A "Rockin" Good Christmas

It was a great Christmas but...PHEW...I'm glad it's over! All that planning, plotting, and preparing wears a person out. We did lots of fun things and enjoyed our Christmas experiment of opening one gift a day for the week before Christmas. It was nice to see the kids give each gift their full attention and appreciation. We did, of course, save stockings and a couple gifts for Christmas morning. I'm not a huge fan of Christmas morning pictures but I do love this look on Amanda's face when Lauren opened up a new doll she'd been hoping for. I know Lauren probably had an identical look on her own face.

Austin's main gift this year was Guitar Hero but the whole family has taken it over. Aaron, Austin and Amanda stayed up until 1:00 am this morning because they couldn't put it down. You know somethings got to be good if Aaron stays awake for it past 8 pm! I had a feeling Austin would be great at it considering his guitar experience and I was right. What surprised me was how Amanda step right up and was awesome from song one! She rocks!

Christmas Memories

Last year Christmas sucked. There's no prettier way to say it. We'd bought and decorated a tree, then undecorated it two weeks later and gave it away to someone else to decorate once again. We opened Christmas presents two weeks early and then the kids and I drove away from our home in Idaho to find a new one in California. We spent Christmas day alone in a motel room while Aaron was stranded in Idaho, seriously sick and closing up our life in the place we'd hoped to never leave. Yes, it sucked. But this year we are making up for it.

I decided to do Christmas a little differently this year. The joke is that we are celebrating Hanukkah because instead of opening our presents all at once we are opening one gift a day for the week before Christmas. I thought this would give the kids a chance to really appreciate each individual gift instead of throwing one aside to open the next one. Along with opening a gift, we have been doing a fun family activity each day. So far we have driven around to look at Christmas lights, built Gingerbread houses, spent an evening playing Christmas games, and watched a Christmas movie together. Tomorrow will be our "Christmas around the world" night and on Christmas Eve we will have our "Shepherd's" dinner and read about Jesus' birth. So far, I am loving this new way of celebrating and the kids seem to be enjoying it too. I'm hoping we are creating such great Christmas memories this year that they won't remember the not so great once from last year!

Dance

I just came across this quote on another blog and fell in love with it:

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass...It's about learning to dance in the rain!

I hope to be doing a lot of dancing in 2009.

Twelve Days of Christmas

Last night the kids decided, somewhat last minute, that they wanted to do the Twelve Days of Christmas for the elderly couple that live across the street. I was a little hesitant because of the spontenaity but because Aaron and I did this once when we were just dating and it made that Christmas so memorable, I decided to go with it. Austin grabbed his Gingerbread House kit we had yet to put together, wrote a little "first day of Christmas" poem and we headed out into the cold to watch him try to sneak it onto the neighbor's porch. He quickly discovered that the drapes were wide open and they were sitting right in front of the window. He stood out there contemplating a strategy for quite a while. When the cold began to get to him and he realized there was no other way, he charged onto the porch, dropped the gift, rang the doorbell and ran for cover. He was so happy with his secret mission...until our neighbor called several minutes later asking if it was us that had just been at their place! The kids were furious when Aaron admitted that it had been us who'd left the package. That is, until they found out that being 88 years old, having your doorbell rang late at night and finding a package on your porch is a little unsettling. Once they knew it was us, the neighbors were happy about their little surprise. The kids were a bit disappointed that it is not a secret anymore but they still had fun running across the street tonight to leave cute little snowman mugs with packets of hot chocolate on the neighbors porch.

Popcorn and Cranberries

This year Austin suggested that we string popcorn and cranberries to hang on our tree. Aaron and I had done this when we decorated our very first Christmas tree, but we hadn't done it since. Always game for a new Christmas activity, I eagerly agreed and we ran to the store the buy cranberries and white popcorn. We popped the corn, set out the berries and threaded our needles with loooong strands of white thread. Then we sat down and got to work. Several hours later we were still sitting there and that's when I realized why we had never done this particular project with out kids. Not only was it taking forever, but there was popcorn smashed on the floor across three rooms and and my fingers had more pricks than a pin cushion. Of course I did get a few good pictures of our work in progress. Here are a couple of my favorites...

