Christmas Day

We had a very small and relaxed Christmas Day. The kids got up early and we opened gifts and had breakfast. Santa brought C a Little People Bus, just like he asked for. H got a Radio Flyer tricycle, which was a hit. And even though C has two other bikes, he won't leave H's alone. The kids got a lot of other very fun things including puzzles, a Little People Barn, and books. H got a purse, a baby stroller, some clothes etc. C got some very cool firefighter boots and a Handy Manny tool man. Of course, there is not one thing that they will play with by themselves. We just played most of the morning and then went for a run. It started sprinkling just as we were leaving, then it rained pretty good the remainder of our run. The kids were in the stoller/trailor and got pretty wet. When we realized they were getting so wet, we put their rain jackets on. H just hates hers, so she screamed the rest of the way home. But other than that, it was perfect! I love to run in the rain. After we got dried off, we made dinner, ate and then went to Charity's and Kwan's for dessert. Then the day was done. Here are some pictures including the kids in their Christmas outfits and a picture when Lily and Emma came over to open gifts.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all! Another year has come and gone! With the ease of keeping in touch via e-mail and blogs, it seems redundant to send a Christmas letter/card (although I do enjoy getting them). And in the age of "reduce, reuse, recycle", it seems more environmentally friendly to use the medium of our blog to "send" our Christmas letter this year. For those of you who frequent our blog, there is probably nothing new here, but for those of you who aren't regular blog viewers, maybe you'll make this the one post you read this year.
Our year in review:
Although the year started out with another big disappointment/defeat in an ongoing trial, our lives together continue to be very blessed. Chuck continues to work as an engineer at Honeywell. He had to travel for work much more than he would have liked to, but at least he has a job! He rides is bike everyday to work, rain or shine (mostly shine), 40 degrees or 110 degrees. He raced bikes this year as in past years and had a good season. I wish he would have had more cheerleading, but bike racing is a hard sport to spectate with two small children. He was asked to "motor" a fully-faired recumbent tricycle at the World Human Powered Speed Challenge where he broke the world record at 66.08mph. That was something he has wanted to do since he was 16 years old. He raced the Tour de Tucson on our tandem with his friend Josh. They had hoped to win, but unfortunately, they flatted twice. He is currently getting in shape for the upcoming racing season. I, Rebekah, continue to teach group exercise at the YMCA. I also started a 300 hour yoga teacher training program which will extend well into next year. I ran two 1/2 marathons, completed a olympic distance triathlon and am currently training for a marathon. Chuck has been so supportive during all my training and has put a lot of things he would like to do or needs to do off because it's impossible to do anything when you have H&C. I appreciate him so much! Cameron turned 3 this year, was potty trained and started preschool, which he loves. He continues to love firetrucks, all other trucks and cars. He is sleeping better, but I still get the too occasional nighttime visit. Cameron went for his first backpacking trip this year (where he walked) and went with his dad on several more camping and backpacking trips. He loves to camp. We love Cameron so much, but despite everyone telling us it will change, his world still centers around me. Hannah turned 1 this year and is developing quite the personality. She is learning so much from her brother! She throws fits when she doesn't get her way, which sometimes involve spitting, biting and hitting herself. Her world also revolves around me and there is quite often fights over me. Hannah can be so sweet though. When C is demanding I get him something but I am busy, she will go get it for him. Hannah went on her first camping trip without mom this year and also appears to love camping. Lily turned 17 just recently and continues to attend Tempe Prep Academy. She played football again this year and is currently on the soccer team. She also sings in the select choir at school. Emma just turned 15 and enrolled in TPA this year. She played volleyball, is also currently on the soccer team and sings in the select choir. We have enjoyed having the opportunity to support the girls in their activities. We love our kids so much and are thankful they are healthy. We are also thankful for all the other blessings in our life and especially for the love and sacrifice of our Savior, Jesus Christ. We wish you all health and happiness in 2009!

If you would like to see more about our year, scroll down on our blog.

Emma is 15!

