Merry Christmas

We love Christmas!

This year our family gift came in a message on the back of three different puzzles.  The kids had to assemble the puzzles to find out what the gift was.

A week in California!  Look out sunshine, here we come!

Christmas Eve

The traditional reading and acting out the nativity. We've never been big into costumes.

With our family getting smaller, Alex had three parts.  He had to switch between the angel bringing tidings of great joy to being a shepherd who was sore afraid.  Alecia was Mary while Karl was Joseph.  I joined Alex as a wiseman.  Bill read the story.

Family fun

One day during Christmas break Karl and Alecia took a rather long walk.  I thought they were crazy because it has been so flipping cold!  They walked to Alex's school to check out the new playground toys.  They discovered a xylophone and decided to play a song.  Hmmmmmm, what to play?  "Carol of the Bells" of course!  They spent some time figuring it out and then recorded it on Karl's phone.  On Christmas Eve day we went as a family for the live performance of "Carol of the Bells" performed by these two crazy kids.  They did a good job.  The xylophone could use a tuning though.

 

Checking out some other toys.

Merry Christmas, Kayla and Patrick

Alex had Kayla's name for Christmas this year.  Because they were only here for the night, we had them open their gift so we could watch them.  Alex got them a Christmas ornament for their first Christmas as a married couple.  Ohhhhhhhhh, so sweet.

Ninjas Attack!

Karl and Alecia learned a game while living here in Utah.  It's called Ninja Attack.  Each player in turn must make one move, trying to hit the arm or hand of another player.  Other players can only move out of turn if they feel they are under attack.  Karl is pretty good at it.  They decided to teach Kayla and Patrick when they stopped in on their way to New Mexico for Christmas.  Karl got Alecia out, but her reflex to the hit made her arm fly in such a way that she slapped Karl on the face.  They laughed about it for a long time, but Karl never broke his concentration.

What's a Girl to Do?

Yesterday I went to a neurosurgeon to check on the deterioration of my back problem.  Seven years ago I was diagnosed with spondylolisthesis - phase I.  After having new MRIs and x-rays, my new doctor told me that I am now at a phase II and that he thinks this whole problem was congenital.  My former doc thought maybe I had broken the facets as a teenager.  Looks like there was no way to avoid this issue I am having.  With the worsening of the spondylolisthesis (slipping of the spine), my disc has collapsed.  I have three options.

1.  Do nothing.
2.  Injections for pain.
3.  Surgery--placing a spacer between the vertebra, inserting rods with screws, grafting bone along with bone growth booster, and having complete fusion within 6-12 months.

What's a girl to do?

Puppet Play

Alex's 4th grade teacher is big into readers theaters and puppet plays.  Each child got to make their own puppet and participate in one of three different plays.  Alex memorized his lines and spoke up loud and clear.  They all turned out pretty cute.  Alex's play was called, "The Cross Princess."  She was cross because she did not go to bed when she was supposed to.  That made her a tired, angry princess and one who could not learn.  Alex thinks he doesn't have to smile for pictures.  How I wish he would!  He was really excited about the play, I just wish it showed in his face.

Thanksgiving

For Thanksgiving this year we went to Rexburg, Idaho.  Bill's parents live there and invited the family to feast with them.  Those who came were David and family, Chris and family, and Dan and family.  We stayed with Kayla and Patrick in their apartment.  We met their turtles and got to try our hands at Rock Band.  This was a first for most of us.  Karl was awesome on the drums.  Alex wanted to just be the singer.  Karl wasn't thrilled when he was handed the mic, but our ears needed a break from Alex's wonderful serenading.  It was fun!  We ate a lot at Grandma's house, played with cousins, and visited with family.  Rexburg has a new fun center, so we went miniature golfing and played laser tag.  It was tons of fun!

Aladdin Jr.

Farmington City performed Aladdin Jr. last week.  Both Alecia and Alex were in it.  Alecia played a Harem Girl, and Alex was a townsperson.  They did a good job and were glad to be back on stage.  Bill helped with the lights, and I helped with chaperoning, costumes, and backstage moving sets.


