...chRistMaS 2007...

So yes, I've had a break from the blogging world for a couple of weeks...but now that we're back from Boise and Christmas presents are put away, the fridge is restocked, and laundry is done (washed atleast)...I'm starting to get back into the swing of things and found time to finally post some pictures from our Christmas festivities in Boise. It was a great Christmas for the Field family...we hope you all had a fun holiday as well!

** chRistmAs eVe **

Zac got to be "joseph" for the live nativity scene...i don't think he really understood what the heck he was doing, but he really liked the fact that he got to dress up!

Thanks to cousin Becky, she whipped up some costumes for the nativity super fast with her fabric scraps...pretty impressive I must say!


And like every Christmas Eve, we got to open one present...only to find new Christmas pajamas! By this time, Zac couldn't stop talking about Santa coming. Literally for the last 2-3 hours of the night, that is ALL we talked about...it was really fun to see him get sooo into the whole Santa thing.

** chRistmAs mOrniNg **

Here he is bright and early Christmas morning waiting upstairs while grandpa checked to see if Santa came...that was always the worst part of Christmas for me as a kid...it seems to always take forever!

Gotta love Zac's bed head.

And of course, I got so caught up in the moment & the excitement of everything that i didn't get a picture of Zac discovering his "Ego Ego puzzle with the turtle"...but yes, Santa did bring him one & Zac was a VERY happy boy because of it!

Our classic Christmas Day attire...except for Emerson...I had fun playing dress up with her new clothes.



Checking out Uncle Jer's video ipod...


** cHeesecaKe fActoRy **

And what's a trip to Boise without lunch at the Cheesecake Factory? Their salads are amazing, I must say! Mom & Dad Field always spoil us with great food when we visit...and it always makes for a great time!

Emerson was definitely not hurting for attention...i think she maybe spent a total of 5 minutes on the ground while we were in Boise...and you better believe that she loved every minute of it!

..."Mees Mommy Gone"...

Zac and I were running errands yesterday...and of course listening to Christmas music as we drove around. "Feliz Navidad" came on & I started singing right along....and so did Zac. When he heard what I was singing, you know the lyrics "Feliz Navidad, Feliz Navidad...." he piped right up and said, "No, Mom! Not that...it's
Mees Mommy Gone,
Mees Mommy Gone!
And he went right on singing! He must be my son, because I can't even begin to tell you how many times I've made up my own words to songs...even if they make no sense at all, I sing whatever the song sounds like to me...and it works...makes it more personal, you know?!

...family Christmas party...

My mom & dad had our family Christmas party last night since we're going to be in Boise this year...we had a great time...but I still can't believe Christmas is in a week!! What happened to my plan of being all ready weeks in advance??

Emerson got a blanket made by grandma...it turned out very cute...thanks mom!

Okay, these are the coolest things ever!! My mom got them down at Bloomer's...and they're like these water marble things. I can't even explain them...but they are so pretty and even more fun to play with because they feel so cool. The babies loved them!

And we had a very special visitor stop by...yes, the one and only Santa Claus!

Zac wasn't shy at all, which is totally opposite of last year...i was a pleasantly surprised.

And the jumping started once Santa pulled out a present just for Zac...so fun! thanks for the fun presents Santa!

...wonderland of lights...

Another fun thing we love to do at Christmas time is head over to Thanksgiving Point to go on a wagon ride through the light show. Obviously, it's freezing every time...but we think it's more fun than just driving through in our car, & Zac thinks it's way more exciting...obviously!

...Friday's Favorites...

Christmastime is always so fun...cRazy...but fun! I must admit that I am a bit stressed right now. I've been looking so forward to making some yummy, festive meals, but I've been so busy, the last thing I want to do is spend hours in the kitchen. So, after a rather hectic day, I opted for a $5 rotisserie chicken from Costco!! Yum...it was a lifesaver tonight...it's simple, quick, clean, & oh so tasty. So thank you rotisserie chicken...for making my life simpler & my stomach happy on such a long, crazy day!

...lights at temple square...

So, yes going to see the lights on Temple Square during the holidays is one of our little traditions as a family...as well as most people living in Utah. But it's always quite the sight to see...Zac loved it, but in all actuality I think he loved wearing Chad's Boise State beanie more than the lights. He would stop like every ten feet and tell me to take a picture of him...i didn't want to bore all of you with 50 pictures of Zac in the same pose...so here's just one of many....many, many!

...some holiday treats...

You may remember our halloween gingerbread house...well how can you make one for that holiday and not for Christmas??? You can't...atleast we can't...so here's the gingerbread house that Zac & I made while Emerson was entertained just watching from the side-lines. I think most of the frosting & candy ended up in Zac's mouth.

And then there were the christmas tree rice krispie treats...with red hot ornaments that Zac so carefully put on each and every one.

...Friday's Favorites...

So really, what can be better than a nice cup of hot chocolate on these cold winter days? I can't think of anything better...and Williams Sonoma has the best hot chocolate mixes ever! For a festive touch, try dipping the rim of your mugs in white chocolate, egg nog, or even corn syrup...followed by crushed up candy canes...it turns out very cute and is oh so yummy!

..."Ego, Ego Puzzle"...

