My favorite present

This past Christmas Season I knew that I would have to slow down what I usually try to do. It just isn't as possible to make every dessert and participate in all the holiday events with a baby. I am happy to announce that I bought nearly all our gifts online, and had everything purchased, wrapped and mailed before Thanksgiving. It made the month much nicer and easier to remember the meaning of Christmas.

Every night that we were home in the evenings, we sang songs around the Christmas tree. This is what always helps me to feel the Spirit of Christ in the season. In the past I enforced the tradition that I had growing up, but I now have created my own jailers. The kids insist that we sing, and Brandon often proclaims it his favorite tradition. Nathan even made up a new song: "Randolph the red-nosed Beagle." It seemed a little less blasphemous to sing that than, "Hark, the Herald Beagle Barks," or "O Come, All Ye Beagles."

We went caroling a couple of nights, saw a play, celebrated Andrew's birthday as a family, visited our friends for a few days and spent several evenings reading Christmas stories. I baked in a new order this year. I made something new every few days. We all had a taste of each treat, and then wrapped up the rest to give away. No one got the variety plate, but they got something. I never felt overwhelmed, and we still enjoyed most of our holiday treats....just one at a time.

We kicked off the month with our traditional holiday fondue shared with some friends and ended it with a Christmas Eve day at Hooper Pool.

The weather was glorious, and the water felt perfect.

This year, I planned my school so that we could have a three week break. It helped me to feel less rushed. Instead of trying to cram all our traditions into one day, we watched a movie near the beginning of the month, made our seafood dinner a few days before Christmas and went out to pizza on the Eve of Christmas Eve. It was a nice pace, and kept our household from becoming quite as chaotic.

Christmas Day itself was nearly perfect. We had the right balance of gifts, we had the missionaries and a lady in our ward to dinner. We ate something we've never made before: Cornish Game Hens, played games and watched a devotional by President Monson. I wouldn't change a thing.

My favorite present was from Nathan. He made my first year blog into a book.

It was the perfect gift for me and is so pretty.

And I love it.

Once Upon a Time

Once upon a time, in the kingdom of Asomala, there lived a livestock herder and his family, as well as a city imaginer and his family.

These two families met, and despite their many differences, became close friends.

Their children spent days together building dams along the mountains of sand, firing weapons at their enemies, and earning medals of honor in their patrols.

They travelled great distances to see wild beasts, climbed mammoth webs in search of glory, and shared many meals across the reaches of their kingdom.

In the evenings, they played near the campfire and vowed eternal friendship.

But, unbeknownst to the livestock herder’s family, there was an evil Duke in the kingdom of Asomala who plotted to destroy his family. He used his magical powers to cast a spell on them, making their home vanish and leaving them destitute and homeless. They were forced to travel for many miles to find a new kingdom where they could herd their livestock in safety and peace. It was a dark time for them, and they conquered many giants and ogres searching for a place to settle. Often when they thought they had found a new home, they would set up camp only to discover that there were sorcerers who had cursed the land. Then they would pack up and continue their journey.

After years of travel, they finally came to a new kingom of Nedlaw that they trusted. There, they could finally freely herd their animals in safety.

The city imaginer’s family was heartbroken when they learned of the tragic loss of their friends. They felt helpless to defend their friends but sent heroes to protect them and did all they could to keep the Duke’s power away from their friends. They vowed that they would follow them to whatever lands they discovered and thus, continue the link of their friendship.

After they knew their friends were safe, they travelled vast distances to the kingdom of Nedlaw. This was an icy kingdom with many treacherous paths, but despite the ice there was warmth and kindness in the kingdom. It was a joyous reunion with both families celebrating their time together.

Their children wasted no time exploring this new Kingdom of Nedlaw.

The city imaginer's family learned about the work involved in the life of herding wildstock and what challenges they faced.

They found an enchanted field that contained all the tools and equipment they needed to build protection for their new home. They enjoyed the healing powers of special waters that flowed only in this country.

They ate the delicious cuisine provided and slept only when absolutely essential. They encountered adventures and enjoyed the snow of this region, but most of all, they talked and basked in the sharing of ideas.