The end result was well worth the effort. Our tree this year is the prettiest one we've ever had. Aaron says I say that every year, but this year I REALLY mean it. The popcorn strands were a nice touch but I have a feeling it will be another fifteen years before we do THAT again.

Ringing In the Holiday!

The Christmas Season has now officially begun for the Koffords'. The stockings are hung, the Nutcrackers are set out and this morning we took a trip to the most awesome Christmas tree farm I've ever seen. At the entrance of the farm a Christmas Shop was set up with lots of beautifully decorated trees and holiday decorations. Each of the kids selected an ornament of their choice to add to their personal ornament collections. Outside the shop were thousands of trees to choose from, kiddie rides, refreshment stands, a petting zoo and best of all, a huge fire pit. The day was cloudy and cool, perfect for warming ourselves by the fire. Miraculously, everybody agreed on the same tree, a lightly flocked Noble. It was a great kick off for the fun month ahead.

Quite the Multitasker, She Is...

Not only can she walk and chew gum, she can check email and play gameboy at the same time!

Thanksgiving

We had such a great Thanksgiving! After being out of state the last couple of years it was fun to celebrate the holiday with Aaron's family. The kids and I spent the entire day before Thanksgiving baking pies and preparing food for the big day. All the dishes turned out really good and I even made a decent turkey gravy (I've always had a gravy making phobia).

The kids busted out the Playstation Dance Dance Revolution and everybody had fun dancing and laughing at each other. Aaron's mom even gave it a try!

Settling In

After a bit of nagging and prodding from Amanda I decided to change the look of my blog. Pretty fancy, huh? I think it's beautiful but I normally go for something a lot less ornate.

Well, we are all moved and settled now. It feels great to be back in the last town we lived in, almost like we never left. It just feels so RIGHT for us to be here and I want to stay forever. The kids love their schools so much they didn't even want to go on Thanksgiving vacation! They fell right back in with their old friends who were so excited to see them. We are renting a home that was built in 1966 and because of it's age it is both charming and challenging. It needs a lot of little repairs that the owner will be fixing over the next couple weeks. It is a cozy little place though and we feel at home. The neighborhood is great and we were welcomed by several of the neighbors before we had even unloaded the moving van. Many of the neighbors have been here since the early seventies. I didn't know anyone stayed in one place that long!

My Beautiful Girls

Trick-or-Treat!

Want to guess how much candy we came home with after trick-or-treating down four streets or so?

15 lbs !!! No kidding! The kids actually weighed their bags on the scale and had about 5lbs each. I can only imagine the belly aches and cavities...

It's That Time of Year Again!

Here we are once again carving our pumpkins on Halloween Eve. I enjoy carving pumpkins so much more now that my kids are big enough to do it themselves! I might help draw the faces/ pictures on but other than that they're on their own. This year Amanda's friend, Isabella, came over to carve with us and we all had a lot of fun.

Such a beautiful little pumpkin carver. This year Amanda decided to put a peace sign on her pumpkin and it turned out so cool!

The pumpkins we had this year were filled to the brim with icky, slimy strings that took forever to scrap out.

Austin was such a nice guy, he finished cleaning his own pumpkin, then helped all the girls scrap out theirs. He doesn't look the least bit put out, does he? Just kidding, he was just being a goof ball!

This was Isabella's first time carving her own pumpkin (her brother usually helps her) and the Pumpkin Squad gave her lots of pointers.

Every year we wash the seeds, sprinkle them with seasoning salt and bake them in the oven. They seemed to turn out especially good this year.

The Pumpkins weren't bad either!

