Monday, December 31, 2007

2007 this and thats

I copied this meme from my sister's friend Sophia. It has some good, end-of-the-year wrap up questions. Feel free to steal it (I did!)


What did you do in 2007 that you'd never done before? Rented a car. It was a fabulous grandpa car that drove like a dream!

Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I didn’t keep mine from last year (quitting Dr. Pepper), but I did have a good stretch of 2 or so months without it. I haven’t decided on a resolution for this year.

Did anyone close to you give birth? Yes, my nieces Lyndsay and Kayci both had baby boys this year.

Did anyone close to you die? My niece Kayci lost her baby, Glenn. Also, Shane’s Uncle George died in February.

What countries did you visit? Countries? I still am still landlocked in this one, and I’m not likely to leave it. I did go to Idaho, though, my one big out-of-state adventure.

What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007? More patience & kindness.

What date from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? July 21st, when Harry Potter came out. I just loved that day! It was the reason I started my blog.

What was your biggest achievement of the year? I finished Ben’s quilt. Let’s not talk about the other projects that I haven’t finished, okay? I also count the essay that I wrote about my dad as an accomplishment.

What was your biggest failure? I didn’t spend as much time as I would have liked with my parents and sisters. I wish I could have spent more time just hanging out with my dad.

Did you suffer illness or injury?! I had a bunion taken off my right foot. Does that count?

Where did most of your money go? It’s got to be the grocery store. Walmart has likely made a fortune from us. Gotta love it/gotta hate it.

What did you get really, really, really excited about? Knowing the end to Harry Potter! And our new piano. And hiking Timpanogas with Shane and Melanie. And starting to run again after my bunion surgery. And that John and Melanie moved back. And Thomas learning how to read. And Benny getting potty trained.

What song will always remind you of 2007? Feist’s 1-2-3-4.

Compared to this time last year, are you: much happier, richer, nicer. I hope so! Although I know I’m not much richer; should work on that.

What do you wish you'd done more of? Fun adventures with the kids. I get in such a routine, and we rarely do adventurous stuff. Need to do more of that this year. Also, I want to learn to stand up for myself more.

What do you wish you'd done less of? Complaining. I haven’t gotten it through my head that most things I dread & complain about usually end up being much better than expected. I should work on that this year too. Maybe if I do more standing up for myself, I won’t have to complain so much!

Did you fall in love in 2007? Yes, with BLOGGING! I love my blog, and reading my friends blogs.

What was the best book you read this year? That is hard. I really liked HP (are you surprised?), and I liked Twilight. I haven’t read one lately though that has been really, really good.

What was your greatest musical discovery? The piano in my living room. Did I mention I played Yankee Doodle the other day (with two hands!). And I now know what a chord is. Special.

What did you want and get? Lots of love from my boys.

What was your favorite film of this year? Enchanted. Loved it! We went and saw in Saturday & it was so much fun.

What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? 32. Shane and I went to dinner and the bookstore (our typical date!). I love my birthday.

Who was the best new person (people) you met? Allie. I met her through my friend Melanie, and I am so glad I did. There aren’t many people you meet & are instant friends, but she is one of them. I am also glad I have met so many nice people through blogging.

Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007. I saw a great example of acceptance and faith as I watched Kayci after she lost Glenn. I learned that people really do live through hard trials, even when they don’t want to. Kayci was a great example of that for me.

Thursday, December 27, 2007

Thoughts on Christmas…

It’s over and done. The boxes were torn open, the toys played with, the clothes thrown over the shoulder onto the floor in anticipation of another box to open. I wanted to do a random list of thoughts that I want to remember from this Christmas:

