Christmas 2008

We had a rather scary trip to the airport and back on Christmas Eve. Carolyn and Brent arrived a couple of hours late and that was just enough time to be in the middle of the storm on our way home. The roads were solid ice. We were prayed home by friends and family. My friend Val lit her mother in laws candle for us. Emma was a devout catholic and she always lit that candle and said a prayer so Val did it for us and we were very grateful. We saw several cars in the ditch including a semi truck. We were so happy that their flight arrived and we could be together for Christmas.

It was nice to wake up to a white christmas. The snow and frost on the trees have been just beautiful.

We had a rather lazy christmas morning. Carolyn and Brent stayed over at his mom's on Christmas eve so the three of us here just slept in. We didn't get up and open presents until after 11. My brother called and they opened presents at 4am. There are some benefits to this phase of life.

Chris liked all of his stuff but he was most surprised by his digital camera. He has been taking pictures of everything since he got it.






Santa had a little elf named Chris as she found a Sarah Palin button in her stocking. Ha ha....very funny Chris.

Scott was surprised to find that Santa likes Bob Marley music. Scott served his mission in the West Indies and he still likes to listen to some good Regae music.

Chris got us a GPS and we really laughed when he said he was saving future fights from developing. You know how men NEVER ask for directions. We got a good chuckle out of it.

Chris still thinks he is the real spiderman. So....to aid him in his spidey exploits we got him a spider winter face mask. He loves it.....and I know he will wear it....probably even in the summer.

Brent and Carolyn opened up their stuff when they arrived later in the day.

Stealing a kiss. I don't see any mistletoe you two!

We had a wonderful Christmas. We missed Kevin and Stacie as they had Christmas in Wisconsin. It was nice to talk to them though. We have been blessed abundantly this past year with the additions to our family.

LET IT SNOW?

The person that wrote the words to the song "Let it snow" obviously didn't have kids trying to get home for Christmas. Oh......we have had quite the weather. It is sunny out today....but we are covered with snow. Flights in and out of Seattle are canceled and that is where Carolyn and Brent have a layover. Hopefully they can at least make it that far and then we can chain up and get over the pass if it is open. The whole state has been hit hard with a winter storm. My brother in Spokane has been hit the hardest. They have about 3 feet of snow. The snow plow got stuck there today. That is not a good sign. So.....while all this is beautiful and I hate a brown christmas......ENOUGH!!! NO MORE SNOW! I just want to get my kids home safe and sound. Once they arrive then we can Let it snow....let it snow....let it snow. Kevin and Stacie arrived safely in Wisconsin. I did get a text from him today and he said it is bitter cold back there. Wishing everyone a very merry christmas and I hope all of your loved ones makes it home for the holidays.

Thanksgiving in Provo

Our first stop was in SLC to see the Wintertons. We got to see the new baby in the family. He was precious. We didn't get a chance to see Tyler or Lylie Bird

A mormon thanksgiving. The boys around the barbecue drinking an "Apple Beer"

While the bird was cooking we went to the park and took some pictures.

Scott, Chandra, and the kids

Brent and Carolyn

Stacie and Kevin

Chris

Me and my hubby

Scott took care of the turkey and cooked it on the grill. It was delicious.

The boys were busy in the kitchen with last minute preparations.

Chris is getting hungry

Carolyn and Brent wait for dinner

This is how we felt after eating so much. Stacie made delicious sweet potatoes and homemade cranberry sauce with orange zest. Yum. We had all the fixings. Kevin made pumpkin pie and a banana pie like they have in Brazil.

This is what we woke up to the next morning. There is an apple orchard right behind Kevin's house and it is loaded with deer.

While Brent and Carolyn were working Black Friday the rest of us hiked through Rock Canyon

Scott and Kevin climbing up the cliff. I kept yelling for them to get down.

Kevin resting

That night we went up to temple square to see the christmas lights.

