Christmas Favorites

After the thrill of christmas morning passes, the bulk of the rest of the day is spent enjoying the gifts.  As I already posted, Spenser began immediately bonding with his new laptop.  Since then, he's spent some late nights playing on-line video games with his godfather, my brother Ken, and they can even talk to each other vocally through their laptops.  Ain't technology grand? 

As for Sienna, she went right to her new Just Dance game for the Wii.  Not only is it a fun game to play, it also is quite a workout!  Here she is with Spenser dancing to Wham's big hit, "Wake Me up Before You Go Go"

Another favorite of Sienna's was the Harry Potter Legos.  She already had two sets built that we bought when they first came out,  Hagrid's Hut and Freeing Dobby.  Now thanks to Grandma and Grandpa,  she can add Hogwart's Castle, the Hogwart's Express, and the Burrow to her collection.  

She's already begun building them and I'll post pictures of the final product. 

As for Rob, he got normal type of gifts like a tie, new belts, and some cd's.  Perhaps his favorite was a bottle of Belvedere, a fine vodka that he loves to combine with Ruby Red for a drink Pat calls a 'Stoli Greyhound.'  I guess in Rob's case it's a 'Belvedere Greyhound.'  That was one of my gifts to him this year, in lieu of the Patron pack he usually gets this time of year.  Unfortunately, Costco wasn't selling them.  

As for Mony, she received cd's, dvd's, and gift cards.  Perhaps her favorite gift was one she received before christmas and according to Rob, doesn't count as a christmas gift.  But I'll just call it an early christmas gift , because that's what it was.  Rob won a Kindle in a raffle at a conference LAST JULY and it sat unopened and lonely on his desk for months.  Sure I let him know that I would gladly take it off his hands and put it to good use but Rob stuck to his guns (guns being EXTREME ethical code).  He was planning on donating it to the state charity fund as he didn't want his accepting it to be misconstrued as a 'gift.'  But hey, he won it fair and square and that's what everyone in his office told him.  So they convinced him that his wife should have the Kindle and OMG, he brought it home to me.  Here it is in all its magnificence!

  The Kindle is fantastic.  Sure I love the appeal of real books, and certainly already own my favorites (Twilight Saga, Harry Potter 1-7).  But instead of lugging a book around with you, the Kindle allows you to carry a whole library!  It's compact, light, fits in your purse, and is easy to read and use.  It also has global wireless, so you don't need internet to buy books.  You can buy them directly from the device with the push of one button, and it appears in seconds.  You can also sample books for free, and there are many free books available too.  The Kindle came with an Amazon gift card, so I was able to buy some books right away for free!  I purchased Unbroken, a WWII survival story currently on the NY Times Bestseller List.  I also purchased Russell Brand's autobiography, My Booky Wook.  (I'm a sucker for Englishmen).  Both books are great!  So yeah, I guess I like the Kindle a little bit.   

This Christmas was Kindle-tastic!

The Reason for the Season

Our Christmas eve started with food preparation, (sans Mom), as Rob again led the troops in the kitchen for a meal selected by Spenser, ever the food critic.  Spenser recently made a list of the foods he would prefer to eat at dinner, since Mom's selections are so mundane.  Highlights on his list were salmon, caesar salad, alfredo, homemade pizza, turkey, and lasagna.  So the decision was made to make lasagna as the Christmas eve meal.  Here's what that looked like..

Sienna and Spenser each made their own tray.  Once the preparation was complete, it was time to get ready for church.  We decided on attending Christmas Eve mass this year, so that Christmas day could be reserved for 'play' - according to Spenser.  Finding a seat at church on Christmas eve is quite an undertaking and involves arriving early and waiting.....and waiting........but really, is that much of a sacrifice or hardship when you think of what and who you're celebrating in the first place?  I think not.  So we go to church, even though it's probably easier not to, because it's Jesus's birthday, and we want the kids to know how important that is.  I also liked Father John's sermon that reminded us that while we all get gifts on Jesus's birthday, what gifts do we have for him?  Father John's answer was that we should keep him in our sights,  and remember his presence and influence in our lives.  So while Spenser fidgeted through mass, I knew it was worth it because he was reminded of the true reason for the season.   Here we are after mass....

and Miss Sienna Rose

and Mr. Spenser Allan

After the twilight photo shoot it was time for dinner, and kudos to the chefs, it was yummy!  Before heading to bed, we all opened one gift, checked Santa's progress on NORAD, and waited for morning to come.  Thankfully the kids let us sleep until 7:30 a.m., then it was time for the gift unveiling to commence.  Our family and Santa were very generous as usual.  It sure does pay to stay off the naughty list!  Here is Buddy with one of his favorites - 

A    L  A  P  T  O  P ! (Just what every 10 year old boy needs?!)

And here is the entire family on Christmas morning, after the opening of the gifts.  Thank you all for another happy holiday!

