Where did January go?

It is the very last day of January. As old as I am I should not be surprised by how quickly time moves, but I constantly am.

I looked around my house yesterday and realized that it still looks like we are moving! Removing all the Christmas decor really makes my house pale! I also noticed that I still have Christmas dishes in my plate rack, my wreath outside and a little tree behind the couches in the piano room. I also have not put anything on my piano or on my shelf in the stairway. My house looks empty. It needs some attention!

I am trying to decide which project to start first. The pantry(it is overflowing), the office(it is so deep we can't get to the closet) or my scrapbook/Emily's bedroom nightmare(it is just awful-poor girl). Where to begin?

I dislike having to make a bigger mess to clean up a mess. All of these projects are that type. I have learned that you shouldn't pull out more than you can put back in an hour. I just don't think that any of these are projects that can be handled that way. So-I have to figure out if my phsyqe can handle some days of total chaos!!

Wish me luck! I am gonna need it!

*hopefully soon I will put up the few iPhone pictures we took on our California trip. Lousy pictures but great memories!!!

Wild Turkeys!!!

There is a flock of wild turkeys hanging around our little town. They have been here for a week or so. I tried to count them when they were in my neighbors yard. I counted at least twenty! This morning they were in my back yard. There were more than pictured. Miss Hollie dog got out and scared them away- they can fly, just not for very far. They went across the canal.

Everyday stuff!

January chaos!

This is Justin's bedroom-at least it was! We did get it picked up. It is representative of what my house feels like to me. It isn't actually that bad in every room, but many more than I can deal with.

I also feel this chaos in my soul! It must be the time of year. I feel like I need to empty every single corner, closet and drawer in my entire house. I need to get rid of excess and organize the keepers. The hard part for me is actually sticking with it and finishing. My word of the year last year was supposed to be Focus. I still need that word on a daily basis. I get so distracted by having too many things that need done. I wander around doing little bits of lots of projects, never actually finishing anything. I told my sweet Mr. this morning that while I take care of one pile three more are created! I am always behind!

Oh, well! I guess that is my life right now. With Ashley at school I have 1/2 the laundry, so I guess that the messes will change as my family changes. If only I were much more disciplined to make my children be more disciplined!!

Finally-Winter

Winter finally arrived!

After a snowless Christmas and New Year we were beginning to wonder if it was a year of no snow. Well, Saturday we got blasted.

I still count myself lucky that this is out my back window!!

Christmas Day 2011!!!!

Christmas Day!
We plan and anticipate for months! I was surprised when I got up at 6:00am and was the first one up! I got up and put the roast in and just enjoyed the silence by the glimmering tiny tree. Dave soon followed. Both parents awake before the kids? Crazy! At almost 7:00 Justin and Emily wandered up the stairs, Mitch followed quickly. Ashley took some convincing, but finally came with the rest.

Santa had arrived!

After all their Santa and parent gifts had been opened there was one more HUGE present for each of them! They gave Justin a little bit of a head start and then they all opened them. Those suitcases were a nightmare to wrap! It took longer to wrap one of those than it did to open every present Christmas morning!

Mickey and Minnie Cups! Disneyland here we come!!!! We surprised the kids with a trip to Disneyland!!! They were all shocked!!(except Ashley-she was in on the surprise). It was going to be a big day-we were leaving the very next day!!! We were also going to Sea World and Universal Studios!

Christmas leftovers! It is always so crazy the mess that comes from unwrapping everything!!

Dave cooked a wonderful Christmas breakfast of French Toast, bacon and orange juice. He was superman!

Christmas happened to fall on Sunday this year! It was lovely to go to church and celebrate the birth of our Savior. The choir presented a wonderful program. I was grateful to be able to sit with my entire family, it is very rare to have Dave and Ashley with us. After the meeting I told the family that I needed "a moment" and they needed to pose for a picture! They are not always too thrilled with that. However, it turned out great!

(The camera never got picked up for the rest of the day--sad)

We had Christmas dinner here at our house. We had the 5 Coffman's, 2 Cox's(Jess and Chris), Janet and David and our 6 Carrigan's. We had a beautiful table set with our Christmas dishes, nice glasses and centerpieces. We had ham, roast, baked potatoes, gravy, raspberry jello and a few other dishes. We had pumpkin and mint pie for dessert.

After we ate we opened presents and visited. It was a very lovely afternoon. After that we hurried and cleaned up those dishes and started packing for our trip! We then started getting ready for the next meal with the Halverson's.

Betsy and her family arrived at 6:00pm for our traditional supper of pulled pork burritos. It was fun to have them all there. We just don't get together enough. After they left-and I sent every single leftover possible with them--we started to make sure we were ready to leave bright and early the next morning.

