Busier Than A Goat In A Petting Zoo!

I don't mean to be a slacker.. I really don't. Please don't be offended that I haven't had time to write a new blog post because blogging isn't the only thing I haven't had time for.

For instance:

1. I haven't had time to deposit the check that my father in law gave us for Christmas. In fact, I didn't even have time to mention it to hubby so when Father In Law asked hubby about the money, hubby's response was, "What money? I know nothing about this."  OOPS!
2. I haven't had time to call Summerhays Music store to complain about the fact that I have set up automatic billing for Linzie's violin TWICE now and they are claiming I haven't paid anything. Late fees are stacking up. It's a phone call, Nicole! Get it done already!
3. I haven't had time to have Hubby's prescription refilled. I need to get this done before the end of the week because that's when our insurance benefits roll over and if I wait until Saturday then I am going to have to PAY for the meds instead of just happily walk away with the free drugs. 
4. I haven't had time to clean my bathroom.  Okay, it wouldn't matter if I DID have the time, I'd still put this job off. 
5. I haven't had the time to go to the grocery store to get important stuff like milk, eggs, bread, trash bags.. FOOD.   Sorry, kiddos! (Can't you survive on the candy from your Christmas stockings for at least another week?)
6. I haven't had time to put gas in the Durango. Even though Hubby gave me money to do this today, I still didn't get it done. At this point it is starting to feel like the yellow gas light is a close, personal friend. Should I WANT to make it go away? 
7. I haven't had time to make my bed.  Okay, OKAY! Just refer to number 4.. same excuse.
8. I haven't had time to nag the kids about cleaning their rooms.. somehow I don't  think they really mind.
9. I haven't had time to write a decent blog with pretty pictures and funny anecdotes about the wonderful family Christmas we had. I was too busy! But because I failed to write that Christmas blog, complete with pictures, please visit my Carley's blog.. once again, she says it beautifully. Click HERE. 

I HAVE had time to count my many blessings. I have a wonderful family who stick together and love each other each and every single day. I HAVE had time to miss Aunt Dottie every single day and ache over too many miles between us. And I HAVE had time to appreciate the fact that I can freeload my girlies' pictures from their blogs when I don't have time to take pics of my own. 

So... what has kept me so busy you ask?  I am dipping pretzels in caramel and chocolate for a January 11th wedding. Angie Bennett was my  first best friend ever (Kindergarten if you can believe it!) and her daughter is getting married. I offered to whip up all of the chocolate pretzel rods and mini pretzels for only the cost of ingredients. There's not a single surface in my kitchen or front room that isn't covered with pretzels in various stages of completion. What the heck was I thinking??  No worries, I'm sure 300 pretzel rods and a gazillion mini pretzels won't take much time to complete....  Thank GOODNESS Carley-boo loves to help me!  

Merry Christmas!

Just a quick note before I take my much-needed Christmas morning nap. Our family has had a wonderful holiday morning that included breakfast pizza pinwheels handmade by my adorable Hubby and I, and a house full of extremely cute and happy girls all enjoying their Christmas swag.

I can just hear the Whos down in Whoville singing "Dah Who Door Ay" now! In spite of the economic pinch we found ourselves in this holiday season, we are all so in love with our family and the pure spirit of family friendship that nothing can bring us down today.

So as I lay down for my well-earned nap with visions of my happy girls enjoying their sugarplums, I want to wish you all the Merriest of all Christmases and we send you our love. We are truly blessed!

(Pictures will follow once my tired eyes recover from a night of busy Santa work.)

What We've Been Up To Part 2

So, I hijacked Carley's laptop and will now kidnap her awesome pictures to show you what else we've been up to.  (Carley says to make it quick because she wants to do some Christmas baking...)

Now because these are Christmas gifts, I can't exactly tell you what these projects are, but I think the pictures are way fun nonetheless!

Enjoy!

Abby makes perfect cuts

Mom stitches with care

Linz runs the machine

Carley takes pictures and helps with stitching

Even with his gimpy shoulder, he wraps!

Don't be puzzled

Hidden Messages

The big picture!

So This Is Christmas/ What We've Been Up To Part One

I've been struggling lately.. actually, a month is a lot longer than lately but whatevs.  I have wanted to feel the Christmas spirit, I have worked really hard at the task... but so far, no dice. I know I shouldn't admit to that on a family blog but at least I'm trying to do the Christmasy thing.  The girls and I have been working on some secret present projects, we happily vandalized a present for my parents, and we had a huge birthday to celebrate as well. So cut me a little slack if I still wish that a certain D at Open High School would fall down a hole forever for being such a beast and I truly can't wait for Karma to catch up to that one. (The truth is that I am thrilled to be done with OHSU even if it means struggling at Christmas. D you can have all the money in the world and you'll still be a poor excuse for a human being.) 

So what exactly have the crew and I been up to?  On the 18th we celebrated Carley and Madi's 18th birthday. Where the HECK did the time go??  I thought very hard about what gifts to get them to commemorate the day and I decided on custom jewelery for them both from The Vintage Pearl. If you ever want to get something special, you need to order from them. Their pieces are beautiful and their customer service is beyond wonderful. 

Carley got a bracelet with different charms each stamped with the name of someone in our family and Madi got a beautiful necklace which also has everyone's names on it. The other part of their gift was a GPS navigator for their cars. Are you wondering how the items go together?  Here's the cheesy part:  I told the girls that the GPS was so they can always find their way in the world, and the jewelry was so that they would always be able to find their way home.  Awwww...  I know, right?  :) They changed into their new clothes and jewelry right away so I know they loved and appreciated the gifts! 

