Christmas Day 2011

Before I give you the run down, let me just say two things.

1.  I think we should vote to make Christmas be on Sunday every year.

2. I did not take any pictures...I know, terrible right.

With that being said, here is the itinerary for our crazy Christmas Day

7:30: Wake up to open presents

8:00 Get ready for the day

9:00 Church at our parents ward

10:00 Home to change

10:30 Open presents at mom and dad's and talk to Zach!

11:30 Head up to Grandma Hill's house for more presents and lunch

1:00 Quick nap on the couch

3:00 Make our way to Wade and Jen's...wait and wait for everyone to get there

5:00 Open more presents, play the new game again

8:00 On our way again, this time to Grandma Ferrin's for bingo

10:30 Finally heading home to play with our gifts and go to bed

Our Christmas day is always crazy, but we really enjoyed getting to spend time with everyone.  We were very spoiled and are so grateful for everyone's generosity.

Cam surprised me with an Ipad which I have been drooling over since they came out.  He had me thinking it wouldn't happen and of course he pulled it off.  I wish I was as good at surprises as he is.

He got a new gaming chair and a few other nick nack things.  We are both more than happy with all of our gifts.

I can't believe how amazing it was to have Christmas on Sunday.  Not only did we have the whole day off before, the day after as well.  And the best part is that we really get to focus on the true meaning and purpose of Christmas by attending Sacrament meeting first thing in the morning.  I really wish it could be that way every year.  It couldn't have been more perfect.  We had a very Merry Christmas this year.

Christmas Eve 2011

Christmas Eve was very relaxing this year.  I loved being able to be home and get things done in the morning instead of having to work like usual.  In the morning I finished up the treats that I had stopped making at 1:00 that morning.  I packaged them up to deliver and finished wrapping presents.  I felt so prepared and LOVED it.  By the afternoon, we were completely ready for all the festivities.

We made our quick deliveries and then we went to Mission Impossible with Wade, Jen and Kylee.  It was our first experience in an IMAX theater and it was awesome!  After the movie, we picked up food from Empire and headed to the Wade and Jen's for our traditional Christmas Eve party.  When we opened our pajamas and  I was laughing so hard because of how crazy it was.  The boys helped open as many presents as they could and as soon as it was torn open they would grab the pajamas and fling them around all excited.  It was hilarious.  Amber gave Cam this hilarious moustache shirt for his pjs and Kylee gave me cupcake pants which are so adorable.

After changing we played this really fun new game that Am and Ty gave Wade and Jen.  It is called Telestrations.  It is a mix between Pictionary and Telephone and we had so much fun with it.

We called it a night at about midnight.  We crawled into bed and fell asleep while watching Elf.  Very festive, no?

Update

A few weeks ago I got a quick little note from a friend asking if I had given up on blogging.  It sure seems like it, doesn't it?  I'm not sure why I get so overwhelmed, but the whole picture issue on blogger really holds me back. Excuses, excuses, I know.  The truth is, I would really like to have all of our trip blogged before moving on, but since that requires so many pictures to be uploaded, I don't see it happening any time soon.  So, instead of keeping everything on hold anymore, I'll try to just pick up from now on.  

To bring things up to speed a tiny bit, here is an update:

What has Cam been up to?

• Working at Marketstar for Google.  We are loving working so close...lunch dates are so fun! 
• Wrestling season started this week.  See you in February, babe.
• Finished the indoor soccer season.  Lost more than they won, but had fun.
• Setting up a tackle football team.  I'm excited to watch him play. 
• Still working in the Young Men's.  He loves giving the boys a hard time.  He is so good with them. 
• Football, Football, Football.  When he says he loves sports, that is a complete understatement.

Me?

• Still working at the dental office.  I really love (most) of what I do.
• Teaching dance.  I teach ages 3-8 this year.  Boy, are they cute...and quite a handful!
• Realizing (even more) how much I love baking.  I can't get enough of it.
• Still in Activity Days.  I'm starting to feel like I know the girls a little better.  They are so fun.
• Learning that I actually really like watching football.  Even teams I don't really know.  This makes for a much more enjoyable football season for a sports fanatic's wife. 
• Working on projects for the house.  Being so indecisive makes decorating really difficult.  One day I'll have it done.
• Loving the Fall weather and looking forward to all the holidays.

