Building Gingerbread Houses in a Snowstorm....

We have an annual Christmas tradition to get together as a family and decorate gingerbread houses. We used to build them with graham crackers and boiled sugar which leaves wicked burns on your skin, but have given in to purchasing real pre-made gingerbread houses so we can spend more time decorating and not building. Each year it seems that someone has a creative block and gets frustrated or someone gets offended so at least one house gets abandoned before it is finished. Not the same case this year…All was going well, we had lots of candy to decorate, ideas were flowing from everyone and we were all jovial while creating our gingerbread village. It was a happy, colorful, sticky evening. By 9:30pm I was really enjoying myself and the fact that we were all still happy and my house was close to complete. The phone rang and we were notified that school had been cancelled for the next day. That changed the scene entirely. We were all buzzing anyway because of the white covered landscape outside our cozy home. It had been snowing since 5p but it started to stick to the road. We do not experience snow very often in Southern Utah so it is always a treat to step back and enjoy it while we can. It had snowed all day Monday (it is Wednesday now) but it didn’t stick to the road. It did leave snow on the lawn and it hadn’t all melted away yet. With this new snow fall everything was sticking and getting thicker by the hour. With no school the next day the kids abandoned their partially decorated gingerbread houses to go play in the snow with the neighborhood kids at 10p.Guy's colorful Cathedral (Eat your Veggies) Chrystal's cozy & chaotic creation

Taylor's flower, no star, no diamond, (he kept changing his mind!) decor...Sadie's Gumdrop GalaxyGrant's mov'n and "Shakn" mansionWhat started out to be a quaint village....

The kids were playing in the snow until 11:30p.m.
They were still beaming when they came home and they were sopping wet.This is a Christmas memory they will never forget. It took several days for the snow to melt away is some places.
This was a very rare no school snow day!

work hard, play hard, rider harder.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas......

Grant and Sadie wanted to get all the Christmas decorations up the day after Thanksgiving. That is tradition if we are in town and I was happy that they wanted to help. However, because of the rain I hadn't had an opportunity to ride my bike yet and it was a beautiful day to do so. I helped them bring all the boxes up from the basement and gave them permission to put it up the way they wanted and I would rearrange what needed it when I got home. I had a great ride and when I got home they had out all the Christmas books and had played games the whole time. They love to play I Spy Christmas and they have made up a game with the Christmas Alphabet book of oragami. I am glad they enjoyed their day together. Sadie was happy that Grant spent so much time with her. Taylor was playing in a Thanksgiving Soccer Tournament all weekend.

The next day I put all the Christmas decor out and cleaned up the mess. It feels so good to have it out early and enjoy it for the whole month of December. I love the dim Christmas lights in the family room all evening. It is a calming and warm ambiance.

Just love those silly snowmen. Found them a few years ago at Cracker Barrell.

I'm searching for new stockings. I threw all but these two out. Just got tired of them and need a new look. Where can I find cute ones like these? Any suggestions without breaking the bank?

I love the combination of colored balls in this vase. Just had to share....

Oh, and these too!

Last night I had to take cupcakes to a Christmas party. These were fun to decorate.

I saved the BEST for last. This is the most serene, simple, reverent & classy nativity I have ever seen. It is the Willow Tree set. I love it. I got a two years ago and it is the most important and beautiful Christmas decoration in our home. It is at the front door so you see it first thing as you walk into the room.

Freshman Basketball

Taylor made the Freshman Basketball team at Dixie Middle School this year. He loves to play basketball. He mostly enjoys being able to travel with the team to out-of-town games. They have only played three games so far and have won two. They all look so handsome when they dress up on game day.

Taylor is standing left of the assistant coach.

Good luck Flyers!

work hard, play hard, rider harder.

Jubilee of Trees

Sadie and I spent an afternoon together at the Jubilee of Trees. It is an annual fundraiser where trees are decorated and donated then auctioned at a gala dinner. It is very fancy and beautiful. The money is raised for the Jubilee home which in affiliated with the hospital. It is a home where out of town families can stay if they have a medical emergency and cannot afford a hotel.

I have attached a slideshow of our favorite trees/ornaments. I love all the colors, glitter, sparkle and festive ambiance. Sadie and I get some good ideas for our annual gingerbread gathering too. Not that we use any of them, but they inspire us. Each of our kids decorate a gingerbread house. They start out with great intentions and by the end of the night they are bored and just throw stuff on to get it over with. Hopefully this year they will have more patience. We'll see in a future post.

This is one of the ways that we get into the Christmas spirit here. It doesn't snow so it is hard to feel Christmas right away.

I went to Tuacahn (an outdoor ampitheatre) to participate in the Live Nativity this last week. My children had other commitments and couldn't attend. It was a beautiful experience that I hope they will have with me next year. I am the cubmaster in my neighborhood and several of our non-LDS families participated with us. It is a wonderful thing that even though we are different denominations in our scout group, we all celebrate Christ. The Live Nativity was a very reverent, majestic depiction of the birth of Christ. It is so simple and so great. My goal this year is to keep Christmas simple and memorable.

work hard, play hard, rider harder.

