christmas eve pajamas...

christmas eve excitement!

merry christmas!

the video above demonstrates the excitement felt in our home this christmas! michael and brinlee have thick as thieves, and are nearly inseparable. Here is their Christmas Eve feast.


It was great to have all of Amy's family here. This was our Christmas eve pajama party, one of the many good times we had.


Here are the boyz in their matching pajamas...Amy and I had a hand in picking these out.


That night Santa came and Michael's layout was sweet.


With all to be found in his Christmas haul he spent much of his time with these cars pens given him by grandma risenmay.


The girls weren't sure what to think of it all. They put plenty of toys in their mouths and escaped the day without swallowing any inanimate objects.


After things wrapped up some in the house we headed out for a bike ride. Michael did pretty well for himself on the bike. He enjoyed it.


Probably deserving of a separate post is our experience at the BYU Las Vegas Bowl Game. We met up with Dad and Lafe. There was tailgating, bratwursts, highlight videos, hot chocolate, duck fans, rushing the field. Overarching all of it was the blowout. BYU beat the previously #11 ranked Ducks and the game was never close. Exciting way to end the season!



Lafey and I found the trophy amongst the crush of the crowd and got this picture. He got an autograph later from Manase Tonga.


Congratulations to BYU, and Merry Christmas!

walmart...bringing christmas to the common man.

if it weren't for walmart we'd be bah-humbuggers. however, thanks to the $2.98 per strand icicle lights (eat your heart out chipster), we are basking in the glow of christmas spirit at our house.



amy has a christmas tree light show she likes to try out on visitors...ask her about it when you come over.


as you can see, we went to disneyland recently. the trip was great and mickey's christmas additions are nice (as was the weather).


michael was lucky enough to ride the rides with his best friends. here is nanny pushing the boys. michael somehow finagled his way into her stroller spot for much of the day. it was another first this day as michael rode in the haunted mansion car without his parents. he said the scary wasn't too bad.


in preparation for our families' arrival, michael has been reflecting on his most recent trip to utah. some of his most recent antics have centered around lafe. he has taken to running around the house in his underwear--when questioned regarding his state of dress he assures us he is dressed 'wike wafey'. this must be a common practice for lafe in the mornings when i am still asleep and michael comes down to practice with him?


his next antic made a little prouder. he told us at the dinner table that when he is bigger, but not all the way big, like lafey's friends he wants to ride on a board on the snow like them. i assured him that i would support him in that. we discussed wearing a helmet and he assured me i could come with him.

as you can see, the girls are not as excited about santa coming as michael. at the ward christmas party the other night michael was running around the halls with the younger kids and hadn't been up to see santa (he is still a bit shy around the guy). santa was headed out the door and i grabbed michael as he hadn't told santa what he wants for christmas. with a look of dismay in his eyes he yelled down the hall, "a bike, a bike, i want a bike!" santa was kind enough the stop and talk with michael about his choice and requested good behavior. michael agreed. he lives up to his end of the bargain most of the time...



well, merry christmas. we are excited to see many of you very soon. i bought a wetsuit on ebay. we could use another wetsuit or two, so if you know anyone with an extra then bring it along!

of fiction and fantasy...

my proposition is that quality fiction (whether poetry--a nod to the hipster--or good prose) is superior to the text of a history book.

my reasoning goes something like this: a fictional writer who truly understands humanities' struggles can better instruct and inpsire regarding motivation and emotion than the history writer who gives a supposedly neutral telling of what actually happened. no telling is neutral and no historian actually knows what the person felt and experienced. the story comes up short. the dates and times may be correct, but the compelling turmoil that wrought the story is missing.

if i am ignorant, please enlighten me.

it doesn't snow in LA...

I've just been thinking about all of you coming out for Christmas and gettting excited. I'm not sure what all is planned, but I've just been thinking about California, Family and Christmases past. Just an hour to the northwest is Magic Mountain. Amy thinks it may even top her beloved King's Island...don't salivate on the keys please.

I know the Amy's side of the family has been known to get a little crazy, but that's all part of the package and I can't wait to have them storm the castle. We'll miss those who can't make it and will have to intiate those who do.

My side of the family has been known to get a little wild themselves and this picture proves it. I wonder what color our pajamas will be this year...?

If anyone wants to go biking, they'd better bring their spandex...(or wet suits for surfing)

Michael will keep all the crazies in line.

And we can sit around the fireplace, sip hot cocoa and bask in the glory over and over and over...

Merry Christmas. We look forward to seeing all you who are headed our way in a few weeks.