Christmas at our house 2009

A Glimpse of Christmas!

(remember--to view an image larger just click on the image)

Christmas Night

Christmas Day

My Sister and I live fairly close to each other where Mom and both brothers live four hours away. When our first children were little we would occasionally have Christmas with them. As we got more children and they got bigger and bigger we decided that it was too hard to take Christmas on the road.

We started having Christmas supper at my house late on Christmas day. It is totally casual, just soup and playing games. This year one of our "kids" from the singles ward came and spent the evening with us. It was a riot to have Tim embarass A in front of her boyfriend. Uncle Kirk was also on a roll---funny funny stuff.

I hope that we can continue these traditions--even as things change.

Cousins 2009

Grandkids-2009

We have been going to Grandma and Poppa's for Christmas dinner for years. This year after we ate a wonderful dinner and opened presents I had all the grandkids pose for a picture.

The oldest, Jess is engaged. Everything will change after this Christmas. I just knew that I needed to get one more picture---no matter how poor--before those changes.

(Notice all the cute hats? Handmade by me! It was fun to see them love them.)

Highlights 2009

Highlights from Christmas 2009

*Taking the two little ones to the store and having them choose and then try to hide their gifts in my cart.
*M and A spending two hours creating a treasure hunt for E.
* J choosing flashlights for Dad and M
* Watching E prepare treats for Santa
* J being so overjoyed with his RC car
*Watching big M play with the new legos.
* Watching M try to wrap presents.
* MissE just gushing over her art supplies.

*being grateful to have a healthy happy family.

Christmas Morning 2009

J was so excited to open up a super duper cool RC Car. He is still so little and fun.
E was still so excited to put out treats for Santa and the reindeer. She put out the carrots for the reindeer with a little note
"dear Santa, Rudolph gets two carrots because he is a very, very special reindeer."


The two big kids decided to make a treasure hunt for E's present. I know that they had to have spent almost two hours creating the clues. The clues were hysterical. She had a ball trying to locate her little present on top of the Christmas tree. It was so much fun having them really try to make it fun for her.

It was a crazy yet fun Christmas morning.

I always love it when about an hour or two after the chaos of unwrapping has stopped, I look around and my children are building, drawing, reading with the new things. M was so good to help J learn how to drive his new car. Then he spent hours helping him learn how to build with Legos. Miss E just loves her new art supplies. She has been drawing up a storm.

Christmas Past

I remembered these pictures late last night and came to the computer to find them. I am so glad that I was able to scan hundreds and hundreds of old pictures.

This is my Grandpa. These are my brother's and sister and also cousins. The joy in the faces of those little ones---that is what Christmas is all about.

Do you ever get over being a child?

I still miss it.
(pictures taken about 1970)

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

I decided that we would try to take a family picture after church today. We set up the tripod and started shooting.

After the family shots we got lots of silly shots.

Merry Christmas!!!

Family Picture Outtakes!

Family Picture Outtakes!
This is what I get when I say the words "Family Pictures"!!!!!

What a Funny Little Boy!

This little Boy!!!

He may be the death of me! He goes from being Mr. Helpful, helping me vacuum, mop and unloading dishes to----

Painting a masterpiece on his wall!

Luckily for me, they were washable markers so after a day or two leaving his creativity on the wall I was able to get most of it off. Be warned, the brown marker is not nearly as washable as the rest!

Rose Family Out takes.

Meet My Family!

On Saturday after Thanksgiving we had a family get together. The potluck feast and then the "boys" and "girls" telling old stories. It is always funny to hear my Uncles tell stories. I think that the stories get bigger and bigger each year--like the old fisherman's fish!

At the end of the evening we always take the obligatory picture. Here we line up as many siblings as we can.

Meet the Rose's. This is my Mom, (on the right) her sister and four of seven brother's. Two are deceased. In the first picture I want you to notice the faces of my Uncles. Barely a smile between them. "hurry up and take the picture" kind of faces. Well, as old Uncles and old Geezer's go--the fun was just about to begin. One of the brother's , whom shall remain nameless--baby brother, had one of those geezer moments. That is where the fun began. What began as the obligatory picture, where no one is smiling turned into a round of outtakes that are priceless!

MERRY CHRISTMAS--YOU OLD FARTS!

Remind me--why do I live here?

Guess what we woke up to today? Snow. Not a teeny bit of snow. No---we awoke to more than a foot of heavy,wet back breaking snow.

