chocolate covered chases

Ryan upgraded our internet service and the old laptop did not handle it well, so it has been out of service for the holidays. Thankfully, we are back again. I missed you!

We had a grand Christmas.


A fine feast. We eat Argentine food on Christmas Eve, melanessa with lemon and rolls - YUMMMOLA!


We followed dinner with a well rehearsed Baby in the Manger show. Here you see Emmy Angel watching over our new family.


Ryan Shepherd with a lovely little striped lamb and a very giggly Diana Angel. By the way, crib sheets make great angel wings in a pinch.


Christmas morning was all we hoped for and more, lovely gifts, fun things to play with all day and we didn't start until 6, so we even got to sleep - ah.

Tonight we toast the new year with pizza and sparkling grape juice. Grammy and Grampy Chase rolled through on Tuesday on their way to Virden and will be back tomorrow for Sarah's blessing.

I wish you the happiest of New Years - 2009 was a bit rough around the edges, so we are hoping for a stellar 2010!

This is the scene that I gazed upon as I nursed Sarah this morning. Isaac and Nora are practicing to be Mary and Joseph in our "Baby in the Manger" play tonight.

Here we are. I decided on chicken instead of noodles, we are carnivorous these days. The zoo was fine, Sarah and Isaac cut it short. The spider monkeys were my favorite today. We had the whole exhibit to ourselves. We got several comments about the kids BYU hats from people assuming we were football fans and excited about the win yesterday (I didn't even know they played yesterday) - oh well, GO BYU CHOIR!

Here are some pictures I downloaded today - enjoy.


Diana's beautiful gingerbread creation. She, uncharacteristically, did NOT want to eat it and it proudly sits on top of the bookshelf. I'm grateful for teachers who take on these insane projects.


Isaac is vary into clothes and quite opinionated about his wardrobe. He walked downstairs a few days ago dressed like this. He's a nut (and VERY white!).


Sarah, Nora, and me.


Sarah by the light of the tree.


Emmy.


Diana.


Dad, Sarah, Nora, and drool, all in a days work.

To the zoo today! We are in great need of getting out of the house. Also on the agenda, make homemade bread to celebrate Joseph Smith's birthday. My question is: would it be OK to have noodles too? I mean, if spaghetti were around back then I'm sure it would have been a regular at the Smith home, cheap carbs. In the past I've always made beans or something to go with our "pioneer Smith dinner" but nobody ate them.

Ten years ago this month a friend's wife passed away from lukimia. At the beginning of her illness she needed a bone marrow transplant so we all tromped to Spokane to get tested to be bone marrow doners and were added to the national registry. None of us were a match but a match was found elsewhere and her life was extended for a while becuase of it. I've remained on the registry hoping maybe someday someone will need my special chemistry to help them get better.

If you are interested in being on the registry, you can learn all about it at www. marrow.org (sorry my link feature is not cooperating) Count it as your good deed for the day.

Isaac continues to adjust to Sarah's invasion. This week has been especially hard - he wants his mom all the time and anything else that is Sarah's including her stroller at bus time. . . so, I made him hold her. As you can see, neither was thrilled about the arrangement.


Emily Post maintains the proper way to eat a chocolate chip cookie is with a fork.


Ryan surrounded by beauty!


I got to go to Emily's class yesterday to make gingerbread houses. We had a great time. It is a rare thing indeed to get to do a truly one on one project and we liked it!


As beautiful as Emily's creation was, she did not want to display it, so they took it outside and gorged.

Thanks the encouragement regarding Isaac. He is feeling better. This was his first ear infection and he did not like it. We started the things the speech pathologist suggested and I'm at least seeing him try, so we are on our way.

In other parts of our life, I think I finished Christmas shopping today - yipeeeee. Of course, there is always more "fun little stuff" that would be perfect for a stocking, but the stuff that has to be wrapped is done - hiphiphooray!

We are also really enjoying this week because both Diana and Emily's teachers decided on no homework this week! What a blessed gift! I despise primary grade homework and find it a source of frustration and tears just because by the time they get home they really are done with sitting and thinking and they want to play. Not to mention the cardinal sin of eating up huge amounts of mom time - evil! My cousin Michelle, who has NO trouble speaking her mind and doing what she wants just told her girls' teachers that they would not be doing homework at their house! I love it! I only I was so brave. Besides, I think the wonderful imagination games my kids play for hours are pretty great, not to mention important.

