how to party Mangus style

Home for Christmas

On the night of Christmas Eve, we decided to act out the Nativity, Dax style. We wrote the different parts of the story on pieces of paper and then drew out the part we would play. For example, Dax drew the Angel and Hunter drew baby Jesus so they played those parts. Then we acted the parts that seemed fitting with Mack being the Babe, Dax the shephard, and Me the angel, naturally. Preslie and Hunter were Mary and Joseph. I could barely sleep that night, and especially in the early morning. I was so excited and jumped out of bed when I heard the kids awake and screaming for joy. Santa had wrapped Preslie's whole bike and she was so surprised to see that huge present for her. She had asked for a Camp Rock Barbie and she couldn't imagine what was under all that wrapping.

Hunter asked Santa to bring him a surprise this year and he thrilled with his pirate ship.

Mack saw his tricycle and knew instantly it was his and kept saying "Ba" (bike) all day.

My sister, Trina and her family had us for Christmas and they spoiled us rotten. They hooked the kids up majorly, and helped us buy a gas range for our house.

My parents always ask what the kids need and I really appreciate that. Most of our money lately has gone for building supplies so my kids really needed the clothes from Grandma and Grandpa!

Dax's folks were instructed not to give us any gifts because they are helping us build the house, but they didn't listen and gave Dax an MP3 player; the kids and I also got fun surprises.

I got some camo hunting pants from Dax and the best present of all being able to stay home with my family for Christmas. It was so relaxing to not travel, pack and load gifts and try and keep surprises in the car, and not fight bad weather and roads. This Christmas has been one of my favorites because of all the things we did together as a family during December. We did tons of surprise deliveries and I got to practice beautiful Christmas songs for the choir to sing in Sacrament meeting. I really felt the love of Christ this year and also the love of my awesome family. I feel like I've had 100 Christmases each time I think of the new house that is being built for us and all the loving hands that are contributing to it. I truly did not want one thing this year because I don't think I have room enough to receive any more. My heart is full and my arms are full of the people I love. I could not ask for more.

Lucky SEVEN

My baby girl has officially grown up. This is the first year she is not little to me anymore. She takes showers, she has adult teeth, she reads, writes, blogs, and keeps a journal. AND she got her ears pierced for her birthday.

We had a fun day at home making Christmas gift tags. I think a new Christmas Eve tradition was born.

Preslie loved this; she is the princess of art projects. She always has some project going; she makes books, writes poetry, decorates her room, makes cards and all kinds of other things.

Preslie has spunk and charisma, brains and beauty, humor and grace. I adore my girl.

blog Christmas Card

Hello to all our family and friends who we love and miss a ton,
We hope each of you are healthy and happy this Christmas season! We have loved keeping in touch with many of you this year through visits, emails, letters, and blogging.

Each year we think that we cannot possibly top the madness of the last, but it seems we’ve done it again and learned a LOT in the process. Here are a few of the things we’ve learned in 2008:

If you get a bead stuck up your nose, hold the other nostril…and BLOW! (Preslie)
Weekend sleepovers with family are the best
Chubby babies are the cutest kind
Baby brothers (kind of) fit in a doll stroller
Getting your tonsils out STINKS, figuratively and literally! (Hunter)
Losing teeth is as good as a part time job (Preslie)
Water drives a baby wild!
Girls' days out for Mom are necessary for a family’s well-being
Laughter is the best medicine
Pirate parties kick booty
There are good people where ever you live
Bonding with your spouse with 66% less kids for a week rocks
Grandparent babysitters rock
Family reunion campouts are tons and tons of fun
Puke in a tent is not so fun
Visits with family always leave us wanting more
1 degree winters make 85 degree summers that much better
Going to work with Dad is better than a trip to the zoo
Starting a new adventure-building a house, pre-school, 1st grade, dance- is EXCITING
On road trips, driving through the night while your kids are asleep is crazy but worth it
Practice indeed makes perfect (skinning animals, baking pies, riding a 2-wheeler, writing, and walking)
The Oregon Coast is AWESOME
Swimming lessons are fun for kids and Mom
Never underestimate the power of a desperate Mom and a fake fingernail!
Thirty is the new Twenty (Dax)

