We Wish You A Merry Christmas!!

Day 17: Friendly Reminder

Yesterday as Mike was leaving for work I told him he looked cute.  He responded with a line from the movie Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, "I'm cute.... she thinks I'm cute." Then he added, "we'll be watching that before you know it!"

Ugh!!! Thanks for the reminder...

Christmas is just over four months away; and not that I don't love Christmas... it's just all the stuff we have to do before it gets here.

O Christmas Tree

I really wanted to do some fun Christmas posts this month, but due to my camera-to-computer "technical difficulties" I couldn't... but it's still the season for one more week, so here goes: Becky did a Christmas tree tag so I'm sharing my tree (and I'm tagging Lilian, you must see her Disney tree). My tree isn't fancy at all, in fact, I'd like to learn a little more about decorating trees with cool garlands and fillers. Many of our decorations have special meaning behind them so I will share just a few.

Some of my ornaments reflect memories of the past like Barbie and her dream house (I never had a Barbie dream house, until this ornament... but I did have a Barbie).


Jeff returned from his mission just five days before Christmas in 2000. For Christmas he gave me this beautiful Seattle Temple ornament.


Some of our ornaments remind us of places we like to visit, like Disneyland...


and the beach house.


Some of our ornaments represent our hobbies and the things we like to do.


Some are just fun and whimsical.


Some are very tender to our hearts, like baby's first Christmas ornaments or ornaments made by our children in pre-school and church. This special ornament was a gift from my friend Terri, twenty-two years ago when my nephew Christopher passed away unexpectedly just before Christmas. It is always the first ornament on the tree and is always near the top.


This special ornament is one of many that reminds us of why we have Christmas.

Merry Christmas friends and family!!!

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

Each year since I started blogging I've posted our Christmas card... without any words of explanation. This year I have a disclaimer: This picture was taken nearly 6 months ago... I've lost over 30 lbs. and Michael nearly as much!! What can I say. When you need a picture for the card... you use what you have, and, it is a rather nice picture... just a little "more" of us than there is now, and you must admit... Caitlin is beautiful. I haven't mentioned this to my sister yet... but I'm going to ask her to to take a picture of the "new and improved" Mike and Les for our 35th anniversary which is coming up in April.

Merry Christmas!!!

Christmas Memories: Christmas Dishes

For many years I enjoyed a favorite Christmas tradition... shopping. You may be wondering... really? shopping? what is so enjoyable about that? And I would agree with you... except in the case of this shopping trip.

This tradition started years ago with my mother-in-law Bonnie. We picked an evening early in the season (often just before Thanksgiving) when "the girls" could all get together. Bonnie and Bibi (my sister-in-law) worked together at the deli, so I would usually pick them up at closing and we would head over to ZCMI and Crossroads malls. Our evening always included Christmas shopping (of course), dinner, lots of visiting and laughter, and buying Christmas dishes... a very important part of this expedition.

Christmas dishes was a tradition started by my mother-in-law many years ago. Each year on this shopping trip we went to the fine china department at ZCMI where each of us girls could pick something to add to our collections. This wasn't our Christmas gift... we got to take our new dishes home right then and enjoy using them!! Through the years I was able to collect a complete service for twelve, including a variety of serving dishes, and even drinking glasses to match.

Our goal each year was to help Bonnie with her Christmas shopping, for our families. Some years we shopped for the men, other years it was for us girls, but most years we shopped for the kids. I especially loved shopping for the kids, because I could pick out the clothes I knew my kids would love, and that I would love to see them in.

We shopped for other things too. One year Bonnie bought Ned (my father-in-law) a great, big book at Deseret Book, which was our first stop. It was so heavy and had to be carried around with us the whole night, we decided from now on that large books had to be purchased at the end of the evening. For years afterwards when we shopped, we lamented (and laughed) about that book.

Another year as we were looking at men's robes that were on sale, Bibi asked me if I thought she should purchase one for her (former) husband. I enthusiastically told her, "yes, you should!!" what I didn't tell her was this... a few months previously when I had dropped her off at home late one evening, I waited to make sure that her husband opened the front door for her before I drove away, through the window I could see him coming down the stairs in his underwear... I think a robe was a good idea.

