Christmas 2007 and 2008

We had a great time in Galveston. Santa found us and the waves were fabulous the first 3 days. We ended up leaving a day early because the surf was flat and the forecast wasn't any better. My camera was misbehaving so I didn't get very many good pictures but here was what I do have.

This is the Christmas morning sunrise (can someone please teach me how to add captions?) from our patio.

And Sara and Dan walking back up the beach.

Next year we want to go to Mexico again. Anyone is invited and welcome. Start saving your pennies now. We found a resort/surf school just outside of Mazatlan where we would love to spend next Christmas. Several different planets have to align for us so that can happen, wish us luck!

Why is the top half of this double spaced and the bottom half single spaced?!?

Happy Birthday Uncle Mark

If I had to pick the 3 happiest days of my life as a teenager, one of those days would be a day I spent with my Uncle Mark.

I was lucky enough to get to live with Mark and Robin and Aaron for the first half of my senior year in high school. My dad found a '72 Super Beetle and drove it out to California for me so I would have transportation. This car was yellow and had a big dent in the rear passenger fender and it didn't have reverse. I had been driving it for a couple of weeks and one day Mark said, "Saturday we're going to work on your car."

Saturday after breakfast we went out and Mark showed me the best way to wax a car and make it really shiny. Throughout the day he showed me how to check the oil, how to change a tire, and how to change the windshield wiper blades. We took the tires off and he painted the wheels, we took the windshield wipers off and we painted those too. We vacuumed and polished up the inside and cleaned the windows. We sprayed WD40 on every hinge; he even hammered the dent so it wasn't as bad.

That day is such happy memory to me for several reasons. First, I worked hard and had very satisfying results, my car looked great. I learn a lot about taking care of my car and about my "things" in general; even if I'm driving a beater car with a dented fender, I can still take care of it and make it as nice as I possibly can. Most significantly, Mark taking the time to teach me and patiently show me how to do all these things, made me feel so loved and more important than I think I had ever felt before. It was a day that changed me for the better.

Thank you Mark, for being much more than an uncle to me. I love you and I was thinking of you on your day. I hope it was a good one.

Galveston Oh Galveston

The surf boards are bungeed to the van, wetsuits are packed, house is clean and Santa has been sent a forwarding address . . . we're off to the beach house this morning.

Have a wonderful Christmas everyone we love you!

Happy Birthday Mom!

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Is my mom stylin' or what?

Happy Birthday Paul

Here are a few things you might not know about Paul: (This could also be entitled how Rachel is the exact opposite of Paul:)

He is the happiest person I know. He always appreciates where he is in his life. Whether in school or in the army or in Lindale, Texas, he is always pleased and relaxed and happy and excited with what he is doing right now. He doesn’t waste his time worrying about things; he always thinks positively and is sure everything is going to work out well . . . he is almost always right.

He is the most voracious reader I know. A few years ago I found the greatest list of hundreds of classic books and authors. We went through it once and Paul had read 3/4 of them. More than that he remembered all the stories and characters’ names, some from books he’d read 25 years earlier. It is rare that I suggest a book to him that he hasn't already read.

He is the smartest man I know. Not only has he completed one Master's Degree program and is 3 credits shy of his second, but he just knows how to figure things out. Don't watch any kind of mystery with him because he will tell you "who dun it" at the end of the first scene. (This actually works out well for me because I am usually asleep by the third scene.) I gave him Life of Pi to read last year. He got to page 26 and said, "That's the sentence." then he told me the rest of the story without having read it. He finished it and then told me to throw it away.

He is the hardest working person I know. I've been there while different bosses have fought over him. In college he had two different businessmen ask him to quit school and work for them. In the Army he had Colonels and Generals fighting over his next assignment. He works harder and does a better job than they expect anyone to do and then he stays until the job is done and done right.

He has the kindest heart of anyone I have ever met. He genuinely and sincerely likes people and is respectful and generous even when (I think) they don't deserve it. He naturally knows what people need and freely gives it to them. The only times I have seen him truly sad is when he knew someone needed help and he couldn't do anything for them. (Ask him to tell you his Albania story.)

Someday I will deserve to share my life with this most extraordinary man. I love you Paul.