Watching your house be built from the ground up is thrilling

simplifying and de-junking go hand in hand
Knowing your phone number gets you out of scary situations (Preslie)
Watching your baby grow and learn each day is worth more than a 6-digit salary
Catching up with old friends is so much fun and worth the effort
If you think your husband is sexy, put a mullet wig on him –rar!
Willing, helping, loving family members are blessings for which we can never express our deep gratitude

We LOVE Christmas and we are so excited to celebrate this year at home. We feel like we’ve already received all the Christmas gifts we can possibly handle just for all the blessings that we have. We count our family and friends at the top of that list. May the love of Heavenly Father surround you this Christmas and always.

Love:

Dax, Tristie, Preslie, Hunter, and Mack

Letters to Santa

We loved reading the letters to Santa published in our newspaper this week. This one tops the favorite list:

Dear Santa,
How are you Mrs. Claus, the elves and the Reindeer? You are awesome, and I bet your kind of cute to! jk.
All I'm asking for is a poster of you, Mrs. Claus, the little Elves and the Reindeer, a cellphone with a touch screen, a bike, a car, an i-Pod shuffle case, a new stocking with pictures of you and skulls on it, a big big big big big big big big hunk, an elf, a puppy pug or chiuaua, an electric eel, a baby octopus, a tiny shark, and three really big fish tanks, eight different kinds of live monkeys, extra strech limo, and lots of shoes, and the whole twilight.

I hope the reindeer have enough energy to go to the whole world. Love you, Yours Truly, Grace

Thanks Grace!

Happy Anniversary, Dad and Mom!

My parents were married December 20, 1969. When I asked my mom about her wedding day, she sighed and said, "Oh, it was a riot."

Dad was in New Jersey on December 18th, and had a flight to Utah but his Army Sargeant kept giving him orders (..."your boots aren't laced properly...your brass needs to be shined.." etc.) because he didn't want to let my Dad go and get married. Dad barely made his flight and got to Denver but the Salt Lake Airport was so fogged over, they weren't allowing any flights to come in. Mom went outside and looked out at the thick fog, praying so hard that it would lift enough for Dad's plane to come in. As she was standing there with tears streaming down her face, her Dad came out and put his arm around her and said (in his cowboy accent), "Don't worry little lady. We'll get you married off one of these days."

Back at the Denver Airport, Dad and some other guys rented a car and drove all night in a snowstorm from Denver to Salt Lake. That evening Mom watched the weather report that said that Loveland Pass had been closed because of the snow and she knew that they'd have to turn around and go back to Denver... little did she know that they'd just made it through Loveland Pass right before the road was closed.

Dad called the 19th in the afternoon and told my Mom he made it into Salt Lake and asked her to come get him at the car rental place. My Mom and Grandpa drove for what seemed like forever in the heavy fog from Kearns to Salt Lake City where they picked up my Dad. Then they beelined it to the courthouse to get their marriage license and as they walked in, the clerk was pulling down the metal window thingy and my Dad yelled, "Wait! We have to get our license!"

With marriage license in hand, they drove to Price that night in the foggy blizzard, crashed for another short night's sleep and got up to make it to the Manti Temple by 6am.

After the marriage ceremony, they drove back to Price to Mom's apartment so she could get ready for the reception only to find that her college friends had filled her whole apartment to the ceiling with newspapers and put syran wrap over the toilet seat and notes all over the mirror. They eventually cleaned a path to her closet, got ready, and made it to the reception.

Despite my Mom's Dad being a little drunk, things were starting to shape up a little. Then Dad's old girlfriend's little sister came sobbing hysterically clear through the wedding line -so upset that my Dad wasn't marrying his sister.

Dad and Mom went to cut their cake and my Dad scraped a big blue rose off the top of the cake with his finger and ate it (while all the ladies present gasped in horror) and said, "I've always wanted to do that!" My Mom's Mother thought it was the cutest thing she'd ever seen and he scored major son-in-law points right then.

