New Year's Eve Tradition

What is wrong with my friends? Wish us luck. Tomorrow there should be some comical photos.

Sledding at the mountain

Today Dee and I took all the kids up to Mt Charleston for some snow play. What a great time we had. The snow was perfect for sledding and snowball throwing. Joey met a little snow bunny too. I am glad he is a littl ebit shy and she is from California so no worries there. Millie and I are pleased that we knocked another item off of our must do list for the winter break.

We tried out Dunkin Donuts hot chocolate after the fun and were pretty disappointed this time. I will stick with eggnog steamers at Starbucks and Millie and Joey far prefer Starbucks' hot chocolate to Dunkin's.

Enjoy the photos.

Christmas day 2008

It sure is a different kind of Christmas when your youngest child is in 7th grade and your oldest is in 10th. No little ones around the house to run in a t 4 am yelling, "He came!"

Instead we were in bed til about 6 when Millie came in and said, "Can we go out there yet?"

Still, lots of "Thank you, it's just what I wanted!" But instead of directing this at Santa, the phrase was directed at Doug and me.

Jenna and Bret were over visiting their Mom this year so it didn't get too crazy til they arrived a little while later. Lots of cell phones this year and a new sewing machine for me. Clothes, books, gift cards new coats and shoes all found themselves in the pile of gifts. The boys got new harmonicas which they are enjoying.

A yummy dinner and then it was off to the movies with some other families where we split into three groups. The Day the Earth Stood Still, Marley and Me, and Benjamin Button. I saw the latter and I tell you it was a tear jerker.

Tomorrow is always the best day of the vacation, with all the kids really having time to get to know their new things.

Tomorrow, I think I may brave the stores and check out the better than Black Friday sales. I need to get some fabric at least!

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Eve

Millie and Joey just before bed

The stockings were hung...

Christmas Eve this year was moved from the Stutz home to the Smith's. Our long standing tradition has been to spend Christmas eve with our "Friend Family". These are the people in our life that are as close as family that we are honored to cal our friends. This tradition started years before I even met Doug and lucky for me, when we married, he being close with all these folks as well, kept the tradition going strong. Deb and Russ moved up to Denver so the event was moved to the Smith's house. The menu and program remained the same; soups and homemade rolls, yummy desserts followed by the reading of Luke 2 and finally a menagerie of family talents.
We sure miss Deb and Russ but are forever grateful they started this tradition.
Here is the finale of the talent show.

BYU and other adventures

Of course being the die hard Football fans that they are, Doug, Joe and Bret braved the cold last night and set out to Sam Boyd to watch the BYU v Arizona game. The outcome was not their desired one but fun was had by the boys nonetheless. I spent my night wrapping gifts and watching ELF. You gotta love the lovable character played by Will Farrell in this holiday show.

A few quotes:

Buddy: We elves try to stick to the four main food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corns and syrup.

Buddy: I passed through the seven levels of the Candy Cane forest, through the sea of swirly twirly gum drops, and then I walked through the Lincoln Tunnel.

Buddy: He's an angry elf

Buddy: Did you see the toilets? They're ginormous!

NOT EVEN KIDDING! IT'S A SNOW DAY

From the CCSD website:

No school Thursday due to bad weather

Wednesday December 17, 2008 - General
Due to weather conditions and for the safety of students, all Clark County School District schools will be closed tomorrow (Thursday). Students should not report to campus. All administrators, 12-month employees, and office staff should report to work as usual. Teachers (OH BABY!) and other classroom employees are not expected to report to work since a makeup day may be scheduled later in the year.

Tonight we had a YW combined activity here. While many of the girls were still lingering we saw the announcement. A cheer went up and the phone began to ring! No school, No school! Texts started coming to Joe's phone one after the other. No school! No school!

Oh to be a kid. And a Vegas kid at that! December 18, 2008 will be talked about for years, in the halls of Clark County Schools, "Remember that day ? Remember that snowday?!"

Hopefully tomorrow will find us with a few inches of the white stuff left on the ground so we can make a snowman!

For once we can sing it and mean it...

Oh the weather outside is frightful

But the fire is so delightful

And since we've no place to go

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

So sick

Another Sunday. Today Millie was sick. She stayed home from church so I came home after Sacrament to take care of her. Now I know she is a big kid, but she is my baby and this photo of her sick self sleeping was too cute to resist. If you look closely at her right cheek you can catch a glimpse of her beloved 'pink'. It's her special blanket that she still adores. Gigi, her trusty companion was probably buried under the covers with her, along with Duck Duck Sailor, another friend for life.

Millie came out tonight and curled up on the couch with all of them. Gigi, Duck Duck and Pinky all keeping her company while she rests. Gosh, I love her!

We also got the tree decorated tonight. Bret, Doug and Joe went out and bought it yesterday and put all the lights on while Jenna, Millie and I were at tryouts for Team Envy. This year we have the tree in a different spot, so it is a shorty. I love it anyhow. As per tradition when I saw the tree, I announced, "It is the best one ever!" Bret and Joe cracked up and said the words in unison with me, and after that exclaimed, "Oh Mum, you say that every year!" And they are right, I do.

