Wii like boxing

So this is Christmas

I feel like I have a ton to post about. Where to start?

Lets start with the fabulous day that was Christmas Eve. The lowlight would definitely have to be Brynnlee barfing all over me during the closing song of Sacrament meeting. Nothing like trying to keep string cheese and fruit snacks all balled up on your blouse while you run out of the chapel trying not to spill or let anyone else see what is going on. I distinctly remember running past the missionaries and hoping my skirt wasn't hiking up for the congretation to see as I was sprinting down the aisle. Luckily, I caught Kent Sanders as he was taking Colton into the family bathroom and he was kind enough to let me have it. Otherwise it would have been a long walk around the building. Many thanks to Cindy and Karen who, in the spirit of being compassionate friends, lugged my stuff, rounded up Kaden, and carried puke drenched clothing, coats, and tights to my car. Poor Brynnlee left church in just a diaper and neither of our coats were wearable. If taking your naked child to the car in 30 degree weather doesn't win you negligant mother of the year I don't know what could.

After that excitement the rest of the night and the next day were pretty uneventful, and I mean that in a good way. No more puke, or craziness. Christmas Eve Jeremy's family came over and we ate snacks, played games and of course read the Christmas Story. It was so cute that Ryan still wanted to act out the Nativity... but with only 3 boys (Brynnlee had long since gone to bed- and I don't think Spencer was feeling it) so maybe 2 willing boys- it would have been a feat. We opted to just read and all the kids took turns- even Kaden. He was so excited. I'm glad everyone was brave enough to still come over after the puking incident.

Christmas morning found Brynners feeling a little better and Kaden as excited as ever. I wish we could post video (if we can let me know) because Kaden was hilarious as he came downstairs. He first found the kitchen Santa left for Brynnlee and the we showed him his stocking. He loved the light saber and then was ecstatic about the camera until he picked it up. He puts his hand on his hip, scrunches his face and says "Why did he bring me a girl camera?!! I wanted a boy one."

Then he gets a huge smile... "Look Mom here's your girl camera Santa brought you!"

After we opened all our gifts we headed to Mike and Andrea's for breakfast. It was fun to see the kids together and how excited they all were to play together. After breakfast Mike set up the new Wii the boys got and we all took turns looking like idiots playing it. There is some other video you might enjoy. Me... boxing on the Wii. Jeremy has it and if we can figure it out we will post if for all to see, I have no pride. Kaden got really into the punching too and was celebrating his victory. After three rounds of boxing- I'm sad to admit- I was a little winded. Maybe I'll skip the gym and train on the Wii.

Christmas dinner was at Jeremy's parents and it was the traditional Beck family gathering minus the Thornes (but we'll see you next year). Kaden loved the Christmas crackers and wearing his hat. Brynnlee tore hers about 3 seconds later.

We had a great time and hope you all enjoyed your Holiday as well!!

Griswalds in Pasco

Ok. Here's the scoop. While delivering some Home Teacher treats, Jeremy and I stumbled upon this house on Campolina in Loviisa Farms. If you have a few spare minutes tonight or tomorrow you should definitely check it out. The pictures really don't do it justice. It is way more lit up than this. So go see it and post back letting me know what you think!

THE Photo

For the Locals... and anyone else I didn't send a Christmas Card to!

While talking to Lindsay today she enthusiastically told me how excited she was to get my Christmas Card. Confused I said "You got one, cuz I didn't send you one." (Tact was out the window today, it is the 21st of December).

Trying to cover up my blunder I explained to her how I was so busy this year that only sent out like 30 (acutally it was 32) cards, so only the family that lives far away got cards this year. HOW HUMILIATING. Nothing like telling a really great friend that you didn't bother with sending them Holiday Greetings this year.

Luckily, being the wonderful person she is Lindsay totally understood- or at least claimed to in order to spare my feelings. So for all of you out there that didn't get my card this year and I know there are a ton.... enjoy. You probably won't see one next year either.

As a side note, Blogger is not letting me post pictures at this time. I was going to include the picture from the card so you could have the whole experience of a Beck Christmas Card! Maybe tommorrow.

Merry Christmas!


The year has gone by so fast, and a lot has changed. Rather than give you every exciting detail we’ll just toss out a few highlights with our Top Ten List.

