Grace? She passed away thirty years ago...

(Name that movie.)

I know, I know. Two posts in one week. Please, hold your applause until after the performance. Here it is, the 2012 Haynes Family Christmas Tree:

I got to pick this year. And this is what I wrote about it over at St. George News.

In other news, tonight my family and I attended the Kalamity dance show for a cause thingey. That is not the official name of the event - at the moment it escapes me. In a nutshell, it is super terrific dance show, the proceeds of which are given to a woman named Meg who is battling bone cancer. There is another show tomorrow night, so if you are in the St. George area, get yourself down to Desert Hills High School at 7:00 p.m. tomorrow (Saturday the 1st). You won't regret it. It's tons of fun, just remember to take some Tylenol beforehand.

Fa ra ra ra ra, ra ra ra ra!

(Name that movie.)

Happy Thanksgiving? Merry Christmas?! What month is it?!

Sorry it's been so long, but here is what we've been up to:

We feasted. Do you know what I see when I look at this picture? I mean besides the Hottie McHottiepants in the background.

My humongous pan of raspberry pretzel Jell-o salad. It is bigger than the turkey or the mashed potatoes or anything else, as it should be. I love that Jell-o salad.
Here we are, eating:

Notice my poor, sad children back there at the kiddie table. See that old, dusty television behind the Lovesac in the background? I told DJ that all I want for Christmas is for that TV to be taken to the D.I. That, or dunked in gasoline and burned to the ground while I do a celebratory dance. That's my Christmas dream, everyone. I hate that TV.

We also went Christmas tree hunting in Kaibab. Here I am acting like the only doe in the world with antlers:

 This is a tradition that my dad started. I'll admit, the antlers make more sense when they are on a guy.

Here is Macey singing with her school choir at the Dicken's Festival:

She is the upper-right-most blur. You know, the one with a black shirt and the blonde hair.

Finally, here is what I wrote last week at St. George News. Can you tell I was coming down from eating half of a Costco pumpkin pie when I wrote it?

Turkeys, hamsters, Santa, and other mythical creatures

Today my mom, my sister's husband Manny, and I ran the Turkey Trot 5K. Deja vu, anyone?

Here are all of our people, preparing for the race by having our picture taken by a stranger. We are so hard core.

Speaking of hard core, here is my mom crossing the finish line:

I think that is pretty awesome. Not just because my kids' grandma runs 5Ks, but check out the turkey, random rapper hamster, and Santa Claus behind the finish line. What a reception! Every race should have mythical creatures awaiting you at the finish line. How motivational would that be?! I would run a marathon if there were a unicorn or Yoda at the end of it.

I love the Turkey Trot. Historically, I have had excellent luck at this race. I always win something. Last year I came home with the grand prize - a pair of running shoes from St. George Running Center. This year as we were making our way out to Washington Fields, DJ predicted that this would be the year that we brought home a turkey.

Behold:

As you can see, Manny also won a turkey, but it is clear that I am more enthusiastic about it by the height to which I have hoisted my bird.

I love free turkeys. And I love how my husband's use of The Secret just won us the main component of our Thanksgiving feast.

(Speaking of Thanksgiving, I wrote this thing over at St. George News...like three days ago. Sorry, I have been a massive slacker about posting these things. You'll like this one. I mention Abe Lincoln. It's very Thanksgiving-y.)

a RAD metaphor

This morning I did the Color Me Rad 5k with my mom and my sister's husband, Manny. It was super fun and also a metaphor for our earthly lives. We start out pure and white and clean, and as we go through life people throw paint at us until our perfect white hoodie is ruined. RUINED, I say.

















After that, you decide that since you're all filthy and ruined that you might as well ruin your sister's/daughter's/wife's lives as well:

And then you die and go to heaven to take a shower and find that somehow the evil of the world has made its way under your hat and onto your hair.

And then you take a shower and the color mostly washes off, but you still find paint powder all over your car and your house and everything you touched between the finish line and your shower door. I suppose it is not a perfect metaphor.

In other news, this week I wrote about how to get over the Romney Lost Bummers. You should read it. Is anyone else having a severe case of the bummers since Election Day?

Like sands through an hour glass...

Hey guys.

Another week has passed. How does that happen so quickly?! It was the usual grind - homework, Halloween, carpool, cleaning, ballet, Wal-mart - you know. It is a grind, but it is my grind and I love it. Usually.

Halloween is the best. No, that is not sarcasm. See if you can tell what we are:

Olivia was Frankie Stein from Monster High. I was Rapunzel. Tess was Rapunzel. Chancho was Ironman. Macey was a witch. And DJ was a Dad Who is Too Embarrassed to Dress Up But If He Wasn't He Would've Been Flynn Ryder.

Now we are amidst the post-Halloween sugar crash. My kids need to clean their rooms. They are cranky. I am too tired to boss them around. Halloween is the worst.

So I wrote this thing about the younger missionary age. You should take a look. I am excited for sister missionaries to be able to leave earlier, aren't you? Say yes.

Over and out.