Zac really only wants one thing for Christmas, a "Ego, Ego puzzle...with the turtle!" He saw it at Toys "R" Us a month or so ago & has wanted it ever since. I've been thinking "This is gReat! As long as Zac gets that puzzle (which he is) everything on top of that, will just be extra! And he'll have a great chRistmAs!" Well, you all know how fun it was to be wAiting and waiting for that one special toy from Santa...and then you're so excited on Christmas morning to wake up and find that Santa brought it...right?! Well I totally remember that feeling, so I've been exCited for this Christmas, since Zac's been anticipating this "Ego, Ego puzzle" for so long, right?

Well...on Sunday, I was sick with the stomach flu, so Chad & Zac had their fair share of bOnding time & Zac was an extra big heLper to Chad...sooo Chad promised Zac that he'd take him to the store to pick out a prize...can you see where this is going?! So, of course, they go to the store & Zac gets to pick out a prize, and what do you think it was?! Yes, a Go Diego Go puZzle...with the turtle!! I couldn't believe that Chad gave into Zac sooo easily, he must be a puShover dad or something! What happened to kids waiting in suSpense until chRistmAs comes?!! Anyway....after some talking to, Chad convinced Zac that Santa Claus would probably be sad if he found out that Zac already had a Go Diego Go puzzle...and we don't want to make sAnta sad....sooo....we've decided to give the puzzle to Toys for Tots...and Zac will continue being a good boy for Santa in hopes that he'll get his "Ego, Ego Puzzle...with the Turtle"!

...Friday's Favorites...

Okay, so saturday is the first day of deceMber...and what better way to welcome in the official chriStmas seasOn than to wake up to a yummy smelling, delicious tasting, easy-to-make plate of warm christmas carameL rolls?! I don't think there could be anything better...these are soo yUmmy & I love them during the hOlidays...I'm sure you & your cute families will too! :)

...Happy Birthday Zac...

Zac turned 3 on Friday...hard to believe, but he'll be the first to tell you that he's getting to be such a big kid! He makes things exciting around here...we love the kid like crazy!

Zac requested a Lightning McQueen birthday this year, so here's his Lightning McQueen party invitations...it was fun to watch him get so excited to pass these out to everyone...he thought they were pretty cool!

Here he is opening presents at 7:30 in the morning...I don't know who was more excited about the birthday festivities...him or me!

The cake...waaaay more time consuming than it looked. The thing that was a pain about it was that there are like 7 different colors of frosting on the thing...so yes, I was up until 2:00 frosting this thing...but Zac was excited to wake up to his cake on the table...so it was well worth it!

One of Zac's favorite movies, he thinks it's hilarious. And of course, his favorite line from the movie is "he's pretty much a trash can full of poop!"

Still working on the 3 fingers thing...

Chad told Zac for his birthday we were going to do lots of fun things. We would go bowling, then to Chuck E. Cheese's, & then to the park. Zac said, "No dad. Just ONE thing okay?" And of course, that ONE thing was Chuck E. Cheese's. There's a cool, big truck that Chad was trying to get Zac to ride in...but being the cautious kid that he is...he opted for a ride in this safe little car.

Getting ready to blow out the candles...Zac's favorite.

Zac's first time experiencing "The Spanking Machine"...he loved it, can you tell?!

...being grateful...

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow."

...Melody Beattie...

...Friday's Favorites...

So for those of us living in Utah, we're not privileged enough to have an In-n-Out burger joint to eat out at...but that's okay!! There's a fairly new fast food restaurant off of State Street in American Fork called Chadder's...and even though it's not In-n-Out, it's a pretty good knock-off. Not only does it look and feel like In-n-Out...but the menu is the same, and the food tastes just as good. So until we make our way to California, Arizona, or Nevada...we'll satisfy our cravings by eating at Chadder's!

You really need to try it out if you haven't yet...they're located at 200 State Street in American Fork! ;)

..."mommy" by Zac Field...

I came home from the gym last night & found this drawing sitting on the table...and I was shocked! Just a few weeks ago, Zac was barely figuring out how to draw smiley faces...so to find this, I was pretty surprised. I don't know where he learned this...but it's pretty good for an almost 3 year old I must say. He was proud to tell me that it's a picture of "mommy"...so here you have it, the latest portrait of me!

...Friday's Favorites...

So for all of you sweet lovers like myself...here's a treat that you really need to try if you never have. I first tried them 5 1/2 years ago at Bloomer's Floral in Provo & have been hooked ever since. mmmmm...cHewY pePs...a handmade candy that starts out hard and gets softer as you go.

...little milestones...

Emerson had her first taste of baby food this week...and she lOved every bite of it. And when I say that she lOved it, i mean she rEaLLy lOved it! I fixed up some oatmeal & pears in this bowl & thought to myself "this is waaaay too much." But I was wrong...very, very wrong... She actually ate two of these bowls full of oatmeal & pears! Needless to say, I'm very happy about it...Zac eats like a bird & it seems like I'm constantly trying to get sOmeThing into that little stomach of his, so it will be great if Emerson keeps these great eating habits up!

post dAddy-FeediNg face:

And, much to my surprise, while I was feeding Emerson her baby food...I felt something hard in her mouth...and sure enough it's her first little toOth! I never would have known she was teething...she has not been the slightest bit fussy, feverish, or drooly!
I consider myself LUckY...very, very lucky...