Wishing you were here.....

I absolutely LOVE Christmas!!!!! As I am sure you know , ha, ha. Our Christmas' are pretty traditional in that we love to be together as extended family, there is always lots of yummy food, we love Christmas music, and did I mention the yummy food??? We also have our own traditions that Shane and I established in our own home, traditions that our girls count on and love. Traditions bind us together as a family...extended and immediate.

This year will be different for us, as our Christmas Celebrations have always centered around Shane's parents. EVERY year since we have been married (that is 21 years) we have had a huge Christmas Eve dinner with the whole family all 6 kids, spouses, grandkids, great grandkids, my Dad, and usually other family members, friends, or in-laws. We had a wonderful Christmas Dinner, sometimes played Christmas songs on the Chimes, the kids always acted out the nativity, and there was always a small gift in the "Giant Sock" for everyone from Santa. On Christmas Day we each did our own family stuff before heading back to Grandma's for Christmas Brunch and to watch them open their presents.

This year is our first Christmas without Barbara. Our second without Delbert and Dad. This year will be different. Of the 6 families, 4 want to start their own Family Traditions for Christmas. This year will just be us and Debbie's family, I am so grateful that they still wanted to do this together, in the past year and a half so much has changed and I 'm just not ready to change Christmas Eve yet.....maybe someday.....maybe.

For now we will enjoy being together with Deb, Jim, Jenny, Scott, James, Anna, Lisa, Clayton, Houston, Benjamin, Chris, Liz, Matt, & Zach. I can't wait!!!! I am so excited for Christmas Eve!!

It is exactly 1 year ago today that my Daddy died, it has been an emotional day. I know he still watches out for me, I feel him, sometimes I hear his voice. I miss him so much, but I am so grateful for the knowledge that I will see him again! I am happy that he is no longer in such terrible pain! So while we celebrate a different Christmas this year, we focus on Him whose birth, life, sacrifice, and resurrection make our lives complete....even Jesus Christ! Through Him we are able to overcome all things and return to our Father in Heaven. This I KNOW to be TRUE!

Feelings....

My family keeps asking me when I am going to update our blog. I looked back and I realized that I blogged twice as much in 2008 than in 2009, is this because I have become a slacker???? That is the question I asked myself today, but in asking the question and looking at the last year, I realize that if I said I am just being a slacker, that would be a cop out! So the real reason that I have had a harder time blogging is because of all the feelings....and the emotions that go with them. I don't want to keep expressing them, but I can't help feeling them, and when I write they sometimes pour out of me like a waterfall!

Experiences we have in life change us, there is just no getting around it, we all change! The way we look at life and such changes also. I guess after an emotional year I look at things more emotionally (in my case this means more tearfully) I have always been easy to cry, but sometimes this is ridiculous! Don't get me wrong I don't sit around crying buckets every day, I just tear-up more easily as I think of, watch, and experience life itself! I guess I haven't blogged as much because I don't really want to feel all the feelings again as I write about our family experiences.....does any of this make sense??

So it is December 11, 2009. I am sitting in my favorite recliner by the beautiful Christmas tree. I absolutely love Christmas :) the smells, the weather, the family and friends, the shopping, the music.....I especially love the music...like start up the day after Halloween and listen constantly until January 2nd, and sometimes even a little in July when it is so hot you can fry an egg on the concrete....THAT KINDA LOVE There is so much meaning to Christmas Music that it can make any season a Happy Season!!! Lately, the past few months have been busy, busy, busy, as I am sure your lives have been busy too,(I am not trying to say that I am busier than you..I hate it when people do that) Anyway I will finally try to give a little recap!!!

The school musical was in Nov. The kids did an awesome job, All the kids (about 120 girls and 45 boys). The musical was "Curtains" an edited version of course. I had to be one of the parents who approved of the script, be over the parent seamstress ladies, and over the student ushers. It was a busy time as there were about 12 moms who sewed 120 prairie dresses, 30 dance hall dresses, 30 mermaid costumes, and 30 pair of chaps. I did a little sewing myself it was funny, stressful, and frustrating (the sewing) I also delivered all the sewing material to the moms, picked up the finished products and fit them to the girls at school. I spent so much time there that it was like being in HS again a terrifying thought at my age!! Anyway it all turned out Amazing and it was well worth all the time and work put forth by all! These kids are amazing!!! They make me want to cry, pull my hair out, and laugh all at the same time!

We also had the Fall Choir Concert, planned the Performing Arts Tour, and had the Canyons Invitational at our High School.

We had Thanksgiving at our house this year with Deb & Jim, Chris & Liz, Matt, Zach, Scott, Tim & Vanessa, Nichael, Chloe, Natalie, and the 5 of us...it was great to be with family and enjoy the kids. Black Friday Shane & I were up at 4:30 to go shopping, later we hit a movie with the kids, and decorated for Christmas the next day!

So far December has brought....Snow finally!! We had 4 other families in the ward over for "Cookie" night. Where we make and decorate Christmas Sugar Cookies from scratch....it is so fun to watch the kids from 2 years old to 52 years old eating the dough and decorating. We took the girls to Festival of Trees...this year there were 4 extra daughters(Stacey, Rachel, Michale,and Gwen) as Nicole's friends/roommates came with us! It was great!! Last night we went to "Zoo Lights" and once again there were 9 of us....Kendra, Megan's friend, and Rachel, Gwen, and Sarah came with us. While Shane & I were standing in line for hot chocolate, the girls huddled in a circle and sang "Hokey Pokey" Shane commented on how boring our lives could have been with all boys instead of girls...ha,ha.
We also had the opportunity to hear Megan sing in the JSMB, Church History Museum, and in the Assembly Hall on Temple Square. Tomorrow night the choir will sing Forgotten Carols with Michael McLean....and it is the ward Christmas Breakfast.
Whew....we are not even half way through December! Here are a few pics....
Enjoy!!!