CHRISTMAS TOGETHER TIME

A quiet Christmas... it was just us for the holiday. No guests, no big dinners, no big party, just together time. It was really cozy. We had dinner together Christmas Eve by candlelight. Just candles and Christmas lights with happy music playing. Tony bar-b-qued some chicken and steak in the rain/snow flurries. Brrrr... then we played games. Later in the evening we read the Christmas story from the New Testament and said a family prayer. After all, isn't it all about our Savior and His humble arrival on this earth? The greatest gift of all. Then, as tradition dictates we had to then watch "The Snowman" and then they were off to bed. With things wrapped and ready to go we got a fairly early bedtime this year. On Christmas Eve Chloe began the wake up train and gathered everyone at about 7:15 am. All gifts were opened by 7:45- that is just too fast and I hardly got any pictures because of how fast it happened. The important thing is that everyone was happy which made mom and dad feel pleased! At about 3 pm we went for our traditional "fa ra ra ra ra" Chinese dinner. Then it began raining hard, blowing wind, and lightening outside. In the evening after wearing ourselves out playing Wii and Guitar Hero we popped popcorn and watched "Scrooge". What a happy, peaceful holiday. I wished it hadn't been complete chaos and stress right up until Christmas Eve! Ahhh... now we sit back and let them be kids.

Snow Day!!!

For the first time in 10 years the kids did not have school today because of the 4-5 inches of snow that fell overnight. It even snowed in Las Vegas which is even more unusual. The kids will return to school tomorrow and then they are off for Christmas break. What an exciting day.

Thanksgiving 2008

Each Thanksgiving in St George seems to be active and this one was no exception and then our Christmas is always too strangely quiet. We had many people come in to town this year. Thanks to Angie and Micah for hosting Thanksgiving dinner! There were about 50 this year total for dinner on Thanksgiving day- yikes! There were seats and people in every corner of her house. Here are a few shots of the chaos that ensued over the holiday. We were able to pack in a crowd here to "hang out" where there was space.

Chaos-R- Us... This week brought a lot of it! We once again swapped bedrooms-3 of them. I can't even count how many times we've done this. It's a ton of work and I pretty much got zero help. It feels good to get organized though. Tony has been in MI and the meeting he went for was canceled and his flight home got canceled. I kept the t.v. off every night and it made for very productive and peaceful evenings! I recommend it.
My parents have been in China for their 50th Wedding Anniversary (which is actually next Nov) and just got back today. They had a good time which made me happy because I've been worried.
I am just gonna throw some random pictures on here for your viewing enjoyment... Always looking for joyful moments!

Halloweenyness 2008

Halloween is never complete unless your 7 year old wakes up at 6 am and is too excited to sleep. It isn't complete until there is always a last minute costume change or lost pieces to someones costume and they are in tears. There always seems to be way too much fuss about the holiday for 7th and 9th graders who feel the need to wake me up in the wee morning hours to spike their hair, apply paint to faces, and rip clothes because they must look cool. Why do I send them to school on this day?

Then there is the elementary school festivities that brought me to and from school multiple times but I seem to enjoy it and volunteer for the duties. However, when I buy my almost-too-old-to-trick-or-treat children costumes that they do not wear at the last minute, well that inspires the giant toilet costume with money going down the drain that I threaten them with for the next Halloween.

We never seem to have time for a meal on Halloween and every year seem to be going through some drive through window. We actually carved our pumpkins the night BEFORE Halloween for the first time ever which was so much less chaotic. With all the fuss, it is this halloweenyness that makes for such special memories for my children. Each year I seem to flash back to when I was a kid on Halloween and remember it all over and over again. Now I know why I do it all.

