CHRISTMAS

What would Christmas be without the joy of little children? This is what gets me excited about Christmas, watching the faces of my kids as they light up as they open open their presents and seeing the magic of Christmas come alive.

The Galli family had a great Christmas this year. Our kids slept in until 8:00 (which is typical) and we proceeded down to the basement to open gifts. Reagan was content to open one or two gifts and play as the older kids opened up their entire Christmas. The big ticket items in our house this year were anything American Girl for Madi and a Rip-stick for Jaxson. Reagon loved opening gifts, as she opened her baby doll, in the sweetest voice she said "Baby", everything she opened she wanted to play with. The only thing she didn't get any joy out of was the box of clothes she received.

Madision was more excited about Christmas than ever this year. We told her about the magic and secret of Christmas and she got involved by being Santa's little helper. (She had a hard time falling asleep that night)

We relaxed around the house until 4:00 and then we headed to my mom and dad's just in time for the power to go out. We ate by candlelight and sang Christmas carols. The kids opened presents in the dark, it will be a Christmas to remember for years to come. After about 3 1/2 hours of no power we decided to move the party to my brothers house so the kids could have something to do and we could do a white elephant gift exchange amongest the adults. (I think this will be a new family tradition becuase I haven't laughed so hard in a long time) The gifts everyone thought of were fantastic, but no one could beat the gift Melissa received from us (thanks to Stoney Winterton for the tip). She recieved a somewhat live lobster.

With all the hustle and bustle of the season, I am releived and somewhat sad that is is over. It gives you so much to look forward too, and yet so crazy at the same time.

JUNIOR JAZZ

Jaxson started playing basketball this month and he is so excited. At one of their last practices he made a basket and was very proud of himself. I love watching this little boy play sports, it doesn't matter what the game is, just as long as he gets to play. We also love that the neighborhood boys get to play together and we get the best coach around, Rusty Bentley!

THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS

Our family went on a journey to Bethlehem this month, so did the rest of our neighborhood/ward. What a memorable experience this was to have the Church turned into the city of Bethlehem and have everyone dressed in the clothing of the times ready to pay their taxes. We sat on the floor to eat our dinner, the city was very crowded and we watched as Mary and Joseph searched for a place to stay, but there was no room for them in the inn.

Actually it was a little crazy because everyone was on the floor, Reagan was stepping on food and little kids were spilling over water as they tried to move across the crowded room; however it truly reminded me how it must have been to be in a city so full of people that was no place for them. It was very symbolic and touching at the same time.

Now let's talk about what Jaxson feels the spirit of Christmas is (the presents, lets be honest). A couple of weeks ago our Bishop was talking in church about the economy and Christmas and what the true meaning is Christmas is about. He talked about how one year they decided that they would give each of their children 3 gifts for Christmas, because this is what the Savior received. He said with the economy the way it is, this could be something that would be good for your family as well. So my mom if her infinite wisdom, decided to bring this up to my children the same evening. She asked Jaxson if he should receive three gifts like Jesus did. He immediately responded by saying "NO" and they walked straight over to the nativity and said " Do you see the treasure chest full of jewels and gold, that is way more than three gifts!" I don't think anyone knew what to say, so we all just laughed.

MADI'S FIRST PIANO RECITAL

Madi started playing piano in August and she had her first piano recital in December. I was so impressed, with what she has been able to accomplish over the past few months. She loves playing and can't wait to practice after school, I hope this continues because I think she has a natural gift.

THANKSGIVING LEAVES

We spent Thanksgiving with Dan's family and right outside their front door was a huge pile of leaves. The kids had a great time enjoying the nice weather and running around outside, especially Reagan. She loved the leaves, the piles were so huge she kept falling over. Needless to say these are priceless pictures.

GIVING THANKS...

I have to admit, I haven't been looking forward to the Thanksgiving holiday much this year. Its been a year of ups and downs and sometimes it's hard to be grateful for what you have, because you tend to focus on the negative things or trials in your life. I know I take for granted the blessings in my life too often and don't appreciate the joy this journey brings. I also know there must be opposition in all things in order to know the good from the bad, but sometimes like most people I want to just experience the good! I am grateful for the holiday season, so I get the chance to reflect on what is most important in my life and for the opportunity it give me to ponder all my many blessings.

I am blessed to have in my life a loving and healthily family. One who welcomes me home each day with open arms and childish grins because they are happy to see me.

