Christmas Day 2009

Kathryn's new sweater with her
2 favorite men....




Movie watching as a family - above 3 photos


Three bugs snug in a rug!!!

It's All a Blur!!! - part 4

Some intense chess competition.


A new game involving these little pigs..


Kylie setting up her 'pig army' to battle
Jordan's pig farm.


Christmas gift from Kylie.


A 20+ year wish...a Vitamix for dad!!

Since our kids were little, we have had the tradition of opening one gift on Christmas Eve. And since our kids were little, they have always begged to open ALL their presents Christmas Eve night. So, we let them....
Yep, for the first time, we caved and gave them their Christmas wish. The gift opening didn't end after the first gift was unwrapped. We let the kids unwrap until all the gifts were opened. It sure made for a late night, but one that was filled with anticipation and joy. How fun to just be spontaneous and without tradition!!!! Everyone was thrilled with their gifts and grateful to the giver.
Del was so thoughtful in giving me the gift of having my first year of blogging put into a spiral bound book for not just me, but one for each of our children. I was touched at his desire to have our children enjoy what their mother found to be so important over the past year. A treasured gift.
Money was passed around to the children for future shopping needs and wants, plus some for me was found in my stocking. Santa was very kind this year.
Bedtime came very late Christmas Eve but with the anticipation of sleeping in late the next morning as there would be no unwrapped surprises to keep us restless through the night.
We all slept well.

It's All a Blur!!! - part 3

Right after losing his arm wrestling match with
his dad, Jordan was pretty sure he needed some
food for energy.


Kathryn helping with the shredding
of the chocolate before dinner was made.


It was 'fajitas' for dinner - the two on the
right were never taught to NOT play with
their food.


Isn't it the rule that the chef should always
sample their own food first???


The family that 'frosts together, stays together.'



Once we were done with the candy, frosting the cookies and our fajita dinner, we felt it was time to move out of the kitchen and on to the rest of the evenings activities...next post.

It's All a Blur!!! - part 2

Within minutes of Jordan's return home, the 're-bonding' began. He had Kylie down in a wrestling hold, torturing her for no apparent reason; he was attempting, YET AGAIN, to arm wrestle his father, the 'arm wrestling champion of Ricks College'; the three kids were spell bound to the song 'Sisters' in the movie White Christmas on t.v.; and then the endless night of card games began. An over-all wonderful evening of being re-united for the holidays.
P.S. - Jordan promises his dad he'll be ready for a re-match come the end of this winter semester. Needless to say, Del is not holding his breath.

It's All a Blur!!! - part 1

Del and Kylie putting the first of MANY fondant
batches out on a cookie sheet to cool.

After the fondant is cool enough, they both
take it and begin to pull it like taffy.

The chocolate was melted and the 'dipping'
began...a finger here and a finger there.


And what to our wondering eyes should appear?
Jordan hopped an earlier flight and showed up
3 hours earlier than we were expecting him.

This is only SOME of the final product after
a very long 5 hours. So Yummy.....

At the beginning of Christmas week, Kylie decided she wanted to make homemade chocolates with her daddy to give to her co-workers. I knew we were in for a long haul. But, I was determined this Christmas that the season was going to include 'all good things desired for the holidays'. I'm not a candy maker, but I am a good 'cleaner upper'. So that became my contribution. I followed them around, cleaning up their messes and it turned out perfect. The candy was wonderful as was the experience. So for two solid days, we made chocolates, learning a lot of inside secrets along the way until by the end of the experience, we felt like experts, and the goodness of the candy was proof of our talents. Fun fun memories of our homemade candy.