The girls wanted to visit mom on their birthday so we loaded up the Durango and headed out. Even though we are 100% able to find our way to Gma's house without a GPS device, we turned on one of the birthday gadgets to guide us there because it was fun! I can't tell you just how much I enjoy time with my family. We laugh all the time when we're together! 

My mom gave the girls special bracelets from Concord, Mass along with marble signs saying "Believe" and "Imagine" which were stunning and so thoughtful! We had to laugh when Madi stood next to Mom because Madi looked like a giant! The optical illusion is exaggerated because Madi had on heeled boots and my mom is such a lil thing.  I love this picture of the two of them together!  

Unfortunately, we couldn't stay long because Emily had a costume fitting that afternoon. We just don't get to spend enough time with extended family lately.

After the fitting, we headed to SLC to The Cheesecake Factory for dinner. We wanted to try something new and none of us had ever been to that restaurant before.  One word: WOW! We had the BEST time at that birthday dinner. Everyone ordered something different and we were all sampling from each other's plates. There was not a bad dish among us! Ordinarily we never order dessert but it was The Cheesecake Factory, right?  So even though everyone was full to capacity, we each ordered a different flavor of cheesecake and the sharing continued thanks to a few handfuls of extra forks that our fabulous waiter, Bill, brought to us.  My poor hubby was groaning when we left (Don't get between him and his tastebuds!) but we couldn't quit talking about what a wonderful time we had that afternoon. 

Later that night we watched some fun family flicks.. Despicable Me is a seriously cute movie! Overall, I was so happy with the entire day. I hope that Carley and Madi will always remember their 18th birthday with fondness and know without a doubt how much they are loved!

Part two coming soon! In the meantime, enjoy these individual pics that Carley took of everyone at the restaurant. :)  

Birthday Girl Madi

Birthday Girl Carley

Emily Nicole

Linzie Savanna

Abby Julia

The Mom

Shnookums

An Update... coming soon!

Every day is busy around here. Birthdays, Christmas, candy making and cookie baking.. even Ninjas!

I promise an update with pictures very soon!

Aunt Dottie,  I got your Christmas card and lovely letter today.. I've read it 5 times already.  I love you so much, beautiful lady!

What Happened In 1992?

January 1992

Wednesday 01:

George H. W. Bush becomes the first President of the United States of America to address the Australian Parliament.

Saturday 11:

Paul Simon is the first major artist to tour South Africa after the end of the cultural boycott.

Sunday 12:

A new constitution, providing for freedom to form political parties, is approved by referendum in Mali.

Thursday 16:

El Salvador officials and rebel leaders sign the Chapultepec Peace Accords in Mexico City that ends a 12-year civil war that claimed at least 75,000.

Wednesday 22:

STS-42: Dr. Roberta Bondar becomes the first Canadian woman in space.

» January 1992

February 1992

Saturday 01:

The Chief Judicial Magistrate of Bhopal court declares Warren Anderson, ex-CEO of Union Carbide, a fugitive under Indian law for failing to appear in the Bhopal Disaster case.

Friday 07:

The European Union is formed.

Monday 10:

In Indianapolis, Indiana boxer Mike Tyson is convicted of raping a Miss Black America contestant named Desiree Washington.

Monday 17:

A court in Milwaukee, Wisconsin sentences serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer to life in prison.

Wednesday 26:

Xocali slaughter. More than 600 people of the town of Xocali, Azerbaijan, are killed by Armenian forces during war in Karabakh.

» February 1992

March 1992

Monday 02:

Moldova joins the UN

Friday 13:

In eastern Turkey, an earthquake registering 6.8 on the Richter scale kills over 500.

Tuesday 17:

A suicide car-bomb kills 29 and injures 242 at the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Wednesday 25:

Cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev returns to Earth after a 10-month stay aboard the Mir space station.

Tuesday 31:

The television news program Dateline NBC premieres.

» March 1992

April 1992

Sunday 05:

Siege of Sarajevo begins when Serb paramilitaries murder peace protestor Suada Dilberovic on the Skenderija Bridge.

Thursday 09:

John Major wins the UK general election.

Thursday 16:

The Katina P. runs aground off of Maputo, Mozambique. 60,000 tons of crude oil spill into the ocean.

Monday 20:

An all-star concert in memory of Queen frontman Freddie Mercury is held at Wembley Stadium in London.

Wednesday 29:

1992 Los Angeles riots: Riots in Los Angeles, California, follow the acquittal of police officers charged with excessive force in the beating of Rodney King. Over the next three days 54 people are killed and hundreds of buildings are destroyed.

» April 1992

May 1992

Thursday 07:

Three employees at a McDonald's Restaurant in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada are brutally murdered and a fourth permanently disabled after a botched robbery. It is the first fast-food murder in Canada.

Saturday 16:

STS-49: Space Shuttle Endeavour lands safely after a successful maiden voyage.

Sunday 17:

In Thailand, the so-called Black May begins. Thai police and protestors start attacking one another. By midnight, the current Thai government declares a state of emergency, and military troops, equipped with M-16 rifles, open fire.

Friday 22:

After 30 years, 66-year-old Johnny Carson hosts The Tonight Show for the last time.

Sunday 24:

The last Thai dictator, General Suchinda Kraprayoon, resigns following pro-democracy protests.