The lights were beautiful

Merry Christmas

We had such a wonderful time. We enjoyed playing games with all the kids....even if it was until 2am. We laughed so much this weekend that my side ached. We went to Evanston, WY to hear our nephew's missionary report. Rory served in my old stomping grounds. He was in the Canada Calgary mission. It was nice to hear his report and see some of the Jackson family. We picked up a friend of Chris's and took her home to Ammon, ID. We stopped for awhile to visit with her family. Scott and Chris used to be their home teachers so it was nice to see them again. We spent that night in Rexburg. The new temple their is breathtaking. It sits up on a hill and it glows for miles. Rexburg has changed so much since we went to college there. We drove Chris around campus and then showed him where we used to live and some of the places we used to hang out. The ride home on Monday was very foggy but the sun broke through as we reached the summit on Monida pass and we were surrounded by majestic mountains and we saw about 100 head of antelope. We crawled into bed exhausted. I told Scott "I feel like the richest woman in the world." He looked at me puzzled with a look that said "Have you see our 401k lately." I laughed and said "Our kids our so happy and we are so blessed. That is why we are rich.

I've been tagged

Thanks for tagging me Carolyn.
Seven things I am thankful for......wow.....I have so many blessings that it is tough to narrow it down to seven things.
1. I'm thankful for my incredible family. I have a husband that loves me dearly. I am grateful for all the little things he does.....like scrape my car windows on a cold morning, bring me flowers just because I've had a bad day, and make me delicious meals when I just don't have the strength at the end of the day. I have three wonderful children that bless my life in so many ways. I am so thankful that the Lord entrusted them to my care. I have learned so much from each of them. They have each grown into amazing adults and they have so many wonderful qualities.
Kevin-He has always had a strong testimony of the gospel. He is a great listener. He celebrates the differences in others. He can think for himself.
Carolyn-She is so caring to those with special needs. They adore her. She has the ability to laugh at herself. She loves with her whole heart.
Chris-He is my comedian. There isn't a day go by that he doesn't make me laugh really hard. He loves animals as much as people. He likes to serve.
I'm thankful for the 2 others that my kids have brought into the family.
Brent is a wonderful man and his laughter is infectious. He is so loving to my daughter.
Stacie is such a delight. She is the perfect fit into our family. She is loving and caring and she has so many qualities that I admire.

2. I am thankful for a Savior that loves me in spite of my weaknesses. I'm thankful that He has been right beside me through the difficult and challenging times in life. I'm thankful that when I'm at the end of my rope and feel like I have nothing left to hang on He grabs me and says "I will take over now." He is my rock. I'm thankful for His atoning sacrifice.

3. I am thankful for friends. I have the most wonderful friends and they have been a source of strength and comfort to me. Each of them enhance my life in different ways, and each has been a blessing.

4. I am thankful for my part time job as a seminary teacher. I get to teach the gospel to the youth that are eager to learn. I have so much fun when I teach. I always come away spiritually fed. They teach me as much or more as I teach them. The youth in the Moses Lake stake are so strong and they are a joy to be around.

5. I am thankful for bad days of health. I know.....this probably doesn't make sense. The bad days make me appreciate the good days so much more. When you live your life in physical pain, even a mediocre day is a blessing. So, I'm thankful that those bad days have made me not take the good ones for granted.

6. I am thankful for parents that taught me right from wrong. They taught me to love others and to embrace the differences in others. They taught me to be my very best. They taught to me bring honor to my name. They became wonderful grandparents to my children. They bless my childrens lives in so many ways. My dad is gone, but his memory is strong in my children's minds as they recall the golfing trips and slurpie runs with grandpa.

7. I am thankful for my younger brother. I am thankful that he only lives a couple of hours away. He has been very supportive of me through the years. He is a wonderful uncle to my kids. I'm thankful for the wonderful lady he married. She completes him. I'm thankful for the children he had.....they like to tease their aunt chandra....but they are such a blessing in my life.

Okay Kevin. You've been tagged.

Excitement in Moses Lake

Shortly after arriving home on Saturday night we heard all kinds of sirens. Looking out the window we saw three police cars up on top the hill and then five police cars chasing a vehicle right past our house. The vehicle must have made it past the road block because all the police cars disappeared over the hill. A bunch of us were talking about it at church the next day. We said there must be a joke about "How many police cars does it take to catch a bad guy?" Well, in tonights paper I read that they were chasing a stolen vehicle. They finally caught it quite a ways from here. He abandoned the vehicle and they pursued him and got him with the taser. If that wasn't enough excitement there was a bank robbery in Moses Lake on Monday. Robbed a teller at my bank by knifepoint. Okay.....now seriously.....that just ticked me off. My bank already suffered from the financial meltdown and had to be bought out.....and I see the money in our 401k dwindling each day.....so leave the money in my bank alone! Glad they caught him. If I lived in a big city maybe this wouldn't be much news....but Moses Lake gets a bit boring and stuff like this both landing on the front page of todays paper.....now that's news!