Missing in Action

Okay, so it has been awhile since I have been on my Blog. Not because things haven't been happening, but because I have been too busy to put things down in writing. And missing from all of these pictures are two that I took of the beautiful cake that Kylie made for her daddy for his birthday, but for some reason, they just didn't download off the disk...go figure.
yes, Del had another birthday in November - the 19th and he turned 53. We went out to Olive Garden where Mike and Kylie treated us to dinner and gave Del a generous gift to Home Depot. It was a fun evening with family and good food.
The pictures are of some fun events. The first three are of Del, Kathryn and me serving at the Bishop's storehouse a few days before Thanksgiving - and it was a blast, plus a real learning service project for us. The people were so deserving and fun to serve. It brought a great sense of relief to us to know that those many families would have such great food for the coming weeks and the holiday. I personally, was amazed at the supply of donations and food made available for those in need, and how organized the church has it's programs functioning. What a blessing.
November also brought a day of snow that put most people in a little of a frenzy. it was such a slight skiff of snow and yet everyone bundled up so quickly in their hats, scarfs, mittens and coats. I was out in my flip flops and capris and was finally comfortable.
Thanksgiving Day had it's usual turkey and all the trimmings but with some very interesting guests this year. Of course, Mike and Kylie were here, Kathryn had her friend Wayde here and then we invited two of Del's co-workers who had no family to celebrate with; Victor and John. John is an older man who's wife was gone visiting other family and Victor is an African American from Africa who has no family here. Both men were very interesting and a joy to have in our home.I had a week of what is called 'frozen shoulder' that same week and ultimately ended up in the ER to have it resolved. Not a fun experience but I was glad Del had been home to carry most of the weeks responsibilities on his shoulders. It was a nice memory.
And now, we are almost two weeks into the month of December. The cold weather (for Texas anyways), has rolled in and the holiday season has started. Our artificial Christmas tree was broken last year, so Del came home this past Monday night with our first fresh Christmas tree in years. The house smells wonderful and it brings a whole new feel to the season. We were supposed to decorate it last Tuesday night, but never got around to it...so I'm thinking tonight will be the night.
The Christmas parties have started with last night's first at the Vogelberg's home. It's had it's 7 year tradition - started the year we moved here and has brought years of humor and laughs. Last night was no different. Very fun night with dear friends and great food. Over the years, we have been included in 2 other holiday parties and this year will even bring a new one with some friends here in our new ward. It sure makes for a lot of white elephant gifts and great appetizers but we have loved the interaction with such wonderful people that we truly cherish as friends.
Most of the Christmas shopping has been finished. Only a few things for Mike and Kylie, school tuition for Jordan and then a few things for Kathryn. The money has to be spread so thinly so we are once again, back at the stage of life where Christmas gifts are now back to 'needs' instead of 'wants'. Del and I will be getting garments. I have Dr. Henao's name for our office gift exchange so I have spent the past three weeks, sneaking opportunities with her two boys, to take candid pictures of them in some of their activities that I am making into a poster size collage(spelling) for a scrap booked picture poster. I hope she likes it. It's been fun to do.
Jordan has been cold...Idaho has had several below zero days in which he will call so miserable and freezing expressing his much felt home sickness and despair. I will have to pamper him a little when he comes home for the holidays. He will be coming home a few days later than most other students as he will remain up in Utah for 2 days to participate as best man at his best friends wedding - Mark Roberts. His other two dear friends, Ricky Adams and Josh Packer are also engaged and getting married within the next few months. Jordan's feeling left behind. He is noticing that the 'best man' role has become his status in life but also realizes that he is no-where close to being ready to getting married. Patience is NOT one of his better virtues.
Kathryn has had a few struggles with some personal issues but we;ve seen her through them and is now on a wonderful path for her future. She has sent in all her application forms to colleges and now awaits the news. She didn't do real well on either her SAT or ACT tests but hopes that her high school transcripts and GPA will at least allow her to get into BYU Idaho. She has been dating a young boy named Wayde that she has been friends with for years. Nothing serious as they have more fun together than anything else. She will start a new job after the holidays on her birthday as she has to be 17. But Kylie already worked there years ago and the manager told Kathryn he would start her once she turned 17. So she will have some money coming in for school.
Mike and Kylie have put their townhouse on the market and are hoping to sell quickly so they can start the building of their first home. They have land picked out, floor plans and all arrangements made, just need to sell first. We are excited for them and hope it all goes as they have planned.
Del and I still work our long hours at our jobs but we're glad to have good jobs that allow us to still take care of our family's needs. And the needs they have at this stage in life are a lot more expensive than when they were wanting new clothes or toys. Del and I wonder if there will ever be an 'empty nest' syndrome, where it pertains to finances....I don't want them to leave me, just financially. Oh well...parenthood.
So, hopefully tonight, we will decorate the tree and put our Christmas lights on our house and bushes. Then we'll end the night with some more BYU basketball and volleyball, which we've been enjoying now for weeks.

So, until next post - except, I have stuck my camera disk into the side of computer to download the photos and now can't get it out. ugh!! How do I get it out!!!

Is She REALLY Ready?

Although 8 months away, I am wondering if Kathryn is really ready to go away to college. This is her today, filling out her college application forms online, holding her childhood blanket!!! What's wrong with this picture??? It WILL go with her to college, she has already assured me of that! There are soo many things that she still clings to that will not be available at college - her mother...and everything I still do for her...her freedoms...her lack of doing chores.....her lack of concern for OTHERS and the fact that there IS a world outside of her little bubble...
So, do I have her go through a crash course over the next 8 months??? Or is it just too late???
I guess she'll be like every other young adult and learn the lessons of leaving home on her own...I imagine there will be a lot of phone calls the 2nd month she is away. Nothing the first month, as she won't want me to know that she's lost and needs me...but the second month? That's when it will hit...the tears, the pleading to come home and the shock of not having someone to take care of her. That's when it will be time to grow up and actually become everything she already thinks she is...an adult.
And my job? It will be to love her and comfort her through it all...giving her the strength and encouragement she needs to stretch her comfort zone and be a big girl on her own.
Kathryn has never lacked in confidence...she's just a little lazy in being the independant adult she thinks she is.
It will be interesting to watch her figure it all out.
But there's still SOME time to work on a few things...should we start with putting the blanket away? Or at least having her keep it in her room?
Maybe I'll start with something a little easier..like doing her own laundry...