It finally came!

A special Christmas Eve 2011with family

After our Jerusalem dinner we gathered downstairs to watch the New Testament clip the church just released during the First Presidency Christmas Devotional. We had enjoyed that evening earlier in the month. That night MOTAB sang "The First Noel" (my favorite!) Matt again played that clip for the family on Christmas Eve. I thought it considerate he would play OUR favorite for the program.

Last year I made red velvet cookies, this year I picked up a red velvet cake at Day's. Before we cut it I lit candles. Several asked, "Who's birthday is it?" Before I could answer they would say, "Ohhh."
The song that was agreed upon to sing was Joy to the World before we blew out the candles and cut the cake!

Ademir captured that part on film: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxyBETPeCNI&feature=youtube_gdata_player

**Little did we know that even though we were just getting used to the fact that Kei and Ademir are expecting, their new baby boy would come into the world just over a moth later. **

Guess who the cameraman was for this event?

Busy Christmas Elf

I hadn't planned on it but I think I got out every Christmas decoration I own this year. Graham has quite the memory and would say, "What about...the stockings, the music box, the mistletoe!" He kept me hopping. Once the house was decorated he asked, "When are we making cookies?" 

We made gingerbread men cookies. He took some to his Primary teacher who was under the weather.

 He wanted to make paper chains.

 

He wanted to make paper snowflakes. You could hardly see the floor when we were done cutting out dozens of snowflakes.

 Then he asked, "When are we going to make the cookies that we frost?" These are the most dangerous to me. I hurried and put them on plates and wrapped them up for neighbors before I  ate them all. 

I kept the kids somewhat busy by carrying on a tradition I had growing up. 

Graham would have colored on every day if we let him so excited for the big day he was. Whenever I came out in the morning the countdown calendar in the dining room had already been moved and the tree lights were plugged in.  One morning I got up real early for some reason and was laying on the couch when I saw Graham come out and go straight for the countdown calendar, "Mom you didn't move this yet?"

When I told Sadie how busy Graham was keeping me she said, "Have you ever thought of saying no?"

Huh.

No I hadn't.

The Forgotten Elko Carols

I decided to take a little road trip with the girls in December. Some of he Goulding's were in "The Forgotten Carols" in Elko the weekend of December 17th. Matt took Friday off and we left as soon as the girls were out of school. I was originally going to just take the three older girls and leave Callie behind but when they heard of this they couldn't stand the thought. Besides, Callie LOVES to play with Scarlett. Callie got confused as we headed out on open road, "We aren't going to Scarlett's we're going to a Hotel." Then after even more driving, "We're almost there." Truth is, we weren't. There is a whole lot of nothing between here and Elko to look at. Katrina hooked up her iPod and we sang along to the likes of Adele and Taylor Swift. I like Lauren Alaina's version of 'If I Die Young.'
When we arrived in Elko the three older Goulding girls and Brent were at the play but Sadie was waiting for us in front of the fire. The house was beyond welcoming. The ceilings are vaulted there, which allowed for a 12 foot Christmas tree. It was gorgeous. Mallerie was the only one who hadn't been there since she was at girls camp when we went this past summer. Scarlett gave us a TOUR that was very detailed for a three-year-old. She showed us the garage door opener, and the bathroom, where you can "poop and pee" as she pointed to the toilet. Callie was hanging on her every word. Ava was following Scarlett down the stairs and Callie was behind Ava. Callie hollered, "Move Ava! I can't see Scarlett."
This gives you an idea how much she enjoyed playing with her and I was glad I brought her.

We ate Papa Murphy's and chatted with Sadie while we waited for the others to get home. Sadie told us about the woe's associated with renting their Sandy house out. The guy still hadn't paid rent and she said, "He's just squatting there." I hadn't heard that term and thought it had something to do with him using the bathroom in the wrong place. She taught me it's when someone stays there without paying. I slept down on the couch by that gorgeous Christmas tree. I also had the thermostat by me and since I like it a cool 66 when I sleep I hoped everyone else did too cause that's what I set it at.  Callie was sleeping on the other couch and had an annoying cough going on. I had seen where the medicine in the kitchen was kept and found some Motrin for her as well as some vapor rub. And while I was at it I popped a couple of Ibuprofen for me. I guess you could say I was squatting in their medicine cabinet. 

Saturday night we went to a light parade on Idaho street. It was cold but I can genuinely say we had a good time. Earlier in the day we had spent our time SHOPPING. You might wonder who would go to Elko to SHOP. But compared to to Heber it has a lot of shopping. We were all walking into Rue 21 that morning and as I saw the cousins gabbing and laughing with each other I thought, "I love these girls!" They were so much fun to shop with that we barely got them to the play on time. The thing was that we were at JCPenney and they had this door buster sale that only went till 1 pm and we were in line to buy with only minutes left. I scored and got a cardigan for .21 cents.

