JIBSON 2009 CHRISTMAS CARD

So it is Christmas Eve and we are finally sitting down together to write our Christmas letter.

This year has gone by so fast – I guess that’s what happens when your kids get older – life gets busier and busier and better and better!

In our own words. . .

Kyle

“I have been busy prosecuting the bad guys. I recently moved out of prosecuting DUI’s and am now working in a felony unit. It’s hectic and stressful and I love every minute of it! I also love my calling as 1^st Counselor in the Elder’s Quorum Presidency. Life doesn’t slow down after 5:30 during the week. I have really enjoyed playing football with my boys and attending their baseball games this year. Karalyn melts my heart with her smile especially when she looks right at me and says “daddy”. I have most enjoyed date nights and little trips with my gorgeous and talented wife.”

Kaylynn

With two kids in school this year I thought life would get a little easier. . . What was I thinking? Two kids in school means double the paperwork, double the volunteering and double the homework! I am loving every minute of it! I love getting to volunteer in both a kindergarten class and a 4^th grade class. I don’t know which class is easier. Kids are active and crazy and fun no matter how old they are! I was just settling in to my Young Women’s Calling when out of the blue I was called to be the 2^nd Counselor in the Stake Primary Presidency. After the initial shock wore off I am now loving that calling as well. I love the women I work with and they are nice enough to have our weekly presidency meetings at my house every week. Since they all have grown children it works well at my house so my kids can be locked in the playroom – I mean entertained in the playroom while we have our meetings. I love being back in Primary. I took two trips to Utah this year. One for Women’s Conference with my Jibson Sister in Laws and one to attend my Grandpa Schlappi’s funeral. Both trips took me down memory lane of my growing up years. My favorite thing I did all year was take an unexpected trip with my husband to Great America (the amusement park). It was a great little getaway!”

 Kale

“I’m Kale. I’m 9 years old. I played regular season and fall baseball this year. I’m in the 4^th grade. I like Diary of a Whimpy Kid books. My favorite color is blue. My favorite sports are football, baseball, soccer, and basketball. I’m the oldest. I really don’t like being the oldest. I share a room with my brother. I don’t like it because he always talks in the middle of the night. My favorite thing we did this year is when we went to Sunsplash (a local waterpark) and I rode the revolution (a waterslide) all by myself! I had a really good year. Love, Kale”

Kristopher

“I’m 5 years old. I go to Kindergarten. I am in the retriever class and my teacher really likes me. I try to work hard doing my homework with my mom. My favorite color is red. My favorite song is “I want to Rock” from my brother’s triple play video game. My brother thinks he is the boss of me. My favorite thing I did this year was go to the beach house because we were super heroes!”

Karalyn

 I wish we could have captured her own words for this letter. You would have heard such things as:

 Daddy (in the cutest voice you have ever heard)

I don’t know (it’s how she answers any question posed to her)

Bampa (grandpa)

I’m done (this is what we hear when she is done eating, done bathing, or done throwing one of her little drama fits)

Pee – ew (which she says as we are changing her diapers – I’m sure her brothers taught her that one)

Doggie (she loves dogs. She may be the one that convinces her mother to own a dog)

Kitty (which is actually how she says “baby” and so all of her dolls are named “kitty”

Kara is so fun to have in the house. She holds her own with her brothers but also brings some much needed girl power into the house. My favorite thing about her right now is that she doesn’t walk or run anywhere – she skips.  My most un-favorite thing about her right now is her refusal to have her picture taken, so although she isn’t always pictured with our family I can’t imagine our family without her!

We know this will reach you after Christmas so we hope everyone had a Very Merry Christmas and Best Wishes for 2010!

 Love, 

Kyle, Kaylynn, Kale, Kristopher and Karalyn Jibson

Before Christmas there was . . .

Before I can go into Christmas Morning details

I have to update on what we did to get ready for Christmas.

We made our annual Fremont trip to visit Nana and Papa Kennan!

We ate at BANCHEROS, a tradition my kids will never let us stop doing.

(and as a side note I believe I should win mother of the year for taking my almost 2 year old daughter to a 7 course meal - I stopped looking at my watch after we had been there for over an hour and we had eaten soup, salad, an appetizer plate, spaghetti with meatballs and raviolis and we hadn't even gotten to our entree or dessert)

Here is Kale about to try ANCHOVIES. . .

And here is Kristopher's attempt!

Then it's off to see the Oakland Temple Lights!

It never disappoints!

This girl was dragging Papa all over the temple grounds!

We made our (I think) 3rd attempt at getting a Family Christmas Card Picture

I then thought I would at least settle for a mother daughter picture. . .

Ahhh Success!

(why do I look so tired?)

COOKIE BAKING DAY WITH THE SHERLOCKS

Marissa is so great and gives me all her hand me downs from her girls and it just so happened that Kara and Elise wore the same outfit!

They could be sisters huh?

I always told Marissa that if I didn't have a girl of my own I was going to claim Elise!

Here we have the present exchange!