» May 1992

June 1992

Monday 08:

The first World Ocean Day is celebrated, coinciding with the Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Saturday 13:

The Orlando Predators of the Arena Football League logged the first (and, to date, only) shutout in league history, defeating the San Antonio Force, 50-0.

Monday 15:

The United States Supreme Court rules in US vs. Alvarez-Machain that it is permissible for the USA to abduct suspects in foreign countries and bring them to the USA for trial, without approval from those other countries. No reciprocal right is recognized for the reverse to happen in the USA.

Wednesday 17:

A 'Joint Understanding' agreement on arms reduction is signed by U.S. President George H. W. Bush and Russian President Boris Yeltsin (this would be later codified in START II).

Tuesday 23:

Yitzhak Rabin wins the Israeli parlamentary elections..

» June 1992

July 1992

Thursday 09:

Democratic presidential nominee Bill Clinton announces that Al Gore will be his running mate.

Friday 10:

In Miami, Florida, former Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega is sentenced to 40 years in prison for drug and racketeering violations.

Tuesday 14:

A major fire consumes an entire city block in tourist destination Gatlinburg, Tennessee, destroying the "Ripley's Believe It Or Not!" Museum and several other local businesses and attractions in the process.

Monday 20:

Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9's Fragment Q1 hits Jupiter.

Friday 31:

A Thai Airways Airbus A300-310 crashes into mountain south of Kathmandu, Nepal killing 113.

» July 1992

August 1992

Wednesday 12:

Canada, Mexico and the United States announce completion of negotiations for the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Tuesday 18:

NBA basketball player Larry Bird announces his retirement after winning an Olympic gold medal as a member of the U.S. Dream Team.

Sunday 23:

Hurricane Andrew hits South Florida.

Monday 24:

Hurricane Andrew hits South Florida

Monday 31:

Pascal Lissouba is inaugurated as the President of the Republic of the Congo after a multiparty presidential election, ending a long history of one-party oppressive rule under the Congolese Workers Party.

» August 1992

September 1992

Friday 11:

Hurricane Iniki, one of the most damaging hurricane in United States history during its time, devastates the State of Hawai'i, especially the islands of Kaua'i and Oahu.

Saturday 12:

Abimael Guzmán, leader of the Shining Path, is captured by Peruvian special forces; shortly thereafter the rest of Shining Path's leadership fell as well.

Wednesday 16:

Black Wednesday: the Pound Sterling is forced out of the European Exchange Rate Mechanism by currency speculators and is forced to devalue against the Deutschmark.

Friday 18:

Nine formerly pro-Albanian marxist-leninist parties hold a conference in Strassburg, Germany.

Tuesday 29:

Brazilian President Fernando Collor de Mello resigns.

» September 1992

October 1992

Sunday 04:

An El Al Boeing 747-200F crashes into two apartment buildings in Amsterdam, killing 43 including 38 on the ground. See Bijlmerramp

Thursday 15:

In Russia, Andrei Chikatilo is found guilty of 52 serial murders.

Friday 23:

Akihito becomes the first Emperor of Japan to stand on Chinese soil.

Saturday 24:

The Toronto Blue Jays become the first non-US team to win the World Series. This is also known as the first real "World" Series.

Thursday 29:

The Food and Drug Administration approves Depo Provera for use as a contraceptive in the United States.

» October 1992

November 1992

Tuesday 03:

U.S. presidential election: Democratic challenger Bill Clinton defeats incumbent Republican George H.W. Bush and independent candidate Ross Perot.

Thursday 05:

In Detroit, Michigan, black motorist Malice Green is beaten to death by policemen Larry Nevers and Walter Budzyn during a struggle.

Thursday 12:

Absolutely Fabulous airs its first episode on BBC1.

Friday 20:

In England, a fire breaks out in the Private Chapel room of Windsor Castle, rages for 15 hours, and seriously damages the northwest side of the building (an investigation found that the fire was ignited after a spotlight came into contact with a curtain over an extended period).

Tuesday 24:

In the People's Republic of China, a China Southern Airlines domestic flight crashes, killing all 141 people on-board.

» November 1992

December 1992

Thursday 03:

The Greek oil tanker Aegean Sea carrying 80,000 tonnes of crude oil runs aground in a storm while on approach to La Coruña, Spain, and spills much of its cargo.

Friday 04:

President George H. W. Bush orders 28,000 US troops to Somalia.

Saturday 05:

Kent Conrad of North Dakota resigns his seat in the United States Senate and is sworn into the other seat from North Dakota, becoming the only US Senator ever to have held two seats on the same day.

Wednesday 09:

US Marines land in Somalia

Thursday 31:

In the last of the great ITV franchise renewals, Thames Television, Television South West and Television South cease broadcasting, replaced by Carlton Television, Westcountry Television and Meridian Television respectively.

Friday 18:
Carley M'lyssa and Catherine Madison were born!

Happy Birthday my sweet girls!!

Christmas Shopping

I'm not a shopper. I shrink from the crowds and I have a special dislike for Malls. All of this is to the dismay of my teenage girls who adore shopping at the Mall.

But I ask you, where is the fun in this?


Some of you are probably getting a adrenalin kick just looking at that shopping photo. But not me. That will never be me.  I go to the Mall when I have to, and that sometimes includes the Christmas season.

Around here, the shopping season has officially begun when the UPS truck starts dropping these off in mass quantity...


