Christmas Eve Hero

Warning: Hold Your Nose!

This is how David spent his Christmas Eve

morning.  We woke up to a backed up

sewer....came out of nowhere.

(This is a good place for me to

say that I believed that David could

do anything when we married.

And he could.  He had experience

in and/or knowledge of most things that made

a house run and then alot of other things

outside the home.)

I guess all you need to know about

sewer is water in....water out.  And

if that isn't happening then you  have

a problem.  And we had a problem.

After having to break up the sidewalk to open the

clean out value and running

two snakes through the line, we had to call a

plumber who found roots.(the snake just

went right through them)

We got them pulled out and now Spring

will require some re-routing of the

pipes.

I remember comparing David to the husbands

of the other young married wives and felt

like I got the guy with the ability to take care

of stuff.  I was right. Even, if in the end, you

have to call a plumber.

Inclement Weather

It is now 27 Dec 2010.  We are expecting a REAL storm

on Wednesday.  I took these pictures last week

when we had a little storm show up and pass

through.

This is a shot out the laundry room door.  It

just looked promising.

Next morning~ looking out the door to the carport.

NO SNOW on the car!!! Yes!

It wasn't that big of a storm....just the first and

pretty.  I think the branches look like the ones

on Christmas morning in A Christmas Story.

In the lane snow is glistening.

Tis The Season to be Jolly

We have the best people in our ward. 

Let me start with the sisters in Relief Society.

They made David a quilt with individual

squares that each family made.  He was really

floored when Kathy Owens, who is in the

Presidency, presented it to David at

the ward party. 

And then there are the men (and the supportive

wives) that work in the bishopric.  It is amazing

how each man compliments the whole. 

Good men with good testimonies.

These pictures are from our bishopric

party.  We had a pancake supper for

all the families.  The Crockett family

are always helping.  This is Richie making

eggs....he broke eggs and started frying

them and then added a little water around

the edges and covered the pan

with a lid and taadaa...steamed eggs.

I was impressed. 

Toy Story 3 was a hit with the

children.

Singing a couple of songs.  Kinda looks like

a bunch of baby birds hoping for a worm.

There were no pictures for one of the best things of all.

Our ward was asked to help some families in our

stake have a Christmas.  David, as Bishop, said

that would be great.  He received a "wish list" from

the families, which he didn't read until the morning

he needed to inlist the ward's help.  He came up from

his office with tears in his eyes as he shared

some of the lists.  There were things like 6 spoons,

3 blankets, clothes for children, a blender for a women

with cancer (so she could eat).  No Xboxes, Ipods

or what you might expect.  Just the most humble

of requests.  He took the list to church and spoke

to the congregation and shared the items on the

lists.  It had an amazing effect on our ward.  All of

a sudden we became so aware of people whose

needs were so basic yet unreachable by them.  David

said after Sacrament meeting he had a line of

folks wanting to help.  The Spirit of Christmas was

so strong.  It was just the best.

Gone but not forgotten.

Beverly

  It has been two years since she

passed away.   My dad had Alzheimer's Disease that

first showed itself in 1989, as best I remember.  She cared for him (for 7 years) in their

home until he died.  She told me once that even though he didn't remember

her she was still grateful to have him.  He was her companion.  She always

called him "the love of her life".  She drove him everywhere to every event

and invited family home all the time.  Amazing.

The story below reminded me of her.

The Rain

It was a busy morning, about 8:30,
when an elderly gentleman in his 80's arrived
to have stitches removed from his thumb.
He said he was in a hurry as he had an appointment at 9:00 am.
I took his vital signs and had him take a seat,
knowing it would be over an hour before someone would to able to see him.
I saw him looking at his watch and decided,
since I was not busy with another patient, I would evaluate his wound.
On exam, it was well healed, so I talked to one of the doctors,
got the needed supplies to remove his sutures and redress his wound.
While taking care of his wound, I
asked him if he had another doctor's appointment this morning,
as he was in such a hurry.
The gentleman told me no, that he needed to go to the nursing home
to eat breakfast with his wife. I inquired as to her health.
He told me that she had been there for a while and that she was a victim
of Alzheimer's Disease.
As we talked, I asked if she would be upset if he was a bit late.
He replied that she no longer knew who he was,
that she had not recognized him in five years now.
I was surprised, and asked him,
'And you still go every morning, even though she doesn't know who you are?'
He smiled as he patted my hand and said,
'She doesn't know me, but I still know who she is.'
I had to hold back tears as he left.
I had goose bumps on my arm, and thought,
'That is the kind of love I want in my life.'
True love is neither physical, nor romantic.
True love is an acceptance of all that is, has been, will be, and will not be.