Anyone want to come and shovel?

12 Days of Christmas! Explained

My new friend Crystal received this email explaining the ever annoying yet catchy song--
The 12 Days of Christmas.

I found this very interesting, I love knowing the history behind traditions.

The 12 Days of Christmas--explained!

From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics.It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember.
-The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.

-Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.

-Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.

-The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.

-The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.

-The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.

-Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit--Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.

-The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.

-Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit--Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control.

-The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments.

-The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.

-The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.

So the next time this song is played, try to remember some of the symbolism behind it! Thanks, Crystal!

I'm cold.

Winter has finally hit--with a vengeance! We have snow and COLD. I am wanting to just stay inside and crotchet by my fire. However, my family keeps insisting that I drive them places, pick up things they need and feed them! I am looking for the laundry fairy again.

Grateful

We went to dinner tonight with our dear friends. They are slightly older than us so their youngest child is now eighteen. As we were visiting over dessert the conversation turned to one of my children. This child is going(has been going for a very very long time) through a very difficult stage. This mother is NOT handling it well at all. Today was one of those difficult days. I did not win any mother of the year awards today. In fact, I won " scary, mentally crazy person who needs medication" award of the year.

Tonight, these friends listened to me. They didn't have any real answers. They just listened and validated me and my frustrations.

They have survived longer than we have, maybe I will as well.

Fourteen years and counting!

Christmas Party 2009!

We have a standing Christmas party every year. We invite all of our neighbors that live right around our "block". It has extended a bit over the years, I invite a few couples that I just love that live a bit further than our original block. It has become quite a tradition. We figured out last night that it has been fourteen years. That is a long time.

Last night was the night. We had a house full with around 26 people. Funny thing is that half the people invited were not able to come! It usually works out that way, with schedules and all. I would love to have every one of my neighbors come but it is probably a good thing that not everyone can always come----it would be wall to wall bodies with 50 people. I could invite so so many more. However, I decided that I can't have the ward party at my house! So, I try to basically have the block neighbors and then those other close friends.

The neighborhood has changed over the 14 years. My MissA was only 2 years old when we started. Many(most) of the other neighbors children were older. Those children have all grown up and gotten married. We moved away(still had the party) and then moved back. We have had a few neighbors move away and we have sadly lost a few neighbors when they passed away. We have gained many new neighbors, some of these becoming dear friends.

It is fun to watch the groups as the evening progresses. We all attend the same church, so we all see each other there. However, if you have ever been to an LDS church we are busy people! We have a three hour block of three meetings. So, really there is only ten minutes between meetings to get to the next. At the end of three hours we are all starving and head out---without ever really just chatting with our dear neighbors. We are all busy people with jobs, houses, families and responsibilities. Unfortunately, this means that although we see each other often in passing--going to our little gas station(center of town--town square!), driving kids, picking up kids from piano, scouts, etc., we rarely have the opportunity to sit down and visit. I have watched over the last 14 years that some of my neighbors will sit and visit for an hour with their neighbor whom they have not really talked to since the last party at my house. I love this. I wish that I could provide more opportunities for people to connect.

A few years ago we started a new tradition of donating to the local food bank. This year we also incorporated our family's service project of hats, gloves and blankets for the homeless shelter. The response was overwhelming! We have the greatest neighbors in the world!

I am grateful that I am able to host our annual party. Now that the party is over it really feels like Christmas! I just wish that my house could be party clean ALL THE TIME!!!! (just don't go looking in bedrooms!)

Too much

I have once again realized that I am a hoarder. It is a subtle disease. Not the obvious case as ones on Oprah. Those people have everything they have ever owned in plain site. They have tunnels instead of rooms. They have stuff stacked floor to ceiling with black mold growing underneath. Me? No black mold!

I have about twelve medium sized boxes full of Christmas decorations. I have been trying to get a lot done today. Part of that list is decorating for Christmas--at least enough that I feel decorated for our party tomorrow night.

I have just brought a second box of ornaments up for the tree. Thanks to two little five year old boys I only have one left, hoping that the nine year old girl will finish that up for me! What I realized when I was looking at all the boxes covering my ping pong table downstairs was this. I don't need to use all the decorations that I have. In fact, I am just about finished. I don't decorate my basement(I barely clean it), I don't decorate bedrooms. I literally used stuff out of four of those twelve boxes. What is in the other eight, you ask? More decorations. Cute Santa's, angels, mugs, dishes, and school made treasures that I save but don't put out any more.

