Merry Christmas

Well this was an exciting Christmas at the Burch household and Hunter was very ready for Santa to come. He had colored lots of pictures for the reindeer and had a plan set that when he heard the jingle bells he was going to wake up and ask Santa if he could ride on his sleigh. Christmas Eve as he went to sleep he placed the pictures next to him and for the first hour or so every noise he heard he was awake and wondering if Santa had arrived. Mom and Dad decided to have Hunter call GG and Papa in Snowflake and Grandma Tobar in San Diego to see if Santa had been to their houses yet. They both informed Hunter that they had watched the "Santa Tracker" on the news and that he was just over Florida which was still a long way from Arizona. We clicked on the news and sure enough he had been spotted over Florida, once Hunter had nailed us down to an approximate time as to when Santa may arrive in Peoria (always our schedule kid) he finally fell asleep. He came in the next morning at 6:30 almost in tears because he hadn't heard the jingle bells and didn't think that Santa made it to his house. Dad went out and checked by the tree and yelled back that Santa had come! Hunter and Avery raced out to the living room to find this:


Santa had come!!!! Hunter excitedly picked up the note from Santa which said what a good boy he had been this year and how he had seen Hunter sleeping so peacefully and decided not to wake him up. Santa told him that he had hugged him though and thanked him for the pictures that the reindeer loved them especially Rudolph. Hunter raced to his bedroom to look for the pictures and came running back out, "Mom the pictures are gone, Santa came in my room and took them for the reindeer!" The whole time we are videotaping this event and my heart is swelling with happiness. I have always loved Christmastime but there is just something about watching the joy and excitement in the eyes of your children that brings the magic back. Santa brought Avery her very own kitchen and tons of fun stuff to go with it,


Hunter was given lots of great things but his favorite things were his drill set that was "just like daddy's" and his new fishing pole. (Pictures of a very cute first fishing trip to come)

This year we even let the kids pick out presents for each other and give them to each other. Avery didn't really understand but it was really fun to watch Hunter get excited to give something to her. All in all it was a wonderful Christmas, hope yours was a merry one. Oh and due to waiting still on family pictures to get developed our Christmas letter will now be coming to you in the form of a New Year letter. Happy Holidays from the Burch's!

Cottage style or Malibu retreat?

On Thurs. night we headed to my dad's house for dinner and to visit with Brenn. We stopped by the store and grabbed all the fixin's for some gingerbread house making. Neither Lisa or Alec had ever done a gingerbread house so we were excited to be there for their first experience. We divided into teams: Dad and Brenn, Lisa and Deke, and MeKell supervising Hunter and Alec. I asked them to give me their game face, here's shots of all the contestants getting their game on:

Hunter and Alec excited first timers, ready to build and sugar themselves up,

Brenn, definitely the creative artistic threat to the other competitors yet might be distracted from the need to constantly be texting,

Dad, the motivator keeping his team energized and encouraging them to "think outside of the box with their ideas, however his frustration with his team mates texting issues could come into play,
Deke, the engineer whose structural sturdiness could very likely overpower the other teams yet his enthusiasm to create may allow him to become power hungry and cause contention with the team,

Lisa, the quiet innovator who could very well come up with a single new idea that could blow that competition out of the water, however her trash talking ways could cause her to be jumped by the other contestants (hence she is preparing herself with a weapon) Deke and Lisa get off to a good start, Deke's structural style already in another class:

Dad and Brenn are having a rough start with design as seen below and their lines of communication are starting to break down and cause a lack of partnership:

Hunter and Alec are finished, with their final entries as follows:
Alec with a traditional style house who skillfully used all available materials in his construction.

