Who Loves Santa?

Just wanted to share a few pics of how Christmas morning went in Canada with 14 people, 1 dog, and a beaver in an evergreen tree.Chris' mom got a saxapone. While that sounds like a silly gift, she immediately started crying. She had lost hers years ago in a house fire and that was the one thing she had never replaced. It was such a great surprise!All Darien wanted from Santa was a "completer". Santa gave him a Vtech computer, which was just perfect so here he is with his Auntie Deya, both of us on our completers! He waited till the last day to learn my name- figures. But it's better than Uncle Donna! I got a hippopotamus for Christmas!Auntie Lisa got really tired after 3 hours of present opening. She cozied up by the fire in her new pink blankie and settled in for a nap! Don't worry, Auntie Deya got a pink blankie too!The best was little Daniel who passed out under the tree- cookie in hand!

Canadian Christmas Eve

Yesterday afternoon in an attempt to brag that we were all done with our shopping, we decided to go see the new Alvin and the Chipmunks movie. We really liked it. Chris' Nanny especially loved it. I included some pictures of those of us who went to see the movie in the car, except for Chad as we were all waiting for him to get his Starbucks. That's what happens when Tim Horton's closes their drive through at 3pm on Christmas Eve!

I have been dubbed "Auntie Martha" by Chris' brother and was thus nominated to supervise and "be in charge" of gingerbread house decorating. For all future ventures, we have decided to wait until kids are at least 7 years old. Chris did video tape the event, but we have to find a short clip where I am not yelling "don't eat the glue!"

As is true with Martino tradition, Christmas Eve includes new jammies for the kids. Here is Darien modeling his, including the housecoat (Canadian for robe). Note the Edmonton Oilers Teddy Bear. A popular choice on this year's runway.

O Canada!

We made it to Canada safely! We are spending Christmas this year in Vancouver, BC with Chris' Mom and her family. It is great to see some siblings and grandparents and so many family members we haven't seen in awhile. We even have a nephew we've never seen! So, we are excited to be here despite the cold.

The most lively time in the house is bath time- which seems to last longer and longer every night. Partly due to the luxurious tub bath time is in. and we never seem to get them in their jammies right after the bath for some reason. Something about running around free as a bird with Uncew Cwis chasing you through the basement seems to be just the thrilling crowning glory to the bedtime regiment you need when you are 4 and almost 2.

So far Cally has acclimated to the house, the weather, and really taken to Papa Frank. We've already had one huge adventure with her today as she followed the pizza delivery man outside and go on an exploration of the mountain. She finally decided to come home to the back door much to her mother's relief.

Part of the reason I was so worried about Cally was because it actually snowed today! I was promised it didn't snow in Vancouver. I am now reminded the quote was added the caveat of "often" or "much". Chris and I keep remembering why we moved to Florida and how much we DO NOT miss snow, or driving in it!

Mommy's new toy....

For the record, this is doctor mandated. Not for Cally :) but for me. Mostly just a great perk for the dog. Or torture, however you want to read into it. Your choice really. This was my favorite picture we took:

How lazy am I?

Thanksgiving Weekend Pics

Florida ICE

One of the resorts down here has an ICE extravaganza every year where they use more than 2 million pounds of ice to make some of these amazing pictures! It actually takes more than 3 months to freeze all the water to make the ice for these sculptures. Everything you see is made out of ice. The only thing in the exhibits that wasn't ice were the signs and the carpet I'm pretty sure. It was Mom and Dad's first night down here and we knew they were missing out on the Utah weather, so we decided this would be fun. Especially for Mom since they make the exhibit a mere 9 degrees (for you Canadian readers that is Fahrenheit)!!! They actually provide you with parkas but you have to bring your own toques and mitts (for American readers those are beanies/hats and gloves/mittens). -See how diverse and multicultural we are here? Just trying to spread the love.

Please note the earmuffs on the fish. Didn't even know they had ears...

Here we are standing in a huge gazebo. I wish you could see the hand-carved life-sized doves that were resting on the top.

Dad and Chris in the Engine of the three-car train. We never could fit the whole thing in one camera shot. Pardon the camera work, it kept fogging up, it was so cold!

This was a life-sized scale nativity scene. All the animals and figures were so intricately carved and life-like. The camera just doesn't do it justice!

And did I mention there were 3 slides? And of varying length? The tallest was 40 feet! Here is Dad saying, "I'm done!" Lake- he compared it to the Bobsled track.

This one is my favorite.

IKEA

We are proud to announce that Orlando just opened an IKEA store today! I really wanted to attend the Grand Opening festivities as the website and media were promising giveaways like furniture and gift cards to the first so many hundred people. Unfortunately, I had to be at work at the same time the doors opened. Such a sad predicament. But let's see, Chris doesn't have to be at work until 2! Woo hoo! Come on down!

I can't say he was exactly "excited" per se when I drug him out of bed this morning at 7am so he could get to the Grand Opening and stand in line for (he loves me and he knows it!) which in his own words I "made" him go. Well, I called him later and asked him how it went and did he get anything. "Oh yeah, I got something so awesome. I'm sitting with it right now."
"Was it totally worth it going and waiting?"
"Oh, definitely. But you're going to have to wait till you get home and see what it is."
After several phone calls of badgering, begging, pleading, and groveling, I did have to come home to see what he won:And by the way, the hot dogs were only $0.50!