One year as we were driving home after a long evening of shopping, I asked Bonnie and Bibi if anyone felt like a Keva Juice; I just wasn't ready to be done with our fun yet... and neither were they. I remember how quickly they both responded, "Yes!!" and off to Keva we went.

I miss those shopping days, I have such fond memories of them, but as I use my Christmas dishes this year and for many years to come, I will smile as I remember what fun I had as I was accumulating them.

Merry Christmas From Us

Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town

I am feeling like a V.I.P!!!

Yesterday I received a phone call all the way from the North Pole from Santa Claus himself. Yes... I said Santa Claus!!

He just wanted to be sure of the date of our Family Christmas party because

HE.WANTS.TO.BE.THERE.

I'm just sayin'...

2009 Christmas Season

The Christmas season has come and gone, and it has been a great one. For me it started on November 28 when I sang in the Salt Lake Tabernacle with We Also Sing. We sang beautiful Christmas music with the intent to heal hearts this Christmastime. I felt fortunate to have my dear friend Terri sing with me this year. It was also an opportunity to make new friends and to be uplifted at rehearsals each week as we were taught by our director and each other.

We of course had the regular round of parties to attend. First of all was Mike's company party which is always fun. This year Mike's band provided the entertainment and I enjoyed the chance to visit with my friends Tammy and Laurie (their husbands are in the band). Our ward Christmas party was fun, Mike and I were the entertainment and I must admit I was a bit nervous, but I think we pulled it off. After the ward party I bolted off to my friend Melissa's in Kaysville for a "girl's night out party". I'm always guaranteed some good laughter at this party. We attended a 50th birthday party for my brother Archie, a neighborhood party, a dinner party with the ward Young Mens Presidency and wives, and of course my highlight of the season... the family Christmas party.

Miss Avery checking out Santa

I LOVE the joy on Mason's face

William gives his gift back to Santa in exchange for Santa's bells

Zachary and Santa

Adam and Santa

Caitlin Rose and her old friend Santa Claus

Christmas Eve was spent at the Nielsen's; my sister Lilian fixed a wonderful dinner and we even had after dinner (Mindy) mints. We love the Nielsen's and appreciate their including the three of us.

Christmas Day we spent with our family. First stop, Granpa's and Granma's for breakfast; and then all of our kids and grandkids came over in the afternoon. That night Mike, Caitlin, and I drove up to the Bountiful Temple so that we could see the beautiful lighted murals depicting the story of Christmas in the front yards of the homes surrounding the temple.

Of course there is always a lot of hustle and bustle with shopping and such; but this year I was a Deseret Book winner after putting my name in a drawing while I was purchasing a book for my Dad. I received a call on Christmas Eve morning telling me I had won a Willow Tree nativity. I was pretty excited! We went to a couple of movies, one with Adam and Zach for Grandma Day (we let Grandpa come too). We enjoyed a wonderful evening at the Five-Alls with our kids. We went to my nephew Taylor's band concert where Santa was a guest conductor, and to Caitlin's Christmas choir concert where she sang a beautiful solo. We also attended a wonderful Christmas Cantata performed by our stake choir. I even did a little Christmas crafting as I sewed two of these cute Santa's and filled them with candy. Of course there was a little holiday stress as we had two visits to the ER within 36 hours (Caitlin), but we are so grateful that everything turned out to be okay. We still have one more party to look forward to... chili at the Nielsen's on New Years Day!! I hope that everyone has had a wonderful Christmas season, we are looking forward to 2010 and new adventures, like... the FLOAT!!!

Christmas Contest

Here's a handsome little boy on Christmas day! If you can guess who he is you will get your name in a drawing for a prize. You will get your name in twice if you can guess who I think looks just like him in this photo! The drawing will take place at the Christmas party. Anyone can guess....if I draw out one of my friends, I will bring the prize to you.