After the reception they started heading to their motel in Provo but ran out of gas just outside of town in the middle of no where. When Dad saw headlights approaching, he got out of the car and flagged down his cousin who went back into town, got some gas, and brought it back to Mom and Dad so they could make it to Price to fill up the rest of the way. Back on the road again, the newlyweds inched their way to their honeymoon stop but were overcome by complete over-exhaustion and lack of sleep and kept falling asleep at the wheel. They tried everything to stay awake, they were slapping each other's faces, singing songs, getting out and running around the car, but they knew they couldn't make it clear to Provo, so they stopped at the tiny little Skyview Motel at the mouth of the canyon and crashed for the night.

The next morning, my Mom was terribly ill from going through tremendous stress and sleep deprivation for 3 days straight. When they told people they spent their honeymoon in bed, they didn't mean it THAT way, they meant my Mom was on her death bed puking her guts out.

When I think of my parents now, sitting in their quiet home on Skyview Circle (coincidence?) 39 years later, looking at the pictures of their 8 children and 13 grandchildren, I can see why the gates of Hell were opened when they tried to get married. They started a strong family, raised in love. They taught us the gospel of Jesus Christ and lived and loved by example and hard work.

Thank you, Mom and Dad, for never, EVER giving up in the face of all odds for all these years!

I love you!

Peter Pan (is a girl)

...and one heck of a dancer. Preslie's dance studio put on the show Peter Pan tonight. The dances followed the story, with each class taking a part. Preslie's class were Indians and did a darling job. The pre-show, however, featured singers from who knows where that warmed up the audience with some Christmas numbers that reminded me a lot of fingernails on a chalkboard. Dax did his usual thing when he gets uncomforable watching something...said he had to go to the bathroom. Later, I asked him if he really had to go or was he just embarrassed for the singers. He claimed that it wasn't that he was embarrassed, but he respected himself too much to subject himself to that.

Upon leaving the recital, Hunter said, "I liked it, but there's one thing I didn't understand. In Preslie's dance performance, Peter Pan was actually a GIRL. I just can't get over that."

one word

1. Where is your cell phone? imagination

2. Your significant other? hot
3. Your hair? big

4. Your Mother? tough

5. Your father? sincere

6. Your favorite thing? nature

7. Your dream last night? Christmas

8. Your favorite drink? water

9. Your dream/goal? balance

10. The room you're in? bedroom

11. Your fear? mullets

12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? vasectomy

13. Where were you last night? home

14. What you're not? overweight

15. Muffins? warm

16. One of your wish list items? furniture

17. Where you grew up. city

18. The last thing you did? primary

19. What are you wearing? pajamas

20. Your TV? dusty

21. Your pet? kids

22. Your computer? lifeline

23. Your life? dynamic

24. Your obsession? de-junking

25. Missing someone? sisters

26. Your car? works

27. Something you're not wearing? makeup

28. Favorite Store? Target

29. Your summer? easy

30. Your favorite color? green

31. When is the last time you laughed? today

32. Last time you cried? November

33. Last phone call? Craiger

34. Who e-mailed me last? Beaner

35. My favorite food. Dax's

36. Place I would most like to be? HOUSE
37. Complaint? complainers
38. One of your favorite games? Scattergories
39. Something you avoid? Wal-Mart
40. Something you brag about? kids

Hunter ding us.

Throwing up is the most unpleasant involuntary thing our bodies are capable of. And it produces possibly the worst smell on Earth. I have been SO grateful for my washing machine today. Bless our pioneer ancestors and others who lived long ago that cleaned up their children's pukey bedding in freezing cold streams and such. My Hunter buddy is sick today. I feel so sad for him. But enough about vomit and diarrhea.

This video clip of Hunter is our family's favorite.

And here is another clip of the same boy in the present time singing 2 versions of one of his (and our) favorite songs.

