Christmas Day Sunday

Our day started out at Church with Tawna and Nathan's family. We decided to sing with their choir while we were home for the holiday since Tawna and Jade were both singing in their Ward this year. It was even fun to go to practice since I got to see my girls. The songs were fun to learn and I really enjoyed singing them. I am always surprised that the choirs aren't full to bursting with people wanting to sing at Christmas. There is nothing like adding your voice to those singing the beautiful songs of Christmas. There is a special spirit that exists in those choirs and I love it.

My two chefs for Christmas brunch. When we got home from church Robert and Grumpy made a tasty brunch of waffles, eggs and bacon. So good. I don't eat breakfast often, but when I do I really enjoy it. Of course I always say the day should start at 10 am.




After eating such a good breakfast, I set the tables. Gramma H. gave me two beautiful lace tablecloths for Christmas this year. I used them both and our tables were so pretty. I didn't elegant them out, but tried to keep them a little simple. One of these years I am going to go all out on our Christmas tables. I just need some of the little kids to grow up a little more. Maybe next year.




I made a ham. Robert made some really great potatoes Au Gratin (recipe courtesy of Mary Gazda) that were awesome. I will post the recipe on Nana's blog as I know she would have loved this recipe. I hope everyone tries it out. So good. We had a deep fried turkey (courtesy of Jamie) that was amazing. I need to learn how to do that. We have some good cooks in our men. Tawna made some broccoli and the ever favorite Chocolate Nutty Delight. I had bought a pumpkin and a pecan pie at Costco, but could have saved my money. Everyone wanted the Choc. Nutty Delight. Me too. I know we had other food dishes there, and everyone is always so good to bring things. I love dinners with the fam.

Christmas Eve 2011

As always it was a wonderful time together. The days before were filled with finding the best ingredients for the sandwiches, ordering the rolls/buns, finding and preparing the meat slicer, going to choir practices, sewing dresses, hanging out and in general having some of the best times ever. Grumpy got his grill area all set up on the back patio. We tried to do it in the house, but we managed to set off all the fire alarms since we have no hood ventilation in the kitchen. That is something we will have to remedy someday. Everyone lent a hand while making each sandwich to order. Megan and Rylee were our order takers. Armed with a pen and a pad of Italian Sandwich order forms, they did a great job getting everyone's preferences down and to the chef. I regrettably did not get very many pics of the evening. We had all our family there except Taya and Kevin's and we missed them greatly. We were able to host Stacie's Mom and Don, and her sister Kamala and her husband Chad. They had their cute little Gunnar in tow. He is a handsome dude! I still miss the days when Tracy and Kevin's family and Bob and Sydney's family could come to this. Our families are so many now, it isn't practical anymore. (I keep telling myself that) I miss them just the same.



We had good food and good times (in our PJs. New tradition. It is good to be comfy)




Gotta love those crazy eyes Jaxon! The kids were all so excited for Christmas Day. There always seems to be an air of magic that night. There is that special gleam of expectation in their eyes and I love that. I'm already looking forward to next year.

Papa K. came after he set out all his luminarias for his neighborhood tradition. I used to love driving through the neighborhood on our way home from their house. Every street is lined with white paper sack luminarias. It is so pretty and is a peaceful setting. I need to put that on my list of things to do Christmas Eve. Start a luminaria tradition at my house.

Christmas in the Kitchen

Spending some quality time in the kitchen again as I try to get things done here before we leave for AZ and the rest of the season there. Of course there are the treats we like to do for people who have been so good to us here as well as those we home teach/visit teach. That has not always been very important to me, but in the last couple of years I have decided that even though I don't know some of these people very well they should be on my list at Christmas. Some of Grumpy's home teaching families won't even open the door to him, one sister is in a care facility and doesn't really know who he is from month to month and I have never been able to catch one of my sisters home to meet her. Nonetheless, I feel it is important they know we do think of them and hope they are doing well. With that in mind I made two batches of toffee, 1 batch of caramels (haven't made those for years) and found a cute idea on LDS living for a simple treat. Got the toffee all packed into the tins in the pic below and am now working on getting the caramels cut and wrapped and some M&M's into something cute. I think Taya is using the M&M idea for her give-a-ways this year. Can't wait to see a pic of how she did hers.




