Sledding

Christmas Day brought a beautiful blanket of white snow. It was great, especially since we had nowhere to go. But Rinar did take the kids to the park for a fun afternoon of sledding. It was a great time, but I think Rinar had the funnest time of all.

Christmas and the Piano

This was an epic Christmas, that is for sure. It was pretty much perfect and I marvel at the fact that I was able to do all the things that I wanted to do. We went Christmas caroling to our neighbors, delivered a handmade gift, sent off my Christmas cards (a miraculous feat), and decorated the house with Christmas eclat. Well, at least my kids thought it was pretty fabulous. 

On Christmas Eve, Rinar asked me to take the kids and leave in the morning so he could get my surprise here in a timely manner. I took them to the children's museum in Lehi and came back promptly at 12, just like he asked. His mom decided to spend the week with us, so in the interim time the surprise was delivered and he picked her up. 

When I got home, I announced myself and then went into the living room. There it was, a grand piano. And not just any grand piano. Nope. It was a Steinway!  Holy moly. He really went all out this year. But the most shocking part for me was when Melody Brown peered around the corner. Melody is one of the 5 Browns, part of a dynamic sibling piano playing quintet. What in the world? She then shared her musical gifts with our family and played a few songs on the new piano. One of the songs was "My Favorite Things" from the Sound of Music. It was incredible. She is a Steinway artist, so I guess when you buy a Steinway, this is one of the perks of the purchase.

We visited for a while and her husband took pictures of us together. This piano was used in a performance by the 5 Browns this summer at the Draper Amphitheater. If you look inside the piano, they all signed it. It was also a birthday present for Linda to have this private concert with her. Linda had seen her perform live at Tuacahn and now here she was, in our living room.

After Melody left, the kids made gingerbread houses with grandma while I finished up last minute errands for Christmas.

Too cute.

And on Christmas Eve, we ate pork burritos and had a birthday cake for Linda. I think she liked it.

This is what our Christmas looked like this year.

And the kids patiently wait, eagerly anticipating the gifts Santa brought.

We decided to get all the boys a Nintendo 3Ds. I am not sure if I am going to regret this decision, but it sure has been much loved over the past few days, without a doubt. Julia wanted an Elsa doll and Noelle got a cuddly little doll also.

After we opened presents and ate lunch, we headed over to the Draper Rehab center to do a Christmas program for the residents. Linda was able to participate with us, which was a blessing. We left Noelle home to nap with my sister and her husband. That was also super nice to be able to do. Zach wasn't able to go because he lost his voice and was just not feeling very well. Over all, he was not too sick, but at that moment he was probably at his worst.

The Christmas program was lovely and it was nice to be able to do service on Christmas Day. I was really grateful that we could have the kids do that.

Sunday was another spectacular day. We decided to do the same program for our neighbors. I really wanted to do something for them as a way for everyone to get to know each other better and to create more solidarity on our street. I was happy with the turnout. It was kind of last minute.  But you can see, the room was full!

Rinar told me right before our guests arrived that one of our neighbors was going to bring some friends. I was like, uh, okay. Whatever. You can see the "friends" in the very back row. We sang and played and did our stuff. I finished off the program with "I'll Be Home For Christmas" and then was like, thanks for coming everyone. That's it.

But then Rinar stepped in and said there was an encore performance. What? I knew nothing about this. Then he introduced Josh Wright and his wife Lindsey. Josh is a world-renowned pianist and another  Steinway artist. You can find his stuff on Youtube, especially this song where he plays on two pianos. He also was on America's Got Talent. First they played a couple of piano duets and then he proceeded to play a slew of songs. It was breathtaking. And the best part was that we could share this with our neighbors. Everyone seemed to enjoy it immensely. It was just one of those super-cool moments in life I don't ever want to forget.

Of course, Rinar made sure we had a Sharpie, and had them both sign our piano as well. 

This is probably my best Christmas yet. How could you ever top this, right? Merry Christmas everyone.

Christmas Letter 2014

Merry Christmas everyone! I have taken a little blog vacation, but I guess a promised Christmas letter should help me get back on track.

January

We started off 2014 with a big birthday for Raef and Zach. They turned 12, which means they were ordained Deacons and started passing the sacrament in church. They took to it well and have never looked back. 

It was also a month that brought great change. Rinar's dad passed away after many years of poor health. We were able to have a beautiful funeral service for him to send him home. We miss him every day and look forward to a happy reunion some day.

February

Eli turned 6! And we also took a family trip to San Diego and Legoland. It was really nice and fun to be able to go when it was not busy. It is one of the perks of homeschooling, for sure.

March

We got back to business with school work galore.  All the kids are growing, but especially Noelle, who passed the 6 month mark.