  • Christmas Eve for the past two years has become our own. We used to have family to visit with that night, but circumstances have changed, and so we now have a free evening for ourselves. I love that we can spend it at our house now and have a quiet evening that I can plan and orchestrate. Since our kids don’t get to spend Christmas Day at home, I love that now we have Christmas Eve all to ourselves, even if I don’t love the reasons why we have it. Families.
  • I loved that it snowed on Christmas Eve. We had gone out to Shane’s Aunt’s house to visit in the late afternoon, and it snowed the whole time we were there. By the time we left, it was scary driving home, but it made it feel so cozy and Christmassy.
  • I discovered after said adventure to Aunt’s house (at 6pm) that I wasn’t quite as prepared as I thought for the dinner I had planned or for the casserole I was supposed to take the next day to my mom’s. It all went okay, but it was frustrating to discover minutes after the stores closed that I didn’t have everything I needed. The story of my life!
  • I got the BEST deals on Christmas decorations & stuff on Christmas Eve. I have wanted a set of the little trees that everyone has that are different sizes. I found a set at Joann’s that day for $6! I bought a bunch of stuff to decorate them and a few other decorations and went home and decorated my 3 new trees. They are so cute! I wanted those to put upstairs since our main tree is downstairs. I love Christmas close-outs!!
  • On Christmas Eve, the menu was: hot roast beef sandwiches and brown rice for Shane and me, a waffle for Ben, and corn dogs for Thomas. Felt a little like a short-order cook, but no one went to bed hungry.
  • The kids jammies were a hit, and they loved the slippers that they got this year. I love the tradition of dressing them in new jammies!
  • When Ben opened his quilt, he said, “No, mom, this is yours!” I was a terrible mom and I had totally worked on it in front of him from start to finish. Kind of anticlimactic, but at least he didn’t know the whole time it was his. It looks so cute on his bed!
  • We read Luke 2 all together in front of the tree. I love doing this; it brings such a sense of peace to an already peaceful night.
  • We didn’t have to get up until 7 am!
  • Both Thomas and Ben loved their presents. The boys (ahem, Thomas I should say, but it wasn’t just for him!) got a Playstation 2; Thomas would be happy if he could live in front of it, eating a corn dog every now and then to keep up his strength. What was I thinking??/!!!
  • I made what we call “pull-apart rolls” for Christmas breakfast. They turned out, despite the fact that I mess up the recipe every year. I actually made notes on the recipe right after I made them this year so that next year I’ll get them right.
  • Shane and I’s presents were quite anticlimactic. Ben helped us open them (he just wanted to open something, I think!) after we waited until after the kids had opened all of theirs and had gotten the Playstation working. We love to buy for each other though, and so it was fun to watch each other open presents.
  • We got to spend time with both my mom and Shane’s mom on Christmas Day. I love visiting with everyone and eating yummy food.
  • My nephew Nathan came and spent Christmas night with us. It was so much fun to have him over! Thomas loved showing him all his stuff and playing Playstation with him.
  • We didn’t have much to return at all. I bought the boys the wrong size socks, so we returned those yesterday.
  • My kids will be home for nearly 2 weeks because of my easy work schedule & Shane taking time off work. Plus, my mother-in-law will watch them on the day that we both have to work, so they don’t have to be at the babysitter until after New Years! Who wants to leave their toys at home after Christmas? I’m glad they get to be home.

In all, it was a great Christmas. Hope that yours was too!

Sunday, December 23, 2007

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…

I am an anticipation junkie. It’s Christmas Eve-Eve.

Today is one of my favorite days of the year. There are no expectations for Christmas Eve-Eve. You can visit a family member and bring a gift, drop off neighbor goodies, or just finish your Christmas shopping, knowing that it’s not the LAST minute. Today I’ll go to church; I’ve loved singing & listening to all the Christmas music this year. We’ll probably visit Shane’s Grandma a little later, and have time to spend with her without feeling rushed.

In so many ways, I’d rather have it be Christmas Eve-Eve more than the real Christmas Eve. All the excitement, all the expectations are just at your fingertips; if you reach just a little, wait another 24 hours, the real thing is there. But today I get to anticipate all that is ahead of me, and enjoy it.

Yesterday we went to see the lights at Temple Square. It was such a great time. We got there early enough that the lights weren’t even on yet, so we could go to the Visitor’s Center and see the statue of Christ without waiting in a line with 50 billion other people. We looked at the life-size Nativity, and heard the beautiful voices of the Tabernacle Choir sing and the words of Luke 2 immersing us in the birth of Christ. Then we wandered through the Temple Grounds, looking at the lights, the cold frosting our breath and turning Ben and Thomas’ cheeks rosy red. We topped off the evening with dinner at Iggy’s restaurant, our favorite place to eat. It was a peaceful, wonderful night.
Thomas took this picture of Jesus. What a great shot!