I'm a little frightened so see if the caramels are going to behave and come out of the dish okay. I hope so, otherwise I envision throwing the whole thing in the garbage, dish and all. That would be sad as I really like caramels. And my dish.



I decided to make the second place soup recipe from the LDS Living soup contest since I have made the grand prize winner and the third place winner. It sounded like a great recipe and it didn't disappoint. I will post that recipe on the cooking blog for anyone who might like to try Chicken Cordon Bleu Soup. I know Taya's family has tried it and decided it was a keeper.

Not much else going on here today. I have been going through Nana's recipe file and want to post some more of her candy recipes she made for the holidays. There are a bunch. She has left us such great information and I know if it is in her file, it must be a good recipe. Most of them I have sampled over the years (which is why I am not a size 3) and hope that we can use the recipes she left to enrich our lives and those around us. Food is such a memory stimulus, at the holidays more than ever. I can remember rolling up on the driveway by the back door of their house on my way home from work, or wherever. Most the time Nana was in the kitchen, or sitting at her little round table. This time of year there would be aluminum take-out rounds filled with fudge, penuche and she would be getting some bows out to stick on the tops. The kitchen would smell like candy cooking and I have associated that with Christmas in my memory. To this day when I walk into a candy shop and smell fudge and other sweets, it takes me right back to Nana's kitchen at Christmas. She always did a container of her chocolate fudge and one of penuche for her kids, and usually one or the other for all the grandkids. She would have stacks of round dishes all over the bar in the dining room ready for a bow and delivery. Papa was the delivery service and he would take them to their neighbors and friends. I know they looked forward to her annual candy and for a couple of years after she passed away, people would remind me how much they loved her talents in the kitchen. The fudge especially.

I hope as my children are in the middle of raising their families they will know how much those things we do in the kitchen, the decorating, the choir practices we attend, and all the other little things we do for the holiday seasons impact their kids. Even the shopping trips to Costco for nuts and chocolate chips this time of year are such a part of the memories I have. Sick, I know. I love it all though and am glad I have such poignant and precious things to remember.

In Search of Steve's (the Elk) Dad...

The boys and I had a great time Elk Hunting together this year. Arrived in Alpine well after dark Thanksgiving evening and hit the sack early in anticipation of the hunt. Jeff's dad, Heber, graciously allowed us to use his home so we were warm and comfy (and definitely spoiled)! Got up at 0500 Friday and were out the door by 0530...still dark, but we had a 30 minute drive ahead. Jeff acted as our guide and R.B., Robert and I hunted hard for five days.



Just before noon on Friday Jeff spotted a couple of bulls up the mountainside above us and signalled me. I saw one bull move into heavier brush and then spotted what I thought were the upper tines of his right antler sticking out above the brush. Estimating where his right shoulder should be (I couldn't see his body for the thick brush), I fired a shot. He promptly made a turn and ran. We didn't find any blood so we assumed (never a good thing) that I missed and didn't spend too much time looking for him before continuing to hunt.

Saw a few more bulls and some cows on Saturday. Stayed in Sunday while the boys went out...they came back without seeing anything (something I've learned about hunting on the Sabbath!). Monday morning we were out before first light again and I spotted a 4x5 bull coming down a mountain across the meadow from us. I told Robert he might come right to us...but he stopped on his side of the meadow and stood facing us for quite a while. I told Robert to get into a prone position so as to be steady and shoot! It was about a 350 yard shot and Robert, who was on his very first hunt, hit him! We found good blood and Jeff, Robert and I tracked it for a long ways before losing his trail. We never found him so the coyotes had a good meal! I felt bad for Robert, but he took it quite well.



Tuesday afternoon we were hunting the same area that we did the first day (Friday) and Jeff spotted a bull lying dead that someone had shot and not found. It was a good sized 5x6 that was just starting to sprout a 7th point on the left side. We could tell by the smell and bloating that it had been killed a few days earlier. We continued hunting and got nothing that day. That night as I lay in bed, my mind kept going back to that elk Jeff found and I began thinking that it wasn't too very far from where I had shot at that elk on opening day. When Jeff found it, it never occurred to me that it might be the one I shot at, but the more I thought about it, it seemed a very real possibility. As we drove out to our hunting area the next morning, I asked Jeff to jog my memory as to where exactly I had taken that shot. He said it couldn't have been more than a couple of hundred yards away from where he found the dead one and that he had had similar thoughts about it being mine. We discussed it further and decided that is must have been the one I shot- the single bullet hole was where I had estimated to be shooting at, the antlers were right and it was less than 200 yards from where it had stood when I shot it. I was happy to know I had made a good shot, but very disappointed to have lost the opportunity to harvest that good elk meat...probably lost at least 300 pounds worth! You can bet the coyotes, crows and all the other predators and scavengers were thrilled with my loss.




