Christmas Surprise!

Some musicians need special effects, backup dancers, fireworks, and backing tracks to make a good show.  

And some musicians can rely on their immense talent.  

Those are my favorite kind.  Give me lyrics that mean something and music that makes me feel something and I am a very happy girl.  

In that vein, there are a few artists that I really, really love.  

One of those is Duke Special.  I would do a lot to be able to see him in concert.  He is very, very talented.

The other is Johnny Boyd.  He puts out fantastic music.  Music that makes you feel something.  Music that you can dance to.  Music that matters.   

For whatever reason, he has been off the performing radar for a several years (maybe a decade?) but last year he released a new album.  And last year he toured.  And last year Husband took me to see him and his band.  Unfortunately I had a touch of the flu last year and I had just busted my knees and ankles with running. So while we went, I couldn't dance to the music as much as I would have liked.  However, the performance was excellent.      

This year, I saw that Johnny Boyd was coming through the area again and I wanted to go but with the new baby, I have been really reluctant to leave him with a sitter.

However, Husband surprised me with tickets.  I found a great person to watch all the boys and off we went.

I was feeling a little sick this year as well, fatigued and weak.  It's not contagious, just something I get sometimes.  Which is fine if you are going somewhere to listen to a show but harder if you want to go dance at a show.  

But Husband was great.  We swing danced when I could, picking some of the slower beat songs, and rested when my legs were ready to buckle.  We were extremely rusty at the dancing part - it is entirely possible that the last time we went swing dancing was last year when Johnny Boyd performed.  Oops!  

But it was really fun to listen to very talented musicians performing great music.

As part of my Christmas surprise, Husband got some shirts and a Johnny Boyd onesie for baby as well as a meet with Johnny.  

I was cool with the stuff, less okay with the meet.  I am very, very introverted and I have a hard time engaging in small talk with strangers.  I'm more of a long term, deep conversation girl.  Not great at insignificant chit-chat.  However, long-term friends always start as small talk so...you can see the conundrum for introverts.  Husband loves chit-chat and has never in our thirteen-year marriage understood my reluctance to interact with others.  That's probably why we make a good team.  We balance each other. 

Last year, Husband took me to see Duke Special and he insisted on taking a picture of me with Duke.  I was very uncomfortable with the idea but Duke was great and the picture turned out nice so it turned into a good memory.

This time, Husband pushed again and I relented.  We talked with Johnny and he is really a very nice conversationalist.  He mentioned that he might be doing more creating which makes me very happy. 

And then Husband insisted on pictures again.

Which in the end turned out very nice and made for a sweet memory.  

If you are looking for a great gift for someone, you might want to pick up one of Johnny Boyd's albums.  He performs under Johnny Boyd or Indigo Swing.  And while all four albums are unique and stand on their own, they compliment each other very nicely.

In fact, since the songs are written to cover the beginning, middles, and ends of relationships and interactions, the albums are even more interesting when combined in a certain order because the songs create full story arcs for several characters.  You can create your own musical!

He performed Some Eggs this year, which always reminds me of Uchtdorf's talk on worth.  And he performed Ruby Mae which is one of my absolute favorites.  Truly, all were good.  We had to leave in order to be home for the sitter by midnight (we ended up late because the 405 was shut down) so I don't know what all was included in the second set but someday it would be fun to see Stayin' Up Late with Sonny from the Red Light album because I think it is funny and I'm Still Here from the Never Been Blue album because it is very tender.   

Here is to hoping he tours again in 2014.

Crafty Christmas

Last week, I went to a crafty Christmas party, where many ladies and I sat around, ate food, chatted, and crafted.  

This is what I made. 

It is made out of felt and turned out very cute.

With all the boys around me, I really, really appreciate getting out with the ladies. 

Scouts and Building

While the boy scouts were shooting arrows, I was helping the cub scouts with their building achievement.  They were using real saws and real drills.  And they weren't power tools - so the nine year old boys had to put some muscle into their work.  

They will finish up their toolboxes this week.

With four sons, I have a lot of years of scouting ahead of me.  It's a good thing I like it.

Archery

Husband is an archery enthusiast.  And a dang good shot.  Which I find incredibly attractive...

Anyway the scoutmaster asked if he would give the scouts a lesson.  Since we own several bows and many, many arrows, Husband said yes.

He even made a target for the boys to shoot.

He taught the boys a thing or two and let them take turns before and after the main scout activity.  All in all it was a successful evening of night shooting.

Boys In Suits

Is it just me or do these boys suddenly look very well-mannered?  Especially Five. 

Three and Baby have spiffy church clothes but the middle two have been looking scruffy of late.  Husband had enough.  He took them shopping and made them look like little gentleman.

Oh yes.  Very handsome!

The best part about having a succession of boys?  Spiffy church hand-me-downs.  

Gingerbread Fun

Five wanted me to bake some gingerbread cookies for his class party.  I emailed his teacher and offered to donate icing and decorations.  She told me that would be great but that they still didn't have enough bakers to bake cookies.  

Five gave me the eyes.  

And I found myself agreeing to bake gingerbread cookies for his class to decorate.

