One for the record book called memory

"How was your Christmas"? I have never really liked that question, and it is asked 100 x the first day back to work or when you see family and friends. I am not sure if it means "what did you get" or " did everything go as planned", or just what. So how my Christmas?

It could of been worse. I don't mean that it was bad at all, but it could always be worse. If you read Jodi'shttp://simplysatisfied.blogspot.com/2008/12/traditions.html,Kim'shttp://castawaydreams.blogspot.com/2008/12/god-blessed-usevery-one.html and Mel's http://lafeenfamily.blogspot.com/2008/12/merry-christmas.htmlyou will see that the weather and the growing children did change a few of the family traditions that we have spent 30 yrs. creating and that mom spent 57 yrs. creating. I know it would have broke moms heart that we were not all together as we have always been, but the only thing that is certain in life in that there will be change.

Our family talked about the many times we traveled in terrible snow storms to be at moms for breakfast and the second Christmas morning of gift giving, but I would always ask the kids if they would rather stay home and play with their new toys and see friends or go to grandma's and grandmas always won out, so Kim and I would pack 'em up and head 'em out and over the hills we'd go to grandmas house on the big day, with many a silent and verbal prayer, that we'd make the trip safely. But those are great memories that we will all keep forever, and that keeps us a strong family.

So back to "how was my Christmas". It was great and I was reminded of how loved and blessed I really am. Everyone knows how bad our weather was, and how cold and windy it got as the day went on. I was to work until 10pm and I got a phone call telling me that Kim was coming up to clean off my car and follow me home, because the roads we so bad and icy. At first I told him I'd be fine but I did give in (I actually had no choice) and he came and not only cleaned and de-iced off my car, but that of a co-worker too. Then he, Jodi and I followed each other home. I felt so much love from that one, not so simple, act of kindness, that my heart has truly been over filled with gratitude and gratefulness.

I am so thankful for his love and forever thoughtfulness. So I did have a wonderful Christmas, how was yours?

Time flys

As usual I haven't been good at updating the events of our lives.

GORDON Graduated from College.http://okdarlin.blogspot.com/2008/12/so-now-what.html He didn't want any fan fair and fuss made, that's just him, and he wouldn't do the ceremony at all, so we went to dinner as a family and told him we were very Pound of him and just celebrated quietly. He has worked very hard and was always doing homework, but he also was able to work full time, get married, buy a house and get it running, do family and friend activities and tolerate 2 dogs & not go in debt for school, (and pay for it on his own). He is the 3rd child of 4 to graduate and we are happy for all of them, and #4 is working towards his degree right now. It really is a great feeling to know that education is important to our family.

Melanie and Hyrum had another baby shower given by her inlaw side, and it was a lot of fun, but one thing for sure baby H. will be very well dressed for the next 6 months and could sleep in his new toy chest if needed.
We really did finish our kitchen remodel and here are a few pictures. We love the new area and it just opened up the whole space and made having people over so much more relaxing. We had thanksgiving and then the Hardcastle party here already. I did lose some decorating space and have had to find new spots for things, but the eating and visiting area is no much better.

had already stared to move things out





old wall now gone

In decorating for Christmas this year I only put up one tree. We were trying to remember & I think it's been about 13 yrs that I have always put up two, but the work and rearranging it would of taken this year just overwhelmed me for some reason. I hope this isn't a sign of things to come, because I also sent out no cards, did not make a Christmas crafts for all our families, they just got Almond Roca and an ornament (12 total), visiting teaching sisters (7 total) just got treats, no decorations, I still haven't made any English Toffee, I don't think I have ever missed a married yr. doing that, I have made no Cheese Balls, they both were Mom's favorite and I just can't bring my self to make them, I did buy all the ingredients, but they just sit in the pantry. I only got 1 new nativity set this year and it was moms, but I gave 1 away, and actually got rid of 2 more that were old and damaged. I am not feeling depressed, just indifferent and not very excited by the season, which I am usually very very excited. It might be the remodel, it might be Mom being gone, it might be I just want to spend time with Baby H. or that certain things still make me cry. It might be that I haven't been giving enough service to others and everything has been too self centered and about me and my family this year and I need to give more and think of others. Always in the past Kim and I have done our own little Christmas service to others, and we haven't even talked about it this yr. so tonight we will decide who and what and maybe things will start to feel better.

I am going to be more specific than usual in my being thankful, and I am thankful that Kim and I both have good jobs that at the moment are very secure and we can feel safe in knowing that our livelihood's can remain stable for now, and that if need be we can help our children and others if they needed it. I have a testimony of tithing and in giving back as we have been so much.

Off Work

When we were planning on Mom coming to live with us, I had asked for 3 weeks of FMLA so that I could get her settled, get the help that would be needed, and just get our life together going. Well I didn't need those 3 weeks for that reason anymore, but my boss said do what you want, so I took the time anyway, with all the intention of going into work each week, NOT!

I have enjoyed this time so much. I have been able to spend a lot of time with Mel and Hyrum. I was able to stay for 2 days when they came home from the hosp. and they have in turn been to our home 3 times, I got to go with them for his adorable baby pictures too.

I was able to have thanksgiving dinner at our home with the new kitchen/great room dig. I have gotten a lot of my Christmas shopping done, and all the decorating too, with the help of Jodi who also had taken some time off work.


I've been able to clean and get a few things organized with the new kitchen, We even cleaned all our blinds which is an amazing task, because I hate cleaning blind.

Our bi-weekly Sunday dinner was fun, we ate, held Hyrum and watched Gordon cut his own hair with the help of Matt.




