Play Dough!!

One of Hoyt's new favorite things to do is play with the play dough he got for Christmas. He gets to use all sorts of new, fun gadgets while playing...meat tenderizer...cookie cutters...you name it. Which brings me to a funny story:

I figured that I had thought this thing through. You know, put down the plastic table cloth with the fabric backing to protect the table; get out a few fun kitchen items to use with the play dough; etc.

Hoyt loved using the meat tenderizer (as you can imagine!) to make patterns in the play dough. It didn't even occur to me to place something else under the tablecloth to protect the table until I walked out of the room and heard Hoyt "missing" the play dough and hitting the table.

Let's just say I got back into the room in time to lift the tablecloth and see quite a few very small holes in the tabletop. Oh well...that rustic, slightly beat-up look is all the rage now - I guess I'm not that worried. At least it did give me the opportunity to tell Ryon that I think I need a new kitchen table!!

A Christmas to Remember

We had a great Christmas this year, starting off with Christmas Eve at Seth and Cathryn's house. We had a birthday bash for Holly, and the cousins got to open presents from Grandma and Grandpa. Hoyt loves to play with all of his cousins, so we barely saw him all night!! We read the story of the Savior's birth, sang lots of songs, and ate...ate...ate.

This is us on Christmas Eve...not the best picture, but the only one I had! Christmas Day was spent at Grandma and Grandpa Hoyt's house. Hoyt and cousin Isaiah are now best buddies, so they spent all day playing with new toys. Hoyt's swords from Santa were their favorite items to play with - along with the Cabela's nerf gun that Hoyt couldn't put down all day. Here's a glimpse into Christmas 2009:

Feliz Navidad

Feliz Navidad.....Feliz Navidad.....Feliz Navidad

Prospero Ano y Felicidad

We want to wish you a Merry Christmas

We want to wish you a Merry Christmas

We want to wish you a Merry Christmas

From the bottom of our hearts!

Mom...I'm Blitzen!

I have a reindeer obsessed boy on my hands these days! All he talks about is Santa and his reindeer at the North Pole, and how the reindeer will bring Santa to our house on Christmas. In fact the other day he said, "Mom...listen...I hear Santa and the reindeer!" I love that he is really getting into all of the holidays this year. It is so fun!

A few days ago, he insisted on wearing reindeer antlers the entire day. This was breakfast:

He was a good little reindeer and ate all of his french toast!

We then had to go out and run quite a few errands. I think we made it to five stores, and he wore his second pair of antlers the entire time. He even kept them on in the car. I would laugh as I looked in the rear-view mirror and saw a pair of antlers bouncing to the Christmas music! At every store he was asked which reindeer he was and he would proudly say, "I'm Blitzen!"

Looks to me like he is truly enjoying this Christmas season. I think he may go through withdrawal when it's over!

Treat Making and Caroling

I wanted to start a new Murray Family Tradition this year by taking treats and caroling to a few of our friends for Family Home Evening. Good idea in theory, but the night we went it was pouring rain...pretty darn COLD...Ryon and Hoyt stayed in the car the vast majority of the time...and I slipped and fell on some ice getting out of the car and ended up soaked!

Let's just say the night didn't go exactly as I had planned. However, there is always next year and since this is our new family tradition (sorry Ryon! He's not so sure about the singing part!) we'll definitely be doing it again in 2010!

Hoyt loved helping me make the treats. His favorite thing to do these days is pull a chair over to the island and help me STIR whatever I am baking.

Hard at work!

With some of our favorite people... the Castiblancos!. They tried to get Ryon to sing a solo, but he just wouldn't do it. Maybe next year! (Ryon's taking the picture - thanks babe!)

Must Be Santa...

Last Saturday we had the pleasure of visiting with Santa at RC Willey. I had told Hoyt the night before that we would be seeing Santa the next day, and that was all he could talk about for a good 24 hours. He said that he wanted to give Santa a big hug, and ask for presents in his stockin'. I was worried that he might get scared at the last minute, but as the pictures show he was definitely "lovin' it"!

