Previous Quote of the Blog

In the old days, it was not called the Holiday Season; the Christians called it 'Christmas' and went to church; the Jews called it 'Hanukka' and went to synagogue; the atheists went to parties and drank. People passing each other on the street would say 'Merry Christmas!' or 'Happy Hanukka!' or (to the atheists) 'Look out for the wall!' --Dave Barry

Christmas Day

Do you know what promoting healthy foods will get you?  A daughter with her face drawn in close to yours whispering, "The reindeer didn't eat the broccoli sprouts", at 7ish in the morning.  So we sent them off to explore their stockings as a ploy to buy ourselves a bit more time to wake up.

So it was true, the reindeer preferred the usual carrots over the ultra nutritious broccoli sprouts.  And Santa's cut off was at two cookies as the third only had a bite out of it.  He made it through the chimney somehow, we know, because he left the screen drawn open on the fireplace. 

We had a blast opening gifts and enjoying the surprises. Yet, there was one surprise we did not like...glitter!  Glittery wrapping paper leave glitter on the floor and everyone who dares open a glitter clad wrapped gift.  Foil or plain wrap next year.

Thanks to all that gifted our family this year.  Your thoughtfulness is much appreciated!  Although all the presents are being enjoyed, it turns out the shrinky dinks were a real hit with Sophie and Rhys is thrilled with his Play-doh toys most of all.

We spent the day taking off packaging, putting toys together, and playing.  Mom and Dad even got a nap in.  We watched new movies and ate high carb goodness.  It was a very merry Christmas!  Hope yours was too!

More on Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve evening finally came and we were able to enjoy Neal's afternoon preparations during dinner with Oma and Opa.

He baked up yummy Cornish game hens with garlic bread and Oma and Opa provided two different kinds of salad and dessert.

After decorating the gingerbread cookies, opening gifts, and viewing a short Nativity video to review the true story of Christmas, the kids put out their goodies for the reindeer and Santa.  This year, we added broccoli sprouts so the reindeer could enjoy a bit of variety.  Santa had three heavily frosted cookies and a beaded candy cane ornament with thank you note left by Sophie.

"Dear Santa have a safe ribe [ride]." With stickers and "Thank you." inside.

While the adults chatted, the kids imagined they heard jingle bells so we'd run outside to see if we could spot Santa's sleigh or at least Rudolph's nose.  Alas, they were mistaken.

However, we did hear the doorbell ring and were greeted by carolers at our door!  We LOVE that this tradition is not fully lost.  And they sang beautifully.  It was such a treat!

After Oma and Opa made their departure, our kids were eager to get to bed for the first time in 365 days.  So Neal read The Night Before Christmas on his tablet before bedtime prayers and they were soon asleep. 

Merriest Christmas Wishes!

Yuletide Illness

So Neal got sick with a cold again and then as he was starting to bounce back, Keri got it and didn't.  She had a very hoarse voice throughout the previous week of Christmas.  Trying not to spread the germs, Keri had a pretty strict hands-off policy between her and the rest of the family.  Sophie, taking note of this, made her mom a picture of a Christmas tree with big kissy lips, "so you can have a kiss anytime you want and not get us sick."  So it hung high on the refrigerator door where Keri would press her cheek against it to get a "kiss" occasionally when the kids were looking. 

We have still been having a bit of Christmas fun despite taking turns getting rest and letting the housework wait.  We've made goodies and delivered them to friends, gone cruising to look at Christmas lights, watched Christmas movies and listen to Christmas music, and completed gift wrapping.  Thanks to all that send their yuletide greetings our way.  We especially love to see pictures of your families and read your updated newsletters.

Today is Christmas Eve! Neal has to work until 3pm so the kids and I are rolling out gingerbread dough and making cutout cookies to frost later.  On this day, we love playing Christmas songs of a more sacred nature.  I love the way my heart gets filled up with hope, joy, and gratitude.  We are looking forward to seeing Oma and Opa tonight.

Sophie, being around other kids in kindergarten, has gotten her confidence in Santa a bit shaken.  She is asking if he is real.  I just ask back, "What do you think, Sophie?" She says she's not sure but is leaning towards real.  I told her that her presents from Dad and I were already under the tree.  She could read the tags if she wanted.  If there were more presents in the morning, they were from Santa.  That pretty much solved that concern.

I was telling Sophie that this cold I caught "really knocked me down."  Her reply at seeing my improving health was, "Yeah, but now your just 'knocked up' Mom!"  WOW! That is one Christmas gift I don't want!  I'll just take the better health, thanks.

We want to send our love to all our friends and family and anyone who is reading this post. Yes! You!  Merry Christmas!

