Laguna

We're at my mom's now. Doing the fabulously-slash-hideously full house thing. We've got 8 adults and 10 kids in their 2200 sq ft house. My mom is sleeping on a foam pad on the floor to free up space for the rest of us. That's my mom.

We did our weekend in Newport. Stayed in the Newport Coast Villas with Lacy and Joe and their kids and did that whole time-share package. Ross and I did the fun, fun sales presentation. I used to be the one in the hotel getting people to go on those presentations, so it wasn't too hard for me to say no. I remember how many perfectly decent people said no and came out alive. I got my Nordstrom gift card and left guiltless and quite happy.

The weekend was perfect (perfect assuming I already wrote off good sleep coming into this excursion). Lacy and Joe are the kind of family I could live with (what do you say Joe?)... I'm not sure the feeling's mutual, but for me, lots of time in close quarters with them is great. They like eating as much as I do, so I don't have to feel self-conscious-- my kind of company. And since there's no way we could all bombard Mel overnight with her new-baby and little beach house, the villa was the PERFECT way to eat up some time with Mike, Mel, Heath, and new baby Ivy. Of course I had to include a couple more pictures of her. Most of the photos were taken on Saturday when we hung out for the afternoon at her house with sandwiches and Sprinkles Cupcakes (YUM). There's nothing quite like watching all the little cousins enjoy each other so much. I love my family. I love the holidays.

Christmas at the Biesingers'...

Just wanted to record Christmas at our house since we leave all of our lights and snowmen behind tonight. It all starts in Newport, where we spend this weekend with Lacy, Joe and their kids. We're staying at the Marriott villas and visiting with Mike and Mel. Ross and I will get to make a stop to see his sister Brooke, her hub Taylor, and boys since they just made the big move to San Clemente where he's BUYING an Orthodontic Practice!!!!!!!! Big deal eh? I'M so excited that they'll be just a few miles from my sister in Laguna so we can see both in one trip.

After Newport... on to San Diego, for a week of all-of-us-in-one-house-fun at my parent's house. I can't wait. There is just nothing like waking up and going to sleep in the same house. The late night stories you wouldn't have gotten around to, and the after-kids-go-to-sleep movies, and the bed-head, and the cousin-chaos.... it makes the family-of-four-in-one-room all worth it. (Sometimes hyphens just make me happy, so kill me.)

After that week... (you thought it was over didn't you?) Lacy and Joe and the kids come back to our house for another WHOLE WEEK! I feel like normal life with normal responsibility is SO far away starting.... tonight. Hooray! Merry Christmas! I'm sure I'll be back (to the blog) before then, but just in case....

(oh and the last picture is Sophia, wearing her reindeer antlers, drawing/writing her letter to Santa wherein she reiterates what she's been telling me for a couple of weeks now, she wants a lollipop for Christmas, "no more, no less" she got that from Henry on Oswald.... "only three marshmallows in my hot chocolate... no more no less" -- her new favorite line...)

Hope you don't mind, Jeanie... :)

What a lovely family huh? That's why I couldn't help but post some. Even though it was right after church and we had like a fifteen minute window and the sun was SO bright and overhead... they're the Deans, only one of the cutest families I've shared a city with. Both of their older girls are part of Achievement Days which I get to be part of for church, so they come to my house every other Thursday for an activity and end up feeding and bathing and entertaining my kids the whole time. They're incredible. The kind of girls that constantly make you wonder what their parents are doing to make them so cool. And how at 8 and 10, (or so) they seem smarter than me--so nice and confident, and together-- and then you watch them interact as a family for like fifteen minutes and tell the parents to kiss and the dad says "with tongue or without?" and the kids kind of make yucky faces and kind of just laugh---and you tell the girls to kiss their little bro. on the cheek and he wipes it off, but there's clearly, CLEARLY just SO much love. It makes me thrilled at the idea of my family growing even more...

Dear John,

.... I mean, Computer,

It's not you, it's me. I think we need a break. I obviously have an addictive personality and cannot resist you. Pushing your buttons, your sleek, compact body-- I'm so happy to see you every morning and you're one of the last to say goodnight to me at night. I got a new computer armour and shoved you in the other room so I wouldn't hit "check mail" between the top and bottom shelf of my dishwasher unloading each morning. It helped a little. Now I had to decide when I had time for you, which was less often than before... I felt a little more in control...

but then somebody convinced me to join face book. I didn't realize how it worked. I thought I could look up a few friends that I was aching to reconnect with, that someone who REALLY wondered about me could look me up. I didn't know it was this mega-match-making MACHINE that finds everyone you ever knew or wanted to know or didn't want to know and hooks you up with them. Holy moly. This is the last thing I needed. Another feature of yours to suck me in. More emails, constant reunions that deserve full email responses... it's exhausting! And yet so fun! awful! wonderful!

is this what addiction is like?

I lost me to cyberspace.

