HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Reflections of the Past Year

It is customary that as the year closes people look forward to the new year and make resolutions to make improvements in their lives. But, today my mind was redirected to looking back with gratitude for the people who made this past year a joy and memorable. I obviously can not mention everyone, for there are many, so I have decided to name just a few.
The first person on my list is my cousin, Susan. What fun it has been to reconnect with her after many years of absence from my life. We have shared so much this past year and she renewed my interest in my paternal side of the family. As different as we are in so many ways, we have also found there are many areas where we are alike. It was fun to attend the family reunion this past summer and reacquaint myself with family from my youth due to her hard work at bringing everyone together.
I also have reconnected with other family members and friends through facebook. In a few instances I have found that old friends have taken very different paths in life and we no longer have much in common. It really doesn't matter to me, because at least now I know where they are and how they are, so I find peace in that.
One spends so much of their life raising their family. But how often do we take the time to reflect upon how much they 'raise' us? I find as a grandparent, I learn so much through observation and the reactions given by the grandchildren. Kids open new doors that one never thought was there. Their natural curiosity, wonderment, excitement, and unconditional love awakens sparks of life that one thought was no longer possible as age sets in. I also enjoy watching my kids as parents and how they have learned to cope with the challenges of raising their children. It is joyful to participate and observe the molding of the next generation.
This past year I also got the opportunity to teach young children at church. I had not done that in many years and was not really excited about it. That changed. I truly grew to love the kids in my class and looked forward to seeing them each week. As they move on to another class this year, I will continue to keep track of them, watch their progress, and be interested in what they are doing.
I also cannot forget to mention my dear friend, ConneMara. I am so grateful for her. When we get together, I can count on laughter. That is a real gift. It is not that either of us is especially funny, but we are able to find humor in the sharing of our life experiences. We relate as women of the church, wives, mothers, grandmothers, some common interests and traditions we have made over the years.
This past year also had it's challenges, but I choose to look back and remember those things that brought me some peace and joy. I just pray that this next year will be as good if not better.
Happy New Year, everyone!

Christmas Day

The girls are showing off their new skirts and barrettes that their mother made them for Christmas.
The boots and Ally's vest were also new items.

We had a very laid back Christmas Day. We enjoyed having the kids come over for a while and also talking to Jason and his children via video cam on the computer.

Last night we got a nice phone call with Nathan' girls singing a Christmas song to us and sharing their excitement for Christmas.

The one thing that we didn't get for Christmas that I was really looking forward to, was my mom coming over. Unfortunately, she got sick and couldn't make it to my sister's for Christmas Eve or our place today. What a sad Christmas for mom...to be alone and sick for Christmas!
Sure hope she is feeling better soon! Love you, mom!

Christmas Eve

Andrea and Jeremy

Somehow, (I think to all the running around with kids), We didn't get a picture of Kevin and Heather....darn!

Brennan lends an ear to listening to all the excitement around him

Mya takes her drawing seriously

Grandpa surrounded by girls!

The flash of a camera sure is bright when you have been running all day on 3 hours of sleep.
But the lack of sleep was worth every moment enjoying the family.

Becky Kelley - Where's the Line to See Jesus - OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO

I love this video...so touching! Please turn off my play-list by pressing the center button before trying to listen to this video. Enjoy! (I get choked up when I listen to it.)

Photo Thief Grandma

This is Emily and Jacob (my two grandchildren in Texas) with Santa. Unfortunately, I haven't seen them in over a year. Grandma stole this picture their mom put on facebook....yep, I plea guilty.....but can you blame me?!?!? Merry Christmas munchkins! I love you!

Grandma's Newest Little Elf

Brennan at 2 months

This little guy's smile shines brighter than the Christmas tree.
What a wonderful addition to our Christmas this year!
Ooooo...I want to hug the picture! :-)

Gallons of Sweet 'Pop-in' Deliveries

Yesterday I made several batches of caramel corn and then filled gallon sized plastic bags with the sweet treat.
Today I plan to make some surprise deliveries to some very special young friends of mine. :-)
Sweet kids deserve sweet treats!