Chit Chat

Statements I have heard in the last half hour:

Sophie: You know who loves Christmas? You do, Mommy! You know who loves Christmas even more? Jesus, because it's his birthday.

Rhys: I love my pizza because it is big and fat and has hairy legs. (I had to confirm with him that this was what he actually said).

Christmas Dance Off

For our church's Christmas party, Sophie was so excited, she immediately "donned her gay apparel" upon arriving home from school.

Then Sophie challenged Rhys to a Christmas dance off! Once the angel music box was wound, there were twirls and kicks aplenty.

Ho Ho Ho!

Nativity Exhibit 2013

Keri was asked to assist with inventory for the community's Nativity Exhibit that our church puts on (11th year)! She speedily said "yes" because it is a blast to work with such great people, see nothing go to something, and feel the spirit of Christmas.  Keri and the rest of the inventory team checked in over 550 nativities plus oodles of swags of fabric, Christmas trees, and décor. 

One quarter of the way done.

At the end of the exhibit.

We had that ice storm move in and the exhibit was postponed because it was not safe to travel there.  Thank goodness it still had fair attendance mid-week. So many people volunteer their time and services to make this event what it is.

This year we had our own little section for our family's nativities.  We added a Seraphim nativity inherited by Neal's mom, and a fold out nativity book given to us by Nonnie and Papaw.

Waiting for the Thaw

Honestly being forced indoors with the whole family for pretty much the entire weekend was awesome.  It was like Christmas!  We had all sorts of Christmas, family fun.  Can't wait to do it again in a couple of weeks. 

We played Christmas music practically the whole weekend. We kept the fireplace going and candles lit in the evenings. 

Daddy made pumpkin pie with the help of Rhys and we had to wait 2 hours before we could even think of eating it so it could be perfectly set.

Sadly, after dinner Rhys did not partake in the beautiful pie he helped create because he would not try his dinner.  That was pretty pathetic to watch him mourn his decision with his quivering lip. He had another chance to get it right the next day.

Neal and Sophie were the only ones that wanted to go outside and brave the cold and ice.  Neal would hold Sophie's hands and slide her around on the ice in her slippers at her request.  She calls this "ice skating."

Notice neighbor's branches snapped under the weight of the ice.

With even church cancelled this weekend, we busied ourselves with sleeping in, watching TV, reading stories, and eating.  Yep, it was pretty rough, so Keri treated herself to manicure and even painted Rhys' thumb nails with frosty friends so he could show them off at preschool.

We ended the weekend with Christmas Devotional broadcast by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and an announcement that school would be closed yet again on Monday.  So if you need to get in the Christmas spirit, you can watch it in its entirety or parts online.

Now to see if Keri can convince the kids to make ornaments to fill their time.  Oh, twist my arm mom!

Love

Love is watching my daughter stop what's she's doing and listening intently as Frank Sinatra sings Silent Night. --Neal

Encased in Ice

The weather forecasters warned us that the Dallas/Ft. Worth Area would be "encased in ice" come Friday night and they were right.  Neal went out just before it got bad and bought hot cocoa and ingredients for homemade pumpkin pie...stuff you need in such severe circumstances.  He said there was not a loaf of bread or bacon in the store.  There was only whole milk left--just right for us.

Sadly, the Nativity exhibit that Keri and many Latter-Day Saint women took a week to set up, was postponed due to unsafe travel conditions.  Also, the city Christmas Tree Lighting, and the Rudolph Run we had the whole family signed up for were both cancelled.  So to make up for it we made Rudolph pancakes that morning.

The roads are still pretty bad but it's nice to be trapped inside with the whole family.  We even got our Christmas tree decorated and made cut out Christmas cookies!  I'm sure cabin fever will set in by Sunday and it will be like Stephen King's The Shining all over again but until then we'll be finishing up the Christmas decorations, baking pie, wrapping gifts, and watching cheesy Christmas movies....all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.  All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.  All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.  All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.  All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.  All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.  All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.  All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy....

Previous Quote of the Blog

"Thanksgiving is a magical time of year when families across the country join together to raise America’s obesity statistics." --Stephen Colbert

Thanksgiving and the Plague

We planned on visiting family in Colorado this Thanksgiving. Sophie has a whole week off for Thanksgiving because that's the way we roll in our district.  We took off early Friday afternoon and drove two days because we were expecting some icy weather but made our way safely there despite the roads.  On the second day, Keri mentioned that she felt like she was getting a head cold.  Neal compassionately responded that she needed to put that thought out of her mind or she'd get sick.