Emma turned 15 on Fri. the 19th. We took her (and Lily) to lunch on Saturday. She chose to go to Spinato's (which happens to be my favorite restaurant). I made a chocolate cake early in the morning with my early riser, Hannah. Cameron then helped put the candles on. We took it to the restaurant and enjoyed it there. She asked for an Adidas sport bag, which made shopping very easy. I can't believe the girls are getting so old! I was just thinking today (don't know what made me think of it) about when we lived on Loma Vista and I was in grad school. I would get home late and they would be in bed waiting for me so I could say good-night. Now, I'm probably in bed well before they are. Happy Birthday Emma!

Christmas Preparations

The Happy Apple Preschool's Christmas performance. One of C's best friends, Carson, is sitting next to him. C said he would like to buy a present for Carson and Connor, another friend. We spent quite a bit of time in Target trying to decide on which Matchbox cars to get.

It's hard to tell what H is doing here, but she is trying to blow out the lights. She learned about blowing out candles at Lily's b-day dinner.

Cameron made this at pre-school for me and Chuck. It was wrapped between two pieces of paper stapled together. He said I had to wait for Chuck to open it. Then, when we went to open it, he said, "at least try to open it. If you need help, I can help you. But at least try."

Watching "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" (on VHS) and eating popcorn. A Christmas tradition.

Decorating the tree

Hannah in her Christmas pajamas

I haven't sent out Christmas cards this year. We are having my cousin Rachel take pictures tomorrow, so I may send those out after the New Year. I will also post some pictures and a Christmas letter Christmas Day. So, check back next week!

Crazy Cameron

Oh how I love Cameron and the things he says. He makes me laugh! Here are a few I want to remember (and these were all in the same day):

"Hannah wrote her name! Hannah, I am so proud of you." As Hannah is writing/scribbling with sidewalk chalk on the sidewalk.

"This is not a happy day!" We left the house to run errands and he was insistent on wearing his fireman boots, jacket and helmet. This isn't just any helmet though. It is an actual firefighters helmet. So it is heavy and too big. He couldn't get it to stay on his head and the eye protector wouldn't stay up.

"Oh, I'd better scare that kitty away." (he opens the door to the back yard) Kitty, go away...please. ROAR, shoo, shoo, ROAR! You'd better get over that fence right now."

Camping Trip

Last Fri-Sun, Chuck took all the kids camping. They camped up near Prescott. It got below freezing at night, but was nice during the days. They all said (except H) they had a great time. I also had a great time! I got lots done around the house and am mostly up to date with everyone's scrapbooks. Enjoy the pics!

Hannah's first haircut

the before

the during

you'll have to check back later for the after

Lily is 17!

Lily turned 17 on the 21st. She and Emma came over on the 22nd to babysit the kids while I was doing church and yoga stuff and Chuck was racing the Tour de Tucson. I, with the help of Hannah and Cameron, made her a cake in the morning. Chuck made chicken pot pie when he got home and once I was home we had a delicious dinner and opened presents.

making a cake

putting the candles on

Hannah and Emma

Happy 17th Birthday Lily!

Hannah's first animal sound

Cameron spontaneously asked H to "do her piggy snort" and she did. So of course, I had to get it on film. The video is taken with our digital camera, so it is really dark, but it will have to do.

So Much To Be Thankful For

I woke this morning cuddled in my warm, cozy bed with my gorgeous husband. It was early (5am) but I had gone to bed early and C slept the whole night, which meant I did too! I got up, put on my black capri Adidas running pants,which I love, and a new long sleeve shirt, which is a great color. My kids remained asleep, so I was able to get out the door without them throwing fits. I wasn't sure how dark and cold it would be, so I grabbed my gloves and head light. When I turned the corner onto the canal, I saw the moon, full, big and bright. It was perfect! And I couldn't help but think how grateful I am to be able to run and how grateful I am for all that I have been blessed with. I did have a dog run up on me, which really annoys me. The owners apologized, but I did not respond with an "it's okay", because it's not okay. It's a city ordinance to have your dog on a leash. But that did not spoil my mood. I simply thought, I'm so thankful I don't have a dog! When I turned to run home, I was disappointed that I could no longer see the moon. But I felt my pace quicken because I couldn't wait to get home where I knew I would be greeted with smiles and laughter. I was then able to take a hot shower, with no one in the room. What a great start to the day!

