Thanks Santa!

Santa is the BEST!

Look what he brought the boys this year...

He did have a few other things in his pack...

THANKS SANTA!

Merry Christmas!

The Office Christmas Party

OK, so it is not as good as the TV show "The Office", but some years it's been close. We left a little early, so we missed the "Bunny-hop" line and the dancing with the full-sized cut-out of the guy in the office who is currently working in Africa. Other than that, let's just say I would not leave my camera sitting around unattended.

The party was held at the club house of the Old Mill Golf Course in Holladay. We had great food and great views of the city. Three Cheers to the planning committee!

Yes, Amanda, there is a Santa Clause...

Amanda: Mom, just tell me, is there really a Santa Clause?
Mom: All I'm saying is if you don't believe, you don't get any presents.
Amand: I can tell you don't really believe in Santa, because he never brings you anything.

Yes, Amanda, there really is a Santa Cluase.

*These pics are from our ward Christmas Breakfast taken by my friend, Elaine. Please excuse Amanda's bad hair day...she is really into the side-swept bangs look, but I swept them to the wrong side and they are protesting.

Lookin' Sharp

JR plays the piano and percussion in 3 different bands at school. It takes a lot of practice time and means he goes to school an hour early almost every day! And believe it or not, this was all his idea. It is really fun when a child takes the jump from "Do I have to?" to really loving the piano. JR has learned to love the piano and he loves playing in the band. He is learning lots of new things and getting really good at some of them. Last night in one of his concerts he got to play in the very front on an african drum called the djembe (learning to play that has been interesting...he comes home with hands that are red, calloused and sore.) Also he gets to wear this really cool tuxedo...doesn't he look sharp?

EEEEEEEEEEEEK!

Nothing gives me the heebie-geebies more than discovering evidence that little critters have been in my kitchen (ie. mouse poop in my cabinet drawer.) We pulled out the drawers and quickly discovered the point of entry...

...a hole cut for the gas line to the cook-top.

So we spent our Sunday evening blocking their little passage way with sheet metal and steel wool and removing and disinfecting cabinet drawers and their contents. Not really keeping the Sabbath kind of activities, but clearly this was an ox in the mire.

As this is actually round two with the mice, I guess it is officially "game on." I can't wait to see where they turn up next!

Mid America Pipe Plant Tour

On Wednesday afternoon I flew to Kansas City, Missouri to tour a steel pipe plant in a small town called Scammon, Kansas. We drove about 2 hours to a town called Pittsburg, KS to spend the night. Then drove another 30 minutes the next day to the plant in Scammon. It was an interesting tour. The plant owner and workers went out of their way to show us all that they do. In the picture above I am standing in front of a 144-inch diameter pipe that is going to a water treatment plant in upstate New York. The struts inside the pipe are temporary to provide support while transporting and moving the pipe. These pipes are about 40-feet long and have a "spigot" at one end and a "bell" at the other end. They connect every joint of pipe they make in the plant to make sure everything fits properly before sending it to the job site. They showed us how they do this with two sections of this 144-inch diameter pipe. It was a fun little trip, but I'm glad to be back home with my family.

Feelin' Jazzy...

All of our family left town for Thanksgiving and we decided to stay here, so it was a low-key, kind of quiet holiday for us. But we did have tickets from my dad for the Jazz game on Wednesday. The boys went with Mike and me and the girls got to stay home and have a "real babysitter" so it was a treat for them too. The Jazz beat the Timberwolves and it was a total blow-out. I was kind of glad. I have had my fill of intense, stress producing sporting events for the year.

I always say I am not going to shop on "Black Friday," but somehow it always happens. Mike went into work on Friday morning, but came home early and we took the kids to get outfitted with snowboards. It was not nearly as crowded or miserable as I expected. And I hate doing the snowboard rental thing, so I am glad not to have to deal with that this year.

On Saturday morning I took the Beehives from our ward to the food and care coalition to serve lunch, which was of course both a difficult and wonderful experience. Some of those faces still show up in my mind at unexpected times.

