Hi! My name is Shirlene and I am a lame camera-less mother!
Thank goodness for Facebook and other mothers that actually take their cameras to their son's tennis tournaments!
Logan High takes FIRST in the St. George Invitational Tournament last weekend. Yay Grizzlies!
Dustin won all of his matches! Go Dustin! Yup, he's the dude on the back row with the sweet white sunglasses:)
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?!
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!
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!
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!!!!
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!
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!
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!