Sad Gratitude

It seems as I get older, Christmases seem to be touched with a bit of sadness each year as people we once knew or admired past on. This past weekend, a woman I didn't know very well, but admired from afar, died suddenly of a brain aneurysm. Just last Wednesday she greeted a new grandson into the world and expressed how grateful she was for that experience. I feel the lost of this woman mostly through knowing how much of an influence she was on our son, Jason. Whenever I saw her, she would ask about him and how he was doing. She was his seminary teacher when he was in high school about 24 years ago. He thought the world of her. She was fun, inspirational, uplifting and brought laughter to those around her. She loved to see people reach beyond what they thought they were capable of. If you were to go to her face book page, her profile picture shows her standing on top of a mountain she climbed (I am assuming it is Mt. St. Helens). That is so fitting. My heart goes out to her family and many friends. Her life touched many for good. Well done, Peggy Glem! I am grateful to have known you.

Weekend of Christmas Fun

Saturday night was our Ward Christmas Party. It is not often we get to go to a ward function as they are usually on a Friday night and George is in bed early for work the next day. We took Ally and Kaitlyn with us. There was a nice ham dinner along with some singing, a dance performance by some of the young girls, story readings, and of course...Santa....which was our cue to exit the building fast as Kaitlyn would have no part of him.:-) Over all, it was nice to get out and feel the spirit of Christmas with friends. Every one of the kids in my Sunday class that was at the party came up to say hi to me with a smile on their face. I am so blessed to have these sweet young friends.
Sunday, I taught the Christmas lesson to the children. In addition to the story of Christ's birth, we talked about the wise men and how they followed the star and why they brought gifts to the baby Jesus. The children made stars and also made cards to take home to give to someone that had a special gift inside. They drew a picture of something they plan to do for that person. Some were going to make their sibling's beds for them. One girl said she was going to do the dishes for her mom. One of the boys said he was going to go swimming with his dad. The kids were excited about sharing their gifts.
A couple of the children brought me gifts of goodies from home....so sweet.
One of the highlights of the class time was when I asked one of the boys to give the opening prayer. I hadn't introduced a new boy to the class yet, but in the prayer, the boy giving the prayer acknowledged him and asked that the new boy would have a good time in our class and was thankful for him. These kids are amazingly thoughtful. I will miss them terribly after the first of year when they move on to the next class. Merry Christmas Ashlyn, Janae, Kenneth, Braden, Brett, Adi, Avery, and Casey!

Holiday Baking Begins

Tonight is the church Christmas party. We were asked to bring 2 dozen cookies. That was the motivation for me to get myself in the kitchen and start the holiday baking this morning. Here are the first two varieties. Date pinwheel cookies and some peanutbutter chocolate crunch cookies. I do not bake much anymore and my attempts seem to show it. The chocolate is not even on the crunch cookies and I made my pinwheels too big. Oh well,....I bet they get eaten anyway! :-)

Kindergarten Christmas Program

Is there anything cuter than small children singing Christmas songs?
These kids were really into the selected songs and did a great job tonight.
Our little Kaitlyn was singing her little heart out and was doing all the gestures to go along with the songs like a pro.......then Santa came into the room. Kaitlyn was not happy to see him and lost it. She had told her mom and dad to be sure and come get her before Santa entered....which we thought was going to be AFTER all the singing. But, he came in during the last song and there was no way to get to get Kaitlyn off the back row of bleachers until after the program was over. Poor thing...she went from a happy girl to a frightened and upset girl in a flash.

She needed some tender hugs from mom and dad.
Here we almost got a smile on her face in her classroom afterward.
Kaitlyn we love you!
I also enjoyed seeing some of my kids from my Sunday class in the program.
Great job to all!

