Christmas Come and Gone

Christmas was pretty great this year, even if I didn't take very many pictures. We stuck close to home and its a good thing we did, since we got about six inches of snow late on Christmas eve and into Christmas morning. Waking up to a white Christmas is always magical, even when it's a Sunday and you have to be to church at 9 AM.

My mom and dad stayed over on Christmas eve with us. Audrey made a festive tuna casserole with a snowman carrot nose and eyes on it. This may become our Christmas eve tradition.  It was quite tasty, and she saved a bunch of tired, grumpy, stressed, hangry people from a Christmas eve meltdown.

After dinner, we played a silly game (see pictures) and watched Christmas Story, which Mom and Dad seemed to really enjoy. We hung stockings with care (actually they were laid out on the floor with care since our mantle is currently propped up against the wall) and reminisced about Christmas Eves past, then turned in for the night so Santa could come. Audrey was awakened in the night when there arose such a clatter. Thankfully, she did not spring from her bed to see what was the matter, because if she had, she would have caught a very tired and grumpy Santa who had tipped over a big old shelf in an attempt to navigate the disaster known as our storage room.

Christmas Day we all slept in til 7:30. The ONE YEAR we really needed to be up early (because of dumb church), is the year we all sleep soundly past 4 AM, including Duncan who is our traditional early Christmas morning riser. So we rushed through a few Santa presents before church, got dressed and ran off to church. Everybody got a little something new to wear to church, and Christmas miracle, Audrey actually liked the dress Santa picked out for her.  Wish somebody would have taken some pictures.

 Church was only an hour and it was a nice Christmas program that really touched Duncan.
After church we came home for brunch and got all set up to video chat with our missionary.



Best two hours of Christmas, right there.

After the call, we opened a few more presents then Grandma and Grandpa headed out into the snow so they could get home before dark.  Mitch and Ria came over for dinner and more presents. We had roast beef, Yorkshire pudding, and mince pie in honor of our English roots. The beef was heavenly, the Yorkshire pudding surprisingly tasty and the mince pie awful. Awful Awful Awful. Never again. Fortunately, we also had chocolate pie.

And here is a picture of my dad's 84th birthday, a week before Christmas.


I feel so blessed to have them both around still.

Yesterday, we had a little Christmas out at Cedar Fort. There was ham and sledding and presents.

 Olivia and Miranda all ready to head out on the sleds.

Grandma Linda and Grandpa Dan enjoying their antigravity chairs

Today, we are enjoying doing nothing. It is 5 pm and I am lying in bed in my Christmas jammies. Everybody needs one day a year of doing absolutely nothing, and after the craziness of the past week, this is as good of a day for that as any.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.

A Little Whine with Christmas

I don't drink, but if I ever start, it is going to be in the month of December. Always, there is too much to do in too few days and with too little money. I am just really kind of hating my life right now for a million trivial reasons. If you are desperate for entertainment, here is a selection of what is stuck in my craw tonight.

We need a new water heater.
My dog's breath really stinks. Not like regular dog breath stink, but like bionic, deathwarmedover stink.
The house is a mess.
I'm out of money.
Tomorrow is Monday.
It's freezing cold.
I keep losing earrings.
Our carpet is ugly.
I didn't send Will enough treats for Christmas.
Olivia and Duncan ate an entire package of Oreos by themselves. In one night.
I hate my closet.
I need a pedicure.
My parents live too far away.
Everybody is going to die one day.
I ate Olivia's pie.
I spilled my diet coke on my ugly carpet.

There is more, but that's enough. Now I'm going to go write a happy letter to Will.

My Belle

We knew for a long time that this day was coming.

She was almost 19 years old.

That's like 90 in cat years.

Over the past several months, she has been getting a little older and a little slower every day. But for as old as she was, she was doing pretty darn good. Still eating good, enjoying a nap in the sunshine, and the occasional scratch behind the ears.  She couldn't see too well, couldn't hear too well, and couldn't move too well, but she seemed happy enough.

Then, about a week ago, she stopped eating. Almost overnight it seemed, her weight dropped drastically. She wasn't very big to begin with, and by this past weekend, she was pathetically skinny. You could feel the ridges and grooves on her bones through her fur. Her fur became matted and rough when she stopped grooming. Her eyes, nose and  mouth became infected and oozy.

Of course she began her downward spiral on a Friday.  All weekend long, I kept hoping that somehow she would rally and have a miraculous healing.  But then I would remind myself that she was 18 years old.  Even if she rallied, she was still at the end of her nine lives. We tried to coax a little milk and water into her, but she really was having none of that.

