When Santa Clause gets Your Letter...

Santa came to our house, and must not have been offended by the lack of cookies. He was welcome to the carrots, asparagus, or cottage cheese in the fridge but there was no fudge, cookies, or toffee here this year.

We got Emma up at 7am as usual, and she headed straight for the stocking (full of toddler goodies)!

All grandparents and family were very generous to provide Emma with beloved new toys. She started out a little frightened of the noise makers but now LOVES them. Books, unfortunately have taken a backseat.

Santa brought Emma a new throne, I mean car seat.

Shane and I thought seeing snow for Christmas in Mt. Charleston would be a novel idea, however, so did the rest of the Las Vegas valley. We packed Emma up in her new car seat (which she loved, especially facing forward and seeing out the windows). But we never made it out of the car, too many people, who had no clue how to drive in snow. We were content just to drive up the mountain and drive back home.No Christmas would be complete without getting new socks, at least that was the tradition in my household growing up!

Now if we could just teach Emma that not every clothing article is a hat!

Twas' the Night Before Christmas:

Twas the Night before Christmas and all through the house,

The Carpenter’s sang while wrapping gifts, like Mickey Mouse;

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,

just out of reach, for Emma plays there.

The Mother was nestled all snug in the bed,

wishing all was clean and the fish were fed;

for Christmas is busy and Mother thought:

I hope the Christ Child will not be lost;

(Perhaps this is why we’ve removed much Christmas cost).

When out of the blue a cry, not strange;

the baby’s awake with binky out of range.

Away from warm covers Mother flew like a flash,

grabbed binky, changed diaper, to avoid a big rash;

When, what to Mom’s wondering eyes should appear,

the baby still sleepy rubbed eyes and stopped tears;

Back to bed next to Father, who deserved a deep sleep,

Mother climbed into bed with 2 more hours before the beep;

Looking forward to Emma with presents to be enticed,

the camera is charged, time to now think of Christ.

I'm a model you know what I mean:

Dear Grandma,

Thanks for my cute Christmas get-up that was marked 3-6 months but has worked for 2 different Winters.

Now for the show:
Emma is wearing a soft plush rudolph jacket with coordinating pants. Note those cute polka-dots.
This jacket has an easy use zipper and warm hood.
Underneath she's wearing a fun splash of summer swimsuit made by...who know's it came from a garage sale.
This outfit is great for Saturday morning swim class at the local Rec center! We stay warm going in and out of the 'Parent & Me' swim class, giving more focus to blowing bubbles, motorboat, and splashing.

Up on the House Top...

Well it might not be a sleigh with reindeer but we were UP alright.

Shane took us on a quick tour of the LV strip. Papillon flies out of Boulder mostly but the VIP location is in Las Vegas, so naturally I went there ;)

Emma enjoyed the soft lull and hum of the ride, she kept getting sleepy:

This was the first time I got to enjoy a part of what my husband does for a living. I LOVED it! I'm looking forward to a ride in the Spring, that's when the Grand Canyon is in full bloom, lush, and alive. But in the meantime I might just hop a ride every now and again out of Vegas!

One More Cup of Coffee (before I go to the Valley Below):

Bob Dylan might of had a point:

Tis the Season for finals, homework, and studies. Shane took on a big load this semester and I've been so proud of his hard work to complete his classes. Currently he's researching the effects of caffeine on the human body. His hypothesis: caffeine should be a regulated drug especially for pilots because of the effects it has or something like that (he always puts things more eloquently than me).

While following his research I've gleaned some information that I JUST have to blog, I mean really, it's intense.

So in my non-formal way, because I already did my schooling and don't have to get the grade; these are some of the crazy effects Caffeine has and some of the facts on how much caffeine is in what drinks:

*Caffeine kills, there are reported deaths and the amount is different for each person: guaranteed a person will die of a caffeine overdose of 10g (Shane would cite this stuff, I'm just paraphrasing some of the things I read over his shoulder-if you want sources you'll have to leave me a comment).

*Some of the Effects of Caffeine:

*Leads to Addiction

*Central Nervous System Stimulant:Jitteriness, agitation, Insomnia, Difficulty concentrating, Rapid heart rate

*Decrease in blood flow in adults

*Growth deficiencies in infants (for all you pregnant and nursing mothers)

*Physiological stress

*Lower Metabolism, increase weight gain, increase blood pressure

*Gastrointestinal disorders

*Osteoporosis

*Acid Reflux, urinary disorders, restless leg syndrome, tremors, irritable bowel syndrome

* Increase Cholesterol levels and potential Coronary heart disease

*Okay okay we knew pop was bad for us and we side step the issue of coffee and we HAVE to have a Red Bull in the afternoon. What people REALLY want to know is "What can I get away with?"

