Christmas Day 2012

The past 12 days have been so wonderful for me.  I have loved having Chelsea home from BYU.  We have all spent a lot of time together getting ready for Christmas day.  I am grateful for the love that is here in our house.  I have felt peace and comfort.  A little piece of heaven.

Last night, we all got our Christmas pajamas.  Several years ago, we started doing a pajama hunt (idea from the Hammers).  The kids have loved it, so that tradition is staying.  We watched the new Silent Night movie.  It is such an awesome story.  I will never hear that carol again without thinking of it's origin.  If you want to borrow the movie from me you certainly can do so.  It left a beautiful feeling with us.  Truly the Spirit testifying of our Savior, Jesus Christ.  We had our family prayer, then sent everyone off to bed.

We opened gifts this morning around 8:30 after taking a family photo of us in our LoveSac beanbag.

I sure love these people.  Here are some pics of some gifts received.

Stocking stuffers for Emma

 Snowboard boots for Josh

Super cool headphones for Chelsea

 Money Machine for Emma from G & G Wright

Chelsea's gift to her brother Josh...a Batman hooded blanket

The "Year of the Puzzle"... gifts from me, G & G Eastman, G & G Wright, and Aunt Rach's family

My Taj Mahal ornament (from Pottery Barn)... my gift this year is going to India

My sister, Lori, gave us this travel book of India and this beautiful travel journal made out of recycled silk saris.  Definitely taking it with us when we go.

Merry Christmas everyone!  Thanks for wonderful gifts and well-wishes!

12 Days of Christmas: Days 10-12

On the TENTH day of Christmas

We bring to you with love…

Service at the Idaho Food Bank

“Oh Come All Ye Faithful” and participate joyfully and triumphantly at the food bank in Boise.  It’s our third time serving at the food bank at Christmas time.  This organization needs our help as they strive to feed the hungry people of our state.  Some friends will be joining us in the fun again.  Maybe afterward, we can enjoy a quick lunch together.

On the ELEVENTH day of Christmas

We bring to you with love…

Caroling With Good Friends

“Hark! The Herald Angels Sing!”  Tonight we will gather with friends and sing like angels some of the Christmas carols that have been highlighted over the past 11 days.  We know this isn’t your favorite thing to do, but it will be fun. And remember… there are always treats at the end!

On the TWELFTH day of Christmas

We bring to you with love…

Christmas Eve Traditions Plus Watching the Story About the Carol “Silent Night”

“Silent Night” is probably the most sung Christmas carol ever.  Tonight we will be watching a new movie about how that song came into being. Now that our 12 Days of Carols are finished, which is your favorite Christmas carol?

We are so happy to get to spend this Christmas Eve with you!  Merry Christmas!

All 12 ornaments on our Twelve Days of Christmas tree...

12 Days of Christmas: Days 7-9

On the SEVENTH day of Christmas

We bring to you with love…

Joyous Service

Let’s bring “Joy to the World” by bringing joy to the (name taken out) Family tonight.  We will be secretly delivering a 12 Days of Christmas gift to their family.  Isn’t it wonderful to be able to make somebody else joyful?  That is what Jesus wants for His birthday celebration… he wants us to be kind and helpful to each other.

(We gave them one of our family's fav games) 

On the EIGHTH day of Christmas

We bring to you with love…

Annual Ornaments

“Frosty the Snowman was a jolly happy soul with a corncob pipe and a button nose and two eyes made out of coal!”  This year we picked out snowman ornaments for each of you.  Thumpity Thump Thump… Look at Frosty Go!

On the NINTH day of Christmas

We bring to you with love…

A Visit To The Capitol Christmas Tree

“Oh Christmas Tree” is our carol for today.  Let’s head on over to downtown Boise and enjoy walking around the Capitol Building and see its big tree.  Maybe we can stop for a treat while we are there.

12 Days of Christmas: Days 4-6

On the FOURTH day of Christmas

We bring to you with love…

Missionary Christmas Cards

“We Wish You A Merry Christmas” is the carol we are focusing on today.  This is what we get to say to missionaries from our ward who are out serving our Heavenly Father around the world.  Pick a card and write a little note to wish him/her a very merry Christmas.

On the FIFTH day of Christmas

We bring to you with love…

Our Annual Christmas Story Book

Who has ever heard of the carol “Good King Wenceslas”?  This book is about that Christmas carol.  It’s an beautiful story.  This book also comes with a dvd.  Let’s read it and then watch it together for Family Home Evening.

On the SIXTH day of Christmas

We bring to you with love…

Elf Dvd

The carol that we chose today is “Here Comes Santa Claus”.  Let’s watch as Elf saves Christmas when Santa Claus comes to the town of New York City.  Remember what Buddy says about carols, "The best way to spread Christmas Cheer is singing loud for all to hear!"

12 Days of Christmas: Days 1-3

I LOVE this tradition that I started in 2008.  This year, for our 12 Days of Christmas, I chose the theme "12 Days of Christmas Carols".  I chose this theme because last year after Christmas, I bought a beautiful set of ornaments from Pottery Barn.  They depict the carol "The 12 Days of Christmas".  So, I decided to highlight a carol each day and use those ornaments for Day 1.  Here's what we have done so far.

On the FIRST day of Christmas

We bring to you with love…

 “12 Days” Ornaments and an Ornament Tree

This year, our Twelve Days theme is “12 Days of Christmas Carols”.  Today, to start it all off, we present to you these 12 awesome ornaments that go along with the carol “The 12 Days of Christmas”.  Hang the 1^st Day of Christmas right now on the new metal ornament tree.  Each day after, you will hang the others in order.  Let’s see if you can sing the whole 12 Days of Christmas song!