Though they knew that the city imaginer’s family would have to return to their own kingdom, they also knew that their bonds of friendship would never be broken.

And, as in all fairy tales, they lived happily ever after.

Over the River and Through the Woods

The hardest holiday for me in Alamosa has always been Thanksgiving. I love huge family gatherings full of chaos, conversation, cooking and of course eating!

Now that we live painfully far away from family, it is too far to drive for Thanksgiving. We've tried inviting other people over, and while it is fun, it just isn't the same and I always end up feeling a little depressed on a day I should be feeling thankful.

Nathan and I decided after last Thanksgiving that we wanted to do something different this year, so we started looking for cabins online. We found one we liked in Cuchara, CO and had it reserved by January.

I have fond memories from my childhood of renting a house at Graeagle, and so I already had some hopes and expectations of what this trip would be like. I wanted to have quality family time without outside distractions. I wanted to play games, read together, spend some time outside looking out the beautiful landscapes, watch a couple movies, and just plain relax.

I am happy to report, that it was just what I hoped it would be. We learned a new game called, "And it Came to Pass," that everyone could play. It was a lot of fun, and wasn't age dependent to win.

We also played many rounds of the Bean game, Dominoes and Risk. I don't think we've ever played so many games at one time.

I had lots of time to read, both outloud to the kids and to myself. I found a new series that I love called Little Britches. It's a true story about a boy whose family settled in Northern Colorado. It was nice to have hours at a time to read in front of a cozy fire in a deep armchair.

It was pretty cold outside, but when the sun was at its highest we managed to explore the area around our cabin and found a couple frozen ponds, a running waterfall and some little bridges to cross. There was just enough snow on the ground for the younger kids to play in, and Brandon had a chance to shoot his B.B. gun and airsoft to his heart's content.

The day after Thanksgiving, Nathan took the kids to cut a Christmas tree just a few miles away. It was too cold and steep for Danielle and me, but I enjoyed a couple hours alone.

They came home with a magnificent tree. I really think it may be the prettiest tree we have ever had.

The cabin itself was really nice. It was pretty new with 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a family room downstairs, and a kitchen, dining area and living room upstairs. There was a deck that wrapped around the cabin with a beautiful view.

We took advantage of the woodburning stoves on each level as much as possible. Our bathroom had a steam shower, and I'm pretty sure that was Danielle's favorite spot. There were two flat-screen t.v.'s that had satellite, so we could watch a movie when we felt like it.

Our dinner wasn't up to our usual standards, because we weren't sure what the kitchen would have. We didn't have a wisk for the gravy and the oven cooked a lot hotter than ours and overbaked our rolls. Still, we ate well, and had a wonderful Thanksgiving meal. It was the best family time we have had for a long time.

Tonight, we sat at home around our tree and sang Christmas carols. It was a great ending to our weekend. Then Nathan told the kids stories and sang them his own Christmas songs: Randolph the Red-Nosed Beagle; Hark, the Beagle; and O Come All Ye Beagles.

This weekend was so great that I think we will stay home next year. I don't think we could re-create our time if we tried, and I'd hate for the expectations to be unattainable.

Plus, I don't want to eat burnt rolls next year.

Pueblo

When I was a kid I remember watching lots of advertisements for mail-order products with the mailing address of Pueblo, Colorado. It felt like an exotic destination that made wonderful things if you only had enough money to buy them.


After we moved to Alamosa, I was in serious culture shock for the first several months. The only way I could go shopping for anything that wasn't sold in Wal-Mart was to travel the TWO HOURS to Pueblo. After a few months, when we took our first trip there I remember the sight of civilization bringing tears to my eyes. The reason for our first trip: a Doctor's appointment for Andrew. Through the years, we have gotten to know Pueblo quite well.


Over the years we have driven Andrew dozens of times along the same route for a myriad of medical maladies. We have gotten to know his Allergist and especially his ENT quite well. He has endured bouts of carsickness just to get there, scopes being stuck up his nose dozens of times, over 80 pricks in his back and then 24 shots in the arm more than once, and most traumatic of all: a three hour nasal surgery.


Through this he has complained little and endured much.