Now everyone has gone back to work and school, except me, and I still have plenty to do and get ready for Christmas. I work this coming weekend, but then another week off after that. We will be having both our family Christmas parties next week and we will be starting to work more on mom's home which is something I am so not looking forward too.

Live goes on and I am thankful for the season of Christmas with all the traditions and also remembering what was sacrificed by the Savior for us.

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving was a wonderful day full of family, food, good conversations, and just a plain nice time. We hosted the "my side of the family" dinner. But, seriously I hardly cooked anything. sisters, brothers, in-laws all brought the best food ever, some great new items and some true standards. The great Slush/sprite mom always made was there for starters with cheese and crackers to wet the appetite, then the sit down dinner. The new open kitchen and front room or great room was a real treat this year, so that we could all be together and visit more. I used Mom's old cloth napkins, something we haven't done in over 10years either.

But I have to share a phone call I got that morning while preparing for the day. Hello,(me) Hi how's it going? Good how are you? I just wanted to call and wish you a happy thanksgiving and tell you I love you. Well thanks, (me). Is everything going OK? So far. Good, I just wanted to know if you are going to go pick up Angie? I think you have the wrong # (me). O my goodness I was trying to call my daughter and must have dialed wrong. That's Ok, I hope you have a great thanksgiving, (me). You too, thanks. So you might guess the rest, I started crying. I was just touched and thought of mom, she loved the holidays and the family and everything that went along with them. I also had a little mom breakdown on Wed. when I was preparing the stuffing, something I have never done without her here. I was told it turned out Ok.

I asked my brother, I wonder how long the "I need to call mom" syndrome lasts, He said "I hope forever", me too.

Baby H news. He is still cute as ever, and like we all predicted Much more alert. He and his mom have hardly slept, and they are still working hard on getting the feeding thing down. I love to hold him and look at him and give little kisses on his warm soft head. Being a grandma and grandpa is going to be GREAT and I am so thankful we are at this point in our lives.

Happy to be called...

Grandma and Grandpa! We would like to introduce the newest member of the Family...Hyrum Scott L. he was born at 0209 on 11-22 weighing in at 7lbs. 7oz. and 19 inches long. He is the cutest thing we have ever seen and with a head of beautiful golden brown hair and at this point is very very content, I will assume that disposition might change. Once it was decided he needed to be born he came fast and furious. Both mom and dad appear to be doing well, just very very tired from the long night.
We already love him and we love his name and who he is named after, "little grandpa", as Mel always called him.

So welcome to world little guy. It won't always be a great place to be, but you having loving parents and a big extended family who will do their best to show you how to be happy and that you are loved by them and by your father in heaven.


I am so grateful you are here and made it safely.

Happy but sleepless

Maybe sleep is over rated, but I have always heard you can die from sleep deprivation, and it is used as a form of torture (our own).

It must run in the family, because I can’t stay asleep. I can go to sleep really quickly, even if there is noise in the house, a kid playing guitar right under my room, a football game at the high school, and Lindsay Buckingham too loud in the Family room, but stay asleep, no fat chance. I start waking up about 1am and usually watch every hour. It doesn’t matter if I have to get up at 0345 for work or have absolutely no reason to get up at all. My brain just won’t turn back off. Kim thinks I have forgotten how to sleep. I don’t know what that means, but most mornings he finds me at he computer typing, crying, cleaning, rearranging something, or resting on the front room couch (that is actually more comfortable than my bed on sleepless nights).

I know I worry too much, about everything, getting super sat. crap done, cleaning my dusty but beautiful new kitchen, paying for my dusty but beautiful new kitchen, going through mom’s stuff, where are her rings, who wants her clothes, what is actually in the cedar chest, why can’t I get up and go to the gym any more, why doesn’t Matt go to church anymore, when will this baby come, who is coming for thanksgiving dinner, why can’t I sleep?! Sometimes you just think your brain is going to explode. O well I’ll be tired tonight and tomorrow I work so life goes on.

But Friday I had the best girls day-out ever. I had a RS pres. meeting on Thursday night and we started talking about the craft fair I wasn’t taking part in this year and 3 of us wanted to go and I knew another gall who wanted to go so the 4 of us had such a fun time. We went to the fair, to lunch and a couple of other stops and laughed and talked and ate and shopped and it was great. Those kind of days are far too far in between, but such a great shot of energy.

I am so thankful for friends and family, and being busy enough that I have plenty to think about and not be board.

Good habits

I am getting so excited, our remolding is almost completed. I will soon be able to clean and me wanting to clean you know it must be bad. I haven’t had a lot of time to post before and during pictures, so soon I’ll just post them all. But as the work has progressed my first thought each time has been “I need to call MOM”. I can not tell you how many times in the last week or so I have had this thought.

With each item completed in our home, when I bought Get Smart (she would have loved that movie), when Jessica showed up at our house in some kind of full blown allergy reaction and we thought we’d be taking her to the hospital, when Mel had to go get checked out at the hospital for her swelling and high BP, Justin wanting the boys to start working for him, when Jodi’s date had to cancel again and why and some of her frustrations right now. About my gift from my co-workers, about what a great job both my girls are doing in their Young Women callings. Matt’s hair cut and getting a car and how well he's doing in school. Jennie’s new internship. Gordon’s house and what he’s been doing to it, Kim’s funny scout auction and what sold for what $$$, the list goes on and on. I don’t know how long this lasts, maybe forever, it’s actually a nice feeling mixed with sad emotions.

I am grateful to know that some habits, (50 year old habits) are hard to brake.