Welcome to the Sunshine State!

So, we made it. We have been in Florida for a month now, and, so far, we like it. The picture above is of Aly and Lise at the hotel we stopped at during our drive East. Let's start there . . . We drove across the country with a massive snow storm. We would get in front of it everyday around noon, and then it would catch up to us overnight. Due to this, we had to put chains on the van for part of the trip, which broke, and did a lot of damage to the car. So as we speak, the minivan is in the shop. Aye, aye, aye, just one more thing to add on to the moving in checklist. On a more positive note, however, we were able to spend New Year's Eve with Chris' sister's family, which was such a nice reprieve from all the hotels. (Thanks Carolyn, we'd love to repay the favor anytime!)

So the first couple of weeks were spent putting the house in order. Thank you SO MUCH to my parents for coming out to help us. We could not have done it without you! It was fun setting up house and having them help me decide on where to hang pictures and what-not, but man, I'm ready to be done with unpacking for awhile. The picture above is of the girls making cupcakes for Chris with their kid's baking kit. Oh the fun stuff they get to do when Grandma and Grandpa are around, like eat ice cream all the time.

Chris was here for three days and then he had to head on up to Alabama to start his four month course. He's been coming home on weekends which has been AWESOME! It's like he's dating the family. We all work hard during the week, and then when Daddy comes home we get to go out and do something fun. Our favorite so far was going kite flying at the beach (forgot the camera - rrgh!). Each of the girls flew a kite by themselves (except for Kylie, of course), and Chris had the trick kite up and running. It was so much fun - we had the entire beach to ourselves! Probably because we're the crazy people from Monterey that still go to the beach when it's 50 degrees outside, just in coats. The sand was super white - like sugar, and the ocean was a beautiful aqua. We found some jellyfish stranded, some sand dollars, and we even saw dolphins out in the ocean! Pretty neat-o.

Well, now that we're in Florida and Kate isn't in preschool anymore, she is back to being my spunky little side-kick. The grocery store escapades are definitely back on (She likes to hide in the cart under Kylie's car seat and when she talks to me it freaks people out because they think it's Kylie talking), we've been to the DMV and body shop so many times that she's nicknamed them "the girl car store" and "the boy car store", and she has taken full advantage of Chris being away by needing to sleep in my bed because she's had a bad dream about "mean monkeys with their hair on fire." She has been a super help to me though, too. She loves to help clean up the house, help her sisters set/clear the table, help with whatever I need for Kylie, and help me find things on the grocery list (and throw them into the cart). We've also had a great time checking out the library story time and joining Aly and Lise at school for their "Mile Club" (doing laps around the track).

I love this picture of Kylie. I realize that I cut off part of her head, but it was the best I could do with not having the camera in front of my face so that I could get her to smile. Plus, she's bald up top, so you're not missing much.

Anyhoo, sorry about the tangeant. Other things I like about Florida:

1. The girl's school - They like riding the bus, they like their teachers, they like having PE everyday, and they have friends that they want me to arrange playdates with.

2. The ward - everyone has been super friendly and helpful.
3. That everywhere I go, people are telling me how beautiful/adorable my children are, instead of telling me that I've sure got my hands full with all those kids!

So anyway, I'll leave you with a few pictures of how the house turned out with our furniture in it . . . I LOVE the house! There is TONS of closet space - we even have shelves that we aren't using!! I love that I have a place in the main living area for my "organized clutter"; I love that Chris has a tool bench in the garage; I love the storage room above the garage; I love how bright it is and all the windows looking out on the golf course; I love our quiet street; I love all my counter space in the kitchen; I love how each of the girls is in their own room (Kylie's room/food storage, Kate's room/playroom, Lise's room/arts and craft room, Aly's room/puzzles) . . . I LOVE the house. Probably a little too much. It will probably be very difficult to leave it when the time comes . . . oh la, we'll deal with that later.

sitting room turned into a den . . .

HOME SWEET HOME!

Happy Belated Christmas

Aly - Uh, isn't it, like, almost February?
Me - Yeah.
Aly - So why are you blogging about Christmas?
Me - Um, because we were moving and so I never got around to it until now.
Aly - Oh. Okay.

