Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Wish You Were Here

Christmas this year didn't turn out quite the way we planned. Thanks to mother nature and over-stressed airlines, Shanna and Austin weren't able to get here for our family Christmas.
I laid on my closet floor and cried until my ears filled up with tears. Then I realized that wasn't any way to spend Christmas.

And my ears were wet.
We had to somehow muddle through without our Nunny and her Hubby here with us.
Bailey made our Holiday cheery and bright. This was the little dolly Sant brought for her. Shane was VERY happy with the giant Calvin and Hobbes books he got.
Siara in her pirate pantaloon pajamas.

(Shanna...ummm...yours are like this too. Matching jammies are a tradition!)
Can you say "MONKEY SLIPPERS!"
Mmmmmm Mashed Potatoes
Our traditional ginger-bread house. The other part of the tradition that developed with the younger four boys: we blow it up.
Thanks to Scott's engineering talent we found a way for Shayla to get the angel on the tree.
The angel has landed
An aerial shot of the cabin...Grandpa and Sherrie were here.
The Christmas Eve feast
There's a big hole in the stair picture where Shanna and Austin should be!
WISH YOU WERE HERE!
We LOVE you!!
Merry Christmas!!!!

Sunday, December 21, 2008

Over the Edge

Here's a fun way to spend quality time as a family together for the Holidays: We like to welcome our college kids home for the Holidays with a good home improvement project.

Our strapping boys: Two chemical engineer majors and a snowboarding major.
Helping Dad with jet tub removal.


Setting up for the tub toss.



It's more efficient to throw it off the balcony than carry it through the house and out.




And now for the retrieval...picking up the debris from the river bank.





Hauling it through the snow. As you can see, Andy is dressed for the weather!






It was then deposited at the side of the house--I think I'll plant geraniums in it next Spring!
We're looking forward to the girls getting here so we can crochet some cozies for the outhouse.








Saturday, December 20, 2008

Our Christmas Angel

Bathing Beauty... Bathtime was fun for both of us!
Her lovely curly locks.

Uncle SAM!


Uncle Seth with the entertaining hat!
More pictures coming of Uncle Shane and Aunt Shayla...




Friday, December 19, 2008

Winter Wonderland

Gentle Reader,
I have been a little distracted of late because of a certain little someone who arrived last Wednesday night. Scott, Nicole, Bailey and Spencer got here safe and sound after a few delays and I have been busy holding Bailey at every opportunity. But I did take a moment to get some pictures of the snow here. It feels like we are living in a picture postcard! "Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening"

"He will not mind me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow...
The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep...

The youngsters were very enterprising-- most of our winter stuff is packed away in long-term storage--but Seth found my rubber gloves handy for keeping his hands dry!


Sam taking advantage of the snow and a perfect hill.



It's hard to get a good night picture of the cabin--but you can see how Dad risked life and limb to get lights all around.




We can't wait for everyone else to get here for Christmas!






I feel like I live inside a snow globe--and someone keeps shaking it!






Monday, December 15, 2008

What Can I Say?

I saw a chance to put up a RED background...so of course I had to do it!

Sunday, December 14, 2008

It's Beginning to Look a Little Like Christmas

Here's a little peek at our Christmas preparations here in our cozy cabin:Dad worked hard all day keeping the home fires burning
O, Christmas Tree!
The weather outside is frightful...it was 23 degrees here today!
Note the BYU Cougar statue that has a new home on our porch here at the cabin.


SNOW!!!




Dad vs The Tree

This year, we decided to try the U-Cut experience to get our tree. Here you see Sam with the Ten Foot Pole searching for the perfect tree.
Shayla is doing her Mary Poppins impersonation.
After traipsing all over the lot, we found the perfect tree--
right next to where we parked.

Dad was not happy that they would not allow the use of chainsaws.
Because a twelve foot tree has a really big trunk.
After sawing, and sawing and sawing, the youngsters tried to help
by pushing the tree over.


Finally, after more sawing and sawing and sawing,
Dad got the tree over.



This is Dad returning the wimpy little saw they forced him to use.

He really didn't enjoy the U-Cut Experience in spite of the hopeful tree-shaped sign.

Dad did vanquish the foe and we somehow managed to wrestle the tree onto the top of the car.


It was all worth it!








Saturday, December 13, 2008

Christmas Is...

I was browsing in Camas Antiques -- a fun way to spend a little free time-- and saw this on a card:
Christmas is a strange holiday: we sing songs in front of a dead tree and we eat candy out of our socks.

Friday, December 12, 2008

The Nightmare Before Christmas

Don't they look sweet in their matching outfits?

A few years back, I was asked to speak in church on Christmas Eve Day. I was given the subject: "How Mothers Can Help Their Children Remember the True Meaning of Christmas" and I was given five minutes...between the musical numbers...one of which was me playing viola with Shayla on violin and Sam on cello...and the choir...in which I sang alto (or at least I tried--I'm not really a singer--we have a small choir and their desperate need of singers drove them to ask even me to pitch in)...so it was a busy Christmas Eve Sunday...did I mention I was Relief Society President at the time? Yeah.

So I worried and fussed about the talk and how I could cover that subject in five minutes and also spent a lot of time rehearsing with the youngsters so we could play our piece without setting the dogs in the vicinity of the church to howling so I was a little desperate by Saturday night and came up with this:


With apologies to Clement C. Moore, I would like to share with you my version of "The Night Before Christmas"...all of the events actually happened, but no names are mentioned to protect the not so innocent!

The Week Before Christmas


'Twas the week before Christmas, and somewhere in the house,

Mom was stirring up Home Teaching goodies for her spouse.



The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,

Because she had dug them out of the attic and put them there.



When out in the family room, there arose such a clatter,

She sprang from the kitchen to see what was the matter!