Those Special Moments

Whenever I look through old photo albums I pretty much skip past the hundreds of Chistmas and birthday photos. I don't know why I have taken so many pictures of people opening presents other than the fact that it seems obligatory. The pictures I really stop and look at are the ones that capture a little slice of every day life. A couple weeks ago I went into the girls room to deliver their clean laundry and found Lauren laying on her bed reading a book. Something about her look of peaceful concentration and the soft glow of light made me want to remember that moment forever. It's moments like these that I will miss when my kids are grown and gone.

This Is Getting Rediculous

The poor economy once again caught up to us on a personal level. Last Wednesday Aaron was told he was being layed off from his job and that Friday was his last day. We had anticipated that this might happen, after all he is in the construction field, but we still were not prepared to hear those shocking words. Fortunately, we were immediately blessed and had another job lined up the same day. The bad news is that the new job is back in the area we just moved from 6 months ago. I can't even describe how sick I was about having to tell my children that we have yet another move to make. We are trying hard to concentrate on the silver lining of these newest storm clouds. At least this move will be taking us back to a familiar town and the kids will go back to their previous schools. We will also be closer to family and that area is more affordable. There are actually quite a few good things this move will bring. We'll just have to hang on tight to those thoughts as we once again pack up our things and move on.

Upholding Tradition

When Austin was a month old we took him to the Pumpkin Patch, set him down in a pile of pumpkins and snapped a ton of pictures. That was the beginning of our first family tradition. Just about every year since, we have visited a patch where we ride overpriced little carnival rides, pet animals and search for the perfect pumpkin. I look forward to it every year.

Is He Really Thirteen? How Did This Happen???

This morning I was fighting off a wave of emotion as I drove Austin to school. This kid of mine is growing into a young man right before my eyes and my heart aches because I know that in a few short years he will be ready to leave home and build a life of his own. It seems that every day his eye level creeps up closer to mine and I notice things, like how he no longer hugs me around the waist but can put his arm around my shoulders. I know that someday he will be amused when due to his increasing height, I have to look up to him. What he may not know is that I have always looked up to him. I have always marvelled at his intelligence, his work ethic, his strength of character, his integrity, his grasp of personal responsibility and his ability to do well at just about anything he tries. He is an awesome kid and I am so, so proud to be his mom.

What Next?

In the weeks following 9/11 I sat in my living room glued to CNN, trying to make sense of the fact that the world had suddenly gone mad. Hijacked airplanes crashing into buildings? Terrorist sleeper cells waiting for the call to strike? The deadly Anthrax disease travelling through the U.S. Postal system? The unthinkable was occurring and it was terrifying. Seven years later I find myself once again sitting in my living room, glued to CNN, only this time it is not buildings falling down, but the entire U.S. economy. Enormous banks, investment and insurance companies going bankrupt? $700 billion taxpayer dollars spent to buy up worthless debts? Another possible Great Depression in our future? Once again turmoil grips our country and anxiety is gripping my soul. It will be interesting to see how this one plays out.

An Afternoon on the Licking River

HERE is my third and final gallery to share from our Kentucky trip. My brother's property runs right down to the banks of the Licking River and we had a ball playing there one afternoon. Between the row boat, 3 kayaks, giant blow-up hamster ball and the surf board, we stayed plenty busy floating and splashing and swimming.

Mom and Dad

One of the best things about our trip to Kentucky was just getting to spend time with my Mom and Dad. We've always been so close to them and we've missed them so much since they moved away. Click HERE to see some of the photos I was able to take of them (thanks Mom and Dad for being good sports about all the picture taking).

Our Trip to the Holler

I guess I've been missing in action in the blogosphere for a while now. I don't usually go this long without posting but life has been crazy for several weeks and blogging got knocked down a few rungs on the priority ladder. The kids and I recently got to make a much anticipated trip to Kentucky to visit my parents, my brother, Aaron and my Sister-in-law, Sandra. I can't even put into words how much fun we had. It was great to spend time with my family and the whole week was packed full of non-stop fun activities. We went to the Kentucky State Fair, spent a day on the river, went to a park, had our own fireworks show, and built a HUUUGE bonfire to roast marshmallows. We shot guns, searched for an Indian burial ground on my brother's property, caught fireflies, spent lots of time on a rope swing and even ate squirrel. Okay, I didn't eat squirrel, but the kids did. Kentucky was beautiful. I've never seen that much green in my entire life. As you can imagine, my camera was pretty much glued to my hands. I snapped pictures of everything I saw and that's not an exaggeration. Don't worry, I won't make you look at all 415 of them. Only 410 (just kidding). I've set my pictures up in a few different galleries that I will be posting over the next few days.