By this morning, she made it pretty clear that she was ready to  move on to her next big adventure. She couldn't walk, couldn't even hold her head  up very well, and she kept turning and moving as if she just couldn't get comfortable.  Just before I left for work, I laid down on the floor next to her and petted her head. She seemed to enjoy in and relax a little, so I kept petting her, and tried to have a little farewell moment with her, telling her what a good kitty she was, and how much we would miss her. I got rather teary eye and tender hearted,  thinking of saying goodbye to my old kitty. Suddenly, she sat up, and smacked me in the face with her paw, as if to say, "Oh, shut up already and lets get on with it." She never was a cuddly sentimental sort, which is one of the things I liked most about her.

She chose to spend part of her last morning on earth in the shower. She always did love the bathroom. She loved to get in the shower after Dan got out in the mornings and slurp up the water left on the shower door and floor. She also used to love to sit on the edge of the bath tub while I was bathing, and would watch, fascinated by all that water.

She didn't hardly make a peep on the way to the vet, and in the office while we waited. She probably was feeling awful by this time, but she was very sweet and cuddly.

We brought her home to bury her in our back yard. Duncan said the sweetest prayer for her that had me crying and laughing hysterically all at once. He said, "We are thankful we could be here together to experience the loss of our beloved pet, mother, and sister...."  that boy can be very eloquent when the need arises.

So, happy trails Belle. you kept us company for more than 18 years, and you were a patient and entertaining housemate for all that time. You put up with two younger brother cats who tormented you like any younger brothers would, you shared your kittens with Maggie, and reigned with grace over Piper. I'll mss sharing my bath with  you.

To Thine Own Elf Be True

Audrey's musical was this past weekend, and it was amazing, incredible, adorable, funny, jolly, inspiring, and delightful.

We were all shocked at Audrey's singing abilities. I mean, I knew she could sing, I just didn't know she could sing like that. I guess my first hint should have been back in the spring, when she auditioned for and got a lead in the school musical.  She did so great, both singing and acting, and we were all just busting our buttons with pride over this talented, smart, kind girl.

Just a few of her adoring fans that came to the show.

Another Thanksgiving in the OC

We left bright and early, as in 4:50 a.m. bright and early, the day before Thanksgiving. It was our first road trip in the Pilot, and even minus Will, it was a little crammed. Mini vans are definitely better designed for family travel.

We stopped for gas in Fillmore, but there was nothing picture worthy there. It was just cold.

We stopped again in Vegas and Olivia spotted a unicorn statue, which was picture worthy for sure, even though the people at the casino looked at us like we were crazy.

Then we stopped in Barstow.

This was the sign on the way into the food court.  Any normal person would look at that sign and think, oh, it says ENTRANCE, but it's missing the N, right?

I looked at it and thought, "Entra Ce..... that must be Spanish for "enter here".

Audrey managed to write a novel on the way.  That is her lap top and she was writing as we moved along. Where does that girl come from anyway?

 We pulled into to Costa Mesa around 6, checked in at the hotel and spent some time hanging out at Alisa and Erwann/s and getting ready for the next day.

Thanksgiving Days we have found, are best spent at the beach.

And this is my kind of Thanksgiving turkey.

Corn dogs, frozen bananas and cotton candy for Thanksgiving. Yum.

Eventually though, we had to conform to tradition and head on in to cook. Fortunately, the November sun sets early in California. Otherwise, we may not have been able to tear ourselves away.

Audrey got some practice in the art of coffee bean grinding.

Duncan got in some practice taking over Alisa's bed.

And Dan was apparently not a happy turkey carver.

Birds of paradise blooming in November. I love Southern California.

These lovely ladies are some of Alisa's students that she invited over. Two from China and two from Japan. They were so nice and such good sports about sharing this weird American holiday with our weird American family.

After they left, we realized we didn't get a group shot, so  we hurried and took a picture of who was remaining and between the two, you get the full picture. It was also Alexis' first Thanksgiving.

Friday was another 80 degree day, so we spent time at the pool and the beach, this time Laguna. I fogot what a perfect beach Laguna is.  We stayed til after sunset and got some great shots of the sun slipping below the ocean.

Alisa' lemon tree has lemons on it!

We also stopped by this little Marine mammal rescue center. They rescue baby sea lions and seals and rehab them when they get sick. Then they return most of them to the ocean. The ones that they can't release back they find homes at zoos for.

That is the jaw bone of a whale. Crazy big.

Saturday it rained. We went to the mall, had lunch and got rained out. Went back to Alisa's for hot chcolate then decided to go see Fantastic Beasts. Just as we were stepping out of the covered parking to go into the theater, it started to POUR rain. It felt like we were standing under a water fall. By the time we got to the theater, we were completely soaked through. I spent the entire movie trying to dry my socks out. It was memorable to say the least. 

Then we all froze the rest of the night.

Before we knew it, we were back home in the cold and snow of Utah, and back to regular life.

Now I am freaking out about getting somethimg mailed off to Will for Christmas. I should have started weeks ago.

It's hard to believe he has been gone five weeks already. It is flying by and dragging at the same time.
Next Tuesday, he gets thrown out in the mission field and the real fun will start.