Christmas Has Come and Gone

Getting outfitted for the ski season

Christmas PJ's

Too many presents!

Can't wait to wear this!

"HyperActives" -very fitting.....

Mom and Dad trying to figure out what to do with an IPAD

It was a pretty quiet Christmas this year with just me and my parents. We decided to do Christmas at our house this year (for the first time), since it may be our last Christmas in this house. We fondued and just hung out together. Because my parents slept in my room, I slept with Cooper in his double bed. Not wise planning on my part. Literally, EVERY HOUR was met with a tap and a "Mom, what time is it? Is it almost time? Finally at 4AM I got smart and handed him my cell phone and said, "Here, now you can check the time all you want." 

Might as well add to the zoo. Cooper's Frogs.

Street hockey on the menu for 2012

The kids had a good Christmas and were pretty excited about everything they got. After church, we had a small Christmas dinner at my parents, again, with just me and them. My sister and her family came later that night. 

Boxing day was spent playing with the Williams side of the family at the school. It was fun, organized chaos. It think there were 20 kids there ranging in age from 14 down to 5 months. We had a grown ups verses kids dodgeball game, which was a blast. We also had several rounds of speed ( a bball shooting game) There is no better feeling than beating out all my nephews and brothers-in-law. There was even one game where Reg and I were the last ones in. It really made me take a step back and realize how fast the time is going by. I have been waiting for so many years to play serious sports with my kids and now it seems it suddenly sneaked up on me. The "big" kids also played 

some laser tag, which was a big hit. I swear I could play that every day 

and never get tired of it. 

The Paleontologists during mid-excavation! (Caution for parents: Mess to the Max)

Now were are in full cousin mode with play dates back and forth between houses. Tonight Grandma W. Is having her annual grandkids sleepover. Guess I'd better figure out something fun for me to do. Kid free time is premium around here and I don't want to waste it. Maybe I'll just stay home and read and eat the 25 pounds of chocolate I got for Christmas.

I love having Christmas over with early and having the whole rest of the break with no pressure and other junk. Next week we are heading to the states to snowboard and I am really looking forward to that! 

Pretty Good Weekend

I have felt kind of derailed the last few weeks so it was finally nice to have a good weekend. It started with a party and ended with some snowboarding.

Let's talk party first. I hate parties. I avoid them like the plague. They are uncomfortable, awkward, and a constant reminder of the gaping holes in my life. I only go to them when my kids beg and beg. I used to be quite a party animal. In my other life, Cam and I used to be invited to lots of parties and we really enjoyed them. We liked the competition kind of parties like amazing race ones, and commandoes. Usually we were the victors.

I recall a very uncomfortable experience that happened during my first Christmas season alone. An "acquaintance" called me up on the phone with an invitation. She typically held a Christmas party each year whose guests included several couples in our circle of friends and ward members. She mentioned that she would be holding the party again and knew that I probably would know it was happening. She THOUGHT it would maybe be nice if I could COME AND HELP SERVE at the party since I wouldn't be involved in a typical way and that this way I could still be invited. Well, let's see...............I would just love to come and dish up your food and serve it to all my friends who have husbands and are having a fantastic Christmas season, because mine is shaping up to be just delightful...................
..........................NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I know she meant no harm and that she was truly trying to reach out in kindness, but when you are not part of the club, you just don't get it. There is probably only one or two people reading this blog entry who actually get it. What is the club, you may ask? Well some like to call it the widows club. I hate that word---widow. It denotes weakness,  dependence,  and pity. I am none of these things. However, this weekend I was invited to a club type of activity. I have a friend whose late husband was in the hospital with Cam in Calgary. I got to know her husband really quite well. Cam and I visited with him for hours. The interesting part is that the first time I met her was at Cam's funeral. We have kept in touch since then. There are a group of people, like us, who get together in Lethbridge from time to time. She had invited me to these get togethers before, but it just never worked out. I finally decided to go. To my utter surprise, it was the most comfortable I have been at a party in a very long time. It felt so safe and accepting, and the kicker was, we were all in same boat--single moms (and one dad), trying our best to get through life and raise our kids. I spoke with a women whosw husband went to bed healthy and woke up dead from an embolism. I felt like I had know her my whole life. But that is how it always is with "the club". It connects you to people like nothing else.