Not. Even. Kidding!

My Bedroom is slowly disappearing amid the brown boxes of carefully packaged happiness just waiting to be opened and repackaged in festive paper. The kids know that my bedroom is officially off limits to them in December, although I have been known to be forgetful and send someone on a random errand to my bedroom where they accidentally sneak a peek. Oops!

Maybe they see something like this?


What?? Those boxes need something to do while they patiently wait for the big reveal on Christmas morning.  It could happen!

SEVEN Days!

This is one of my all time favorite pictures!

In seven days, these adorable babies will be 18 years old.  EIGHTEEN!  I can't even stand it. They will always be my very first little girls, the ones I practice my parenting skills on as we head into uncharted waters, and above all else... my very first besties!

Now I need to figure out what fun things we can do for their birthday next Saturday!

Putting Meaning In The Holiday

Take a look at the group photo at the top of this page... now look back at me..  Yes, I am still sane!  Those young ladies were quite a handful when they were younger, but Christmas with them has always been absolutely magical!

I remember the year Carley and Madi were born. There was no money for tree ornaments, so I patiently hot-glued dozens of festive ribbons on pine cones and tied raffia bows that would be strategically placed to make the tree look abundantly decorated.  I was so busy with one week old twins that Christmas was barely a blip on the radar that year, but it was the last time in my young mothering career that it would be a non-event. 

Try to imagine a house with five little girls under the age of five.  Every day had a different form of chaos, but I wouldn't trade those memories for all the money in the world. Christmas meant erecting a baby gate to encircle the tree that the excited toddlers pulled down more than once in their attempt to climb it. That's right, our tree was literally fenced in!  My sweet girls would stand at the gate, their heads barely clearing the edge, and they would ooh and ahh over the strangeness of having a tree inside the house.

Back then, shopping for my little ones meant finding every girlie Fischer Price toy available and baby dolls were always treasured. There were years when I would hunt high and low for the elusive Tickle Me Elmo or another hot, yet impossible to find toy. Oh, how times have changed! Now it's the age of teenagers which translates into electronic gadgets, makeup, and "Don't even think about buying clothes for me, Mom, because you'll get it all wrong!"  ;)

I've had the opportunity to rethink a lot of things this year and I'm so fortunate to have the loving support of my family every step of the way. There may not be a frenzy of gift buying but there will be plenty of time spent together and that is what we truly treasure.

It's no surprise that my girls have been excitedly planning thoughtful gifts for people who won't be expecting them, but I still get that surge of pride when I see it happening. These girls are beautiful and strong and oh-so-loving! Our circumstances have been really tough lately and I know there are so many things they would like to have for themselves, yet they always put others first by demonstrating that the best gifts are the ones we give to others.  Material means may be limited, but their hearts overflow every single day. They are an inspiration to me!

Looking back through our Christmas photos, amid the paper, boxes and shiny trinkets I can see the same gifts given time and time again - Love, Strength, and Happiness. You can't order those things and you won't find them on any store shelf.  But if you take the time to truly value those around you, always treat others with kindness, and share the love in your heart then those gifts will be yours in abundance.

So although this year sort of feels like a trip to Whoville and the Grinch is out to get us, she can't win.  My family is so much stronger than her twisted need to hurt people for her own entertainment and no matter what, there will be love and laughter on Christmas morning (and every other day of the year).

Take that, Grinch! 

(It's been confirmed that she stalks our blog.  Maybe she should read my post on Kindness.)

Thinking of You

Lovely Aunt Dottie,

I just wanted you to know that I am thinking of you.  Today and every day.  I miss your beautiful smile and your wonderful laugh.  (And your perfectly delicate, beautiful hands!)

I try to imagine the view outside your window.. the trees are probably bare, with the exception of the pine tree that we love so much.

Oh if only we lived close enough to visit you regularly!

Love you so much!

The Men In My Family

I had the privilege of spending a lot of time with my Dad today while he was in the hospital for what was supposed to be an outpatient heart procedure. (It turned into a mini-overnight vacation, complete with room service but we are so grateful he is doing well.) Mom was there with him all morning, of course, but she also had a family funeral to attend today so I volunteered to stay with Dad in the afternoon while she was away.

I would have been at the hospital sooner but today was Bill's first day at work after his shoulder surgery and he still needs my help with a few things. (It was so adorable to see him give me a boyish grin after he put his jacket on..  All. By. Himself!  We're definitely making progress!) I took a deep breath as I watched My Guy drive off this afternoon.  I miss him so much now that his vacation time is over. I know he was uncomfortable for much of his time off, but I selfishly loved being able to spend so much time with the love of my life. 

These are my two guys who each had surgery within a 7 day span.

It was good to have something to occupy my time this afternoon so that I wouldn't spend too much time pouting over missing my hubby and I loved the hours of conversation with Dad. We talked about anything and everything... WWII, memories, old injuries, Bill's shoulder, auto repairs, and family.  Dad joked around a lot, pranking me several times when his bp cuff would start to inflate and he would yell, "help me, help me!" in a panicked voice until I rushed over to help.. and then he would laugh over how clever he was to trick me like that. I fell for it.. every time! He is a naughty monkey and I am completely gullible! I loved his laughter and his smiles that went on for hours and hours. I am grateful for his skilled doctors who took such great care of him today so that he will have many more years ahead to be a happy prankster with his family.

