Welcome Home Melba! Don't we love all things "complementary?"

So "my missionanry" came home...Hermana Anderson! We conviently flew in the same day, only she beat us by a few hours.

Funny story: We went to Olive Garden for old times sake and to catch up. After going up the wrong elevator and getting lost, I finally found my way to the Olive garden where my dear friend was waiting for me. We ordered the soup salad and breadsticks - classic choice. A waiter came by and spilled his breadsticks, we helped him clean them up. Only moments later, the manager came by and apologized for us being "hit" with bread sticks. We laughed and told her we weren't hit, they just spilled, yet she still insisted we get a complementary dessert. Love that word - a formal word for free. If it's free, it's for me :) Couldn't turn that one down.

Melba and I proceeded to eat our salad when she squealed and gagged. I thought she'd eaten the pepper that neither of us wanted. Nope, there was a lady bug in her salad - a bright red one sitting on her lettuce leaf. We laughed some more. The waitress came by and asked us how things were going...we responded, "Well, things are good, but there's a ladybug in the salad." She witnessed the lady-like-lady bug sitting on the lettuce leaf and replied, "Wow, guess it's not your girls' day." But, it gets better, the Manager came back stood by our table for a minute while we all laughed and then stated, "you're meals will be complenatary." That fabulous word once more!

Melba and I very much enjoyed our complementary soup, salad, breadsticks, and dessert. Thank you Olive Garden! All you have to do is get "hit" with breadsticks and find a lady bug in your salad...and Wham...Complementary! Love that word!

P.S. Naturally, I couldn't find my car due to that cursed parking lot, so Melba drove me around until we found it...Good times....Welcome home Meliss!

There's No Place Like Home for the Holidays! Part II

So Christmas comes with lots of Christmas traditions. The Thacker Family Party this year was at This is the Place State Park. We enjoyed a great family dinner & a pioneer Christmas.

Had to sit on Santa's lab!


And see a real live Rein deer! Maybe this one's Dancer?


We also had to fit in a little Christmas skiing! and Look who's joined the Ski club - Mr. Matt LeCheminant himself. Despite the flat light and fog, we somehow found our way down the mountain. We'd held our traditional defrost at the truck lunch and ate our skiing sandwiches. Then, back to the mountain for more!

Another tradition...had to see Tempe Square! The lights were as intricate and perfect as ever.


Christmas Eve arrived and yes...another Tradition (probably the one Matt was most excited about..te he) Thacker Christmas Caroling. Our numbers were fewer this year, but we still had a great time. The Allen's had cookies for us, the little kids rushed up front, and it just felt like Christmas. Grandma made an amazing Ham dinner following caroling.
Then, the opening of Christmas eve Jammies!


in anticipation for CHRISTMAS!!!

Matt and I were spoiled as usual.
Tara flaunted her stuff as usual :)

And the magic of love and giving was there as usual :)


We spent Christmas day with our Balle fam, opening gifts, playing games, and eating food.

Matt and I painted the kitchen...check out Matt's hot Pants!


Merry Christmas!!!

Oh Christmas Tree!

There's something sentimental about putting up and taking down the Christmas tree. At home we put it up together as a family amidst the music of Alabama. We sing along to Tennessee Christmas as dad unwraps the ornaments and we hang them up. We look for ones made of clay or yarn or made with pictures of us that we constructed as kids.

As Matt and I start our own Christmas tree and Christmas traditions, we too listen to Alabama. We hung up the popcorn garland (a project not to be repeated - it took FoReVeR), and our few, but meaningful ornaments. We laid our stockings under our tree until we have a place to hang them. This year will be a little different from last. Everything home-made, but I'm very much looking forward to it. I mean in a sense, all of our Christmases are home-made. They're memories made at home with those ones we love. "There's no place like home for the holidays." Right?

December 13th...Yes...This is for REAL.

77 Degrees outside...Total Beach Day. Last Chance to soak up some rays for Christmas. I'm beginning to love Southern California.

We played a little bit of beach football, let the water tickle our toes, soaked up a little sun, and played int he sand with our friends, the Cordons.

Love the Beach!

A Few More Things About Matt Worth Documenting...

Matt got his Loops/Loopes, clearly making him a legit "six eyes." Look'n good Dr. Matt :) Must add I did help install the light on top with microscopic screws (really - you'd need the loops/loopes to see them).

