Just another day.

So-- yesterday I went to a "thingy". You know the kind. You dress up, walk around and smile at people you don't really know, put an "I'm facinated by every thing you say" look on your face when the Master of Ceremonies is speaking...you know. ANYWAY, at the end of the evening I took a little detour into the restroom and as I was re-adjusting my SPANX slip, thought to myself, "wow, I know I haven't eaten anything but I think I have lost weight during this evening!" Upon closer inspection I realize that I had been wearing my slip--upside down- the whole night.

Nice.

So Sick

Andrew, Jenn and Jack moved in with us after Jenn graduated from BYU in December. (We are loving having them with us.) Our little Jack has been a bit under the weather.

I had forgotten how helpless you feel when a little one is sick.

Leave it to Beaver

Last night Zach said to me, "Mom, you are the perfect 1950's mom." After I turned to him with a puzzled look on my face he continued, "that is a good thing, they were so sweet and cheerful and helpful to their children."

Okay, I have to acknowledge that he has only his Nickelodeon experiences to draw from- but there was something deeper there for me. Sometimes I have felt that what I do on a day-to-day basis doesn't amount to much, but if one of my most cherished has felt loved and cared for then, Mrs. Cleaver I will happily be.

Winter Walkway

When we arrived at the cabin after Christmas we discovered a new entry, thanks to the Mabey family.

Kinda' cool.

(These are icicles that form on the eves that block the satellite dish and therefore have to be knocked down every couple of days.)

New Year's Eve

"Just a few friends at the cabin for New Year's Eve Mom."

Great kids, lots of laughter, playing in the snow, eating meatballs, cheese sticks and brownies.

Robyn, Drew and Taylor frying bacon and sausage, Peter's stunning cirque du soleil outfit,

steamers after sledding, hot tubbing with the soon-to-be-leaving missionaries,

card games, terrific helpers.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

The Hot Tub Overfloweth

What happens when you put 9 college boys into a 5 person hottub?

The deck at the cabin becomes an ice skating rink.

Gentle Shepherd

Some years ago I woke in the middle of the night to find the-man-of-my-dreams writing furiously on a scrap of paper. I asked him what in the world he was doing and he responded that he had a dream in which he had written a song and he was quickly writing it down before the words left him. The long forgotten scrap of paper has stayed in his journal, lo these many years. For their father's Christmas gift this year, his boys decided to put the words to new music, the dream music having faded long ago. On Christmas morning, Peter and Zach handed him the scrap paper as they played for their father the lyrics set to their music. How touching it was to see the tears roll down the cheeks of a father as he listened to his boys sing. And how touching to see the joy on the faces of those boys as they gave their gift to their father. It was a blessed moment.

Christmas Morning-Catching up on Christmas

We are not going to fit on the stairs for many more years.

Christmas Eve at Paxton's

Grandpa reading the Christmas Story from Luke. We love this part of the family gathering.

The Man-of-my-dreams with his mom and Jack.

Melissa visiting with Jenny. She is doing great on her diet!

Jack was happy to see Santa as long as Uncle Zach was holding him.

We are grateful for family.

The Polar Express

The Polar Express was way fun, even though Zach ditched us for the Vegas Bowl. (He felt bad about it- not great scheduling on our part.) We loved being with the Derricott family and there is nothing like the burgers at Dairy Keen in Heber. Little Jack was a bit young for the long train ride but by next year he should love the whole adventure.

The Tree

The annual choosing of the Christmas tree was done in record time this year. Fifteen minutes- from start to tying the evergreen beauty

on top of the car.

Zach was impressed.

(It was a great tree but it was snowing and I didn't want to confess that I had just done my hair and I really didn't want to do it again. It is amazing how quick you can be when properly motivated.)