When I came home late in the evening, I was instantly welcomed by cheerful greetings and smothered by my girlies' hugs.  Ahh, home! There's no place like it! I know I brag about it all the time, but seriously.. I don't think you understand how lucky I am to be surrounded by these loving girls. (Try not to be too jealous!) They are the light of my life, without a doubt!

Now that I'm all snug in my bed, I keep replaying the conversations Dad and I had today about different people and their families. There are so many people struggling right now with very hard family situations... some with very little family at all, and some that are mourning the recent loss of family members. How could I not think of those less fortunate tonight as I was surrounded by my loving daughters and anxiously waiting for my sweet hubby to get home from work? I wish that everyone could feel the love, comfort and peace that I get to experience with my tribe. I wonder how different the world would be if everyone felt nothing but peace and security within their own families.  I bet the world would take a deep, calming breath and the Earth would sigh with contentment.

It's a nice thought, isn't it?

When they truly get it....

This is one of those times when I will openly admit that I've done something very, very right.  These girls... this family, they are the one thing in my life that I am absolutely, 100% proud of.

My family gives thanks and selfless service all year long; not because they have to... they genuinely want to. They understand what is truly important in life.  I am so blessed to live with all of my best friends who each have so much love in their hearts which they share each and every day.

The post I linked to below was written by Carley. (AKA - Kar Kar) I loved it so much that I added on by writing my own tribute to her in her comment section, and then I asked her to create her own portrait to match the others she had edited of all of us.  I love, LOVE it!  Thank you, Carley!

Please, take a look at this loving blog post written by one of my oldest girls. She says it beautifully!

To read Carley's blog post, click on her title below.

"I am Thankful for... "

I Am Thankful For My Family

A typical Thanksgiving celebration means waking up on Thursday to make bread, stuffing, turkey, veggies and other assorted goodies while the girls happily watch Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

This was not a typical year for us.

Thursday morning meant waking up after a long night of Bill tossing and turning, desperately trying to find a comfortable sleeping position while I did my best to carefully arrange his pillows and get his medication every four hours. Needless to say, neither of us got much sleep.

Mom and I had both told Bill to stay home if he wasn't feeling up to it, but he wouldn't hear of such a thing! He was suffering cabin fever and was looking forward to Mom's Thanksgiving Dinner more than anything. So while the girls primped and dressed up, I was working hard to get my sweetheart ready for the much anticipated afternoon festivities.

As we were leaving for Mom's house, I noticed the girls all looked super cute! Anyone who knows me will understand that I simply had to stop at the park to take their pictures in the winter landscape. Everything was perfect! The snow was sparkling under the afternoon sun, the chill in the air gave them all rosy cheeks and noses.. it was bliss! That is... until Ashley ripped her pants! If I've learned anything, it is that something will always go wrong in our tribe. No worries! I sent five girls ahead in Madi's van while Bill, Ashley and I dashed home to get Ashley some jeans without the extra ventilation in the butt. ;)

(In one of these pictures Ashley is a bit embarrassed because her jeans split down the butt when she tried to sit down! Good thing she is such a good sport because we love to tease her.)

Mom's house was warm and cozy as always and she had worked so hard to prepare a wonderful dinner for dozens of people. Words can never express how thankful we are for her generosity and for the way she loves all of us so much.  Thanks, Mom!

 

We would have loved to stay longer, but Bill had been without medication for too long, so we headed home with full tummies and happy hearts. In spite of it being a different kind of celebration, we enjoyed being together as a family as much as we ever have.  

We are truly blessed!

Giving Thanks

Disclaimer: I have been working on writing this update since Sunday.  As in, four days ago SUNDAY!  Our lives are so hectic right now!

Sitting here with my hands poised over the keys for the last 15 minutes, I have struggled to find the words for the thoughts I wish to express. My family celebrated Thanksgiving early this year and I am truly thankful for each and every member of my family, especially now when times are hard.

My sweet hubby and I rolled up our sleeves and spent 6 hours cooking what we hoped would be a nice dinner for our friends and family. By the end of the night, we had done five loads of dishes, taken out the trash four times, and laughed as our twiglet, Ashley, declared that she had to go put on "stretchy pants" because she had eaten so much.  It was a great way to spend time with people we love with all our heart!

But why did we celebrate five days early? 

Tomorrow morning, the love of my life is having surgery on his shoulder. It's a relatively minor procedure as far as surgeries go.... he has to have his rotater cuff repaired. But my hubby has never had surgery before so there's a bit of anxiety over how he will handle the anesthesia and the pain. (I'm sure he will be fine, but he is my heart and soul so naturally I worry.)

Because Bill will be out of commission for a while, we wanted to have our Thanksgiving celebration early so that he could help me with the cooking (and the dishes) and be able to enjoy the day with us, pain free. As the kids giggled, gut laughed and chased each other around the house, I could see that we had done a good job creating a holiday memory for everyone. Mission accomplished!

But wait, there's more!

My oldest girlies have been working hard on their preparations for life after high school. Their latest project was applying for Sterling Scholar at their high school. The Sterling Scholar program was created to recognize kids who excel in school and community service, and many universities award scholarships to the students who are named Sterling Scholars. The girls had completed their portfolios and the interview round last week and eagerly awaited the results.

With the hectic holiday weekend and Bill's upcoming surgery, it didn't occur to me that the results could come so soon but when Madi called me from school today announcing that both of my girls won their categories, I'm pretty sure I was squealing and crying at the same time! Carley was named Layton High School's Sterling Scholar in the Visual Arts category and Madi was named Layton High School's Sterling Scholar in the English category. I'm so proud of my girls!