April

Noelle, Rinar, and I went with Bart and Monica on a quick trip to Las Vegas so that the guys could compete in a triathlon relay with our Vegas friends Rich and Johanna. The guys did great and won the relay. Then later in the month Rinar and I went to North Carolina for my 20 year high school reunion. It was fun to get away and do a bit of reminiscing.

May

We had an unexpected visit from Rinar's cousin Ranel, did lots of little outings, including a day trip to the Golden Spike National Monument and some scenic mountain drives. Then my mom came out to stay at our house for two weeks so that Rinar and I could take Raef and Zach on an epic Eastern states American history trip. We did it all, from Jamestown to the coast of Maine. I thought they didn't really learn much, but I have been surprised over the rest of this year how many things did sink in. Thank goodness!

June

The little kids took an intense interest in coin collecting. That is a super easy souvenir to bring back from any old trip. The boys also did a Father/Son camp out with our ward. And as always, it was violin camp time. This was Eli's first year and he really enjoyed it and wanted to play his violin a lot more.

July

We visited family in St. George for the 4th, did lots of swimming, visited the Salt Lake Cemetery, the Utah Arts Festival, and skate park.  We also planted a garden this year and it really took off. The kids just loved going out there every day finding botanical treasures and asking lots of questions about nature.  I also took a weekend trip to Sedona with my sister Heather and my Dad came for a week long visit.

August

Football was in full swing for our house. Raef made it onto a better team this year and had a positive experience with the coaches and the season. He was back on the line and learned a ton. Eli also played flag football with his crew. We went camping, hiking, swimming more, and worked on lots of merit badges for Boy Scouts. Zach participated in a triathlon and did a marvelous job. And the biggest event this year was probably that I enrolled both Raef and Zach into the public middle school. 

September

Harry and Julia both played on soccer teams and had a blast. We made a day trip to Wyoming and the mountain man rendezvous and a visit to the fairy forest. And darling Noelle turned 1! Holy Moly!!

October

Julia had a special princess birthday party to celebrate 5. It was a huge success. Harry had a LEGO party with the little boys in our neighborhood and just loved it. Two separate parties. I participated in the Red Rock Relay with my running friends and almost died running my leg around Jordanelle Reservoir. Somehow I survived. And Raef's team won the championship. Go Chargers!

November

Zach started with the wrestling club and really loves it. Raef found a competitive basketball team to play with and is enjoying it immensely. We also did the craziest thing by driving all the way down to Arizona to visit my family. Thanksgiving was at Golden Corral with my parents and sister Christi and her family. We stayed in a hotel in Mesa and were able to visit the beautiful Christmas lights at the temple and spend time with everyone. And somehow we limped home all in one piece.

December

Eli started playing basketball and is really enjoying it. Raef, Zach, and Eli all had string recitals and Raef and Zach continue to play in a chamber group with another violinist and a cellist. It has been a great experience for them.  And Rinar and I took an over-nighter to Las Vegas to watch our Utes play victoriously in the Vegas Bowl. We also were able to catch up with some wonderful Sunset Ward friends. We stopped by at a few other places to surprise people but nobody was home. Boo. I wish we could have seen everyone. Las Vegas has the best people in the world.

And you must really love me if you read through this entire list of family happenings. Have a Merry, merry Christmas everyone. We love all of you and look forward to hearing from you in one way or another.

Cousin Gift Exchange

We came down for a long weekend in St. George. On Thursday night we stayed at the Courtyard so that the kids could do some swimming. Once in a while, it is fun to do something like that. And they kids enjoyed the time with dad in the swimming pool Thursday night. 

 

On Friday morning, it was  my turn to take the kids to pool while Rinar took some phone calls for work.  I am not quite as much fun as dad when it comes to swimming pools, that is for sure. But I tried at least.

 

We then had to do some late Christmas shopping because we were meeting at night to exchange cousins gifts with Rinar's family.  It was a good time to go to Target. There were oodles of things on sale.  Then we went to wrap everything at Grandma E.'s house.

 

After a Mexican dinner with Lyf's family, it was time for all the cousins to come over for the exchange.

 

Lani and Jeff

Rayder and Aislinn

Grandma and Jayde

Xayden and Bethany

Mary Jane

She is just being SOOO cute!

Grandma plays a mean game of ping pong.

Lyf and Angie got a ping pong table for their kids this Christmas. It was a big hit for the entire family. And let the record show, I played Nordel and beat him. Boo-yeah, baby.

It is satisfying to see all of these cousins growing before my very eyes. They are becoming wonderful young people and I really look forward to seeing what they do when they become adults. Family is a blessing.

Our Christmas Happenings

Christmas festivities were a lot of fun. I decided to do gingerbread houses with the kids. This was our first attempt. Luckily, Leah was there to help me.  I really had my hands full because while they were constructing the houses,  I had to whip up some cookies for Santa Claus.

I must say, the kids did a great job. Harry was especially engrossed in this activity. It is something he enjoyed immensely. Harry likes doing projects and has good concentration.