10. In September Kaden finally decided he wanted to be potty trained, just before for his 3rd birthday. We love the freedom of going to Costco and not getting one cart just for diapers.
9. We made three trips to Utah by car, with two kids, and one DVD player. A trip
in January and another in June were just for fun to visit family. Again in October we packed our bags and headed to the Beehive State for Melissa and Jason’s wedding.
8. Brynnlee has finally decided to join the world of conversation and grace us with her adorable voice and some ASL signs. She has ‘please’ and ‘more’ down, all she really needs to know to get through life.
7. Kaden learned to ride a ‘big boy bike’ this summer, true the training wheels are still attached but we have high hopes for our little daredevil. He is constantly talking about ramps and jumps and doing tricks. We, as parents, are content to stick with the training wheels for a while longer and skip a few ER trips.
6. Jeremy completed his first Triathlon in July. Alicia and Janae made the trip up to Pasco so Alicia could participate in the “Righteous Richland” with Jeremy. They both did great and are looking forward to doing it again next year.
5. In August we traveled to California, again by car. We had a fun visit with Tyler & Anne and the rest of the ‘California Becks’. We were lucky enough to take the Tyler Beck San Francisco tour, which included a stop at the Jelly Belly Factory. We also toured the Sacramento LDS Temple before the dedication, which Kaden really enjoyed.
4. Brynnlee turned one in September and Alicia and Adrienne were able to drive up for the celebration. Our baby grew so fast and had so many milestone achievements- the most recent being how to climb up chairs. This she learned as I neglected her in a desperate attempt to finish this list before New Years. Everyday she reminds us of the differences between boys and girls. Even though she’s a handful she melts our hearts like only a girl could.
3. Jeremy was promoted in February to Assistant Manager with Cingular. Then in November he was promoted again, this time as a Store Manager in Kennewick.
2. In October we got word that Jeremy is officially an “Approved Candidate” to be a State Farm Agent. We are now hoping for an office to open up nearby so we don’t have to plan a move in the next two years!
1. Our family is healthy and happy and we look forward to enjoying and sharing the Spirit of the Christmas Season. We wish you all the same!

Watch This!

My son is a little weird, this I know. But the last few weeks he has really outdone himself. While he's in the bathroom he will yell for you to come in. When you do, he says "Watch my funny trick."

The funny trick is reaching around and flushing the toilet while he is still sitting on it.

This started a while back and I thought the excitement would wear off, but it hasn't. Just this morning he comes down from bed to use the bathroom and beckons me in only so he can have and audience to watch his "Funny Trick".

He is so proud of this and he doesn't understand why Jeremy and I don't think this is hilarious and crack up like he does, every single time we see it. I'm serious, he sits in the bathroom and laughs his head off, like he has just given the winning performance on Last Comic Standing.

I don't know, maybe I'm just not cut out to be the mom of a boy. I just don't get the hilarity in the bathroom humor over and over and over and over again.

Christmas Here We Come

The Christmas cards are finally sent, hopefully none will come back.

The treats are all made, now they just need to be given away before we eat them all.

The presents are mostly bought, except for a Kid-Tough Digital Camera that I'm sure Santa won't be finding this late in the game.

The presents are halfway wrapped, just a few stragglers.

The food for the Christmas Eve is purchased and we'll see if it gets made before church lets out and our family is at our house before we are.

Only 5 more days to get all the loose ends wrapped up. Are you ready for the big day? I'm sure I'm not.

Merry Christmas!!

Don't bother smiling... Its just for the Annual Christmas Card

So here's what happens when you are running late to church and trying to get the Christmas Card photo (that you should have taken weeks ago) posed just right. Nothing like waiting until the last minute to get it all taken care of. OK - you other 6th Warders... Is it just me or is it harder and harder to be on time for 2:00 church. Seriously, where does the morning and half the afternoon go??

Red Robin- I don't know about you.

Last Friday we went out to eat with friends to celebrate a birthday. Red Robin is a fine family burger establishment, and the evening started out with us having a nice time chatting and deciding what to order. When my turn rolled around I opted for a new choice- the Santa Fe Burger. It sounded different and I was feeling a little adventurous.

The waiter asked, "Do you want any pink on that?"

"Pink on what?" is my reply.

"The burger."

"Is it even legal to serve it that way? No, I do NOT want to see any pink in my burger."

I was even more thoroughly grossed out after Megan told me she likes pink in hers. Really? People enjoy eating hamburger like that? Huh. I never would have guessed.

Everyones order was brought out and I tried a few fries before I endulged in my burger. As I picked it up to take a bite, which is quite a challenge for me with all the appliances in my mouth, I maneuver my mouth around the beast and bite down. Nothing. I tried again, to no avail. I set the burger down and pushed on the top bun with my finger- it didn't budge. I stuck my finger nail in it and couldn't hardly get through- that bun was officially a crouton.

Now, I'm not really a complainer, I promise. But burgers and sandwiches are a real ordeal to eat with braces (have you noticed that Tiff?). So, I figured I need all the help I can get. I get the waiters attention and tell him about the burger. He apologizes and takes it back. When the second burger finally arrives the manager brings it out with his apologies. Great. Since everyone is half finished, I take a huge bite to try and close the distance. Much to my dismay I pull the burger back only to find a huge flash of pink staring me in the eye.