Their victory is wonderful, but bittersweet. They competed against their friends so even though we are celebrating Carley's and Madi's great accomplishments, we are still sad for their friends who suffered disappointment today. Life is never easy, even when the news is good. 

Now for Bill's surgery update.  Yesterday we headed to the surgical center where they prepped and poked and dressed Bill for surgery. I'm not gonna lie, I wanted to sneak him out the back door. It's true, he will tell you that several times I asked him to run away with me. I have previously felt this "Mama Bear" syndrome with my girls when they were hurt or sick, or facing surgery, but it was a new experience with my dear hubby...  and I didn't like it one bit!  When the anesthesiologist walked him away from me, I felt something inside me break and it was all I could do to keep my composure as I headed in the opposite direction toward the waiting room full of other wives holding up much better than I was.


I had been told that Bill's shoulder repair would take an hour. As that hour came and went, my emotional condition did not improve. When the doc finally came to see me, he told me that my sweetie was "pretty banged up" and that the repair was much more extensive than they had originally planned. In my head I was thinking, "Fine, great... now TAKE ME TO HIM!"  It would be another 45 minutes before I could finally see my love and touch him... it was like letting out a breath I had been holding much too long. I felt relieved to have contact with my guy again.

We were in the recovery room longer than usual as he struggled to keep his oxygen saturation up, but we did manage to get out of there in time to stop by the store for meds on our way home.  That's another story entirely! The not so "Great Blizzard of 2010" was making news headlines everywhere and Utahans were urged to prepare for a brutal storm. Just. My. Luck.  I had to leave my sweetheart in the car while I went into the store madness to get his meds. It was packed in there! People were in full bizzard panic, sprinkled with Thanksgiving preparations and the aisles were jam  packed with carts and customers.  It took me 45 minutes to get out of there, complicated by the fact that the pharmacist tech gave Bill's pills to someone else by mistake and we had to start over. I can't even imagine the liability issue there.. I had to sign and show ID just to get the meds.. but someone got a full bottle of them for free?  Nice.

Twenty four hours after surgery, Bill is resting next to me as comfortably as possible. I have him propped on a throne of pillows and he has his trusty television remote in hand. Oh how I missed snuggling against his side last night! But I have him next to me where I can hear him breathing and I can reach out and touch his foot with my own as often as I want.  I simply adore my guy. I hope his recovery is as quick as possible and I plan to take care of him every step of the way.

So there you have it, four days worth of updates (and not many pictures to show for it!). Tomorrow we hope to load up the family and head to Mom's for another Thanksgiving dinner with loved ones. We'll see how The Man is feeling.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all! I, for one, am most grateful for the love and well-being of the precious people in my life. My husband and six girls are my heart and soul, and I would do absolutely anything for them! I am so lucky to be constantly surrounded by such kind, loving and compassionate people. My life is blessed.

As always, I am sending much love to Massachusetts, where I hope Aunt Dottie is enjoying the holiday as well. I think of you every day, beautiful lady!

A letter sent with love to Aunt Dottie

I decided to do something very different here today. I'm about to post a letter to someone very special (who I know reads this blog from time to time) and because she's so very special, I am going to share my letter with anyone who reads this little corner of the bloggerverse.  

Dear, Sweet Aunt Dottie,

I'm skipping the thousands of miles by sending my love and hugs across the internet for you tonight because I miss you terribly.  You cross my mind at least a dozen times each day, and every thought brings a smile with it. You are so very special to me! The girls sent me a text message the other day telling me I had a letter from you and I was so excited to come home and open it. Your beautiful card made my day, and I have read it at least a dozen times since then. 

I wish there wasn't so much distance between us. I ache over my inability to bring the girls to visit you. I know they would love spending time with you as much as I do! (Although I am sure the mob of us would wear you out!) Even though they can't tell you in person, I want you to know how much you are loved by all of us. I do my best to tell them all about my visits with you so they can somehow feel a little bit closer, but it just isn't the same, is it?

We had a gusty wind yesterday that blew a lot of the leaves off of the trees. I was in my car and the leaves were falling like rain on the windshield. It made me think of the leaves back there and how you'd laugh every time Mom would pick one up and tuck it away as an autumn keepsake. The leaves here aren't nearly as plentiful and I wish the fall colors would stay a little longer. I'm sure it won't be long before the snow piles up around us and then you will see our winter pictures posted here. I don't mind the snow so much, but I don't know what I was thinking buying a house without a fireplace! That will be on the very top of my priority list if we ever move. 

The girls love the bottles you gave us which are now sitting on a new shelf that Bill made for me. Remember how I told you he can make anything? The shelf is in the upstairs hallway and it only has antiques on it, and I also hang the quilt from it that I bought at Faneuil Hall the first time Carley and I came out to visit with Mom and Grandma. The silver dragonfly sits on a special shelf near the front door, constantly reminding me of the most important thing in life - family.  I love being able to look all around me and feel you nearby.

Every day I am so thankful I had the opportunity to come see you and I appreciate you sharing your stories, pictures, and most of all sharing your wonderful laughter with us. If I close my eyes and concentrate, I can almost hear you laughing now and the thought of it makes me happy.  You are such a wonderful lady and I miss you so much! Mom keeps me updated on how you are doing and I love it that you check in with us here too. I told Mom just the other day how much I miss Everett, Clapboard Tree and Milk streets. I should have taken pictures of those signs! Next time I'm there, I will be sure to remember.