We ran our dishwasher FIVE times Christmas day! I don't think I ever sat down! Except to eat!

It was a wonderful Christmas day! I am certain that I will never have a trip planned like that ever again, however! It was a bit too busy for me! I want to be able to sit and enjoy the day a little bit more-I guess that I am the Momma now and it goes with the territory!

We are so very blessed! I am so grateful that we get to celebrate Christmas. I hope that we can always remember that "He is the Reason for the Season!"

Christmas Eve 2011

Justin was so excited for Christmas Eve. He asked at least five times every single day for a week if we could open a present on Christmas eve. They know the drill that they will get new jammies for Christmas Eve. It still doesn't seem to dampen the excitement!

This is the second year that we have opened sibling gifts on Christmas Eve. I am not sure if I like that or not. The jury is still out. None the less, Justin was over the moon with his Yoda that Emily got him! He had seen it in an add and we lucked out and found him!

Justin wasn't the only one present on Christmas Eve but he was the only one pictured! We had had a lovely dinner of soup and rolls with Grandma and Grandpa Carrigan joining us. Next year, however, I am going to try and have a larger get together. We totally forgot to read the story of Christ's birth out of the scriptures. I want my children to remember joyous celebrations! We must start them if they are to remember them!!

Justin reminded us to put out treats for Santa, and the reindeer. We put out Daddy's traditional Scottish shortbread, a popcorn ball and some milk--and some diet coke--just in case he was sick of milk!

After all the kids were in bed I set up the tripod trying to get a good picture of our darling tree. I love to just sit in the glow of the Christmas tree and reflect of the Savior's birth. We are all so blessed by His love and sacrifice. I wish that I was more capable of understanding the fullness of the gifts He has given us.

Justin's Whoville Christmas!

Justin was so excited about his Christmas performance songs. They sang songs from The Grinch. He usually gets rather shy with his singing but I would hear him singing these songs often. The little who's were so cute!

Word of the year

This is my 1002 post! Ok that is a lot of chaos!

We are just plugging away. It is hard to believe that it is already January 19th. The month just keeps flying past.

I have long held that hope that I would make some goals or resolutions that will really impact my life. I have had goals that I have accomplished in my life. I have also had many goals that were much more "thoughts" than actual goals that I set out a plan to accomplish.

For Family Home Evening the last two weeks we have talked about goals. We talked about how just saying them doesn't make them happen. So, I have been thinking myself-what do I want to accomplish, why do I want to accomplish them and How am I going to accomplish them?

All these things make me think. What are goals that are really of value? Is it of value if it only affects me personally? Why don't I do the things that I know I could do? What are my excuses? Why do I let those excuses win?

Many people are familiar with Ali Edwards and her One Little Word campaign that she has done for years. I have had words in my mind for the last few years. However, I have had those words much like I have had many goals, in my mind. I have decided that I have to actually be a finisher
instead of just a starter. I know I have talked about this before.

This year I have a word. I struggle with choosing a word. "Will it sound stupid? Will I stick with it? Will it pigeon hole me?" I have decided that I am too much of a worrier!!

So--I decided that my word this year is REACH.

I want to be able to Reach my goals.
Reach people
Reach deep inside myself.

I hope that this word will help propel me to action. I am a terrible procrastinator. I want to be propelled to reach inside and do the things that I know I can do with a bit of effort.

REACH --- welcome to my world!

Justin's new suit

This little man loves his suits!

He has needed a new suit for much too long. So, off to the dress shop to find his suit. He was so particular that he had to fully try on every suit they had in his size! He chose a very stylish one and had to send a picture to Ashley.

When he got home he quickly took his old suit over to cousin Josh. He is two years younger and two heads shorter--it fit him perfectly! That goes to show how silly Justin was looking in the suit!!

Temple Square lights

We decided to go to Salt Lake City to see the lights at Temple Square. We surprised the kids, only telling them to dress warm, brings hats and gloves. We drove to Ogden and got on the Front Runner train. A first for Dave and Mitch.


Self Portraits to send to Ashley!

Such pretty teeth!

Smile Daddy!

The tree in the Joseph Smith Memorial building is massive!

The Temple is beautiful always, but it is so striking at Christmas with all the lights at night.

I am such a lucky girl to get to spend eternity with this guy!

It was a cold night-glad we had warm clothes!

The Christus statue is always such a beautiful site.

The Nativity Scene. The reason for the season!