And we can't leave out Hercules:

• Still crazy as ever. At least he is as cute as he is crazy.  We think so anyway. 
• Doing better with chewing.  Still have to keep an eye on him, but I think the worst is over
• Back to sleeping on our bed since the weather turned colder
• Forgets that he weighs 60 lbs. and is not a lap dog.

That's about as exciting as it gets folks.  We love our everyday average life.  Maybe if you are lucky you will hear from us before another three months pass.  Maybe.

Planes, Trains, & Pains

I suppose this post could be titled "The Great and Dreadful Way to our Hotel."  We started off our travels by a surprisingly easy 10 hour flight to Paris.  It went by really fast and was quite pleasant considering.  After that, the day went a little downhill, but since we were at the beginning of a pretty fabulous vacation, we didn't let the stress get to us...too much.  But really, how can you complain when you are on vacation right?  So instead we just chalked it up to having more memories and tried to laughed our way through it.

We had four hour layover in Paris and just as we experienced last time, there was nothing to eat.  We are convinced that Paris has something against food.  Good thing we were prepared and brought snacks. We weren't going to go through that starvation again.

As I said earlier, the first flight went really well.  I often have back pain when I sit and stand a long time, but I didn't...but then shortly after it hit and wow it hit hard.  All that sitting was so bad for it.   It has never hurt like that before.  I couldn't stand straight and walking was a big chore.  Sitting didn't make it any better and if I moved wrong it spasmed so bad I wanted to cry.  It was joyous.  Cam was so sweet and carried both backpacks and most of the time even my purse and pulled both suitcases.  Poor guy.  And I still couldn't keep up. This is as far as I could straighten and my face has the appropriate expression.

And here is Cam aka family pack horse...looking super tough carrying the load especially the white purse.  He really was so sweet to me in all my hobbling (I think I just made up that word) glory.  

We finally got our luggage...(it is usually easiest to find if you wait at the right baggage claim station) and headed  to find the train.  The next bit will be much easier if put into a bullet list.