Merry Christmas

Christmas Traditions

We have many traditions "wrapped" around the Christmas season; the family Christmas party, going to temple square (and hopefully a visit to Crown Burger in the process), watching White Christmas to usher in the season, driving around town to look at lights, breakfast at Granma's and Granpa's on Christmas morning....most of our traditions we share with our friends and family, but we have one tradition that we share with very few; our Christmas visit to the cemetery. Each year this visit takes place on December 12. This is a significant day to our family because on December 12, 1989 my nephew Christopher passed away unexpectedly at the tender age of two years and ten months. It has been twenty years since Christopher's passing, his family live in California and planned to be here today to honor him and place his wreath at his grave themselves, but due to bad weather in the Sierra Nevadas they decided it was better not to come. So Alan and Marivic, this post is for you. We love all five of you, and may "God bless us; everyone".

Uncle Mike carrying Christopher's wreath to the grave

Mike and Granpa clearing the snow away from the two graves

Granpa making sure that everything is as it should be



Daddy clearing off Ashleigh's marker

Granma calling Alan in California to let him know we are at the cemetery

Me and my parents; Granma is talking to Alan on the phone

The surrounding graves are decorated also

A view of the Bountiful Temple from the cemetery; need I say any more

Feliz Navidad Has Passed, But JULIO Is Less Than 3 Months Away....

I know it's been a few months since Christmas, but my "sista Ririan" just talked me through the how-to's of posting a video. This is one of my favorite piece's of video from the family Christmas party, my three sons and three of my grandsons are the performers. Be sure and watch 'til the end for Jeff's big finish!!

Christmas Wreaths

The Christmas season has come and gone. I wanted to post a little more about Christmas traditions and collections but due to the "hospitalization" of my computer earlier in the month and extreme busy-ness on my part throughout the rest of the month, I didn't take the opportunity. But yesterday Michael and I fulfilled one final tradition that I would like to write about, this was when we drove up to the cemetery to retrieve the Christmas wreaths. This has become a tradition that has now been 18 Christmases for us. Yesterday as the two of us prepared to go out and do some errands I asked Mike if he had some boots. Yes, he did. I suggested that we'd better go up to the cemetery and get the wreaths because if we didn't the cemetery clean-up crew would be disposing of everything soon (we've lost former wreaths due to clean-up). So we headed up the mountain. As we arrived I could see that the cemetery was still covered with Christmas decorations, we weren't to late. However, the cemetery was also covered in deep snow. As we drove up to our usual parking place we looked up the several yards to our spot and could see that Christopher's wreath was still standing; Ashleigh's appeared to be gone....but then we could see one leg of the stand sticking out of the snow, evidence that the wreath was not lost. Mike put on his boots and I stayed in the car and watched as he trekked through the deep snow to the two graves. I watched as he carefully lifted Christopher's wreath and shook off the abundance of snow that had collected on it. Then he dug through the snow until he found Ashleigh's wreath and shook it off as well. As I watched him perform this loving service and as he headed back to the car with the two wreaths in hand, knee deep in snow; I couldn't help but roll down the window and call out to him what a good daddy and uncle he is. The wreaths of course, didn't get to the cemetery all by themselves. On December 12 my Dad took them. I wasn't there, but I imagine that he cleared the snow from the headstones, carefully placed the wreaths (double checking to be sure that they were securely attached to the stands) and making sure that they were securely in the ground. I'm sure that Granpa's loving service was accompanied with a silent prayer and then a final look around to make sure that all was well. There are other times throughout the year that we make trips to the cemetery, some are for special occasions and others....just because. But oftentimes Michael and I just look at each other (as we did yesterday) and still can't believe that we are doing this. The world has made Christmas into a busy, hectic, and stressful time; but as I stand at my daughters grave and I think about Christmas: the birth of the Savior and what it means to me, it is about nothing else but Him. It really is "Joy to the World". I know that someday I will stand at that spot and I will feel joy that right now I can't even comprehend. It reminds me of something Ashleigh said many years ago...."oh, what a day". She's absolutely right.

