Lift up your head and be of good cheer....

First, I inform you all that I'm a genius and just passed the CBEST, so I can teach. I won't teach just yet, and who knows how or when I will, but I just wanted you all to know that I can. And also that anyone can. You'd have to be pretty seriously incompetent to fail that test. There are three sections, and I got 100% correct on one of them. I was a little disappointed. No photo.

Secondly, Raelynn has been baptismified. She is holy. She was nervous and thought the whole thing was a little weird. She was uncomfortable with the attention. She tried to stop Mike after the baptismal prayer just before the dunking, because she realized her hair clips were going to get wet, all of which embarrassed her. On the whole, she enjoyed it. Cody got baptized, too, and that made it fun for her. Grandma Debbie gave a great talk which consisted of a story about a race and taught the principal of making good choices, rather than just OK ones. It was perfect. See picture:








Next up: Christmas Eve Eve. Miles describes it as a magical day, and it was. Seven of the eight siblings in Mike's family were here, and everyone was getting ready to gather at Carrie's for a fun-filled sushi night (I know--gross--but apparently, many people actually eat it.) Up walks our neighbor Ahmed who has just come from the mountains and offers us a truck of snow. I bundle up the kids and out they dash--all the cousins come around the corner, and it was magical indeed. For my kids who rarely see snow, it was a Christmas miracle (also Miles' phrase). Again, photos:


Ahmed with his shovel:

Making snowmen in miniature:

Miles moves too fast to get many photos. Here's one that's semi-in focus.

Paige's signature pose:

Paigie Pants: a Wonnacott face, but a Fitwater mouth.

Christmas Eve was typical, expect for the surprise of Mike's parents flying in. I didn't think they'd be able to stay away with so many of their offspring in one place, and they couldn't. We meet every year at Todd and Abby's for appetizers (I make mom's won tons), and the kids perform carols and we play a game or two. We came home and did our Christmas Eve which looks a lot like the ones we grew up with (except it seems like we listened better and were less greedy about getting to the part where we open a present), and then to bed. Four hours later, Mike and I get to bed, and then six hours later, the magic of Christmas morning begins.

Miles found golden marbles in his stocking!!

Raelynn and Paige played together, a little to Raelynn's dismay, but not too much because Santa gave her a safe with a code to keep her precious things protected.

And Paige got her precious, a giant stuffed "P" made by yours truly.

I really want to tell you about the Christmas night dinner and dance-off, but I just can't do it justice without photos, which I hope to get soon. Just picture Brady and Schuyler doing a contemporary routine in skin tight sequined dresses and you'll see why photos are a must. I missed my family in Vegas and Texas a lot, but I wore my spectacular hat a lot, and I got through it. Merry Christmas, all.