I guess we had kind of a busy holiday weekend after all! But we also had lots of sleeping in, laying around, movies from Blockbuster... and way too much eating. It has sure been hard this week to get back into the routine of real life!

...And We are Thankful for Renae (Mom)!!!

She did prepare an incredible meal for our Thanksgiving Feast. We had Jell-O (plain), "authentic" homemade rolls, yams, cornbread stuffing, mashed potatoes, turkey, corn, and deviled eggs. As always, everything was great! But we are most thankful for Renae because of ALL the "little" things she does for each of us.

I am Thankful!

Just a few of my greatest blessings...

...my big boys...

...my little girls...

...and my sweetheart.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Birthday Mike!

A few things you may or may not know about Mike:

• He loves all things '80's. And not in a cool, retro kind of way, more like a thinks-they-never-ended kind of way.
• Coversations with him often include words like "Bio-solids" and "sludge."
• He loves, loves, loves sphaghetti and meatballs.
• He's a bit of a pack-rat. He keeps everything. He did just recently throw out the glass goblet from Junior prom, but Junior High band pins, gords and ceramics from preschool, boy scout projects, greeting cards, model trains he had a child...cool pictures of him in hats...we still have them all.
• He loves free stuff (see above.)
• He still has, and listens to, a record player and a large assortment of vinyl records (again with the '80's.)
• He's a Super Scouter!
• He can fix or build (and sometimes break) just about anything.
• He's allergic to grass (good thing we have a live-in lawn service.)
• He gives blood whenever he can.
• He loves to read, especially biographies, non-fiction and historical stuff.
• He has read the unabridged version of Les Miserables which includes a lengthy section devoted to the complicated Parisian sewer system (you know, bio-solids, sludge....)
• People always think he is quiet...unless they have watched BYU football with him.
• He likes to spend time with his children...takes them to movies, football games, baseball games, miniature golfing, out to dinner, toy shopping, museums....
• He is kind and thoughtful and often makes me smile...especially when I am trying to be grumpy!
• He takes me on a date every week.
• He is a great husband and I am very happy that he is mine!

Happy Birthday Sweetie! I love you!

and so it begins...

Four inches and counting. I don't think I'm ready for this.

Happy Halloween!

Halloween has been busy at our house. After a day full of craziness and running around, I am exhausted and really too tired to be posting... I'd like to go to bed, but my basement is full of 13 and 14 year old boys hyped up on way too much sugar, unaware that 10:30 really is LATE!!

We didn't have too many trick-or-treaters this year...maybe it was the rain...maybe it is just falling out of fashion...but we did have lots of visitors! Grammie and Grampie came for dinner and Grampie went trick-or-treating with Dad and the girls. And of course we had...

...the JOKER...

and one of his Henchmen....

We had YODA.

And Princess Minnie.

We took this picture before school. By the time Trick-or-Treat rolled around, Brittney traded the Minnie Mouse ears for a witch hat (which Dad carried,) and the princess shoes for Cowboy boots. Don't you just love Halloween!

CrAzY fAcEs!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

The Quest Might Be Over But...

...It's always fun to sit with Grandma in the Loge!!

Mike was making a statement by not wearing his Quest shirt...But I am a true blue believer!

JR and Brandon sat in my Dad's seats outside and had a GrEaT tImE being all grown-up and responsible by themselves....and I'll admit, I did spy on them a bit with my dad's binoculars when I just couldn't take watching the game anymore. Although I appreciate the boys in blue coming through with a W, it was not really my kind of game. After the opening touchdown drive, I had my heart set on a

shut-out,

NOT a sHoOt-OuT!!

Thanks Grandma for the great seats, great food (I could eat caramel apples all day long!) great game (Grandma never lost faith!)

...and great company!

Father and Sons

I mentioned in an earlier post about spending time camping with my boys this summer. I just received these photos from another father and thought it would be a good idea to post them now. Brandon and I went on the 11-year old scout campout at Mutual Dell in American Fork Canyon. On Saturday, we went on a five mile hike that looped out and back from Tibble Fork Reservoir.

