HELP!!

Here's the quick version of what's going on... In September I agreed to do the radio show for the newspaper. Two months later they asked if I was interested in hosting a new show for women. I tossed the idea around and now it's happening. So, I need a name. It's formatted like the View and The Talk with four women from different backgrounds... talking about love, life, kids, politics and a bit of gossip. Any ideas? can't be too "Mormon" or exclude any group of women (with or w/o kids, single, married, old, young).
thanks!!!!

New Year's Day

Yet another tradition filled with family. On New Year's day for as long as I can remember, we have been gathering for the Kresser family sea food dinner. When it first stared, I think they mostly ate the things grandma and grandpa caught on their yearly trips to the Oregon coast. Now we spend a fortune splurging on the things we enjoy.

 This year I was invited into the kitchen and taught how to cook calamari, sea scallops and shrimp. It was like I was finally old enough to learn the great Kresser cooking secrets. Really, I got to do it because Shelbi moved to Chicago. :) Lucky me. It was fun to be part of it.

 Jensen doesn't eat a large variety of things but he does have good taste. He and Carter love crab and can sit and eat it for hours. It must be genetic.

 We had a special treat this year and enjoyed grandma Kresser's halibut casserole. I couldn't help but smile. I remember watching her make it many years ago. She was the queen of this tasty meal.

Here's to a new year that hopefully will be filled with love, laughter and fewer moving vans.

Kresser Family Party

BINGO!!!

Need I say more? A Kresser descended and their bingo card--inseparable.

Post Christmas Bowling

It's tradition (although not quite the same without Scott) to go bowling a day or two after Christmas. We had a blast and took Rich's uncle Dave with us this year.

 Anja kicked my butt! She hit 90!

 Jensen finished off two plates of fries.

 David wouldn't talk to us much because he takes his bowling very seriously and we were being too silly he said.

Show off!

Christmas Morning, 2010

 Payday for the mom who spent more hours looking for the Harry Potter Castle than anything else. Quick story.. It wasn't going to happen. There wasn't a castle in SLC. I'd looked, Rich offered his students extra credit if they found it, my brother's were searching other states. Then, I was at a neighbors' house when I over heard her say she thought she was done shopping until her boy spotted the HPC at Walmart. I interrupted and she said she spotted it there 20 minutes ago. I left the party. Got there and found a lady with one too many in her basket :) I offered her $20 on the spot for her second one, she took the cash and I got the castle!

 Again, a hard gift to get. The purple unicorn was MIA in Utah, Scott found this for us in Chicago (uncle Scott to the rescue!) she got it and she loves it and it never leaves her side. It went with her to preschool for show-n-tell the first day back to school.

 Huge assortments of Barbie princesses-- all naked and swimming in the bath tub by that night.

 Wipe Out on the Wii--- highly recommend this game to anyone.

 Jensen wanted a Sponge Bob Snuggie-- again hard to find but I did and he loves it (jealous aren't you Mat?)

 Risk-- a game I still don't know how to play.

 A princess tent, because we just needed one I guess.

 One very tired dad who made this all possible. You are amazing!

 This year Rich didn't put one lego together (he was too busy working on princess stuff). The boys are old enough to do it themselves.

Merry Christmas!

Rich got some books on tape and a few other things he wanted. I got sparkly jewelry (it's the unwritten rule that I need new diamonds in some form every year) and a new water cooler (thanks dad) so as Jensen said, "We can drink water again" sad that my children don't know water comes from a tap in kitchen. They think it comes from big blue bottles. I guess at our house it does.

It was a wonderful day full of fun and excitement. I love Christmas, I really do.

Christmas eve morning and night...

 Christmas eve morning brought gifts from grandma and grandpa Coombs. They were some of the first gifts to arrive and had been tempting us under the tree for nearly two weeks!

 Carter was very happy with some Lego game..

And Anja loves her new Fur-real kitten. It's so life-like she might stop asking for a real one, NOT.

 Then came the traditional Bywater family Christmas Eve dinner and gift exchange. We start from the youngest and work our way up. Anja loves this system...

 SOOOO happy it was Olivia's house!

 Jensen about exploded over this. Getting Haggrid's Hut here was quite the tail. It was back ordered on Lego.com until February so I sent out a text to my brother's out of state and sure enough, Mat and Kellie found one at a little obscure toy shop in downtown Portland. They saved the day and grandma and grandpa Bywater were the heroes.

 Carter liked his gift already because it was BIG...

.. and then he liked it even more because it was COOL. It's had several test runs in the snow already.

Mom and dad were happy with their 9th row tickets to Yani from us kids.
It was a great day/night.

December 23.. a long night/morning

Rich and I have a little tradition in our home. I don't really remember when it started or even why but we love it and it works for us. On Christmas eve morning (which has got to be the longest day of a kids life) we exchange family gifts. The kids are excited to open the dollar store gifts from their siblings and are thrilled with the gifts from mom and dad. This year we decided to give our kids furniture. Yes, that's right, furniture. It was time to retire the $900 crib I bought the day the tornado hit Utah, August 11, 1999. I was paying for it when my boss called and I thought he was drunk.. a tornado? I worked a long day. I needed the extra hours after buying a $900 crib (only DINK's do that).

Sorry.. back to December 23... the kids were in bed and the crib came down..

They were all snug in our bed when Rich and I stared working (10:30 p.m.). I had a ping of sadness, no more babies, no more crib, but it lasted only a second before a 'not so lady-like' word slipped out as I remembered what a pain putting up/taking down the crib is (it's for sale with the matching dresser if you know anyone).

My girl magically woke up in this incredible bed that I fell in love with but was a bright yellow and the only one at RC Willey so my amazing husband set up a paint tent in my garage and went to work. Oh la la, custom paint job.

Jensen woke up in this beautiful mission style queen bed that will probably follow him to college. He's very happy to have a "huge" bed.

And Carter woke up to a new book shelf (heavy enough to withstand the stress of college boys) that is his Lego display case. He did not get a new bed because we want to keep the bunk beds for another year. It's nice to have the extra bed. But, he'll out grow it this year and we'll have to get him a queen.

Merry Christmas kiddo's!