"Are you serious?" I tell Jeremy.

It is all he can do to contain his laugher.

Now, really I'm NOT a complainer. And I would have just let this slide because I hate sending food back- if it weren't for the extensive conversation we had about pink with the waiter before hand. So for a second time I flag him down and tell him of my plight. Slightly annoyed he takes it back. A few minutes later another manager stops by the table and asks

"Who's the hungry guy here who's order I keep messing up?"

After everyone busts up laughing, I say "Yeah, the hungry guy would be me."

The manager looks a little embarrassed, so I add to the fire.

"Yeah, not only do you not get my burger right, but then you insult me as well. I love it."

He laughs and tells me they will take care of everything. Great. I'm really confidant in the promise.

So as everyone is finished and waiting, my third burger arrives. I tell the waiter thank you and he informs me he is going to wait for me to take a bite and approve before hes going to leave the table.

Oh, really.

I seriously hate eating in front of people because of the braces. I always have something stuck inbetween the mounds of metal in my mouth. So to have the whole table waiting with baited breath and the waiter with eyes glued on me was totally traumatic. Could there have been a more embarrassing situation? I don't know. I was totally mortified.

The burger was good, the meat being just above charcoal well-done. But after the whole night I just didn't have the appetite necessary to finish it. I declined a box when our waiter offered. Although maybe I should have just bagged it up so I didn't seem like such an ungrateful shrew.

They didn't charge me for the three burgers I ordered, and the company was good. I think the night was a success, don't you?

Is it a Small World???

Last night I watched Primetime and they were talking about the 6 degrees of separation. Basically, everyone in the world can be connected through 6 people, roughly. Jeremy and I were intruiged and so I got online to "play" this game.

So the target I have is a guy in Peru!! I'm not sure how I'm going to find him, but maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised. I'm up for the challenge. I've already got my contact into Marcus, since he did serve his mission there, and I'll let you know if anything else develops.

So here is some other information if anyone out there has any connections and wants to help! I could really use it.

Name: Gian (I'm not posting the whole name)
Gender: Male
Age range: 30-34
First Language: Spanish
Country: Peru
City: Santiago de Surco since 1990
State: Lima
Place(s) where this target has lived: Arequipa, Peru; 1981-1985
Other locations this target regularly visits:Quito, Ecuador; 1992-1995;
Fort Lauderdale; FL, USA; 1992-present; pleasure
Location of employment:Lima, Peru
Other industries: Entertainment, theater, tv, movies
Description of work: I'm a scene director for drama

Schools attended:IST John Logie Baird; Lima, Peru; 1989-1992
Universidad de Lima; Lima, Peru; 1987-1989
Colegio La Salle; Arequipa, Peru; high school; 1981-1986

And if you want to try this yourself, here is the link: http://smallworld.columbia.edu/index.html

Quentin, you aren't alone

So Jeremy and I found ourselves at the mall tonight for the 347th time this month. Seriously, I have been there more in the last 3 weeks than this whole entire year combined. Maybe even the last two years.

After the wonderful experience of getting 7 children to sit still long enough to snap a few pictures we headed to dinner at Azteca. It was great, but the best part was our nephew telling the waiter it was his mom's birthday (in Spanish) so she was unsuspecting when they came out with the sombrero and dessert. BTW thanks for saying hi Lins, wish I could have chatted.

Then on to JCP. I found an adorable skirt and using my JCPenny's coupon scored it for FREE! Gotta love that. Next, I headed over to the shoe department to find some suitable footwear for the winter. The strappy heels I currently have aren't cutting it in the freezing weather. I found some adorable heels and asked the associate to get the match from the back. After a really long wait he came back with the bad news. The shoes I had picked out weren't available. And when I say unavailable I mean someone else had sold two right shoes to another customer and so I was left with the remaining two left shoes. It would be my luck that that particular pair happened to be THE LAST in stock. However, the kind associate took my number and promised to call when the unsuspecting double righter came back to return their extra left. Get it? Got it? Good.

So you might be wondering about the post title. Well here is the part when I get to that. As Jeremy and I were walking out to our car we noticed the nice pregnant couple walking out before us. Then we notice all the people and flashing "Mall Security" lights fairly close to our car. Luckily all the commotion is in the next aisle over, but then we hear the pregnant couples dismay. Someone had forgotten to put their truck into PARK and it rolled into a Trailblazer which in turn was pushed into the unsuspecting pregnant couples Neon caving in the drivers side.

Apparently since the Christmas bustle ruins one's parking ability it would be safe to park uphill from the cars for the next few weeks. And to think that was the same parking spot we lost to another shopper just a few hours earlier... Merry Christmas to us.