• Get stopped by a man with a taxi service
• Tell him several times that we do not want him to take us to our hotel...we know it is pretty far and taxis aren't cheap (even when he says his is).
• Finally he takes no for an answer.
• Ask "Information" The best way to our hotel
• He doesn't know, but points us to the train station.
• Train station also doesn't know, but tells us to get to the main metro station and then ask for help
• Pay a lot more than planned for train tickets
• Ride the train to main metro station
• Walk forever again and try to find someone to help point us in the right direction.
• No idea where to go
• Can't understand anyone.
• Have approximately 20 people tell us how incredibly far away our hotel is...we get it people, it's far.
• But no one will tell us how to get there.
• Walk forever.  Back killing, pulling 50 lbs of luggage up and down stairs. 
• Okay lets be honest, Cam was doing the stairs part with both suitcases.
• Finally get help
• Try to buy metro tickets, but they don't take credit cards
• Only have U.S. dollars...no ATMs.
• Customer service guy has pity on us and lets us through for free.  Thank you!
• Arrive at new train station
• It is getting dark and I'm pretty sure we weren't in the safest part of town
• Silent prayers
• Try to buy tickets from convenience store girl.  
• Barely can understand each other
• Won't take a credit card
• Tells us to buy tickets at ticket booth next to her
• Ticket booth is closed...I'm pretty sure she should have known that
• Ask her again for a better suggestion
• Shrugs shoulders...Again no help.
• Silent prayers
• Nice guy who speaks English points us to an ATM and which train...Thank you!
• After 3 tries at ATM, we get Euros
• Go back to ticket machine
• Won't take our money...5 tries later still won't take money
• Back to rude/unhelpful girl
• Sells us a day ticket and said we can use it for 24 hours...we ask to clarify we can use it tomorrow. She says yes. We buy it. Later find out it is only good for the day you buy it. 
• Then tells us the train does not go to our city anymore that night.  
• Are you kidding me?
• She of course doesn't have any better suggestions.
• Try to hold back tears and not look outside at the street that I'm sure we are going to have to sleep on tonight.
• Silent prayers
• Ask bartender for help
• He doesn't speak English, 
• But finally finds someone who does
• Nice girl tells us to take the train, then get on blue bus...Thank you!
• Get on the train.  Finally!
• Remind myself that we are not in Fiddler on the Roof.  By the way everyone is dressed, it sure seems like it.
• Breathe through mouth so I don't gag...it reeked in there.
• Ride train for a long time. 
• So thankful to be on the train. 
• Finally off the train
• Trying to find the bus, and someone who speaks English to help
• No such luck. After all there are only like 5 people around
• Desperately just say "Sacrafano" (our destination city) to people smoking outside the station.
• They point to the blue bus... which is about to leave
• Run!
• Can't run...can't get suitcase up the stairs
• Cam runs to flag the bus down
• Still can't get suitcase up, smoking people come help.  Thank you!
• Run...like an 90 year old...pulling a suitcase
• On the bus!
• Ride for a while
• Bus pulls up to "Sacrafano"
• Off the bus
• Right onto the side of the road...in the dark...not at a hotel.  No idea where to go.
• Silent prayers
• Start walking
• Find a convenience store that so "conveniently" says "Hotel information" on the side.
• Nice worker inside to help us.
• No English
• Show him our Hotel information and he calls Hotel for us.
• Shuttle is on its way.  Thank you!
• Wait outside.
• Shuttle comes.
• Nice driver loads our things Thank you!
• Quick drive 
• We finally made it!

And to think that is the simplified version.  It only took us about 5 1/2 hours to get to our hotel.  It was far, but definitely not 5 1/2 hrs far.  By the way people sounded when we told them where our hotel was, you would have thought it was in another country.  That definitely did not help the stress level.  I noted above that many silent prayers were said throughout the course of our adventure...but I'm pretty sure each of us were constantly praying and boy were those prayers answered.  When we finally got here, we kept saying that we seriously didn't know how we made it.  Thank goodness for blessings of nice people and perfect timing especially in regards to the bus at the end.  I'm pretty sure that was the last bus of the night and if it hadn't been for us catching that, we would have been completely lost.  There were times...many times where I honestly thought there wasn't any way to get here, especially when the girl said no more trains were going that night, but before I let myself get all upset I remembered all of the other times we have been traveling and thought we were completely lost or out of options and we somehow figured it out and then I realized there was no use in crying over it, we would somehow get there or at least have somewhere to sleep.  And we did!

Although the first part of our trip was a little stressful especially with how tired we already were, we were surprisingly in good spirits and have had such a great time.  We think our adventures are pretty funny and we laugh about things like this all the time.  It wouldn't feel like a vacation to us if we didn't have some sort of stressful adventure thrown in there somewhere, that is just what makes life exciting right?  

Anyway, I'm sure that is more information than anyone wanted to know, but I wanted to document it for memory's sake.   

European Vacation

We just got back from a pretty amazing vacation which included a stay in Rome and a 12 day Mediterranean Cruise.  Ever since we went to Europe two years ago we have been planning to go back.  The time finally came and it was well worth the wait!  We had such a great time and took about a million pictures so I will be blogging like a crazy person trying to get caught up.  I hope you enjoy :)

Date Night "Cruise"

One of our favorite things to do is travel.  We would probably head somewhere different every weekend if possible.  Turns out it costs money to do that, crazy right? So, until we have a money tree growing in our backyard, the times we get the chance to go will do just fine. (btw, if anyone knows where to get money tree seeds, I would love to know.  I promise I would share)

We are currently in the anticipation stage of a pretty exciting vacation, and consequently the traveling itch is quite hard to ignore, so in an effort to scratch that itch a little, I planned a Traveling themed date.