Lists

I have to shop with a grocery list and even then, it never fails that I get home with a billion bags of food and I forgot one obvious necessity. Christmas lists are helpful too. I write down all the people I want to give to and ideas I have for them. Some lists are annoying and evil. Like To-Do lists. I like to think of mine as suggestions and most of the time, I just roll the stuff I didn't get done onto tomorrow's list.

Today is the first day this week a got everything on my list crossed off. I enjoy working hard but also look forward to a day on my calandar that nothing is written on it. I'm not into being so scheduled. Unless it is fun, like when I write on my list: make cookies, or go on a date. One thing I am crossing off my to-do list is Christmas cards because I am not doing any. Which saves me from another list entirely -the mailing list. I love my friends dearly and I know they love me enough to excuse me this year. I love to get cards with pictures (and a written something!) but I excuse everyone from sending me one because I don't expect to get any if I don't send any.
One thing I need to get on my list more often is hang out with this guy, minus the baby.

While I checking off some computer related things on today's list the baby was being surprisingly good...I looked behind me and saw why:

Preslie saw the empty cookie box he was carrying and took pity on him by giving him a little Debbie snack cake. I promptly put the little darling baby into the bath (which was on my list anyway) and he came out clean and smelling yummy with the beginnings of little blonde curls on that big head.

And now that all the kiddos are in bed, I'm going to work on crossing "Read Twilight" off my list. I am anxious to see the movie, not so much because I am in love with the book, but because I can write "Go on a date" on my list!

hello snow

We've enjoyed an AWESOME long Fall again this year. Even longer than last year. And what a blessing it's been for construction reasons. But it's time to officially welcome Winter. We ushered in the snowy season by doing some baking and putting up our Christmas tree that we brought home from the forest yesterday.

Our house got it's first layer of white stuff and I could just picture us in our lovely new house doing all the fun winter and Christmas things together as a family. Of course we can and will do them here in our apartment, but next year we probably won't store the red and green tubs of decorations in the kids room or move the front room chair into the bathroom so the Christmas tree can fit.

I love our stucco. The house's exterior is ALMOST finished. The inside is coming along. Craig has all the closets built, minus rods, and has most of the doors hung. I'm excited to get some COLOR on the walls and have the whole thing come alive and make me happy. I am just so looking forward to having a home that is mine. Not only will we own it, but it will be ME. All the things and colors and shapes and textures that Dax and I have chosen that we love. And all of the hours upon hours of work done by the hands of those who love us. It is such a blessing, one that I don't fully realize now but I am so grateful!

thanksgiving

Recipe for a fun, loud Thanksgiving holiday:

12 adults

2 teenagers

10 little kids

1 foreign exchange student

3.5 bedrooms

1 canine

18 lbs. of turkey

10 pies

mom's cashew stuffing

1 gorgeous Christmas tree

1 family portrait session

Mix for 4 days at full speed.


Other highlights:

taking Mack for a ride on the four-wheeler. He calls it a "wee wee wee"

seeing my new nephew and all his glorious hair

spending time with my whole family- a rare and wonderful thing that we were ALL able to come. We had a family portrait taken and after that, the Hathaways treated us to huge yummy lunch at the Mayan.

A pic of the Triple Threat: Tristie 1 (me), Tristie 2 (my niece Aubrae), and Tristie 3 (Preslie).
My brother Matt calls us three girls by our respective Tristie numbers because he thinks we look so much alike.


The most fun thing was surprising my parents with a new 9 foot Christmas tree completely decorated and a lighted garland on their railing. My sisters and I had fun hunting for all the ornaments and star for the top. We put it up and decorated it after my parents went to bed. We were so excited, we made Trent go and wake them back up when we were done! So mean! I can't blame my dad for saying "Just shut up and go to sleep." He has no recollection of that.

So fun to see everyone; I didn't want to go home!

a day in the life of a wildlife biologist

Dax spent the night out working in one of the areas he's in charge of and called the the next day and said, "I have a wild surprise for you guys in the back of my truck." My first thought was that he cut a Christmas tree for us. Then the word "wild" assured me it was something dead.


