A very rashy Christmas

Christmas morning we drove to Mexico. Christmas at my parents was very mellow this year. I was sick, apparently I have a viral infection wreaking havoc in my body and it decided to show up in the form of a super nasty rash that has gotten progressively worse in the last few days. It's disgusting, I'll spare you the details. Back to Christmas... My mom's sisters came over and we had a lot of fun just cooking and talking. We visited a lot of family (we just walked around the neighborhood, going house to house saying hi to people and eating again and again). I had a nice visit with my grandma, she looks very fragile and tiny these days. Poor Ben had to sit in complete boredom. I know these visit's aren't easy for him. He doesn't get the jokes and isn't always able to keep up with the conversations because we "talk too fast" but he says the food makes up for it. All he ever does in TJ is eat and pretend to know whats going on. His Spanish has gotten really good although he still throws in a few Portuguese words when he speaks. It makes me happy that he tries so hard. The day after Christmas was my mom's birthday so we stayed overnight. My parents house is soooo cold. Houses in TJ are cold. We slept on a blow up mattress because so many people stayed over and the bedrooms were full. So Ben and I had a sleepover with my brothers in the living room. I know it sounds weird but it was a ton of fun. Ruby was cracking us up. He so sweet and funny. In the early morning he woke up and saw that some of our blankets were on the floor so he put more blankets on top of us and tucked us in. My brothers are the best. My mom's birthday turned out to be in her own words "one of her favorites". I'm glad she was happy and excited to have us all home. My ridiculously overprotective parents can drive me nuts most of the time, but I'm so blessed to have been born in the family that I was born in.
Because I was sick and because Ben didn't want to take his camera to Mexico (somehow he had no problems taking it to Tunisia but Tijuana...) we don't have many pictures of Christmas.

I hope this rash goes away soon, it really really sucks and I look like a freak.

With my mom and tias

There aren't many redheads in mexico but somehow my cousins are able to produce them. Meet Valentina my newest little cousin. My cousin brought her over in an effort to pressure us into having a red head of our own. The baby pressure continues.


PS
I'm not contagious!

Celebrating Baby Jesus

This year we spent Christmas Eve with the Kelly's (Ben's mom and Step-dad). This was the first Christmas Eve EVER that I didn't see my parents. It felt like I was cheating on them, I called home three times and tried to act like a grown up and not cry over it. We ended up having a great time. Ben's mom is really good at holidays and keeping family traditions. She's the epitome of mom-perfection, she just makes everything feel warm and fuzzy. I got really lucky marrying into Ben's family because I get to experience so much of American culture, in a movie-like setting. Holidays with my family are also fun but a lot more disorganized and crazy, but Ben likes all the traditional Mexican things we do. I guess it works out. This year it was just his turn to be with his family on Christmas Eve. The highlight of Christmas Eve was definitely the live Christmas story acted out by the family. Our niece Charlotte was an angel, Jack was a shepherd and our newest nephew Weston was baby Jesus! He was the cutest baby Jesus I've ever seen. Shannon was Mary, Andre was Joseph, Angie played the piano and Grandpa Kelly was the narrator. The rest of us where the choir as we sang hymns and listened to Grandpa Kelly tell the story of Christmas. Charlotte took off her costume and got naked in the middle of the performance. Jack decided to use his shepherd staff as a weapon and hit Joesph on the head. It was hilarious. Mary was trying to keep it together as her kids were going crazy, Weston seemed to be the only one who really stuck to his role as baby Jesus.
As always in the Kelly household dinner was delicious. We spent Christmas Day with my family in Tijuana. (I'll post all about that tomorrow).

Charlotte as an angel. Not sure if Ben overexposed this picture on purpose.

Jack having a little drink before his big performance.

Mike and MaryAnn. We all know where Ben gets his red hair from.

Do I even need to explain? Ben being inappropriate and putting a show for the family.

Ben has 2 sisters, 2 step sisters a brother, a half brother and a step brother. This is Erin, one of his step sisters.