The Gift of Friendship Shared

My friend ConneMara's birthday is in December. We usually take each other out for lunch for our birthdays each year. Last month I was out of town for mine and scheduling just didn't work out. Last week was her birthday, but there again...scheduling was a problem, so we finally made the connection yesterday. It was a 'triple' celebration as we also usually try and do something together before Christmas and this was going to have to do. ConneMara's family start coming into town this weekend for Christmas so there was no other time. ConneMara had read in the paper about a new restaurant in town that got a very good review. So, since we like to try new places, we decided to go there. I have to say...the place wasn't easy to find as it is one of those little 'hole in the wall' type places. After three tries, we found it. Once there, we looked at each other and wondered if we should go in as the place really looked ragged ...or should I say scary on the outside and wasn't in the best area of town. We decided to give it a fair shake and got out walked inside. We were greeted with such friendiness and it was clean and pleasant inside. Our waiter was also so nice and helpful. The prices were unbelievably reasonable! We enjoyed our lunch, the food was good, and of course, so was the company and conversation. Normally in December we use to go up on the Lewis River to Pomroy House to browse in the shop there, or go to Pittock Mansion. Pomroy House no longer has their gift shop and tea room. We could have gone to Pittock Mansion, but the weather wasn't inviting for us venture off into Portland. Instead we did a Costco run and enjoyed browsing. It never seems to matter what we do or don't do, we have a good time and laughter is always a part of our day. I am grateful for such a good friend to share good times, traditions, and memories with.

Festival of the Nativities

This evening Andrea and the girls invited me to go with them to the 10th annual Festival of the Nativities at one of our local church buildings. It is a pleasant activity that celebrates the true meaning of Christmas and sets a calm, peaceful tone for the season. It is open to the public free of charge and for many it has become an annual tradition. I have gone several times over the years. A couple of years ago I helped with it and last year Andrea helped.

There are hundreds of nativities displayed

Many are made from unusual materials.

Some are more traditional.

Others are from other areas of the world. The variety is amazing.

It other areas of the church there are activites and fun things for the kids to do.

The girls were able to make a little baby Jesus and here they are making donkey ornaments.

Kaitlyn was pleased with how both of her things turned out and gave the baby Jesus a ride on the head of her donkey.

Childhood Christmas Memories

As any small child, I looked forward to Christmas. Being the oldest, I remember things that my siblings do not, like a phone call from Santa (my grandfather) to see what I wanted for Christmas....and telling him I wanted a big doll as I stretched out my hands to show how big (as if he could see). Then, him asking me if I had been a good girl and me responding that I had been. I remember my grandparents, aunts and uncles and cousins coming to our house. It was rare that we went to their houses until after 3 of my grandparents passed away. My remaining grandmother remarried after a few years and moved to the coast. During my adolescence years we often made the trip over the snowy coastal range to see them. Christmases were neither extravagant or lean in our house. They were comfortable and homey with mom in the kitchen preparing food and goodies. When the tree went up, the house seemed a magical place. My siblings and I did not ask for huge items...that just wasn't who we were. But what we did ask for, we usually got. (I really can't remember not getting what I asked for). There were usually 3 presents for each of us on Christmas morning. Other gifts were usually opened on Christmas Eve after the guests left.
We were not a religious family so we did not celebrate Christmas with the reading of the account of Jesus' birth or things like that...we didn't have a nativity...but we did know that the holiday was about the birth of Christ.
As I look back, I think my most cherished thoughts and memories are of those no longer with us. My Dad, my aunt Marion, cousin Bob, all my grandparents and also of those who I haven't seen in many years; some I don't even know where they are.
Our memories are like presents wrapped up in our heads to open up from time to time and take us to a place that once was and can be again. Isn't that what it is all about? Christ came to be with us, teach us, and plant love and lasting memories and values in hearts so that we hopefully will never forget him, all he did for us, and blessed us with. Because of his sacrifice, some day we will no longer need to unwrap the presents of memories in our heads. We will be reunited with our loved ones as we gather together as families before Him and God. I think it will be then that we will come to appreciate fully what this season is all about. Until then, I am grateful for my unseen but remembered gifts.

