A Semi-Annual Update

Well, how have you been? I've been caught up in the day-to-day of life. Moving, then not moving. Packing like a mad woman and then not packing like a mad woman. Enjoying new grandchildren--joy and rejoicing and all of the good stuff. Serving in my calling, feeling the love and partaking of the wisdom of amazing Relief Society women. Allowing for the mourning process of leaving this place I have come to love. I think I am an East Coaster somewhere deep down, even though I am born and bred of Pocatello, Idaho and parts thereabout. I have sent some sobbing prayers to heaven asking why I had to come to love the people and the history and beauty here and now I have to leave. But you know I also sent sobbing prayers to heaven when I had to leave Washington and then again California so I'm starting to get the idea that I am supposed to be learning something here. Perhaps that there are amazing people yet to meet and love and vistas ahead to appreciate and more history to be learned.

Luckily, I am an (annoying) optimist so I am looking on the bright side.

Which is a little easier with the bone-chilling arctic weather we have been 

enduring here as of late. 

California sunshine, here I come.

Eventually.

In the meantime, we have two offers on the house and we are just waiting for the paperwork and etc. to work their way through the various bureaucracies. We'll see which one comes out on top.

While we are waiting, I offer a pictorial timeline for your viewing pleasure:

I started taking pictures of the places I love around here so I can hold them

in my heart and see them in my picture file too.

This is the unique, historical building that is home to our

local paper: The Newtown Bee.

The bee on the roof and the bee on the door...just... too awesome.

Christmas came and went....Shane and I felt the need to have a

real tree this year. Christmas Spirit was in short supply with 

everyone spread out across the country.

 We brought home a beautiful, fresh tree and

the amazing pine smell was magical.

We spent actual Christmas in the Golden State. Here you see our

Christmas Eve dinner. Andy saved the day by finding a beautiful spot on the 

beach right next to this awesome diner. So we enjoyed our yummy

food as we watched the sun go down over the ocean.

A perfect California Christmas...

...was made even better with some family time talking with

our missionaries. Sister Gale serving in the Illinois, Chicago West Mission

and

Elder Gale serving in the California, Los Angeles Mission. We were able to get

everyone on our Google Hangout and I loved listening to the family banter and the

grandchildren chiming in. Sam gave us a sampling of his Spanish and they both

shared experiences and testimonies. 

A few days after Christmas, we got to see family and friends in our

old ward in Ramona, California. We were there for the very special

occasion of the Blessing of our precious Mabel.

Look how adorable she is in the dress her Mama wore.

We enjoyed our time there and the Horton family hosted us

for dinner and entertainment. 

They are always fun to hang out with.

A few weeks after Christmas,

I zipped down to North Carolina for some daughter/grandbaby time. 

I love that we get to be friends now. 

One of the many rewards of mothering awesome kids.

Cuteness Alert! 

Christmas Clearance

One of my late Christmas presents was a new laptop. New technology in the hands of an old person. So far I have managed to get my pictures from my phone onto my new laptop, but I don't have the editing program that I had on my old laptop so my pictures from the new laptop are posted "as-is" and not very satisfactory to my way of thinking. In the meantime, I have been going back and forth between laptops and I found some pictures from Christmas on the old laptop that need to be shared for the sake of history and posterity and etc. etc.

So here is a baker's dozen in Christmas leftovers--hopefully not too far past their freshness date:

The Christmas cover from our cute small-town newspaper...

Uncle Tyler (and the ipad) entertaining the nieces

Adorable little June practicing her walking skills with Nana--

she has since gone pro and runs around like a superstar.

Miss Norah and Miss Bailey opening Christmas gifts

Twas a few days before Christmas and all through the house,

not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

Because Ninja was on duty.

Just a funny picture of Ninja's "Cat From Outer Space" impression

We had three join our family since last Christmas:

One daughter-in-law and two granddaughters.

As per tradition, they all get stockings that match the Gale Family lineup.

The General Store was decked with boughs of holly and

looked very festive. Best sandwiches in the town!

Another festive place in our town:

The gazebo Christmas tree in The Pleasance --a beautiful park on Main Street.

Some Christmas crafting with Nana

Our little chef enjoying one of her Christmas gifts:

real chef tools--while sporting her hand-painted Christmas apron and

PopPop's chef hat!