Tree Redeemed

Well, the tree thawed out and it looks great. No fluffing necessary. It only took 6 days to decorate, not the 23rd of December decorating Karen predicted we would be pulling off. We may be a little delayed on all of the festivities but The Beck's get it done, eventually.

Last night we went to the boat parade. This year we ventured out to Howard Amon Park where we actually walked out on the dock and watched the boats from there. It was fun to see the boats up close, but it was SOOOO cold out on the water!!! Kaden loved all the boats honking and the people wishing us "Merry Christmas!"

It was fun but we wasted no time rushing home to enjoy some hot cocoa (with our gingerbread and eggnog creamers). We love that stuff! But what I love even more is when people don't put the lid on the creamer and you "shake before using" but that is another post.

Merry Christmas!!

Snap. Crackle. Pop.

Ok. Is it just me or does this happen to anyone else? Twice this week I have been going about my day when I heard the dreaded pop. No, not limbs being dislocated or bones broken, but the horrible sound of my underwire breaking.

Am I really that hard on them??? I mean I know they have a HUGE job to do but is this a common occurance or am I just unusually unlucky in the intimates department?

I think bra shopping is eclipsed in hatred by me only by bathing suit shopping. I loath the process and bathing suit shopping only wins out because I don't have to see anyone only wearing my bra. I think it has something to do with the fact that I need to start mail ordering bra's rather than convince myself I can still shop at Victoria's Secret- but she's still keeping my secret so I guess I'm safe for a while.

Well, the upside is with Jeremy at the mall now, he gets coupons from other managers. Last night he brought me home a $10 off coupon for a bra at Victoria Secret. And I did chose the Victoria Secret bag last night at the YW sock exchange. It must be destiny, Victoria has missed my company.

O Tannenbaum

Last night's Family Home Evening consisted of picking out our Christmas Tree. Jeremy and I considered being real troopers and cutting our own down to create some long lasting family Christmas memories. We heard about a tree farm just north of Glade where you can do that- but in the end with two small children in tow and the temperatures hovering over the teens we forgoed the adventure and set our sights on Fred Meyer. We are The All American Family - I know.

We get to the lot and picked out a nice tree. I must say it did look pretty tall- but Jeremy insisted it would fit nicely in our house. So we strapped it to the top and told Kaden not to let go of the straps or we would lose our tree. We headed for home, all the while Kaden dutifully holding the straps.

As we pull into the driveway Jeremy darts into the house to use the bathroom. I get out of the car to unload the kids and the back door is locked. So as I try to open my door to deactivate the automatic lock the alarm starts blaring. And I have no keys. So at 8 pm with the alarm sounding, lights flashing, and two kids strapped in I rush inside to find some keys to turn off the neighborhood annoyance.

After the excitement Jeremy unstraps the tree and drags it into the house. The tree is a smidge too tall. So after sawing about 12 inches off it fits perfectly in the house, who needs a star on top anyway? So we stabilize the tree in the stand and cut the twine expecting our beautiful full tree to fully reveal itself. I'm anticipating the scene from National Lampoons Christmas minus the broken windows.

Well it was cold last night and our tree branches froze in the upright bound position. So needless to say we gave up for the night. We figured we would let our tree thaw out and leave the decorating for another night. I'll post the "after" pictures when we actually get our tree decorated and its not looking so column-like! Happy Holidays!

Officially December

Rather than publishing the rant I was composing in my head about children who do things when they KNOW they aren't supposed to I thought I would try and keep the Christmas Spirit. It is, after all, December now and I should be thinking about showing peace and goodwill towards my fellow men (and I suppose that does include Kaden and Jennica).

I've been trying to get into the Christmas Spirit so the Bates Family CD's have been getting a good amount of air time in our kitchen. Kaden has already found his two favorites. "Here Comes Santa Claus" performed by the Jackson Five and "Christmas Don't Be Late" with Alvin and the Chipmunks. It is quite the sight watching him "dance" to the holiday beat.

I have attempted to get out the Christmas decorations. I'm not thrilled about pulling all the boxes out just to have them kicking around the garage until I have a tree to decorate. So I think next week we will make the trek to find our tree and get this house looking a little more festive.

Sunday is the First Presidency Christmas Message. Unfortunately, we will not be out of church in time to watch it, but fortunately Jeremy's parents have offered to tape it and wait to watch it with us later that night. I can only hope our two precious children won't be so exhausted that they make it an unpleasant experience. But that is what the Christmas Season is all about right, Hope? But if that's not the case I guess its on VHS- we can pause and rewind. Someday we'll get into the 21st century with DVR but for now we are content with our quaint antique method.

Enjoy the official start of December.