We ate dinner at the California Pizza Kitchen and then went to Temple square. As always, it is amazing to see all the thousands of lights that are wrapped around the trees. We were surprised when we went up towards the church office building to see more nativities from all around the world. The large fountain and all the flower beds were lined with lit luminaries. Lovely!

It was a fun evening together!

Fantasy at the Bay!

We went to Willard Bay to drive through the lights for family home evening. We decided to go early in the month this year because we waited last year and had a line so very long-after two hours to ride the horse drawn wagon we just drove through!

This year we timed it perfectly! We drove through twice and then went to see Santa, while there the wagon came by and we were able to get right on. I told the drive about last year and he had Justin sit up front with him to drive! I think he was too nervous to actually drive but it was extra special to be up front!


Justin is my only baby left that will sit on Santa's lap!! I am so grateful for the joy and wonder that this little one brings to our lives!

(Mitch and Dave were with us but they stayed in the car while we rode the wagon)

Christmas 2011 in Review!!

One of our favorite traditions is our Christmas books. I have collected them since I was first married. Usually adding one or two new ones every year. We have quite a collection now. They range from Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer to traditional stories about the Nativity. Once we wrapped the books opening one a day. It was fun, however, I found that by having the books wrapped we didn't seem to enjoy them as much. Part of the fun of the big box of books is to rediscover old favorites. Sometimes reading many more than just one a day. Now we bring out our basket-(had to have two this year)-and sit them by the tree to enjoy the entire month.


This picture is one of my favorites of the entire season.
My children often bicker. I try to work with them to treat each other better. They still bicker-a lot. I don't know if it is me and my parenting or the large age differences between them.
On this night as I came into the living room I saw Emily and Justin all scrunched up on the couch with Emily reading a Christmas story to Justin. I had to snap a photo. I also had to take a picture with my heart. With all the bickering that is common, it is hard to remember that on occasion they actually get along and do something so sweet and loving.

We generally go and cut down a real tree. This year we were in Idaho the weekend our normal place was open. It was then a very busy week. We had our annual neighborhood party planned for Friday. I knew that if we didn't get something up it wouldn't happen for the party. So, I pulled out my tiny fake tree I bought for $16.77 ten years ago. When Justin got home from school he started decorating it. He put almost every single ornament on that tree. Emily helped a bit at the end and of course I put on the lights, beads and ribbon(and moved a few clumps around!).

In the end we used about half our ornaments and it still was one of my favorite trees ever. It was so tiny and petite sitting in the corner the entire month. I quite loved it. I am hoping that I can actually have this type of tiny tree again.

A Solemn Day

Today was a very somber and solemn day for citizens of the greater Ogden, Utah area. Today was the funeral for Agent Jared Francom. He died in the line of duty last week in a tragic task force search warrant delivery where five others were also hit. One of the worst officer situations in Utah ever.

Dave serves with a neighboring city's police chief, because of this he has had quite a bit of information over the last week.

Today Dave's stake hosted the task force for breakfast before the funeral. He said he was very humbled to be with these families. They also had a miracle of the loaves and fishes. They had been told there would be 15-20 people. There ended up being 60! There was enough food for all- a miracle indeed.

The LDS church sent out a request to 45 area stakes to line the eight mile funeral procession route with flags. Dave and I were in charge of 100 flags for his young single adult stake. We had some kids come to help and we placed all the flags in our assigned area. It was a sight to behold. Seeing the streets lined with American flags was amazing! I cried as I drove down the street.

When the procession finally got to our area( towards the end) there were hundreds of people lining the streets. The procession of police vehicles lasted for more than an hour. There were approximately 500 vehicles from all around the country.

I am grateful that there are people like Agent Jared Francom that are willing to risk their lives for our community. I know that in general we do not give them the respect that they deserve. I am grateful I was able to help show a bit of thanks. I pray for his family and the other injured task force members.

Digging out!!

Still trying to come up for air! We have been home from our crazy California trip for a week now. I am almost ready to attempt taking the Christmas decorations down. I have put the dishes away and have started removing things and placing them on the table. It is kind of a wreck. It also looks so very empty when all the Christmas is gone.

My house is cuter when I have it decorated for Christmas! My friend Crystal said that and I totally agree!!! I usually try to go around and get shots from all around the house-I failed to do that this year. However, it was lovely. We had a teeny tiny tree and I really quite liked it. I will probably do it again. Even if we go and get our traditional tree. I have enough decorations for two smaller trees. I dream about those houses that every corner is decorated just right. It has always been an overwhelming dream. Maybe someday!!

I will keep plugging along. Hopefully, soon, I will be able to post all the Christmas pictures and pictures(iphone) from our trip!!!