To view my first gallery, click HERE. Be sure to click on the play button to see the slideshow. These are just some general pictures from the trip. I will soon post pictures of my parents and our river day. Hope you enjoy them.

Love It

Last week was awesome. I began my training as a photographer for Lifetouch and loved every minute of it. It was challenging and at times a bit overwhelming but I loved it. I am amazed when I think about how much I learned in only one week! I can now set up a studio, lighting equipment and all, all by myself. I am extremely proud of this because I am not a mechanically inclined person. If something needs to be put together I usually give it to Aaron or Austin and run the other way. We learned camera and computer operation, how to pose people, lighting techniques, how to properly interact both children and school authorities and much more more. Tuesday we begin photographing our first school and I can't wait to put all I've learned into action.

My New Hairdo

My Dream Come True!

Today I was hired by Lifetouch Studios as a school portrait photographer! I am still so shocked I can hardly believe it. Everything about the job sounds absolutely perfect. I will be completely trained as a photographer (lighting, posing, camera operation, studio setup, people skills) and actually get paid to do it! Another huge plus is that I will get home around the same time as the kids get home from school and I will have all evenings, weekends, holidays and Christmas/summer vacations off to spend with my family. What more could I ask for??? I guess dreams really do come true!

A Blip In His Luck...

My brother Aaron has always been a daredevil. He climbs cliffs, jumps off bridges, rides motorcycles standing up, laying down and in every position in between. I think the only fear he's ever felt might be the fear of missing out on a thrilling experience. It has always amazed me that with as many crazy things as he's done, he's always remained injury free. That is, until last week when he was out for a motorcycle ride with some friends and he suddenly went down. Ironically, he wasn't doing anything particularly dangerous at the time except riding without an ounce of protective gear on (shame, shame on you!). Considering what the outcome could have possibly been, I think he came out pretty well. At least skin grows back!
OUCH!!!

Adorable!

Today we went to Hesperia to visit Constance, Brad and baby Jake. As you can see, we were AAALLL over the little fella.
But how could we help it when he has a face like this???
I have to admit, the little guy makes me feel a tad bit baby hungry.

Constance and Brad seem to be doing well with parenthood, but then Jake seems to be making it pretty easy on them. He's so easy going they've yet to hear him actually cry and Constance has to wake him up to feed him during the night or he'll sleep right through. It doesn't get much better than that!

The Jakester is Here!

My nephew Jake finally arrived Wednesday evening after being evicted from his cozy existence inside his mother's womb. He really had no interest at all in joining us all on the outside. It took about 16 hours of Pitocin to convince him to finally make his exit. Every inch of him was perfect, from his curly blond hair to his tiny purple feet. Unfortunately, due to hospital rules I was unable to witness his actual birth but I was able to spend time with Constance during her labor and come in soon after the birth. It was an honor to be a part of it.

Now I have to admit, with lots of embarrassment that no, I do not have any pictures to post of little Jake. My camera was sitting in the car because I hadn't wanted to lug it around all day and I thought I still had time to run out and get it before he appeared. We were quite surprised when Constance went from a dilation of "6" to pushing within an hour! Stay tuned though because this weekend we will be visiting Jake (and his parents) and I'm sure there will be some mad picture taking going on!

4th of July Visitors

We had such a great July 4th weekend! Aaron's brother Leif and his wife Jennifer came out and spent the weekend with us. They got here just in time for fireworks and stayed until late Sunday evening. The two of them are so much fun and full of interesting conversation. I love that they are great with the kids and give them so much attention. We all enjoyed having them stay and look forward to more visits.