Happy Holidays

Waiting for me at the Amtrak station at 3 a.m.

Dec 20-Sat I picked up Jodi and the boys at 3:00 a.m. and we drove home and went straight to bed.







Justin, Kenzee, the kids and Grandma Petersen came over for a breakfast brunch at 10:00.

My grandkids: Ezra (5), Jack (6), Nolan (7), David (Rocky-9) Lucy (1) and Ryan (Diesel (2) I think Lucy needs some girl cousins!

Nolan singing his Christmas song

It was so fun to spend time together and visit.




Nolan performed a song he had recently sung in Sacrament meeting which was beautiful and adorable.

Lucy kept giving Santa loves

Jodi was needing advice about whether or not to take a job offer with Incrediwear.

While we visited I tried to catch bits of the Aggie bowl game in L.V.  We won!

Mom held her annual Christmas party at her clubhouse at 5:30. We met Jon and Sarah there. It was quite an incredible joy to have ALL of my family (except Amanda) there for a couple of hours. Everyone was very excited to see one another. 78 of us were able to attend which I believe included everyone except Ryan, Sidney, Gina, Maura, and Thomas.

Mom greeting everyone

Line dancing maniacs

My first Family Photo with married kids (Jon and Sarah had already left)
Left to Right: Jessika, Josh, Noel, Daren, Ezra, Kenzee, Justin, Lucy, Nolan, me, Ryan, Jodi, Jack, David

Kyle, Mikelle, Daren, Kami (one age group)

Holly, Jodi, Mari Jo, Jared (another age group)

  Iron Gate Grill catered a delicious sit down dinner. Tables had been set and each person had a container of some of Karen's dried apples. Afterwards mom divided everyone up into age groups as with all those kids running amok it would have been pure chaos. All the little ones up to about age 7 were sent into the theater to watch "Shrek." Kids from about 7-12 were sent to Grandma's house (with Karen in charge) to play a Christmas bingo game. The older kids marched off to Mardyne's to play a game. Myrlynn was in charge of teaching the rest of us line dancing. All the ladies were dancing fools while the guys just sat around and talked. We had a drawing for a new "Manger Scene" and Jack won. He was SO excited! Everyone left with a traditional "O-Aggie" candy bar. The family is all so close and it was hard to part. I hope those cousins will always be good friends. Justin's family stayed with Grandma Petersen, Daren's stayed with Jeff so I only had Jon, Sarah, Jodi and the boys.

Jack in front of the manger scene. Ironically it looks like a very large
version of the one he won at Grandma's party

Dec 21-Sun-One of my goals was to go to church but we all woke up too late! :( Jon and Sarah got talked into staying until after dinner. Mom came over and we had a ham dinner. Jodi spent some time visiting with Grandma Petersen then that night Jodi, the kids and I went to a few minutes of the Multi-faith Christmas concert at the tabernacle and to see the big Manger scene. We also awarded our "House Lighting winner" which went to a house in Logan this year.

Dec 22-Mon-We headed up to Beaver Mountain and managed to meet up with Karen, Wayne, Katie (and 5 of her kids) Jared & Molly, Kami & Porter and Russ. Jodi had a blast snowboarding with them. Karen let me use her season pass and her twin likeness to do a few runs. It was a dream come true getting to do a run with Jodi. I was using Karen's board and Jodi was using mine. She was a lot faster than me. Ha. I always thought it was Karen's board that made her so fast. Now I realize it is ME that is slower! Karen and I took turns trying to maintain control of 8 little kids in the lodge. I thought it would be a breeze but took my shift after Karen had gotten them all riled up playing "Statue" where she would swing them around and then they have to freeze and "become" something when she touches them. It was NUTS.

5 of the 8 little monkees

I was sure we would be kicked out. Karen told me that while I was out boarding, she had tried to round up the kids and came back to find 2 ski patrol standing over little Diesel who was laying in the middle of the floor with seemingly no parent around. They were about to take him away. She got there in a knick of time. I think we were both relieved to get home. Jodi had the best time and Katie even spent some time teaching Rocky to ski which he loved! Back at home Diesel accidentally broke my big manger snow globe emptying it of water, glitter and glass. I'm glad nobody cut themselves as we cleaned it up. Alexa and Wayne came down to babysit while Karen and her girls (except Ashley) and Jodi and I went to dinner at Sizzler.

Katie (Gage), Celeste, Jodi, me, Sharli, Karen eating at Sizzler

and then we each got some cash to go shopping at Smith's Marketplace. I bought a sweater and Jodi bought a couple tops. I noticed Karen hand Jodi some cash and Sharli gave her all her leftover money to help with Jodi's Christmas. I have the most incredibly generous family! Later that night Wayne (limping from a ski injury) brought Bro. Arnell over and gave Jodi a blessing. She had requested it as she has a major decision in her life with a career opportunity. It was a really thoughtful blessing. He did mention that there would be darkness ahead but she would have increased Faith. I think she has learned how to handle darkness pretty good since she has so much practice at it.


Dec 23-Tues
We got a snow dump last night and the boys were anxious to play in the snow.

Jack was so sweet helping his little brother

First thing we made a gingerbread train. I quickly let them take over as I was putting it together completely wrong. I just don't have a single "craft" gene in my body. 

