Five years ago this very day....

......we had a wedding in the family. Lots of school, refurbishing an old house and 2 cute little boys later, Happy Anniversary, Russ and Traci. Lots of exciting things ahead.......

Oh, we saw Donny and Marie all right.....

......on the side of this building......they cancelled and we found out as we were driving into Vegas, for cryin' out loud!!!!! but.......

.....when life gives you lemons.....just make lemonade and that's what we did.

......and it was pretty sweet! One of the most amazing shows I've ever been to. We did re-schedule for Donny and Marie and I'm sure they had a really good excuse so we'll try them again in February but there's plenty goin' on in Vegas, that's fer sure......

Pretty dang awesome.........

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....all this after a little sight-seeing and dining with Emeril Lagasse at Delmonico's. The food was delicious to say the least......and in the words of Frankie Valli....."Oh, what a night......"

'Twas the day after Christmas....

.....and all through this place.....the memories of Christmas left a smile on my face. O.k, that's it for the rhyming so I'll just say there are a few things we can count on at Christmastime.....(clickity click on these images to get the full effect..... )

...Christmas Eve at Grandma's with dinner (menu the same every year and we have it down to a science as we all have had our assignments for years), Family Feud provided by Colleen and the Rudolf Balloon Game then the usual Count Chocula with a bit 'o cash for the grandkids and sweatshirts for the great grand kids. This year, Traci did a treasure hunt and Kyle did a little Scary Dad.....(he hides and jumps out at them when they run through the house. Grandma loves it!!!!).

....then there's the Christmas Day Homerun Derby at Snow Park. The fans come out in droves. The competition was quite fierce this year with Mason coming out on top being chased by Nikki, Jarrett, Eric, Kyle, Jason, Russ,Matt, Joel, Talon and Trace. (Penny and JoEllen made a good showing as well). A few even hit the batting cages this year to have the "edge".....It was a great day for the derby.......we even pumped up our new "Glee" CD from my car and had a few fans dancing in the streets. Grandma even joined in the fun for a little while. (Not the dancing, she just showed up to check out the action).

Homerun Derby 2009

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.....and then there are some surprises. The family gathered at my house after a raucous night at Grandma's. I was glad to have them but wondered why they weren't all heading home to put their tired kids to bed. Then out came the present. They all acted so excited so....I figured it must be something good....and when I opened it up and found this....I thought....."O.k., I think I'm supposed to be really excited here so there must be something else in the box"....at which time I realized it really was a "Snuggie", a Leopard Fleece Snuggie. Lauri realized I wasn't getting it and she told me to look on the back. To my surprise, there taped to my "Snuggie" box were tickets to Donny and Marie in Las Vegas. Now, I know there are some that don't think that's much better than a "Snuggie" but I happen to.....and I am thrilled. I'm actually really enjoying the "Snuggie" as well. Thanks, kids.....it was a great surprise. I hope you all enjoyed some great traditions and also some good surprises....the combination makes for a memorable Christmas....

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And I heard him exclaim as he drove out of sight....."Happy New Year to all and to all a good night." (Did I tell you I love the sound of Twenty Ten.....it's going to be a good year.)

A few more of my favorite things.....

.....my family, Kyle's Pa Tai (I don't really know how to spell it but it's good) and JoEllen's Gingerbread Houses for us to decorate. A really fun tradition......Grandma judged....but everyone won. (She picked Mason's and McKay's but ours were just as good......).

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

These are a few of my favorite things.....

.....Christmas cards, probably my #1 and I was quite slothful this year at sending mine out but I will pledge to do better in twenty ten....but I do love receiving them and knowing what the people that I care about have done throughout the year. I also love the gifts from my neighbors and there are some we can count on each year such as the famous Almond Cake from the Jennings'....they even came for a visit from Pine Valley....also, Mary's WONDERFUL toffee from her mother's recipe and the Greer's caramels from their family recipe. I do miss Diane's Peanut Brittle but it would be hard to get it over here from South Africa. I also enjoy and can always plan on Creamer's Apple Cider Champaign each year....along with Cynthia's homemade marshmallows (and their caroling) Jean's Seas Mints and many, many other goodies and useful items that I so appreciate. My neighbors are good to me.....I hope Jenny Craig will be good to me after the holidays....I'm going to have to check in for rehab. My gift to the neighbors is our annual donut fry....I hope we get around to it this year.....and I hope you are enjoying your favorite parts of Christmas.
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I did get invited to a party this year. Hurricane Dental invited me along and we had a really good time celebrating together in Mason's home. He has some really awesome people in his corner and I was glad to be able to get to know them and join in their celebration.

Different years.....same Santa.....

.....this must be the real one!!!! Not that it matters, I'm just sayin'....and rememberin'.....the Vern Thomas years were good ones.

A little sugar cookie fun....then and now!

Matty's not diggin' her new hair do......

Another little last minute gem....

....a woodburning kit????? Santa, WHAT WERE YOU THINKING!!!! Even in desperation, did you not envision names burned into furniture, not to mention other possible hazards of boys let loose with a "burning" device......is this for real? Not just a woodburning kit but a JUMBO woodburning kit......has this been totally erased from my memory? Where did this come from? Work with me here.....

The time has come.....

