End of the Year, End of the Blog

Okay. This is the last blog of the year 2007 (even though its been made in 2008). I will only talk about what happened in 2007 to make it legit.

Cam hammered in the Christmas season by growing unbelievably attached to Jonah's old cape once again. At least its too cold for him to only wear tighty whities with it. He's pretending he's Underdog.

I FINALLY went and bought a tree halfway through the month. Ana picked it out, and it was a great one! Its a living Christmas tree, so it will be planted in our yard. We've done it about five different years, but we've never lived in a house long enough to really see them grow! Its fun to plant it afterwards in any case. The kids had a blast decorating, of course.

We kicked off the Christmas celebrations with a bowling night with Sonna (my sister), her husband Sloan, and my step-step-brother, Blake. Jonah and I lost BIG TIME. I think even Cam beat us. Sloan wiped up the aisle with Blake only a few points behind.

I have to pause to mention that Elsie can down a WHOLE banana in under one minute.

Cam and I FINALLY found him some suspenders... it only took us about two years. He is SO happy because he doesn't have to walk around with one hand holding his pants up.

On the Sunday night before Christmas, we went to my mom's for the 11th Annual Candy House Decorating Night. Jonah and I put in a good effort...(note Jonah's smoke coming out of the chimney with toothpicks, and the lovely sentinel-like mondale pines)...

But Sonna and Sloan won.... I think it was the little details-- like that ax on the chopping block there in the foreground. Blast, that girl has some good ideas!

My brother Tyler showed up just in time on Christmas Eve to play Joseph in our family Nativity. Ana took the whole thing very seriously, and helped us all get in the mood. Perhaps the highlight was when Sonna, the angelic messenger, sang the whole chorus of "Angels We Have Heard on High" a capella. Gorgeous. My mom also did a great job narrating, though she's not in the photo.

Santa was so generous with the kids, even though Ana was convinced that he wasn't going to bring her anything because she had been bad a few times this year. Santa brought just one present for each kid and then filled their stocking (with toys and trinkets and oranges and granola bars and beef jerky and fruit snacks, but no candy. I'm so impressed with his restraint). Ana got exactly what she asked for, an "alive" kitty cat--which means a robotic kitty cat. I guess Ninja Night isn't all a "real" kitty cat should be.

Cam got a scooter, which he adores. He also got that sweet Ninja Turtle backpack from Jonah and me. We've been hiding it in the closet for six months, ever since we found it at the DI. He pulled the thing all by himself through six airport visits so far! Should have given it to him sooner.
It was SO fun for Jonah and I because the kids loved their gifts so much, they didn't even care about opening more presents. They just wanted to play with what they had already gotten. We didn't give many gifts this year for Christmas (one from each family member), but it still took us five hours to get them to open all their presents because they were having so much fun. What a delight!

For Christmas afternoon, we went back to my mom's house to have dinner, do the annual talent show, and to exchange gifts. Ana got a huge stable for her ponies, that she loves with all her heart. Cam got a wagon that he and Elsie and I love and use everyday. From my sister, Cam got the flip flop he lost at ZooLights in Phoenix over Thanksgiving. Sonna went back and searched through the lost and found and got it for him. He was thrilled. We told him monkeys had taken it while he was sleeping in the stroller, so he thought Sonna was quite the hero to get it back from those monkeys.

The day after Christmas, we cleaned up the house, buttoned up work stuff, and headed down to Las Vegas to spend the evening with my dad down there. He was overly generous as usual, and among other things, Cam got this great little wooden ride-on motercycle called a Skoot, and Ana got a karaoke machine! Let's just say that was a gift to the whole family... Jonah and I keep sneaking downstairs and using it when the kids go to sleep. Karaoke Party at our house!

On the 27th, we left super early in the morning and flew to Reno to spend about 30 hours with my dad's family there, most specifically with my grandma Joyce, who we call Noni. She has a lovely house and we had such a great time visiting with her and seeing my dad's brothers and a few of my cousins. My dad came up too, so it was a true Fegert family get together.

Cam and Ana just HAD to go out that night to play in the snow. I think you can tell how it went.
Elsie has been sorely underrepresented in these photos, but lets just say that she had a really fun time getting to know the Fegert relatives a little better.

On the way out of Reno, we crossed paths in the airport with Sonna, Sloan and Ruthie who were just flying in to Reno. Ana takes the "oldest cousin" thing to heart and is always trying to carry both babies at once.

We flew from Reno to SLC to spend a couple days with Jonah's family, and most importantly, to be with his youngest sister Charity, who is leaving on an 18 month mission for our church. We got to go to the Temple with all the adults, go to brunch, shop, see Jonah's parents' new house in Park City, listen to Charity speak in church, visit with friends, and get our fair share of snow. Jonah introduced Ana to one of his favorite winter pastimes, shoveling snow. I think Jonah spent about 12 hours shoveling while we were there.

There were about 32 people staying at the family home for the three nights we were there. Crazy but fun. Check out the snow angels by Ana and cousin Isaac.

Elsie just loves sledding.

Here's the girl of the season, Charity soon-to-be missionary Eyre. She's just beaming.

We spent New Year's Eve at Jonah's aunt Lenna's house in Bountiful. Its an amazing house with all sorts of diversions, including an indoor swimming pool that our kids got full use of. Nothing like swimming in the New Year!

We flew home on New Year's Day, and that trip flying to Vegas and then driving home was an adventure in itself that we'd rather not remember.

We had a great trip and loved that we got to fly everywhere instead of drive (thanks dad!). We also love that we get to visit snow instead of live with it every winter day. We loved seeing so many people that we love in such a short amount of time. Thanks to every one who put us up and put up with us. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!