2008 Awards

I was going to do a TOP TEN list of things that happened to us this year, but then I figured most of that was covered in my Christmas letter. Instead, I am posting our favorite 2008 pictures. What a year it was!!

Favorite Oldest Child

Silliest Brown Eyed Boy

Most Charasmatic 2 year old

Hottest couple


CrAZieSt family faces

Most fun with extended Family members

Friends I don't want to live without

Best Birthday Present (for the best MIL)

Longest Board (bored!) game
(TRANSFORMER RISK. I don't know if we'll ever play again!)

Memorable Mommy and Me moments

Longest Hotel Stay

Favorite McDonald's Happy Meal collection--

First house!

Biggest mess :(

Best NIGHT Hike

Most creative Christmas Present

Happiest Holiday

We hope everyone has a wonderful and SAFE New Year!

2009, Here we come...
Ready or not.

I cry the day that I take the tree down.... NOT

I LOVE Christmas... I really do, but once it's over, I am over it. Why keep the stockings hanging and the tree up when all it does is clutter your house? Maybe I am in a rush to take down Christmas because Aaron's birthday always gets overshadowed by the Holidays. Or maybe I turn into Ebeneezer Scrooge on the 26th. For me and my house, we clean Christmas up ASAP and look toward the new year....

So, no more Christmas music on my blog. No more red and green. No more nice guy. Not until next December, anyway.

And I really need to change my header pictures... I believe every single one was taken in 2007 (or before!) It's time to move on with my life and forget about Disneyland and why it's the happiest place on Earth.

I also need to change my blog title from "It's a Wonderful Life " to something else.. Any suggestions? I was thinking about "Life is Mediocre" but not so drab. Help.

Can you believe 2009 is just around the corner?
I need a MAJOR new year's resolution brain storming session.
For some reason, the goals I set for 2008 kinda didn't work out...

to the birthday boy

Today is another Sunday addition of people who inspire me. And it just so happens to be my husband's 32nd birthday. The stars have aligned.

The LAST thing Aaron wants on his birthday is a mushy tribute written on the blog. In fact, I'd bet his birthday wish is that my blog would get deleted entirely, but we all know THAT's not gonna happen. (However, I am writing this on Saturday and I will not spend a single minute of his birthday on the computer.. That's as much as I can sacrifice, honey!)


I just wanted to say that there isn't another person in this world who inspires me more than this hunka-hunka-burnin' love. For the past ten years, not a day has gone by where I haven't felt grateful for Aaron's example and friendship in my life. He is the most stable, BALANCED person I know. He does everything in stride, he never takes anything personally and if he's going do something, he's going to do it well.


Out of all the responsibilities he has, all the hats that he wears, there is NO QUESTION that being a husband and a father is most important to him. His family has always been his #1 priority. He is the best dad around. He's firm, bold, strict... and at the same time, he's playful, easy to relate to and completely hilarious. Can you name another Daddy that makes their kids pull their pants down during Simon Says? I didn't think so.

Knowing Aaron is a blessing.

Parenting with him is a thrill.

Being his wife is a privilege.

Christmas Favorites

Favorite time to wake up on Christmas morning: 8:30 am. Not so bad when the kids went to bed WAY before their bed time. Ben was asking to go to sleep on Christmas Eve at 3 pm... talk about being excited!

Favorite Christmas breakfast: Homemade cinnamon rolls and hot chocolate! and then lots of candy from our stockings. We are sugared OUT!

Favorite toy in Stocking: Whoopee cushion. No explanation necessary.

Favorite Christmas song played throughout the morning: The Chipmunks had the spotlight this year.

Favorite thing to wear ALL DAY: New pj's of course. Zack has a matching pair like Ben and Luke's, but he insisted on wearing his other Christmas jammies. I regret it already... the pictures would have been so much cuter!


Favorite things said on Christmas morning: I will give you all the candy in my stocking if you fight me! (apparently Ben has to bribe his little brothers...)


Zack's favorite present: Hulk hands... electronic ones that talk (or shall we say THREATEN) if you touch them. And This is his most recent "mean face"---


Luke's favorite present: A Star Wars video game. No, we don't have a Wii. We still do old-school-plug-into-your-TV games. I know, our kids are so underprivileged. We did also get a REAL game table... fooze ball/air hockey/pool table. The billiard table was made for midgits (just our kids' size!)


Ben's favorite present: Either his Star Wars Monopoloy game, his Grandeous coloring book or the 20 other Star Wars thing opened. Who can keep track. Last year we had a Transformers Christmas, this year, we took on another theme. Not pictured: Star wars shirts, underwear, toothbrushes, Star Wars Guess Who, flash cards, etc. etc. HOW DID SANTA KNOW THEY ARE SO OBSESSED???


Aaron's favorite present: Either the three bottles of Gatorade his three boys gave him or the remote control Jeep his wife gave him. By the look on his face, I think he likes the Gatorade better.


Janet's favorite present: Hands down, without a doubt, it would be the HOMEMADE EARRINGS Ben and Luke made for me. It was a complete surprise to everyone. They were neatly wrapped in paper towels. Yes, I actually put dirty PAPERCLIPS through my ears. And I have never been so proud. (and if you can't tell, the earrings are a picture of me.. yellow face and blue hair...) These puppies will be in my jewelry box FOREVER.


Favorite Christmas so far: 2008.

We wish you a Merry Christmas...

and a happy New Year!!