A year or so ago I bought new storage boxes for our Christmas stuff. I actually went through all the items and got rid of a ton. Things that I have had for almost twenty years, things that I had acquired, things that I have made. So, today, I still have four times more than I want to put out. I have things that are really lovely decorations, yet I tire of them. I don't really want to get rid of them(some of them gifts) but I don't have the space to put them out. What do I do with them?

I will leave them in the boxes for now. Perhaps before Christmas arrives I will put a few more out. Perhaps I will make another donation box.

Perhaps I will just put the boxes back in the storage dungeon and not worry about it until---next year when I pull it all out again!

Check

Lights are on the tree. They are the new LED lights. I don't like them. They give off this eery blue hue. I will leave them, however, because all the beads are also on the tree and if I take the lights off, the beads have to come off first--so, next year I will go back to energy sucking regular light bulbs that give off a warm yellowy glow.

lights

Opening the Christmas boxes to find NO LIGHTS for the tree. Maybe I need to write myself a note when I throw things away---REPLACE LIGHTS-THEY ARE DEAD!

Feels like a Monday!

I have too many thoughts running through my mind and not enough time to blog about all of them.


*Thanksgiving at Grandma's in frozen Idaho
*I am a GREAT-Aunt--weird
*The Blindside----fabulous movie-
*Black Friday shopping-fun with Sugar Daddy and cousins
*crocheting-I really like it-I will probably be over it in a few weeks, I totally made a hat just from inspecting another one--no pattern just the other hat!
*Christmas---it is here
*Our real Christmas tree
*laundry---I have Mt. Rushmore
*neighborhood party--my house is a wreck
*broken chair--one year old
*decorating-party on Friday!
*muddy footprints on the carpet(J)
*crazy stories from our family party
*socks-I hate folding them
*gym-5:00 am
*my picture my year blog and demise

Okay, now I am going to go and work on Mt. Rushmore, dry my hair and get ready to take M to the orthodontist.

Thankful hands 2009

For the last approximately 10 years we have had one traditional November Family Home Evening activity. Last year it slipped---I knew that I couldn't let that happen again.

The Thankful Turkey Hands

We have had the kids trace their hand and then write the things that they are thankful for. My two older kids are starting to bawk at this tradition, hence it not happening last year. They started to complain and I told them that they would do it because it wasn't fair to the Little man to stop a tradition just because they are getting older---he deserved to have the tradition as well. I then told them that I have saved every single year and some day they will enjoy going back and comparing the things that they wrote. MissA was surprised at this. I told her that hers will probably be the funniest to look at in five to ten years!

More

This coming Thursday is Thanksgiving. THANKSGIVING---already?! With this realization I have been thinking beyond that to Christmas. I have really been pondering how to bring the True Spirit of Christmas into our home. I work and worry about this every year. I think that we have done okay at it.

I want more. I want to really feel love, kindness, service and joy. I want my children to do some things that they will remember forever. I want experiences for my family.

What are those experiences that will bring a change upon us?

We have helped gather food for the food banks before, valuable--very, but I think that a basket of food taken somewhere doesn't really hit their hearts.

I have never helped at a shelter. I wonder if we are ready for that. What type of service could we provide. Hats, gloves?

We have many widows in our neighborhood. I know that they are terribly lonely, and it is so much harder during the holidays. What are some ways that we could truly serve these people?

How can we serve each other inside our own home? I struggle daily with this. I serve constantly, I am the Mom. Mr. Sugar Daddy serves, he is the Daddy. What about the children? I want them to be able to step outside of their own little world that revolve around them and look around. What could be done to serve? How do I go about helping to instill this?

These are the thoughts that have been flooding my mind. Now to get them from my mind to paper to fruition.

A good Friday

Mr. Sugar Daddy is away fishing. He needed to get away, relax and have some Man-Time. What do I do when he is away? Maybe I should talk about what I did NOT do.

I did not:
make the bed
do the breakfast dishes--actually I didn't do last nights dinner dishes either--eewh!
fold socks
do laundry
vacuum
dust
put away toys


What have I done this lovely Friday?
Crocheted four hats
Found new patterns to try--too many patterns, not enough time!
started sorting kids books
went shopping with the girls--separately --so two trips into town

That is about it! I probably better actually do the dishes soon.