Sam instagramming The Lumberjack from King's--

our favorite place for a hardy breakfast.

And our mailbox bit the dust one last time. 

We finally solved the mystery and solved the problem.

But that is a post for another day...

Some Ballet in the Big City

As I mentioned in my previous post, Siara and I went into New York City to see 

George Balanchine's The Nutcracker, performed by the New York City Ballet.

The grand-daddy of all Nutcracker Ballets.

Her hubby Tyler went with us and we had a fun adventure in the big city.

We took the train from Fairfield Metro to Grand Central and

 the Subway to Lincoln Center. 

It was a rainy day but that didn't dampen our spirits a bit.

We had lunch together and then Tyler went off on his

own to explore some museums while Siara and I enjoyed the ballet.

It was spectacular--the Christmas tree grows up from under the stage into the rafters

and it's huge! At the end Clara and her Prince fly above the stage in a sleigh.

The costumes were beautiful and the dancing exquisite.

Is that enough adjectives for you?

It was truly an experience. 

The Subway poster for the Nutcracker

Some amazing Subway entertainment

I love the beautiful Subway mosaic art...

Looking at the overpriced souvenirs during intermission.

Siara, my stylish ballet attending companion....

You will be proud of her, as I was, that

She didn't jump up during the overture and

shout "Let's get this show on the road!"

She's come a long way since her exuberant, spunky little girl days.

Oh, she is still exuberant and spunky--

just a little quieter when the occasion calls for it. 

Happy New Year!

Things have been a little crazy around here--so what else is new right? I've had a moment to catch my breath so I thought I would do a little catch-up...

Sam's turn to put the Angel on the tree

Christmas came and went. Sam came home from college for the holidays and we enjoyed his company and the brotherly shenanigans that go along with having Sam and Shane together under the same roof. I enjoyed hearing him play the piano--I have missed that! It went too fast and we shipped him back to the BYU a few days after the new year.

Visions of sugarplums dancing in their heads

 It is an "off" year for us--our married children were all here last year so they would be spending Christmas with their in-laws this year. But Siara and Tyler came out from Utah to spend Christmas with us-- a lovely bonus. Also, since Scott and Nicole and the girls live close by, they spent a few days before Christmas with us as well. Good times.

WARNING: Old people medical stuff coming up...

Sadly, Andy had been in and out of the hospital and ER and doctor's offices since November trying to figure out what was causing him  excruciating pain in his back. They were throwing every possible drug at him and nothing was helping. It began to get frightening as the clues were not adding up to anything. Finally, the Friday before Christmas he went in for an MRI. It was an infected disc. The disc he had surgery on in September to resolve sciatica pain. The surgery solved that problem and started another. He was ordered straight to the hospital and told not to eat or drink anything. After hours of waiting, he was finally admitted and he found out he would have to be hospitalized for 4 or 5 days. The plan was to give him antibiotics through an IV drip three times a day and wait for the biopsy to grow enough to identify which bacteria was the culprit. We were looking at having Dad/PopPop in the hospital over Christmas. In the meantime, kids and grandkids were arriving and festivities needed to get started. It was the saddest of sads to visit Dad in the hospital and see him suffering and still wondering if he would get to come home for Christmas.

This is starting to sound like a lame Made for TV Christmas Special.

So let's jump to the ending:
The doctor decided they could give him a PICC line and he could administer the antibiotics himself at home. There was some more suspense as we weren't sure if the special PICC line installers would be available so close to the holidays--but they were! And they threaded that line from his shoulder up into the vein near his heart and he got to come home on Christmas Eve eve.

But that was the day I had planned months in advance to go to the New York City Ballet's Nutcracker with Siara. As per our Christmas tradition. The tickets were purchased, the anticipation building and the plans for a lovely cultural experience were in motion. How could I be at the Lincoln Center taking in the timeless story of dancing rats, heroic nutcrackers and lovely sugarplum fairies whilst my husband was abandoned to find his own way home from the Danbury Hospital? A decidedly less cultural experience (except for that bacterial culture growing in his back...).

 "Go! You are not missing the ballet for this craziness. I'll get home somehow. I'm just not sure if they will let me check out without proof that I have someone to drive me--don't worry! I'll be fine." he insisted.