10 Easy Steps to a Stressful Day

1. Promise to be at work at 8am instead of 9am.
2. Get dressed in the dark.
3. During important tour that is outside, have realization that your black pantyhose that supposedly matches your black sweater and heels is in deed navy blue.
4. Have second epiphany outside that you should not own or ever wear wool sweaters in Orlando and certainly not during outdoor tours, because it will in deed eventually reach 80 degrees.
5. Promise the President of the company to drive wives of dignitaries to their hotel. Make sure you have no idea how to a) drive the company van and b) how to get to the hotel.
6. Discover this is the scheduled time for the second in your series of Hepatitis B shots. The nurse conveniently waits for you so that you may endure that much needed pain on a day like today.
7. Get nominated to get 175 gift cards from Wal-mart (which have to be rung-up separately,) and a 50 lb bag of nuts. A trip to the store so costly, you must drag the CFO with you.
8. Give your husband generic instructions of something you want him to do and yell at him later when he did not do the very specific thing you really wanted him to do.
9. Very sheepishly apologize when you realize he has a point, that you should have told him what you wanted in the first place. :(
10. Make an appointment with a Realtor you know you'll never make after work as that would require you to leave on time (insert laugh here).

My New Roommate

I should be used to these. They are everywhere down here. All over the sidewalks, crawling all over our yard., running in our tree, and climbing on our screendoor. Yet, they seem to always surprise me. For instance, one day I unlocked the HR office to find one in Dina's chair. "Hmmmm," I thought. "I know Dina was getting her hair done this weekend, but that is a bit of a drastic change." Turns out it wasn't her. Although I did get yelled at by a volunteer for letting it go outside. I suppose it could have been her Prince Charming awaiting her return. Although I don't believe Prince Charming would've bitten the Lady in Waiting. But I'm no Brother Grimm, so what do I know?

So last weekend, I was cleaning up around the house and went to hang up a sweatshirt and what did I find? Oh....I think only a picture will suffice:Yes, that is a lizard on a hanger. A hanger that hangs 6 feet off the ground. This little guy (or gal, we aren't sure) was just chillin' in my clothes. Jillian and I tried to catch him, but he started playing musical hangers. At one point we thought he ran inside a shirt, but thankfully he didn't. We were eventually able to grab the hanger without him jumping off, but even then I was nervous. Cally and Muffin were jumping at it and the poor lizard did this little Superman stretch and was trying to be as long and flat as he could so no one could see him. I was so nervous he would jump off before we got outside. But he made it in one piece safely. :)

We had a lizard in our house once before. Sadly, Cally found it before I did.... and, well, let's just say that this Thanksgiving season I am thankful for the regeneration of lizard tails. :(

Boo-lated Halloween Pics

Once upon a time there was a little girl by the name of Alice. She was very curious. On her search for the White Rabbit, she happened upon a place called East High and met a lovely girl name Gabriella.After a few song and dance numbers, she followed the path towards a tea party where she met the Mad Hatter and then into a garden where she met the prettiest flower.
When sweet Alice is not around to keep the peace, mean Bob pours ice cold water on poor Gabriella's head making her make-up run down her face. This causes Deya's costume to look more like Vanessa Hudges crying over Zac Efron than anything else. :(
Halloween was so much fun this year and I am so glad I was able to volunteer. I didn't have to be as stressed as Entertainment and still got to join in on the fun. They did an awesome job as always! I just wish I had a picture of Jenna and Leah dressed as Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum!

Ode to Uncle Bob

One thing we have learned as we moved to the ultimate tourist destination in the world, is we are much more likely to have friends and family visit us. Many of you even have to travel here for work, and as incentive to pencil us in along the way, you will receive a shout out on the blog.

So here is our piece for Chris' Uncle Bob.


There once was an uncle named Bob
who never dressed like a slob.
He wouldn't eat onions or fungi
But on the golf course he was a fun guy.
He isn't a priest, just Uncle Bob.

We had a great time going to dinner and breakfast with him. Chris was able to golf and give him a tour of the Golf Channel. And yes, a woman did think he was a priest, and yes, he was in his golf clothes at the time. :)

Cally's Halloween Costume

Since they have no grandkids to spoil, Mom had to send something for her grand-puppy to wear:

Deyna's Halloween Adventures Part 2

The second big competition at work is the office decorating. There is a most fall themed or a most Halloween themed category. As my fellow skit members now know, I have a mantra when it comes to theatrics and crafts- go all out or go home. I'm pretty sure if I say it again I work, I'll get pushed in the pool. So we decided instead of just being spooky or leafy, we would add humor, since we knew we could do that. And when else is HR allowed to be funny? NEVER!!!!!! :) In an effort to not offend anyone, we decided the target of our satire should be ourselves. Can't make offend yourself, right? Well, I guess if you tried hard enough you could, but in our good-natured little world, we didn't.


We figured, what is fun about Halloween...it's evil. And everyone thinks HR is evil. So let's play with that. I turned Dina and I into witches with photoshop and scrapbook supplies. We made roadsigns and Hazard signs all over the door. Dina even found the perfect doormat on clearance at Target. We made 3 ghosts out of 1$ material and balloons and replicated our name tags. We tortured her poor plastic office tree and Dina splurged on the motion-sensored freaky witch. Whatyda think?