The backwards post...

so i had all intentions of laying this post out in perfect order as the events of our holidays unfolded. but as i started to download the photos i realized they were all gonna be out of order and now i don't care! so we are starting with new year's and ending with Christmas.
let me first say that this is a way long post with a whole lot-a photos - enjoy!
so since we live in pasadena, and on rose avenue, we benefit on new year's day, because we live just one block away from where the floats from the "rose parade" end. all the horse trailers, riders, and carriages all come down our street and we get our own parade right from the window. we love it. we also get free passes to see the floats. here are the kids just down the street after the parade.

we loved the fairy float.

and i loved the float with the crown, of course.

ian is an alumni from cal poly.

the boyz thought these berries were great.

here is the mess in our yard from our wild party on new year's eve!

o.k., so we look a lil' hung over...

no one told us that silly string is impossible to remove!

party'n and burning the midnight oil.

we loved these poppers!!!

don't they look like a motley crew at midnight?

my sister sarah and her nick.

my brother gabe and his dawn.

my nephew kiki and my bro. matthew.

this is the kids 3rd Christmas this year - with my familia.

starting off the new year's eve with a huge, all night dinner.

goose was the "mixed drinks" maker.

now we're in az. - ian and his daddy.

ian's sister gillian, kerry, and his stepmom jan - i love them!

we had a girls lunch out and shopping in scottsdale - so fun!

this is the 2nd Christmas - in az. with cousin lily.

on the road again...from s.l.c. to az.

we were stopped in a huge line of cars for quite a while - good thing my bladder was empty!

the kids did exceptionally well on our long drives and so did daphne.

ian like the icesicles on the car.

the day after a blizzard - in s.l.c. - the day after Christmas - and so beautiful!!

ian and i out in the snow on Christmas night - as you see i inherited gma's nostrils - ewww!

lauren and sam were a hot item - judy and i started planning their wedding.

goose opening gifts.

ethan opening gifts.

evan opening gifts.

i am a big believer in santa and in Christmas magic. santa always leaves a note for the kids, he always uses special tags just from him, and his bows and wrapping paper are always red and unlike any other wrapping under the tree...right?

the tree at judy's on Christmas eve. i was the last one to bed. midnight. what a record for me!

the love birds again. of course they'll deny it and she will hate me if she reads this post!

a special dinner for the kids on Christmas eve.

i paid a surprise visit to my mission companion on Christmas eve. her girls were so happy to see us and we were just as excited to see them too.

loved this snowlady.

the kids stayed down in the basement playing rock star or rock band the whole time - we gotta get this thing - i totally loved it!!!

i loved these cutouts - at temple square.

the kids loved the lights there too.

we loaded them up with hot chocolate and braved the cold.

oh i loved the skill that went into lining these luminaria's all over temple square.

what a beauty.

my brother matthew joined us for a couple of dayz in s.l.c.

sledding in the front yard - gotta luv it.

the view from judy's house.

the tyler's, who so graciously let us crash at their pad for Christmas for a week!!! i love you jud!

on our way to utah from l.a. - the kid's were so excited to see snow!

so that was the griswald's (tervet's) Christmas vacation...in a nut shell. now let me give you the real low-down. we played in the falling snow and sled on streets, the dad's ski'd and the mom's shopped and ate, and ate. we sipped lots of cocoa and played rock band for hours. ian also hurt his back on the 2nd run - bummer! he just ain't the young thing he used to be. judy and i bonded and talked for hours. we (o.k., she) cooked, baked, cleaned, and washed for 10. we celebrated one heck of a memorable Christmas vacation and threw a Christmas party for 30 the day after. and then...there was Christmas day...december 25th, 2008 headline read, "mom loose's it on Christmas day." - and that would be me! this ain't a pity party but join me if you must. why is it that i found myself crying and feeling so unappreciated? despite all judy's best efforts i finally went up to her bed and as i lay my head down i busted out in sobs til i fell asleep - was i just sleep deprived? disappointed that santa didn't bring me what i really wanted? hungry? overwhelmed by a pounding migrane? frustrated with myself that i couldn't say NO to food or YES to exercise? guilty that i can't stop buying gifts for myself or spending money? or was it a series of events leading up to Christmas day that eventually zap me of all my energy both physical and mental - the shopping, baking, planning, delivering, calling, attending, giving, looking for, packing, driving, partying, wrapping, holiday music, serving, singing, decorating, buying....is anyone out there saying "AMEN SISTA' "???????

i later realized it was PMS - good heavens!!!!!!

so on the way to az. we had a barking dog, sleep deprived daddy, lauren singing to her ipod, high school musical blarring for the boyz who were also fighting over the d.s. (yes...santa only got them one so they'd learn how to share...not too smart SANTA!, and mom who's sitting in between them all as to avoid any bloodshed - they'd had water and donuts for bkfst, mcdonald's for lunch and GIVE ME A BREAK PEOPLE, what else are we expected to find in the middle of the desert?! and...when you leave at 5am after having gone to bed at 2am, there is no "planning ahead" for food. we watched like 13 dvd's and after like 12 hours we made it to chandler.

i am now done, because i am sooo tired of writing this post. i think the photos tell the rest of the story. i am now off to clean house before the sabbath day. and...to finish watching my "will and grace-a-thon for the day - i love that show!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR YA'LL!