Luckily, Scott was there to save the day and be the back-up driver
to fetch his father from the hospital if need be. 

But, Andy drove himself home.

 He is the CEO of toughness--

and just a bit crazy.

So we got to spend Christmas together.

God Bless Us, Everyone!

We Need a Little Christmas

I've been working on a project or two around these parts which has led me

into the Gale Family Archives. 

I get lost in the funny, cute, sweet, precious memories of

those amazing kids we were blessed with. 

I thought my projects would lead to Christmas

gifts but it looks they will be maybe for Birthdays.

Luckily the birthdays are spread out over the year so

I may just pull it off.

In the meantime....

Enjoy these blasts from Christmas Past:

Matching Jammies!

Siara showing our gingerbread (ok graham cracker) house tradition.

Christmas Eve Classic--Jammies for everyone except

Scott who preferred sweats and his awesome Blazer ensemble.

Joy School Christmas Pageant!

It was Seth's group but Spencer wanted to join in the fun....

so he threw on a pillow case and became a shepherd.

Bethany, Heather and Morgan-some familiar friends from the old Camas Ward.

California Christmas--the boys in their jamjams

This picture just cracks me up. 

Our Awesome Family Picture--perfect for our Christmas Card...

...except for Scott's lovely flower hat. 

The traditional Gale Family Nativity on Christmas Eve

got livened up when Seth decided to be Caesar Augustus.

Baby Shanna--

Not lovin' the Camas Ward Santa

A fun Cabin Christmas from a few years ago.

The View From My Window

Today it is a Winter Wonderland!

A Post Christmas Post Postponing Posting

Gentle Reader,
So much to catch up on--so little time. Or energy. Our house runneth over and that means late nights with older kids and early mornings with grandkids--and that means Nana has been burning the candle at both ends! But here's a little something I didn't want to forget:

Bailey and Norah got a new baby sister a few days after Christmas (yes--that's another post in the que!) so we had them here with us for a few days. We took them to church with us last Sunday and the Sacrament hymn was "I Stand All Amazed". I had four-year-old Bailey on my lap and quickly realized that she was singing along beautifully and clearly and knew every word to that hymn. After she belted out the chorus of
               "Oh, it is wonderful, that He should care for me, enough to die for me.
                 Oh, it is wonderful, wonderful to me."
She said, "I know this song because my Dad taught it to me."

I thought my heart would burst.
             

Haul Out The Holly

We have caught the Christmas spirit around these parts--

some snow and mistletoe

and cozy evenings by the fire.

Last week for Family Home Evening,

Sam serenaded us on the piano as we decorated the tree.

It turned out quite lovely.

No need to mention the jostling for position whilst hanging ornaments.

Or the teasing and protesting

as brothers mocked one anothers' early childhood craft skills

while digging out bits of glittered felt and puff-painted

popsicle sticks. 

For me, unpacking the tree ornaments is a walk down memory lane.

I always try to find an ornament to bring home from our trips.

I like to tuck them away and then bring them out each Christmas and 

remember the good times we had in various places around the world.

This one (scroll to the bottom of the linked post to find it) reminds me of some amazing people in

one very sunny corner of the world:

This was a fun Relief Society Homemaking project in

the dear old Camas Ward:

The lovely and talented Kim dreamed these up and then sewed

them all for our Relief Society Christmas party a few years back

(my how time flies! I was going to say last year--but it wasn't!)

I got this while  we were traveling through Germany and Austria--

It came from a cute little shop in the Black Forest:

My Siara brought this to me after her time

studying abroad in Paris:

This Jumping Jack came from Italy...

...as did this cute Pinocchio 

A Delft ornament to remember

Amsterdam!

Warm, tropical Hawaii sounds 

good about now:

Shayla was our adorable baby travel

companion on the cruise that took us

to St. Thomas and other ports of call

This was from the family cruise...

Rastafarian Santa, classic

I won't bore you with every ornament from around the world--

Oh! Wait! I already did.

But let's wrap it up with some closer to home...

A Yellowstone moose from sweet Shanna:

From the Pendleton Woolen Mills outlet in

Washougal!

An intrepid survivor from the first ornaments

we purchased as a newly married couple--

back in our trailer house  mobile home days

I cross-stitched and sewed these back when Scott

was a baby--we didn't even have a tree that year

but I had high hopes for the future!