Sure enough, he found this mountain lion dead out on a dirt road that must have been hit by a car. Mack was doing his normal, "kitty, kitty, kitty" and "mow" when he saw it.


Fun to see a cougar this close up. Would not be so fun if it was alive.

the magic begins

Sunday after church, we had a {short} family night lesson about the wonderful season that is upon us and we get to remember the things we are thankful for. I read a scripture from the Book of Mormon- Mosiah 2:17 ...when ye are in the service of your fellow beings, ye are only in the service of your God." (also could have read Matthew 25:40) I shared that I really wanted to serve Heavenly Father and Jesus because of all that They have given to me and the best way to do that is to do nice things for each other. Then we put everyone's name in a bowl and each person drew one out and that is their secret person that they will serve this week. I told them how fun it was going to be to try and think of little ways to help that person and make them happy. My kids were pretty excited, and I knew they'd have a hard time keeping a secret for a whole week, but the second Hunter drew out his name, he looked at me and whispered excitedly (and loudly), "Dad!" I whispered back to keep it a secret, even though everyone heard him. Then a few minutes later he came and handed this note to Dax and said, "Dad, are you noticing anything yet?"

A few minutes after that, a flash of a little girl handed this note to me and ran out of the room.

I'm not sure which hint gave it away more- the one she wrote, or the 'P' shaped paper. Christmas time is so much fun and there definitely IS a magic there. I know it has to do with anticipation of gifts, but I think it is also that we feel the Spirit of Christ in our hearts more because we love and serve more. I am excited to instill real Christmas joy in my children.

And I also love Santa Claus dearly. My kids wrote their letters to Santa and Hunter was anxious to mail them off today, which we did. He told me he didn't need to write Santa's address on the envelope because everyone knows Santa lives at the North Pole.

I discovered a new advantage of not having cable as my kids were writing letters to Santa and could not think of anything good to ask for. They don't see any toy ads ever. That coupled with the fact that we have no shopping options where we live makes this Christmas great. We cannot be wrapped up too many wants because we have no idea what is out there! I am thrilled that Santa can truly surprise them this year. I really can't wait to see what he'll bring!

holiday warm-up

Mack practicing his Thanksgiving shoveling

me and my {little} bro practicing our smiles for family picture time.

lots of reading for some reason. Mack loves his Tough Machines book. Over and over.

I also got to pick out lights for my house. I met with my designer (Aunt Megan) and she helped me make days worth of decisions in mere hours. We also picked some fun fabric for window coverings. It felt like Christmas! I can really picture how my house is going to look now, and I LOVE IT!

And if that wasn't enough, on my way home I filled my gas tank for $25!

Then my sister and her family flew in from Oregon and we got to have tons of fun together planning top secret Christmas surprises and driving over orange caution cones. Preslie became Aubrae's shadow and our babies made friends (kind of) with each other.

As I was snapping a picture of them hugging, Mack lost his balance and the most tender hug

ended in disaster.

Baby, You're the Best!

Everytime we go out to eat, I have no fail system for getting something super tasty. I ask Dax what he thinks I'll like, and he makes his recommendation. I have never been disappointed when I trust his judgement. Except for one time when he gave me a tool set for Valentines. While I love tools, I was thinking something more lovey dovey. But now, I am glad I have those tools because I use them all the time. So again, his choice was right on.

This is a pattern in our marriage that started when we were engaged and I told Dax I wanted him to pick out my wedding ring. One day we were at the library on campus studying and he asked me what kind of ring I wanted. I doodled a band with a row of small diamonds in it on my notebook. "I don't know, something simple, like that," I said. Little did I know, he had already bought my ring that afternoon and it was exactly as I pictured it in my mind, only prettier.

Dax knows me better than anyone. He knows the right answer to my questions, knows exactly how to cheer me up, how to make me laugh, when and how long to hug me, and when to let me do my thing. He is my rock, my one constant in a crazy life journey and I wouldn't want to do this with anyone else.

I am honored and blessed to celebrate eight years of marriage with the man of my dreams--my best friend. So grateful he chose me.