Kreativ Blogger

My sweet friend Mia tagged me with a blog award--a bit silly, but fun---!

Thanks Mia! You are too sweet!

Here are the rules:

Copy the pretty picture and post it

Thank and link to the person who gave you the award.

write seven things about me that people might not know.

1. I went to college at BYU-HAWAII!!!!! It was one of the best experiences of my life. I have only felt homesick a few times in my life but leaving BYU-HC was one of the hardest things ever. I have felt homesick for that place for 20 years now.

2. I love rocks. Pretty rocks. My Grandfather was a rock hound, as was my Father and Uncles. I have one brother that is now. When we were trying to clear rocks from the yard so we could plant grass I would pick up every rock I found and inspect it. I really don't know what the rocks are--I should have been a geologist---but I know if it is "leavorite" or not!

3. I want to be a motivational speaker when I grow up!

4. I am a trivia junkie. I remember tiny bits of information that I can spew out at the most random times. I however can not remember where I leave my keys!

5. I love stories. People stories. I want to know people and where they have been, what has happened to them. What they have learned. I am a people reader. I am actually fairly accurate at assessing where people are. Everyone has a story.

6. I have a dent in the top of my head. It is weird. If I lose my hair I will have to wear a hat because someone will think that I was dropped or had a terrible accident!

7. I ran away when I was six years old. I had my bandanna with food, hooked on a stick and I set off, just like the hobo's in books. I made it around the block and then came home through the alley and sat under the tree. No one even missed me while I was gone!

I am supposed to tag seven other people and link to them. I will think about this--I don't know that many people!

More yarn fun!

Here is a picture of the fun scarf that I made. It is a short scarf with two large wooden buttons. It is really darling on top of my coat. I am thinking that a rust brown color would be great. Actually, teal, red for Christmas--etc. etc. etc.

I have also included a picture of my cute model MissA wearing a different flower on the brown hat. It turned out so cute.

We had a service auction at our ladies Relief Society last night. It was so much fun-I donated this hat and my neighbor used a ton of her "money" to buy it.

The flower is still fluffy but isn't as thick as the "rosie" rosebud hat.

A little bit lost

For three years my family has participated in Family Home Evening on Monday nights with the singles ward. We have had spiritual lessons, gone skeet shooting, carved pumpkins, eaten corn dogs, ice skated, played lots of games and basically had a wonderful time. There have always been at least 20 people-often many more.

Last night my little family of six did Family Home Evening by ourselves. We went bowling. It was very different to be just our little group.

I am certain that we will have these lost feelings for a very long time.

More Sparky Hat Goodness!

More Sparky Hat Goodness!

I have been making more "Rosie Hats". I am mailing a few this week and I am making one for a Relief Society social auction tonight. I am really enjoying this quick fun little project. I want to go and buy some more yarn. Black for my sweet niece--needs to be done so she can wear it in the frozen north of Idaho.

I took a picture of MissA with hers. She wanted an off white flower, without the little leaves.It is a different rose flower.

It is not as puffy as the "rosie" flower.

If anyone is interested in purchasing a hat just email me. They are $30 with $3 shipping. If you are a Spark girl you get a discount. Email me with your details!

Release Day

Today was a day that almost three years ago I could not have imagined. My sweet husband was released as Bishop of his single adult ward. We have known today was the day for two weeks. I knew that he would be sad and emotional. I knew that it would be a difficult day for D. I had no idea how difficult it would be for myself or my children.

Early yesterday, D met with the new Bishop for four hours, trying to explain three years of experiences into that short time. It was an impossible task. We then attended a wedding, bought gifts and went to empty out his office at the church. I was not prepared. Taking down pictures that have greeted everyone who entered that office in the last three years. It was rough.

Today came with a feeling of sadness. As I entered the building I was fully aware that this was the end of an incredible experience, an experience that we never imagined. An experience that can not really be explained in words. We met with the group of people that served together. It was hard. We then met with the stake presidency, this was even harder. They said many kind things.

As we were preparing for Sacrament meeting I watched my sweet husband walk in his office, push his chair under the desk and lay his keys on the desk and walk out. He never looked back.