There were a few ways that we learned to cope with the challenges he went through. First, we tried to find some fun places to visit so that the trip wouldn't be completely dreaded. We have found out about a great children's museum, art museum, airplane museum and a fun little zoo. They also have a Target and a mall for when wanted to do a little shopping. More than once we sat through a particularly difficult and tearful appointment knowing that afterward we could go have some roasted chicken, macaroni & cheese, and apples from Boston Market. Memories of the first night after his surgery will still haunt me. It is a difficult thing to watch your children suffer, even when you know it is for their good.


Happily, the pain Andrew has gone through has made him a stronger person, and he is compassionate beyond his years. He is analytical and often thinks about the deeper meaning of things. He has an amazing memory and currently knows pi to the 38th decimal point. He loves to learn about the Titanic, World War Two and everything math related.


He has a quirky sense of humor and isn't the typical 10 year old. He is not my most social child but is fiercely loyal to the friends he has. He is patient and has strong likes and dislikes. Perhaps his greatest like is chocolate, which he has for every shot in his arm.


I feel like he was sent to our family to be prepared for his mission in life. He came with the goodness inside him, and it's our role to get him physically well, to train him up spiritually, and feed him with enough books to fill his mind. I expect great things from our great boy.


With his 11th birthday approaching I feel especially a tenderness to this boy of mine, and I'm grateful for the trips to Pueblo that have linked us together. One of the meanings of the word Pueblo is Dwelling Place. It has felt that way for us. Forever more, when I think of Pueblo, I will think of Andrew.

Bedtime Stories

Marriage is always a risk, because you never know how things will turn out in the end. When I prayed to know if I should marry Nathan, my answer was, "You decide.....but then be completely committed to your decision." So, I took the plunge and have been amazed to see what my husband has become.

One of the most wonderful things he does is tell the kids bedtime stories. He started this when Brandon was only 3 years old and hasn't missed a night since, except when he is gone for meetings. Brandon is now 12, so that means he's told roughly 3,000 stories!

The stories started out with several main characters that came from memories of his Grandpa's stories. They are the magic hats. Big Hat has a big top hat but is a little man, Little Hat has a little bowler hat on his large body. When they pull their shoulders in the hats drop down and turn into magical homes. Tex is also a magic hat with a cowboy hat.

The kids are all part of the stories, and they have magical items to help in their adventures. Brandon has magic shoes that make him run really fast, Andrew has a magic pocket that can hold anything, Connor has a magic pocketwatch that freezes time, Nicole has a magic bracelet that makes her fly, and Danielle has a magic ring that makes her invisible.

Each story has started with the line, "There was a knock at the door...." They have captured many a bad guy and learned about whatever Nathan has been interested in at the time. Most of all he has developed his sense of humor, and they laugh uncontrollably. That has especially been the case since later characters were introduced: Togo and Alli. There is also Diggity Dog who is a super hero beagle. Nicole has added the princess stories to the mix to fill her needs, and they always start out, "Once there was a beautiful princess named Nicole...."


There is no way to convey the scope of Nathan's stories or to express they joy they bring into our children's lives. While I decompress from that day, they congregate in one of the bedrooms, and I hear laughter spilling out of the room.

The worst punishment that Nathan can inflict is to cancel stories for the night, and though it is threatened from time to time, it is rarely carried out. I think this is because he enjoys the stories as much as the kids. There have been numerous times that I've glanced at the clock and realized that he's been telling stories for over half and hour.

I'm sure Scientists or Literature Professors could explain all the benefits from our nightly routine, but I think the greatest benefit is when I hear my kids express their intention to tell their own kids bedtime stories and hear their beginning efforts during the day.

Tonight I went into the bedroom intending to take pictures for this blog. Without saying anything I started recording the story on video mode in the middle of a story. This is just a random example of what goes on in our home. He was talking about the squirrels in the park next to the city hall in a follow-up of an earlier installment. I love hearing the laughter, and I think Nathan is just plain funny. He is quick on his feet, has hilarious voices and keeps a great running story line. Unfortunately my memory card ran out of space after 3 minutes, so you can't hear Danielle recite Pi.

I'm so blessed to be married to such a great father.