The children were wrestling and knocked over the tree,

One had broken an arm and had to go to emergency.



Just as Mom's blood pressure was settling down,

Her husband came home, he had been out of town.



"I thought it would be nice to have my colleagues come here

For a Christmas get-together...don't worry, I'll help you dear!"



Those famous last words had been uttered before,

She knew he meant well--but HE would not be scrubbing the floor.



To top it all off she had to find something to wear...

The maternity sweats were comfortable but without the right flair.



It wouldn't be so bad except for her belly,

Which shook when she laughed like a bowl full of jelly!



The night of the party, the kids were wild in a chasing game

She hollered and shouted and called them by name:



"Now you and your brother go clean up your mess!

And you, still in your pj's...go put on a dress!



Go wash your faces and let me comb your hair,

You have to look nice even if you don't care!"



So the people they came, they ate and were merry

And when it was done, the dishes to the sink she did carry.



There was so much to do and time was running out

Is this really what Christmas is supposed to be about?



Just at that moment she lost all her reason

And got caught up in another crazy idea for the Season.



Her next thought: Matching outfits, so adorable

Too bad her oldest thought the idea was deplorable.



She got the girls fluffy dresses with lace at the hem

And sewed the boys vests and bow-ties to match 'em.



They all looked so sweet she had to drag them to the mall,

(She bribed them with promises of McDonald's--a rare treat for all!)



To Sears, to record the memory for relatives and friends--

For years she would be trying to somehow make amends.



There was only one kid from school who would tease without shame,

Of course that's who they saw as they were picking out a frame.



"Oh, hi there, don't you look so cute in your vest!"

"Yeah, don't worry, I'm sure my Mom is possessed!"



The ride home from the mall was really not pleasant one bit,

There was ranting about the humiliation and a legitimate fit.



Mom was tired and grumpy and feeling like a Grinch,

All the TV commercials made it look like a cinch!



She had baked and sewed and shopped and wrapped,

Now she was exhausted, her energy sapped.



She collapsed in a chair next to the tree

She just wanted a moment of quiet serenity.



Then her sweet little toddler peeked around the door

She had read to him and tucked him in, but he wanted more.



His eyes how they twinkled, his dimples so cute,

He needed her time and attention, not presents and loot.



So she made a promise to him and to herself,

No more knocking herself out to be the Christmas elf.



She would keep the traditions that drew the family close,

And put time into service for those that needed it most.



Her husband heard her exclaim as he dozed off that night,

"A Better Christmas for all, now that I've seen the light!"



(Just a final PS: a few years later, the same child broke his/her arm AGAIN. Same arm, same holiday, different year)

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Just In Time for Christmas

Shayla got herself off the naughty list. As you recall, she started out the school year with a bang by getting herself in detention. Recently, she got called to the Principal's office and her heart sank. Then her mind began to race as she tried to recall if she had violated any rules or regulations. When she arrived, she was handed a pin and the following letter:

"Dear Shayla Gale,
Congratulations on being selected this month for the Camas High School CLASS Award. Each month, a staff member can choose one student who exhibits such outstanding characteristics as academic excellence, citizenship, improved effort, and leadership. As an honoree, you are also the recipient of a Camas CLASS pin, which symbolizes that you are an important person to our school. While you may be nominated more than once during your high school career, you will only receive one pin.
You were selected to receive this honor this month by Mr. Marshall.
Once again, congratulations. May this award inspire you to continue being one of the positive students who make a difference on our campus.
Go Papermakers!"

So, you are probably wondering which of the above-mentioned outstanding characteristics she exhibited. As she was so recently a delinquent, you might be surprised as we were that she had managed to pull herself up from the depths of depravity so quickly and turn her life around. How did she do it?

By placing a plastic water bottle in the recycling bin.
Shayla, you are an inspiration to us all.

(But remember--you only get ONE pin. Don't even think of asking for another.)

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

The Clot Thickens

After colliding with Sam on the skate boards, they got into a boxing match to determine who's fault it was...that's how brothers work things out around here sometimes. They were both laughing when they came in with blood pouring out of Shane's nose.
Shane's comment: "That was awesome!"
Sam replied (with admiration in his voice), "Yeah, he punched me in the gut like five times!" as he got a paper towel for Shane to clean up the blood.
As soon as the bleeding stopped they were both back out on the skate boards.

Monday, December 8, 2008

Favorite Things

Yesterday I taught the Young Women in the Lacamas Creek ward. I was a "Guest Teacher" if you will...it was a lesson about Individual Worth and how we feel good when we do good. I wanted to talk to them about giving gifts with meaning...gifts of the heart.
As Emerson said, "Rings and jewels are not gifts but apologies for gifts. The only gift is a portion of thyself."
I shared with them gifts my girls had made for me --I brought along the box Siara made for me as well as the cd you see here(Siara's box was featured in a past "Favorites"). Sunday morning I got out this cd Shanna made for me a few years back. It's a recording of my favorite Christmas song: "Mary's Lullaby". She is playing the piano and her friend the opera singer (a roommate at BYU) is singing. They recorded her singing all the parts and blended them together.
The youngsters had not straggled out of bed yet so I was alone in the living room when I decided to listen to it for the first time this Christmas season. She starts with saying, "Merry Christmas, Mom...I love you." and then begins the intro on the piano. And I begin to cry like a baby. It gets me every time.


Saturday, December 6, 2008

Paved Paradise...

...and put up a parking lotThe problem with paradise is it's messy
The rain in paradise makes it muddy

and there are pot-holes and pine needles everywhere


so paradise needs some paving



Also, this is better for skateboarding and basketball.
Because kids get bored--even in Paradise!





Happy Birthday Scott!

 It has been awhile since I updated this little family scrapbook on the internet. I like to pop over here from time to time and look at our ...