The Latest and Greatest

It has been about 3 months since the last posting on this blog- so I figured it would be a good time to update the world on the Wilson Family. (if the irregular and infrequency of posts just isn't satisfying your insatiable desire to 'kick it with da Wilsons', please check out Erin's blog-which can be found at right-and is a little more current. After all, she does have over 100 posts!)

Well... 3 months is a lot to cover, so hang with me-I'll give you the real deal on what we did over the holidays.
On Thanksgiving day, my family decided to go to San Fransisco on the next day. This is the opening pic of the 'scenic' ride. I now know why over 99.99% of Nevada is uninhabited. We all piled into a rental van and went to go visit the members that my brother worked with while serving his mission there.
Part of our experience in San Fran included the Business District- that's where everything is much bigger than it needs to be; wallets, buildings, price tags, pigeons and the Christmas decorations.
On our way to Fisherman's Wharf, we passed some people who were stoned. Since they weren't in their right mind, Erin decided to stick her finger in the first person's ear. (Why??? i don't know...why did the lady swallow the fly? No one really knows- it just happened. Maybe the old lady wanted to be funny, too!)
While Erin tickled the inner tunnel of the first stoner- I told the second stoner where that finger had really been. I'd share that tid-bit of information with you, but this is not thetime, nor the place.
While at Fisherman's Wharf, we visited an arcade museum on one of the piers. This particular beauty would shake her booty for the small fee of 5 cents- and then nights of countless nightmares.

We finished the night near the Golden Gate Bridge along the beach, listening to the waves pad softly against the soft sand and the smell of hamburgers on the grill. It was almost romantic... I was glad I could share it with Erin... and my mom...and my dad...and my brother and sister... and the Sanchez family who were grilling the burgers.

We went to Church that next day, then made the 10 hour ride back to Utah- it was fun to watch the thermometer on the car drop as fast as the gas tank level sensor.

Nothing happened between then and Christmas...Except for snow.

But Christmas was Awesome!!!! We went to my family's house, played card games and stayed up really late. Opened gifts- went to a medieval Christmas Party where we had to dress up like royalty (or knights) eat food with our hands, and compete in medieval style games such as blanket chariot races, Scooter Gauntlets, and pillow jousting! It was awesome- but you're just going to have to take my word for it because the medieval people didn't have cameras and thus no film or photography. I thought about drawing a mosaic fresco or an icon depicting the epic battle between father and son, warring cousins, and the carnage of huge carrots, roasted chicken and potatoes, but I didn't have any cathedral walls...Sorry.

BUT-- this is another tradition in the Wilson family, poorly known among outsiders! The annual Christmas Eve Sleep Out!! That's right, and this year had a first timer: the 'never-so-daring' Erin! This is us all decked out before heading outside. Remember the wind and snow Christmas eve in Salt Lake- yeah, we slept outside in the brunt of it all! (Erin must really love me)
Well, actually, this picture was taken right before my borthers and I ran around the block, which is also tradition- then we snuggled up in our sleeping bags with visions of popsicles freezing in our heads.

This is what it looked like: Erin is already in the sleeping bag, my sister is at her left, and I am getting the tarp ready to brave the elements. This year we have to fold ourselves into a 'tarp taco' to keep the snow off our faces. The tarp was then secured to the ground with bricks to keep the wind from exposing us. It was actually quite warm! We woke up with 2" of snow on the top tarp, but we were dry. (except for my brother who is still dealing with a faulty bladder.)
That Saturday, we went to American Fork Canyon to snow shoe and to also snowmobile. I blame the lack of pictures on the failing battery, but this is the one picture I managed to take while on the Snoe Shoe trail. It was really fun, warm, and relaxing.
Well, that is what we have been up to. I hope that all your holiday seasons were just as grand. It was good to see many of you, but way to short... We wish you all the best during these rough times and pray that God will always look after your families!
Justin and Erin