THANK YOU VETERANS

I thought that since today is Veteran's Day I would like to honor the veterans in my life. Thank you Scott for serving our country in the army. It wasn't an easy family life having you away during basic training while we had a new baby. It was difficult raising a young family while you were off on cycle support. It was a sacrifice you were willing to make to earn money to pay for school so that you could better provide for our family. I am forever grateful for that sacrifice. Sure, it was hard at times but we also received blessings during your service in the military. We were stationed at Ft. Benning, GA and we lived across the river in Phenix City, AL. We had the most wonderful ward I have ever been in. We were welcomed with open arms and we were surrounded by love and support. Your service in the army gave us the money we needed for you to attend nursing school. Thank you so much for your service not only to our nation but to our family. I love you.

My father in law enlisted in the Navy and he served in WWII. He was assigned to the USS Portland, a heavy cruiser. The ship was stationed at Pearl Harbor. The day before the bombing of Pearl Harbor the Portland was sent out to sea. After the bombing the ship returned to the harbor. Dad said "It changed a lot. There were lots and lots of ships sunk there in the harbor. It looked bad." Dad was an electrician in the Navy. He was assigned to operate the ships searchlights. Later in the war he was transferred to be a main battery electrician. He made repairs on the biggest gun on the ship. His ship was hit by a torpedo. The impact blew a 20 foot hole into their quarters. They slept on deck that night. Several of his buddies lost their lives that day. They had a buriel at sea for those that died during the attack. Dad served in the United States Navy for six and a half years. He earned sixteen major battle stars and a presidential unit citation. Thank you Dad for serving your country and protecting our freedoms. We are all grateful for your service. We love you Dad.

Victory

I watched anxiously all evening for the polls across the nation to close. I have been inspired by this man for several years. When he first spoke at the democratic convention years ago I knew that he had a promising future in government. He captured the passion of a nation. I was electrified today as I saw people all over the country wait in long lines and in bad weather for a chance to vote in this historic election. Tears filled my eyes as he spoke tonight. This wasn't an election about red states and blue states...this was an election about America....and the hope of a brighter future ahead. It was about the hope of mending a nation in war and in economic peril. I have hope that Obama can pull us out of this crisis. It was wonderful to see people of all colors, faiths, and political backgrounds join together in this movement. We are the United States of America. This is the most amazing country in the world. I was very impressed with Senator Mccain's speech tonight. I may not agree with his policies but at one time I had great respect for him. When he spoke tonight he reminded me of the John Mccain I used to know. I admire him for his service to this country and I admired him tonight for calming the crowd and asking them to join him in coming together to support the next president of the United States. May we all heed that call and join together to strengthen rather than divide this great nation. I'm so proud of President Elect Obama and all that he has accomplished. I hope that his grandmother had the best seat in the house tonight. I am sure she is over joyed at his success. May God bless the United States of America.

Good luck bug!

Carolyn has an interview with a charter school in Draper, UT tomorrow. She is really excited about it. I'm sure she will do great. She is really struggling getting hours at work. With the economy the way it is the retail industry is really struggling and everyone's hours are getting cut back. So, it would sure be nice for her to land this job. Carolyn is so awesome with kids. They are just drawn to her. She is a natural. When she told me she had decided to major in special education I knew it would be a perfect fit for her. Not only does she love working with children but she has always had a soft spot for those with special needs. You are awesome bug. Good luck with your interview. Hope they can see how incredible you are. Go get em girl. Love you bug.

Chris's best friend

I have been trying to get Chris to cooperate for some photo shoots for his senior pictures. We've gone out three different times. I have to say that the best pictures he takes are always the ones with the dog. His smile is the cutest when the dog is near him. He loves Morgan so much. It will be hard on both of them when he leaves next fall. I would like to have some nice pictures with him alone....but Morgan seems to bring out the best in him.

Phantom of the Opera

Chris really expressed an interest in going to see the Phantom. This...coming from a kid that usually just has baseball on his mind. So, we jumped at the chance to add a little culture to his life. So, we got all dressed up and headed to Spokane for a Tues. night show. We had the best seats I've ever had in that theater. We were just eleven rows back. When the flames shot up....we could actually feel a burst of sudden heat. Chris couldn't believe how quickly the phantom got from one place to the next. I have seen it three times and I enjoyed it just as much this time as I did the first time I saw it. Maybe even a little more. I liked seeing my son enjoy it. The music is so haunting. The set is amazing. The guy that had the lead was the best of the three times I've seen it. It was a wonderful evening. I think I am having empty nest syndrome and it hasn't even hit yet....but I want to do as many things as I can before it does.