GRATITIUDE

About a week ago I heard the heartbreaking story of Emerson White. She is the daughter of a girl that went to high school with me in Michigan. Eme is a very sick little girl recovering from a huge transplant operation that brought her 3 new organs in an attempt to save her life. This operation was done in Omaha. Her mother has been by her side since the operation in June. This dear mother's husband and other two children remain at their home in Colorado. I can't imagine the strength it takes to endure such a process of waiting and hoping and separation. She keeps a blog which she updates pretty much every day. She needs everyones prayers! I will add the link below.
The reality of this sweet girl holding on to life has changed the way I look at my kids, hold my kids, and appreciate them. It makes me grateful daily to have children that can eat and not be fed by a tube. They can breath without a ventilator. They can move. With every day I am more aware of the fragility of our mortal bodies and strength of our spirits.
Isn't this why our Father in Heaven organized us into families? Who else but our family could endure such difficulties and stand side by side through good, bad, and impossible odds never giving up! To want to take the struggle away and place it on themselves instead. What a beautiful thing are families!
http://www.cotaforemersonw.com

Shilo Gets Sick

For everyone who wants to know what's going on with Shilo...
It's the strangest thing to see an animal as big as he is be helpless and about as close to death as any animal ever was. He collapsed after a run with Tony on Wednesday, October 8th around 4:30 in the afternoon. The time is only significant because it meant that it was too late to get him to a vet and because of course that was the day I was in charge of a big dinner at church and had been decorating and cooking for it all day. When it rains it pours!
After running the dog to the emergency vet with Christian in the makeshift stretcher (a big beach towel), our big healthy 105 lb dog was a mystery. The vet tried to run tests but his blood was so thick that he couldn't get it through the machine. His temperature was way to hot. He hooked him up to an iv and left him there overnight expecting that bad news phone call all night. In the mean time, I brought the girls to church and put them in a room to play. Conducted my meeting with an escaped daughter hanging on my leg begging for more beans and acted like I was in control. That was an oscar winning performance if there ever was one. What a night.
The next day they ran more tests, xrays, and tried to solve the mystery. We got possible answers such as rat poisoning, tainted dog food, toxic shock, dehydration, and finally today we are at snake bite/scorpion sting. Each day he was at the hospital we thought we'd have to go and say goodbye and everyday they saw improvements but told us not to be too hopeful. Tony never gave up hope on his puppy, it was just heartbreaking.
We brought him home on Saturday, October 11th after the vets told us there was nothing else they could do. Tony has been at his side cheering him on and force feeding him hourly. What an amazing act of love for that dog. Today he is still weak but walks around and is drinking and eating little bits on his own. The sad news is that the vets suspect organ damage. Who knows what that means for recovery. We decided just to enjoy him day to day and see what happens. If tlc and love can cure than this dog is gonna be fine.
The joke is the cost of all this. We say he has gone from a Golden Retiever to a PLATINUM retriever. Ugh...

My time to enjoy the fairy princess... while she still enjoys me.

Summer Birthdays...Why so much cake in the summer? Not that we are complaining! Tony's birthday is in June then 6 weeks or so later the birthday marathon begins. Cinda is July 22, Corynn is July 30, and then Chloe is August 10th. All about 10 days apart. These are a few pictures from the events...

More Summer Happenings

Where did the summer go? We were so busy that time flew by. Lots of travels and not much in the way of lazy summer days.... We were also blessed to have had the chance to go to Sacramento to see Alec and Cari get married. The man marrying them was Cari's grandpa and he kept calling Alec "Alex". Oops... maybe he will learn soon that is a no no. Here are just a few pictures of other adventures and birthdays that went on in all the craziness...

Summer Adventures 2008

Our cross country trip this year brought us to an old haunted frontier prison, Martins Cove, Mount Rushmore, Mall of America in Minneapolis, Ferry Boat across Lake MI, to our family time in Lake Ann, to St Louis Arch, Branson Missouri, through Fantastic cave, and to the Meteor Crater in Arizona. It was exhausting but memories!!! Treasures.

MEMORIAL DAY 2008

We finally went with our kids to a Memorial Day Program! Tony's dad Boyd recited a poem called "Flanders Field". We shared this experience with Sarah, Dorothy, Dayna, and Jill. I always cry like a baby at patriotic things. I am so proud of our brave soldiers and servicemen that daily stand in harms way for a cause they believe in even when so many are against it back at home. It breaks my heart to hear from the old timers in uniform who have been through so much. They leave behind stories and an incredible legacy.