The boys left Tuesday after lunch to return home, but I stayed one more night because I had to drive to Cortez, CO the next day for work. Robert tagged my elk so that I could hunt some more that evening and the next day and maybe get us some meat. But I hunted both that afternoon and evening plus the next morning and didn't see anything. But we had a very enjoyable trip- it was great to be able to spend almost a whole week with my boys. They have grown into fine men and I am very proud of each of them. Hopefully I will have many more opportunities to enjoy such times with both them and their sons.



One sad note- R.B. had such bad head, neck and back pain from some issues he is experiencing that he had to sit out two of the days we hunted and stay back at the house. When I questioned him more directly about those issues, he confided to me that he had a growth surrounding his spinal cord up in his neck area that was putting tremendous pressure on the area of his spine/neck. He had spoken to his doctor and was told that no good doctor would try to operate and remove it since one slight nick of the spinal cord could paralyze him. I told him that he needed a special Priesthood Blessing and he agreed. We will give him one in a couple of weeks when Sherry and I return to Mesa for Christmas. I pray the Lord will bless him to overcome this problem so he can better enjoy life and serve the Lord, his family and others.

Christmas Prep in Texas

Grumpy picked me up from the airport about dinner time on the first Saturday in December. We went to a new to us restaurant and had a nice dinner before going home to veg in the apartment. Sunday came with church, meetings, tithing settlement and more meetings. Upon leaving the church building about 10:15 Sunday night I was surprised to see a light snow falling. People here say there is snow from time to time, but it doesn't stay on the ground long. Sure enough, below is the picture from our balcony that I woke up to on Monday morning. Cold. I stayed in my jammys and puttered around the apartment all day. I love days like that.



I decided in all that puttering I needed to get some festive stuff up so it would feel like Christmas for our 2 weeks here. I decided a tree was not in the cards this year so put up my fun 12 Days of Christmas nesting boxes I bought years ago. I love these silly boxes. They will have to suffice as my "tree" this year for our small spaces. I didn't do much else, but just had to wrap the kitchen cupboards. Not a lot of effort for such a big return. I love a Christmased kitchen.




And there are the dishes. I borrowed Nana's Christmas dishes to bring. They work out great for the two of us since there aren't a bunch. Just enough to have a few in the dishwasher from use and still some on the counter. There are only 6 salad plates and they have a cute reindeer in the middle. So fun. I rounded out the set with a few of my red bowls Nana gave me for Christmas one year.



Not much decoration here for someone as crazy about it as I am, but it will do until I get home to Mesa to enjoy the rest of the season there. I am going to have to invest in a creche for our home here. I miss not having a manger scene. I'll have to keep my eye out for one that will work here.

The Trees of Christmas

To all the people who say they can't decorate Christmas trees well. Phooey! Trees are easy. You put enough stuff on them and even not so wonderful trees look good. I am posting my recipe for a tree in case anyone wants to give it a shot. I don't have a pic of setting the tree up. This usually entails lots of swearing and bad facial expressions, so I didn't go there on camera. Hopefully your tree is pre-lit. If not, buy a new tree. Or you can wire it yourself, again, with a colorful vocabulary and more facial grimaces. Lights are very important. If you are doing them yourself, don't do a half-a@#ed job. They are the basis for a beautiful tree. I would use strands of 100 twinkle lights, without the twinkle flashy thing enabled. I personally don't like lights that flash at me. I also like the brilliance of white lights. Nothing sets your tree off quite like little white lights. Colored lights are fun too, but don't have the brilliance of the white ones. I have used all blue lights in trees for a very quiet, almost nightlike feeling. All green is really pretty too. Use your imagination and have fun with different things every year if you are up to it physically and financially. Wire from the trunk out to the ends of the branches and back and move to the next branch. Yes, this takes lots of time and lots of lights, but the result is amazing. Only 3 sets of 100 can be connected with any success before getting a new plug to plug into. Green extension cords are the bomb! Otherwise, they look good for awhile and then BAM!, they short out and you are left crying. This I know from experience. Sadly.