.....for me to officially start my Christmas shopping and I'm pretty pumped. I have to admit that the gift giving is not my favorite part of Christmas. I like to think that I go by my favorite Christmas saying...."you don't need Christmas in your hands when you have Christmas in your heart" but it is inevitable that we really do need to give some gifts, especially to children. It seems that since the "gift" is the way we show our love at Christmas, it becomes a necessary thing but I also like the secret of Christmas which is "....it's not the things you do at Christmastime, but the Christmas things you do all year through"....but once again, it would be difficult to always be reminding someone of that thing you gave them back in April....let's call that your Christmas present....and I have to admit I've done that before but for today, I will shop and I will find some treasures and I will try to think of something "special" for those on my list and......some of the best presents I've purchased have been on Christmas Eve....remember the Jumpy Castle? Oh, and Kyle's unicycle (admittedly because of the lack of prior planning) but I think it will go down as one of his most "memorable" gifts. So wish me luck and know that I refuse to feel stress, so I'll do the best I can to get you a gift but if it doesn't happen by December 25, it'll come eventually....and hopefully with meaning (but maybe not)....I'll try. It's always exciting though for me to see what I can come up with at this late date. I have these great ideas throughout the year and due to procrastination, they don't get done and I have really good intentions to start on December 26 for the next year..... Oh, well.
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I've been thinking about my childhood lately and remembering some of my favorite gifts....and I know they're my favorites because I still have them and I still cherish them.....especially my dolls. I loved my dolls and I still do. They are a symbol of an awesome childhood where I always got something really good for Christmas and I got really good dolls.....sometimes 2 years in a row. My mom would take the dolls I loved and (Santa would) give them to me again with a whole new wonderful wardrobe. Imagine anyone thinking of doing that these days but I loved it and still have the closet full of clothes that "Santa" brought me and my dolls. Some of my gifts were very practical as well. How about this beauty, a portable typewriter.....the equivalent of a lap top computer back then. It was amazing. I could actually carry it around with me, wherever I decided to go and do some typing. I'm so glad I still have it....who knows....the world may run out of electricity one of these days but I'll still be able to type.... Now that's what I call a "lasting" gift.....still as good as the day I received it. Not sure I can buy the ribbon for it but for now, it's functional....and I'm all about functional these days. Happy gift-giving to all and to all a good night. Wish me luck......

On this day 12 years ago......

.....the Spencer Wells Family was formed. Happy Anniversary, Spencer and Shana.

For the record.....

Is it cold 'nuff for ya?

I'm hangin' with Traci and the kids for a couple of days while Russ is away.....and I'm here to tell ya......it's cold up here but we had to brave Temple Square just for a few minutes and it never disappoints.

Nothin' like 62 young adults in your house....

.....to make you really appreciate your peace and quiet after they leave (and to feel like you have a very small house).....but I was glad to host the annual Dixie College 4th Ward Gingerbread House-making Contest and it was a success.

I think it was record attendance for FHE. The basement served us well once again and a good time was had by all. Clickity click HERE to read my "Ode to My Basement" from last year's post.

I had a bunch of them at the dining room table, some at the bar and it was like we were trying to see how many kids we could stuff into this 29 year-old house of mine (and they even took their shoes off. I didn't even have to ask). We've had many gatherings over the years from missionary farewell and homecoming dinners, Spencer's wedding luncheon, Hannah and Horace's wedding reception, birthday parties: "this ol' house" has served us well and I'm grateful for it....especially on these cold winter days when I can sit by my fire and look out the window and count my blessings. I hope you are staying warm......(this will be the last of my "Nothin' like....posts. I just thought I had a good theme going here but enough is enough.) Happy Holidays.....

Nothin' like a Saturday morning hike......

.....up Temple Quarry Trail to get the holidays rollin' since the only time I think I've ever hiked it is during the Thanksgiving or Christmas holiday as our summers are too hot....so to me, it's a winter hike and it was a beautiful, a bit crispy, but perfect, little bit overcast hiking day and the sun did come out as we got to the top and could look down over the whole valley.

Most of these kids from my the Dixie College 4th Ward had never been on this teeny, tiny hike but they quite liked it. It's one of my favorites....(actually, probably because I don't go on too many but it's one I know I can do) so I'm always rarin' and ready to go and feel like a "real hiker" when I say, "heck, yeah, I'll go hikin' with ya......". Wonder what I'm gonna say next Spring when they announce they are headin' up Angel's Landing...."um....I'd love too, and I have hiked the Great Wall of China so I think I could do it and I've heard it's an awesome hike but....I've got..um....oh, yea, I've got to babysit that day...." but when they do the Subway, I don't make excuses. I made the decision a longgggggg time ago to NEVER do that one. I have my standards and I don't waiver. That's certainly not on MY bucket list. Saturday was a good day and a good way to get acquainted with the gang. I've had this calling since last March and I'm still struggling to learn names but I'm getting better......kudos to all you avid hikers out there. I admire you, you know I do and it's one of those things that I wished I loved but I don't.....I don't hate it but I don't love it either. But I do like the Temple Quarry Trail and will go with you anytime.....just give me a call. (Some of these kids veered off the trail a bit, one even went over the other side of the mountain to see what he could see. Click on the picture and see if you recognize any of them).

Nothin' like a chilly night at Tuacahn....

.....and some beautiful Christmas music from some of my favorite performers to get ya in the Holiday mood and they did not disappoint even if it was one of the coldest nights ever. Just a little plannin' ahead, a warm coat, gloves and a few blankets and it didn't seem to matter 'cause this is one of my very favorite things to do.....go to concerts of people that I love to listen to. Cherrie Miller called this afternoon with some tickets, some 2nd row tickets (my 2nd favorite thing to do is to be down front) and I didn't hesitate.

Wish you could have been there......It was amazing. I do love Tuacahn and when they lit up those red hills as Sam Payne and company sang "We Three Kings" (his version, inspiring) I can't think of any other words to describe it. Jenny Frogley's version of "O Holy Night" was the best ever and "Vocal Point", entertaining to say the least. Well folks.....I had a pretty good ol' time, in case you were wondering!!!!!

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The house is lookin' pretty festive....Now I just have to work on the inside. Thanks Lauri and James for puttin' up my lights.