I won't let it happen!!!!! But I do love you too much, so I'm mostly kidding... obviously taking the time to write this means I could never be a true blog-dropper. It's at least somewhat a REAL part of me. This is where I record all my best memories (which really means, all the very normal daily-grind kind of memories... but I'm a mom, they're all special). You give me a place to post my pictures to make a new photography hobby MUCH more fun than if I had no friends to cheer me on. You keep me connected to so many incredible, inspiring people that live too far to see. You help me shop for the VERY best deal and save all sorts of time and money. Or do you? Convenient shopping means more-often-shopping. It's another tricky double edged sword you offer me. Sigh.

So am I breaking up with you? You ask-- sigh. I would if I knew what was good for me. But.... No. I'm too far in. We know each other too well. What would I reward myself with during nap-time (along with my nap-time treat?) What would I do on the couch at night while we watch our shows? What would I do with the endless photos of my blue-eyed-beauties?

But perhaps I'll limit our quality time just a little. Please don't be hurt--- I promise.... it's not you...... it's me.

xo-- Lillie

A few that won't make the card:

We finally did it. My friend Brooke took some family pictures of all of us in the same place, at the same time, fully clothed and hair somewhat in place. (It's a rare combination you know?) I swore that this year I would have SO many fabulous family pictures to choose from, and with so MUCH time to spare to make a killer Christmas card. Well, I'm sure the card will turn out very UN-handmade... but at least it will happen. THANKS to Brooke. Now it's down to the whole up-close vs far-away/candid vs eyes in camera/ kids smiling vs mom's pretty side... dilemmas ....what to do... what to do...

Meet Ivy: my newest, precious, edible, flexible, baby-hunger-pang-causing (is it pain or pang?), sweet-baby-smelling... niece.

hmpf

Why is it that post-babies... my belly is twice the size at night that it is in the morning?? .... it makes it really hard to pick an outfit for the whole day... argggh...

Out here in "the desert"...

Just a teenie, tiny bit. Like so much so that I could put my three- year old in a short sleeved little dress AND a warm, fussy beenie and not feel like a bad mom for:

a. making her arms and legs freeze OR
b. making her head sweat.

As much as I WISH we had a little more winter, my climate is probably perfect for a mama like me that forgets to remember things.... like jackets or shoes or pants or shirts... so MANY things to remember....

So I don't know what it says about me since I'm supposed to be almost 10 years BEYOND highschool now....

But I LOVED it.

Like really loved it.

Like kept catching myself grinning at the screen, my eyes too active, as if I thought I was part of it all... like Edward was giving those freaky slash wonderful stares to me.

I know I should preface that with a lot of explanations about how my expectations were low, and obviously it was low budget, and I'm fully aware of all of it's laughable high-school moments as the very sophisticated grown-up that I am.... but I actually think I would have loved it regardless. Even if I had high expectations... and I can't really figure out what they would have needed another dollar for. And I may have loved the HS parts. Jessica was the bomb right? Spot on. I'm a fan. An Edward loving, eerie music copying (see play list change :)), gonna-buy-it-when-it-comes-out, and maybe-even-see-it-in-the-theatre-again fan.

Of course I had my complaints. The biggest? I would have preferred a different Bella--- I think she's a little too sharp (not like smart- but sharp featured, like a Doberman pincher, or Jodi Foster.) My Bella was a little sweeter and softer, maybe more like this girl from Gilmore Girls.

And my Bella didn't furrow her brows and shift her eyes nearly as much. However--- she grew on me and I did like her WAY better than I thought I would. So I can get over it.

Besides that-- my complaints were pretty minor, just the obvious: Jasper's floppy hair, Jacob's awful wig, Rosalie--- really? -- but all in all--- LOVED it.

Just because we almost never get a picture taken any more with both of us in it... let alone JUST the both of us in it...

We had big plans two weekends ago, when we were in San Diego for Mel's shower, to have my mom take some family pictures of us. We had the beach, we had fallen leaves, we had lots of scenes that weren't desert... for sure we'd take advantage. But then.... you know.... everything-slash-nothing got in the way and it seemed IMPOSSIBLE to get the girls dressed and cute, ourselves dressed and cute, while the lighting was right, and everyone was awake from their Sunday naps. Sigh. We failed.

BUT--- so that I wouldn't come back home with absolutely nothing, after getting so pumped... we caught like the last 6 minutes of sunlight and had my mom snap a few of Ross and I in front of their house while the kids slept. I don't know what they're for... since I was really hoping for an actual family picture on our Christmas card this year.... so here they are--- they've served some purpose.

(A couple of answers to comment questions: Who took those ones of Mila and I a couple of posts ago? --- it was my dear hubbie. We got to Mel's shower just a few minutes early and liked the surroundings... I had washed and dried my jeans before we drove down, didn't wear them in the car, and put them on right before I got out of the car so... that explains the jeans :) They're not always so tight (no Rachelle they weren't skinny jeans, same pair I ALWAYS wear.. just extra tight.)