I am blessed to have forgiving children, who don't dwell on your mistakes but love you unconditionally. Children who are content just to have a minute or two of your time to make them smile.

I am blessed to have a husband who truly loves me no matter what mood I am in. A husband who understands me and let's me be in charge with my strong personality. Someone who puts me and my children first and knows that if we are happy, that is enough for him.

I am blessed to have a crazy toddler running around my house non-stop, creating a disaster where ever she goes. For someone you didn't plan on having in your life, she sure fulfills it! A child who makes us laugh everyday with her husky voice and mischievous personality. A child who wraps their arms around you after a hard day and it makes everything better.

I am blessed to have a wonderful and stressful job. One that I know is stable and will provide for my family. A job where my talents are put to good use and I know I can help others grow. A company where they appreciate me and want me leading there team.

I am blessed to have a beautiful home. A place where you feel safe and warm and protected from the outside world. A place you love coming home to, because your family and reminders of your family are there.

I am blessed to have loving and thoughtful parents who live down the street. Parents who welcome our visits at anytime of day or night and love being around our family. Parents who play with our children and love being involved in their lives.

I am blessed to have a handful of the best friends anyone could ask for. Friends you could tell anything to and who will not judge you. Friends who will cry and laugh with you depending on the day. Friends who brings so much joy into my live and aren't afraid of letting their hair down. Friends I can travel with and you look forward to the vacation.

I am blessed to live in the best neighborhood and ward possible. I couldn't imagine my life or my children's lives not being here. A neighborhood where you feel safe and there are friendly faces everywhere you go.

I am blessed to live in the United States of America, where we have so many privileges that others in the world do not. Where we get to enjoy freedom and all the things that come with freedom.

I am blessed to have the Lord in my life and the comfort of knowing where I cam from and where I am going. I am blessed to know that families are forever and that my Heavenly Father loves me. Thank you for giving me everything!

NEW YORK OR BUST

I loved New York so much that I had to go back two months later! Only this time it was a girls trip and boy did we shop till we dropped. Every night we came home absolutely exhausted, so we would all put on our pj's and hop into bed with a box of pastries. (Oh did a forget to mention it was also a dessert trip) We found the best pastry shop in Little Italy, so we went there more than once. We also discovered Magnolia cupcakes, Serendipity and Starbucks (sometimes twice a day).

We worked Canal street up and down for knock off purses, Tiffany Jewelry, hats and Pashmina Scarves. Canal street worked us with lousy copies of DVD's and IPODs we purchased.

We ventured off to the Today show Friday morning and even met Matt Lauer and crew. We spent some quality time on the TV, some of us calm and others not so calm. I don't want to mention any names, but if you saw the Today show, you already know (Jen and Kristen).

My favorite part of the trip was eating Sunday brunch at the Boathouse in Central Park. The service, food and entire atmosphere was amazing. We devoured the bread basket, soaked up the excellent view of the autumn leaves, licked our fresh fruit and waffle plates clean and enjoyed the canoes passing by.

HALLOWEEN

We have a family tradition on Halloween of eating dinner in a pumpkin. I started doing this years ago to be a festive and cute mom. I made the mistake of inviting over my extended family a few years ago, and now it is tradition for them to all come over for dinner in a pumpkin too. The other Halloween tradition we have is mom's homemade spudnuts. She has been making these since we were small children and we refuse to let her off the hook now. Although it is a lot of work I enjoy having everyone over for the evening.

Madi and Jaxson both went out trick-or-treating with friends this year, so all I had to do was take Reagan to a few houses. She thought it was great be able to get candy from the neighbors; however when we reach the Hormon's home, Suzy gave her a tootsie Roll Sucker and it was all over. She dropped her candy bucket, opened the sucker and was done. She didn't take the sucker out of her mouth until it was gone.

TRAILER TRASH PARTY

For Halloween this year we decided to Host a Murder Mystery Party, what a great way to ring in the holiday with a little white trash!

Everyone was assigned a character and had I known everyone would get so excited about dressing up for the event, I would have done it last year.

It was a riot because everyone had fun putting their spin on what white trash is, for example...

Tattoo's / Mullets / Horrible Teeth / Bras straps sticking out / Wife Beaters / Flannel / Hairy Chests / Muscle Shirts / Mini Skirts / Tie-Dye

We even had an authentic white trash meal including; KFC bucket, pigs in a blanket, jello with hair in it (thanks Stoney), macaroni and cheese, cheese tray with Spray cheese and a hostess platter for desert.