And then we moved on to cookie decorating!

There's Kristopher, Kyla, Elise, Kale, Olivia and Kasey!

Oh yeah - did I forget to mention that my little brother Kasey is spending Christmas and New Years with us this year?

Here's my little brother who towers over me!

I realized that he is the age that I was when Karalyn was his age!

Oh and Kara got in on the decorating action.

She was trying to feed me the sprinkles.

It wasn't so funny when I tried to feed her the sprinkles!

CHRISTMAS LIGHTS AT DOVEWOOD COURT

We took Kasey to go see the Christmas light displays around town one night.

(anyone notice the oversized sweatshirt my daughter is wearing? I was so good to set all the coats, hats, gloves and scarves out on the living room floor according to child before we left the house, but because I can't buckle Karalyn up in her coat I put her in the car with every intention of going back inside to get her coat, hat, and gloves, but I got sidetracked and they were left sitting on the living room floor. Fortunately I have a 9 year old son who has a wardrobe of clothing in the back seat of the van - so oversized sweatshirt it was!)

NEIGHBORHOOD GIFT DELIVERY

Last year we started a tradition where we take each house on our court a little gift. There are 14 houses on our court and not all of them even know who we are. I figure if we keep doing it year after year they will eventually know who we are right?

Whew!

Christmas Eve. . .

What other night of the year can you go from this. . .

to this?

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

Friends

This is my friend Jen.

It is her birthday today.

We should be out to lunch together,

or making plans for a big date night tonight in honor of her birthday.

But instead I'm sitting here missing her.

Because she moved to Idaho last weekend.

We went over one night and helped get everything ready for the big move.

Well maybe the guys worked.

Maybe we just talked a lot.

Our kids love each other.

We already have at least 2 arranged marriages set up between the families.

They had a blast with an empty house to keep them entertained while we worked (I mean talked)

Here's our kids. . .

BYE Jen and Quinn

(When's the cruise?)

We will miss having you as "neighbors"

but we'll always be friends!

And HAPPY BIRTHDAY JEN!

Gingerbread vs. Graham Cracker

Our friends invited us over last week for Family Night to make "gingerbread houses".

We were totally excited.

I asked Kyle 

"do you think she is making real gingerbread houses for us to decorate?"

Kyle says 

"does it matter?"

I say 

"Yes it matters. Real gingerbread is hard core - I'm more of a graham cracker mom."

So the day before my friend asks me

"it's OK if it's just graham crackers right?"

Phew we can still be friends. . .

This girl really got into it!

She has mad decorating skills!

See these two girls?

They could be twins right?

Well they really do have the same birthday. . .

just a few hours apart.

These two had fun too!

And the finished products. . .

KALE

KRIS

KARA

BRING ON THE GRAHAM CRACKERS!

Where is my picture with Santa?

So because of our little "limo adventure"

my kids missed out on seeing SANTA at the Ward Christmas Party.

The kids wrote their Santa letters weeks ago with their wish list. . .

and Santa even replied back to them

so they know that Santa knows what they want,

BUT. . .

I still wanted the treasured picture on Santa's Lap!

So a few weeks before hand when we were at the Library turning in our old books and checking out our new books,

I noticed the sign that said:

READING WITH SANTA

December 12

11:00 am

So of course I was thrilled.

Picture with Santa. CHECK!

So you better believe we got to the library at 10:30 am.

We were going to have a good seat to read with the "BIG MAN"!

First, Clifford the Big Red Dog showed up.

The kids were excited!

(except Kara - she was scared)

I thought, this is going to be good.

I can't wait!

It was almost time for the big moment.

The library was full of impatient kids,

even I was getting a little excited. . .

And then Santa's elves came out

(and I got a little nervous). . .

We sang some songs

(and helped the elves with the words because half way through "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" they forgot most of the words)

And then SANTA CAME!

And the bubble burst.

Really?

Maybe if you would have ho ho ho'ed a little louder you might have been a little more convincing.

Or maybe if you would have worn boots instead of keds you would have been a little more convincing.

Or maybe if you would have read "Twas the Night Before Christmas" with a little more enthusiasm and not skipped half the words you couldn't pronounce you would have been a little more convincing.

Or maybe if your suit wasn't made out of felt you would have been more convincing.

Or maybe it was the weight issue (I mean come on I weigh more than you Santa).

It was probably the fact that your mustache kept falling under your mouth and getting caught in your beard,

BUT I WASN'T CONVINCED!

Clifford the Big Red Dog had more fans than Santa Clause.

So despite the fact that I wasn't convinced,

I guess Santa is Santa to an almost 2 year old.

So we walked away from an interesting morning with no picture with Santa Clause like I had hoped.

But the trip wasn't a total bust!

DIARY OF A WHIMPY KID was CHECKED IN so we absolutely CHECKED IT OUT!

Anyone know of a CONVINCING Santa we could take a picture with in the next 5 days?

(and I'm not paying for my daughter to sit on the "mall Santa" and scream her head off - I want it for FREE!)