Take care, Special Lady. We love you with all our hearts!

Lovelies, Laughter and Littles

I haven't blogged much since returning from Massachusetts because I have been so busy with family, work and life in general. It's a hard thing to go away for a week and then come back to the regular schedule PLUS everything that languished while I was gone. (I admit, I've had a few glitches and meltdowns, but it is mostly work related schtuff.) It's good to be home though... back to my busy, noisy, and sometimes cluttered life. I wouldn't trade my problems for anyone else's!

The leaves here are brilliant and fall sometimes nips in the air but overall it has still been a wacky, unseasonably warm fall. (With some snow thrown in for kicks.)  I managed to coordinate the schedules of all the girlies so I could take them up the canyon for some fall pictures. The leaves are nothing like Massachusetts and Vermont colors, but I was happy with the cute pictures I captured of my besties. We left the canyon with red noses and red ears, but we were laughing and enjoying being together and that's the real purpose anyway.

 

These are just a few of the group shots. We took a lot of individual portraits which included laying/sitting in the middle of a bridge.. we had to work fast and scamper out of the way every time a vehicle came down the mountain! I had so much fun with my girls that evening! 

A few days prior to our photo shoot was Halloween, and my lovelies transformed themselves into adorable /spooky characters before going Trick or Treating around the neighborhood, in the drizzle, with favorite cousins alongside them. It chokes me up to think of my girlies as grown up.. I wish I could keep them little forever!

Photo shoots, kids' school events, Halloween and housework! What a busy, busy schedule we have maintained lately! It hasn't always been easy to juggle home and work, especially since my work is ridiculously demanding. Anyone that knows me, knows that work can and will consume me if I let it. So I have been making a conscious effort to avoid phone calls and email after 5PM on Fridays and I love the positive change this has brought about! 

This weekend I was so busy that there was no time for extended work hours and hundreds of work-related emails. (Just say NO!) You see, our favorite little guy is turning 4 and we simply had to throw him a party on Friday. I decided it would be so much fun to take him to the store and let him choose his own cake. (Don't panic, he was adorable in the store!) He wasn't too picky.. one look at his twinkling eyes and the immediate grip he had on the closest cake he could reach proved to me that to a 4 year old, cake is cake! He didn't care what color or flavor.. he just wanted it NOW.  We gently persuaded him to get Iron Man and How to Train Your Dragon cupcakes before heading to the ice cream aisle which, judging by Jack's reaction, was akin to finding the Holy Grail. He ran from one frosty door to another, always reaching in for something. I didn't stop him. Not. Even. Once. We must have looked like sugar addicts when we unloaded the sweets from our cart, but I didn't care. I enjoyed every minute of it!

Later that evening, we laughed until we cried and our cheeks hurt from smiling so much. There was a wonderful Birthday Serenade from Lily, accompanied by Abby and Linzie on the violin and viola, followed by two more rounds of Happy Birthday from the entire group. We played pirates, terrorized the dogs with the remote control ATV, and convinced Jack to flap around in his Dragon jammies while we cheered him on! Our little fella, Jack, was so sweet the entire night! Everyone could tell he was exhausted, even as he fluttered about the room giving his best Dragon impression, but he didn't want to miss a thing so he fought to keep his little eyes open until he said his final goodbye, snug in his car seat, headed for home. I heard he was asleep as soon as his mom rolled up the window. (We missed them as soon as they were gone.) 

I also heard that our Jackers wreaked a little havoc the following morning when he drove Sambo (His shiny, new remote control ATV that we gave him) into Gma's ankles. oops!  So sorry, Mom! The thing is, we should rename it the "Remote NO Control" because Jack really has no idea how to steer.. he just loves watching it take off and then he chases it down. 

Our weekend continued with a family trip to the movie theater on Saturday. CODE: We went and saw Megamind and it was rockin' awesome! I sat by Missy and we laughed like little kids. I highly recommend the movie to grown ups as well as the little ones. It has something for everyone! Back at our house we laughed all night as we spoke "Megamind" to each other and enjoyed a dinner of Parmesan Halibut, Lobster and French Dip Sandwiches for the kidlets. (Bill and I took the evening's menu straight from Taggert's Grill menu because we love cooking at home more than going out to eat.)

The only bad part about the whole weekend was the slight emergency Saturday morning when Hubby shouted "OH Sh*!" at 6AM, fully yanking me out of sleep. When I asked him what was wrong, he informed me that he had just mistakenly drank the Hydrogen Peroxide on his nightstand instead of his water bottle. (the hydrogen peroxide was only there in the first place because of his misfortune in Hawaii. CODE: He jumped head first into a shallow pool and was taken by ambulance to the nearest hospital to be put back together Humpty Dumpty style.) Fear and panic gripped me because I had no idea what damage was already occurring from consuming something that I assumed was caustic and toxic. 

Long story short, I called Poison Control and was informed that they get this call about 5-7 times every week. I was instructed to force him to drink water and keep an eye on him because he was likely going to be very sick.  We eventually got him settled back in bed and he fell alseep, but I stayed awake to keep an eye on him.. in case.  Once again, Bill's luck is amazing.  (well, not the luck of drinking the stuff in the first place!) He never got very sick and we are laughing about it now. Trust me, my guy is extremely smart and he teaches me new things all the time.. I just can't figure out how he gets himself into these strange emergencies! I just need to be more vigilant and keep an eye on him at all times or he will find creative ways to get hurt. 