Deck the Halls with Boughs of Holly

It's Christmas time once again in the neighborhood.  It was fun

last Saturday as we and some of our neighbors were outside attending

to the duties of the Christmas season.  We all swear that we

are NOT going to put up as much as in the past.  Ha! Ha!

Our neighorhood is officially the one with the glow!

Here's our neighbor, Brad.  I have observed him for years.

He seems quite scientific in his application.

I should frame this picture.  I honestly don't remember the

last time David put ANY of the lights up.  He actually volunteered

and I was so happy!  I do love getting up on the roof this

time of year.  But it always scares me to lean over the roof.

Thanks, Dave, I am thankful you took the duties of the roof.

The Smith's were across the street lining their fence with

white lights.  Very tastefully done and so pretty at night.

Well we thought our Saturday contribution to the holilday

spirit of the neighborhood was enough....lights on the

roof and around the front door.  But nooooo... we have

been feeling pressure from the neighbors to fill in

the black hole. 

So yesterday I got out another box of lights. 

I sure didn't want to put up anymore but I did.

                                                 Looks nice but probably about 10th place in

the neighborhood.  (pictures later)

But I am pleased with the front porch decor!

The wreath is actually an old clock that Lee

bought at Goodwill.  It never worked so she

gave it to me.  (funny to say it never worked....like

one day a person would wake up and whoalla

the clock was telling time. I should say it is broken.)  I knocked out the

clock mechanism and filled it with garland.

I love it.

This  arrangement by the door is what I always put up.

The skates were given to me by my sister, Coleen,

years and years ago.  Arizona doesn't have very

many ice skates around so I always felt like

I had something special.  This year I thought about

putting something else in their place but it

just didn't seem right.

I found this goose at a yard sale and couldn't wait to

use it over my door when Christmas rolled around.

It is loosing paint (see the white on the neck) but

I like it that way.  It looks alot like the rest of my

stuff on the porch.

Look closely in the middle of this picture.  See the pinecone?

It came from Arkansas.  I live in the middle of a Pondersosa

Pine forest and still chose these Sugar Pinecones.  They

are bigger than my local ones and so pretty.  Quinn, Parker and

I picked up a big sack full.  Jill mailed them to me a few

weeks after I returned home.  Pinecones are Christmasy to me.

This is just a picture of my tree.  I was playing around

with my camers and thought some of the pictures

were really pretty.

These are my Santas.  I always struggled with the Santa

part of Christmas.  Good thing for our children that they

had a good dad .... especially at Christmas time.

I have a friend who collects Santas.  I never thought much

about my "collection" until this year when I wanted

to put something in this particular spot.  The biggest one

was a gift from David's folks years ago.  They had very little

money but one year they went shopping.  I remember how

excited they were to give gifts and this was one of them.

The guy to the right of him was a Relief Society Super Saturday project.

The round faced, round bearded one, on the left, is made from felt.  I made

those the first year we lived in this house.  Skip the next three

going right and stop on the little one on the table on the right.

When I was the Children's Librarian one little boy really liked

me and gave me this Santa as a gift.  And the only other

one of note if the Santa in the red robe in the very front.  I bought

him in the drug store that was down by Safeway in the early

90's.  Until that point I had either glass bulbs or homemade

ornaments.  Even though he is only 4 inches high buying him

was a break through moment. 

OK, I saved this for last.  Sometimes I am such a dummy.  When I was in

Arkansas, Jill and I went to Hobby Lobby.  I saw this bird and one that

went with it right when we walked in the store.  I threw them in the buggy

and we continued shopping.  So much good stuff.  But I must say that

my first experience with a Hobby Lobby was in Colorado and Wyo.

