Merry Christmas

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday. I truly enjoyed the relaxing atmosphere at Mom and Dad's and wish that I could have ignored the snow falling outside - which really was quite pretty, except that I knew I had to drive through Sardine Canyon and said snow would put a crimp into that plan. Mom's beautiful Christmas tree.
Russ brought his family over to enjoy some of Mom's soups. AJ and Zach were busy playing their new games on whatever systems they have.

Maya enjoyed her markers.

After everyone had enjoyed their dinner, Mom, Dad, and I went to Russ's house to see what Santa had brought them.

Our budding artist.

Zach enjoyed showing his pool table.

AJ's dog and puppy - no, they are not real, but they sure do look it.

For whatever reason, Maya sat on my lap for quite awhile. It's not really like her, at least with me, but it sure is nice when it happens.

Showing off her big candy cane.

And the big gift for the family was their Wii. I've never been big on video game systems, but I think I could really get into this one, especially with the Wii fit and you can get Rock Band for it now.

And then Mom and I drove home in this (Russ and Dad went to see Valkyrie - which I think I'm going to have to see if for no other reason than it was filmed in Berlin):

The next day, I decided since semis had to have chains on their tires I wasn't brave enough to drive through the Canyon. Fortunately, Build A Bear covered my shifts. We took advantage and went to a movie ourselves. We saw Marley and Me. It really was cute, but I hated the fact that I cried in the theater. Don't get me wrong, I can and do frequently, cry at the drop of a hat, but until this year I had never cried in the theater. And, now I have twice. First with Happy Valley and now this movie. But I would still recommend it.

For the Twilight Fan in all of us!

The Twilight before Christmas (thanks Trish).

http://www.take180.com/s/ep5l7?utm_source=fb&utm_medium=cpm&utm_campaign=jb_wix

(And yes, eventually I will get around to updating my blog with actual pictures and things I've been up to, but these are quick and easy to do right now during the downtime of the holidays.)

Must have been bored (found from Beth's blog)

1. Started your own blog 2. Slept under the stars 3. Played in a band 4. Visited Hawaii 5. Watched a meteor shower 6. Given more than you can afford to charity 7. Been to Disneyland 8. Climbed a mountain 9. Held a praying mantis 10. Sang a solo 11. Bungee jumped 12. Visited Paris 13. Watched a lightning storm at sea 14.Taught yourself an art from scratch 15. Adopted a child 16. Had food poisoning 17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty 18. Grown your own vegetables 19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France 20. Slept on an overnight train 21. Had a pillow fight 22. Hitch hiked 23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill 24. Built a snow fort 25. Held a lamb 26. Gone skinny dipping 27. Run a 1/2 Marathon 28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice 29. Seen a total eclipse 30. Watched a sunrise or sunset 31. Hit a home run. 32. Been on a cruise 33. Seen Niagara Falls in person 34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors 35. Seen an Amish community 36. Taught yourself a new language 37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied 38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person 39. Gone rock climbing 40. Seen Michelangelo’s David 41. Sung karaoke 42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt 43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant 44. Visited Africa 45. Walked on a beach by moonlight 46. Been transported in an ambulance 47. Had your portrait painted 48. Gone deep sea fishing 49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person 50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris 51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling 52. Kissed in the rain 53. Played in the mud 54. Gone to a drive-in theater 55. Been in a movie 56. Visited the Great Wall of China 57. Started a business 58. Taken a martial arts class 59. Visited Russia 60. Served at a soup kitchen 61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies 62. Gone whale watching 63. Got flowers for no reason 64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma 65. Gone sky diving 66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp 67. Bounced a check 68. Flown in a helicopter 69. Saved a favorite childhood toy 70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial 71. Eaten Caviar 72. Pieced a quilt 73. Stood in Times Square 74. Toured the Everglades 75. Been fired from a job 76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London 77. Broken a bone. 78.Been on a speeding motorcycle 79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person 80. Published a book 81. Visited the Vatican 82. Bought a brand new car 83. Walked in Jerusalem 84. Had your picture in the newspaper 85. Read the entire Bible 86. Visited the White House 87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating 88. Had chickenpox 89. Saved someone’s life 90. Sat on a jury 91. Met someone famous 92. Joined a book club 93. Lost a loved one 94. Had a baby 95. Seen the Alamo in person 96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake 97. Been involved in a law suit 98. Owned a cell phone 99. Been stung by a bee 100.Made amends with someone who offended you 101. Flew in a small Cessna plane with just you and the pilot 102. Ran out of gas 103. Eaten fried okra 104. Swam in the Caribbean Sea 105. Peed in a swimming pool 106. Stayed in a beach house 107. Hosted an exchange student 108. Been a Secret Santa to a family in need 109. Worked on a political campaign 110. Coached a sports team 111. Baked bread from scratch 112. Driven from coast to coast 113. Paid off all of your debt 114. Roast marshmallows over a campfire 115. Cut up a credit card 116. Drove a car through a flood 117. Been on t.v 118. Had braces 119. Been to the top of the twin towers in NY. 120. Have played in both the Atlantic & Pacific Oceans 121. Been to ground zero 122. Bite my fingernails 123. Likes to scrapbook 124. Hates pie 125. Visited Mexico 126. Seen a Tornado in person127.visited all 50 states. 128. Been to court more than 100 times.