Now that your tree is up and lit you are ready for the good stuff. Next comes the garland. Whatever kind of garland you prefer. I have this beautiful stuff Nana bought that is all gold leaves and beaded berries. (Above) I run it kind of at a diagonal so it sort of spirals down the tree. You can use lengths of lots of things for garland. Paper chains, commercial tinsely stuff, ribbon, rag garland, beaded ropes, strands of pearls, popcorn strung with cranberries, whatever. It all works. Decide weather you like it diagonal, around horizontally or streaming down the tree from the top vertically.



Next I do the top of the tree. (Above) I have been using poinsettias and bows, and some fern-like pokey things for the past few years. I think I am going to find a pretty star for next year. Angels are good. Whatever you like at the top goes next. On this tree, this is also when I add my ribbon in-between the gold and red garlands. If you are using ribbon with wire in the edges, it sort of coils this way and that as it comes off the roll. Let it loop and tuck it in a branch here and there for a loopy, swirly effect. (Below)



Now for the glitz and glitter (and bling)! Ornaments go next. The really big ones go toward the bottom and I work them into the branches so they are kind of "in" the tree and add some dimension. You can use big ones anywhere, but if you only have a few, place them from eye level down for the best exposure. I have ornaments that are all similar in design and color for the over-all tree. The tall packs they sell at Costco or Sam's are wonderful for this and are usually non-breakable. Then I have ornaments of all sizes and kinds that are wonderful on a tree. Lots of variety and precious memories are in ornaments. I try to buy a few one-of-a-kind ornaments every year to add to our collection. Then of course are things that dangle. I like crystal "icicles", or prisms or faceted teardrops, whatever reflects and refracts light is good. Glittered snowflakes are fun too. Last of all if you like even more pokey things, glittered spiral branches, coils of whatever and glittery or foil sprays are the final touch.



My finished tree above. I love getting it done and just sitting and looking at it. It is thoughts of many Christmases and seeing the traditions on the tree that help bring me the peace of the season. I know that trees don't have anything to do with why we celebrate Christmas, but they have everything to do with how. They do symbolize so many good things at this time of year. I do love Christmas trees. Below is Jacque and Dawson's tree that I help her with every year. I love going to her home and spending the better part of a day getting her tree up and ready for her family to enjoy. She does red and gold like me with a tartan plaid ribbon and gold beads for her garland. Good times.



I had the pleasure of doing Gramma's tree for her this year. Not just the ribbon this year, but the whole tree. Been wanting to do that for years. Had a lot of fun with it, but didn't have my camera that day. I will try and get a photo later this month.
I also helped Summer decorate the school office lobby where she works. That was an interesting tree. All colored lights which I had to wire on the tree myself (time for a new pre-lit tree for them), there was much gnashing of teeth on that part. After the lights were in, we really didn't have much to put on it except snowflakes in many sizes and ribbon. The ribbon was white and swirly and we really loaded the tree with it. Then I took the really big snowflakes (about 12" diameter) and put them into the tree all around the bottom. The smaller snowflakes were over-all and we found some silver glittered ones to add to it. It turned out pretty. I should learn to carry my camera with me, right? Duh.

Trees rock.

Now for the rest of the house…

The whole house used to turn into Christmas back when I had a lot more energy. Now I pick my areas and take a little more time. (I'm slow these days). I only did one garland this year, and that was enough for me. Not a lot of places to use garland in this house, maybe that's a good thing as I get older. I try to sort of match the garland to the tree in feel since they are usually in the same room. I had a lot of fun with Steve the Elk and my crazy "veloci-rooster". Had to deck them out for the holidays. Grumpy hasn't seen Steve the Elk yet. Hope he likes his Christmas attire. Hey, there are certain concessions when you put an Elk in my living room. I got the idea from Jade who decked her Elkie out in a menagerie of ornaments and ribbons. He was pretty stylin' and looked goooood! My six foot rooster affectionately called the "veloci-rooster" had to have a holiday look too.