Thank You God

We all have those "Stop and Smell the Roses" moments in our life. Those times when we just need to pause from the hectic pace of our lives and enjoy the little things. I had one of those moments this morning. I woke up late and was rushing around getting Chris's lunch packed for school, answering a couple emails, and trying to get out the door to meet Val for our walk. As I hustled by the kitchen window I could see the glow of this mornings sunrise on the horizon. I stopped everything.....grabbed my camera....and went out on the back step and enjoyed the precious gift God had given me this morning. It was just beautiful. I am going to try and take more of those moments. We are so busy that we often let those moments pass and then regret that we did. I am going to try to learn to savor those moments.

Family update

I'm exhausted. We had a wild week around here. So much going on. Chris went to the Homecoming dance a week ago with a girl from our ward. He had a lot of fun. He was in a large group with his friends. They arrived at the dance in a motor home and Chris thought that was 'sweet'. They had a nice steak dinner and Scott provided dessert with his delicious cheese cake. He borrowed Tyler's sunglasses that matched Kelcey's dress and he thought it was so cool.

I taught seminary for Bro. Welty on Thursday. I love teaching seminary. It always puts a smile on my face to go in and teach the youth. I always come home feeling like I have had my battery charged and I can take on the world. The youth in the Moses Lake Stake are great kids and they have such a desire to learn. It really is a great opportunity when I get to go and teach.

Carolyn has been pretty sick the last week. She has had an awful sore throat and sinus cold. She loves Brent so much and she likes to share with him so he has come down sick too. They are both very busy with their classes. They aren't working as much as they would like. Staples has really cut back on their hours. This economy is hitting everyone.

Carolyn is really enjoying her classes for her special education major. She is going to be so great at that. I know she is looking forward down the road to graduating and becoming a teacher.

The newlyweds are enjoying life as a married couple. They went on a beautiful hike up in one of the canyon's. They are both very busy with their classes. Kevin is loving his shakespeare class. I think he has really found his niche in all of these literature classes. He gets to use his gift to write and I think he enjoyes it.
Kevin ran the 5K Cougar run at BYU this weekend. He still enjoys getting out and pounding the pavement with his running shoes.

Chris has been training with the local fire department. He helped this weekend with their "fill the boot" fundraiser. We stopped to see him and we couldn't find him anywhere. Then we spotted the dog and Scott said "I'll bet you Chris is in the dog suit" Sure enough....there he was. Chris got to be Sparky for the day.

We had a very busy weekend. Scott and I ran over to Spokane on Saturday to catch my nephew's soccer game. He didn't know we were coming and he was quite surprised. Caitlyn was happy to see us arrive at the game with hot chocolate. There was a bitter cold wind and it was freezing. We spent Sunday in Bainbridge Island enjoying Canadian Thanksgiving at our friends. I've never seen so much food. It was just delicious. Turkey and ham....and more side dishes than you can count. Thank you Drew and Ross for inviting us and for your hospitality. We had such a wonderful time. Carolyn told me I was an awful blogger because I never took any pictures with Drew. Left my camera in the car....oops. I also forgot to take a picture of the cheesecake Scott made. Everyone at dinner raved about it. It was delicious.

Chris and Scott on the way to Bainbridge Island

You can see from my hair it was a tad bit windy outside on the ferry

Seattle skyline from the ferry

Headed back to Seattle after a wonderful day on the island.

HEY DANE....THIS ONE'S FOR YOU

It is spirit week at the highschool. This weekend is the big homecoming game and dance. So....all week long I get to watch Chris leave for school in some fumky outfits. Yesterday was toga day....I wonder how that went since the last time it was allowed was Kevin's senior year and then it was banned. Well today was color wars and the seniors were wearing blue and pink. Chris went all out. Last week my friend Melanie posted the cutest picture of Dane as he dressed up for RED day at preschool. He was decked out in a red shirt....red shorts.....a red cape...and a red mask.....but he wouldn't wear red socks.....he thought that would look dumb. Well......Chris not only wore the socks.....but he wore Carolyn's pink toe socks....and her pink and blue flip flops....with a flower on it......that kid must have a ton of self esteem. I totally cracked up when he walked out the door today.