We Had Room In Our Inn

It has been a wonderful two days for me as we've spent Christmas with our family. Christmas Eve was spent with our children and grandchildren (although we missed Jeremy, Emily, and Mason). We enjoyed a dinner together and then Christmas crackers (they are not for eating) which is an English tradition. The little boys and Caitlin all had new jammies to open and they put them on immediately. We played a game; and throughout the evening Adam and Zach with the help of Grandpa Bear kept checking the Santa tracker to see how Santas busy night was progressing. After everyone went home the three of us that live here on the homefront took a drive up to Temple View Drive. All of the homes on that street which surrounds the Bountiful Temple, displayed lighted murals of the events leading up to the birth of the Saviour. We then drove over to the cemetery so that we could spend a moment with Ashleigh. This is the first Christmas morning that our boys and their families didn't come over first thing. But we looked forward to having a nice afternoon with them. Our extended family gathered at G'pa and G'mas where we enjoyed one of G'mas wonderful Christmas breakfasts. Tim and Margie's family drove in from a snowstorm in the north, while Archie and JuLee's family came late due to a snowstorm in the south end of the valley. G'pa shared some tender thoughts with us before we opened gifts. I am so grateful for my siblings and their families, I love each and everyone of them and am so glad our family is eternal. We enjoyed a late afternoon with our children and grandchildren. Jeff, Melissa, and Avery were still here when the storm finally reached our neck of the woods. They had to be back here first thing in the morning, so they decided to spend the night at our house. I'm glad we had room in our inn.

I didn't take one picture all of Christmas day, but this morning I took this picture of little Miss Avery while I enjoyed my first time babysitting her while Mommy, Daddy, and Aunt Caitlin fulfilled a commitment at Leger's Deli. Isn't she beautiful!!

The Story Of The Family Christmas Party

Once upon a time; but not so very long ago nor so very far away, there was a little girl who loved her family. Many of the little girls relatives lived in other kingdoms and some in distant lands. Sometimes aunts, uncles, and cousins would come to visit from afar and she was so happy to see them; but when it was time for them to leave she would cry, because she would miss them. As the little girl grew older and Christmastime came, all of her friends would excitedly talk about their family Christmas parties. She wished that she had a family Christmas party, but remember, most of her family lived in lands and kingdoms far away. As the little girl became a young wife and a mother, even her grown up friends talked about their family Christmas parties. One day the little girl decided she was going to start her own family Christmas party, even if it might be very small. Now the little girl is a Grandma; she still loves her family, and she still cries when she has to say goodbye to relatives from lands far away, but now she has a Christmas party to share with the ones she loves, and an interesting thing happens with families; they grow, and 23 parties later it isn't small at all....

Merry Christmas

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas...Starting With Nativties

Several years ago I started collecting nativities. I'm not even sure how it all got started, but I now have about thirty nativities. A relatively small collection compared to most, but big enough for me. They range in size from Christmas tree ornaments to the complete Willow Tree nativity; I even have a few that are child friendly, including the Fisher Price nativity. I thought that I would share just a few of the ones that I'm displaying this year.

I made this wall hanging about ten years ago. Amongst all of the random pieces of fabric are significant ones that represent my husband and I and each of our five children. Joseph's robe is a remnant of the lining of my first Christmas costume while singing with the Echoes of the Heart; the Baby Jesus' swaddling clothes are the bottoms of Andy's white pants that he took into the mission field ( you know the ones you buy that aren't hemmed and you cut them to the right length and hem them?); the halo above the baby's head is a gold ring that my mother-in-law gave to Ashleigh on her first Christmas in 1987; the shepherds robe is from my favorite pair of Baby Gap overalls that Caitlin wore as a toddler; the shepherds scarf is a piece from Jeffrey's tie; and the ears and faces of the sheep and a couple of the hearts are lining from Michael's and Jeremy's ties. I bought this Precious Moment nativity in 1991; our first Christmas without Ashleigh. I displayed it on her bedroom dresser and then I closed the door and walked away. Everyone needs a magnetic nativity on their fridge. FYI: my fridge is not blue.
This nativity is made from miniature clay pots. One of these years I'm going to make these for the Family Christmas Party.



One of my children gave me this kit as a gift and I crossed stitched it one holiday season. The cute little wood nativity was a boutique find that I couldn't pass up.


I bought these pillows at a boutique a few years ago and I loved them so much that I searched high and low for the pattern. When I finally found it I made a couple of sets and several individual pillows of the Holy Family as gifts. I recently discovered that I have a few of these unfinished in my craft supply, so you never know when I might show up at someones home with a gift (but please don't hold your breath this year).This nativity was knitted by a mother and daughter who lived in my parents mission in England.My Willow Tree nativity that was completed with the purchase of the creche last year (with my spare change).