Wrapping up our weekend, we finally admitted that the gardening is done for the year and we put the veggie garden to bed. I am still irked that we had so many late tomatoes this year.. we threw away buckets of green ones! We put down steer compost (when I say "we", I really mean Hubby! I don't want to touch the stuff!) and trimmed branches. I love the way everything looks fresh and new.  We had another bad year as far as yield goes, but we have a plan to improve the soil (Don't trust J&J's when they tell you to put Bat Guano in a garden!) and I have my fingers crossed that next year will be better! 

It was an awesome weekend, thanks to my lovelies! Let's do it again, shall we?  MUAH!

Reflection

Ahh to be home again! We had a very long day at Logan International airport, just trying to get home. Wild weather throughout the south and mid-west caused hundreds of flight delays and even cancellations. I am used to spending endless hours stuck in airports, but I know that was a difficult day for Mom.  We were at the airport from sun up to sun down!

When we finally did land in SLC, I was greeted by the love of my life and I instantly felt protected and safe. Oh how I missed him! He hugged me so tightly on the curb of the drop off zone and I didn't even mind that his Delta jacket was covered in drywall dust. I was THAT happy to see him! My hubby told me that missing me was "painful" to him, and to his credit, he has been extremely affectionate and attentive since my return. I could get used to this! We talked about how we enjoyed our trips but how we don't feel 100% like ourselves when we are apart. There were so many discoveries we each wanted to share with one another but couldn't. And don't even get me started on the long nights without having his warmth next to me. He is my comfort, my support and my love. I am so happy to be back where I belong. 

Hubby saved our aching backs by hoisting the uber heavy, souvenir-laden suitcases into the Durango and we were headed home! We chatted all the way about our adventures in New England and his adventures in California. It still cracks me up that we were on opposite sides of the country. It was a great experience, but I never want to be that far away from him again!

We drove Mom home and got her things into the house. After saying a quick hello to Missy (my favorite sis) and Dad, we were headed toward our own tribe at last. I walked in the door and was instantly greeted by comfortable familiarity. Madi was working on her Sterling Scholar application, Linzie came bounding up the stairs with sleepy eyes and a huge welcoming smile, Emily drifted down the stairs looking beautiful with her hair wrapped up in a towel turban, and before long even Carley and Abby were pulled from their toasty beds to say hello. I felt bad because it was past 11:30PM on a school night, but I selfishly lapped up the hugs, kisses and "Welcome Home, Mom" greetings that were lavished upon me. My tribe... my heart.  My sweet girls and my loving husband will always be my touchstones. A house is just a structure but my family is my home.

Because of my recent visit to Louisa May Alcott's house in Massachusetts, I have had some fun conversations with my family about Little Women. I have said for years that my girls are my Little Women. I feel so lucky that I get to be part of this great group of girls! Each of my girls possess traits of the Little Women characters. Madi is like Jo, Linz is like Meg and Beth, Emily is like Jo and Amy, Carley is like Amy and Meg, and Abby is somewhere between Jo and Beth - Louisa May Alcott would have had a great time inventing a character like my Abby! My girls are constantly making me laugh, teaching me about life and love, and making me think. I always felt that it quit being about me when I had my children.. I thought it would be all about them for as long as they were mine to love... but now I see that there's a subtle lesson flowing through them, to me.. the gift of learning all those things make life polished.  My girls have taught me patience and understanding, how to let go of the petty things that hold people back, they have shown me the difference between wants vs. needs, and above all else, they have taught me that love only grows when you give it away freely.  I would give anything for my girls!

My trip to New England was Ahhh-mazing! I felt so connected to the history and my ancestry there that it was almost like being home. Almost. I think if I could take my darling hubby and my sweet girls with me then I could easily live in New England forever. Aunt Dottie is also a big reason I wish I lived in Massachusetts. She is so full of love and life that just being around her is uplifting. I love her laugh and her genuine spirit. I never did get to play Scrabble with her, but I could have listened to her stories forever and never grow tired of hearing her memories. She taught me so much about life in general...when I grow up, I want to be just like her!

 I'd love nothing more than to daydream about my New England adventures, but I'm back in the real world and there's a grindstone here with my name on it.  However, come 4PM I will be racing back to the family that I adore.. I'm sure I haven't given them enough hugs and kisses yet!

Boston- Day 6

My heart is so heavy tonight. Mom and I had a wonderful day with Aunt Dottie today. I had been hoping to have a day to do nothing but visit and listen to Dottie's memories, and today did not disappoint. Mom and I didn't want the day to end!

For lunch Aunt Dottie set a beautiful table, complete with a delicate pink table cloth, exquisite blue and white plates, silverware, folded napkins and condiments set out in dishes. We dined on bread, cheese, tomatoes and grapes, local cider, and we finished with the zucchini bread we had brought from Walker's farms. It was an absolutely perfect afternoon and I was so grateful to have had the opportunity to be part of it.

Aunt Dottie, you are beautiful, graceful, kind, generous, and oh so loving! I will take the echo of your beautiful laugh home with me, and carry you in my heart every day! Thank you for giving your time so freely, putting up with Mom and I driving all over the country, and for being so delightful no matter what!

I plan to write a summary of this wondrous trip once I'm home, but for now I need to swallow the lump in my throat, finish packing (even though I don't want to leave) and reflect on how fortunate I am to have had this experience.