Hunter who goes for less flash and color but uses one style element repeatedly and innovatively, and that style is gum...lots and lots of gum. The other two teams have now finished and it looks like Brenn and dad were able to pull it together, here are their entries:

Deke and Lisa use the cottage style themed around the "3 little bears," design elements include a shingled roof with licorice trim, texturized grass and flowing stream with bridge, graham paved driveway and a new innovative tree design never seen before. The design is clean and sturdy as well as colorful and cozy, what did their competitors come up with:

Brenn and dad came up with a style has never been seen by anyone we know in the gingerbread world, a beach retreat. This comes complete with exposed beams, lots of windows and a nice patio looking out onto beach front property. A landscape includes palm trees, a sandy beach with starfish, a beach umbrella and lawn chairs and a beautiful blue ocean. The design is unique, beautiful and relaxing. Upon discussion the beachfront is definitely this years winner as its style begins a new trend in gingerbread making. It has prompted us to want to continue this as a tradition, next year Kimbre and Marley we will wait to do it with all of you. MERRY CHRISTMAS everyone!!! Here are some final shots of everyone....

Party hardy

Well this was another weekend of party fun and craziness. My cousin Claudia Hatch got married to Josh Tieman. This is a picture of them with their family. Her colors were black with red and burnt orange which actually turned out very classy looking.

The sealing was nice, it made me think about my own wedding day and I kept looking at Claudia wondering if I had looked that young when we were married. The kids were so cute at the temple, Hunter and Eden are quite the little buddies. All of the cousins played and played and had so much fun. My Grandma went and got a new dress and had her hair done she looked so nice.

They had a good turn out at their reception and the person that decorated it really did an awesome job, it looked really beautiful. The only bummer was that the DJ was late and so there wasn't any music until about half way through.

However, once the music got going everybody was out there and going to town. Our family loves to dance and there is almost nothing sweeter than watching my Grandma and Grandpa dance together. They know all these dances that no one ever does anymore and it always makes me smile to watch them.

Speaking of dancing, we have our own future contestant for "So you think you can dance" residing right in our household. Hunter on a wim started dancing and before you knew it a large circle had formed around him and were clapping and egging him on. He of course did not disappoint. The kid was doing spins and trying to spin on his back and head like a mini break dancer. Then he jumped up in the air and came down in a half split then tried a full split. The more he did the more everyone went crazy, the more applause he got the more tricks he tried. The photographers were laughing and snapping shots off like crazy. " He is adorable, what a great little personality" one of them said to me. Hunter making people laugh and smile, enjoying being the life of the party, anyone surprised? Of course not.
This morning we went over to Bly and Lou's house for the family Christmas party. We ate, did a gift exchange and just spent family time together. It was so busy and festive I love all the kids and the chaos. I just love all the little kids running around and playing together I know that I want a housefull. It was so much fun there is just nothing like family and boy do I have a great one!!! Merry Christmas Hatch family, we love you all!!

To end it off I'll leave you with this image.... Kendon you crack us up!

The Christmas spirit

Well it is finally starting to feel like Christmas to me after my encounters yesterday as I was out and about. Deke and I went over to AJ's (really fancy, fun grocery store) for lunch after work and we were sitting inside eating lunch and it was freezing in there. I kept rubbing my arms and shivering because I was so cold my fingers were going numb. One of the ladies who worked there walked over to me, put a coat around my shoulders and said, "Here sweetie you can use this just bring it up to the register before you leave. Poor thing look at you, you are just freezing." Then she smiled at me and walked away. I know it sounds silly but I was so touched that someone would be so aware of another person and what a kind gesture it was. After finishing our lunch we meandered over to the bakery to check out some dessert and a sweet old couple were there getting some bagels. This sweet lady struck up a conversation with us and we just visited and then she patted me on the back and gave me a little squeeze and said, "Merry Christmas," and walked away. I began to wonder if I had stepped into some sort of magical grocery store from the movies and was sure that it would go away once we left the store. It continued all day long, random people striking up conversations with us then wishing us "Merry Christmas." Later that night we went to cost cutters to get haircuts and there was a mom with her two older daughters and a little boy waiting in the waiting area with us. Once again they started visiting with us, the boys started playing and one of her older girls started playing with Avery. We started talking and laughing and when it was time to go the woman told us what a sweet family we had and once again wished us a happy holiday. Today we live in a world where people just don't interact with people they don't know like they used to. If you don't know someone you don't ask to hold their baby, people just stand quietly in line right next to each other and mind their own business. I know it sounds silly but when that woman placed her coat on my shoulders and when the other woman gave me a little squeeze I got warm fuzzies all over. Touch is such a powerful thing and being aware of others around you is so important. I run into people all through the year that are kind and courteous, I am definitely one to talk to anyone around and love to socialize with people I don't know. However, there was just a special spirit about these people that made you feel like you had known them forever and it made me wish that we could interact with each other that like all the time or at least more often. It has definitely brought the spirit of Christmas to my heart very strong and I am trying to now pass it on and be that person to people around me. Their is just nothing like connecting with another person even in a very simple way, it for a moment gives us that feeling of unity.