The game was getting intense.

This year we ate around the Christmas tree. With such a huge blended family, Ben's mom has to get creative so we can all sit on the same table.

Merry Christmas

December happenings

When Ben who never checks this blog or contributes to it tells me that I've been slacking on the content you know is bad. He even noticed I skipped a thanksgiving post! Oops. I'm not going back. We have been super busy like everyone, getting ready for christmas, and on top of that I always have the additional task of thank you notes (for my birthday) but overall everything is super. Here's this month so far:

Here we are at the "Second Annual Christmas Extravaganza". We took the ugly sweater theme a little far. I was in Mexico at a funeral so I asked Ben to get some cheesy Christmas sweaters at the thrift store. Instead he got some plane red sweaters and he decorated his. I just hung stuff on mine, (we only had half an hour to spare, making these) we of course looked totally ridiculous but Ben is super proud of his masterpiece because "it lights up". Ben found battery operated Christmas lights at the craft store and is now thinking about making some more sweaters and selling them on etsy! Yeah right, please someone other than me tell him that's a bad idea. He's been wearing the sweater a lot, and even plans on wearing it to work next week. No joke.

Quick trip to Disneyland on my birthday with my homies.

Birthday dinner at my favorite Cuban restaurant in Orange. (More pictures on FB) Ben as always was making me laugh so much. One of these days I'm going to pee my pants for reals. Notice he shaved, that's what I asked for my birthday. Don't get me wrong I love his beard but once in a while I like to know what my husband looks like without so much hair on his face. He even got a hair cut! This doesn't happen very often. Doesn't he look handsome? But for the record I did meet him with a beard and it was a HUGE homeless looking beard so I can't complain now.

Ice Skating! We went ice skating with the youth, it was so much fun. In this picture it looks like I'm about to fall but I didn't, not once! Oh, and Ben is of course wearing his "famous" sweater.

This is funny

or so I think.

Click HERE to view this little video.

Sarah's Birthday

Today is Sarah's Birthday. Happy Birthday, Sarah. I'm so glad you were born. See you after work!
-Ben

Dear Ben

Thanks so much for working so hard and for always providing for our family. You have always done what you said you are going to do, and I'm so proud of you.

"Let us give full, honest effort to our jobs as though we owned the enterprise. In a very real sense, each of us is in business for ourselves, no matter who pays us. Be honest with your employer. Make sure that “the laborer is worthy of his hire.” (D&C 84:79.)

PS

I'll stop whining about not going snowboarding with your brothers this winter. You stay home and work and I'll go without you.

Love,

Sarah

Dear Creatures and Ben's Girlfirends

When I met Ben the first thing I noticed was all the girls in his life. He has a really great group of girlfriends who adore him. And I don't blame them, Ben is a rad friend to have. He is sweet, funny and gives really good back rubs. When he was a student it wasn't weird for me to come home and find him snuggling on the couch with one of his girls. Quite frankly everyone could use a little Ben in their life. There's a picture I need to scan of Ben at his farewell dinner (before his mission) surrounded by like 10 girls. Even though they are not members of the church they all wrote to him every week, and sent him many care packages while he was gone. They are truly awesome girls. One of his good friends Bianca, recently started her own clothing line Dear Creatures. We are so proud of her and are so happy to see all of her hard work paying off. Some of her clothes will be soon sold at Anthropologie and celebrities like Zooey Deschanel are wearing her stuff! I'm in love with every piece of clothing in her fall collection. Tonight we went to a Dear Creatures trunk show and I was able to get some really cute stuff. I already have first dibs on some spring items and I can't wait to see her entire spring collection. I'm sure it will be great. Her line has a lot of modest pieces so check it out.

We had a lot of fun tonight in L.A. catching up with Ben's high school friends.
Ben and Bianca

Ben and some of his girls (just like old times)

He has guy friends too (not many, but proof that he is not totally gay)