The decor included, a clothes line with stained underwear, cheap lingerie and Nascar posters.

All and all it was a night full of white trash talking and laughter. I love that I had friends who are not afraid to let their hair down and have a good time.

FOOTBALL FRIENDS

I love that Jaxson gets to play sports with all of his friends. This past fall we tried out flag football. It was a little more intense with practices, two-three coaches and working plays on the field. Not his best sport ever; but he had a good time running around the field with his buddies Jacob and Karter! His favorite part of the season is getting the trophy, it sure makes him feel proud!

LAGOON

Every year my company treats the employees and their families to a day at Lagoon. This year we went near the end of September and it was fabulous! The weather was perfect and the lines were next to nothing (it definitely the right time of year to go).

One of the things I love about amusement parks is that Madison and Jaxson love the big rides. Madison especially loves roller coasters! Madison will ride anything and because she will Jaxson wants to go right with her, even if he is a little scared. The first ride we went on was WICKED, which is a pretty fast and crazy roller coaster. The rest of the day we had to tell Jaxson he had already done the biggest ride at Lagoon and nothing else would be as scary. It worked, he continued to ride the big rides with the rest of us.

I still remember the time we took Madison on the Tower of Terror in Florida when she was five years old. She was brave and wanted to go, so we said yes. Not knowing how frightening it really was, I had a hard time enjoying myself on the ride because I was so concerned about Madison. She was brave and didn't cry; however when we exited the ride she said and I quote "I never want to go on that ride ever again!" She went two years later and loved it. (I have to admit it is probably my favorite ride ever.)

While at Lagoon I took Reagan on a few rides. Here favorite was the little boats, I still remember riding the boats as a kid. She loved being at the wheel and ringing the bell.

Jaxson's favorite ride was the dinosaur egg. It is a little version of the rocket and he thought it was pretty cool. More his style than Madison favorite ride Wicked.

EVERY GIRL LOVES A GOOD PAIR OF SHOES

We find our shoes all over the house thanks to Reagan; and it doesn't matter whose shoes they are because they all fit her. Reagan loves to clomp around the house in shoes. She has always had a shoe fetish, she loves to pick out her shoes or just put them on in the morning with her pajamas. Don't try and tell her they are the wrong shoes, because once she has made up her mind there is not stopping her. Lately she loves wearing my high heels; it's amazing that she can actually walk in them without falling. She's a girl through and through!

FUDGE FACE

I'm not sure if you all remember my post from about six months ago entitled "Every Girl Loves Chocolate," but I'm here to say that the chocolate cravings never go away.

The story goes like this... we had been at my mom and dad's house one Sunday afternoon and we were enjoying some relaxation time on the couch after dessert. It became very quiet (which should have been my first clue) when we discovered Little Miss Reagan on the counter enjoying the leftover bowl of homemade fudge. She had a big smile on her face, fudge all over her pajamas and was quite pleased with herself to say the least. It all gave us a good laugh and a good tip, never leave food out on the counter because this climber will be up to the challenge.

I LOVE NEW YORK

 

 Last week Dan and I and Melissa and Chip, jetted off to New York for five days! Dan and I visited New York a couple of years ago and we thought that going back a second time we would have plenty of time to do all the things we wanted to; however we were surely mistaken. Five days went way to fast and I wasn't ready to come home. (The good news for me is that I get the opportunity to go back in a couple of months with the girls and it will be an entirely different experience!)

We arrived in New York around 6:00 am after taking the red eye, my brilliant husband decided to book our tickets into New Jersey because it supposedly was closer than JFK. Melissa and Chip flew into JFK, so instead of sharing a cab fare, we each booked our own and guess whose cab fare was more money? Ours of course and I will never let Dan hear the end of it. (It gave us a few laughs during the trip)

I can say our trip was full of food! We ate all the time and then we ate some more, always trying someplace new. I have to thank Bill Perry for giving us some helpful tips on where to eat, it was great knowing someone recommended half of the places because there is so much to choose from in New York.