Taco Soup

I'm always frustrated around dinner time because I don't know what to fix. It needs to be something that we haven't had in a while, something quick and easy, something we have all the ingredients for etc etc... It's hard to get motivated to make soup in AZ, but the weather is getting cooler, so last night I decided to make Taco Soup. Not only is it quick and easy, a 3 year old can do it! Cameron opened all the cans and seasonings, dumped them in the pot and stirred it up. Then we made cornbread to go with it. When Chuck got home from work, C said, "Daddy, I made dinner." Indeed he did!

1 can of pinto beans, kidney beans, hominy/corn, and garbonzo beans (of course any beans will do)
2 cans of tomatoes
1 small can of green chilis
hamburger (browned) or soy meat
1 package of ranch dressing mix and taco seasoning

Mix it all together and heat it up. It's that simple and very tasty! You can garnish with sour cream and cheese.

Chocolate Swirl Cookies

These are my favorite cookies in the whole world! Lily and Emma brought them home several years ago after spending the weekend with their friend Olivia at her grandmothers in Flagstaff. So, we often call them the "Flagstaff" cookies. I make them often and give them to people quite frequently. I just sat down to put the recipe on my hard drive because I am asked for it as frequently as I give them away. So, I thought I'd post it on my blog. If you make them, let me know what you think.

Ingredients:
12 oz chocolate chips
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 ½ cups butter
1 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
1 egg (optional)
1 ½ cups brown sugar
4 cups flour
* nuts, raisins etc. optional

preheat oven to 350
melt the chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk over low heat
mix together butter (softened), salt, vanilla, egg and brown sugar
add 4 cups of flour
divide dough into 6 balls, roll flat, spread chocolate evenly on flattened dough, add nuts, raisins etc., roll up the dough into a long roll
place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes (do not overbake)
let cool and slice (as you would a cinnamon roll)

tips:
- I prefer to eat these cookies cold. I cool them and refrigerate them over night before slicing and eating them
- roll out between 2 sheets of wax paper, then use the wax paper to help you roll and get the dough on the cookie sheet
- don’t remove from the cookie sheet before they are cool, otherwise they will break
- a light color, non non-stick pan works better

More pics from our trip to Berea, KY

too tired to eat

Cameron and Preston

waking up from a nap

H eating her own ice cream cone

inside the platform

H on the plane coming home, not wanting to sit of course

H played with these necklaces for the longest time

Halloween

Chuck carved this pumpkin

We were in Berea, KY (see post below) for Halloween. It wasn't quite the cold Midwest Halloween we were expecting, but it wasn't as warm as it would have been in Tempe, AZ. The kids aren't the best trick-or-treaters, but they did keep their comstumes on. We didn't make it to many houses before they were tired out. As they got the candy, they wanted to eat it, which really slowed us down. Hannah would eat a bite of something and then would want to try something new. So, I, of course, ended up eating what was left. We didn't get too much candy since we didn't get to many houses and they ate it along the way. So, no complaining there.

carving the pumpkin (with a couple great helpers)

C helping scoop out the seeds , sometimes he'd get 4 at a time


the ghost and the M&M

the poster child for M&M's

Berea, Kentucky

We recently had the opportunity to visit Chuck's parents (and some other family) in Berea Kentucky. Here is a run down of our trip:

10/30 - Thurs.
We left the house at 5am, which is when the kids usually like to get up so it wasn't too early. We parked the car and took a bus to the terminal. C says he likes to ride on buses. We boarded a plane headed to Atlanta, a three hour flight. When we got on the plane, I asked C if he needed to go to the bathroom and he said, "No. Airplanes don't have bathrooms." When I told them, yes, they do, he said "I have to go the bathroom!" He was pretty excited about it. I had packed coloring books, books, DVD player, toys etc. C played with his cars and trucks for a few minutes and watched about 10 minutes of a movie. I don't know why I bother to pack so much. They never want to play with anything. They are the same way on road trips and at church. But they were very good on the flight. C fell asleep just as we were landing. We had a short layover in Atlanta and then boarded a smaller plane to Louisville. H took a nap on this short flight. We then had to rent a car and drive to Berea, about an hour and a half drive. C took a nap on the drive to Berea. When we got to Berea, Chuck's mom, Judy, had a nice dinner ready for us.