That's all, thanks again for helping me cheer up on Monday.

What a Monday. A 9 am Isaac had his speech evaluation - verdict, he is verbally at a 3-6 month age - ouch.

We got home and I called the pediatrician for an afternnon appointment because he is STILL sick (day 4) and it is, of course, an ear infection. I'm grateful it's not the flu (after all those flu shots we got) and ear infections are easy to treat and I know he will be feeling better soon.

On a side note, you know you are getting older when both the speech pathologist and the pediatrician look WAY too young to be medical professionals! Oh well.

So it was a day of cars (I did get to hear some GLORIOUS Christmas music by Benjamin Britten on the classical radio station as I drove - ahh), doctor's offices and wonderful friends watching my kids (thanks Kelli and Erin).

Announcing Aunt Rosie's new fashion, where to find a bargain, craft, lifestyle blog: here the good wife life is sure to become a favorite place to visit as you peruse blogs.

Aunt Rosie and her partner in crime Uncle Stephen are super creative, love good food, always have a "look" and on top of that are the best aunt and uncle around. Check it out and spread the word!

Isaac has been just under the weather enough to be VERY crabby/clingy. Between he and Sarah, Ryan and I are pretty tired of holding kids.


This is a "secretary" I inherited from Grandma Boren ages ago. I went crazy on Friday and painted the inside blue! If I were to do it again, I would leave the shelves brown, but I still like it. Yes, it is an antique, but I don't care. It's a house, not a museum.



Sarah's first tiara.

She has blond hair and blue eyes and knows how to cook! Watch out fellas!

Diana lost her second top tooth tonight. She and Emily are thrilled to be twins!

It's hard to type and hold/feed a baby a bottle, but I am resolved to connect to the three people who read my blog. There is stuff out there to share, by golly.



Her royal Lovliness has started smiling and "talking" and I love it, even if she is a crab apple from about 6 'til Dad coaxes her into a formula induced coma around 10. I have just become a terrible sleep trainer and that's all there is to it and I'm out of milk by night time, so ba bas it is until about 2am. But I do love the smiles, they brighten my life and make me happy.



Speaking of bottomless pits: here is Isaac with his I can't wait 5 minutes until dinner cup of frozen corn. This morning he ate a roll, then Diana's peanut butter and honey that was on the counter ready to be packed for her lunch (I was nursing baby and the girls were dressing, to his credit, he did ask permission before pirating), then he ate breakfast, then we went to the bus stop, then he had another roll and finally asked for a hot dog.He didn't actually eat the hot dog, but I think he felt better just knowing it was there. He is a maniac!




The termites are gone - this is what our house and garage looked like for the exterminators - what a mess, but I'm glad the critters are a bay, at least for now - ikkkkkkk, termites are right up there with mice and roaches, in my book.

Want to hear a gross story? Here goes. One morning at the beginning of my mission in Honduras, I went to put my retainers away in their case to find it was occupied by a roach - eeeewwwwwwwwwww! Yes, I did use the case for the rest of my mission, but it did get a serious cleaning/soak in bleach. The thought still grosses me out - YUCK!

Well, Sarah is demanding more mommy, so I will spell check and bid you ta ta.

Matt, Diana and a MILLION kids. One really nice thing about this wedding is the kids friendly nature of it all. Matt has more siblings and their kids than even Dianna- ahhh.


The Boren fam


The Boren fam and how we really feel all dressed up.


Boren kids


Boren sisters. They informed me I am short - duh.


The Boren nieces. Sage and Nora were DONE!


The luncheon at BYU.


Isaac's bookstore purchase.

Here is the first batch of pics. We are so grateful for good examples like Aunt Di to parade in front of our kids!

Sarah and Grandpa. Aunt Mel was a great hostess.

Must attack Uncle Stephen.

Grandma and Diana working on a loose tooth.

Success! Grandma pays $5, so now Diana is RICH!

Aunt Jessica reads a mean Frog and Toad.

She is LOVELY!

Uncle Matt - we sure love that guy, but after doing a Sunday without Aunt Di we want Uncle Matt to give her back!

Doing hair.

Diana and Isaac all ready to go.

Married and VERY happy!