I'm older and more tired...

So yesterday was my birthday. I'm 52 now. Which, years ago, sounded so old. It doesn't anymore. Though my body is wearing out. And sometimes my mind, too. Bonus for me, though--it had snowed during the night and everything was white and lovely for my day.

Saturday morning--it later cleared up and the sun came out

Yesterday was a Saturday AND my birthday...I looked (I know, I'm weird) and that hasn't happened since 2002. Thanks to leap years, it's been 11 years since the two coincided.

Why am I so interested in this? Because it was HEAVEN. My dear, sweet husband got to be with me on my birthday. No meetings. No practices. Just home. Normally I barely see him as it is often play season and the auditorium is being used for all sorts of things. For my 50th birthday he originally thought he was going to be able to be home for an hour or two and eat dinner with me, but with a play going on the next night, he wound up needing one more play practice and then he had a scouting thing. I didn't see him until bedtime. Not heaven. (though I realize at least I still had a husband and he eventually made it home, so I guess I can't really complain). Having him home was the best.

Anyway, we did chores until noon and he was a big help. Then we played my new game that I got for my birthday, Tzolk'in. Then Glen went and got our tree and Alex helped him put it in the tree stand. Then we watched a movie. Bliss. Pure bliss.

Does this look familiar?

who's crazier...me or my children?

or perhaps this looks familiar?

Hannah and Geoff made me a birthday cake with oreos on the outside. And since we only had 0's, 1's, and 5's for candles, they had to get creative to make a "52." (btw, I'm dressed and writing my talk that I gave today at church...I was just cold, so I had my robe on)

What do you do when you only use the outside cookie part of oreos to make a cake? You use the filling to make one giant cookie that I would never want to eat.

Other good things to happen this week:

Annual Christmas dinner and party at Jennifer's. This year we wore our pajamas and had a white elephant exchange. And laughed a lot.

On Tuesday, for Young Women's, we decorated graham cracker houses that will be used to decorate for this Friday's dinner at the church .

Madison, Victoria, and Laura

Amelia and Laura's creation

 Yep, another week survived. Another year down. And just 17 days till Christmas.

Ryan, Andrew and Heather, Thanksgiving, Gma's b-day party, and Hannah's legally an adult

First off, Ryan says it looks like he's being transferred back to Ponchatoula on the 11th, so if you want to mail him a card, send it to the mission home address on the right until we get his new address.

What a great week.

Andrew and Heather arrived on Wednesday afternoon. Not wanting to wait until Christmas when we wouldn't be together anyway, I allowed Andrew to open a Christmas gift (after all, I wanted to play it, too), so it became a Thanksgiving gift, which might have been a bad precedent to set. Anyway, it's a game, like one of our favorites 7 Wonders, where there are several things going on at once and I don't know if I even have a chance of winning until the game is over and the score is totaled. It's called Tzolk'in: The Mayan Calendar. Loved it. Lost every time I played it. It takes longer, much longer, than 7 Wonders. But I loved it. Alex kept saying he hated it while he was playing, but it sounds like he wants us to own a game, too.

this picture is here to show a pattern

Andrew, happy with his new game

Heather, Andrew, and Alex playing Tzolk'in

So, there were almost 50 at my sister-in-law, Kathy's, for Thanksgiving and the day after. Besides the normal Fallon crew, Andrew and Heather were here as well as Jacob, Susan, and baby Owen (they were how Andrew and Heather got here). Glen's sister Teresa and her family came from Utah (her husband Matt, daughters Haley and Shelly and Shelly's family--husband Jacob and children Jared, Melody, Rachael, and Matthew and then Haley's boyfriend Matt joined us). Plus there were a few other friends that joined us. We ate and played games and talked for 2 days. Thanks Kathy and Gary!

Then, since we had 14 family members here that we won't have on the 11th, Teresa arranged a little early surprise birthday party for my mother-in-law as her 80th birthday is coming up. Happy Birthday Grandma!

Becky (in the back), Grandma, Haley, Melody, Rachael, Matt, and David

Yesterday, our family made gingerbread houses. Last year, I never got around to that tradition, so we got it taken care of early this season.

Heather and Andrew...who's making another face--see the pattern continue

Hannah and Geoff hard at work

Heather, Andrew, and Alex

Andrew and Heather's final creations

Hannah's, Geoff's, my, Glen's, and Alex's masterpieces

 Then today was Hannah's 18th birthday! Ack. Four of my 5 children are considered adults. Ack.

I think she gets it from her brother

Cousin Michael was so thoughtful and sent her a b-day gift while he was in the MTC (it's a t-shirt)

she wanted fondue and soft pretzels for dinner-Alex plans on the same menu for his next birthday

yep, she just couldn't not make a face while I was taking a picture, it seems

She wanted an ice cream cake...tasted good, but I had some construction problems--like letters sliding off

My parents, who arrived yesterday to spend the night, left for Oregon this morning and shortly thereafter, Andrew and Heather left for Utah, so they weren't here for the birthday celebrations. It was so good to see them all. Holidays are wonderful for that.

And, no kidding, about 1/2 the photos I took of Andrew or Hannah had them making faces at the camera. I only showed you a few of them.

Great week. I'm exhausted. So excited it's Christmas time.