Family is Everything!

They moved HERE!

Here!

As in Cache Valley, Utah! To our very valley! Just 20 minutes away (if you follow the speed limit). 

They = Matt & Dana's family!

And we couldn't be happier!

However, I know these sweet, dear friends:

are sad at their moving. I get that. But like I said, they are sweet and dear friends. When Greg and I decided to "crash" the New York City adventure the above six had planned, they opened their arms to us and included us just because we were Matt and Dana's relatives! They won't let distance weaken the strong ties of friendship they have so carefully woven over the years. And we will get to see them ALL when they come to Cache Valley to visit Matt and Dana, because visit they will. Visit they MUST!

In the meantime -- they have moved HERE!

Did I mention we couldn't be happier?!

 

Flag Duty

My Sweet Aunt Marjorie

Remember almost two years ago when my family celebrated my awesome Aunt Marge's 90th birthday?

On January 6th, just three months shy of her 92nd birthday, and on what would have been her father's 121st birthday, my sweet aunt Marjorie passed from this life. She was surrounded by all of her children as she quietly passed. She had only had to live with her children for the last year or so and was only super sick for a week or so before the end. What a blessing! She lived an abundant life! And I am so proud and grateful to be eternally linked to her! 

The Happiest Place on Earth!

Melanie and Dustin scored a trip with the parental units, a.k.a. Greg and I, to Florida to visit Walt Disney World AND Universal Studios, home of Harry Potter World!  Yes, they are EXTREMELY spoiled! 

Melanie and Dustin (the teenagers) acted like they were 6 year olds - seriously! 

First: wings were received on the flight.

Next: Disney World Magic Kingdom! Where dreams come true!

Yes, the padre IS on the phone - again!

Dustin took advantage of the talented Disney barber and got a haircut!

Then who to our wondering eyes should appear?  It's Peter! "Second star to the right and straight on 'til morning!"

Notice Dustin's sweet black socks? Well so did a traveling garbage can! It stopped in front of Dustin and said, "Way to rock the black socks!"  It was pretty hysterical!

We found Rafiki in Animal Kingdom!

And EPCOT! Where the teenagers went on a virtual reality ride that made them sick:) There were two lines for said ride. I asked the dutiful helper the difference between the lines and rides.  She said, "spinning, or no spinning."  I then asked, "Spinning, like throw up?" To which she replied with a simple, "yes". So the padre and I entered the non-spinning line, while the plucky teenagers, after mocking our "old age inner ears", headed into the spinning line. They weren't laughing when they came out! After sitting on a bench for a while during which their green shade diminished only slightly, the decision was made to call it a day and head back to our Marriott digs. Luckily it was at the end of the day, so we didn't feel too badly to end a little early.

Although much fun was had at the Disney parks for THREE whole days, the teenagers were super anxious for their REAL desired destination -- Harry Potter World! Entrance into this enchanting park was linked to Dustin finishing his requirements for Eagle before we left for Florida.  We left on Sunday.  He finished on Saturday:)

So, with wands in hand, we headed to platform 9 3/4 and boarded the Hogwarts Express!

We saw and did EVERTHING there is to see and do in Harry Potter World!  We ate at the Three Broomsticks. We looked in the windows of every shop in Diagonally (that's all you could do, they were just for looking). We waited in line for ALL rides. 

We drank butterbeer - twice! We waited in line for Olivander's Wand Shop, where Dustin was chosen by a wand made of oak with a dragon heart strings core, 13 1/2 inches!  Look closely, and you will see Olivander and Dustin with the wand.  

And we shopped! Scarves and sweaters and mittens and chocolate frogs and owl post stamps and Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans and butterbeer and chocolate wands and crybabies (the padre's personal favorite)! 

As we left Harry Potter World after an extremely full and exciting day, Melanie turned and looked back at the gate wistfully and said, "I should live there!"

A happy ending to a happy trip with our two darling youngest chicks!