Through the course of our date, we would "travel" to three different countries and experience "authentic" food, shop for souvenirs and take touristy pictures at each of our destinations.

Cam woke up to an invitation for the date.  I wrote a poem which I am sure a third grader could have written.  Poetry has never been my talent so I don't think you will miss not reading it.  But, it did the job of hinting at the evening's events and hopefully giving him something to look forward to through the day.  I also put together this little display for fun.  Sidenote: I had it all planned but didn't put it together.  Fell asleep that night and for some reason woke up in the middle of the night and realized I had forgotten, so I hurried and printed the flags and put it together and went back to bed.  I think I should earn extra points for that ;)

Okay moving on.  When Cam got home from work, he was presented with an itinerary which I made up to look like a cruise itinerary. Complete with a cabin number, ports of call, and ship rules and regulations.  I thought the rules were clever (if I do say so myself ;)).  They included: required hand holding, kisses to be exchanged, cuddling during the movie and stressed that sitting separately would not be tolerated. lol.

Our first port of call was London, England.  This was our souvenir shopping portion.  We went to Little Taste of Britain in Layton.  It is a cute, authentic fish and chips shop with a little store that has imported English food, treats, etc.  The store is quite expensive so we don't go often so it was fun to go and get things Cam enjoyed on his mission and things I now love.  We totally recommend this place for Fish and Chips by the way.  It is delicious and very authentic!

The next port of call was Rome, Italy.  This was our dinner part so we went to Olive Garden, naturally.  Dinner was great as usual, I could have done without having my whole glass of water dumped on me, but the waiter gave us extra mints as a peace offering (I promise I wasn't rude about it) so I was happy. 

After sufficiently stuffing ourselves with delicious food, we headed to our final port which was Paris, France for dessert.  I couldn't think of somewhere to go so I made crepes at home.  

And we headed back to our "ship" for a movie under the stars. Our ship being our bedroom and the movie being The Tourist...to fit the traveling theme.  

I'd say it was a pretty fun date night "cruise". I give it 5 stars for food, accommodations, company and crew.  Of course, I wouldn't be the least bit biased :)

 Now I just can't wait for our real vacation!

Birthday 'Stache' Bash

Not only is March the month of Mustaches, but it also the month of Cam's birthday.

So naturally for his party I combined the two.

Luckily we have great friends who were willing to participate in my crazy idea.

Here a some pictures of the event.

The results of Pin the Mustache on Cam

Steve needed a picture of his own because he was so far away :)

We held the dessert hostage until everyone participated in mustache pictures.

Even babies and drinks didn't find their way out of it.

It was a fun night of games and friends.  We love having everyone over and just hanging out!

Thanks for coming! Happy Birthday Babe!

Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not?

I have heard parts of this song before, but on my way home from work tonight I heard the chorus and instantly fell in love with it.  I came home and listened to the whole thing on Youtube and loved it even more.  If I didn't know any better I would have thought the inspiration for the song was our first kiss story.  It fits it. to. a. "T".  

I'm pretty sure I have written about that before, but I'll give you a brief summary. (or you could just skip straight to the song, it seems to tell the story perfectly)

First date....no kiss

Second date....no kiss

Third date....no kiss

.....

Twenty-fourth date...no kiss

Twenty-fifth date....still no kiss so...talking in the car before he drops me off, I had to ask "are you gonna kiss me or not?"

You think I'm exaggerating, but we didn't kiss until we had been dating for a month.  Okay so they weren't all formal dates, but we did see each other every day so I think that counts.  I like to tease Cam about being such a chicken, but in reality I think it was cute that he was so nervous about it.  Call me old fashioned, but I wanted him to make the move.  And to be honest, we were having so much fun I didn't worry that he didn't like me or something, but after a month I was a little tired of waiting :).  So we may taken that part slow, but I think we made up for it with the rest of our relationship because two months later we were engaged and then two and a half months after that we were married.  

Anyway, without further ado. The song....Are Gonna Kiss Me or Not