Merry Christmas to ALL and to all a LONG post

Grab a Diet Coke and a bag of popcorn, this post will take you a while to read (sorry) . . .

Friends Christmas Party

JoRae, Lindsay, Jamie, me, Jessica Edmunds, Cami, Cole Jessica Crayk, Mandy, Krista (Cami trying to sneak into the pic)

The Holidays don't really start until we have our Annual Friends Christmas Party. This year did not disappoint. I don't think I've laughed so hard all year long! I love my friends. I, of course, forgot my camera, so I had to steal these pictures from Jessica's blog. Thanks everyone, it's just what I needed at that time. So, everyone asked me to post the recipe for the white bean chili that I brought. Here it is:

1 lb chicken breasts, boneless/skinless, cubed

1 medium onion, chopped (I just used onion flakes)

1 1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

2-15 1/2 oz cans great northern beans, rinsed, drained

14 1/2 oz chicken broth

2-4 oz cans chopped green chilies

1 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup whipping cream (weird, I know)

In a large saucepan, saute chicken, onion and garlic powder in oil until chicken is no longer pink. Add beans, broth, chilies and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in sour cream and whipping cream (you may need to reheat it a little bit). Serve immediately.

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MY BABY!Photos courtesy of the talented JoRae. I totally spaced writing about Cole's 6 month appointment (and since he is still technically 6 months for a few more days I thought it wasn't too late). I'm not a scrapbooker or a journal writer. So, if I don't write it here, it doesn't get documented. Cole weighed 19 lbs 11 oz was was 27.5 inches tall, which puts him in the 80th percentile for both. He is sitting on his own but still not rolling??? He LOVES his daddy more than anyone else in the whole world! His 2 bottom teeth popped through about a week before he turned 6 months. He has started eating baby food, but isn't quite sure about it (especially green beans). He still loves his binky and can successfully put it back in his mouth now. He still can't hold his own bottle (arrghhh). He loves it when people growl at him and will reward them with a great big smile. We finally stopped swaddling him last week (I know, we're slow to give it up), but he is actually sleeping better than ever. He has no clue about Christmas, but loves looking at the lights on the Christmas tree. Oh, we love him! He was the best part of 2008!

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Are you SERIOUS? A snow day???

Alex and Rachel playing in the snow (our kids were the only ones with snowsuits!)

That's about 2 1/2 inches, folks! (Go CrossLand Mortgage!)

Our poor palm tree!

The official snow removal guy

So, growing up in the Midwest, a snow day was REALLY a snow day. Snow drifts as tall as I was and undrivable streets. Even in Salt Lake, a true snow storm can be treacherous. But this? This storm closed the schools in Washington County. I wanted to laugh when I heard the news. Oh well, the kids had fun playing in the snow, coming in for hot chocolate, and staying home from school.

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ADULTS ONLY!

For those of you hoping I'd post pictures of a topless beach, or something, get your mind out of the gutter! We had to opportunity to go out to dinner as just adults last weekend. My family is the best! We have all had a rough year and it makes you realize just how important family is. Stuff is just stuff, but family is forever. I love to spend time with my family (especially when there isn't 5 million kids running around) but we missed not having the Andersons and the Larsens there. I can't wait until the annual New Years Eve party!

Me and Jason

Jen and Zoolander (I mean Nate)

Mom and Dad

Jon and Kate
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No Self Control!

Is there something wrong with this picture? Look close.

This is Alex's Kissmas Countdown (cheesy, I know)

And this would be Rachel's

Rachel just couldn't help herself. She was REALLY quiet one afternoon. Jason went into her room to discover about 15 empty Hershey Kiss wrappers. Hey, at least she saved the Santa to eat on Christmas day!

Happy and Safe Holidays to you all!