Visitors

Jaimie, Meleah, Isabelle, Kelli
This is from a couple of years ago, but I didn't take any pictures today!

Today (Saturday) my niece Kelli and her family came through on their way back home.  They were visiting my sister Tina (Kelli's Mom) and family in Idaho for Christmas, were going to my parent's house tonight, and on home to California tomorrow.

While they were here I went downstairs to play dolls with my grand nieces.  I brought one up to show Trisa.  It was the first doll she ever had.  She got it for Christmas when she was 3 months old.  Meleah had come upstairs too, and then Isabelle arrived with her baby doll.  Somehow Trisa had everyone cheering for Isabelle for safely getting the baby up the stairs.  She grinned, and Meleah quickly went downstairs and came up with her baby.  She was given the appropriate cheers for her safe carrying as well, and everyone was happy.

I think it is fun that being cheered for made them happy.  The candy canes were a big hit too.  The dogs were loved, but sometimes Isabelle wanted to love them from a little further away than they wanted to be!

It is so fun when Kelli and Jaimie come.  We always enjoy visiting with them and are really glad they took the time to come by.

Watching My Echo

On the day after Christmas I got to go watch my own echocardiogram.  I might not like that I need all of these fabulous medical tests, but I am still fascinated by them.  Unfortunately, even though I did a little reading on the subject beforehand, I couldn't do any real interpreting.  My heart is beating, so that's a good thing!

Here are some of the pictures.  I gather they took 63.

The nice lady who did the echo thought that I'd get a call about the results in about a week.  We'll see.  I know I have an appointment at the end of January to go over the results, and since I've had the same heart the whole time I've been living I'm assuming there is nothing that is such an emergency that they'd feel like they have to rush to let me know.  I am interested to hear though, and hope they actually do call sooner than later!

Throwing Axes

Dan in the process of throwing an axe (plus people watching and a random guy getting ready to retrieve his axe)

Mike's turn.  He was, I believe, the first to get his axe to stick (he did it on his first try) and he made it look easy.

Kayli was the first to get a bullseye.

Here we are at the end.  I was the cheering section.  I didn't dare risk my shoulders.
Left to right:  Mike, Tia, Jake, Connor, Kayli, Derek, Dan, Sherie, Trisa

They all threw axes for an hour and the time went by quickly.  Some people got more frustrated than others, but everyone did well, especially considering we don't go around throwing axes ever.

Our Christmas

I know that Christmas isn't about presents, except for Christ's gift to us, but there are still presents involved at our house, and that is what a lot of our pictures revolve around.  They also are about family and it was fun to have all of my children home this year.

This is the annual picture of the race up the stairs.  Teddy won, which is obvious since he is headed back down.  I can't remember which person actually won.

This is Dan with his stocking stuff.

Trisa, Kayli, Jake, Connor and Chewy.

The dogs like snuggling with Kayli

The boys all being fascinated that Connor pulled a knife out of his sweats pocket and was using it to open a present.  Apparently he slept with the knife in his pocket.

Connor holding his present from Trisa who, obviously, is the gift.

Trisa is holding her gift from Connor.  It is a Harry Potter puzzle.  Once she does it she needs to flip it over and read the note written on the back!  Tia told us, for future reference, not to ever do that for her.  She does not like doing puzzles.

Jake is opening his present from Tia and Mike.  They wrapped his new game in saran wrap (under the wrapping paper) a LOT of times.

This present was taken downstairs before it was opened since that is where it goes.  It is a big bean bag that expanded once it got out of the box.  It's supposed to be something like 4 ft. x 4 ft. x 3 ft.

Connor, Mike and Jake with the box and Tia and Trisa in the background.

In the background it is fairly easy to see where all of the kids had a "sleep" over on Christmas Eve -- except Dan who wanted to sleep in his bed, but who didn't have much success.

Jake and his Christmas goods.  Jake hasn't really loved books his whole life, but that is all he asked for this year, though he got the jacket he is wearing and some flannel sheets because he likes warm things.

Trisa and her Christmas gifts.

Connor and his gifts (including the plaid he's wearing)

Another picture of Connor.  The lighting wasn't as good the other way, but this way missed the picture of Trisa.

Kayli and her presents, plus the dogs.  She got a Woody doll because she had one she loved when she was younger and she thinks we got rid of it without her permission (which maybe happened but we don't remember doing that.  I liked Woody!).  Now she has a bigger, newer one.

Dan got exactly what he wanted.  A drawing pad to go with the computer.  Minor flaw on my part.  Our computer is too old and doesn't have a way to connect to his drawing pad.  We'll now be getting another present for us all!

Mike and his presents.

Dan and the rest of his presents.  The coat is new too.  He lost his old one.

Tia and her presents.

Tia painted this for me.  It is a paint by numbers but I think it is still really impressive.  She knows that I love birds and so she picked this just for me and spent a lot of time doing it.  YAY!

I forgot to take a picture of Derek or me with our stuff.  We didn't need anything and didn't get much.  I bought myself an owl and two cardinals for decoration and I got Derek a Mr. Spock to go with a Captain Kirk he got years ago.  He also got socks and pants he can turn in to shorts and we both got books that I bought :-).  I got a couple of movies in my stocking that we'll enjoy watching too.

I hope you all had a happy Christmas no matter how many presents you did or didn't get and that you got to spend it with people you love.