I had taken Matt's company car to Elko so we could use the gas card. I like that car because it tells you exactly how many miles until empty. As we drove around that weekend I threatened, "11 more miles...7 more miles!"

The Play: I thought it was so great! Sadie had warned that the girls were hardly in it, "really, no one should have to feel like they have to drive all that way..." But the truth is, the girls were in the chorus and on stage the entire time, Brent had a lead with lots of speaking parts, and the whole play was well done. I think that song, "Let Him In" is very poignant.

On Sunday I sat through Brent's Gospel Doctrine lesson and we were there to see Sadie put in as Primary President. The out-going president had a very tearful goodbye and I teared up right along with her. She probably thought, "What is this strange girl crying about?" I suppose it's because I've been there and I know, it's very hard.

We stayed for dinner on Sunday but had to get on the road before dessert was done. We left a mere 15 minutes before it came out of the oven. I've been meaning to ask Sadie how it turned out since we made up a recipe of our own. I used the opportunity of having the girls trapped in the car with me to tell them, "My story." They listened with rapture as I told them of growing up and meeting Matt. The crazy crush I had on him and how we eventually ended up together and started our married life. I remember laying on the bed at one point in my life listening to my mom tell her story and I loved it. Sometimes I just assume they know stuff that happened before they were born but I discovered from this conversation that they do not! Before we knew it we were heading up Parley's Canyon so fast had the time gone.

A lovely weekend.

Hey! I can do that!

 

These aren't even all the holiday ideas I received inspiration from just the ones I had photos of.

I adore my Better Homes and Garden's magazine. I think I've mentioned that more than a few times. I was showing my sister Lindsey my folders of pages I've cut out that are labeled into things such as: holiday, bedroom, recipes...She said, "That's what Pintrest is." Look at me Pintresting without even meaning to. This summer I went through my magazines and chose my favorite things before sending the rest to be recycled. This was hard for me to do, I felt endeared to each one. Picture 8 x's as many magazines. That's how many I had (since 2004).

Everyone has to have something they're weird about it. This is mine.

The Treasure, Cheers!

Back in May when I had the open house for Matt's 40th birthday, someone brought him some sparkling  cider (Jame's?). We put it in the back of the fridge for a couple of weeks because we had so many leftovers. Then at the beginning of June we got a second offer on the house. The first one had been in March (we countered, and never heard back). But this June offer was legit. It was made from the guy who would be taking over Matt's Heber position. Since our type of sale was new to the market our realtor told us it might be 30 days before things closed. We decided to hang on to that cider and toast when the house did close. Well, July came and went, August came and went, September, October, November came and went, and then came December. 

In the mean time, we had found a lot we liked in South Jordan and a house plan that would work for our family. The builder convinced us to go ahead and choose colors for the house. This involved several trips to South Jordan's design center last summer where details such as the color of grout was decided upon. This was not drudgery for me AT ALL. Designing a house from start to finish was fun.  Though stewing over details kept me up more than one night I'll admit. That was not a bad thing either, the occupations kept my mind off of my troubles that were the basis of wanting to move in the first place. I also continued to do what was in my power to smooth out the situation around me. Things were improving. Still though, smooth or not, we had our hearts set on moving. The kids were being fairly good sports about it but High School is not an easy age to move and so Katrina was our biggest concern. 

At one point in the spring we had even decided that staying in Heber is what would be best for the family as a whole. We fell in love with a new construction home that was once a model but had fallen into foreclosure and was DRASTICALLY reduced. The hang up was the small yard, but the extra's more than made up for it. Matt and I discover that the back sliding door lock was broken. This enabled us to go over there whenever we wanted, which was often I'll admit. We'd walk all around, open closets, and talk about possibilities. We usually had Graham and Callie with us so when we'd pull up, the'd say, "Yea, we're going to this house again!" So we put an offer in on this house in the spring but the bank was being a turtle at getting back to us. In the mean time we moved our hearts to the South Jordan lot. It was then that we knew for sure that Matt had gotten the job position he wanted in West Valley. My concern for the South Jordan lot was it's proximity to Bangerter Hwy. I'm not used to freeway sounds and didn't know if I would ever get used to it. But this lot was literally in the shadows of the temple. How could we not feel good about it? Besides Matt wouldn't have an hour commute each day to work. However, as the weeks turned to months and our home STILL had not closed, the builder said he could no longer hold our lot. We totally understood because both of us feel that if things are supposed to work out then they will, if they don't, then they weren't suppose to. I was surprised I was able to feel this way. Who am I to try and plan out my life when I can't see the big picture? In the mean time the people who wanted to buy our house were living with inlaws in Ogden and commuting to Heber each day for work and school (towards the end they were even living in a hotel). But alas, December came and with it the news that the bank had reject the sale for the third time and that was that. It was not going to happen.

That night Matt and I broke open the bottle of sparkling cider (heck, I even made some creme brule to go with it).  We toasted to our new home. The one we were sitting in.