Will I ever find out how it ends??

Sara's 2nd grade play was last week. It was entitled How the Penguins Saved Christmas. I got there early and saved seats but it was obvious even 45 minutes early that they were going to run out of seats fast. By 10 minutes to curtain all the seats were filled, the isles were filled and the lobby was packed with less than happy parents. Then the principal came out and asked that we leave and only stay if our child was in the 1st act. Then the 1st act people would all leave and the parents with kids in the 2nd act would come in and so on. Luckily they had divided each act by classroom so they could just announce which class was in each act.

Sara was in the 2nd act. Even though she was scared she said her lines clearly and remembered every word.

Wish the pictures were better.

Baby Ferney

This gorgeous little man is my sister Jordan and her husband Paul's first baby. His name is Moses James and he couldn't be prettier. He arrived last Friday, 2 weeks early.

Hooray for Jordan and Paul and Moses!

Geroge Winston

When I lived with Mark and Robin, we went to their friends' home one evening and they were playing a record, yes a record, of piano solos by George Winston, called December. I LOVED it and bought it. I still own the record, yes the record, it's up in the attic. I thought about it every year and wanted the CD but I just never bought it. The other day I asked Paul to find it for me and he bought the Silver Anniversary edition (am I really that old?) on iTunes.

When the kids came home from school I said, "You've got to hear this." I played Carol of the Bells for them and before it was over Paul was online trying to find the sheet music for it. I happily bought it for him.

This is Carol of the Bells



This is Variations on the Canon

Henry Wayne Stanley

After a scary arrival my little brother Jared and fabulous wife Liz welcomed their first baby. Both momma and baby are safe and sound.

How beautiful is he??

Check out their blog for more details, http://lizjaredstanley.blogspot.com/

Bingo!!

We had such a good time at a Christmas Party last night!

It was a surprise because it was a party for work and it was for the whole family. I am leery of Christmas parties where the whole family is invited. It seems like the party is either completely for the kids and I end up helping all my little ones do some crafty thing that will break before we get home or it is completely for the parents and I have to keep my kids happy and behaving while they are bored for 2 hours. (I know I know, I have very low expectations and it is very rude.)

So the hosts asked each family to bring a couple of gifts, they could be gag gifts or something nice nothing over $15.00. Again I was a little worried, I didn't want to come home with a toilet seat or something just as Christmassy. We took a Nerf Gun and a Walmart Gift Card (Get it? These are all Target executives, funny right??) Well, it was the best I could come up with, having never met these people.

The hosts, George and Hannah, could not have been more gracious, their home was so welcoming and comfortable, and we immediately felt at home. They took the gifts we brought and put them on this big table that was already overflowing with packages. The food was wonderful; there were selections for adults and children. When everyone had had a chance to eat they passed out BINGO cards. It was perfect! It moved quickly for the kids. George would say, "Okay 3 in a row for 2 prizes." Gloria would start jumping up and down. "Oh Dad! Two prizes!" Everyone won once or twice and at the end, when kids were getting antsy he announced that the next BINGO was taking everything that was left. I thought Sara and Dan were going to bust. It was so fun. I am disappointed that I forgot to take my camera so no pictures.

Parties with kids can be tricky but this was great! Everyone was engaged and felt apart of the activities. It was just right.

Unto Us a Child is Born

When I was a teenager, we would get extra credit in choir when we joined in the community performance of Handel's Messiah at the St. George Tabernacle. Although some of the solos seemed a little long I LOVED it!! There is just nothing like being a part (insignificant, though I may have been) of something so exquisitely beautiful.

My very favorite Christmas song ever is For Unto Us A Child Is Born, from The Messiah. We were listening to this in the car on the way to church and I tried to hit a couple of the high notes. I used to be able to . . . not anymore. Anyway, this is the Christmas song I listen to first every year, and I cry every time.

I like that this shows the singing parts so I can sing along . . . when no one else is home.

Happy Birthday Mom!

Happy Birthday to the greatest

Mom / Grandmother / Mother-In-Law ever!!!
We love you!

The Dan

Dan found this fortune in his fortune cookie last night.

He read it to us and then said very smoothly, "Oh yeah, the ladies love The Dan."