More Christmas Eve Pictures

One of our traditional Christmas Pictures.
Chewy is on the floor.  Kayli is holding Teddy.
From left to right front:  Kayli, Jake, Trisa and Dan
Back:  Mike, Tia, Derek, Me and Connor

Before the traditional picture we were at Derek's Parent's house for pizza and a program.
This is the only picture I had with Dan in it.  He played 3 different inn keepers (I think).

Trisa's Dog Chewie in our kitchen later.

My nephew Chase being angelic.

And, the family again -- minus Teddy who isn't in to staying still.

Christmas

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6 

Photo by Alasdair Elmes on Unsplash

Some Christmas Eve Activities

We've done a few things today.  I don't have a picture of Mike and Tia making a cheese ball, or me making sugar cookie dough.  I don't have a picture of Dan on the computer, or watching things on his phone.  I don't have a picture of Derek reading, or the girls walking the dogs.  But I do have some pictures!

Connor had Tia cut his hair.  I love it!!

All of the children but Dan just finished a game of Harry Potter clue.  Now they were preparing
to watch a part of The 10th Kingdom

Mike wasn't so excited for The 10th Kingdom and so he's doing the biggest puzzle he could find at our house.  He was disappointed that it wasn't more than 750 little pieces.

Also, Mike graduated from BYU last week!  He's not really excited about it and we didn't even realize it had happened.  He starts at the Police Academy in early January.  He was hired by the Provo Police.  Hopefully that will be a job he enjoys.

Impressing the Boss

Derek and I went to a couple of work parties in the last couple of weeks.  One was a big gathering, and the other a smaller one at someone's house.  This smaller one was the party for the people who work under Derek's boss, and their spouses.  Derek's boss is from the UK, and I got to meet him briefly at the big party and I got to spend quite a bit of time talking to his wife at this party.  I liked them.  They are nice people.

At the end of the party Derek's boss thanked everyone for coming and said how impressed he is with the people he works with (including those there).  He hadn't ever had such a kind group of people who help each other and were even willing to open their homes for Christmas parties.  I have been thankful for him because he is a lot more reasonable than the last boss, and I am glad that he recognizes that he works with good people.

The top thing is a "Christmas Cracker".  Derek's boss' wife Alex told us about them.
It is a tradition in the UK at family gatherings for everyone to have one.  You pull the ends and a firework goes off.  A paper with a joke on it comes out.  Everyone shares their joke.  She said it is fun, but they wouldn't let them bring any to America on the airplane (because -- fireworks!).  Fortunately they sell them in the US now.

A Christmas Carol

Today at church one of the speakers started by giving a synopsis of A Christmas Carol.  I love it when I get a chance to see the play at the Hale Center Theater.  It is my favorite and I cry over it every time.  I cry over Tiny Tim, and his family who is devastated when he dies, and I cry over poor miserable Scrooge.  But I am happy that he learns his lessons, and that the future he saw could be changed if he made better choices.  Tiny Tim could live.  The sad family could be happy.  And Scrooge could learn to be happy instead of miserly and miserable.  And he did.

The Scrooge who had yet to learn his lesson sees his business partner Marley covered in chains.

“You are fettered," said Scrooge, trembling. "Tell me why?"
"I wear the chain I forged in life," replied the Ghost. "I made it link by link, and yard by yard; I girded it on of my own free will, and of my own free will I wore it.”
― Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol

We get to choose how we live.  We get to decide how to react to things.  We choose how we think, and what we do.  Agency, or choice, is one of the greatest gifts we have, and the way we learn.  As long as we live it is never too late to shed whatever chains we have girded.  We do this by using the power of the Atonement made by the Savior, who is the very reason we celebrate Christmas.  We can be like the Scrooge at the end of the story.

“I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year"  Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol

Celebrating Kayli

Today Kayli finally got to really celebrate her birthday.  She wanted to wait until her siblings could all be home.  During the day we did a hard puzzle, played a game that had us laughing a lot, watched a Hallmark movie, ate dinner, opened presents (just Kayli on that one), and had dessert.  Now another movie is on.  It has been a good day.

Connor, Trisa and Kayli -- with Teddy's head as he watches.

Kayli wanted her Dad to decorate the cake and so he did.  It was awesome!

Jake, Trisa, Kayli and Derek
I like this for Kayli's face, and Derek's sympathetic blowing.  I really think that is a thing.

Connor, Trisa and Kayli.  Aren't they the cutest?!

Trisa, Kayli, and Derek.  Trisa gave Kayli a Lion King coloring book.
Kayli is a Lion King fan.

Trisa, Kayli, and Kayli's new kindle.

Kayli's Birthday Day

For Kayli's birthday she and I traveled to St. George to see her Grandpa Fuller.  He's having heart surgery on the 3rd of January and she wanted to visit him first.  We stopped at IHOP and The Puppy House on our way there.

I believe this is a Bernadoodle (half St. Bernard and half Poodle).
You can admire his large belly.

Kayli wanted to take them all home but especially this snuggly one.

So Cute!

Cute puppies.

Kayli's Great Uncle Don and Aunt Ada sang the happy birthday song to Kayli before dinner.
My Mom and Dad and I sang it again with her Peanut Butter Pie after dinner.

The first attempt was a no go.

Which made her laugh.  She blew the candles out quickly after that.

Wiggly Puppy kept trying to get to my face!

Aww.  Maybe the trick to smiling well in a picture is holding a cute puppy!

Ha ha!  Nope.  Apparently not.  But that's okay.

We had a nice time here with my parents and will celebrate Kayli's birthday with the rest of the family on Saturday.  Or maybe she'll want to open presents Friday.  We'll see!