Christmas Top Ten

Everyone loves the holidays, but here are the top reasons why I do.

1.Getting the mail. During the holidays there is always a card or a package. No other time, except maybe when you have a baby, does the getting the mail always seem to result in your favor.
2. Christmas Caroling. Each year since we wed, Jake and I, just the two of us-will rehearse a song or two, make some goodies and head off to visit those we appreciate and love. We usually hit five or six families in the ward, as well as relatives that live nearby. I have to say that it is a tough call what is better, my treats or the singing!
3. On that note, the treats I make. White chocolate and peppermint popcorn, peanutbutter balls, and this year portable smores and joined the ranks! Not only do I like to eat these, I like to share them, mostly because I get rave reviews- I know that is silly!
4. Grandma's stockings. My Grandma Elaine has made each of her children, grandchildren and now great grandchildren these wonderful handcrafted stockings. She gave me Kate's at Thanksgiving and I am excited to have them hung up for the holidays.
5. Getting together with those I don't see often. I think this is one of everyone's favorite things about the holidays. This year we plan on spending about a week with Jake's family!
6. No work! Jake will have off for about a week at once and I will get him all to myself.
7. Decorating my tree. Jake and I have never had a real tree in five years. Why? well they are costly, and were too big for our old home, not very "green", a hassle, a fire hazard, we are usually not even home on Christmas, and this year, well Kate is my excuse. Really I might like a real tree, but it just seems more convient to keep making excuses. I decorate little fake ones usually instead. This takes some creativity. I have an assortment of mismatched ornaments that people have given me or I have made, but my misfit, fake tree usually turns out nice. It is easy to make a real tree look great with matching store bought decor, but my way is much more challenging.
8. Shopping. I love the hustle and bustle, the crowds, the music and decor. It is really a exciting experience to me, and I know not everyone feels this way.
9.Finding that perfect present. In general I think shopping for gifts is costly, stressful, and a lot of pressure to find something that somebody will really like. But when you find that perfect present there is nothing better. I am done with my shopping this year and I feel as though every gift is a homerun.
10. Remembering Christ's birth as well as his life and death. How grateful I am for a season to truly celebrate him and all he has done for me.

New Pictures... we just can't get enough!

Snapped these during bath time. Kate in the sink waiting for me to fill the tub, and after wrapped up. i thought the blue towel looked so cute with her blue eyes. Oh we just love her so much!

It's a Hit!

Dodgeball seems to have made leaps and bounds in the sports popularity contest since the movie a few years ago. Jake participated in Spanish Fork's Thanksgiving tournament yesterday with some friends in the ward. They won some and lost some, and our team actually ended up leaving the tournament before we were offically out because it was after nine and we had to wait two games just to see if we got to play for 4th place or something. As you can see from the team picture, we were a team of dads with young kids in the stands impatiently hoping to go home so we decided is was not worth it. It was a fun new thing to do though.

Let it Snow?

After some early snow storms in October, we have failed to have another. Ski resorts are SUPPOSE TO open this weekend, but with out snow this anticipated event is unlikely. I had to make these ornaments for a party a friend is having next week. Perhaps my choice of snowflakes is some kind of subliminal desire. Being in Roberts with all the trees and decor did make me want to decorate for the holidays but I am going to make myself wait until it is Decemeber. Hopefully their will be some snow then to help it feel more like Christmas!

Finally, a Haircut!

Cola had been neglected there is no question since Kate joined our home. I tried to shave her during the summer twice with some dog sheers but twice failed, and she was so horrible looking that i finally caved and took her to a groomer. There is a groomer in Daniel, near us, so I decided Kate and I would walk to drop her off, one long cold 40 minute walk later, we chose to drive to pick her up. It was much further than I had anticipated. After the haircut I realize that Cola is more robust then I last remember- it was not all hair. I think this picture is funny, she looks like a sausage!

commercial music

So apparently i watch a lot more televion than I listen to the radio. They songs playing on the blog are some recent favorite songs.... where do they come from. Two are ingrid michaelson- one is from Grey's Anatomy and the other is from the Old Navy commercial. The other is Feist- 1,2,3,4 from the IPOD Commercial. I have liked Feist before this commercial at least. But Michaelson is somebody I only know about from televison.

So my post lately have been a little lame, perhaps it is because my camera is even lamer and I have had trouble getting it to work. Sorry to those who check my blog religiously, only to find nothing worth their time.

