Mesquite for Christmas

My dad got a condo in Mesquite, being the almost mid point between us in AZ and them in UT. The kids and I always love our time with Opa and Grammy and this trip was no exception. It rained almost everyday in Mesquite, so we got to enjoy hanging out together at the condo. The kids were thrilled. They played with their new toys, Daniel played Angry Birds on Opa's newly won iTouch, and we hung out with cousins, uncles and Aunt Jen! It was a perfect week. Lynn took Rylie and I to get a pedicure and we all got Christmas sparkle toes. We also went up to St. George for lunch with Aunt Jen and cousins Jordie and Miah, followed by a day of hanging out together in Mesquite. Jen, Lynn and I went to Bingo that night and both Jen and Lynn were big winners!
My brothers Joe, Jonny, Dave and James came down the 22nd to play games and hang out. We had such a fun time!
Highlights were Jonny's enthusiasm at winning Bingo, shouting with gusto and even standing up (most people just raise their hand and shout out Bingo quietly), realizing that Jonny doesn't know how to show 2 fingers without including his thumb, playing games and laughing hysterically, winning $50 myself in Bingo, sleeping all night while Joe took Wyatt feeding duty (saving me from being exhausted for my drive home). Daniel's highlight was playing Angry Birds with his uncles. They all were taking advantage of 3 iPhones, playing any downtime they had.
Thanks Opa and Grammy for putting together such a fun trip and thanks bros for being willing to drive to Mesquite to see me:) (and have a great round of golf too).

First snow

I went to Mesquite with the kids to be with their Opa and grammy at a condo the week before Christmas. I will post more about this later. On the way home I somehow missed our turn to highway 93 and kept going on I-40 straight into Flagstaff. I realized my mistake soon after missing the exit, but I also realized that there was snow in Flagstaff and thought the kids would get a thrill playing in it. I decided to trek onward and soon enough we were surrounded by snow. For those non-Arizonans this is a thrill for us who live in the valley of the sun and NEVER experience snow. Both Daniel and Rylie were more than excited to jump out of the car and play. Daniel soon realized that snow is cold and complained that it was just ice and made his hands and feet hurt. Rylie never complained and seemed to enjoy every minute of her experience. Notice the fabulous snow worthy outfits they have on- Rylie with only red princess shoes (no socks), light jacket and socks for gloves. Daniel had on shoes with holes, socks for gloves and pajamas. Luckily we had a change of clothes to get them warm quickly.

Christmas time at the Phelps 2010

Once again, Christmas was a success here in the Phelps household. Each of the kids were thrilled with their presents. Highlights were:
Wyatt got a Dinosaur rocker that makes noises. He has to fight with Rylie to get a turn.
Rylie got a My Twinn doll that looks just like her. She loves it, almost too much. She especially loves brushing her hair and had her hair ruined within an hour of opening up the present. The brush is now confiscated, but her Twinn (Kylie) is never too far away. Thanks Oma for the fantastic gift.
Daniel got a Wii for Christmas. He loves games and has been thrilled playing this all Christmas long (it came a little early since Santa knew he had been a very good boy)
Darin and I treated each other to a 2 year membership to 24 Hour Fitness. We are both eager to finally get in shape and feeling healthier. Wish us luck!