*The body has NO use for caffeine, it's not a nutrient. You can live without EVER having caffeine. However, if 10g is a guarantee, than one 12oz Coca Cola is only .035g. That's why God gave us Agency.

*There have been overdose reported cases as low as .4g (that's 2 Rockstar Energy Shot drinks) Thankfully these were only seizures, these cases lived.

*Here is a slightly gathered list of how much caffeine is in one serving of said drinks. You can use THIS link to see more info.

Coca Cola Classic	35 mg Caffeine
Tea, Brewed	47 mg Caffeine
Coffee, Instant	57 mg Caffeine
Coffee, Brewed	107.5 mg Caffeine
Weak Energy Drink: Player Aid Energy Shot, Nerd Energy Drink, Mountain Dew Game Fuel	120 mg Caffeine
Hot Cocoa	8 mg Caffeine
Average Energy Drink	220 mg Caffeine
Extreme Energy Drink: ALRI Hypershot, 5150 Juice	500+ mg Caffeine
Red Bull	80+ mg Caffeine
Monster	160+ mg
Rock Star	120+ mg

Rainbow Brite See the shining light...

...yes I'm gonna take ya to Rainbow Brite Starlite flies.

Sunday our new ward boundaries were announced in an evening Stake meeting. Naturally church that Sunday afternoon was crazy. We all speculated and wondered who would be where next week.

My little commitment challenge was about to go the way of the Dodo. So in an attempt to keep my current CTR 7 class happy we upped the day on our Cupcake Party.

In order to earn a cupcake party all active children needed to be there with their scriptures for 2 weeks in a row. The rules were bent slightly but I feel no remorse because these cupcakes were AWESOME!

I made Texas cupcakes (these are huge, like the size of Costco cupcakes) following a recipe and instructions found HERE. It was a lot of work, like several hours start to finish but lots of fun.

Shane helped me color code and bake Saturday night and he was so kind to taste test the frosting for me on Sunday morning! I whipped out my frosting tips and sprinkles and we went to town.

After a quick lesson we followed the leader to the kitchen where the kids were able to eat and make a mess to their hearts content. The children loved them. They were huge, they were colorful, and they had homemade frosting and color coordinating sprinkles-what more could you ask for?

I Feel The Earth Move Under My Feet:

Back Yard Clean up Phase 1

Who needs a hot tub in the Vegas Heat anyway?

Emma likes to help her dad. Plus she LOVES tools already.

Taking a load to the dump.

Come, Ye Thankful People

Ok, other half of the Thank-a-mony:

16. I'm grateful for movie nights at home with my Shane.

17. I'm glad for new cute little boots for Emma.

18. Paper plates make my life a little easier, and I'm grateful.

19. I'm thankful for sign language it makes me very happy; it's a shame that BYU's funding was pulled, otherwise I'd be an interpreter.

20. Seeing Emma happy makes me grateful. I'm glad to see her learning how to sing, dance, put on shoes and more.

21. Gum, I'm a chewing addict and I'm grateful for gum on the stressful days so I don't shove food into my mouth every 15 minutes.

22. I'm thankful for lotion.

23. I'm glad for Shane's logic. He is full of reason and facts, but I'm also grateful for his ability to listen to my emotional side.

24. I'm grateful for hair ties.

25. I'm so thankful for our own house! We can choose to do something and do it, no worries about a landlord or the property not being ours.

26. I'm grateful for nail polish, especially when it includes a pedicure.

27. My new 4-Runner-Maleficent-is about the only car that could cure my heartache for Anakin. I'm grateful to have such a humbling vehicle to call my own, what a gift from my awesome husband. She's so named due to the evil need to have her. I'd happily keep Anakin if the tranny was more reliable.

28. I'm grateful for the Restored Gospel-to have a living Prophet just like in the past.

29. Surprise flowers, I'm thankful for the flowers Shane brings me on occasions that are ordinary as well as special.

30. The LAST one...there are still so many things I could say: like sparkles, colors, boxes and shoes, my Mac, cute picture frames, family game nights, or central air. But for my last post I am grateful that my belt needs to be cinched a little tighter, especially during the holidays.

Viva, oh Viva Las Vegas:

I had some great friends come down from Salt Lake last weekend. It was a short trip but really great to see them. It's always nice to remember that I have friends. I had the pleasure to chat with Carlie, see how good Jeffrey treats her, and show them both around the strip.

Anyway amidst the muck there was some beauty and fresh air to be had.

The Bellagio was in full form with their lights and fountain, plus we went to checkout the Autumn decor (they change for each season in their garden room).