 



Santa Claus is Comin' to Town - Elf Style

Did you know that in a few short days, Santa Claus is coming to town?  Well I hope that you have been good this year because you do NOT want to be on the naughty list.  In Buddy the Elf's world, this is the ultimate sin.  So I hope you're getting pumped for this joyous occasion, although I don't recommend quite the level of Buddy's excitement.  That may result in the onset of a heart attack, and you don't want to spend Christmas in the ER.

If you haven't yet, indulge your inner child and watch Elf.  If Buddy can't get you into the christmas spirit, then bah - humbug, no one can.

Season's Greetings

Now that the turkey fest is over, it's time to prepare for the next big thing - Christmas.  It's become tradition in our house to prepare for christmas during thanksgiving.  That means a christmas card photo session, and gathering up the energy to put up the tree and decorate the front of the house.  Mom is normally the one that leads this task and since many aren't up for it, the "ughs" and "do we have to's" start.  Well let me break this down for you.  If you order your cards over the thanksgiving holiday, not only do you beat the rush, you get a great deal - 100 cards for $15!  And the sooner you put the tree and decorations up, the longer you have to enjoy them.  So Mom might not be that bad after all!  And look what we have to show for it.

We're not all serious all the time.  Here we are being as Pink would say "too skool for cool."  Album cover perhaps?

And we can do goofy too.

And my always agile boy....

All of these photos were taken in a neighborhood near our house, with the magic of a timer and a tripod!  Who needs a professional photographer?

And those decorations I was talking about? 

From our house to yours, we wish you the happiest of holiday seasons!

 

Gobble, Gobble, Gobble!

 On this Thanksgiving, I am thankful for my husband, who cooks the entire meal every year, and for my kids, who assist him in the process.  All the while letting Mommy do whatever she likes, (chores, blogging, etc.)

To prepare Grandma's stuffing, you must chop celery

                                          

and onions

  (The aftermath of cutting onions)

You must cube the bread

and clean and cut the green beans

And the potatoes must be cut and boiled

Here is the whole thanksgiving crew

And finally.....it is time to eat!

Happy Thanksgiving to you!



Trick or Treat!

Yes it's Halloween and as they say, the freaks come out at night.  Here are two -

Sienna and I are going to a concert tonight, so we had to bow out of the trick-or-treating and door answering.  Instead we donned our costumes last night to go to a staff party.  Sienna's costume was a hit, as most were freaked out by her presence.  What do you think?  She is supposed to be a Jabbawockee - 

The Jabbawockeez are a dance crew from a few years back.

I also dressed up at school Friday for a teacher costume contest.  I was Katniss Everdeen, a.k.a. the girl on fire, from the novel The Hunger Games.

  Halloween is always fun, and this year is no exception.  Hope you enjoy yours as well!

Greatness Achieved

Although not directly working on the Hoover Bypass Bridge, as Deputy State Engineer, Rob was on the invite list to attend the Dedication Ceremony of the aptly named Mike O'Callaghan and Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge.  As the invitation shows, many dignitaries were present to dedicate the bridge and celebrate the many men and women who brought the bridge to fruition. 

Cover of the invitation

Inside of the invitation

We have attended freeway openings before but the magnitude of this particular event felt historic and one that shouldn't be missed.  So Rob and I drove from Phoenix to the Hoover Dam and arrived just before sunset.  We've been to the dam before, but witnessing the new bridge rising into the sky from the cliffsides was a sight to behold.  So, like tourists there for the first time, we snapped picture after picture.

Here is one of our first pictures.

Here is another picture, both taken from a parking lot up the hill from the dam.

Then we walked out onto the dam to get closer to the bridge.

And here is the Deputy representing ADOT greatness!

I thought a picture of this plaque was important, highlighting the achievement of the construction of the Hoover Dam many years ago as one of the seven engineering 'wonders of the United States.'  U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood went as far as to say the Hoover Bypass Bridge was an engineering 'wonder of the world.' 

Shortly after the sun set, Rob snapped a twilight picture of the dam.

Then it was off to the Hacienda Hotel, where all the engineers and contractors were staying.  After socializing, eating, and gambling, it was time to turn in for the night in anticipation of the event.  In the morning we boarded these buses to the bridge and chose to sit up top for the best (and scary) view of the Colorado River and the depths below.

Here is a view of the approach of the bridge

Remember that scary second story on the bus?  Here is my view of the river from my seat on the bus!

Here is a view of the dam from standing on the bridge.

Here we are in front of the bridge dedication sign.

And on the bridge near the railing!

I took a picture of this poster because I thought it was a quick explanation of the science and engineering that the bridge required.

The Nevada side of the bridge is named after a longtime politician, and the Arizona side is named after Pat Tillman.  Pat was a standout at ASU in football, and as a professional with the Arizona Cardinals.  After 9/11 he joined the Army, leaving a large NFL salary to serve and unfortunately die for his country.  His family was in attendance.  Here is his brother Kevin, and his father Pat Sr.

Kevin served in the Army along with his brother Pat.  Here he is again, a bit closer -

All in all it was a fantastic experience, one that makes engineers seem like rock stars.  Scratch that, they're not like rock stars, they ARE rock stars!