The kids got to play sports in the gym and jump around in a gynormous boucy castle while the grown ups visited. It was also very interesting how the kids hit it off. It was great.

Today we went snowboarding to Castle. It was so fun. I forgot how much I love doing it. We went with my bro-in-law and his kids. I'm so grateful for Cam's siblings. They are so very, very good to me. I don't come from a large family, and I'm the oldest so Cam's brothers and sisters make me feel like I have some older siblings to rely on and have fun with. I only had two bad wipe outs and there was only one kid meltdown. If that isn't success I don't know what is. Fun times. Can't wait to have more during Christmas break. 5 more days 'til FREEDOM!!!!

Count Your Blessings

Today in the mail I received the December issue of the Ensign. In it was a little activity meant for youth, but nevertheless it caught my eye. The activity asked you to list 100 things you are grateful for, broken down into categories. I decided to do it and share.


10 physical abilities you are grateful for:

1. To be able to play sports        2. To have working fingers that can play the piano
3. Sight                                                  
4. To have a voice that can sing.
5. Smell                                                
6. To have a digestive system that allows me to eat whatever.
7. Hearing                                            
8. To have a brain that is not seriously disabled ; )  
9. To be able to give birth to my kids
 10. To have a body that is disease free.


10 material possessions you are grateful for:

1. Books                                                  6. Photo Albums
2. Piano                                                   7. Mascara
3. Comfortable Bed                                 8. Camping trailer
4. Car/Truck                                            9. Computer
5. Wedding ring                                      10. Temple Picture

10 living people you are grateful for:

1. Reggie                                                 6. Sister
2. Marin                                                   7. All my in laws
3. Cooper                                                 8. President Monson
4. Mom                                                    9. Mom in law
5. Dad                                                    10. Many other wonderful friends (Its hard to list)

10 deceased people you are grateful for:

1. Cam                                                    6. President Hinkley
2. Grandma Sheen                                  7. Father in law
3. Grandpa Johnson                                8. Grandpa Sheen
4. Grandma Johnson                               9. Our many friends we met during our hospt. time
5. Joseph Smith                                      10. Uncle Gordon


10 things about nature you are grateful for:

1. Sunsets                                                6. The ocean
2. Sunrises                                              7. Sandy beaches
3. Mountains                                           8. Whales
4. Flowers                                               9. Blue sky
5. Summer days                                      10. Wheat fields


10 things today you are grateful for:

1. Good exercise partners                       6. The awesome people at my job
2. Beautiful frost on the trees                  7. Hired help
3. Four wheel drive                                8.  A warm house
4. Kids who make me laugh                   9. Rice Krispie Squares
5. My job                                               10. A daughter who really enjoys piano lessons.


10 places on earth you are grateful for:

1. The temple                                         6. My parent's house
2. My home                                           7. Waterton
3. The cabin                                           8. Church
4. Kalispell                                             9. Hiking trails
5. Logan's Pass                                     10. Warm places to visit

10 modern inventions you are grateful for:

1. Dishwasher                                        6. Defibrillators
2. Washing Machine                              7. Modern medicines
3. Dryer                                                  8. Software that organizes your grades
4. Internet                                               9. Movies
5. Cell phone                                        10. E-books


10 foods you are grateful for:

1. Chocolate                                           6. Pasta
2. Bread                                                 7. Chicken
3. Mangoes                                            8. Peas out of the shell from the garden
4. Nectarines                                          9. Ice cream
5. Strawberries                                      10. Cheerios


10 things about the gospel you are grateful for:

1. Jesus Christ's Atonement                    6. Callings that make you stretch
2. The sacrament                                    7. Patriarchal Blessings
3. Temple covenants                              8. The priesthood
4. Eternal Families                                 9. Modern day prophet and apostles
5. The Holy Ghost                                10. The scriptures


Wow! It wasn't too hard to come up with that stuff and it is really only the tip of the iceberg. I dare you to do the same!