The ride home from the party . . .

Opening the front door ( there was no snow when we left )

Baby changed her mind about going out !

My frozen Wreath !

Looks like when you open the fridge ! !

The ride home from the Christmas Party was the scariest one we have ever had !

it took us 15 minutes to get to the party which was in Ogden and it took us 2 hours to get home !

When we left the party it started snowing and it was coming down really good ! Dustin and Stephanie and Brady all had to have a push to get to the corner because the snow was so deep ... we had a fella give us a little push to the stop sign.. we decided to take the car because it has new tires and we figured it would be "safer". . .well, we got on hwy 89 and headed home we made it down the hill to the bottom where the freeway is and south weber.. he were headed up the hill when a semi truck jackknifed in front of us .. and then cars went left and right and we had to stop . we slid up against the back side of the semi. We got stuck ! We were all panicking because if the truck slid down it was going to hit us and if the truck tried to go forward it was going to hit us with it's back end .. It's one of those moments when you smile at the kids with their white faces and say " Hey , anybody need a cookie ? " .. We rolled the window down and a man came over and said he would see what he could do to stop cars so we could try to slid to the side .. nobody stopped ... it was like every man for himself . since the windows were down ... we heard some not so nice words between 2 heated guys in their big ol' trucks .. Sarah's in the backseat saying ... what did they say ? I couldn't hear them ..

after awhile a sherrif came and he stopped traffic so we could slid the car in the other direction and go back down the hill .. we figured we would have to take the freeway home now because we can't get up the hill . when we got on the freeway the snow was getting worse and the kids were freaking out ... and then Brett was freaking out ... Lisa was calling us on the phone .. our car has that in car calling thing.. so , she was really loud and we were trying not to panic and tell her where we were... We got behind a guy from Nevada who doesn't know that when you get off an offramp and you put your signal on to turn left ... you don't turn right !! He almost hit the side of our car ! so, we pull into a gas station ... we were out of gas !! start to pump gas and then it breaks ... had to move the car to another pump.. Alan was in the bathroom so, he comes out and thought we left him ! we get gas and try to go home on another freeway.. so here we are trying to go up another hill on Riverdale Rd. and we get enough momentum and then the light turns red at the top of the hill !! so we slid down and spun the car a few times and then we decided to take a back road home.. on the back road home we passed the freeway and saw that they shut the freeway down ! good thing we weren't on it ! finally thru blowing snow and all that we get home and we pull into the driveway and everyone it freaking out at the amount of snow !! we get stuck trying to put the car into the garage ! the car wouldn't go over the little hill into the driveway ! Moral of this story .... we are going to get a 4 wheel drive car as soon as we can ! that EVO that Brett wants is looking really good now !

Christmas Party at the Ringel's 2008

Travis , Steph , Morgan , (Back) of Hallee , Venessa & Tylee and Dustin

My Nephew Matt and Alan

My Brother-in Law Travis

Mom (Kay) , Lisa , Brett and Sarah

Dad (Chris)headless body , Brady and his new Girlfriend Cassie

Brett and Sarah

This year we went to Venessa & Travis's house for our Christmas Party . It was on Christmas Day . We played the " Present Game" . This year we played a diffrent game that Steph had. (Usually we do the regular "White Elephant " thing ... But this year it was really cute & fun . . She read a story and when she said " Lefty" or Left we would pass the gift to the left and then also with the "Right". My nephew "Logan" is almost 3 and he was in the middle of the Present Ring... while Steph was reading the story and we were passing things left and right .. He was getting so mad ! It was hilarious ! He was holding his hands up and yelling " Stop" give it back ! I sat next to his dad "Dustin" and he yelled " Stop Dad ! don't do it anymore !! " we were laughing so hard ! at the end of the story you are stuck with what landed at you and then we open them up. I got a magnifying thing and then the trading began ! I traded with Sarah for a personal alarm for my jeep .. Trading is alot of fun ! Venessa's mom got the gift I brought ... a Mexican Marachie Band Calendar that I got from a friend at the post office ... It also had a day planner ! I threw in a new picture frame to make it a better gift ! Her face was classic when she opened it ! It was alot of fun ! We also played a drawing game too ... we all had a name that we drew from a bowl and you had to draw that person and then write your name on the back along with the name of your "subject" . That was a hoot too because Travis , Dustin , & Brady all have the same hair style and facial hair so they were so hard to figure out who was who ! although we do have a few artisits in the family so Everyone knew who Brett was because Sarah drew his eyes Huge and he looked cartoony ! I drew Morgan and everyone knew that one too but they were laughing because she was wearing a hoodie and I drew one on my picture... I drew it with stripes and her shirt with dots and it was the other way around ... she was laughing because her hoodie had polka dots and her shirt was striped !! my favorite was the picture of Logan ... it was a huge head with a stick body holding a car... we all got a huge laugh out of that ! Bryan needed more time for his though... he drew Venessa but she had no pupils. She looked like a zombie .. But Bryan told me that her eyes were closed.

We had lots of fun and everyone was nice to each other ...

Christmas & New Year's traditions

Most of our Christmas Traditions are the same as lots of other people. We're boring ! !

1. Try to watch a diffrent Christmas DVD every other night .
( We have ELF and Christmas story and my Favorite ... Christmas Vacation !

2. Drive around the neighborhoods and gawk at the Christmas Lights !
( We try to find a "Winner" of our Clark Griswald award !)

3. Drag out the recipie box and find our favortie cookie recipies !
( Chocolate Crackles , Sugar cookies , Peanut Butter , & Ewy Gooey Cookie Bars )

4. play Christmas music in the car , the van , The house (CD's & 106.5 fm)

5. Decorate the house inside and out ! ( I LOVE pinecones & garland )

6. go to a family Christmas party . . ( pictures inclosed of this years party)

7. make Christmas cards (normally we do this year I just got too behind ) . sorry

8. take cookies to friends & neighbors .

9. Christmas Morning we do stockings first and then open the gifts.

10. eat lots of junk and spend the day playing with what we got .
( traditionally we eat turkey & ham and all the fixings .... this year it was "Papa Murphy's Pizza".

Christmas 2008

The Front of our HOuse with the lights on !

OuR New BaBy " Paprika " !

Emptying the Christmas Stockings !

Miss Sarah making some Cookies !

Cookie plate all ready to take to work !

AHH !! Christmas is coming ! ! !

Christmas is on it's way again ! It's only a few weeks away and I have only made one Christmas card ! ! only one ! ! I did however make some Chocolate Crackles earlier than I usually do ! I got the lights up on the house and I am almost finished with the front door lights ! This is a picture of the family room taken last year ! When I can get the kitten to stay out of the trees ... I will take new pictures of the living room and the family room O.K. ! Right now the trees have holes in them from where she "Baby Kitty" has busted through the branches ... I have "holy" trees !! hee hee ... anyhow, hope all your holiday decorating is going smoothly !