I need to catch up on my blog! John keeps asking me why I don't blog anymore...I give him lots of excuses, but really...there is no excuse. I can always make time.
The first half of December we were home in Arizona.
On December 1st Jake started nursery! He went right in and sat down to do a puzzle. He loved it the first week, hated it and cried the next week, cried a few more weeks after that when I'd drop him off, and now goes without tears. I think it helps him having Brooklyn in there.
One afternoon Jake was napping and Brooklyn was having quiet time (watching a movie). I got done with work a little early and decided to lay down for a bit too. I woke up to this...
Brooklyn naked (of course) and in my chap stick. Naughty naughty.
We went to the Mesa Temple lights one night with friends. It wasn't near as spectacular as Temple Square, but still pretty good and fun to see.
Brooklyn decorated Christmas sugar cookies at our house one morning with a couple of her little friends.
The first Saturday of the month Home Depot does their kids workshop where kids can build things for free. John took Brooklyn (she ended up putting it together at home) and got a tic-tac-toe board.
The kids got to sit on Santa's lap at our ward party. Jake was NOT a fan. Not only did he immediately start crying, but he was doing everything in his power to get away as quick as possible! John and I laughed while we took some pictures.
Brooklyn was all business with Santa and told him she wanted a trampoline and a white dog. White dog? I had never heard that one before.
This year for Christmas we gave the kids a trampoline. It isn't a huge one, but pretty good sized and even has a net around it. We gave it to the them before the kids and I left for Utah. They were so excited and love it! I set it up in the house, but John moved it outside to our patio when we got home.
The second half of December we were in Utah. The kids and I left a week before John who had to stay and finish his last week of class before a 2 week break. My friend Alison drove with me and the kids. It was so nice having her company and help! Then Alison's husband and John drove up together the next week.
We had major car problems that first week in Utah. I had taken our van in the day before I left for our trip and had them check that everything was ok. $500 later and 2 axles fixed, we were on our way. On the drive I noticed that the steering wheel was slightly to the right, which it hadn't been that way before. I am car clueless and thought maybe they just put the steering wheel on wrong?? No idea. Once I got to Utah my back tire pressure light came on showing the back tires were low. I took it to the Honda dealership and asked if they could fill them up. I mentioned the steering wheel and they told me my alignment was probably off, which was $100 to fix. What can you do but have it fixed? So I told them to fix it and asked if while they were in there if there was any way to tell that the work the people in Arizona had done was done incorrectly. They said it would be easy to tell if it was or wasn't. I got a call shortly after saying that there was no doubt in their minds it had been put back together wrong and now there was a lot more damage to the car. Ugh!!!! I picked up the van and took it to an associate of the place we had got it fixed in Arizona (they said if there were going to cover any of it we had to do this). The next few days were unbelievably frustrating. I was on the phone constantly fighting with the Arizona place (called Honest Auto....yeah right!). To make a long story short, we ended up paying $1200 to get the damages fixed - including two control arms and two new tires (because I drove from Arizona to Utah...which how was I to know I was damaging the tires?!!) Honest Auto ended up paying $190 for the labor. CRAP I tell you!! I was furious and called the manager on the phone and yelled/cried at him for an hour. John and I debated back and forth about taking them to small claims court, but we never did. He started school once we got back and I would have been the one dealing with it. It was definitely unfortunate, but we are mostly over it :) I wish someone in the family was a mechanic. I hate that feeling of knowing you are getting ripped off, but can't do much about it.
We still had a good time though. The kids loved playing with their cousins and it was nice to be able to help my mom just after she had knee replacement surgery.
I found this on KSL one night for 12 bucks! I couldn't pass it up and the kids loved it (Kate Bowen especially :))
Christmas Eve was spent at the Bowen's, always a good time! All my family was there, including the Cowden's and Graf's. We had our usual white elephant gift exchange...there were some good ones this year. We gave our kids new pajamas that night and then headed back to my mom and dad's to sleep.
We headed out to the Bowen's again Christmas morning around 7. It was fun to do Santa with all the kids together - so many presents! They all did really good about opening their own gifts and being grateful for what they got. We spent the day relaxing and playing games.
The kids were spoiled and still got a few gifts even though they had already got their big present. Brooklyn got a leapfrog laptop, a princess dress up, dress up shoes, and things in her stockings.
Jake got a v-tech car garage set with a few cars to go with it. Both kids love it and play with it daily. He also got a few things in his stocking.
We did this last year with the Cowden's and Becky was so nice to do it again! We met for breakfast one morning at Sharon's...delicious and Becky treated. My kids love her.
We started back home on December 30th and stayed the night in St. George with John's parents. The kids had fun at the park close to their house.
John started school again on the 2nd. It was such a fun trip, besides our van issues, but we were excited to be back home to the nice weather and to our own beds.
The first half of December we were home in Arizona.