I'm not sure if there could be a happier little boy!! His conversation with Santa went like this:

Hoyt: Hi Santa!

Santa: Hi there.

Hoyt: Where are Donner and Blitzen?

Santa: (pointing) On the roof.

Hoyt: No, at the North Pole!

Santa: What do you want for Christmas?

Hoyt: Presents in my stockin', in Mom's stockin, and in Dad's stockin'!

Can you tell that we have been doing a lot of reading and talking about Christmas and Santa in the Murray house this year? He especially loves the book The Night Before Christmas and has every reindeer name memorized!

Finally giving Santa the hug he had talked so much about. I wish I could have taken a picture from the other angle - he was all smiles!

We then walked around RC Willey and Hoyt had to jump and pretend to sleep on every bed in the youth section. This was his favorite, because the quilt had every ball represented - football, baseball, basketball...you get the picture!!

Birthday #35!

Ryon turned the big #35 this past week, so we celebrated with a few friends and some cake and ice cream. Hoyt and I put our heads together and went to Cabela's to buy him bullets for his big day (I know...I know...what a GREAT gift)!

In fact, when Ryon found out that we were going to Cabela's he insisted on going with us because he wanted a new camo. jacket. He ended up picking out the four boxes of bullets that he wanted, so my surprise was completely blown. At least I know he got what he wanted! Happy Birthday Sweets - we love you!!

Just before blowing out the candles...

Hoyt and Hudson had to help!!

And, a close-up of Hoyt, who for the entire week would say "Dad...it's your birthday...happy birthday Dad!!"

As Promised...

We went out in the snow today and had a blast. (Even though it was FREEZING!) Something is wrong when you are heading to the post office at 10:30 in the morning and the car thermostat says that it is 7 degrees outside!! It was warmer than that when we ventured outside to play, but it was still COLD!

I don't think Hoyt even knew it was cold - he was too excited about the snow!

Here he is trying to run...

And here he is when he figured out that running in deep snow is difficult!

His favorite activity in the snow was simply walking in it (and throwing snow balls). He made trail after trail in the fresh snow, and asked me over and over to make him more snow balls to throw.

He really...really wanted to swing,



So, right before we went inside he got a quick ride. When I told him that it was time to go in to get warm he started to cry. He would have frozen out there all afternoon if I would have let him!

Let it SNOW!

Yesterday morning we woke up to this:

Six inches of snow! By the end of the day we had at least 7 1/2 inches, and Hoyt desperately wanted to go out and play in it. He kept looking out in the backyard saying, "Mom, I see a mountain of snow...a mountain of snow"! He would then look at his swing set and say, "Mom, I go swing with the snow?"

I promised him that we would go out and play in the snow tomorrow. However, "tomorrow" didn't exactly register with a two-year-old!

O' Christmas Tree

For the past few years I have gone back and forth about buying an artificial Christmas tree. Sometimes I think it would be so nice to take one out of a box, set it up, plug it in and presto...great tree! I almost did it this year, but then decided I needed to smell fresh pine one more time. So, off we went to get our tree.

Hoyt loves going to get the tree. All he does is run around the lot getting lost in all the Christmas trees. Can you tell he is enjoying himself here?

He also likes to help pick out the tree. Here he is telling me that this one is "pretty TALL mom!"

This Christmas tree lot has a train - it was also a highlight of the visit!

He loved the train engine - and couldn't stop saying "Choo...Choo"!

He was definitely my BIG helper when it came time to decorate. He had all the decorations lined up on the floor - all the balls were together in a pile, the glittery ornaments were together, etc. I think he might be a little type A personality like his mother!

The finished product...now if I could just bottle the smell! When I finally get an artificial tree the smell is what I will miss the most.

A Busy...Sick...Week

Last week was going to be extremely busy. My mom and dad were coming to town so my dad could speak at a conference; I was going to get a lot done before they arrived so we could have fun and visit; and then Hoyt and I were going to fly to Utah for Ashlan's baptism (and some great shopping!!). Let's just say...it didn't go exactly as planned.

