Merry, Crazy, Christmas!

So here is my Christmas post, and I am posting in reverse chronological because I have five minutes to post this and that's they way I uploaded the pictures. O'well, here it goes.

The day after Christmas we had the crazy idea of going to one of the Smithsonian Museums. (I don't know about you, but when people talked about the Smithsonian I always thought it was one giant museum. Well it's not it's like 13 giant museums) Anyway we chose the Natural History

museum, because that was one of the Girls' favorite back home. It was packed. I couldn't believe all the people.

Here we are at the Museum-

Since many of Scott's class mates are away from family this year we had everyone over at our house. It was a lot of fun, and I have to say the food was amazing. I haven't eaten like that in a while and I made myself sick.

The Spread

Christmas morning-Opening presents with Daddy
The Barbies they asked for
Christmas Eve-In front of the Christmas tree

(Sorry Mom, Adelle picked out the 1970's white Christmas tree, and since she has Daddy wrapped around her finger we sprang for the extra $10 and bought the six foot, white tree. I wanted the four foot green tree, but I was out voted)

Making Christmas Goodies-This was a two day process. Let's just say Gavin was done!
The spread

Hoping Mom will turn her back for one second

That's what it's about
Excited for Cookies
Happy Boy


There you have it our Christmas! I hope you all had a wonderful one too!

Found his voice

Random Pictures

Temple from Freeway

Breakfast in bed

Cute kids

In from of the White House

DC Temple

Happy Birthday Adelle!

Daddy Pile

Playing siblings

Bonding with Dad

Handsome Gavin

Happy Gavin

hey this looks familiar. Merry Christmas!

You've GOT to be KIDDING ME!

Let me share with you all how RIDICULOUS this state is about certain things.

Scott and I were so excited to find that the DMV is open on Saturday. We could just go in and get our Maryland drivers license and there would be no stress, because Scott could go on his day off and I wouldn't have to go alone with three kids. Such was not the case!

Saturday- We went in at 10 a.m. and there was a line almost out the door to get a number and no where to sit. We get to the front of the line with kids saying how bored they are and wanting food. We go through our pile of papers and show them all of the needed paper work except a second proof of residency. Car insurance policy, no. If you have a cable bill that would work? What? My car insurance won't work, something I have to have, but my cable bill will work. (I don't have cable and even if I did I wouldn't have a bill for that yet I've lived here three weeks) Okay, what about car purchase paper work, got it. That will work. Yes!

Two hours later...

"Now serving #whatever" we venture to the counter together three kids in tow, and they can't help us simultaneously Scott has to go to a different counter clear across the room.

I sit down hand them my paperwork. The car paperwork will not work. Are you joking? Nope. They sent us away!!!! with a list of acceptable proof of residency.

Last night- We're going through all of our paperwork, what do we have other than our rent agreement for proof every residency. No bill yet, no car title (no license) nothing. We've got our checks maybe that will work, and I have a bill from BGE bingo. Well it's not really a bill it's a letter saying they want my money. That seems like a bill to me right? Wrong!!!!

This morning-I gather my three children, drop Adelle off to school and venture to Glen Burnie in hopes I will not go home empty handed. My license expires Saturday! Unload Lilly and Gavin and head yet again to the DMV (around here MVA) show the lady at the front desk my paperwork yet again I don't have an acceptable second proof of residency. Luckily the front desk lady is much more helpful, yet barely speaks English. This lady sends me to my bank, down the street, to get a bank statement printout. Wait in line another 10-15 minutes they can't do that at a teller. So I meet with a "Finance Specialist" (someone with more power I guess) and she can't print it at her desk she has to go to a...what...a teller. Okay I leave my bank praying that this will work. On the way Gavin's hungry so pit stop feeding, and on our way.

And the verdict is

It worked!! Hallelujah!!!

Welcome, again to Maryland! Gotta love it! I just hope everything works out for Scott when he goes to get his!

Welcome to Maryland!

I knew that moving to Maryland would be a culture shock, and this all came at not surprise, but I just have to share some of the crazy things that we have encounter since living here. First I must share this lovely picture.

Can anyone tell me what this is?

Anyone? Anyone? Here's a hint...

This Ladies and Gentlemen is a milk jug from Costco our here in good old Maryland. When I brought it home Scott thought that I had gone over-board with the mayonnaise .

A couple of other quirky things about this place. The first time we heard a siren we thought there was a cat dying somewhere. The largest most traveled freeway in the DC area is the 495 (many of you may already know) but it is as wide as I-15 in Salt Lake City! Hello, Salt Lake City is really small, and DC is Huge! Making traffic here a really bad word I don't want to say. (Luckily I don't have to go into Virginia for any reason, because when we were looking for a car for Scott we drove there a couple of times, yeah it took like an hour!)

Then this is one of my favorites. There is a highway here called the 32. If you Utahns can imagine Bangerter Highway with out lights. That's what I can compare it too. Speed limit 55mph or 60mph I can't remember. But guess what is on the highway? A Bike Lane!!! A bike lane! Let me tell you I'm going to be riding my bike in that bike lane. Not! I don't want to die!

What's this Lilly?

"Black Salt"

(After Dad's correction it's Pepper)

"Peppermint Salt"

Funny girl!

I'm back!

I have been MIA for the past couple of weeks because I haven't had internet, and I've been a little busy.

A lot has gone down since my last post. The biggest is that we are back together as a family. Yeah! Three months away from Scott was really hard, but we made it and I think we are all stronger as a family because of our separation.

Scott is back in the swing of training, and is doing great! He likes the commute from our house (it's only like 25 minutes, that probably won't last when he starts working in DC). He likes our house, but keeps telling me that maybe we don't need so much space, but I assure him daily that we do. (I think he will really appreciate it when he has to study.)

I've been really busy putting our 2100 square foot home together! This is the biggest place we've lived our whole marriage, and I'm really grateful for the space, and the garage, when we get all the empty boxes out! (Especially when it snows again.) Yes it has snowed already. I guess it is December. Since my life is settling I've been able to work out and because of my nazi husband about my eating I've lost 7lbs since just before I got here! Yeah!!! Pictures coming soon! (Of the house that is, not me.)

Adelle is enrolled in school and that has been an adventure. The school out here is full day Kindergarten, and they have uniforms, which I like, but Adelle struggled with having to tuck her shirts in, and wearing sneakers (she loves her crocs), we had two melt downs about this, but she's on a good schedule now, and we're not having any trouble. She also had her birthday on Saturday, and it

was a good one. Because of all the craziness I didn't get her a birthday present so we went to the store and spent like four hours picking out a toy. Being the cute girl she is she insisted on getting Lilly and

Gavin something too. So both girls got a doll, and Gavin got an outfit. We then went to the DC Temple to see the lights.

Lilly is being so good. Day after day she's being drug here and there and she is so good! She doesn't complain and most the time she just goes along with things, but sometimes she melts down, and at that point I wish that I could get her home for a nap right then and there, but there are always more places to go! She's such a trooper.

Gavin is so happy to have his Dad around. I can't believe how he hasn't been around his Dad for three months and yet he know who he is, and

knows that he is his playmate, and he is all smiles when dad's around (as long as mom is not too far away because I am the "food lady" and a boy can't be too far away from his food right?)

Needless to say it is so good to have my family back together.