The house is decorated and we are ready for a full week ahead. There is something going on every night so I know we will be ready for Friday to arrive! I can not wait for vacation to begin.

Millie and Jenna and Volleyball

Both Girls were chosen to play on Las Vegas' newest club volleyball team. We are very proud of both of them. Jenna has shown a lot of interest since last summer when Doug and I took her up to Provo for the BYU camp. Millie played church ball this year and loves to do the things Jenna does so it was quite a find when Rebbecca Lane told us about this club. It is just starting up in the valley and while they are open to all girls they understand the LDS culture and our desire to avoid Sunday play and the need for our girls to be free on Wednesday nights. Mary and Emily signed on to the 16 year old team last week and I took Jenna and Millie up to check it out last Saturday. Today I was worried for Millie at try outs. She doesn't really have much behind her in the way of skills, but luckily the girls here age were mostly in the same boat and the team was able to take the 12 who tried out. I am looking forward to seeing Mill progress. Jenna's team had much stiffer competition. Jenna is good. She grew a lot at the camp this summer and her mom has been taking her over to Rancho's practices for quite some time. On top of that, Jenna is just built for the sport. She is tall and is becoming very athletic. I am so grateful we came across this club that is basically going to 'fit' with our life. (AND...I don't have to be the team mom in order for that to happen!)

Jenna's Turn

We end this week of musical performances by the Mecham children with Jenna's choir concert. The kids sounded great. They have really grown and it is amazing the difference a year can make in a school music program. Her teacher, Ms Dadabo has done a great job bringing the students along. In 6th grade Jenna's choir teacher up and quit after a few weeks of work. The school was unable to fill the position so the program really fell apart. Sara, a band major, took over and has built it back up. Jenna and Hannah (Banana) have made a lot of progress this year and both sing so well. Way to go Jenna!

And on that note, no pun intended, I add another item to my 'lasts as a mother list'. Tonight I watched my last Junior High Christmas Choir program for one of my own. On to high school and bigger choirs I guess.

Millie and I took another detour on the way home for more of that yummy hot chocolate. I sense a Christmas addiction and tradition on the rise.
Hey Becky, they didn't know what an eggnog steamer was. I know, right. I was outraged. I need to try one of those before the season ends. Of course mine will also be with extra whipped cream.
C

This week this far

This week is a busy one around our house. Three concerts at the school. Tuesday, Band. Wednesday, Orchestra and Thursday, Choir. The camera was not charged up Tuesday night so I am hoping I can snag a few photos of Bret from folks who took photos of him at the show.

I charged up the battery and snapped a few of Millie and all of her friends at their concert. We made a quick stop at Starbucks on the way home. mmmm Peppermint hot chocolate.

Did I mention I filled my tank on the way home too. You bet I am a happy girl. I mean a month or so ago filling the tank was over 200.00

On a different note, I got a message today from MY ELDER'S wife. Her mother in law stumbled across my blog and found herself reading about her own son! Can't imagine how nice that must have been, especially considering that I ADORE THAT GUY! No kidding. I mean he is such a huge part of my story.

I can't wait to get to know this young girl who is married to MY ELDER. They have their own little family and I can't help but think how lucky their children are.

So once again, Heavenly Father opened that little window, just for a minute, and let me look through for long enough to make a connection. I am so grateful.

Come What May...

The Culprits

If you hate cats, skip this post. It will only serve to intensify your negative feelings towards all felines.
Oh to be able to laugh! This morning as the kids and I got ready to leave for school we noticed the car's hazard lights blinking. "What on earth could that be about?" As we approached the car Millie fessed up to going out to get a book she had left in the passenger seat yesterday, "But", she said,"I didn't go in your side so I don't know how that could have happened."
In the few steps from the walk to the car I noticed Wendell our fat, farm cat perched on the head rest of the drivers seat.
OH NOOOOOOO!
Yup, you guessed it, upon opening the door to the vehicle two things jumped out at me.
1. A very distressed cat and
2. An unmistakable odor

Sure enough Wendell, was unable to 'hold it' all night and no, I do not have any travel kitty litter going on in the car.

My first thought, MURDER the cat! And follow up that assassination with a swift kick to Millie's seat for being careless enough to not notice a fat cat climbing into the car alongside of her as she rummaged around looking for her lost book.
But after yesterday's fast meeting where Bishop brought back to mind, Elder Wirthlin's talk about laughter, I figured I better do just that. Each carpooler we picked up got in the car and wrinkled their nose as the pungent odor reached them. As I recounted the tale, they all had a good chuckle. When I told Doug, I couldn't even finish telling him the story before he figured out the ending and started laughing. After we finished laughing about the traveling litter box I am driving, he put in a call to our good friend Brent who will have the guys from Coit over to help us out today.
I thought how differently the entire affair might have gone if I had chosen anger over laughter. Thanks Elder Wirthlin (and Bishop) for reminding us to love whatever comes our way!