10/31 - Fri.
Chuck's parents watched the kids and we went for a run. The weather was perfect the whole weekend. In fact, too perfect. Coming from the Valley of the Sun, we wanted some cold weather and clouds. But no, it had to be 70's and sunny. Chuck's brother Tim drove down from Cincinnati with his two boys, Preston and Emmett. The kids played outside in the leaves, we had a nice lunch and then the boys played with cars and trucks and play dough. We went trick-or-treating later that evening, but I'll save those stories for another post.

11/1 - Sat.
We started out the day with a visit to the firestation, where the fireman (only 2 on duty, one called in sick) were very very nice. They let C get in the truck and turn on the lights. They even pulled the truck out and brought the ladder down so C could get in the platform. He also got a tour of the training tower and a lesson on how they pull people in and out of windows, go through walls, drop floors etc. Each firestation we go to seems to outdo the others! Then Chuck's dad, Rich, watched the kids while the rest of us lifted weights. After which, I ran and Chuck rode the stationary bike at the college workout facility. Then Chuck's Aunt Kathy, Uncle Dan, Cousins David and Daniel and Aunt Linda came for a visit. We once again had a good dinner and a pleasant visit. With the perfect weather, we were able to sit out on the porch and talk.

11/2 - Sun.
We went to church, took naps, played at the park.

11/3 - Mon.

We just played this morning, workout and got ready to head home. We left Berea about 2:30 and drove to Louisville. We got there with plenty of time. We flew back to Atlanta. H was a little bit of a pain on this flight, but not too bad. She just did not want to sit, which is encouraged for take off and landing. We had a couple hour layover in Atlanta, so we grabbed a bite to eat and waited. The kids were getting a little fussy. My favorite part about being in the Atlanta airport is when C would run thru the airport holding onto his pants because they were about to fall off. We boarded the plane to Phx about 9:15pm (7:15 AZ time). H fell asleep pretty quickly, but couldn't comfortable, so she ended up sleeping on the floor. It took C a while to fall asleep, but he finally did. However, I was so uncomfortable with him partly on me, that I went to sit in an empty seat so he could have more room. When we landed at 11pm both of them woke up and were in great moods. You would have never known it was the middle of the night for them. We caught the bus to take us to our car and drove home. Both kids were wide awake when we got home and insisted on baths and stories. H went down well after that, but C put up a fight. By then it was about 12:30pm. C paid me a visit about 3:30am and H decided it was time to get up at 4am. We were hoping she go back to sleep, but at 5am, we decided it was pointless. C was not far behind her. But I did get some good naps out of them on Tuesday.

We had a great time and were pleasantly surprised at how well the kids traveled. Thanks Rich and Judy for all your hospitality!

Cameron's Prayer

I love to hear kids pray, especially with no prompting. Last night Chuck asked whose night it was to pray and Cameron said, "I think it's my night." Here was his prayer:

"Heavenly Father, thank you for blessings. Thank you for mom, dad, Cameron, Hannah, 'Mera, Lily and Emma. Bless our night. Jesus Christ, Amen."

The Carrots First Game

Cameron had his first game last Saturday. Their team name is the Carrots, unfortunately, they got green uniforms not orange. While we were getting ready to go, C refused to put on his uniform and said he didn't want to play, he just wanted to watch. I said I was not going to have one of "those" kids and he was going to put on his uniform and go play. And he did. They play 6 on 6, 2 10 minute halfs with a 3 minute half time. C played most of the 1st half making frequently "snack" breaks on our blanket. The second half he did more watching the playing, but I did manage to keep him off the playground. The Carrots were able to keep 3-4 kids on the field at most times, and although they don't keep score, if they did, the Carrots would have lost.