In August, I went with JR and the Scout Troop on their week long backpacking trip in the Uintahs. Unfortunately, work only allowed me to stay for 3 days. We had a good time, mostly fishing. JR caught several fish - I caught one.


Backpack $90, Tent $30, hiking boots $70, fishing pole $20. Spending time with my sons and daughters - priceless.

San Diego Anniversary/Birthday Trip

Last weekend Renae and I went on a mini vacation to San Diego to take a break. It was my gift to Renae for our 15th Wedding Anniversary and Renae's ?? Birthday. We couldn't go for our anniversary because we were in Florida for the Chambers Family Reunion and Renae was in the final stretch of training for the marathon during her birthday. Sooo I thought it would be a good break and rest for Renae after she ran the marathon.

We didn't take our camera, but we did email ourselves this great picture from Disneyland. I was reluctant to put the picture on the blog because of the embarassing scores - it must have been faulty lasers! We had fun going on the rides the kids have not wanted to do in the past.

We spent the first afternoon on the beach in Coronado. Ate lunch at El Indio. Que Bueno! Ate dinner at the Cheesecake Factory. Went to Disneyland on Friday. Spent Saturday at La Jolla Cove, ate lunch at El Indio (yes again - best taquitos anywhere), had ice cream at Seaport Village, and took a walk at Mission Beach. Saturday night we had dinner (Is it me or does it sound like our lives revolve around food?) with Kelly and Staci Kygar and then went to the movies (Don't ask what movie - it was bad - as in we were laughing at the bad acting and bad writing, but nobody else was laughing).

It was a very relaxing trip. We miss the warm weather, ocean air, and good mexican food. It makes us wonder why we moved back to Utah. Oh yea, that's were I had a job.

couldn't forget to mention...

...the best part of our trip...

We left the kids at home! My AWESOME sister and brother-in-law came up from St. George to stay with our kids while we were away. The kids had such a great time, they felt like they were on VaCaTiOn too! Thanks Julianne and Joe (and Joey) you're the best!!

What's a mother to do...

...when her beautiful 8 year old daughter says

she wants to be YODA for

Halloween...

why she knits her a YODA beanie, of course!

---

I'm also making one for my brother-in-law Matt to wear to work on the big day -- you know how crazy those computer guys over at Novell can be! As for the other kids, Brittney has decided to be a princess, which makes me very happy because she already has a princess dress. JR wants to be the Joker from "The Dark Knight," (we're still working on that one,) and Brandon is not committing to anything yet--which is kind of his style. Last year he would never say what he was going to be and then he came upstairs...

...dressed as a CAT BURGLAR!

You gotta love

Halloween!

A few of my favorite moments from Marathon Weekend...

*Partying at Julianne and Joe's house. (If you wouldn't make it so nice to stay at your house, maybe we wouldn't impose on you so much...actually we probably would. But thanks for making it fun!)

Happy Birthday to Grandpa and to Joey!

And BYU Football

Quest shirts, NOT OPTIONAL (Just ask Joey)

also worth mentioning: yummy food, great company, mom taking care of the salad (and the marathoners,) BYU ice cream, BYU winning (even if it was ugly,) teaching the boys to play "speed" (with Rook cards--apparently NOT a quiet game,) and spending time with people I love.

*Discovering unrecognized blessings. When I walked out the door at 4:30 AM on marathon morning into the wind and the rain, I don't know if I could have kept going except for another little run in the rain which certainly did not feel like a blessing at the time.

*Our support crew! Thanks to my family for their patience and support... and warm blankets. We missed Sharon on the road, but loved having her see us off in the morning (at 4:30 AM! )along the sidelines, and at the finish line waiting with dry towels.

And thanks to my sweetie for tolerating this crazy hobby of mine with a smile--most of the time. As I was coming down the last stretch, I kept scanning the crowd for Mike, and then I heard him shout my name and my heart lept and I felt like I could have run another mile...well not really...but I knew I could make it to the finish!

*Knowing that "I can do hard things!"

Laura always goes for the bread,

but for me it's all about the ice cream!

I CAN'T WAIT TO DO IT AGAIN!!