informed us that a green bike for his birthday would be awesome but a red one wouldn’t be so good because Stiles’s bike is red.
Hunter has figured out how to fold his arms during prayer. I didn’t think he was going to get it. I am not sure what put him over the edge, if it was Jon or Nursery but one day he just started doing it and he will usually hold the pose until the end of prayer. It is making all of our prayers a bit more reverent.
Anyway I really need to go now and clean and wash and fold and change and wipe and be a mommy.
The church is true.

Love Monica and the MONSTERS!!!