Issue 134

18 Years!

Steve and I snuck away early on Friday to celebrate our 18th Wedding Anniversary. 18 years! It's hard to believe the time has passed so quickly. We went window shopping downtown, to the movies and out for some German food for dinner. Steve got us a hotel reservation downtown, and I packed a snack basket of our favorite foods. After about the 10th call from home with some urgent question or concern (ie. I can't find the hair clips for my costume, Ellie won't brush her teeth, or I'm starving, can I get a snack (at 10:30.)) I realized we hadn't gotten far enough from home! Oh, well, it was fun to celebrate so many wonderful years together, even with interruptions.

Dancing Queen

Janey's clogging team performed to the fun song "The Devil went down to Georgia" at the holiday concert. It's one of the numbers that they will take to competition this spring. Grandparents came to see her, which made it extra special. Her Dad especially loves to see her dancing, and she can sometimes talk him into doing her kitchen chores while she clogs for him to his itunes.

A Christmas Wish

Wishing you a Very Merry Christmas, from our Home to Yours!

Janey and Ellie watching Dad's German Nativity Pyramid spin.

Issue 133

It's Begining to Look A Lot Like Christmas!

Christmas parties, Christmas concerts, Christmas dance recitals, Christmas movies, Christmas Devotionals, and making Christmas gifts were all highlights this week. I took the girls to see the Nutcracker, Steve L. did a great comedy routine at the Ward Christmas party and Dad and Whitney enjoyed singing the the Stake Choir for the devotional. What a fun time of year!

Issue 132

NaNoWriMo Queen

Whitney participated in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) again this year. The goal is to write a 50,000 word novel in the month of November. Here she is typing word number 50,000 on the last day. Way to go Whitney! Can't wait to see you published!

Chicken-cicles

Here's a picture of Whitney digging out our chickens after 14 inches of snow. We've had the greatest snow weather this year! Several storms and several inches of fun stuff!

Aunt Bree to the Rescue!

Whitney had a semi-formal dance at school and I had Steve's fancy work party on Friday. I picked her up from school and we went shopping in vain for cute outfits. We stopped by Aunt Bree's and when she found out our dilemma, she dressed us both and did Whitney's hair and makeup that night. We should have stopped there first!Nothing like a makeover to make you feel great! Thanks Bree!

Festival of Trees

We took the kids to see The Festival of Trees this year. Hundreds of trees, wreaths, gingerbread houses and crafts are donated and sold to benefit Primary Children's Hospital every year. The kids favorite tree was titled "A House Divided," decorated half BYU and half Utah!

Issue 131 Thanksgiving Feast

Thanksgiving dinner this year was right out of a Norman Rockwell painting. Gormet and Gorgeous! In the morning Steve took the kids sledding and cross country skiing while Ellie (who had to stay indoors with bad asthma) and I made carmel apple pies and painted her nails. Then it was off to Grandmas for our amazing feast. That evening we took everyone to see Disney's "Tangled." So funny! A truly delightful day!

A "working" vacation

We spent an enjoyable Friday at Steve's sister Emily's, visiting, eating, playing games and just generally enjoying ourselves. Steve's sister Laura delivered baby number 6 that night. The next morning most of the adults and teenagers headed to Laura's to finish some home improvement projects they were in the middle of, to make a nice place to bring baby home. They spent the whole day painting their main floor (and each other.) The rest of us watched the 15 younger kids at my house while mother and baby tried to get some rest at the hospital. Throw-in an exciting BYU vs. Utah football game on the radio and you have yourself a memorable weekend.

"What I'm Most Thankful For"

Daniel - "Having the gospel in my life"

Ellie - "That I got a little fish"

Steve L. - "That we live in a free country with free speech were we can say what we want to say. And lots of bacon!"

Whitney - "That we live in America and it's so awesome!"

Janey - "Having the teachings of the gospel and the Book of Mormon"

Dad - "The Gospel of Jesus Christ, my family, health, books, birds, the outdoors and a good job."

Mom - "A warm home, amazing children who teach me so much and a hubby who loves me!"

Issue 130

Tonight, Blogger seems to hate me. I have been trying for an hour to load pictures and write posts on the kid's fishing trip with their dad last week, Janey's liberty girls variety show where she acting the part of the famous WWII pilot Jackie Cochran, and the 14 inches of snow we woke up to this morning. Maybe blogger will like me better in the morning. Maybe I'll like it better in the morning! We are usually good friends, but tonight I surrender and I'm going to bed!