Copy and paste then add one of your own. (If you haven't figured it out, the ones in bold are the ones I've done.)

Christmas Letter

I sent this out to people whose contact info I had - some came back whether it was e-mail or mail - so I figured I'd put it on here as well. If you did get it, then I guess just skip this post. Anyway, if you'd like to be added to the e-mail/mail list for next year, just send me a message. (I'm a little anal so I left my contact information off when I did this cut and paste.)

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

It’s been a few years since I’ve done a letter and this year for whatever reason, I am feeling particularly nostalgic and decided to do the letter thing. I realize that some of the addresses I have are old and there have been name changes, so I hope things get to the right people.

It’s been a good year. I’ve been able to do a little traveling, go to a few plays, and just been moving along. The highlight of my year was definitely my trip out to Virginia. I got to spend three weeks with Jen and Will and do a lot of sightseeing. I also decided to a little bit of an adventure and take the train out. The only downside to this to me was that any little thing makes the train late. While out there we saw the DC sights, went to the temple, Monticello, Mount Vernon, Montpelier, Virginia War Memorial, Maymont, and the list goes a little bit longer. Plus, I did some home improvement with Jen as we tried to finish up some of her wood-flooring project.

I added a little culture to my life by going to several plays this year at various venues. I got to see Saturday’s Warrior/The White Star, The Drowsy Chaperone, Footloose, Big, High School Musical, and Plaid Tidings. It’s been fun.

Work has been the usual roller coaster. I am into my sixth year at Division of Child and Family Services. I am pretty sure that there is some kind of mental health diagnosis for that, but that’s where life is at this point. For further sanity savers (and the sad reality that if I have too much spare time, I watch way too much television), I am also in year two at Build A Bear. Yes, my stuffed animal collection has increased since this job.

I started this year working in the Primary Presidency in my ward. It was such a fun calling. I got to work with some amazing ladies in the presidency as well as some fabulous people in the various callings needed in the Primary. And, of course, the kids made it so much more interesting and fun. I am ending the year as the Ward Choir Director. It’s dangerous to send me into a music store, but it’s a new challenge for me. Some days I feel more up to it than others.

Of course, the other big highlights this year would be any time I can spend with my family. I love them and so appreciate all the support from them. And let’s be honest, the highlight of the family gatherings now are figuring out whatever entertainment is brought out by the nieces and nephews (AJ, Zach, Maya, Logan, Brooklyn, and Briley).

I hope all have a happy holiday season and best wishes for the New Year. I look forward to continued contact and renewal of friendships. I’ve included my contact information for that (as well as admitting that I am now addicted to Facebook and can be found there).

Final Christmas Party

The final Christmas party of the season for me was our team party/retreat. It is fun to get away from the office and just visit. Although I must say there was a lot of discussion around a mystery that we don't know the answer to and probably won't ever. Anyway, we went to the Desert Edge Pub & Brewery at Trolley Square. We've had a few things here and it was quite nice again. Not everyone could be there, but we celebrated with who we did have. Maybe we'll have better luck next year. (We did have one complainer who kept saying Rodizio Grill would have been better, but when you're on a team of mostly women, high quantities of meat are not high on the priority list. Plus, we are social workers so the budget is limited. He'll get over it.)

Christmas program

It is with much relief I report the Christmas program is done! It went so well. I eventually just accepted the people who come will come and decided to not continue stressing about it. Plus, there is the realization we change meeting times next year and more people may came since choir will be held right after church instead of before. However, I must admit, the choir seats did not look empty which was really nice. We sang three songs as a choir - The Nativity Song, Joy to the World (with the congregation), and O Come, O Come Emmanuel. Joy to the World was kind of fun to conduct since I got to be in charge of conducting when the congregation joined in as well so it was a lot of turning around. (It was especially fun when we were doing our final run through and I turned around to the empty chapel, except for three little ones - ages 4, 2, and 20 months (I think). The four year old kept looking around to see who I was leading. But he had such a big smile on his face I had to try hard not to laugh. The song I was most excited about got a little bit interesting on my drive home from our family Christmas party that morning. We had a group of girls from the Primary and a few adults sing a gorgeous arrangement of Oh, Hush Thee, My Baby. It had a flute part which had been assigned out to a flutist and a violinist. Turns out the flutist wasn't there that week. The violinist called that morning to say she didn't feel comfortable playing it because she hadn't been able to practice. That was completely understandable. So, at last minute, I stepped in to play the flute. I haven't really played it since I had my jaw surgery four years ago, so that was an experience. Luckily, it seemed to go well. Mom and Dad came down and picked up Grandma and Grandpa Clark. It was really nice to share this with them.

