Christmas Gifts

2009 Christmas Gifts
Favorite Gift to Give/Make: Greg's Family Puppets
Favorite Gift to Receive: Quilt Made by my Mom

Funny Faces with Hyrum

On the Verge

excerpt from an email to my dad, "yesterday i got a perm, loved on my little boys, and went to a Ravenwood Choir performance with the entire family. The choir director had car troubles, and once there, lost the cd with the music on it. the poor fellow. so the kids sang the last two songs (for the Alaska School District school board) Acapella. they did an absolutely amazing job. everytime i hear them perform i am just so grateful that they have this opportunity and that they love it."

New Do

This (don't mind the double chin, I'm working on getting rid of that)

Plus This

Gets this (day of photo. . . its calmed down a bit since then)


I've been loving the new do. Brings me back to those High School/College days when this was my natural lot in life. I had the BEST friends in the world who gave up an entire morning to roll and roll and roll some more (183 rods).

"Mudge"

Here's our little Tal. 6 months. Bottle Snob (first baconbit to refuse). Eating solids. . . favorite by far is peaches. Can roll both ways, though I've never seen the tummy to back, just know he does it everyday after he wakes from his naps. Has a big 'ole grin and blue eyes. His lazy mom rarely changes him out of pajamas. Completely SMOTHERED with love by his brothers.

Christmas Eve

We were lucky to have the Speaks Family (minus their great dad/husband who was finishing up a tour in Afghanistan) join us for Christmas Eve. Our traditions include a Mexican diner, pinata, and acting out the Nativity.

Chrstmas 2009

Christmas 2009
We are not ones to be bound by dates and as a family had predetermined to celebrate Christmas on Monday, December 21st. The boys were devastated when on Sunday night I realized that six months prior I had scheduled dental visits. So rather than having blissfully opening presents and experiencing some of the joy of the season, the boys were getting their teeth scraped and xrayed while Eric and I were being forced into another fit of depression as the result the impending Dental work.

For my memory:

Wii from G&G Bacon
Wii controllers and Wii Fit, Legos Galore from G&G Warner (in the customary puzzle box--this years rendtion had the "buttons" that turned)
Super Smash--reward for jumping in the freezing woods river
The boys had fun buying gifts for each other this year. (Hyrum received Lego Batman from Sam, Sam received Lego Indiana Jones from Christian, Tanner received a super duty Nerf Gun from Hyrum, and Christian received Stratego from Tanner)
Hryum was very insistent of building his Legos all by himself this year. He did an amazing job.

If I've Said It Once

I grew up hearing, "If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times ____________."
You could fill that blank in with any of the of the following options: a. don't lean back on the dining room chairs, b. no food in the living room, c. it takes two to fight, d. use the back door, e. wipe your feet really good before coming in, f. the kitchen isn't clean until the sink is scoured, etc.

We only have a few rules around here: 1. I am in charge. 2. No balls in the house.
The first rules doesn't lend itself to much leeway. I am in charge. Period.
The second however seems to perplex almost every little mind in the family. It seems no matter how many times I say it, and no matter what emphasis I put on the words (or the threats that come after those), that balls seem to sneak their way into our house. The usual casualties are the Willow Tree figurines, which at one point have all been decapitated. If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times--NO BALLS IN THE HOUSE."

Below: Sam caught red (or would it be blue) handed. It is moments like this that I wonder who is truly in charge.

Christian and Tanner enjoying Welcome Home Snack and doing their daily math homework.

Weather Report

We've been enjoying a remarkable winter here in Alaska.

Several friends assume that we are constantly getting plastered with snow. The answer. . . is no. We actually received more snow on average when living in Arizona than we do living in Alaska. The difference. . . here the snow doesn't melt. The snow you see on our mailbox (below) is the same batch that we received in November.


I love when the temperatures drop in the single digits. The snow will crystallize. When driving at night it will take on the appearance of glimmering diamonds. It is rather spectacular.

January 20th was our lucky day this year. . . after two months of no direct sunlight in our house, the heavens opened and sunshine poured in. Granted, it was only about 15 minutes of glorious rays, but it screamed of hope. Spring here we come. In Alaska, in my opinion, our seasons go as follows: Summer, Fall, Winter, Summer, Fall Winter. . . Spring is more an extension of hope and light.

Here's an evening sunset.

The view out our our side window.

Catch Up

Another successful Award Assembly. . . both boys were recognized by their music teacher, Mr. Lum, for being excellent singers and recorder players. This year both boys were asked to be recorder leaders for their break-out groups. I think they enjoyed the awards but loved seeing Talmage at school even more!

My sister Kari gave us this Lego Mosiac. .. Hyrum loves it.

My "big" boys. Sam is catching up quick. He's about an inch shorter than these two. Nothing pains the 'ole purse than buying jeans, shoes, etc. x3 all the same size. We found out that Sam gets to go to cubscout daycamp this summer. He is so excited for a week filled with canoeing, hiking, dodgeball, archery, b.b. guns and blood circles (whittling).

say cheese.

Warner 5 Little Piggies

Just Play'in

Warner is really into dress up right now. He'll come into the kitchen asking me to make him a "King."

Warner is entertained by any kind of puzzle. He worked on this one until he got frustrated and then convinced Sam and Hyrum to help him finish it.

Ornaments

Our first winter here I was able to convince Eric to string up Christmas Lights on our home. It was spectacular. Well, some would call it lazy, but we called it thinking ahead and decided to leave the lights strung up. That following December when we plugged the lights in we were surprised to discover the damage caused by living in the land of the Midnight Sun. Our once white and blue patterned lights were now sun faded and mostly white with an occasional faded blue. The rainy summer also reeked havoc and almost one out of three lights were out. So this year we took down the lights and replaced all of the discolored bulbs. I purposefully tucked the old bulbs away, knowing full well that I wanted to turn them into Christmas ornaments. On a random afternoon in December, Hyrum and I made these ornaments for neighbors and friends. It was the perfect project for Hyrum. I dipped them in glue and he rolled them around in the glitter. After they were dry and took them outside and doused them in spray glue.
Next year we are going to try GREEN!

December Dump

In December we received LOADS of snow. After warming up into the 30's, the snow on the back deck railing decided to create its own holiday flair. . .