Happy First Birthday, Kaylee!

Kaylee's birthday is December 26th. Ethan and Cameo wanted to share her birthday with family and their friends, so they decided to have a pizza party here on the Saturday following her birthday. We just had to provide the house and the dough...they did the rest! Here are some pictures of the happy celebration!

She spied someone playing with her pink ball...that was it until she got her ball back!

Merry Christmas

I woke up early. All were asleep. I have never jogged on Christmas Morning, but since it was going to be quiet, I set out for my three miles. It was later than usual, so the sun was coming up. Nothing is better than watching the sun illuminate the Phoenix Temple at dawn. Such a lovely way to start Christmas!

We decided simple was best. No Monkey Bread...just leftovers. I didn't even ask the kids to come over, but they wanted to. So, after we finally got Kayty up, we did our little home Christmas, and then watched the others as they came to share Christmas here.

While Kayty slept, Dad and I shared gifts. Here is my new "Hut Cart" he got me. Now I can transport the tubs from my hut (behind me) to the house and back!

 The Line Up 

 Kayty opened her gifts...

Lovin' her Star Wars Mr. Potato Head.

Dad loving the new purple silk tie Kayty got him from work. 

 Jessica stopped by, and we ended up kidnapping her for quite a large part of the day. She brought her Christmas gift, a new rifle, to show off. Dad gave her some bullets for that new rifle.

 Doran, Amber, Kelsie, Ethan, Cameo, and Kaylee stopped by...

We all loved Kaylee's 'dorsal fin' dress...This made it much easier for her to get around!

Then off to Grandma's. We had Chicken Parmesan, salad, and shared desserts...

 After dinner, we headed outdoors and across the street. Poor Tony the Bull is getting so old that he didn't have the energy to come to the fence for leaves, but the little pony sure did, and the kids had a blast feeding him.

 Present time...

 Obviously, neither Kayty nor Kelsie are fans of having their picture taken!

 And wasn't this great! Dorrie made me this ornament...a miniature of my village on the piano! So clever! (This year, we just didn't have enough tables to put up my village when I had time to do it, so it didn't go up. Perhaps next year...)

We came home...exhausted and full. Such a nice day. So nice to have been with family...in the last two weeks, we were able to see almost all of our children...and we talked with all of them. Morgan had a great Christmas in Utah with Aunt Sharynn and family...Merry Christmas to all!

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve...

When the kids were young, Dee worked...had to put in 6 am to noon hours, and he was exhausted. He would come home, we would finish last minute things, then get the kids ready, pile in the van and head out to East Mesa and Nano's house. We would have dinner, gifts, load up, come back home, hurry in, leaving the gifts in the van (though they would always sneak one or two in), pajamas on, Luke Chapter 2 read, cookies and milk placed on fireplace hearth, read "Twas The Night Before Christmas", hurry them off to bed...wait hours until they were asleep, which usually meant Dee was sound asleep. As there was not much on tv then, I would turn on Christmas Mass from Rome (mind you, I am and was LDS) and do the things moms do on Christmas Eve... It was always a day of lots of busy...lots of running and hurrying and being really tired.

As the kids grew up and left home, it quieted down. No more rushing to Nano's East Mesa home...she lives closer. Sadly, Santa gets no cookies, no milk, and we read no stories...The Christmas before Nathan left, we even opened gifts after midnight together. Not conventional...but sure a lot of fun! We didn't open them all...just the "one" gift we thought would be the best surprise.

This year, we found out that our missionary phone call would come on Christmas Eve...his Christmas morning. We tried to get as many as could be here...kids still had to work. The phone call ended up being crazy...people getting ready for Nano's house, Kayty on her cell phone on her way home from work, the speaker phone not doing well, and...well, we talked...and we will see him soon, so it was ok. No Skype pics like others have; his area had no one that offered to do that.

Then off to Nano's house. Dinner was late starting, because we were late arriving, but all enjoyed Pulled Pork Sandwiches, Ed's Beans (I will post the recipe for Allison, et al. Nate is the only one in possession of the recipe, but it's framed and on the shelf, so I can just look at it...right?), Nano's cornbread dressing, salad, and I don't even remember all the other things, but I was stuffed. After dinner, we shared gifts. This year, we didn't have time for games. Usually, we play Bingo with M&M markers, and Pictionary.

 What would any photo taking event be without finding some trick that my sons have played with my camera when I set it down?

Then, we went home. No cookies for Santa. No story. I did find the Pope offering Mass from Rome, and I did what Mom's do...

Happy Christmas to all...and to all a goodnight!