On December 1st Jake started nursery! He went right in and sat down to do a puzzle. He loved it the first week, hated it and cried the next week, cried a few more weeks after that when I'd drop him off, and now goes without tears. I think it helps him having Brooklyn in there.
One afternoon Jake was napping and Brooklyn was having quiet time (watching a movie). I got done with work a little early and decided to lay down for a bit too. I woke up to this...
We went to the Mesa Temple lights one night with friends. It wasn't near as spectacular as Temple Square, but still pretty good and fun to see.
Parker and Brooklyn
The Stone's, Woolford's, Potter's, and us. (I love that it is December and both Jake and John are wearing shorts. I think I had flip flops on too.)
Brooklyn decorated Christmas sugar cookies at our house one morning with a couple of her little friends.
The first Saturday of the month Home Depot does their kids workshop where kids can build things for free. John took Brooklyn (she ended up putting it together at home) and got a tic-tac-toe board.
The kids got to sit on Santa's lap at our ward party. Jake was NOT a fan. Not only did he immediately start crying, but he was doing everything in his power to get away as quick as possible! John and I laughed while we took some pictures.
Brooklyn was all business with Santa and told him she wanted a trampoline and a white dog. White dog? I had never heard that one before.
This year for Christmas we gave the kids a trampoline. It isn't a huge one, but pretty good sized and even has a net around it. We gave it to the them before the kids and I left for Utah. They were so excited and love it! I set it up in the house, but John moved it outside to our patio when we got home.
The second half of December we were in Utah. The kids and I left a week before John who had to stay and finish his last week of class before a 2 week break. My friend Alison drove with me and the kids. It was so nice having her company and help! Then Alison's husband and John drove up together the next week.
We had major car problems that first week in Utah. I had taken our van in the day before I left for our trip and had them check that everything was ok. $500 later and 2 axles fixed, we were on our way. On the drive I noticed that the steering wheel was slightly to the right, which it hadn't been that way before. I am car clueless and thought maybe they just put the steering wheel on wrong?? No idea. Once I got to Utah my back tire pressure light came on showing the back tires were low. I took it to the Honda dealership and asked if they could fill them up. I mentioned the steering wheel and they told me my alignment was probably off, which was $100 to fix. What can you do but have it fixed? So I told them to fix it and asked if while they were in there if there was any way to tell that the work the people in Arizona had done was done incorrectly. They said it would be easy to tell if it was or wasn't. I got a call shortly after saying that there was no doubt in their minds it had been put back together wrong and now there was a lot more damage to the car. Ugh!!!! I picked up the van and took it to an associate of the place we had got it fixed in Arizona (they said if there were going to cover any of it we had to do this). The next few days were unbelievably frustrating. I was on the phone constantly fighting with the Arizona place (called Honest Auto....yeah right!). To make a long story short, we ended up paying $1200 to get the damages fixed - including two control arms and two new tires (because I drove from Arizona to Utah...which how was I to know I was damaging the tires?!!) Honest Auto ended up paying $190 for the labor. CRAP I tell you!! I was furious and called the manager on the phone and yelled/cried at him for an hour. John and I debated back and forth about taking them to small claims court, but we never did. He started school once we got back and I would have been the one dealing with it. It was definitely unfortunate, but we are mostly over it :) I wish someone in the family was a mechanic. I hate that feeling of knowing you are getting ripped off, but can't do much about it.
We still had a good time though. The kids loved playing with their cousins and it was nice to be able to help my mom just after she had knee replacement surgery.
Christmas Eve was spent at the Bowen's, always a good time! All my family was there, including the Cowden's and Graf's. We had our usual white elephant gift exchange...there were some good ones this year. We gave our kids new pajamas that night and then headed back to my mom and dad's to sleep.
I love buying them matching pj's
We headed out to the Bowen's again Christmas morning around 7. It was fun to do Santa with all the kids together - so many presents! They all did really good about opening their own gifts and being grateful for what they got. We spent the day relaxing and playing games.
The kids were spoiled and still got a few gifts even though they had already got their big present. Brooklyn got a leapfrog laptop, a princess dress up, dress up shoes, and things in her stockings.
Jake got a v-tech car garage set with a few cars to go with it. Both kids love it and play with it daily. He also got a few things in his stocking.
We did this last year with the Cowden's and Becky was so nice to do it again! We met for breakfast one morning at Sharon's...delicious and Becky treated. My kids love her.
We started back home on December 30th and stayed the night in St. George with John's parents. The kids had fun at the park close to their house.
John started school again on the 2nd. It was such a fun trip, besides our van issues, but we were excited to be back home to the nice weather and to our own beds.
Loved the update! Beck I had no idea that all of that car stuff happened. That is so awful. I hate bad mechanics that take advantage. Glad you still had a good trip though. So fun to see all of the cousins together!
ReplyDeleteSo fun to see your cute updates! Car issues are so frustrating. Great time of year to have to spend thousands on car repairs, huh? Looks like you had a really fun December. I love the trampoline and that little garage looks so cute. I want to get that.
ReplyDelete