Sharing the Goodies

This little guy makes me smile as he welcomes people to help themselves. I usually like to serve snowball cookies on this tiered dish.
The square tablecloth underneath is something I picked up on our first trip to Utah. I got it at Mormon Handicraft. The picture doesn't do it justice as it has cutout work around the holly. It's bright red and green is so festive. I love it!

More Gingerbread Gaiety

These gingerbread dolls are down where little hands can grab them and give them hugs and kisses. The big doll was a gift from my daughter-in-law, Melissa's parents one year. It use to sing 'We Wish You a Merry Christmas'. I believe that due to my lack of consideration by not taking the batteries out before storing her, she lost her voice. It is too bad, because she not only sang to the music, but also would sway back and forth to the music. The kids still love her, anyway.
The little ones are a brother and sister team I found one year in another favorite store ConneMara and I use to go to that has since closed it's doors. I guess I 'got while the getting was good'. The coasters in front were a gift from a friend. They are filled with cinnamon and smell so good when something hot is placed on top of them.

Extravagance Appreciated and Enjoyed

As anyone who knows us is aware, we are not a 'well-to-do' family; but like everyone I know I have a few lofty dreams. I had always wanted a nice set of china for family holiday gathering. I figured with our lifestyle, I didn't need (want) china for just any other time of the year. I wanted holiday china. One year as I was browsing the store (a year when things weren't as tight as usual), my mouth dropped open when I saw these LENOX dishes. I fell in love with them! It just so happens they were on sale at a decent price. George went out a got them for me.....
A service for 12!
I was, and still am blown away that I should have such beautiful dishes...and they are only for the holidays. WOW!
Sometimes I feel a little ridiculous for having them, but I really do appreciate them and enjoy getting them out each year to share with the family.

My Christmas Egg

Over the years, I have collected eggs. I have about 25 of them plus other variations of this theme in ornaments and things.
My mother-in-law gave this one to me one year about 20 years ago.
It is my only Christmas egg.
It is usually displayed separately at Christmastime...away from the other eggs.
George's mom passed away several years ago after suffering a few years from bad health and the inability to communicate the last two years, due to several strokes.
This 'white' egg is very much her style.
She was a very loving and giving person who stood out...
a flower who loved to surround herself with her 'little ones'.
This year I have it right in front of the candy treasure chest we have for our grandchildren.
Somehow, that seemed a fitting place, as she would have loved to have been able to hand out the candy to them herself.

Mormon Tabernacle Choir - Hallelujah, Christmas 2010

To listen to this, please first go to my play list and press the button in the center to turn it off.
This is a 'WOW!!!' performance.

Santa Went on a Diet

Santa seems to be suffering from the socially accepted notion that skinny is best.
There is such a thing as taking it too far! Could it be the economic times we are living in? Toys being made in China? :-)
Seriously, I love this guy. One year, Andrea and I went to the big Bazaar at the Expo Center and found a booth where they were selling these. At the time we were living in a house that had a little niche in the entryway that he fit perfectly in.

Our Nativity

This nativity set has been around for about 35 years. I have to confess I almost didn't put it out this year. Why? Because it is so big and hard to store, I was considering giving it away.
After talking about it with Andrea, she convinced me that I should hang on to the tradition of putting it under our Christmas tree each year to remember that the reason for the season is the birth of Christ; and being placed under the tree is a constant reminder that whether or not the presents are plentiful each year, we have been blessed with the greatest gift already and should count our blessings. We have other nativities, but this was the first one. Our kids grew up with this one. The more I thought about it, I also realized that some of my grandchildren have not yet experienced our traditions or are too young to understand them yet.
So, I have had a change of heart. We will keep it. It may be hard to get up in the attic each year, but nothing worth while is easy and takes some sacrifice and effort.
Christ was and is our example. His life was not easy. He gave his all. I think we all need this reminder under our trees and appreciate what we have been blessed with.