The entire time we were in New York, Dan kept telling us how he wanted "Dunkin Donuts". I would tell him, you are the only one that wants "Dunkin Donuts" and we are not going there for breakfast. I also commented that I thought the street vendors doughnuts were probably better, as a joke. Well on the last day of our trip, we ran right into a Dunkin Donuts shop in the subway terminal. I told Dan that this was his opportunity and he shouldn't give it up. By this time he was kind of over it; however he still purchased the Doughnuts, because he couldn't go all this time talking about it and then not buy them when he had his chance. He was so excited (as you can tell from the pictures); however they were a big let down. We all tried one and they were stale, not a good purchase. I do not recommend it. We had a good laugh regardless.

We started out our trip by seeing an Off-Broadway production called the "Altar Boys!" The story was about a struggling Christian boys band, trying to spread a message of good will. While they mocked boy bands and were a little sac-religious, I thought it was hilarious. We used several one-liners from this production all week. The best part about this production was seeing Neil Haskell from the 3rd season of So You Think You Can Dance! (He was always my favorite)

The same evening we ventured down to Little Italy for dinner. The ambiance and atmosphere was amazing! There must have been 50 restaurants within 3 blocks, all with outdoor seating and lighting. It made for a real relaxing evening. The food was also fantastic, until Melissa found a hair in her lasagna. This kind of spoiled the eating frenzy, so what the heck we finished up our meal with some Gelato.

Canal Street happens to be right at the end of Little Italy, so or course Melissa and I took advantage of finding a nice, new, stylish purse. The craziest thing was we went into a basement of a store and after our purchase, the employee of the store had to radio someone upstairs to let us out. The door was wired shut with all sorts of electronic devices. (Gotta love New York)

On Sunday we went to the Yankees Game. The game was sold out (because it is the last year in at the stadium) so we purchased tickets from a scalper! He called them "Jeter" seats because they were right behind home plate. It was a fun experience, even though the Yankees lost. A-Rod did get a home run, which was exciting.

After the game we rented bicycles and road through Central Park. The jogging loop is about six miles. This was a fabulous way to see the park. I highly recommend it. The only problem for me was about half way through the park I got extremely sick (it was probably the stomach flu), my stomach was in knots and I couldn't move. I became pale and clammy. I couldn't move and after about 45 minutes I realized it wasn't getting any better and that I couldn't ride my bike back. Dan walked me out to a cab and poor Melissa and Chip walked both sets of bikes back to the entrance of the park. I was out the rest of the night!

On Monday we headed off to the US Open. We watched a very exciting match between Rafael Nadal and Sam Querrey. The group of people in our section of the stadium were huge Sam fans and very enthusiastic. We got involved with the chanting and routing for "Sammy Samuri!" He was the American player and also the under dog in the match. We had such a good time, that we purchased tickets for the following day as well.

On Tuesday we had the privilege of watching both Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer play in two different matches. Both of these dominant players struggled a little and the matches went to five sets. Because of this we were at the open for about eight hours. After sitting in these hard seats in the sun for that long, we were all ready to move around and see some other sites of New York. (For the record I loved watching Roger play, he is my favorite player and he went on to win the open title.)

Wednesday morning my parents joined us and we all went out for breakfast. We spent the morning walking around Times Square and Fifth Avenue and eventually made it over to the Rockefeller Center. We rode the elevator to the 67th floor/ Top of the Rock! What a view, I thought it was better than the Empire State Building because you got the view of Central Park as well, which is the heart of New York. We also went back to Central Park and spent some time walking through the park, this time around was a better experience for me. It is absolutely breathtaking, especially in the middle of all the cement New York has to offer. What an amazing commodity they have, it's no wonder it draws so many people there each day. After the park, we finished our trip by seeing Legally Blonde! This was exactly how I wanted to complete our vacation, with a fun, energetic Broadway production. The staging of this production was remarkable and entire cast was phenomenal.

I can't wait to go back. The girls trip is going to be full of shopping (something you cant do a lot of with the guys)

TWILIGHT SERIES FAVORITE

Not only do I want to know what book is every one's favorite, I want to know why. So after you take part in the poll, comment on this post as to why. I think it will be fun to see every one's answer.

I have having a hard time narrowing down my favorite. You can't help love the first book because that is what captivated so many of us to begin with. (Vampires living among us, the Edward and Bella love story and who can forget James! The maliciously wicked vampire who wants to destroy Edward and kill Bella.

When I first read Twilight I wanted to be a vampire too! Who knew the perfect man was Edward the vampire!