We were happy to be with Neal's sister and brother in law, Kira and David.  We were just so happy to spend time with them, although they certainly went out of their way to make us feel well at home. We spent our time eating, talking, sight seeing, and playing games.  They introduced us to "sloppers" which is an open-face burger with green chili sauce smothering it.  Heaven. 

Aunt Kira arranged for the kids to ride some ponies while in CO.  Kira was there to witness Sophie's rejected pleas to ride the ponies when they visited on Labor Day and we were in the Fort Worth Stockyards.  Well, with the help of some co-worker's neighbor, the kids got their wish.  They loved it and did great.  Even Kira and Keri got up, er, with ease? to ride a horse.  Thanks, Aunt Kira, Keidra (co-worker friend), and John (horse owner)!

We also took off to Denver, a bit north of them, for an overnight stay.  We tried another restaurant there called Biker Jim's where we sampled a variety of gourmet hot dogs - elk, pheasant, rattlesnake, and for the holidays, reindeer! Then we were off to Hammond's Candy Factory for a tour and sampling.

That evening we joined family, Neal and Kira's maternal Aunt Royce and her husband Frank, and two of their kids, Waymon and Josh, with their loves, Elise and Morgan.  It was great to see everyone and catch up.  They are the sweetest people and funny too.  Sadly, this is where our great Thanksgiving getaway started taking a turn for the worse.  Neal had to cut dinner short to take Rhys back to the hotel.  He was running a fever and so miserable.

The next day, with Rhys doing better, we took off to Denver's Museum of Natural History and Science for a MythBusters exhibit we had bought tickets for.  That was a lot of fun.  It was pretty interactive which we all enjoyed.

 

 

We headed home and Sophie was the next victim of the short lived fever that evening.

But with her better, the next day we went down to the river and released Grandma Sue's ashes as a family.  Only, in our inexperience, we didn't release her in water that was moving swift enough so she, well, settled quite a bit.  And I know Grandma got a good laugh as the grandkids threw rocks at, um, her so they could displace her into the current a bit better. With that tender yet slightly awry moment behind us, we spent the day "in town" as Kira and David say. We hit a kitchen/restaurant supply store and got some odds and ends and then later yummy pizza.

Upon returning home, Keri learned that one should not go for a run at over 5000 ft. elevation after eating 3 large pieces of yummy pizza.  Ouch!  However, David learned that one looks like a buoyant  Olympic sprinter if you go for a jog with your sister in law from flat Texas after she has eaten 3 large pieces of yummy pizza.

That evening, Neal felt a bit off, took a bit of Ibuprophen, thinking his discomfort would end soon like the kids. Fast forward to 2 a.m. Thursday morning, Neal is vomiting nearly every hour on the hour.  That morning, the decision is made to move Thanksgiving to Friday, to see if Neal is doing better, since David and Kira had plans to try something new for Thanksgiving--goose.

So that day Kira and Keri entertained the kids at the park, paying them quarters to run.  That afternoon, Kira and David went to see Gravity while Keri and the kids viewed Disney's Frozen at the movie theater.  It was SO MUCH FUN watching my kids react to the movie.  Near the end of the movie some icy creation is made and above the mostly silent audience, our Rhys is heard proclaiming, "THAT IS BEAUTIFUL!"  So cute.

Immediately following, Keri entered the way too early abyss of Black Friday at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving and emerged triumphant with her rain check for the particular electronic we were waiting for.

Friday, Neal could stomach the smell of the cooking food, as he returned from a doctor appointment with a bottle of antibiotics and a diagnosis of an ear infection.  He barely ate and could taste nothing.  Keri and the kids, along with David and Kira enjoyed a very tasty bird with an amazing cherry sauce.  Good job, David! 

A goose with a head of a turkey!

Keri was a bit apprehensive regarding goose because she has tried duck twice and has not liked it AT ALL!  But the goose was good.

Tickle Time!

Keri had a blast playing Catch Phrase with Kira and David once the kids were in bed and between first and second desserts.  We had to play with 3 people but Neal would grunt an answer from the couch.  Poor soul.

The next day, Saturday, Keri drove approximately 13 hours to get us home.  The kids were champs! 

Neal woke on Sunday morning to a ruptured eardrum and spent some time in the ER.  With two brand new antibiotics he occupied the couch with a feverish Sophie and a runny nosed Rhys.  If only they had put those sickly thoughts out of their minds, perhaps Keri would not have been the sole one who unloaded, unpacked, and started to get the house back in working order. 

Did Thanksgiving stink? A little bit.  Did we still have a great time with Kira, David, and family? Yes! Will this make us even more grateful next Thanksgiving when we are all well (knock on wood)? Yes!  Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Healing!