CHRISTMAS 2009

I look back at this month and I am amazed at what a person can accomplish while being sick. Between you and me, that is probably why it has taken so long to recover.  If nothing else the stress can kill you.  You think you are not under any stress but it creeps up on you in the night and when you are lying there lamenting over family dynamites that you can do nothing about and you find yourself writing on your blog at three in the morning. And for all the stress and worry you find that prayers can be answered and in the end HIS birth and atonement is all that matters.  We ARE family and nothing can ever change that.

Christmas Eve was wonderful. Every minute of it. The family gathering, scrumptious food, laughter, and yes the presents were enjoyed, especially the gifts from the heart, of course they all were.  The late night reunion with long lost family was pure and sweet. 

Ryan spent hours making the most incredible marble game. The kids, as well as the adults loved it. I thought he just brought it to play with but when he was leaving I tried to send it home with him when he informed me that it wasn’t much, but it was for Grandma and Grandpa’s house….ooooh!

 

The hours of service I was able to render to my darling daughter and the rest of my family were well spent. Christmas morning blessed us with treasured moments of glee and excitement as Joshua, Lukas, Noah (especially Noah and his sweet tears of joy) and Amanda experienced the excitment of Santa. Thank you Kami and Joe for allowing us to share these precious times with your family through the years.

Karl generously gifted me with a Nikon 5000 camera.  As you can see by the pictures that were taken I have a lot to learn.  The ones at Kami’s are blurry while the ones Sami took look great. It’s good it comes with eighteen classes from Inkley’s.

  

Kort was truly my hero  this Christmas season.  He seemed to be everywhere, either fixing my car (more to come about that happening), spending late hours at Kami and Joe’s helping with the remodel or finding the snow blade for his dad’s 4-wheeler and making sure it was installed and ready to surprise his Pop. And not to mention the great prime-rib and amazing dinner he and Shelly prepared Christmas night.

Kay where are you?  With all the pictures that were taken I couldn’t find one of your cute face. Were you hiding?

The sweet matriarchic of our family was feeling well enough to be with us this year. At the age of 90 we are not sure just how many Christmas Eve’s we will be able to share with her but for the moment this one was special.  She has spent hour after hour in her younger years hand embroidering the most beautiful cloth dolls.  I have always treasured them knowing the art of hand work myself and appreciating the time it takes.  Luella brought me to tears this year as she presented me with the bride and groom that have adorned her curio cabinet for more than two decades. “THANK YOU” from the bottom of my heart. I will treasure them for the rest of my life. 

 MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT! 

2009 GRANDKIDS CHRISTMAS PARTY

Well, if you have been keeping track of my writings you will know by now that this year instead of spending hundreds of dollars and totally blowing the kids away with some magical event we went to St. Ann’s in Ogden, a homeless shelter. Cleaning, preparing and serving lunch for the homeless as well as donating quilts. Kay had spent time the week after getting home from her vacation making additional quilts so all together we had two single quilts, one baby and twelve tied fleece blankets. A “BIG” shout out for Kay and her special talent and generosity.  Also, to the Achievement Day girls of the Poplar Ward for their donations. Amanda and Kay’s granddaughter also helped in tying some fleece blankets.

The kids met at our house at 8:30 A.M. Heather was first to arrive.  She is almost so prompt and seemed excited even though I think she knew before hand what we were doing. She is such a sweet girl. Joshua, Lukas, Noah and Amanda then followed by Ryan and Samantha. Jenny came this year, which was a real treat. She brought Makay and Tayson, Michelle had to work and Jenny was babysitting.

I was so very proud of the magnificent job those kids did. The little ones, Noah, Tayson and Amanda helped me sort the hundreds of loves of bread, some were moldy and some were just hard as bricks.

Ryan wasn’t feeling well but ended up in the walk in refrigerator along with Josh, Lukas, Noah and Tayson and Makay. They managed to transform a 12x12 room that you couldn’t move in to a perfectly organized work of art.  As they were cleaning they found pan after pan of food that was on the verge of being somewhat gross that was disposed.  Heather, Sami and I washed and dried about twenty large pans only to find out later that they had a huge dish washer in the other room. I didn’t mind, some of my most cherished moments have been behind the sink talking to the person drying the dishes, such was the case with Heather. Karl spent his time over the hot stove cooking hamburgers.