Next come the cupboards. We all know what a penchant I have for ribbon. What better way to use some ribbon at Christmas! I love to wrap the cupboard doors every year and dress the kitchen in holiday glam. Then of course I be-ribbon the chandelier(s) and get out the Christmas dishes. Had to go find a plate rack to use since I took my big one to Texas. It's not a cute one, but it will do this year. Can't stand to put the pretty dishes in the cupboard where no one sees them. Where I can't see them.





I didn't get a shot of the wreath Papa let me use, or the dining room light before I left. I will add those later. I am ready for the season and hopefully Robert is enjoying the house full of Christmas until we get back there later this month. Two weeks here in Texas and three weeks in Mesa. Had to have stuff in both places, right?



New arrangements for Nana and Curt this year. The cemetery does a complete wipe out of all flowers sometime in January and we weren't fast enough last year to get the Christmas pointsettias taken off to save. It was the second year we had used them, so it was probably for the best that they are gone. I was at Hobby Lobby and they had some really pretty Christmas floral sprays, so I got what I needed to put together some Christmas arrangements to take out to the cemetery. I didn't get there with Pop before I left for Texas, so he, Tracy and Bobby will do the honors this year. I cannot do anything at Christmas that I don't think of the way Nana loved the holiday. I am glad that I could help her and Papa have their home decorated and beautiful for the season for so many years. Now that is part of my cherished memories that surface everytime I do anything for Christmas. I miss her.

Meanwhile...Back at the Sewing Machine

Above are some more dresses I made for Lauren and Emersyn. I saw this pinwale courduroy at the store and it was just too cute not to buy. I loved both the fabrics and their accents, so decided to do a wintery dress for the girls to keep them warm in California. I had lots of fun sewing them and hope they have lots of fun wearing them.



I then moved on to the next installment of pillowcases in the holiday line-up. Christmas fabric was not hard to find, but sometimes hard to match to the grandkids. Nothing too cutesy or juvenile, (especially for the older kids) so my quest began. I found some in Albuquerque (with Grumpy under duress to take me to a JoAnn's as we passed through), some here in Midland at our local Hancock's and our Hobby Lobby, some I ordered on-line through JoAnn's (that was a little dicey) and finally some at home in Mesa. (again at JoAnn's). We don't have a JoAnn's here in Midland, so our choices of fabrics is sometimes limited. After all the looking for and deciding was done I went to work getting them done. I did Taya's family first (above) so I could send them FedEx with the girls dresses. I sewed some in Midland and barely got the fabric I ordered on-line in time to pack and take to AZ to finish the rest. I hope the grandkids have had as much fun using them as I have had making them. (Thanks to Grumpy for being a good sport with all the shopping and fabric requisitions.)

Below are all the ones that went to our Arizona families.



I also hope all the grandkids remember them on Christmas morning as they are opening all their other gifts. I just couldn't wait to give them and wanted them to enjoy them through the seasons. Carson wanted to know if he would be getting one for Easter and Aden asked me if I could please get him something besides a pillowcase.

Kids are funny.

Giving Thanks

So much to be thankful for. Where to begin? We have been so very blessed. I was reminded recently of a line from the movie "While you were sleeping"… Ox Calahan is sitting with his son at the breakfast table and he says,

"You work hard, try to provide for the family, and then, for one minute, everything's good. Everyone's well. Everyone's happy. In that one minute, you have peace."

Of course Jack says to him, this is not that moment. But in my case, it is that moment. I know we all still have our trials and troubles, but in the grand scheme of things every one of us is so blessed. The longer I live away from all that is familiar to me, the more thankful I am for the environment I was raised in. The LDS social structure that I take so for granted, and see the benefits from every single day. The family and friends that made/make that possible and the knowledge that I need to thank my Father in Heaven ceaselessly for those blessings. And then there is the gospel which provides the tools for me to know and understand why I am here and where I am going. The day to day struggles and concerns take on a different perspective when viewed in an eternal scope. Not that I am really great at that, but I am hopefully learning how to do that better. I am grateful for my life and my trials and all the things I am learning.