 

Christmas 2011

Chelsea and Brigham and Andy weren't able to make it down to the lower 49 for the Christmas holiday this year *sniff, sniff, sob*. And Nicole and Talon were planning on spending Christmas with the Anderson clan down in Bountiful *boo hoo*.  

Not to worry! We joined the Anderson clan for Christmas Eve festivities! However, I failed to take any pictures :(

But I did get a shot of Greg, Chase, Dustin and Melanie practicing for the Ward choir Sunday morning:

And the race to see who can get their Christmas pajama package open first:

A few of our Christmas gift giving highlights:

                       Tickets to see Wicked!                                                   A BYU hat signed by Riley Nelson!

                        Bubble wrap?                                                                        Orange puffy coat!

  Green jacket, glove liners, and a kermit the frog hat!                                    A wheat grinder!

         The gyro exercise ball! (Trust me, it's tough!)        An acustic guitar signed by Lady Antebellem! Thanks Uncle Matt!!

       Gift cards from Grandma & Grandpa Hicken!         Super special memory book made with love by Melanie & Dustin!

                                                Yo ho! It's a pirate ship for Andy!

Ho, ho, ho!!!! Merry Christmas to ALL!!!!

The last of the 2011 projects ...

As 2011 comes to a close, I will post the last completed projects of the year. All were Christmas gifts and thus not postable until now.

A Logan High School t-shirt quilt for Melanie:

TWO t-shirt quilts for Chelsea (she had a lot of shirts saved up!):

And lastly, a Christmas advent calendar for Chelsea and Brigham:

In preparation for the coming of 2012, the project to-do list has been made. Only 27 items this year! Just keep me out of the quilt shops and I may be able to finish before this time next year!

 

The traditions of Christmas

This year, each of my "big" girls (that means Nicole and Chelsea and NOT Melanie) blogged about their favorite Christmas traditions as part of their 12-days of Christmas postings. The posts were fun AND meaningful!  I pondered upon doing the same thing - for just a brief second - and then tossed that idea to the wind! You are welcome to check out their awesome postings here and here, if you so desire.

I will, however, do one traditions post.

The Christmas pajamas!

When I little (and big) we were always allowed to open one gift on Christmas Eve. Sometimes it was new pajamas. Sometimes not.

When Greg and I started our own little family, we continued the Christmas Eve one gift tradition -- but with a twist. That gift was always pajamas.

For many years I simply purchased darling pjs for each child.  A few times, I oiled up my sewing machine and made darling pjs.  But generally, as long as there were pjs, it didn't really matter.

And then it happened.

In the year 2004 I was struck with some rare disease that caused me to actually sew matching pajama pants for our whole family!  And believe it or not, I actually enjoyed it! I don't have digital photo documentation of that momentus event, and since my scanner is currently out of working condition, there is still no photo proof. Just trust me.

This was also the year that the tradition of going to a movie on Christmas day in our matching pajamas came to be. 

However, the disease continued into the year 2005 ---

And the next year I did it again ---

And again ---

And then I regained control of my senses in 2008. Maybe it was due to the fact that we'd had two weddings and sent out a missionary. But we still all had to match!

By 2009 I had again lost control of my common sense mechanism, or maybe it was just because I found some really sweet flannel I wanted to use, so the Bernina and I became one! Especially since this year I made jammies for fifteen, which included Chase's missionary companion and our darling niece and her adorable children. Whew!  

The madness continued in 2010 --- with a total of 16 --- Chase was home, but we added sweet Andy! Barkley even scored this year!

This year - 2011 - with the unusual occurance of Utah State making it to a bowl game (woohoo Potato Bowl!) my feelings of pride in our local university spurred me into purchasing USU jammies for all! Don't worry -- we match, even though we were in three separate locations this year!  And no movie this year. Christmas was on Sunday, after all. We hit the theater the next day, but not ala matching pjs.