Everything is ready. My little sewing projects are done, everything is wrapped and hidden away for the big day. I hope that this is a wonderful Christmas.

But I’m still going to enjoy today, savoring all that excitement that is ahead.

Merry, merry Christmas to everyone. I hope everyone gets to feel the true meaning of Christmas and can celebrate the birth of our Savior. I love Him and am grateful for Him every day of my life.


Shane & BenThomas



The Temple

Friday, December 21, 2007

Show & Tell Friday

Kelli hosts "Show & Tell Friday" each week, and I was excited to participate today. I have been making a quilt for my youngest, Ben, who we put in a big-boy bed this year. I made a quilt for his older brother last year, so I didn’t want Ben to miss out on having a quilt made by his mom. I just finished it last night, and I'm glad to have a way to show it to others! Here it is:

This worked up surprisingly fast. I normally don’t go for the oranges and yellows that I used in it, but Moda Fabric had such a cute line this fall that I couldn’t resist. The best part was that I was able to find dark brown flannel (at Walmart, of all places!) to put on the back. I had searched high & low last year for it to no avail.

The middle part is pieced with a dark brown microfibre that was hard to work with, but adds such a nice element of softness to it.

It took be about 2 months to piece the middle, and then I did a marathon day to complete the stripping on the edges. I sewed the binding last night, and now its done! I am so excited for him to open it on Christmas Eve.

Don’t look too closely; I am far from a perfectionist when it comes to sewing, and so not all the lines are straight, and there are more than a few puckers, but hopefully my two-year old won’t notice or mind much! It is such a relief to have it complete at last.

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Holiday Treats

I wanted to do Amy’s memory #7, holiday treats, where we talk about the memories we have of treats during the holidays. Since we are sisters, it seems we have many of the same memories, so I’m going to write about more current memories of taking treats to our neighbors & friends.

I have few memories of treat taking or receiving from my childhood. I know my mom spent hours making treats, but to me, we just ate them: I don’t remember sharing them until I was in my late teens/early twenties. I can remember my mom making chocolates and taking them to our two neighbors, but I didn’t know the neighbors well, and it wasn’t a family activity, so these gifts didn’t make much of an impression. However, the year I spent at Virginia Tech, I remember vividly. I came home for a month between semesters, and since VT was nowhere near any big airports, I ended up flying into and out of Regan Airport in the heart of DC. When I flew back to school, my flight got in really late and I still had to wait many hours for a Greyhound bus that would take me to school. Luckily, I had made great friends with a girl named Lisa. Lisa had taken me home with her for Thanksgiving, and had a wonderful family. When I needed a ride from the airport to the Greyhound station, her dad John met my airplane, drove me all the way to their home in Fairfax for a yummy dinner of homemade soup, and then drove me back to DC to the Greyhound station. This was seriously the scariest and dirtiest place I’ve even been in, and John stayed with me until my bus left. I was so grateful to him for taking care of me like a daughter! I remember my mom had sent a tin of homemade fudge and caramels and all sorts of treats to thank Lisa’s family for keeping me at Thanksgiving and for taking care of me while I waited for my bus. I was so grateful to be able to give a little bit of my mom and home to them as a thank-you. Now I wish it had been more, but I’m glad we had done a little something to show her family our appreciation

Now, each year I do treat gifts to each of my closest neighbors. I look so forward to the night me, Shane, and the boys tromp out our door and visit them all. It feels so wonderful to give that little treat and thank them for being our neighbors & friends. It has helped us to get to know them so much better, and seems to bring them closer each year. I also look forward to the treats that we receive from them. They become little reminders of how blessed we are to live in such a great neighborhood.

Thanks, Amy, for this opportunity to remember these things that make our Christmases special.

Sunday, December 16, 2007

Santa came early this year...

I am not a musical person. Can’t read music, never played an instrument, don’t sing (people really prefer me not to!). So, it seems strange that I’ve coveted a piano to have in my house. In theory, I would like to have the kids play, in theory I would like to play, but never seemed to be a reality.

