back to the quiet life.

I just counted and over the past 40 days I spent 27 of them out of town. So it's no wonder that Elea is sick and I'm not feeling so hot either. Luckily, the majority of those days were at my parent's house and Jeff's parent's house so it's easier than if we had been at a hotel or something but it is still a break from our normal routine. In many ways I have realized that I am a routine junky. I like knowing how each day is going to go to an extent. Probably silly, but I feel like I am a better mom when Elea is on a schedule so that if she is fussy or something I have a better idea why.

Angie and her family surprised the in-laws and came a few days early. They stayed in St. George so that's why I was down there too. Ang and I haven't been able to hang out that much since last christmas so it was a lot of fun.

Jace's wedding was on the 20th so the whole famdamily was around for christmas this year. It was the best christmas I have had on the oliverson side since Jeff and I got married. I didn't even cry this year. :) (Ang & I asked kevin ahead of time if we could turn on christmas music and the fireplace because that's what makes it feel like "christmas" to me!) Jeff and I had made a deal that we would only buy things that would fit in our respective stockings. BUT THEN, he brought up that deal and threw in the phrase or touching our stockings so I knew the battle of the gift giving was on. The rest of the week I spent trying to milk angie for details but then resorted to just asking, "so am I winning? Or is he winning?" to which she would reply, "what he's getting you is cool, but you're winning." At one point I asked derek-- I told him what I had gotten and he said that he thought jeff was winning, but if I exchanged it for something a little better, then I would be winning. So ridiculous. But the gauntlet had been thrown, or whatever that cliche is, so I exchanged it. (and don't worry, Elea was taken care of in the meantime!) In the end, I just had all the gifts outside of his stocking be from Elea because he never said that wasn't an option. :) And I don't know who won in the end but I loved everything he got me.

It's been fun to think back to our first christmas together 4 years ago because we really didn't know each other very well at all. (Even though we were engaged and going to be married in less than 2 weeks). This year it felt like we were our own little real family and I liked it.

Tonight is New Year's Eve. I'm sitting here on my computer because I'm a lame-o and didn't feel good enough to go out in public and be in a cheery mood. AND even more than that, since Elea has been miserable, I didn't want to drag her anywhere late. But really, this is sort of my norm for New Year's Eve. Last year we were in San Diego and I fell asleep at 10:30-- blamed it on being in the 1st trimester still and the year before that I made sure that I worked. The past few years of my life have been pretty great, so it's not like I'm all sorts of anxious for one year to be over so that I can start over in the next or something. Who knows. Jeff's at a friend's house- probably worrying that I'm mad at him for going or something. 4 years ago I probably would have been, but this year it's all good.

He went grocery shopping with a list I made today. Some lady in the check out aisle gave him major props for being out grocery shopping for his wife when there were some good bowl games on. I guess he figured warding off starvation was a better alternative than watching football.

Our family is starting a biggest loser contest tomorrow. I am fighting the temptation to go finish off the bag of reese's peanut butter jingle bells sitting on the counter since tomorrow is the official starting weight weigh in.

I think I'll probably just go to bed instead.

Happy New Year!