I caved

It's not like I promised myself I would never do it. I always knew it would happen someday. It's just I really wished I could have gotten away with not doing it longer than I did.

But, today, I caved.

I plugged my son into a VeggieTales show so I could make dinner without my stubborn child forcing a step-stool up to the sink to play with (and drop) the dirty dishes or up to the stove to stir whatever is in the boiling pot.

I caved, and I liked it.

I got dinner in the oven in record time with only seven or eight interruptions. Then, I got to play ball with a happy, unplugged boy while it cooked.

Why My Christmas Tree is still up

When Rody sees the tree, he points to it and says, "Wow?" That's my cue to plug in the lights. Then he gets a big smile on his face and says, "WOW!"

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VIDEOS

A wrap-up of our Christmas/New Years

We thoroughly enjoyed our family vacation to Utah. Pedro's family traveled to Utah from California and Florida (and Minnesota). We felt so blessed to be able to spend time with our awesome brothers and sisters and our kind parents and grandparents. Thank you for your generosity and just plain coolness. We especially appreciated all the free babysitting.

Besides all the great times just hanging out, highlights of our time in Utah include:

• Touring the new Church History Library
• Lunching at the Beehive House (so delicious!)
• Fuzzy Root beer Floats and Apples to Apples
• Cheering on the Cougars at a BYU basketball game (we won)
• $0.75 California Cheeseburgers at Sonic
• A successful shopping trip to the D.I.
• Exchanging homemade gifts with the Miles/Pugas/Figuerrez family
• Tubing in Logan Canyon (Rody's first time - he loved it!)
• A Christmas Eve program of music, poems and stories
• CHRISTMAS
• Watching Rody play with his new toys (he loves the horse, thanks Auntie M)
• Dressing up Rody in his new clothes (thanks to his Grandmas)
• Getting better from a yucky flu
• Witnessing Pedro sing "the Scotsman" at a Utah State basketball game (we won)
• Shopping with Mom and Sisters (loved that hat on you)
• Cafe Rio sweet pork salad (Yum! When is Minnesota going to get a Cafe Rio/Costa Vida?)
• Snowshoeing up Deep Canyon
• New Year's Eve mafia
• Family/friends volleyball and basketball at the church
• "Rody-in-the-middle" Ping Pong (he loved standing on the table, the ball whizzing past)
• Sister Sleepover
• Dinner and a Movie Date Night - without the baby (thanks Brette) 
• Lisa's new bob (chopped at least 15 inches, won the bet)
• Watching Rody laugh hysterically as he circled the ping pong table after a game of Around-the-World
• Skiing/snowboarding Beaver on the most gorgeous, sunny, semi-warm, non-crowded day (Thanks)
• Variations on indoor soccer: foosball, three-legged, rugby and defend-your-chair
• Catching up with good friends