Enter my great friend John (thanks John; you are the greatest!), the internet, and a free piano.

A free piano that is now sitting in my living room.

A free piano that makes me smile whenever I look at it. Who, me? Wanting, actually owning a piano? People are so surprised when I tell them that I have a piano, and that we got it for FREE, only requiring a miraculously available trailer, two or three beefy men, and a nice family who had gotten a free piano, decided to upgrade, and passed on some love via the ksl.com.

Can I play it? Can anyone in my household play it? No, but we want to, and if we decide to, we have a way to do it. I can’t say how excited & happy I am to have it in my house.

Thanks, John and Shane, for bringing me a great Christmas present that I never expected to get. Thanks Melanie for sharing your hubby & van with me so I could have it.



It's a little crowded in the front room now, but I don't care. I'm just so glad to have it!

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Writing challenge: Christmas Activities


So, Amy's writing challenge today regards the activities that lead up to Christmas. The first thing to come to my mind is one year when our family visited The Spaghetti Factory at Trolley Square shortly after Christmas.

I think I remember this little trip because I have the aid of a picture that was taken of me, my mom and sisters in front of a little gazebo outside Trolley Square, as well as a few photos taken inside the restaurant. I must have been in first or second grade, and I remember I was holding up my doll that I had gotten for Christmas. I think that we may have visited Temple Square that day, but I can’t be certain. It was a tradition for us to eat at Spaghetti Factory; it seemed like we couldn’t visit Salt Lake without eating dinner there. It’s funny because the same round table where we ate dinner is still there, as is the gazebo. I thought of that picture this autumn when my mom and I walked right by it on our way to lunch at Trolley Square.

(Thanks to Amy for sending this picture to me!) There I am with Amy, Suzette, and my mom.

I also remember our cousin Christmas gatherings. These were always held on a Sunday before Christmas. I remember one year thinking, I’m going to keep my shoes on this year, and end up looking messy at the end of the party. I look back at that and laugh, because I see how my kids are when we return from family parties, all dirty and disheveled and hyperactive. I just thought I was a little rough, but I guess all kids are that way. What I remember most from these parties is opening presents (we drew names with our cousins) and sitting on Santa’s lap. I was convinced that our Santa was the REAL Santa because he was the same, year in and year out. It seems like he even remembered our names.

One year I found a list that my mom had written of what each of us had told Santa we wanted. It was my first clue that maybe Santa wasn’t real. I never intentionally snooped, but I did find Amy’s Cabbage Patch doll one year hidden in our junk room. I showed it to her, and then we carefully hid it back where we found it. When it showed up on Christmas morning, it was a big clue that the big man was really a blond lady. I kept up a rouse for years after that, however; I was a brat and figured I’d get more presents if I didn’t tell that I knew. And, to tell the truth, once I had told, most of the magic died away. One year, my mom would go in her bedroom, put a present in a box, and bring out the boxes to Amy and I to wrap. I think we even wrote our own names on the tag and put “From Santa.” Because of this, I don’t ever want to admit to my kids that Santa doesn’t exist. I think I will always “play” Santa for my kids. Even if they know, I will still try and make it magical for them.

I also want to resolve to make some activities that my kids will remember doing during the holidays. Even if it is just making a gingerbread house, I want them to have something that they remember doing that MEANS Christmas to them.

Monday, December 10, 2007

Christmas writing challenge

My sister Amy is doing a Christmas writing challenge. I wanted to join in on her second one, Most Vivid Memory. Here is the challenge:

I think the most vivid memories have two separate connections that keep them strong: a sensory connection and an emotional one. If that holds true for you, include those details in the telling.

The memory that fulfills this challenge was the Christmas I was 9. My Grandpa Fuzz had died two days before Christmas, and I was heartbroken. I had never experienced death before, and I was in unknown and frightening waters.

That Christmas morning we got up and opened our presents the same as always. My Grandma Florence was living with us, and she seemed so sad. I can remember her saying how sad she was that Grandpa wasn’t with us that day. This surprised me, because for months Grandma hadn’t been Grandma, due to her downward slide into Alzheimers; I was surprised that she remembered that Grandpa had died.