Just a sampling...

Just a sampling of Hunter:

It is very common during dinner for Hunter to ask us where the food he is eating came from ex. (how is bread made, where do potatoes grow, etc. etc.) this particular night we were eating doritos and Hunter turned to me and asked: "Mom where do Doritos come from?" "Where do you think?" I asked him. "Well first they take triangle dough and then spray it all orange and then they cook it." "Yeah it goes something like that buddy" I replied. He sat quiet for a moment then looked over at me and asked, "But mom, how do they put in that crunchy sound?"

(Mom) "Okay buddy since you ate all your dinner you can have an OREO now." (Hunter) "Mom what is an OREO?" (Mom) "Hunter you know what an OREO is come on." (Hunter) "Is it a dinner thing?" "Is it a cracker?" "Is it cake mom?" (Mom) "Hunter you don't get an OREO until you stop joking around and tell me what an OREO is." (Hunter thoroughly frustrated and seriously not sure) "I just don't know, can you push my think hard button mom?" (Mom laughing hard) "It's a cookie son, and what????"

(Putting up the Christmas tree, Deke is attaching hooks to the ornaments handing them to Hunter who is placing them on the tree) (Mom) "Wow Hunter you are doing such a good job decorating the tree" (Hunter) "Yeah I am the ornament boy." (Mom) "Oh wow you're the ornament boy huh?" (Hunter) "Yep, I'm the ornament boy and dad is the hooker" (Laughter from both mom and dad)

(Grandma recorded Frosty the snowman for Hunter off of the tv while he was gone) (Grandma) Guess what Hunter we taped Frosty the snowman for you tonight. (Hunter) Wow, thanks Grandma, did you tape him on my door?"

Nothing like a puddle...

On Friday and Saturday we were so excited to be on the receiving end of some moisture here in the valley. It rained all day Friday, all through the night and half of Saturday, I LOVE RAIN!!! Deke went outside to try to sweep it off the porch since it was taking over the patio and bug begged and begged us to go out in it. We put a raincoat on him which pretty much did nothing since he ended up soaked clear through. He splashed in it, he drank it, he tilted his head back and let it fall on his face. He was so cute and the pure enjoyment on his face made my day. It constantly amazes me how good children are at loving all the little things in life. My kids always help me remember how important it is to slow life down and just enjoy moments like these. The picture I used for my header is so sweet the expression on his face as he lets the rain just fall down on him, that cute little smile.The picture above is what the header is supposed to look like!!! Tonight I am thoroughly frusterated at why my header picture is turning out so blurry and pixelated. It doesn't look that way in my picture folder or when I upload it, only when I publish it. I tried other pictures in place of it and they all look that way. It must be something going on with blogger because these little pictures turned out fine. If anyone has any tips or tricks on how to solve this little dilemma let me know. Otherwise, I will try again tommorrow to change my picture and see if I can get better clarity because it really is a sweet picture of bug.

Turkey day

Thanksgiving 2007 at a glance: Turkey cookies and zucchini with feta cheese,

Cute boys playing together and eating their fill,

Time with Grandpa and Grandma making memories,

Spending time together as a family enjoying each other's company,

Laughing, having fun and just being sisters. (See the next post below...)

We are so grateful for our many many blessings HAPPY THANKSGIVING from the Burch's!!!

What?!?!