I am grateful for being able to travel home to Mesa to spend some precious time with my family. Thanksgiving was a wonderful day. Grumpy and I were in high gear the week of, so we could get everything done that needed done before the big day. There was a definite push for certain accomplished tasks as Grumpy, Robert, Jeff and R.B. were leaving after dinner Thanksgiving Day to go elk hunting. Again. All the big important stuff got done, and then it was just dinner to plan and get done. I had lots of help with our scrumptious meal this year. I noticed there is no Turkey lore on Nana's cooking blog, so will add what I can to that. I went to Papa's house and raided the linen closet for chargers, napkins, napkin rings and tablecloths. Armed with my booty I planned out my table settings and had a good time with that. I love dishes. Below are our tables for the day.





The table above is the one set with the gold flatware I got from Nana. ALL of the grandkids wanted to sit at the "golden table". Pretty funny. I made a bargain with them that they could sit there if they would be ladies and gentlemen. They did pretty well. Sadly, I forgot (once again) to take pics of our delicious food. We had the usual turkey, sweet potatoes, white potatoes, gravy, green beans, corn, dressing, cranberry sauce, coleslaw, pineapple/cheese jello salad and a gourmet green salad with bacon, strawberries and dried cranberries in it. So good. Our contributors this year were Tawna, Stacie, Jade, me, Grandma H. and Summer. Such good cooks. I hope Stacie will post her green bean recipe on Nana's blog. Ditto for all the other dishes. I had great intentions of making pie when I got home, but all such intentions melted away with the days ahead, and then it was the final straw when I went to the pantry for the can of pumpkin I just knew was there and it was not. Stacie was our resident pie maker this year and WOW, she was amazing.



There was apple, 2 pecan, coconut cream, chocolate, cheese cake, pumpkin, and I can't remember what the other one was. Grandma brought a pecan and a pumpkin to help round out our dessert bar. We feasted like kings. Very full kings.

Good day. Good memories. So very Thankful. I love you all.

I love Jets!

I love the sound of the jet engines as they fire up. I love the roar that shakes the stands as they fly over. I love hearing the team leader as they take off. I love it all. Seeing the pilots and their families come in and know that's what it must have been like for Papa and Nana. I love the spectator reactions, especially when it is a first time experience for them. My brother Bob calls a particular maneuver they do the "baby waker". They did variations of it about 3 times this airshow and I never tire of it. I love the skill of the pilots, the beautiful paint jobs on the planes and raw power they embody. I love being in Vegas at historic Nellis Air Force base, Home of the Thunderbirds with my family and friends. It was quite a group this year. Lots of in-law families there and it was fun to get to know them a little better. I never got us all together for a group shot. I wish I had, but alas, it was not to be. We all took the buses from the hotel this year. Lots easier for the transportation, but a little harder to meet up and find each other at the airshow. I love that Pop got to talk to a few people he knew from the old days. I love that he could still go with us and be part of such a wonderful legacy.



Above is the six man formation as their fly by exposed the beautiful Thunderbirds on the underbelly of their F-16s. Below is the classic diamond formation they are so famous for.



Below is the very difficult Low and Slow maneuver one of the solo pilots performs. It looks like they are just hanging in the sky as they go across the field.





Above is the race upward to perform the show closer, the famous "bomb burst". Below is the smoke as they split and roll in four directions. They then come across the field from the four compass points and cross each other just feet apart. Difficult to do with such precision and beautiful to watch. The best team is always the current team and each time this alumni show is performed it is the team leader's last flight with his team. Needless to say, they are all doing the most perfect airshow possible.




Summer and Jamie, JT and Taylor were with us this year. It was fun to watch Jamie and JT as they saw their first Thunderbird performance. Summer looked like the rest of us as we tried to catch the perfect shot of this amazing airshow. Camera's just can't to justice to the skill and precision of the planes and pilots.

We spent some time with Papa, but had to share him with the rest of our entourage. The Reunion Hotel this year was the Southpoint, and it was great. They have a 16 theater movie theater, so many of us went to "Breaking Dawn" of the Twilight Saga on it's opening night. No long lines or hard to find parking spots. We just went up the escalator, bought our tickets and waited for the show to begin. Awesome. I flew in from Texas for this airshow, so bummed a ride home to Arizona with Summer and Jamie. Grumpy was driving from Texas to Arizona for Thanksgiving, so I would meet him there.

So happy I was able to go to this Thunderbird Reunion. I especially love all the memories it makes to be there.