Later, we all went to our annual Christmas gathering at my other Grandma’s house, Grandma Elsie (who we called Grandma ELKSIE because we didn’t know any better!) In this memory, I am sitting on Grandma’s living room floor in front of her fireplace. I was playing with my new Barbie, and I kept smelling that new Barbie plastic smell. I can remember thinking about how not many of my Aunts or cousins had admired Barbie, or talked to me. I remember thinking that if only Grandpa had been there, HE would like my Barbie. HE would notice me, and be glad I was there.

I think Amy is right. I had never thought of it, but that is sadly one of the most powerful Christmas memories I have because it is both sensory and emotional. I can still smell so clearly that Barbie doll, and I still feel that same desolation that my Grandpa is gone. I think since I was so young, his absence is more of a memory than his presence ever was. I was the youngest of 4, and my Grandma had my mom when she was in her thirties. I don’t remember things my Grandpa did with me really. He was more of a presence at Grandma’s house; a kind presence, but not an active presence for me. But I have felt his absence my whole life, and that absence started for me that day, on the white fluffy rug in front of the fireplace.

Reading over this, I wish this was a happier memory. But it is the last childhood Christmas I remember; the last one with a Grandparent’s house to visit, the last one feeling like a Granddaughter who had a Grandpa who loved her. And suddenly, that makes me sadder than I ever guessed I could be.

Gee, thanks Amy: you made me cry! And if you want to join in on writing sad memories (or happy ones!) go on over to Amy's blog.

Monday, December 3, 2007

Happy Birthday!



Today is Shane’s birthday. To celebrate, I am going to steal an idea I got from my friend Melanie and write some things I love about him. Here we go!



  1. He really likes to iron, which is wonderful for both of us! I hate it, and he would hate what I would do to his clothes if I were the one to do it.

  2. He loves the Pittsburgh Steelers, and has taught our boys to love them too.

  3. He is always happy in the morning. This makes up for how grumpy I am!

  4. He loves being a dad, and has a ton of fun with his kids. He will do anything for them.

  5. Shane loves his mom. They are best friends, and he can tell her anything.

  6. He loves Christmas music. Seriously, he gets upset if the Christmas stations don't start playing Christmas music on Halloween. Often in September, he will put in one of our Christmas CDs over breakfast just to see if he can get away with it. I have put a ban on all Christmas tunes until at least the middle of October; after that, I just give up. ;)

  7. He loves to run. His favorite thing is to run on the evening after a snowstorm, when the world is really quiet and he can hear the snow crunching under his feet.

  8. He tries to be nice to everyone, even store clerks who don't give him what he wants. This is a talent I am trying to learn from him!

  9. Once you are his friend, he will do about anything for you. It takes a while to gain his trust, but once gained, you have it forever.

  10. He has this talent for being able to get people's rhythm and sound to their voices, and remembering the phrases they use often. This can be so funny at times!

  11. He is really good at retelling stories. The mimicry talent comes in handy then, too.

  12. He works really hard for his family so that I can work only part-time.

  13. He likes to cuddle (I never said I wouldn't embarrass him!)

  14. His sock drawer is a site to behold. Mine is a disaster. Even after 9 years, I still don't attempt to fold his socks because I know I won't do it right.

  15. He fills up my car each week with gas so that I don't have to do it.

  16. He lets me take our kids to church with me, and doesn't tease me too much about it. ;) He even gets them ready for me most of the time.

  17. He gets my lunch ready on the days that I work.

  18. He loves new coats and new shoes. Seriously, he would buy a new coat every week if I would let him. It might be something he inherited...

  19. We have a ton of fun together.

  20. He loves me for who I am, and I love him back.

  21. He doesn't mind when I read in bed, and only rolls his eyes a little when he wakes up and I am sobbing over some dumb book.

  22. He is my best friend.

I'll stop at 22, which is the age he was when we met (and I love that he would never know that fact, but will believe me nonetheless!).


I love you Shane! Happy Birthday, and I hope I didn't embarrass you too much.