So let's play a quick game of catch up. Here are a couple of pictures of Chris on his graduation day. The lighting wasn't that great, so this is the best photo I could get inside. I was so proud of him, and his group's thesis was awarded some sort of distinction as well. It was the fairly typical graduation, with speakers and prayers and what-not. I had Kylie with me, but was SO glad that I had a friend watch Kate because Kylie was SO tired but was fighting it SO hard and just being a pill. I spent the majority of the graduation pacing back and forth at the back of the auditorium. On the up side though, Chris was able to locate me in the crowd because he recognized one of Kylie's squawks.


Also note that I am somewhat under dressed for a graduation (most of the women were in dresses). However, it was the best that I was willing to do because immediately after the graduation was over, we picked up the kids, did our final inspection with the housing office, grabbed subways, and began the first part of our trek across the country. (And I was NOT about to drive to Utah, in the winter, in my Sunday best!)

All things considered, the girls did a really great job on our drive to Utah. Aly and Lise were a HUGE help with getting snacks and toys, feeding bottles, etc. Kate was content with watching movies and coloring. Even Kylie did really well at taking nice long naps. The only crazy part was our stop for dinner that first night (see Lise at Denny's with her Rudolph nose below). I needed to nurse Kylie, so even though she'd been hungry for about 1/2 an hour I just had the kids keep her happy instead of feed her until we stopped for dinner. By the time we got into the restaurant, Kylie was screaming her head off and I think we scared the other customers. They were saying things to us like, "what's wrong with that little guy?" and stuff. After nursing her I needed to change her and make a bottle because, of course, I don't make enough milk for my child. I was so flustered that I went into the men's bathroom. Luckily nobody else was in there. While I am in the restroom (women's), I hear Kate having a total screaming meltdown - something about Chris touching her pancakes or something. By the time I get back out to the table, there is only one other couple still in the restaurant . . . man, we sure know how to clear a room!

That first night was rough as well because we didn't get to our hotel room until 1am and it was so freezing outside! Not to mention we were staying at some military lodging. We finally get to the check in desk just for them to tell us that the actual rooms are located at a different site, off post. AND, as we are leaving, they are conducting a drunk driver test for the cars exiting the post. So we sit there for 20 more minutes. I am so tired (and so is everybody else) and I am just screaming in my head "JUST LET ME GET TO MY BED!!!"

But, alas, we finally made it to Utah, where our fun two weeks of Winter and Christmas merriment could begin. We stopped off at Andy and Sarah's for a fun family get together, then headed up the mountains to Chris' parents house. And oh the fun we had there! First there was
the snow fun: sledding, snow angels, snow balls, snowmobile rides, and, of course, hot chocolate afterwards!

I even got to go out and play in the snow one day, so I helped Aly build a fort (see above). That's what I loved to do when I was little. The only thing is that Chris had told the girls not to play by the edge of the house because snow could slide off the roof onto their heads. But the roof sliding snow was where the best pile for a snow cave was! So, as we're there digging away, some icicles suddenly fall off and - BAM! - hit me in the head. Luckily they didn't cut my head, just bruised it, but man, that hurt. So I say to Aly, "See, this is why Dad didn't want you to play by the side of the house." I love it when I can be an object lesson to my children on why they should obey their father. :)

Oh, and here's a picture of me and Aly when we're actually ready for the picture to be taken. I know you were thinking "what the heck?!" about that first picture at the top, weren't you?

The fun at Grammy and Papa's continued inside as well with the arrival of cousins. There was sugar cookie decorating, puzzles, "sleepovers" in the loft, and a made up Christmas skit/band/dance thingy that even had invitations to go along with it. It was a smash.

Next it was off to the famous Webb family Ebelskeiber party where we got to catch up with Stacy's cousins, watch the kids act out the nativity, see Santa, and eat ourselves silly.

We then spent the next few days at Grandma and Grandpa's - playing 3D Blokus, Risk 2210, and American Idol, going out for a sibling dinner with Stacy's bros and sisters, watching the entire Season 6 of Lost in 4 days, and even a night away from kids for Chris and Stacy to go on a date. Good times.

We also spent Christmas morning at Stacy's parent's house this year, and, as you can see, it was a big hit. Lots of good lego building time . . .

. . . Hooray for bright red nail polish . . .

. . . Kate loves her brand new princess jammies . . .

. . . and even Kylie had fun playing in the wrapping paper. (And by the way, I do not know what is up with the freaky hand at the top of this picture and all the other hands and toes caught in this shot. Was someone trying to drop wrapping paper on Kylie's face? I don't know, but I think my picture taking capabilities were a little off on that one.)