Thanksgiving

We had a wet, gray, cloudy, quiet Thanksgiving. All the kids were away all day at in-laws or extended famliy. Guy and I stayed busy around the house all day. I worked on my scrapbooks, Guy did maintenance on the truck and the boat. Not very festive, I know. Then I cooked all afternoon. Everyone gathered around our dinner table at 7p.m. It was a late Thanksgiving dinner but it was better than having it alone. Chanel, Matt, Grant, Taylor and Mersadie were all here. Guy IV was still in NYC having dinner with his aunt Tammy and a fancy restaurant. It felt good to have all the kids around for the evening after a quiet day. I even cooked the turkey right side up this year! Garrett Harrell (Grant's cousin and Taylor's friend)came over and played games with us after dinner. He will be moving to Virginia before Christmas. We enjoyed having him over.
This was a nice moment with Chanel and Guy.Matt, have some pie with your whipping cream!
We were all happy to have time with Grant. He was home for a few days from Logan (USU). We have missed him and look forward to having him home for Christmas break.

work hard, play hard, rider harder.

Taylor & Sadie speak in church!

Both Taylor and Sadie were asked to speak in sacrament meeting in November. Taylor's theme was on the hymn, "Count your Many Blessings" and Sadie's theme was on the hymn, "Because I Have Been Given Much". Basically they both had to speak on gratitude, blessings, and service. This was a perfect time to reflect on all the blessings we have. We all sat down at dinner one evening and discussed these topics. It was a heart-warming discussion of all the many blessings our family has despite the hardships that each of us experiences. We all realized that we find it easier to focus on our trials on a daily basis than on our blessings. We are trying harder as a family to show gratitude for our more simple blessings each day. This was a great experience for the kids, Sadie even admited that it was much easier than she thought it would be.

I am so grateful for my family, for our health, and our comfortable, humble home. I am grateful to have work to support our family and enjoy working with my husband (most days!). I am grateful for the trials I have had to endure and the learning and growth that came from them. It is difficult to appreciate when you are in the middle of the storm, but in retrospect I am grateful for the outcome and where it leads me. Through each difficult experience I meet new people, make new friends, and strengthen relationships with family and friends. I know that the Lord brings these people into my life at a certain time for a specific purpose. I am grateful for my Savior, Jesus Christ, and the strength that I get each day because I know He loves me and guides me.

What a beautiful time of the year. Fall is my favorite season. I can't absorb enough of the bold, changing scenery to last me through the winter. I love the crisp mornings, warm afternoons, but not the early sunset. I am grateful to live in the Southwest. The climate is so friendly and the scenery so majestic.

work hard, play hard, rider harder.

Jewelry Board - Dilema Resolved!

Yikes, this still has some construction dust on it. Anyway, I thought long and hard and then went to the craft store and then Home Depot. I put this idea together tonight and I love it. It isn't quite finished yet, I will add a few more knick knacks to it. I am going to add some more magnetized hooks (see pics later) for my bracelets. And a magnetized storage cup for my post earrings.This is a clever idea I had to hang my loop earrings. They wouldn't hang on my earring holder (below). This is made with drawer pull.

I love the colors and patterns. The magnet board should offer some fun space for pics too.

I used carpet tacks for the hooks to hang the necklaces from. Here it is full, well almost, I still have bracelets to hang. I think it looks better live. I hope it is more cute than clutter. My dresser definitely looks better.ok, I just added the finished product, bracelets and all...
I finished the hooks for the bracelets today. They were tricky to figure out how to make, but they turned out great.
The earring frame just has screen attached to the back. It is so easy to slip the earrings in and out. I like being able to see everything clearly.Any suggestions? I'm feeling quite satisfied. I'm off to vote.....

work hard, play hard, rider harder.

Guy 4 our family Photographer

Guy 4 left just last week to pursue work in New York City. He is staying with some friends in Manhattan for about one month. He says he will be back, we'll see. He has scheduled himself out to do headshots for several people in the area. It has all been by word of mouth, which is the best advertisement. He has been dabbling in photography with his new camera and he is a whiz at photoshop, mostly because he is a very talented artist. He played around with some photos from the cast at Tuacahn and they were awesome. I am hoping he will send me some pics to display really soon. For now, all I have are some shots he took of some of us before he left. They are nice, but I don't think of myself as photogenic. I think he is awesome and wish him the best of luck.

Chanel doesn't take a bad photo, it's just not in her, even if she has marks on her forehead from her sunglasses.

I love her, she is beautiful

He played around with the lighting on this one. It wasn't one of my favorite shots but he touched it up and made it look much better.

work hard, play hard, rider harder.