On the SECOND day of Christmas

We bring to you with love…

A Gingerbread House

“I’ll Be Home For Christmas” is our carol for today.  Being together for this special holiday makes us happy.  We are so glad that Chelsea is home for Christmas!  Let’s make a yummy gingerbread house and enjoy being together.

 On the THIRD day of Christmas

We bring to you with love…

A Hawaiian Dinner

“Mele Kaliki-maka” is how the Hawaiians say Merry Christmas!  Today we will be going out to lunch to a Hawaiian restaurant.  We will get to enjoy a little taste of the island Christmas spirit!

The Uglier the Better

My friend Natalie and I hosted our first ugly sweater party on Friday.  It was so awesomely tacky.

We held it in Natalie's clean garage since we had invited around 60 people.  The Hammer's garage has a nice, clean, sealed floor.  She and I decorated it with cheap things from the dollar store and the DI as well as some of our old, ugly decor and extra lights.  We set up different seating areas, a photo backdrop, had a buffet table, gift table, and a voting table.  She had music playing, though you couldn't hear it once everybody arrived.  Also, she had a little tv showing the classic movie "Christmas Vacation".

I thought it would be easier for me to find just the perfect ugly Christmas sweater.  But after going to a couple of thrift stores, I realized I wouldn't find what I had in mind.  Where are all of the ugly sweaters when you need them?  I know they are out there!  These kind of parties are getting more popular, so the sweaters were getting picked through.

This is what I found.  When I saw it, I knew I had to get it even though at the time it wasn't a holiday sweater.  I decided the day before the party to add jingle bells and ribbon.  The cheap, green skinny jeans and light up earrings came from WalMart.  Ugly abounds there.

UGLY cat sweater with cat buttons.  The cats are on the back too.  Eleven in total.  Do you like the cheesy pose?  Matt's sweater was from the DI.  Itchy wool.  He is wearing a reindeer pin on his chest.  Nice touch.

Here is my friend Natalie and her husband Joel.

Such lovely ensembles.

Everybody (50 people) got their pics taken.  I can't include all of them, but here are a few dandies.

 It was a hard choice for many of us.  And the votes were close.  The winners were...

UGLY:  Brig's retro BYU sweater and his dad's 1970s blue plaid polyester suit (he's not wearing the matching jacket in this pic) were a big hit.
UGLIER:  The Hayes did a bang up job on their lighted up sweaters.  Battery packs and duct tape were discreetly hidden.  Loved Shannon's 80s perm look.
UGLIEST:  George's homemade wreath sweater framed his tummy nicely.

We had a cheap/white elephant gift exchange.

 That was a blast.  Then we played a few more fun party games.

We need to do this again!  I'm going to keep my eyes open for a super ugly sweater for next year.

Random pics...

Happy Birthday to Me

I am 41 today.  Forty has been good to me, and I look forward to what happens to me this year.  I am grateful to be alive.  Thanks Mom and Dad!  I have had a good life because of my family and the gospel of Jesus Christ.  So many blessings.

I have been spoiled today.  I love all of the gifts that my loved ones have given me.  Thanks to all who have gifted me your love in meaningful ways.  I appreciate it.  Even facebook messages are awesome!

Look at the birthday gift that came today from the government!  My second passport book.  Matt took the pic of me.  It's better than my last passport picture.   Thanks, USA.  I love ya, but I'd like to leave you for a little while.

Amazed

Oh my!  It's November.  And it's half over!  Time is flying by.  I guess I better get a post done.  I haven't missed a month in two years.  So here it is.

I've been busy with my substitute job.  I wish I could take pictures or video of some of my days because you wouldn't believe some of the things I do, see and hear.  I've mostly been doing work in various schools in their resource rooms.  I work with kids who just need a little one on one help with math or reading, non-verbal kids who will never be able to do math and need their diaper changed, and kids who have behavior problems on top of their cognitive delays.

I am amazed at the special needs that so many children have.  My heart has been softened (not that it was ever hardened) for these kids.  It's just that my eyes have really been opened to the diverse needs that are out there.  I am amazed at the love and patience that many people have for working with these children.  But I am so sad at the thought of some of these kids not being fully loved at home.  I wonder what some of them have to deal with when they aren't at school.  I wonder how even the most knowledgable, patient and loving parent can cope and manage the issues that go on with a special needs child.  Like I said, I am amazed.

I'm learning to be a better person with this job.  I can't beat that.  I am blessed.  And you know why this is happening?  India.  God has blessed me with the desire to help the leprosy patients in India.  And He is blessing me with these awesome experiences as a substitute as I earn the money to fly there.

So tomorrow morning when I find myself at the high school helping teenagers with special needs, I will think about the teenagers I will soon meet in India who have a different type of special needs.

Tikka Masala

Here is what I made for our dinner tonight.  The photography isn't great, but you get the idea.

This is a yummy Indian dish that I wanted to try.  I found this recipe in a magazine so I ripped it out, saved it in my nicely organized binder, and  finally, tonight, I had the chance to make it.  

I think it turned out pretty darn good.  The garlic Naan bread was delish, especially since I brushed it with a little bit of melted butter.  Jasmine rice is the way to go with this meal.  

I just now looked up tikka masala, and I discovered that it is super popular in Great Britain.  According to a survey taken in the UK, it is the country's most popular restaurant dish.  Go figure.  

Chicken ṭikka masālā (Hindi: चिकन टिक्का मसाला;Bengali: চিচ্কেন টিক্কা মসলা) is a dish of roasted chicken chunks (tikka) in a spicy (masala) sauce. The sauce is usually creamy, spiced and orange-coloured. Chicken tikka masala has been said to be the most popular dish in British restaurants and it has been called "a true British national dish."^[