Grandma and Grandpa arrived on Wednesday to one sick, little grandson. I had taken Hoyt to urgent care on Monday evening, but they said his ears were fine and his cough wasn't in his lungs. After another few days of horrible coughing, I took him to our doctor and wouldn't you know - double ear infection, and what sounded to them like the beginnings of croup.

So, I called Allison and gave them the depressing news. No trip to Utah (boo...hoo) and an entire week in the house with the "sick one". We have been trying to keep ourselves entertained by doing a lot of this:

We have spent hours in the playroom - building towers, having car races, riding horses, you name it...we've done it!

Watching (I hate to say it) a fair share of TV. The Tinkerbell movies have kept us entertained, along with Mickey Mouse Christmas.

And quite a bit of coloring. We might need a new box of crayons for Christmas! Now, after antibiotics and steroids, we are back to our happy...non-coughing...self again, and I'm thinking we might even leave the house!!

On Being Thankful....

We had a great Thanksgiving in California this year. For some reason I didn't take many pictures - I really needed a shot of the 35 pound turkey in the oven... it was humongous!

We joked this year about everyone coming to Reno for Thanksgiving 2010 and going to a buffet. No cooking, and no cleaning up afterwards; but I guess it just wouldn't be the same without the family traditions. What would we do without "carrots of the ritz" and the famous jello salad? I don't think any casino buffet would have those two items on the menu!

As always, at Thanksgiving we are thankful for family...

And LARGE sunglasses that keep the two-year-old occupied.

We're thankful for cousins who make three nights at Grandma's house so much fun...

And for lots of stories being read before nap time!

TACKLE

Grandma and Grandpa Murray came for a visit the week before Thanksgiving. Hoyt couldn't believe his luck - he had two adults playing with him 24 hours a day for three whole days!!

Hours of playing in the playroom, swinging and sliding on the swing set, playing TACKLE, and riding the newest addition to Hoyt's herd of play horses..."Montana". (Montana was Ryon's bouncy horse when he was little). Let's just say Hoyt went through withdrawal when grandma and grandpa left.

Grandma and grandpa also brought Ryon's football helmet and pads from when he was a boy - Hoyt thinks he is a real football player now. He loves to tackle both Ryon and I, as well as throw touchdown passes.

TACKLE!!

With dad and all of the sports paraphernalia!

We need to grow into the helmet - I never thought I'd be saying that with the size of his head!

Riding Montana - he can get pretty crazy! I'm waiting for the day when he and Montana topple over!

Tool Time!

Hoyt has recently become a little "tool man". Whenever Ryon gets his tools out - Hoyt has to get his tool box as well. Lately he not only wants his play tools, but the real ones as well. He calls the real tools the "ouchy ones". Yesterday he asked me where his ouchy screwdriver was; I guess his two plastic screwdrivers just weren't good enough!!

Here he is using the hammer on a rack that Ryon was about to put up in the garage

Always close by dad and the tools!

He has moved on to the...what is that tool anyway? (Tools aren't my specialty - Ryon should be writing this post!!)

Rainy + Cold & Windy Day =

Fun, indoor projects for mom and the two-year-old. Butcher paper covering the kitchen table makes a pretty large canvas to draw (scribble) on. Hoyt especially loved when I traced his hand; when Ryon got home we had to trace his hand too! Next time we're going to make "hand turkeys", just in time for Thanksgiving.

After an hour and a half of creating his masterpiece, Hoyt watched his new favorite movie The Aristocats and enjoyed a few bowls of popcorn. He now goes around the house singing, "Everybody...everybody...everybody wants to be a CAT" at the top of his lungs. Thank heavens for Disney movies!

Hoyt loves to draw

HARD at work!

Popcorn and a movie...this kid would eat popcorn for every meal if we let him!

Like Father...

like son. Ryon thinks Hoyt looks him, but I see a few of my genes in the little man as well. Don't you think?

This is Ryon in his cowboy costume when he was a little boy.

And...here is Hoyt in the same chaps and vest. Too cute!