The only problem?  While I do bake, I have never made gingerbread cookies.  

How do I find myself in these situations?  Oh yeah.  Five's hazel eyed goodness that melts all my protestations away.  Little stinker.

So I whipped up a practice batch.  No point in failing on cookie day.  I had to see if I had what it takes to fulfill my promise.  Plus, if I couldn't hack it, I would still have time to make a discreet custom bakery order.

I mixed up the ingredients and what do you know?

Turns out I can bake excellent gingerbread cookies.  Yay!

I let the boys decorate and eat the practice batch.

Yep.  This is five, knowing that he has won.  Not only did he get me to bake cookies for his class but he got extra cookies at home.  

Awwww...true gingie love.  Well...that makes it all worth it. 

Ping Pong...in the House

Why not?

This little cutie got to play ping pong in the house twice this weekend.  Once with his daddy and once with Miss L.  Thank you!  You made his day!

Empires

Hearing about history repeating itself yet again, the boys donned their Roman gear and attempted to reenact the rise and fall of an empire.

Well done, boys.  Well done.

And perhaps I ought to switch up the bedtime reading, go for a lighter fare for now.  It's Christmas after all.  We can wait until January to discuss devaluations.  

 

Yes. Even California gets Cold Sometimes...

Alright.  So it's fifty degrees.  But it feels like ten.  

Cue the fireplace.

Baby, enjoying his first roast near a fire.

Yep.  I think he is enjoying it. 

Adoption Luncheon

For the last four or five years, I have had the honor to serve on an adoption board.

One of our activities is a luncheon that we put on for a group of women in the month of December.

For the last year, I have had the privilege to serve with an amazing woman (and her awesome family) in putting on these functions.  

This was the latest - themed "Baby It's Cold Outside".

I know it is blurry but this was a very popular hot chocolate station.

We served ham, egg frittatas, roasted potatoes and tons of desserts.  This was a small array of the many desserts we served.  

It was a huge success and the speakers and turnout were fantastic.  I really do live an amazing existence!

Daytime Threads and Evening Fashions

Looking snappy in the afternoon...

and cozy, snazzy in the evening.

A monkey on the tush!  Hahahaha!  Honestly, who thinks of these things?!

LOVE THIS FACE!

Tummy Time and Rolling Over

A month or so ago, Baby was giving some signs that he might roll over.  Apparently, he heard me boasting about his progress and promptly put a stop to his inclinations to roll.  

Fine.  I waited.

A few days ago, he was 'enjoying' tummy time.  Yeah.  He still hates it.  Except when the doctor puts him on his tummy.  Then he acts like he could chill on his tummy all day.  

So...anyway...enjoying tummy time...

...he likes to throw his arms out like this and cry that he has no way to prop himself up.  So I put his little fists under him again.  Then he throws his arms out and feigns helplessness.  Such a joyful cycle...

until...I put his little fists under him and voila!

I love his little expression...like, "How the heck did I get over here?"

I promptly flipped him back over and he rolled again.

Yippee!  

Baby is Growing Up

Sure he still doesn't have much control over where his hands go...but put a pen in Baby's vicinity and see what he can do!  

He grabbed it, aimed, and marked. 

It's like watching a two year old with a sharpie. 

After the pen demonstration, we decided to try a big boy stroller - one where Baby isn't locked in at all four corners of his body.  He laughed at the freedom and took advantage at every turn - flirting with the ladies, talking to strangers, moving forward and backward with abandon.  

And he wore the next size up in shoes.  

He's on the march...

Miss M and Sir FC

I know Baby is giving a sassy face here, but he loved his cousin, M.  They became fast friends and cuddled for hours. She was fantastic with him.  

While Mom and Dad are Away...

Baby has never been babysat.  In the four months he has been alive he has been with his birthfamily, Husband, or Me.  He has never been tended by a non-parent.

Until, my sister, A, and H offered to watch him for us so Husband and I could go see Hunger Games. 

I fretted.  How would he do without us?  How would I do without him?  Was he too young to be left?  My sister is great and all but I was struggling.  Husband told me to stop being silly and make myself pretty to go out with him. 

I paused.  I thought.

I threw caution to the wind and ran upstairs to get ready.  

Husband and I thoroughly enjoyed the movie.  We hadn't been out together since Baby was born.

And Baby?

Baby was just fine.

Thank you A and H!  We really, really appreciate it!

Three and the Stripes

My sister, A, brought some clothes that she was getting rid of.  I am just a little smaller than her so I took them.  Who doesn't like free clothes? 

Three got cold and wanted to warm up so he took one of my new (previously owned) long-sleeved shirts.

And I laughed.  

Because he looked like a Hollister model.  Or a gondola boat operator. Or like he was about to go sailing on his yacht.  I couldn't pick.  The possibilities were endless.

And in the end, he liked the shirt so much that he decided to keep it.  Yep.  I'm not getting it back.  Until he outgrows it.  Which will be next week.  

New Outfit

My sister, E, got Baby a new outfit.

Is he not the most adorable baby you have ever seen?

You are very loved, Baby!