As we served the homeless I was impressed at how humble most of them were and so appreciative. Amanda stood on a stool next to me and would say, “Vegetables sir?”  It was so precious.  As we served approximately one hundred Heather, Sami and Makay kept the dish washers going so that when we were done there wasn’t a lot to do. The kids had also cleaned up the dinning room organizing the donated coats and washing all the table tops and chairs.  In the end Joshua and Ryan mopped the floor.  There is no doubt in my mind that we left St. Ann’s much cleaner than when we arrived.

While serving Lukas leaned near me and whispered; “ This has been great grandma, can we come back tomorrow?”

About 2 P.M. we headed for our home. I had set the tables ahead of time with fine linins and china. The dinner consisted of spare ribs, yummy potatoes and corn with Aunt Lynda’s rolls, cookies and cupcakes for desert. I was really disappoint to find the dinner overcooked but I hope I got an “E” for effort.  I read them a tear jerking story and we all watched “Night At The Museum.” When I mentioned that we ought to make it a yearly thing and replace the regular party the little ones didn’t act too excited. As far as the rest……..there have been no comments.

My hope and prayer is, if nothing else, they all appreciate how very much they are loved and blessed.

ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL THANKSGIVING

Lindsay and Kay hosted the dinner this year. It is a perfect place to have such a large family gathering. I think there were about thirty there.

Most of the guys and some of the girls spent time skeet shooting in the back, they love it. After the wonderful meal some of us gals put a quilt on to tie.  They were the quilts that we would later donate at St. Ann’s the day of the Christmas Grandkid Party.

Lindsay and Kay’s place is warm and inviting. There is enough room that it really didn’t feel as though there were that many people. Unfortunately I didn’t take any pictures.

Here is a funny tidbit…….a few days later Karl noticed that he was missing one of his pistols. He couldn’t call Lindsay and Kay because by now they were lying on the beach in Jamaica so he called Ryan to see if he knew where it was. Ryan went over to Lindsay’s and look everywhere,  even in Lindsay’s gun safe thinking he might of found it and put it away. NOTHING! Then as he was checking out the area around the dog kennel he noticed some scraps of leather in the dirt. The further he checked the more he found and realized it was grandpa’s holster now in a hundred pieces.  As he further pursued his quest to find the gun he noticed a pile of dirt by the kennel.  Kicking at the mound his foot hit something hard and further inquiry turned up the soil and the gun. Yikes, the thing was loaded and now packed with enough dirt to plant a geranium.  Ryan, bless his heart, took the gun in to his dad’s work bench where Lindsay reloads and totally cleaned the pistol from stem to stern.  What a relief to know that the dogs didn’t shoot anyone.

CATCH UP

The past few months have been a blur and unfortunately I have been ill the past four weeks. Monday I finally went to my awesome Dr. Mansfield. He explained to me that this virus is a tough one and he would need to bring in the “Big Guns." After picking up the prescription at  Costco I knew what he meant. Without insurance the cost would have been $340, with insurance I only had to pay $40. I must be on it for a month. After that he has given me a order to have a cat-scan. Being ill sure takes the wind out of you.

This year for Halloween Karl, Amanda and I went as Lucille Ball and Desi Arnis. Karl was such a good sport about the whole thing…..but then what choice did he have after I spent a week sewing ruffles on one of his white shirts. We went to Amanda’s school and had lunch with her then that night to the ward’s Trunk or Treat.  We won “Best Adult” costumes.

BUSTED!

Well, I really blew this one without even trying.  While writing my last post something queer was happening with this program and I was unable to post what I had written, ANYWAY THAT IS WHAT I THOUGHT,  much less proof read it.  I had planned to save the post until “after” the grand kids Christmas party.  Tonight is the first time I have had a chance to look at my blog and there it was big as life.  My entire agenda for this Saturday and the party.  If that wasn’t bad enough I saw that I finally had someone read my postings.  And just guess who, none other than Miss Heather.  Knowing this sweet angel like I do I know that she won’t say a word and will play along to keep her grandma from utter disappointment and despair. 

Have you ever “Power Shopped?” Sometime come with me and see what a charge it is.  You go as fast as you can in as little time as possible. You must keep an eagle eye out for the coppers though.  Today I went to Costco, Quilted Bear, Bed Bath & Beyond, Michael’s, Sacco’s and Megaplex 13 in 93 minutes. That includes leaving  my home and ending up at my Optometrist on North Street. Whew……what a rush.  After the eye appointment  (contacts fit great) I went to the Heritage Fabric Store, Dollar Store and Wal-Mart. You would think by now I would be done but still have two more gifts to buy.  The trouble with early shopping is “Over Shopping.”  Guilty as charged……….