There once was a man and his name was Isaac. He lived in such poverty that again and again he went to bed hungry. One night he had a dream. In his dream, a voice told him to go to the capital city and look for a treasure under the bridge by the Royal Palace. "It is only a dream," he thought when he woke up, and he paid no attention to it. The dream came back a second time, he said, "Maybe it's true," and so he set out on his journey. Now and then, someone gave him a ride, but most of the way he walked. He walked through forests. He crossed over mountains. Finally he reached the capital city. But when he came to the bridge by the Royal Palace, he found that it was guarded day and night. He did not dare to search for the treasure. Yet he returned  to the bridge every morning and wandered around it until dark. One day, the captain of the guards asked him, "Why are you here?"Isaac told him the dream. The captain laughed, "You poor fellow," he said, "what a pity you wore your shoes out for a dream! Listen, if I believed a dream I once had, I would go right now to the city you came from, and look for a treasure under the stove in the house of a fellow named Isaac." And he laughed again. Isaac bowed to the captain and started on his long way home. He crossed over mountains. At last, he reached his own town. When he got home, he dug under his stove, and there he found the treasure. In thanksgiving, he built a house of prayer, and in one of its corners he put an inscription: Sometimes one must travel far to discover what is near. Isaac sent the captain of the guards a priceless ruby. And for the rest of his days he in lived in contentment and never was poor again.

In addition to this, I have learned some valuable lessons:

• TIMING is important. 

• The Lord LOVES me enough to not give me everything I want.

•  The power of HOPE can not be underestimated.

• Another thing; even though Matt swears up and down that he does NOT mind the commute, the kids are still concerned for him. I was so touched at the girls response when I told them we would be staying in our house for now. They said with genuine worry and concern, "So Dad is just going to keep making that long drive?" Their concern was immediately on him instead of celebrating that they would be with their friends. I have so much to be GRATEFUL for.

Cheers.

Faith in the Wind (Fall 2011)

I was perched on the counter cleaning a light fixture in the kitchen this fall while the kids had PBS on. They were watching Cat in the Hat. He asked the kids, "Can you see the wind?" They answered, "No." He then asked, "Then how do you know it is there?" They thought before answering, "Because things move." Something whispered to me then, "Can you see Faith?" No. "Then how do you know it's there?" Because things move. People move. As I thought about it, I realized it is because of my faith in Jesus Christ that I move. It is the reason I read my scriptures when I might not feel like it, why I forgive when it's hard, why I serve when it's out of my comfort zone. I look around me at family, friends, ward members, and even strangers, and I see people MOVE. This is also an example to me of their faith in Jesus Christ.

"And ye may know that he is, by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore I would exhort you that ye deny not the power of God; for he worketh by power, according to the faith of the children of men, the same today and tomorrow, and forever." Moroni 10: 7

These Young Women are Excellent

I thought it was cute that the girls introduced each other at Young Women in Excellence (Nov 2011). I kept their papers and asked for a copy of the pictures of my girls. You may call me a proud mama. 

The theme for the night was "The Treasure within You."

"I would like to introduce the treasure Mallerie Bocanegra. Some of her favorite things are peanut butter bars and the scripture Mosiah 2:17 which reads "And behold, I tell you these things that you may learn wisdom; that you may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God." Some of her interests are cooking and laughing. Mallerie wants to be a Beautician when she grows up.
For her project she is helping Savannah Gordon with her Aspergers syndrome. Some of the things she did with her are coloring, cleaning, taking walks, and talking with her. Her project is under the value Knowledge."

"I would like to introduce the treasure Katrina Bocanegra. Her favorite school subjects are English, Spanish, and Seminary. Her favorite holiday is Christmas time. Some of her interests are reading and writing. She was born in Orem and wants to be a psychologist when she grows up.
For her project Katrina taught adults who speak Spanish and French to speak English at the Alternative High School on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. She had conversations with them, read with them, reviewed flashcards and did other activities with them. She said that she had fun getting to know the students and helping them learn. Her project is under the value Individual Worth."

Now for some side notes from Mom: 
Mallerie had activities planned each time she went and worked with Savannah. For example, they made homemade applesauce for Johnny Appleseed day. There was another girl in her class that totally joined in on the project and showed up whenever Mallerie was there. She also counted this as her 10 hour project. To borrow a phrase from Matt, this girl was "gravy training on Mallerie's project." I shouldn't even be saying that when here it was a YW CHURCH project. So forget I even mentioned it. On the other hand, no never mind, I never mentioned it. PS: Grrrrrr.


Katrina was chuckling one evening when I picked her up after working with the ESL students. She reminded me of that part in Three Amigos where the bar tender tries to say, "Smile, smile" but instead it comes out as, "`e-smile, `e-smile." She said that  Smile was one of the words she was working with the students on that night. When she held up the flash card she said, "Smile." The guy repeated back, "`esmile." It made both of us `esmile.