Week of December 22 - 28, 2014

Monday - I h turning off my alarm clock, and since Dee was on vacation, I just exercised and tried my best to get ready for Kaylee and keep quiet. While I went to get her, Dee finished some projects. His mom came by after Kaylee and I got here...and went on a stroll to feed the goat, and then he headed out for shopping.  Kaylee made bell ornaments and got a couple of bell bracelets. Meanwhile, a knock came on the door...and it was Nathan! and Jessica! and Lily!. We had a wonderful afternoon, and Kaylee enjoyed it so much that a nap was not in order! Evening was spent wrapping and cleaning up, while Dee worked on some genealogy his mom had shared with him. He also monitored the pork roasts he had put into the smoker.

Tuesday - Kaylee woke up, we watched Dora, got dressed and headed to our house. She did a Gingerbread Man dot drawing and we decorated sugar cookies.

This time...she enjoyed!

Our day was full of playing outdoors, feeding chickens, running, eating fresh oranges.

Nano came to get the pulled pork Dad had smoked.

Nate was here, working on a project he wants to build, eating some Chinese, attempting a dove hunt (no doves), and Nate moved the wheelbarrows of rocks and mowed the lawn. It sure is nice to have he and Jessica in town!!!

Ethan fixed my printer...It is sure nice that he lives in town...and is very patient with me!

Dad was going to get the last session at the temple, but it was in Spanish, so he just came home and shopped a bit. The missionaries came by and helped Dad with the genealogical information his mom had given him.

Kayty screamed at a television screen..."One Direction" had their own television special.

I was bushed, so I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

Christmas Eve - I love jogging at holiday time, and I hadn't done that in awhile, so I headed out. The lights left on were gorgeous!

The BEST light was at the temple. The gates weren't open but I peered through the gates and enjoyed it. Some of my favorite lights were no longer there: the "angel" house had two airless bears in a crumpled pile. They are moving to a smaller house.

Things do change.

I got Kayty up and off to work and did some quiet work around the house.

Kaylee came while Dee, Nate, and Ethan did some target shooting. Kaylee and I played some nativity activities. When Ethan returned, they left for the fish store, and I finished up around the house. Dee did some last minute shopping, and then we were off the Nano's

Dinner was great: pulled pork, Ed's beans, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, Cameo's homemade macaroni and cheese, salad, and all kinds of yummy goodies. We played a Christmas trivia game and some Bingo after dinner. Gift opening and sharing was fun too.

Dee and I stopped on the way home to drive through the luminarias in the neighborhood north of us before coming home and heading to bed. 

Christmas Day - I am writing this as I head to bed for the night. It was the BEST Christmas Day I have had in many many years! It began with a morning jog, and a stop at the Phoenix Temple to just look and enjoy. Everything worked out perfectly and I was able to enjoy time with Ethan and Cam, and with Doran and Amber. Nate and Jess were with us and it was just such a wonderful wonderful day. I was able to enjoy watching kids play and enjoy, watching the opening of gifts, and then have fun at the end of the day when Kayty, Jessica and Nate opened their gifts. Dinner at Dorrie's was yummy chicken Parmesan, pasta, salad, corn and garlic bread. We had fun everywhere we went! There is not one ounce of "wish I would have" and as I said my prayers tonight, I only could express gratitude for the last week of Christmas. I truly will remember this always. Thank you to each of my sweet family for making it possible!

 Friday - Happy Birthday Kaylee!

Kayty and I hit Target sales first thing...very disappointing. Then we stopped at Walgreens...also disappointing.

I made 20 pizza doughs, cleaned the bathroom, vacuumed and just readied for Saturday. Dad did the same. We also shopped for a new outdoor thermometer for him and visited Dorrie to get a picture of the necklace hanger he had made for her for Christmas.

Our day ended with a session at the temple.

Saturday - Today was birthday party day, and Ethan was here very early to help get things ready. He moved things, blew the leaves, shopped for more wood with Dad and helped make the playground climbing thing more safe. Cam arrived early and did the decorating.

The party was great! Ethan and Cam had prepped all the food, did all the cooking, and I just helped clean up. 11 pizzas were made and Kaylee got many wonderful things, though she just wanted to take her new book from Grandma Liz and take a nap!

Cameo had worked hours, making cupcakes and an adorable Minnie Mouse cake. It was so cute!

Dad and I spent the evening shopping at WalMart who had sales that were not disappointing. Kayty went to karaoke late after work.

Sunday - I couldn't sleep, so I got up and picked up the house a bit and got ready for church. We had a nice Sacrament meeting today and the rest of the time I helped in the nursery. It was crazy since the leader and assistant were both gone, but we managed to keep everyone in the room.

I made and wrote thank you notes. Dorrie brought Dee some divinity, which is his favorite Christmas treat. Kayty enjoyed her ward meetings and after church and dinner, headed out to Game night with LDS friends in Mesa. Dad made sure his garden was nice and warm, since we have had freezing temperatures the past few nights.

