Sunday, November 29, 2009

Holiday Special

Thanksgiving Day at the Gale Home:







The Day After Thanksgiving Day at the the Gale Home:

I am wearing shorts and flip-flops---it was 80 degrees
We got an artificial tree from Costco. Due to the high flammability of the state of California--and more especially here in the dry desert of the southern end of the state--we didn't even consider a real tree.
Shanna and I dragged it out of the box and put it together.
I was pretty excited about it being "pre-lit" because wrapping the lights around the tree is my least favorite past time. It took some engineering skill for us to get it put together, but we managed.
I plugged it in with great anticipation ...
...and only one section of lights came on.
My first thought was that the tree was faulty.
Then I considered the possibility that there was some
connecting that needed to be done between the sections.
Brilliant deduction.
I dug through the box it came in looking for instructions, but couldn't find any.
So we had to rely on our own electrical engineering experience:
random plugging and unplugging...
VOILA!
We had a beautiful, artificial, pre-lit
Christmas Tree.
And then I noticed the directions were taped to the lid of the box it came in.



It was Sam's turn to put the Angel on top.
He has waited 8 long years for the privilege!
When you are 7th in a family of 8 kids you learn to be patient and take turns.
Hopefully.
And the next day it rained all day long.
That is only the second time we have seen rain since we moved here. It was fun feeling like we were back in the Northwest with the rain coming down and turkey soup simmering.
Shanna and I made two batches of fudge with two different recipes.
One of us might have broken the thermometer into the second batch of fudge.
We're pretty sure we got all the glass out.
So don't worry.
And to top off the holiday,
BYU beat University of Utah.
Good times, good times.

Saturday, November 21, 2009

The Half-Century Mark

This Hottie...
...used to be this little Cutie

And then after many, many, many, many, many
years...
He turned 50!
And we had a party for him.
Lots of people came...
Some old friends and some new



Shayla's gift to her Dad:
She played "Phantom of the Opera" and only
rolled her eyes once when he sang along.

The Birthday Boy was a blur of charm and wit at his shindig.






It took three of us to light the candles...


The Birthday Boy blew them all out.
He gets his wish!


Just what he always wanted.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

At Last

How cute is this?
One Year Old Scott with his train cake.
Back when we lived in the trailer--that was a step up from the chicken coop! Scott's 1st Birthday 1984
It's been a long while since I had a working scanner. I'll spare you the details of all the ups and downs in the long saga of trying to get something to work. Sadly, it has limited my ability to embarrass my children. I had to rely on only current pictures and couldn't dig into the Gale Family Archives. But today, I took matters into my own hands and tracked down the problem, found the solution to the problem and fixed the problem.

I am back in business.

The Little Things

This popcorn popper is pretty old. I believe it dates back to the eighties. It has popped many delicious bowls of popcorn for me, my family, Joy School Children, Cub Scouts, Primary Children, YM/YW activities and so on and so forth.
And it just keeps on going.
When we moved recently, I left this at the cabin because I thought I would just get another one, just as good, after we got settled.
But I thought wrong. There is no longer a popcorn popper as amazing and efficient as this one out there for sale.
They just don't make 'em like they used to.
Lucky for me, my son Spencer knew of my consternation.
I told him I wished I had brought the popper with me when we moved.
I complained of the inferiority of the newer models.
I waxed nostalgic about the quick and tasty batches of popcorn we had made with the old one.
And, being the sensitive son that he is,
when he arrived with all of his missionary paraphanalia, he had tucked in amongst it
THE POPCORN POPPER!
He even carefully packed the already cracked plastic top into his carryon so it would be safe.
That's my boy.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Happy, Happy Birthday

Today is Scott's Birthday. He was born in the wee hours of the morning 26 years ago. Two days before the BYU/Utah football game. Dad had tickets and had been hoping that the arrival of his firstborn would not cause him to miss it. Alas, that was the day Scott and I were discharged from the hospital and we needed someone to drive us home.
I don't remember if BYU won or lost, but I remember how sweet it was to be home in our little "chicken coop" with the small beginnings of our Eternal Family.
We didn't have much materially but we were happy and Scott was a delightful little baby.
And now he has a delightful little baby of his own.
And a sweet wife.
And a pretty awesome career ahead of him.
And he grew into a BYU fan himself.
We couldn't be prouder.
Happy Birthday Son.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

My Personal Trainer

I have been training for a half-marathon.
By this I mean I have been sprinting out the door for my three times a week "run".
I start out going down our very steep hill at break-neck speed because of gravity and because I have a busy day of taxi-driving that I need to get back to.
After covering the first mile in 7 or so minutes, I have to slow down for a steady uphill rise.
This brings me around a corner to another steep hill going up.
Each morning as I come huffing and puffing up that hill, I am greeted with a cheery
"Good Morning"
From a guy who looks just like him:
Only in a jogging suit.
Sitting in a chair on his driveway.
That little chill up my spine spurs me up the hill faster than
I would go without his motivating wave and eerie smile.
Thank you Coach Pierre le Pieu.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

A Fond Farewell

Yesterday we said good-bye to our Missionary Son.
He's off to learn the Hmong language in the MTC.
Then he'll be back in California sharing the Good News.
The youngsters all love Spencer. He's a kind and patient big brother.
They said their good-byes as he loaded his luggage into the car.





Andy and I drove him to the airport and helped him check in.
I told him I did all my crying the night before at our FHE Farewell.
Then I hugged him and the tears made a liar out of me.






Friday, November 6, 2009

Newly Minted



In the Stake President's office right after Spencer was set apart. I may or may not have cried a little.

Thursday, November 5, 2009

The Beach Was Calling

We only have a few days left with Spencer before he embarks upon his two years of service in the California, Sacramento, Hmong Speaking Mission.
The beach seemed like the perfect place to spend one of those days. Here we are!
Spencer looking debonair in his new shades and
Official Missionary Haircut
Sam's Serious face


Getting ready to catch a wave.



Still getting ready




And they're off!

Sam's Happy face

Seth, Shayla and Sam relaxing in the sand--gazing
out at the Mighty Deep.

Shane tolerating the beach: no sun, and as little sand as possible.


For My Guy






Sunday, November 1, 2009

Pretty in Pink

Today was Fast Sunday--no we don't speed through the meetings so it goes "fast" as several of my children had hoped when they were little...but we fast two meals and contribute an offering for those in need that is equivalent to the cost of the two meals (but in a generous estimation). That means that everyone is spiritually filled but very hungry by the time dinner rolls around. In fact they usually start talking about dinner on the ride home from church. Today, they all agreed that fettuccine Alfredo sounded delicious. Then Sam requested Seth's famous Chicken Parmigiana to go with it. Seth so generously agreed to make some for us.
I think he looks dashing in my pink apron.


He also made the Alfredo sauce--from scratch.


Sam agreed to be his assistant.
He donned the famous "Landa" apron.
He mentioned that I should get a Sunshine Yellow Apron to match my Kitchen-aid mixer, so he would have a colorful apron to wear like Seth did.


Seth put him to work scrubbing the pot.
Sam: "Is this clean enough for you?"
Seth: "You're going to be eating whatever comes out of it,
so you tell me!"

Seth's so good at this he can do it with his eyes closed!

Mmmm, golden brown deliciousness.


Dinner's ready...
Come and eat!








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 ...