I'm sure Alecia would like to be involved in more than a little community theater production, but she is a busy girl with homework, band, choir, and clogging.

Look who is 10!

Alex was so excited for his 10th birthday. He is currently in Aladdin Jr., and his greatest desire was to have a Genie lamp. Wish granted!

Happy Halloween

Alex decided to spook the neighborhood as a black ninja. Nice night for it!

Davis High Marching Band

Karl is a rookie in marching band. He has picked it up quickly and loves it. If they mess up, they drop and do 10. Karl has messed up once, and everyone applauded. He does push-ups just because he can. He is becoming quite muscular.

These pictures are from the parents' preview night. For one of the movements they had the seniors choose a family member to march right behind them. The movement was one that booked along getting up to 180 beats per minute. It was hilarious watching moms and dads trying to stay behind their kids zigzagging across the field at that tempo. I'm glad they told the colorguard not to spin their flags and rifles.

The band ran through the show twice to get the jitters out. The competitions start next week. It was fun watching Karl. I think this was also the first time Alex had ever seen a marching show. I think he mostly watched the percussion. He wants to be a drummer when he gets older...or play the bagpipes. Heaven help us all.

Zoo Babies

The Hogle Zoo has had a baby boom this summer. The most recent addition was the baby elephant.

Alex and I visited the zoo the day after the giraffe was born. It was 6'1" tall at birth and so cute.
Three tiger cubs--all male--joined the party,
and the baby snow leopard isn't such a baby anymore. It is the one facing the right on the ledge.

Brinley Southwick

Brinley likes her Uncle Bill, but...

she loves her cousin Karl. She thinks she will marry him someday. I remember having a crush on some of my cousins, too.

Back to School

The summer break is finally over, and the kids are back into a routine!

My camera is broken, so I borrowed Alecia's. It seems to take yellow pictures that are blurry. So sad. I need a new camera.

Happy 19th Birthday, Kayla

My little girl turned 19. This was her first birthday away from us. Next time we see you, Kayla, the spanking machine will be ready!

Journal entry

I have been asked to give my spiritual history in Relief Society in September. That means I have to pull out my old journals because the old memory isn't that great. I pulled out my journal from 1983 to start with. This is what I found (it made me laugh):

6-11-1983 Saturday warm-windy

I didn't go out to the onions because we thought it was too wet. Dad came in and said it wasn't so Dad, Mom, Miles, and I went out in the early afternoon and did 8 rows for $4. Miles was complaining and came up with an idea. He said, "Let's put up a sign saying 'Help Wanted'." Dad had a better idea--"Child for Sale. Plays piano, complains, wears glue fingernails, etc." Nat and Miles have been making fingernails out of glue and have been wearing them.

Ah, glue fingernails. I remember them well.

Another audible sigh

I still don't have a camera.

Audible Sigh

We have had two fun family reunions, but I have no pictures to post because Bill broke my camera.

Fourth of July

Our fourth of July was a busy one with parades and a family reunion. Karl marched in two parades with the Davis High Marching Band.

Alecia marched in the Kaysville parade with the Farmington Junior High marching band.

Slot Canyons

Bill went with the teachers' quorum to some slot canyons in southern Utah.

Bill, being the size he is, had a difficult time squeezing through some of the slots. He took my camera with him. He put it in his front pocket. He did some squeezing through canyons.

He broke my camera, but not before he got some great pictures. Now we get no pictures. Sigh.

Father's Day

Happy Father"s Day, Bill. They say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, so Bill received some favorite foods and a BBQ apron.

Awards

This summer Alex participated in baseball. His team won the league tournaments.

Alecia also received some awards for clogging with her team and doing a solo.

Kayla's Kimberly Reception

Look at this fantastic fruit cascade put together by my friends, Laura Fowers and Tammy Gardner. It was almost too beautiful to eat, but it sure tasted good.

I think this is the only picture we got of Alex. Of course it would be in a picture of the food table.