It was a great end to a great week and a great holiday. Decorations come down this week and I am ready to set goals and accomplish many things.

Week of December 15 - 21, 2014

Monday - It was wonderful to wake up and exercise this morning. After signing in Dad to his work computer for the final time in 2014, I proceeded to try and work out the mess at Walmart.com, which led to me trying to get a printer to work, which led to me messing up the printers and now both won't print (Ethan is gonna hate me!). Two hours later...he worked and I finished up projects. We were both working on the final grandchild gift. He finished work at 11:30 and we headed out to drop the jeep off at Discount Tire for a new tire...which turned into three new tires. While it was being worked on, we took my jeep out to Dillon and I bought Dad a new reloader for Christmas. ( Well, he had to pitch in some of the money...I only had 2/3 of it). Back to Discount Tire where the only good tire wasn't so good and so he has four brand new tires (the fourth one was pro-rated and only cost $20) He has NEVER had four new tires EVER! Quite a treat.

Afternoon and evening were spent working on his project, finishing up things with mine. I did manage to get one visiting teaching appointment made with my companion...which is epic! I did my letter writing for one of the sisters, and I was still trying to reach the other. Dad and Nate had a good talk on the phone...he was looking for a Honeywell Internship and the application for that. Kayty worked late.

Tuesday - I attended the first session at the temple. I had errands to run and work to do. I got my list completed...and so did Dad.

We enjoyed a temple session at the end of the day as well.

Wednesday - I began my day at the temple. The first session on Wednesday is beautiful and blessed and a perfect start to my day.

Busy day, full of cleaning and mopping, packing and readying. The weather was cool and rainy...a great nearly winter day.

Visiting teaching appointment was good. Dad worked on completing a Christmas gift and readied the garden and yard for our absence.

We completed our duties in time to attend another temple session in the evening.

Thursday - We finished our final load up and headed out to Vegas.

The trip was good...love those new tires. We had some rain on us here and there, and we stopped at a Chinese buffet in Vegas that Dee likes before we arrived.

Joshy greeted us with a smile...and a "Boo!"

Sammy wasn't too sure...until we applauded him and played patty cake. We became less sketchy then!

Car unloaded...box of block put under the tree and the teeter totter assembled so Joshy could test it.

Stocking bags put in the bedroom safe from Joshy's investigating.

We headed out to a local church hall and got to enjoy Grace's awesome Christmas play. She was the best Reporter One EVER!

We headed home, had dinner,

and let them enjoy their gifts.

We shared a scripture and then a great story about a little girl in Russia and a bell.

Bedtime ended a great and very happy day.

Friday - We woke up and got ready before the kids woke up. It was a chilly night for me and I was glad to get layers of my clothing on.

Building blocks were used over...and over...and over during the day, though the start of the day had to include removing the building block barricade by the front door so Mike could get to work.

We teetered and tottered till I thought my leg muscles would never forgive me. (But oh how much fun it was!)

Our day included:

A piano recital

Watching them build their gingerbread houses

A trip to swing and play volleyball and search for acorns to hit with a tennis racket...and wear off all that sugar...

A sweet phone call from Nathan...Ten hours working a math problem!

And Papa cooked a wonderful yummy Chinese food dinner!

We watched "A Christmas Story", read a neat Christmas story and headed to bed. 


Saturday - We started our day with a scare...Kayty didn't answer our constant wake up calls. Thank heavens for Ethan, who checked and found her merely asleep. We tried to get back to sleep and get a little rest. We were wakened by Adam and then Grace coming out to see us...and then Joshy. Allison joined Mike and then Sam.

We said our goodbye's and headed back. We were so thankful to share Christmas with our beloved little Vegas family. Their home is full of warmth and love and the Spirit of Christ.

Nearly five hours later, we arrived home. Kayty had done the dishes...but that was about it!

Dad took care of the chickens, the garden and the yard.

I did three loads of laundry and cleaned and cooked and vacuumed.


Sunday - We headed to church early so I could be at a choir practice. We had a beautiful Christmas Sacrament Meeting, with a gorgeous violin solo by Brooklyn Edwards, a laurel in our ward, playing "Oh Come Oh Come Immanuel", and then a gorgeous tenor solo by Jordan Bluth. There were other musical numbers, solos, and the choir sang twice. Our bishop closed with his testimony and it was a perfect and spirit-filled meeting. We had a great Sunday School class learning of Daniel and interpreting Nebuchadnezzar's Dream.

After church, we just read scriptures and got ready for the days ahead. I did take some final pics of the house...

 We are making sure that we just enjoy the week ahead. I did as much as I possibly could ahead of time so I could just enjoy...We hope you enjoy your week too! Stay healthy! We are all so very blessed that whether we are in the same room, or in different states, each of you are always part of my heart!