Joy

This door pull is what you will see on our front door as you leave our house.
Again, this is a cross-stitch item I made about 20 years ago.
The word 'Joy', the border, and a little of the inside of the squares are bead work.
I really enjoyed this project and thus, I find 'Joy' in the finished product. :-)

And The Stockings Were Hung

This was a gift from my sister, Christmas of 1994.
My kids were all getting older and it was the last Christmas before Jason left the nest.
This reminds me of the days we were all together for the holidays.
I honestly don't remember the last time that has happened.
I know it has been several years.
The family has grown considerably over those years. As indicated by the number of stockings, we use to be a family of 6. We now are a family of 19.
It is amazing how the heart expands to hold each one so tenderly in their place.

Santa's Whisper

This was a gift all hand done by my dear friend of over 30 years, Lora.
She is a calligrapher and artist.
The lettering is all done by hand and so are her little pictures.

For those not familiar with the wise words of Santa, here they are.

And Santa whispered,
"Teach the children the true meaning of Christmas."

The star- a Heavenly sign of prophecy fulfilled long ago; the shining hope of all mankind

Red- the first color of Christmas symbolizing the Saviors sacrifice for all.

Fir Tree-evergreen- the second color of Christmas shows everlasting life.

The bell- rings out to guide lost sheep back to the fold, signifying that all are precious in the eyes of the Lord.

The Candle- a mirror of starlight reflecting our thanks for the star of Bethlehem.

Gift Bows- tied as we should all be tied together in bonds of goodwill forever.

Candy Cane- the shepherd's crook used to bring lambs back into the fold; a reminder that we are all our brother's keepers.

The Wreath- a symbol of the never ending eternal nature of love, having no beginning and no end.

The Reason for the Season

The picture of Christ and the Christus statue are displayed year around, but are surrounded by a more festive grouping for Christmas near our front door.
On the bottom are two carolers on either side of the famous 'candy' treasure chest we have for the kids to find special treats each time they come for a visit.

Noel

This Noel is all shimmery due to it all being done with little glass beads.
I did this many years ago when I was busy with cross-stitch projects.

The Heart of the Season

People think of hearts for Valentine's Day, but they are fitting for Christmas, too. This year, my mother gave my sister and myself one of these flowery heart ornaments. She also gave my daughter (her only granddaughter) one that says, 'granddaughter' on it. This will always be a treasure that will not only be on the outside to see, but inward to feel.
The message on the ornament says,
My Daughter
Always in My Heart

Back at you, mom! Love you!

The hot pink heart is one that my daughter-in-law, Heather gave me a couple of years ago.
I started babysitting Mya as Heather went back to work after giving birth.
One day Heather called to see how it was going with Mya. Little Mya had been fussy and in my arms most of the day. That evening (close to Christmas) when Heather came to get Mya, she brought me this heart.... So sweet and thoughtful!

The Stories of Christmas

Christmas has it's share of wonderful uplifting stories.
It is heartwarming to read about Christmases past and how they have touched peoples lives.
A few are just stories...not real, but they come alive by the impact they have on the heart.

First Gift of the Season

Tonight I was surprised when the doorbell rang. I went to the door and no one was there. I looked down and there was a decorative tin.
I opened the tin to find some nicely decorated sugar cookies and this note.
How sweet is this!?! (Very sweet....and yummy!:-))

Snowmen Melt Our Hearts

We have a family of snowmen in our family room.
The two above are brothers close in age. The one in the back is a snowman Nathan and Christine made one Christmas early in their marriage and gave us as a gift. The one in front is of the Hallmark variety. They usually interact with the kids when they come over, dancing and snuggling to keep warm.