Jodi went Christmas shopping. It had snowed and I wanted to take the boys sledding. Jodi was going to try to find Jack some boots and David could wear a pair of mine. She had to do ALL her shopping though so it took a long time and by the time she got home we only had a few minutes. We raced to the closest hill and took a few runs. It was so much fun and they loved it! By the time we got back it was too late to get ready for my work party. I felt really bad since I'm the office manager to miss it but we just couldn't figure out how to get there in time. We got ready to go to Jump World instead. I convinced Jodi she looked so cute and really didn't need to get cleaned up and we just went to the party looking the way we were and dropped the kids off at Celeste's house who was such a good sport since we had canceled and re-asked her to tend so many times in our indecision. Jodi and I had so much fun at the party. She fit right in as if she had worked there forever. She took home a package of mustaches and a movie and I got a pedal exerciser and a water bottle. It was great because I had delegated all the work out so all I had to do was provide some Christmas music. After the party we picked the kids up and headed to "Jump World."

We had such a great time. Even little Diesel loved it. I'm so glad we made the time to go. After that we visited at mom's while Jodi took back many of the things she had bought this morning! When we got home they opened their presents.

Jodi got this photo blanket

The boys got pokemon figures made from a 3-D printer and some pokemon cards

Wed-Dec 24
We spent the morning packing up. The kids were so excited to go and see Grandma "C" that they cleaned up all the toys and legos and had all the bags packed. I sure hated to see it come to an end. We headed down to Salt Lake stopping at In and Out Burger for lunch. The kids played with Jon's train for a few minutes while I moved all their stuff to my car for Jodi to borrow. It was so hard to see them go and knowing they would be just a couple miles away for the next few days.

Jon, Sarah and I headed down to his sister Anne's house in Orem for her traditional Jerusalem dinner. It is so much fun. We sit on the floor around a sheet filled with all kinds of finger foods that might have been eaten during Jesus' time. Jon always brings raw salmon and cream cheese with capers. We go around the room and tell a Jesus story. Jon didn't make one up this year! This year was a smaller group with only Anne, Melissa, Jenny Jo, Jon, Katie and their 2 kids, Jon, Sarah and I. Then we dressed up for the Nativity story which included the story from Luke mingled with some carols. Caroline was Mary and Baby Ben was Jesus. It was really great and helped us to feel the Christmas spirit. Back at Jon's we enjoyed some time in front of the fire and tree reading a few stories before heading off to bed.

Dec 25-Christmas Day-Right on cue, Jon got up at 6:30, got dressed, the fire started then woke Sarah up with a little bell right at 7:00. We got our Stockings (which has been filled) and opened them while eating some cereal. I think Jon's favorite gift was some "annise" powder so he doesn't have to grind annise seeds anymore to make "pfeffernuse." In my stocking was a cyclometer for my bike, some biking gloves, earrings and chocolate.

Next we went into the livingroom and opened all the gifts. Jon and Sarah are so funny. There are no surprises. Jon gets whatever is on Sarah's list and he buys his own gifts for Sarah and Santa to give to him. I do most of the wrapping. I guess that way they are sure to get what they want. For me it is all about giving surprises. I don't like to get ideas unless I'm really desperate. I like to try to figure out what a person would want on my own and then get it, even if it means I have to take it back. Soon Vicki and Tonya arrived and spoiled everyone as usual. We had the traditional brunch of coffee cake, scrambled eggs, and freshly squeezed orange juice. Around 9:00 Amanda called and we were able to "skype" with her on the computer.

Skyping with Amanda who is in Romania

It was so awesome! She looked very happy and excited to see us all. We talked for over an hour. After that, Jon and I went out to visit with Daren's family for a few minutes. After that I started not feeling very good so I took a nap until we left for Anne's house in Orem again for Christmas dinner. She has a nice big table and everyone pitches in by bringing something to eat. Jon brought veggies to stir fry. Afterwards I did dishes and was grateful to have something to do. Denise Ciebien gave me a necklass and earrings that I really liked and promptly lost one of the earrings. I think I have more single ones that pairs at this point. Everyone played a game which intimidated me so I babysat one of the babies there. Next we watched the movie, "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty." I tried to sleep since I wasn't feeling well and had seen the movie. That night my throat got really sore and I felt horrible. It hurt to talk or swallow. I spent the entire next day in bed. I don't think I've ever spent a whole day in bed since I was a kid no matter what I had or what surgery I was recovering from. I guess I just could because I was at Jon's. If I was home I probably would not have allowed myself.

Dec 26-Fri-Stayed in bed all day. I learned that mom was really sick and had been hospitalized. I worried about her all day. Jon was almost constantly trying to get me to eat something and cover me up with blankets. He is a sweetie! I admit that I've never been a good patient. I'm just not patient enough for it. He was like a little ray of sunshine to a dark and depressing day.

Dec 27-Sat-I still wasn't feeling any better. Jon went for a snow hike with Paul and  Phyllis. It was really hard to have to miss it as it was a beautiful day outside. Throughout the day I started feeling better. Jon and I went to see the movie, "Unbroken" in the afternoon. It felt good to get out of the house and the movie was really good. That night I took Jodi and the kids to the train station for their trip home. That is another story.........