Merry Christmas 2009!

Merry Christmas 2009! Christmas was a great experience this year. For us, it has been a tough year but also a great year. Owen hasn't worked full time since November 2008. Over the months we have worked together to make lots of changes in our family spending. Everyone has worked together and I am proud of all of us. The boys have learned about the expenses of the home and have been so responsible for their own expenses and have helped with the household when necessary.


This year we decided to draw names for Christmas gifts and gave ourselves a spending limit. It took a lot of pressure off of mom and it was fun to concentrate on one person. Some additional gifts appeared as Santa had done some bargain shopping the prior year and found the stash when cleaning out for a yard sale! How funny was that?


Dad got a waffle iron that flips just like the ones at the hotel's free breakfast...that we ate a ton of going back and forth from Utah for over a year. It was a very thoughtful gift for him because Greg really paid attention to something that would make his dad happy.
Mom got an iron that she really needed and really wanted. Nice and heavy duty and does vertical steaming so I don't even need to get the board out :) Thanks Barrett.

Grandma got some clothes that she wanted from Owen. I had to help a little with the shopping on that, but he didn't expect me to do it for him. He asked for my help.

Greg really wanted a Stanley classic thermos, green with a handle. I never question why he likes what he likes but he was happy. He used it the next day when he worked outside all day in the cold. He put homemade Turkey soup in it and was happy that when he went to eat it the soup was still so hot he had to blow on it to cool it down. Note: he also made the soup! Barrett went window shopping to prepare a list of ideas for my mom, he came back and wrote his list: LOST Season 5 with 40 dollars attached to the list to pay for whatever the amount would be over the limit. It was funny. Mom found it on sale and he got most of his money back. He was happy.

Once all of the gifts were exchanged, Barrett took out a note from the "Stow Away Elf" explaining that he stowed away and brought special gifts for all of us. It read:

Sorry I couldn't put these into your stockings. The Big Man never turned his back long enough for me to get to them. He thinks I'm back at the workshop. Shhhhh...don't tell. Wel, got to go. I just heard Blitsen's signal, the sleigh is leaving. Merry Christmas, Secret Santa's Stow Away Elf.

I love this picture of Barrett reaching into his stow away bag (aks Raley's shopping bag) he has such a genuine look of joy. He was so excited to be the elf and to see our surprise. The spirit of Christmas: he gets it; I think we all did this year.

Dad got Band of Brothers and Greg and dad watched it for days. Well done but I can't watch war movies. It hurts.

Beans is always in the middle of the action. She got presents from Grandma and the Elf.

The Girls from Ames

This was an interesting book. Sharon read it and liked it so I decided to read it. Notice: my comments could be a potential spoiler. At first I didn't appreciate it. Their high school experiences were so different than mine. There were some things that seemed familar but I agreed with some of the critics of their youth...they were a clique and seemed mean to other girls. But then about 2/3 of the way through the book, tragedy struck and then I started to see how much their lives were like mine. I started to relate to them. The loss of a friend; the death of a parent; illness.

The unique aspect of this book was the fact that they have been friends for 40 years. The author emphasized how a lifetime friendship like theirs is different because they have so much history; they know each other before husbands, kids, careers, etc. I have a few friends like that. It is unique. At the end I was even more grateful for all of my friends; my lifelongs and the ones I've come to know along the way. I wondered if I would be here on earth when I am old; I wondered if my friends will be here too. Sharon talks about us being old together. I wonder if we will be.

Let it snow...and snow...and snow....

It snowed from Sunday night through Monday about noon. We got more snow than I can remember. It was beautiful. Van is covered. No work today :)

Backyard

After the snowing stopped.

Back rail. Final measure: 13 inches.

No power until Tuesday afternoon. Monday I put a roast in a dutch oven on the stove...happy for propane so I could still cook and have a warm shower (if you are ready to stand there dripping wet and freezing after the shower is off)

After dinner Owen, Greg and I played Yatzee and Scatergories until it was too cold to stay up. We were all in bed by 9 p.m. which is normal for me, but since Greg didn't rise until noon that was saying something.

Tuesday, was beautiful and clear. Owen and Greg shoveled Monday afternoon so I was able to get out and go to work with no problems.