Of course, if they're dancing that means there has to be music; so the snowman on the right sits and plays fun Christmas songs on his piano to dance to.
When he is on break, the little guys in the domes do their dance and song routine.

These guys light-up when they sing and even get the little figures at the base to dance around them. Snowmen may be cold, but they warm our hearts each year.

Gingerbread Men

I love gingerbread men...and girls. About 20 years ago, I decided I had to have them in my kitchen at Christmastime. The ones in the foreground I made from corrugated cardboard and tied together to look like paper dolls at a Relief Society class the first year of my obsession.
The one in the background with the big heart was a gift given out at another Relief Society meeting I went to with Andrea in her ward. I think it was the the first year she was married...12 years ago! The other one says Grandma's recipe for gingerbread on it.

This one was a gift from Andrea when she was still in high school.

Even my refrigerator can't escape the invasion of these little men.
The center square is a cross-stitch I did with added little beads and button man.
The two on the sides are magnets.

This long-legged guy is an actual preserved cookie with raisin buttons that I found in a store. I hang him on the side of my kitchen cabinet.
Over the years I have had many more little spicy men in my kitchen, but it got too crowded and I parted with some of them....
Cookies anyone?

A Tradition Remembered

My good friend, ConneMara and I had a tradition of going to Smith and Hawkins each year during late fall to see their assortment of decorations. Unfortunately, the place closed last year, as so many places we use to visit have due to the poor economy. I bought this tree there about 6 years ago. The 'egg' ornaments were also bought there.
When I look at this tree, I remember those good times ConneMara and I had while browsing that wonderful shop.

Santa Claus through the years

This is the curio cabinet that holds mini tea sets.
On top of it is a collection of 13 Santas that we have received over the years. Some are bought, some are homemade, some are ornaments.
Yes, Santa is alive and well in our home. :-)

Christmas at our House

This evening I was thinking about some of the traditions we have with our holiday decorations and decided to share a few, one at a time throughout the month. Tonight I decided to share something that I made about 14 or 15 years ago. I was really into cross-stitching and decided to stitch the nativity. A friend at the time had a book with a pattern that she shared with me. The picture above is the result. In front of it is a little nativity that we received on 'the twelfth day of Christmas' after finding surprises on our door step each night for 11 nights. The mystery of who was leaving them was solved when Ally and Kaitlyn brought this to us on Christmas a few years ago.

December Check-List

December starts off with our twin granddaughters Crystal and Kylie's birthday, which is tomorrow. They will be 7 years old! Where does the time go?!?!?
I managed to get their birthday gifts off before Thanksgiving this year. Check!
The tree is up and decorated. Check!
The house is decorated. Check!
I have sent out all the out of town packages to the kids. Check! (no crowded post office visits for me! YEA!)
I have all the gifts here at the house wrapped. Check!
George put in for his vacation time for next year. Check!
Not bad considering it is only the 4th!
And...as you can see, I updated my blog and added favorite Christmas carols on my playlist.
I anticipate a very calm and relaxing Christmas season.
I'll keep you posted as the month progresses.........still a few things to do.

Christmas is Coming!

The girls wanted to spend the night one night during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Last night was the night. Grandma got out the tree and the ornaments and the girls got busy and decorated. We were all pleased with the finished results.

Ally took this picture

Kaitlyn took this picture

We continued having a good time today by going through some of the other decorations for the house. We didn't get the house all decorated, but did enjoy finding some favorite things. I guess we will take it one day at a time. I couldn't get my heart totally into it yet...December isn't for another 3 days after all, and last December seems like it was only a couple of months ago. I think it will take the 3 days for me to build up the desire to continue the transformation from fall decor to Christmas festiveness.

Brennan at 6 weeks

Babies change so fast. Here is Brennan at 6 weeks old.
He is an easy baby with a nice temperament.
His big sister, Mya is so loving towards him.
She can't give him enough hugs and kisses.
Neither can grandma! :-)