Lisa tagged me.

I've Been Christmas Tagged!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?
Wrapped... all in brown paper with different colored bows for each person. I also make gift tags that hang off the bows. Can you say OCD

2. Real tree or artificial?
We have done both, just depending on the year. This year they are both fake.

3. When do you put up the tree?
December 1st and not a second earlier or later. Again OCD

4. When do you take the tree down?
January 1st. I can't stand it any longer than that.

5. Do you like eggnog?
Ewe no. Just the thought of it makes me sick, but Ryan and Sheldon love it, so we have it in the fridge

6. Favorite gift received as a child?
Porcline doll. I got one every year and the year Ryan and I were engaged he bought me one to carry on the tradition.

7. Do you have a nativity scene?
Yes. I got the Willow Tree one from my parents last year, then we have two that we found in Ryan's grandpa's house when we were cleaning it after he died, then I have a hand painted wood one that my Uncle Roy (the one that Sheldon is named after) cut out for me the year before he died. It is painted to look like little kids are acting out the nativity.

8. Hardest person to buy for?
Ryan

9. Easiest person to buy for?
Allie

10. Mail or email Christmas cards?
Mail

11. Favorite Christmas movie?
A Christmas Carol

12. When do you start shopping for Christmas?
All year. We just put things away during the year.

13. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?
No, but that is a really good idea!

14. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?
White chocolate popcorn. A Hoskins' family tradition

15. Clear lights or colored on the tree?
Clear... OCD again

16. Favorite Christmas song?
Joy to the World

17. Travel for Christmas or stay home?
We go to Ryan's parents house for breakfast and then mine for a late lunch

18. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer?
Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, and Rudolph

19. Angel on the treetop or a star?
The tree in the family room has Tinkerbell, and the one in the office has a bow

20. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning?
Jammies on Christmas Eve and everything else on Christmas day

21. Most annoying thing about this time of year?
Not having a gift for neighbors that drop them by... I always keep Bed Bath soap on hand just for that.

22. What I love most about Christmas?
The wonder in my kids eyes

Doctor appointment

I went to see my OB/GYN today and made the mistake of taking Ryan with me. He talked to the doctor about all of the contractions that I have been having and probably told a more accurate amount then I tell. Dr. Hansen said that whatever I am doing when I start having contractions I need to do the opposite... so if I am up on my feet I have to lay down, or if I am laying down I have to get up and walk. If that doesn't make them stop I have to take a warm bath. If that still doesn't stop them then I have to go to the hospital right then. Hopefully the bath will take care of them every time and I won't have to go to the hospital, but I guess only time will tell. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Family outting to Square Temple

Last night Ryan and I thought it would be fun to take the kids up to see the lights at Temple Square, (or if you ask Sheldon Square Temple) The weather was nice... not to cold, but it was so busy.


Allie and her cheese face with Sheldon giving his little sis loves.

Allie just being her cute self.



The kids couldn't get enough of the Nativity. They kept asking about things and Ryan was telling them the story.



Sheldon was getting tired, so we figured we would call it a night. We of course had to have one more picture before we went though.
Tonight we are going over to our stake center to walk through the town of Bethlehem to see the baby Jesus. The kids are so excited. I'm sure we will have a great time, and feel the Spirit. Hopefully I will be able to get some pictures of that too.

I hope this puts a smile on your face.

I saw this on Ryan's assisstants blog and it totally cracked me up... thought you guys might get a kick out of it!

1. My rock star name (first pet and current car):
Buffy Freestar

2. My gangsta name (favorite ice cream flavor and favorite cookie):
Strawberry Snickerdoodle

3. My "fly guy/girl" name (first initial of first name and first three letters of last name:
K Hos

4. My detective name (favorite color and favorite animal):
Green Giraffe

5. My soap opera name (middle name and city where you were born):
Lyn Salt Lake

6. My Star Wars name (first three letters of your last name and first two letters of your first name):
Hoske

7. My superhero name (2nd favorite color and favorite drink with "The" in front):
The Red Diet Coke

8. My Nascar name (first names of your grandfathers):
Russ Tony

9. My stripper name (name of your favorite perfume/cologne and your favorite candy):
Pink Kit-Kat

10. My witness-protection name (mother's and father's middle names):
Lynne Michael

Life of stress

So my life for the past few weeks has been a major ball of stress with one crazy thing after another. First it was Thanksgiving, then it was Enrichment... now it is digging myself out of the hole that I created by not doing anything but those to major activities. This week we are finally settling down and spending some family time with each other.