I must admit, the pajama preparation this year was pretty low-key and non-stressfilled for me!

And so the tradition continues on and on and on and on! Will the 2012 Christmas pajamas be home-made or purchased? You'll have to wait and see!

Look who turned ONE!!

Wasn't it just yesterday that this little peanut joined our family?

Our absolutely adorable and precious grandson arrived in Alaska safely on 12-11-10! Easy to remember his birthday :)  

He likes to read stories with his dad.  And model the sweet hats his mom crochets.

He is such a happy, happy little guy! Andy never gets into trouble! And he always looks after his best cousin, Addie!

Happy Birthday to the cutest one-year-old around! 

The Christmas Tree Adventure

Because I did not spend Thanksgiving Day cooking this year, we thought it would be super cool to head to the hills and cut down our own Christmas tree.

The plan = meet up with some business associates of the padre who are bringing four snow mobiles and venture onto their own property (no permit required) and cut down the tree of our dreams. Hence, not too much walking, not too much time, should be fun!

The actual event = associates were not at the designated meeting place at the designated time, so we thought we would just start up the road and they would catch us and pick us up.

With the teenagers and the chain saw in tow, we were off! (Notice Melanie in my sweet circa 1980 moonboots and Dustin in my white circa 1990ish sorels. Nice to know they are secure with who they are and what they wear!) 

We are in high spirit! We can do this thing! Let's go!

It was warmer than we had anticipated, and much, MUCH further! And the associates still had not arrived and we did not bring any water for our unplanned hike!

"This chain saw is heavy and I'm tired! This is so dumb! There aren't even any pine trees up here! We're going to end up doing all 'this' and then going and buying a tree at Smith's!"  At least we are having a bonding experience :)

To rub salt in our wounds, a random truck passes us hiking up the road. Why didn't we drive OUR truck up this road? WHY??

Still no snow machines and no associates.  And we have arrived at the head off the road point and up a steep ravine in deep, unpacked snow to look for a pine tree. ANY pine tree will do at this point!

The Associates FINALLY arrive! But with only two snow machines, one of which promptly runs out of gas, literally, upon greeting us!  So -- we continue to hike -- sort of!

When what to our wondering eyes we behold???  TREES!  And a pretty nice view, too!

We found what we thought was the PERFECT tree!  Success!

Our hearts are full of love and joy! We hiked the whole way and we only complained a little (sort of)! Now to get this beauty home so we can enjoy some Thanksgiving dinner!

Melanie and Dustin pulled. Dustin and I pulled. Melanie and I pulled. The Padre just smiled and was lucky to get his person up and down the mountain due to his six week old knee replacement.

Home at last!  We trimmed the tree so it would fit into our house and ... alas!!  What happened to our lovely fluffy beautiful majestic tree??

It is scrawny! And has all these weird branches shooting upward! And it isn't fluffy and full, nor majestic at all!  

Not to worry! With a little love and tender care, not to mention some lights and a few (a very few, the branches won't hold many) decorations, our Christmas tree stands tall and proud! 

And now we all feel to repeat the words of Linus, the wise philosopher, "I never thought it was such a bad little tree."  Besides, you can't BUY those kinds of memories!

Merry Christmas!!! 

 

 

 

The nut doesn't fall far from the tree.

Thirty-five years ago, Greg's high school performed the musical production Once Upon A Mattress. The story of the Princess and the Pea. Greg's character? Sir Studley. Fitting, I know:)

Last night marked the final performance of Logan High School's musical producation of ... wait for it ... Once Upon A Mattress.

Dustin's character?

You guessed it!

Sir Studley!

Yes, I made the sweet powder blue with yellow sleeves knight's tunic. And no, I did NOT choose the fabric. Who dresses a knight by the name of Sir Studley in powder blue?! But I digress ...

Dustin's directors' award = "Like father - like son! Studliness runs in the family!"

They've got that right!