As the meeting began I walked in the chapel and saw unfamiliar families sitting in the chapel pews. I remember how I felt that day, three years ago. I was so worried about myself and how I would handle this challenge. Three years have flown by. This calling has been one of the choicest experiences of my life. It wasn't always easy or fun for me. I often felt left out and not a part of D's world. I often had to stay home and be the Mom. However, as I sat in that chapel I knew that I had been blessed by this experience in more ways than I could have ever imagined.

After the meeting was one of the most emotional experiences of my life. We talked, hugged, cried and said goodbye. How do you express to people in a hug what they have meant to you? I watched all of my children struggle with their emotions as I struggled with my own. I hugged people that I have loved. It wasn't hard to love them.

We walked out of that building that we so hesitantly entered three years ago. We left with changed hearts, having served and loved and having been loved in return.

Storminess

My Mom was a teacher for twenty years. I remember coming home in the late afternoon to find her sitting in the chair by the fireplace without any lights on. The only light the waning afternoon color. In Idaho, in the winter that happens early, around 4:00 pm. I would ask her why she was sitting in the dark and she would say something about the quiet. This usually was on a day that a storm was raging or on its way. In Idaho, this is a lot!

Mom always said that the kids at school were always really hyper, "bouncing off the walls" when there was a storm. I laughed at her, that's what teenagers do to their mothers. Then I got older. I started to work in classrooms doing my education. I started to ask other educators their opinions about the subject. Almost exclusively they would agree, children are wound up when a storm is coming or raging.

Fast forward another almost twenty years. I have been on another experiment. Life. Mine. I started to notice the storms. I started to notice how my own children acted when a storm was was on its way. I also started to notice how I felt. I do not bounce off the walls. I am not hyper. So I started to watch other adults. Noticing their behaviors and attitudes.

I have come to the conclusion that I am not entirely crazy! Storms make me tired. Storms make me emotional. Storms make me slow. Storms make me want to crawl into my bed and pretend that I am not the Momma and I don't have fifteen loads of laundry and dirty toilets. Storms make me cry in yoga. Storms are a struggle for me, especially since I live in Utah---winter capital.

So, today, to combat the storminess that I feel, I put a pretty piece of tulle in my hair and am going to lunch with a friend.

Hat update

For those of you that attended Spark(or anyone else) and were interested in my brown hat with the pink rose I have them for sale.I don't have an etsy shop(yet) so Just send me an email and I can give you details. I can make other colors as well.

Maybe I will name it the Rosie Hat!

Spark!

Spark! was this past weekend. It was magical. The venue could not have been more quaint or perfect. It was held at This is the Place Historical Village. Which depicts life in Salt Lake City in the late 1800's.

The littlest details were thought about. From the trees to the lamp posts to the bows on our lunch. Music wafting through the air as we walked to the different buildings. Every little detail just created a feeling of belonging.

(images by Wynonna Robinson)

My dearest friend in the entire world got to share this experience with me. It was so much fun. We are so good together because there is no pressure. She wasn't interested in all the same things I was. That was okay, we just did our thing and found each other again in a minute.

We attended make and takes with different artists and learned a few things that we had never done before. We attended workshops that that were all totally different. We had a fabric workshop, jewelery, a creative art journal workshop and a photography workshop. They were all so different that it just made me want to learn and learn.

Jefra Starr taught the photography class. Which was actually a very conceptual class. The main thing that I learned from her class was to lighten up! Sometimes the best pictures are NOT the best pictures. They don't have to be out of a $4000 dollar camera. I have always believed this. The camera doesn't make the photographer. Trying to see the real picture, getting the feeling that you want to portray.

Jeffra took these pictures of Tina and I and I just love them.

As I have been trying to absorb what I got out of this experience I would have to say that I was motivated. I was reminded of my light. I was reminded that I am a creative person. I love people. I love to touch pretty buttons, fabric and learn new things. I love to make new friends. I love to connect with people. I love to learn about people and their story. Everyone has a story.

Spark helped me remember who I am.

(photo by Wynonna Robinson)

Now I want to help other people remember who they are. I want to help other people find their light. I want to help other people relight their spark. We all have one.

We just have to remember.



(edited: if any of you want to purchase the "Rosie Hat" they are now for sale. Just check out the rest of my blog for details or email me for details. Teen /adult hats $28 plus $3 shipping--childrens $18 babies $14)


edited Jan. 2010--I wrote about feelings before Spark! read the post here-

Here are my feelings about how my Spark was lit after Spark---read here--I am imperfectly perfect!

Finishing our inspiration necklace--look here.