And one in Farmington, NM.  I thought I had found my perfect store

because the prices were so reasonable.  Not any more.  :(

Well, anyway, when Jill sent my box of pinecones she also sent

the birds.  I was so happy.  I left them at her house.  Not really.

When I called Jill to thank her for sending my treasures...

Arkansas pinecones and left behind birds she said, "Mom,

you didn't leave the birds behind....you didn't buy them, remember?"

She had bought them for me and sent them as a surprize and

a thank you for coming.  See...sometimes I am such a dummy.

Thank you, Jill.  I love the birds.  They are on the table in the

center of everything. 

Unto us is born

Jesus was born into a family.  He made Mary and Joseph

a family....a mother....a father....and a baby.

His mortal experience began where all begin.

With a father and a mother....in a family.

Family is everything.  Only family was there.

Only Joseph and Mary and the baby.

Family mattered then and it matters now.

And our Savior set the example of the greatest of

all human relationships

in his birth.

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving once again.  My daughter, Heidi, offered her home to our

family to gather and share the holiday.  (I got a shot of her family but

none of her!)

I asked Jeremiah if the reality of family was the same as

the vision he had before he married.  He said, "no", but

does this look like an unhappy man?

Lee is just pretending to be interested in Black Friday sales.

This was just therapy to keep her mind off that

baby who seemed very content not to enter the world.

Bode and Laine watching the Macy's parade on

Thanksgiving morning. 

No this isn't a random picture....or a very good one for that matter.

The soldier in the middle is Nathan Sherwood.  He is either in

Afghanistan or Iraq and got this shout out on TV.  Thanks,

Nathan, for protecting our families and our country.

Cousin slumber party.  Megan (9), Pete's oldest, is sleeping on the

couch.  She is a sweetheart.  She read them a story and got them

in order.  These younger ones will do anything she asks.

This is becoming a staple....Grandma Trish and Grandchildren

on a couch.  I don't know if I define them but they

most certainly define me....and I love it.

I've said this before but cousins don't need "warm up to

each other" time.  It is "come on...we're wasting time!" 

Heidi and Bode watched Tim and Connie and family get out

of their car and Abbey saw Bode and Bode saw Abbey and

they shouted each others names and ran to each other, looked

at each other, grabbed hands and ran away.

I love stories like that!

Jett and Mike. 

This is an interesting picture.  Jett, Pete's boy,

is in the

foreground.  He will be 2 in early April. 

Mike, Tim's boy, is almost 3.

Maybe you can't tell but they are about the same size. 

That is a most

interesting thing about family.  We come in all sizes. 

Jett cries and

because of his size I have to remember

he is just a baby.  And then

Mike will talk and it amazes me his language skills

and I have to

remember he is almost 3.

Not a big deal just interesting.

Grandpa and Laine. (She is a pill but I can't get enough of her.)

Daisy Anne

Lee's baby FINALLY arrived.

Welcome to the world, Daisy Anne!

I think Lee had just about given up on this little one

making an entrance.  But her happy birthday was

one week ago today!. 

OK, here's the story about Grandpa Dave's visit:  We were

in the valley for the holiday and David took me to Flagstaff

on Saturday to watch the  State Championship football game and

then he drove me back to the valley and then drove

home to Pinetop....slept 4-5 hours....learned of Daisy's

birth.....made arrangements for Sunday's church operations...

drove down to the valley again (in a blizzard on the rim..

topping out at 35 miles an hour for an hour) came to the

hospital held Daisy, shook Aaron's hand and hugged Lee

and headed home because he has an important

Fireside he needed to attend.  On the way home

he and his counselors decided the roads were

too bad for the fireside so they called it off.  By

this time he was half way home.  If he had known

he could have stayed with Daisy longer.

But we got a picture!!

My baby's baby.

The standard new parent hospital photo.

Mother, father and baby.

So Cute!!

I love pictures of father's holding their

newborn babies.  Lee was pleased that

I got her in the background...not.

Bath time.