The BabyBug Booth

So I have been making these little girl and baby hair accessories for Kate, friends, as gifts and trying to sell them on Ebay. A friend tipped me on to this Etsy site, which is like Ebay only for homeade goods. I have made a site. Please visit and tell your family and friends!

www.thebabybugbooth.etsy.com

Yesterday was Election Day, and as always Jake and I went together to vote. The thing about voting is, I am not sure how accurate it really is. In the last two years Jake and I have encountered errors with our voting, and I am sure others have found the same. Last year I voted under my new address at our new home in Heber, however my mom stated I was also registered at her address, as she saw me listed under her name, and I can only guess i was also still registered in Provo under our old address as our move had been very recent. This means had I wished to spend all day running around, and I did not fear the criminal punishment associated with casting illegal votes, i could have cast my vote thrice. Yesterday our voting experience was similarly flawed. Nobody asked to check our IDs we just walked in, signed under our name and were given those new credit card like voting cards. I voted than waited patiently for Jake to finish. He seemed to be confused and taking a while. When he joined me, I asked him how he voted, not only had we not voted the same, our ballots were different. They had different names, different referendums. Further discussion lead us to believe that my ballot was correct, but Jake's ballot was for a neighboring city. Are you kidding me? I know the people are volunteers at the voting polls, but I think this is a little absurd. What do you think? Have you any interesting voting stories from yesterday or years past?

What a Fan

Kate attended her first BYU football game on Saturday, unbelievably I failed to bring the camera. Booooo!. The game was so fun. Our ward bought tickets and had about 70 people come out. We had a tailgate party before then a large section in the upper seats together. Kate was layered up as the day before it was freezing. We put her in ther polar bear pj's and said it was a cougar. She feel asleep the first quarter, and we left as we were falling asleep into the 4th quarter as BYU was way up. Good job Cougars!

Peer Pressure....Ugggh

I have been peer pressured into this silly game. Where you list six new things about yourself and try to get six friends to do the same.

The player lists 6 facts/habits about themselves - try to find 6 you haven't already posted about! This should also be easy for me as I usually just post about Kate. Scott tagged both Jake and I, and seeing as how I know Jake will never ever do this... Perhaps I will do his as well.

Crystal's Six New Facts
Fact 1. I am a very good cleaner, my house may not always be clean, but if I have unexpected company I can get it presentable in a matter of minutes. On this note i am also somewhat obsessed with swiffer products.
Fact 2. I absolutley must take a shower first thing in the morning, before I eat breakfast or even go downstairs or else I will be a zombie until I do.
Fact 3. When I was a kid one of my favorite toys were these McDonalds happy meal food transformers... its a cheesburger... no its a alien fighter!
Fact 4. Although I have some musical talent, i have tried unsuccessfully to take up the guitar about five times in my life and have failed to learn more than a handful of songs. Is it possible my hands are just too small?
Fact 5. I really, really, really still like to listen to Whitney Houston... especially "I want to dance with somebody!" Although normally I think I have more of a socially acceptable taste in music.
Fact 6. As a young adult or teen I was convinced that I was not that artistically talented, hence one reason i became a social worker, although my dream job would be to be something artistic, a wedding planner, photographer, or having a boutique for children's clothing.

Jake's New Facts... as told by Crys
Fact 1. Jake was once held up at knife point by a drunk man.... and through compliments actually got the man to give him the knife. He IS a Sweet talker!
Fact 2. Jake takes about twice as long to get ready for bed than he does to get ready in the morning.
Fact 3. Jake absolutley hates hot things, they make him sick sometimes even. Hot tubs, hot chocolate...even really hot sun. He likes hot dogs though.
Fact 4. Jake is named after his grandfather, whose name was not Jake, but Joseph Calvin, people just shortened Joseph Calvin to Jake. But in Jake's case Jake is short for Jacob.
Fact 5. When we married Jake was a better cook than me I think. He still makes better fried chicken, egg sandwiches,rice and perfect tiered cakes.
Fact 6. Jake is one of the only people I know who did not have a cell phone until last year when his work gave cell phones to all their employees.

Sorry in advance to those I tag. Really if you don't do it I will not be offended. I refuse to peer pressure people to post things about themselves. But to follow through, I will tag Sis Amy, and Jeff Carpenter while I am at it, Natalie, Craig (though I know he will never do it)Errin and Janene(who is great at blogging).