And now we get to get ready to sing at ward conference on 11 January.

Ottley Family Christmas Party

Last year we decided to start a new family tradition. Instead of people having to try to figure out which side of the family they are supposed to be spending Christmas/Christmas Eve with, we had a family party the Saturday before Christmas. It worked so well, we decided to do it again. We had a brunch with lots of food and wonderful company. I truly am so lucky to not worry about not getting along with family when we get together. So, enjoy the pictures and welcome to some of our traditions (and, yes, I did actually leave some pictures out. I may not like being in the pictures, but I really do enjoy taking them.).AJ and Brooklyn. This holiday we actually got to see Brooklyn's eyes. She's pretty cute, and AJ was really good with her.

One of my favorite moments. Toddler on one side; baby on the other. Briley was doing some practice for her role as big sister. She has "binky patrol" under control.

Logan was much more interested in the sweet treat. He can watch his sister at home.

I'm not sure what AJ found so funny, even though I was sitting right next to her. I had to watch Briley and make sure she wasn't too zealous with the binky!

Let the eating begin!

Not everyone looks really into the food, but trust me, it was really good and there was plenty of it!

Russ takes a turn with Brooklyn, which bring some other admirers - AJ, Maya, and Briley.

It's not everyday you're given permission to tear up paper - so take advantage when it happens.

Almost ready. At one point, Logan was participating, but then he decided to take more of a supervisor role.

I just had to include this one because of Logan's face - who knows what was going through his little mind.

There's one use for the training potty. We never now what she's going to do next!

The reason fro the torn newspaper - the oven mitt/dice game. It really is quite fun - and playing with someone on your la just adds to the level of difficulty. I loved it!

The hand off between Zach and Aimee.

Logan took over rolling for me - and then claimed any prizes. That worked out well, since I don't think Brandon (his daddy) ever got doubles for a chance in the paper.

Making sure there weren't any more prizes in the basket/paper. Yes, I stuck Logan in the middle of it. He seemed to enjoy it for a little bit.

Opening gifts.

Zach shows off his new ornament. It's fitting. He was Darth Vader for Halloween this year - or so I'm told.

AJ models her new dress.

Maya informed us she got "just what she wanted." That's always good.

Hollie cuddles with Briley who cuddles with her new baby. She kept calling her "Sweetheart." I don't know who was more excited about the Cabbage Patch Kid - Hollie or Briley.

Logan's big gift. Yes, he is in shorts. His dad pointed out he couldn't really get after him and tell him no when Logan chose his clothes that morning. It would have been too hypocritical of him.

Logan guards his scooter. Briley loves to move this little stool around (that would be the same stool we believe Logan jumped off at Thanksgiving time which resulted in the emergency room trip. Maya is in outfit number one in the background.

A close up of the full outfit.

Zach's finished graham cracker creation.

Aimee/Logan's finished product.

Russ, Shauntell, and Maya all worked on this one.

Hollie and Briley's finished product.

AJ did her's all on her own.

Enjoying Brandon's new toy - a remote control helicopter. . .

which he didn't actually have too much control over as he hit Logan in the mouth with it. Fortunately, it was more of a shock than anything else.

Zach with his Transformers (yes, all the toys that were popular when I was a kid are now being played with by my nieces and nephews).

Briley modeling my boots. It does seem like I'm always having to reclaim something from her!

I'll take a picture when there is this much cuteness involved!

Giving baby Brooklyn kisses.

Trying to hold Brooklyn on her own - with some help from Grandma. And, making sure she has her binky!

And then there were two two-year olds trying to make sure Brooklyn had her binky, whether she needed it or not! She really was a good sport about that.

Voice Male

It had been a couple of years since I went to this Voice Male's Christmas concert. I wish I hadn't taken the break. They really are very talented. That and we were laughing so hard our sides hurt. Marcia and I have been to more of their concerts than we can count, but it never gets old. All we had to say as we watched at The Barn at Thanksgiving Point is that we think they may have gotten weirder with age, but it's not necessarily a bad thing. This year they were also doing stuff from their new "Kid Stuff" album. They were very fun. (Yes, I've added it to my collection.) Of course, there was Christmas music. I was a little disappointed they didn't do "O Holy Night." First of all because it's one of my very favorite Christmas songs and second because they do such a wonderful arrangement of it. They've been doing it for years, but it never gets old.