Thanksgiving was nice. Ryan spent all day cooking, for those of you that don't know he is the real cook in our house. He made a wonderful turkey, stuffing and gravy. I on the other hand spent most of the day cleaning, decortating and cleaning some more... the life of a stay at home mom right! We had 12 adults and 5 kids that came for dinner, a small group when you consider that my family has 12 kids and spouses and then 20 grandkids. It was a nice evening, but by the time it was all said and done I was having so many contractions Ryan actually wanted to take me to the hospital.

Enrichment night the next week was a great success. We had 50 women show up, which is a huge number from our ward. Ryan again cooked all day... I cleaned up after him, because we were having a babysitter come that night for the kids. Ryan made a pork tenderloin with a pomagranite glace, zuchinne spaghetti with a lemon sauce and garlic parmesan mashed potatoes. The food was a big hit, everyone thinks that he needs to start doing a cooking class in our ward.

Saturday we spent all day decorating the house for Christmas. With snow finally coming down I am in the mood for Christmas. We put up both of our trees, decorated the fireplace mantal, the entry banister and the rest of the house. The kids were so excited to be able to decorate one tree all by themselves. We have been playing Christmas music ever since.

Tonight we are going to Temple Square with the kids to see the lights. They both are so excited they can't wait. I am charging the camera battery now so that we can get some good pictures. Tomorrow night we will be going to the live Nativity that our stake does every year. Ryan was in it last night and says that the Spirit there is so amazing. We are going to read the Christmas story tonight for scripture time so that as we walk through the "town" tomorrow we can remind the kids about waht is going on. If any of you live close to me I would suggest coming to really get into the right Christmas spirit. It goes until tomorrow.

Sorry that I don't have any pictures to post with this... taking pictures has been the last thing on my mind the past few week.

Just so you all know I hit 26 weeks. I don't normally do this, but will you keeps us in your prayers that the baby will at least make for 10 more weeks? I would really appreciate it.

My nightmare almost came true...

Yesterday Ryan, the kids and I went to church and my kids were so great in Sacrament meeting that I thought a couple of times that we must have grabbed someone else's kids. During Sunday School I was not feeling to great... Ryan had Reese's Pieces that he was eating and the smell of them made me throw up twice in the hour of Sunday School. During Relief Society I started having contractions. I would have 1 about every 10 minutes or so. Then when I got home they were at every 5 minutes. I laid down and tried to relax thinking that they would just go away... no such luck. We went up to Ryan's parents house for dinner and they kept coming. Ryan's brother-in-law (his sister's husband) who is a doctor asked if I wanted him to check me. HUM... NO was my answer. For 7 hours I was having contractions every 5 minutes. I asked Ryan to give me a blessing because I just couldn't be put in the hospital this week with Thanksgiving and Enrichment night. We got home at about 7:30 and Ryan told me I needed to go soak in the tub, and go to bed. Finally at about 12:30 the contractions stopped. I am so sore today, and have been taking it very easy. (under direction from Dr. Dave and my darling Hubby.) I do feel better and haven't had as many contractions, so hopefully we can keep this baby in for a few more weeks. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Talk about crazy

Okay, so I am one of the craziest people that you will ever meet. Back in May when we moved into the new house we said that we would like to have Thanksgiving here. We didn't at the time know that I would be pregnant and having problems. Well now that we are less than a week away from the wonderful day, I am stressing out. It is Ryan's family that will be eating here, and we will have 14 adults and 5 kids. For any of you who know me, I can't just do dinner... it has to be the whole deal. Spotless house, cute tables, favors for the guests, activities for the kids, plus the wonderful meal. I just don't know how I am going to get it all done. Ryan luckly is the chef in our house, so I don't have to worry to much about the food... it is the rest of it that scares me to death. I just hope that the contractions and the bleeding will keep itself at bay for the week. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

The week following Thanksgiving is our Enrichment night. We have a very divided ward and I have been racking my brain to come up with a nice Enrichment to help the sisters get to know each other better. Plus I have 600 dollars in my Enrichment budget that I have to use. So we are having a nice sit down dinner totally cooked by my darling hubby. I have been stressing out about this Enrichment because other than myself and the Enrichment committee leader I have one other person on the committee. YIKES!! I'm praying that all will go how I have planned... I'm decorating each table in a different color and giving out little gift bags in each other one of the colors to the sisters as they walk in the door. That way they will have to sit at the assigned table and not by their group ob friends. I know that I am going to get a lot of complaints from the sisters that have lived in the ward forever, but those of us that haven't will finally be able to meet some of the other sisters. I hope that everything works out and I don't have so many complaits that the Bishop releases me... of course would that really be such a bad thing? HUM!?