Post Christmas Random

Exhaustion has set in at the Dixon house.  Like an visitor that has outstayed it's welcome, it has moved into my house and made it's self comfy on my couch, my bed, my kitchen and taken a toll on my bathrooms...and I don't know how to kindly ask it to go home.  I'm so tired I can hardly handle myself. 

I'm actually looking forward to school starting.  A routine sounds comforting in a put-the-kids-to-bed-at eight kind of way.  Oh sleep...how I have missed you.

But we have played hard.  Played like the end of the world was really coming.
But it didn't- thank goodness- and we are all still alive and kicking.
Here are a few things we have done in the past few weeks to get ready for and recover from Christmas, plus ring in the New Year.

Countless trips to Costco happened much to Saylor's chagrin.

She learned how to relax despite the holiday rush.

December was our month to clean the office.

It is much bigger than the old office and requires everyones help to get the job done.

These two were slacking off and looking at the Lego coffee table book one evening when they were supposed to be emptying garbages.

(were really glad its almost January)

My mom and I walked through a sewing store downtown to get to our car faster a few days before Christmas.

This is the first and last time anyone will catch me in a sewing store.

Thought I would take advantage of the best "Hell Has Frozen Over" picture known to mankind.

It's truly a shame I missed out on the sewing gene the rest of my family inherited.  I got the shopping gene instead...I'm coping the best I can.

The pictures is turned wrong, but I wanted to document what Steve and I gave away for the Walker Family white elephant gift exchange.  I thought I was a little vain until my dad opened a poster sized autographed picture of my brother Jon.  I'm not that vain after all.  :)

Along with the gift exchange, the Walker Family party also includes a play or performance by all the grandkids.   This year, my niece Whitney arranged a glow stick performance.

I must say it was the best Walker grandkid performance to date.

Thanks Whitney for all your hard work!

It snowed more than a skiff finally!

The boys were in 'smother your brother in snow' heaven.

(Yes...I took this picture from the warmth of my living room, hence the dirty window smudges.)

This last summer, Steve and the boys built a sled...scouting Klondike style.

It was completed with a set of DI skis found for five bucks.

The snow storm was officially put to use as my boys and their dad hooked up the sled (which I have lovingly named Certain Death) to the Land Cruiser and spent more than one afternoon putting their lives in peril.

 

After seeing my offspring being whipped around like rag dolls as Steve turned the corner in the back field, I demanded that helmets were NOT optional.

I'm a fun-sucker who likes brain cells intact.

Both Dixon and Walker cousins spent time in our back yard.

I lost count of how many cups of hot chocolate and pumpkin muffins were consumed to warm up after.

Other things that happened without photo evidence included:

2 ski trips

1 stranded morning in Albion while attempting to go skiing. (glad it wasn't my vehicle)

5 family dinners. (both Dixon and Walker included)

2 storage rooms cleaned out (I'm nesting while I still have the energy)

1 OBGYN appointment.  (Its a Christmas miracle I only gained the weight I did)

17 cousins visited that we don't see on a regular basis 

1 overtired cry fest by yours truly in protest of her husband making selfish decisions (his words...not mine)  It was a good cry fest- full of guilt and free flowing mascara.  Still have a cry headache from the whole experience.   I think the both of us will try not to repeat the process in hopes of not further scarring our children.  I remember the maybe one or two good arguments (high level discussions) my parents had when I was little.  I remember feeling scared and horrified.   I'm sorry my children had to experience that today...but grateful they saw Steve and I work everything out.   I think it's healthy for my children to know that Steve and I don't always see eye to eye on everything, but that we still love and respect one another.