Do you see that brown stuff on his face? It's not chocolate, or dirt, but a mustache. Yes, he grew it all by himself. I fear this December mustache growing is becoming an annual event. Last year it was for a Mocktails and Mustache Party, this year it's a first year finals dental celebratory mustache. Who knows, what it will be next?

First Round of Finals Finished

Do you see Matt's face? It's the look of exhaustion. You can see it on every dental students face at some point or another during finals week. Sun Flower seeds and Christian Hagge became a staple keeping Matt awake and focused during studying. Matt was trooper. He's held out the end, and finished. Let the partying begin! I now have my husband back for three whole weeks!

Good Ole Shutterfly!

So here's my little plug for Shutterfly for any of you who are on a budget like me! I’ve never posted a pass along promotion before, but I think this one’s worth checking out. Shutterfly is offering a promotion right now for 50 free Christmas cards when you write a post about the promotion your blog. Afterall, “If it’s free it’s for me!” Check it out!

http://blog.shutterfly.com/5358/holiday2010-blog-submission-form/

I LOVE Shutterfly’s cards and have actually been trying to create my Christmas card patterned after a few on Shutterfly – great inspiration! I've been looking around for lots of Christmas cards, and have definitely been most impressed with theirs.

http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/christmas-cards

http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/christmas-photo-cards

Shutterfly also has other fun gift ideas like calendars and photobooks. We’ve made photobooks as a family several times following Balle Vacations, and they’ve turned out to be great keepsakes. Eventually, I want to compile a photobook for each year Matt and I have been married. Yes, since we recently got married, now’s a pretty good time to start, right? Anyways, I think it would be a fun ongoing anniversary present to make each year with photos and commentary. I’ve seen a lot of people do something similar with Calendars for Christmas. I know a friend of mine compiles photos and quotations from the previous year and does a calendar each year for Christmas - Fun idea.

http://www.shutterfly.com/calendars

Anyways, in the past, I have been very pleased with Shutterfly’s service. The regularly offer great promotions via email – so watch for a deal!

THANKSGIVING SO CAL STYLE

This is us...We're the LeCheminants (minus a few for the Holiday). Clearly, we know how to have a good time, especially at Thanksgiving and especially in Southern California.

"Hosting" Thanksgiving at our place was a first for Matt and I, and I dare say it was a success. I was amazed by how full our fridge was on Wednesday evening...jam packed, filled to the brim (The fullest I have ever seen it). However, I was also amazed that it was almost empty Sunday afternoon! I guess our bellies had become "jam packed, filled to the brim." Matt says that's just what happens when four LeCheminant boys are present. Therefore, I salute you Renee, for all the grocery shopping, cooking, and dish-doing for more than four boys and for far more than four years :)

Thanksgiving Day: Cooking...Lots of Cooking...Lots of Gratitude...Lots of Dishes. Renee taught me how to make a real turkey, like the ones in the movies with the stuffing inside. This was the full bird, not just the breast meat. When Renee pulled out the "parts package," Matt and I set off trying to identify the "parts" anatomically. That's what happens when a nurse and a dental student help make a turkey. The turkey turned out delicious thank so to Renee's expert skill.

We really cooked all morning long and into the early afternoon, mind we did take a break to get some tickets to Harry Potter. However, our labors were not in vain. Check out this feast!

It was a blend of traditions. Grandma Carr's stuffing, Grandma Balle's Yams, Renee's Turkey, Balle spinach salad...The blend was yummy. After dinner, we rolled over to the theater to see Harry Potter, a perfect way to let the food settle and be entertained.
But, our Thanksgiving Celebration lasted more than just one day!

We played at the beach...

A little football....

(Yes, that spiral is totally Matt's Mom...Had to post it.)

With a LOT of strategy and trick plays :) ...


Some Frisbee...


In the sand...but just Tom...

Who has lost a few inches of his height, I might add...



And Yes...Even in the water for Jake and Tom.
We continued to celebrate with food...
Crepes...
Brownies...
LeCheminant Pizza...


And a Hike to the Hollywood Sign amidst game reports from our family correspondents, Stacy and Tara. I was also priveledged to find that I had my own signature ring tone on Renee's phone.



Tom planted a treasure. A weed growing out of manure. Must be some magical fertilizer. Fellow Hikers couldn't help but notice this magical phenomenon.

Why not have a haircut from our own SoCal barber while in town?

Or a tour of the UCLA Dental School?



It was a fabulous holiday full of food, iPAD ceramics, photoshoots by Jacob (post coming), games, and most importantly...Family. We love being together. We're the LeCheminants.