Then there was New Moon, although having Edward gone for most of the book, which killed me, I have to say this was my favorite ending. I loved the Volturi, Edward ready to sacrifice himself because he thought Bella was dead and Bella risking her life to save him.

Eclipse was maddening because Bella struggled with her feelings about Jacob. He definitely wasn't my favorite, however the struggle between Edward and Jacob felt quite real. I loved that they came together to defend Bella and destroy Victoria how was out for revenge over her lost love Laurent.

Breaking Dawn was fantastic because, I wanted Bella to become a vampire and have her happy ending with Edward. (Plus she didn't pick Jacob, which would have ruined the entire series for me) Although I wanted more of a fight at the end of the book, I'm glad the entire Cullen family made it out alive and did not have to sacrifice themselves to the Volturi.

Overall I am sad to see the series end. This is the most excited I've been about reading in a long time. I'ts nice to have a series of books that keeps you up all night because it is a page turner and you can't put it down. A series that really capivates you becuase of the characaters. Too bad there aren't any real vampires running around....

BEAR LAKE

We decided to rent a cabin at Bear Lake last weekend. Bear Lake Lodging has a variety of condo's and cabins available and we were able to find one that slept 25 people. More than enough to accommodate my side of the family. We were wanting to go on a camping trip, until we really thought about how much work was involved in camping. A hotel or cabin is much more my style! (I would rather have someone else clean up for me and make my bed while I am on vacation.)


On Friday we went to the North Shore beach. We all think this is the best side of Bear Lake. The shore is shallow, good for kids and there are no rocks. Reagan loved playing in the sand/mud, chasing the seagulls and running out into the water.



The temperature was only 69 degrees on Friday so the water was pretty cold! We rented wave runners and the coldest part was walking out to the machine to ride. The ride itself was awesome. Our Seadoos were fast, we got them up to 64 miles per hour.


That evening my mom put together a family challenge game night. We split up into teams (guys against girls) and had a trivia game about different members of the family. After that we had a crossword challenge to complete. The girls won both games of course because we are the smarter gender. My mom even bought prizes for the winning team, although the girls shared in the winnings with the male species in the family out of pity.

FLIP FLOP PARTY

 Madi had her 10th birthday on August 12th. I think they should call it birth week instead of birthday. It seems the celebrations as a child go on and on and on.

The Friday before her birthday her Nana took her shopping so she could pick out exactly what she wanted for her birthday. Madi really enjoyed spending the time with Nana and being able to shop for clothes! They went to Fashion Place Mall and headed to Limited Too, where everything is in fashion. Madi picked out a darling black glitter skit with a red tank top and white sweater. She also got a pair of shoes. After the Limited Too, they ventured over to Nordstrom where Madi purchased a robe. (She wears it every day) After their shopping excursion, they picked up Grandad and went to dinner. I know Madi felt extremely special and will always remember this one and one time with her Grandparents.

The Sunday before Madi's birthday, we invited my family over for ice cream brownie cake. It was a beautiful night and we enjoyed the weather by playing the bean bag game outdoors. Madi was given some beautiful, hand sewn barbie clothes from her Grammie and Papa and a new book entitled "Daughter of a King". She also received a Justice GC, I-Tunes GC and every ones favorite "money," from her aunts, uncles and great grandparents.

On Madi's actual birthday we took the family to Olive Garden for dinner. It was a short celebration considering the work day and school the next morning. Her favorite presents were tickets to the Carrie Underwood show coming up in November. Madi and I both love Carrie and the guys don't mind her too (considering how beautiful she is) Jaxson likes to call her Carrie Underwear. She also received a new messenger bag for the school year.

The highlight of her birthday had to have been the friend, flip-flop party. Madi and I had been planning this for months. We ordered flip-flop, sun-catcher, picture frames and the girls all got to paint them at the party. We also took every one's picture with Madi at the beginning of the party and had them developed, so the girls could put them in their picture frames. Every girl picked out a pair of flip-flops and ribbon in order to tie their own pair of flip-flops to take home. They turned out super cute and they had a great time listening to the Jonas Brothers while creating their new footwear. (I forgot how noisy twelve, 10 year-olds could be. Wow, they are screamers and I thought little boys were bad!) We ended the party by singing happy birthday with a flip-flop cake. I believe the party was a huge hit. I know Madi had a really good time.

I'm glad it is over... this was a lot of work for mom. But I'd do it any day for my kids!