The trees in the background here were so pretty but the picture doesn't capture it. In the forefront, my van and the poor lilacs bent down half its size. I drove Owen's all wheel drive to work.

The hillside we live on...this shot is to the left as I drive down Cedar Ravine.

Tranquility Lane...no really that is its name.

Downtown Placerville

Let it Snow - It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas

Today was full of exciting stuff. It was so cold that it started to snow. It is the first of the season and it came off and on. Of course, everyone is hoping for snow all night so the schools will call a snow day...this would affect the kids, Carrie and Barrett. We will see.

The first Sunday of each month, our ward, since we attend last in the building, has been doing a Break the Fast. So the regular Sunday night dinner crowd from our house all brought food for the Break the Fast. Because they didn't announce it last Sunday, only about five dishes showed up so they canceled. We came back to our house, with a few additions. Sean and the missionaries, who didn't have a dinner appointment because they were counting on the Break the Fast. Nice to have a full house. Steven, Sean, Carrie, Owen, Ana and Kristen

Brandon, Barrett and Steven.

Elder Stevenson, from Samoa, with Seth in the snow.

During church today Janice invited us over for a Christmas sing along. There family used to sing like this on Christmas Eve and Janice decided to bring a bunch of people together to have a sing along impromptu. So after dinner, we all headed over to Janice and Jerry's. Norma and Larry were there, Scott-Janice and Jerry's oldest, and the whole crowd from our house except the Elders who had another appointment.
Carrie was a good sport playing all the christmas tunes.

Brandon and Carrie

Scott, Greg, Steven, Ana, Barrett and Owen

Ana, Steven, Barrett, Owen, Janice and Brandon

Greg, Steven, and Ana

Scott, Kristen, Greg, Norma and Larry

Owen and Sean

Carrie, Scott, and Barrett

After singing, Janice read a Christmas story to the crowd. You could hear a pin drop.

Listening....Greg, Ana, Barrett, Steven, Seth, Brandon, Sean and Owen

After story time, we finished with one last song....We wish you a Merry Christmas! Followed by Spiced cider, brownies and ice cream. For me, it was my fifth brownie of the night :)

It was a great night. Until the singing at Janice's I really didn't feel much like Christmas. I wasn't down about it, but I just didn't feel it nor did I want to do the regulars like listening to carols on the radio, etc. Tonight got me in the mood. I am very blessed to have the family and friends that I have. In addition, I am grateful to have had this experience at Janice's. Janice and Jerry have lived in that house for about 50 years and Janice lives there as a child before that. For many of us there tonight, we have many memories of the Bennet's from either being raised in Placerville, or for me building a friendship with Janice. I will miss her being in that house. I am glad to have this new added memory - probably one of the last.

Saturday's project - Laundry

This is really unusual, but it has been our set up for a long time. When we remodeled the house our intent was to have a laundry room in the basement, but when we moved it the basement kept flooding. Once we thought we got it taken care of, a gopher would show up and rearrange the dirt and it would flood again, so we never finished the laundry room. Enter, my mom. She moved here with my sister's washer and dryer and an offer I couldn't refuse. She was willing to do our laundry for us because she said she needed something to do. I am embarrassed to say how long she has been doing it, but I will tell you that I am completely spoiled. She goes through everything with a fine tooth comb and prewashes everything.

Recently, she has had some health issues, though temporary, it got us thinking about a long term solution. We have an alcove in our family room that I always thought would be perfect as a laundry closet. Enter Brenda's offer to let me purchase her frontload stackables before she moves. Greg and Owen agreed to do the work to convert the alcove into a laundry closet and we accepted Brenda's offer. Yippee!

I told Brenda Monday night that we would take it. By the time I got home Tuesday, Owen and Greg had moved the Scout stuff, the alcove was used as a Scout closet, and the dryer vent was in...Did I say Greg was excited for on demand laundry? Wednesday and Thursday - Greg and Owen ran the plumbing up from the basement. Friday- they tapped into the septic tank and piped the drain.

Saturday - I painted, Greg rerouted the cable for the TV, Owen rerouted the 220 plug for the dryer, we picked them up and put them in. Owen has to do something with a trap on Monday and we are done.

I want to put a pocket door or something in to separate it from the family room, but for now it is perfect.