Okay so on a wild hair after Thanksgiving dinner we decided to join the madness of "Black Friday" and head to the mall. We put the kids and Deke to bed and the girls and I headed to Arrowhead mall at about 12:30 a.m. The stores opened up anywhere from one o'clock to six o'clock. When we first arrived there the mall looked like this:

By one o'clock it was hoppin. The disney store had a line starting from the store all the way five stores down and people were filling it up. The store didn't open until three o'clock but these people were seriously hardcore about disney items and had been there since about eleven. I pondered if there was anything in the disney store that I would be willing to wait pretty much all night for sitting outside on tile in a mall waiting only for the doors to open and be trampled by all the crazed moms trying to get gifts for their kids. I decided that there definitely wasn't. After about an hour we decided to leave the mall empty handed but glad that we had taken time to reaffirm that shopping on this day was really not that worth it. As we headed home we went past Best Buy and my jaw hit the ground. People lined up from one end of the large strip mall all the way through it to the other end where the Best Buy was. Tents, air mattresses, people with blankets sitting in folding chairs playing cards. I guess there is also an appeal for the experience not just the sales. I know there has to be some item that I would be willing to take such measures to obtain but so far I really have not been able to think of a single one. However today on Saturday we did go by Kohl's and find two thanksgiving bowls and a beautiful platter all for like four dollars. I am definitely a girl who shops the sales and likes good deals but if you look you can find amazing deals all year long. Stores but a sign up in the window saying SALE and people come in throngs. Did anyone hear about the lady who almost got trampled by a rushing crowd yesterday as they opened the store doors?? Yeah definitely not something worth risking your life over or even in my opinion losing sleep for. The upside: time with the girls which is always a blast and just another fun memory made with them. Love you girls!!!

Okay, here it is...

I have been tagged and so everyone here you go here are six things you might not know about me:

1) I hate metal. I hate the smell of it, I hate how dirty it is. I don't like to touch the keys so if I have to use them to open the door I have to wash my hands right after I do. If I am leaving the house then I have to use a wet wipe or else I will think about the metal on my hands all the way until I get to a sink to wash. I will never carry change around, even the thought of holding it in my hands grosses me out. The smell of the metal on my kids hands after they swing on a swing, disgusting. I absolutely hate it, a little OCD I know.

2) I love rice krispy treats. I can eat a whole 9X11 pan by myself. They are probably one of my favorite snacks.

3) I am obsessed with germs on my pillowcase. I am the owner of more pillowcases then I can count. I put a pillowcase on one night, then turn it inside out the next night, and then it is time for a fresh one. If all pillowcases are dirty I will use one of Deke's clean t-shirts as a substitute or else it will drive me crazy. I have been given pillowcases for a gift before. Deke lovingly supports this problem and will change my pillowcase for me if he gets in bed before I do. Okay sorry another very OCD tendency.

4) I have a strange skill at memorizing numbers. I have our socials, my driver's license, water bill account numbers (actually all account numbers), old addresses and phone numbers from childhood, customer service phone numbers for our accounts etc. etc.

5) I won't eat any blue foods that would change my tongue, mouth and or teeth blue. Some of these foods include: Popsicles, suckers, kool aide, and M&M's. I will also not distribute any of these blue foods to my children. To see someone with a blue tongue or tinted blue teeth again grosses me out and I am really not sure why on this one.

6) I wanted to be an anchorwoman for a news station as my career choice. I actually started out as a journalism major at MCC and then realized that if I wanted kids that it would be a difficult career choice. I still think about it and would have loved the opportunity to work in that field I still have an interest in it. As a kid I used to love to borrow the video camera and put on mock newscasts with my sisters and friends.

Well now that we have established that I am a rice krispy loving, germaphobe with multiple OCD tendencies who became a teacher and secretly wishes to be working at channel 12, memorization wiz let me tell you a few other things...

* I may be OCD about a lot of things but I never iron, my side of the closet is always a mess and I love touching slimy things like the inside of the pumpkin at Halloween. I remember numbers but I am bad at Math and consider eating a blue M&M every now and again. Whew! Well that's all folks probably more than you ever cared to know :) :) Check the post below for pics of the kids, they are much more interesting.

These two

Well Hunter and Avery are really starting to play together a lot instead of just next to each other. Tonight they were in the laundry room playing and I caught a few shots of them being silly. It made me smile when I realized two things 1) they are having a lot of fun together just playing 2) I think that I can count on one hand how many times I have seen a picture of Avery without out some type of bow or band on her head. They are so cute!