Thank You, Thank You, Thank God for you the Wind Beneath my Wings:

I've loved seeing other people post a thank-a-mony everyday. I knew I wouldn't post everyday so I thought I'd split the month in half:

In no particular order:

1. I'm grateful for 70 degrees and sunny weather in November.

2. I'm grateful for the rare moments when the house is clean, dishes put away, laundry done and folded, desks cleared, projects finished, and baby in bed all in one day.

3. I love how happy video chat makes me, conversations are uplifting and it's the closest I come to seeing my family often.

4. I'm grateful for high speed internet, it allows me to work more efficiently and surf 5 other sites all at the same time.

5. I'm thankful for pictures. I stalk people's blogs just to see the pictures. I love the memories and recap of life in the moment no matter how simple.

An old acquaintance of mine started her own site for photography and I said I'd give her a shout out, check it out-

marissalynnphotography

6. I'm grateful for crafts. I LOVE paper, I love color and designs and how artistic something as simple as a card can be.

7. Earrings. I'm thankful for earrings, it's my favorite jewelry. Plus I'm grateful to start wearing earrings again, Emma is almost trustworthy and is rather gentle now.

8. I'm thankful for the ocean. It's my favorite place to be outdoors. I love how time stops for me when I step out on the sand to see the waves roll in and out. I love the treasures, shells, and rocks you can find (even if they always look the same).

9. I'm grateful for my little family. Sure I don't see my husband as much as I'd like but 24 hours a day wouldn't be enough, that's why I married him in the temple. And Emma, we get on each others nerves at least once a day but she is a crack-up and my pride and joy.

10. I'm thankful for my 4-runner. I love feeling safe, free to come and go, high off the ground, having space enough for groceries, and knowing it was a gift just for me from my hubby.

11. I'm grateful when Emma takes a nap.

12. I'm thankful for chocolate, anything from a cheap waxy Hershey bar to a $20 delicacy on a dessert menu.

13. Camping brings me great joy, a little hiking, a little camp fire (or a big one), a little hobo dinner, and sitting around away from electricity watching the stars and talking.

14. I'm grateful for swimming, I don't actually care for heights, and swimming is the closest thing I can relate to when it comes to the desire to fly. Swimming makes you feel 50 pounds lighter, agile and flexible, fast and coordinated-I love it.

15. I'm grateful for chapstick.

And just because, here are a couple more pictures of us at the park on Sunday.

Peanut, Peanut Butter (and jelly)

Emma's first PB&J.

She was really hamming it up for the camera, cheesy grin, 'see-food' and the works.

She likes it!

This is my 50th post! Not bad for starting a blog in March

McDonalds, McDonalds, Kentucky Fried Chicken and a Pizza Hut:

It's update time on my health goals and latest and greatest info (for anybody who might actually read this)

I met with Dr. E again and she was happy with my results and how well things are going for me. I've lost 1/3 of the necessary weight-which is significant! Naturally the first month you loose a lot, I expect weight loss to slow down these next 3+ months. In fact Dr E. has instructed me on very specific workouts, which will elongate muscles changing my body shape even if I start loosing only 1 pound a week (which is healthy and normal just FYI).

I've moved into what I call stage 3: which includes more foods and more options. Some of my favorite new flavors include whipped cream cheese, Kashi cereal, dried fruit, and get this Fast Food...

I was given instructions on how to eat out, literally I've been given instructions on how to best eat at McDonald's and the like. For those of you who are wondering how in tarnation to eat at McDonald's if placed in such a precarious situation here are two suggestions-

1. Fresh Chicken Salads (chicken must be baked or grilled)

2. QuarterPounder (without cheese, mayo, ketchup and lose the top bun)

I think you get the picture, it's not easily done but for special occasions or when you're on the road I've earned the right to eat at Taco Bell and Wendy's and even Chili's or Applebee's.

I finally got to use a birthday gift which was a gift card to Olive Garden-let me tell you it was a treat!

Anyway, the point to this jabber is to update success and make mention that even 'dieting' doesn't have to be forever, just make sure you get off the couch every now and then...

Disclaimer: Emma bean was the cutest chubby baby, and there is NOTHING wrong with a little chub at that age. I mean no bad humor or future harassment with a photo like this, simply a little smile for my readers.

Rubber Ducky I'm Awfully Fond of You:

Spending most of my life in Eugene Oregon I'd say I've got webbed feet. Sure we don't own a TV and can't watch the games first hand but that doesn't mean we don't follow.

Anyway, Emma has been collecting more and more rubber ducks. She carries them all around the house, throws them in the tub, takes them outside, and stuffs them in cups and bowls. Take a gander at these cute pics - Go Ducks!