Halloween

Fall is my most favorite season and I love Halloween. I enjoy decorating the house and I'm always seen dressed up on Halloween. This year however, that wasn't the case. I was planning on being out of town so I didn't have the costume prepared. I ended up staying home and was caught without a plan. I am already putting ideas together for next year's costume. I did have all the decor up, but I had to find a stash of candy at the last minute to hand out to the neighborhood children. I was glad I was around to see my kids in their costumes. Nothing fancy, at their age they wanted no help from mom! Here's what they came up with.....

Sadie leaving for school! Some kind of 80's punk rocker?

Sadie getting a bite to eat before a long night of fright. Seems like she's always eating. I had to make sure she ate something besides candy all day long.

Taylor, Garrett, Austin & Devin. "Sports Fans" They had a great time at the Bloomington Party on Sugar Leo

work hard, play hard, rider harder.

Weekend Revamped

We were planning a bike adventure weekend in Moab with some of our friends. Guy was going to ride the White Rim in a day while the rest of us enjoyed the scenery of Moab on our bikes. Plans fell through and things changed but Guy and I still got out and enjoyed biking. We ended up staying in town and rode the Hurricane Rim loop Friday and Saturday. Friday I felt like I was towing someone else behind me. I actually got off my bike and checked to make sure Guy didn't gear my singlespeed down. Nope, my legs were just fried and I was dying. Today when I rode I felt great. I actually beat my record time too! Crazy, some days you have it and some days you don't. The funny thing is that I thought I would be more tired today after yesterday's ride so I was going to ride my geared bike. Guy pulled it off the truck and realized that he forgot the front wheel. Fortunately I had him bring the SS just in case. Grateful I had and extra bike on hand.

Just a thought I had today. I spend an abnormal amount of time with my husband compared to most married couples. First of all we live together, duh. Then, we work together all day every day. We share most of the same hobbies (he can't get into the scrapbooking thing) so we play together constantly. I love to do these things with him: bike, hike, rock climb, camp, backpack, boat (both motor & kayak), basically just play outdoors. Anyway, this morning he suggested we clean the house together and then go for a ride. I am just so grateful that he is willing to help me with housework so I have time to play too. He actually does this a lot. I am a much happier person when my house is clean and sometimes I don't feel like I can get away to do things if I get too behind at home. He makes it much easier and quicker to get caught up than just to leave me to clean while he plays. He is great at sweeping and mopping the floor and I can pretty much do the bathrooms, dusting, and vacuuming while he cleans the floor. He organizes and cleans the garage which can be a huge project because we are constantly on the go and not everything gets put away everytime. I love having clean windows too! Not that I can't do it myself but it is a treat when he does it. And the bathrooms feel shiny clean when he does all my mirrors. Thanks for such a productive day sweetie.

Oh, one more thought. What would I do without my live-in mechanic. I can't express enough how handy my dear husband is. He can fix anything, seriously. He rebuilds my fork and bleeds my brakes and is always changing the cog on my SS. I couldn't ride my SS if he weren't around, I would have no clue how to change the gearing and get the tension just right. But I love that he can tinker with my bike and it is always tuned-up and ready to go.

work hard, play hard, rider harder.

Rasta, our family pet

We have had Rasta since February of 2005. He is an official member of our family who protects our backyard. We got him from Guy's brother, Gene, who bred a litter of 12! So, even though we are not really dog people, we thought long and hard about this, we couldn't resist this cute puppy.

Guy and I stopped in at Over the Edge Sports today after we rode the Hurricane Loop. DJ has a dog in the shop that is actually up for adoption. She asked if we were interested because I noticed how well-behaved she was. Her name is Trinity and I can't remember what breed she is. I told her I wouldn't mind trading but I am not comitting to another dog, no matter how cute or well-behaved. I hope she will find a good home for her.

Rasta is a full bred Sharpei. They are bred as Chinese guard dogs. They are very skiddish, stand-offish, and anti-social. He is great at guarding our backyard. However, he never obeys, he will run away for hours if he can escape out of the gate, he doesn't listen when he is told to do something, he does what he wants, and on and on and on.

We tried to have his eyes tacked and have him neutered at the same time. This is a completely different story I won't go into, but the vet told us to pick him up, he couldn't work with him. He will hump any other dog that comes over to play whether it is male or female. He is desperate. He won't play catch and is difficult to take on a walk so Guy is really the one that interacts with him the most and he wants to kick him in the head half the time. (He doesn't kick him by the way, he just wants to) He has bit the dog catcher, but I would too if he got me in a corner and poked at me with a long stick. He is not a vicious dog, he is just his own boss. We have tried a few time to take him camping and to the lake. It is a nightmare, so he stays home guarding the yard.

The one great thing about him is that he poops in one area in our yard. I don't know that I could train any other dog to not poop all over the yard. That is the one really awesome thing about our dog. He is a cute dog too.

Don't get me wrong, he isn't a bad dog. He and I have love/hate relationship. Guy loves him and he loves Guy. I've heard that dogs are a lot like their owners or vice versa. I can see a few similarities here. The kids would be devastated if we didn't have him. So for now I am grateful that he protects us even if he won't play with us.

work hard, play hard, rider harder.