It doesn't hurt that all the decor is edible and sweet!

After decorating some Santa cookies and gingerbread houses, we had a family gathering to remember what Christmas is all about. First, we read the Christmas story from Luke 2 and the kids dressed up for it. Noelle did a smashing job as the baby Jesus and Julia loved being Mary.

I tried to talk Harry into being Joseph, but he insisted on being a sheep.  Well, it was a dog costume, but close enough.You can see that he really enjoyed representing the barn animals for this reproduction! Raef was the angel, Dad played Joseph, Eli represented the shepherds and Zach brought it home for the wise men.  We also had Jamie play the donkey and bring "Mary" in on his back.

After we did our production, it was time to dance. We jumped and spun around to some Christmas music. The kids were really excited. But, what kid wouldn't be, right?

Then it was time for some pictures in front of the Christmas tree. Noelle was being especially cute.

We put some cookies and milk out for Santa and then sent the kids off to bed.

It is always fun to make them wait extra long in the morning. Here they are at the top of the stairs waiting for the big moment when they can run down to see what surprises await them under the tree.

I don't think they were disappointed. It was mostly a LEGO set kind of year. But Eli also got Skylanders Swap force and a scooter. Raef got some snow camo, Zach got a few laser guns, and of course Julia got various dolls.

I also made a picture book for each of them with photos of the last four years. It was neat to see them all stop to look at the pages. They loved it. It wasn't hard to guess that they would since they love to look at pictures of themselves.

After we were done giving gifts and when everyone was off playing with their stuff, Harry and Julia asked if they could eat their gingerbread houses.  Why, yes, of course you can kids! Dig in.

And they did.

The Best Dinner Ever

It had been a weary 3 years. First it was Africa, then the peninsula of Italy. And then in the past four months, the terrifying and bloody Utah Beach at Normandy in France. Private Carpenter was war-weary. He had trodden many hills of the European continent and seen much bloodshed and heart ache. The war seemed to have no end. But in the past 4 months, things had looked promising. The US army and its Allies raced across France, liberating the country swiftly, and without too much resistance. There would soon be a conclusion to all of this violence and horror. Germany would be defeated and Private Carpenter would be back in Michigan shortly.

But then it was December 16th, and another test of endurance and survival would be placed before him and the thousands of other American boys fighting for liberation and justice. Hitler desperately tried to regain his footing in France and Belgium by pushing the Allied forces back in a surprise attack against a mostly American force in the Ardennes Forest. Over 18,000 Americans soldiers lost their lives and many more were wounded.  The weather was bitterly cold and snow blanketed the landscape. It became the bloodiest battle of the entire war, called the Battle of the Bulge.

Less than two weeks before Christmas, when things were looking promising for a return to America, death was near again. Bombs, explosions, and chaos were everywhere with this furious deluge, a counteroffensive that put the Allies on their heels. Day after day, the fighting was fierce as the Americans tried to regain the ground that had been lost. The weather was freezing and the soldiers were not equipped for this surprise offensive.  But they kept fighting to push back the Nazis, staying out in frozen foxholes, stubbornly fighting. Private Carpenter kept fighting, too.

General Patton wanted his men of the Third Army to have a hot turkey dinner for Christmas Day. He knew that they needed to boost to help them get through this arduous time. After weeks of cold food, eaten on the frozen ground, shells incessantly exploding all around, Patton was able to make it happen for at least some of the troops. For others, it was SOS, meat and gravy over toast. It wasn't quite as festive or fancy as a turkey dinner. Private Carpenter didn't get a hot turkey dinner. But he did get a hot plate of SOS. 

It was the best dinner he ever had.

So, on this Christmas Eve, we eat SOS in honor of Grandpa Carpenter and all the men through the ages who have given much so that we can live in peace and remember a newborn babe, lying in a manger.

Merry Christmas and peace on Earth!

Christmas Letter

This was a big year of change for our family. Let me summarize:

January: Skiing in Tahoe, advancing to Boy Scouts, a $ignificant dental vi$it

February: House hunting in Utah, telling Rinar that I was pregnant

March: Emergency Preparedness Fair, saying farewell to Reno, trip to Monterrey, being pregnant

April: Moving to Draper, boxes and more boxes, still pregnant

May: Ditching Facebook, park outings, being pregnant and hating it, learning to ride a bike

June: Music in the park, yard sales, hikes, swings, violin camp, still pregnant and still hating it

July: Reupholstering project, carnival, Payson Lakes, parades, rodeo, staycation, Boy Scout camp, even more pregnant

August: Heartburn, Danny, football, soccer, Strawberry Reservoir, swimming in the Great Salt Lake (yuck!), pregnant, pregnant, pregnant, whiny, whiny, whiny

September: Paul, Kokopelli Triathlon, fishing trip, and NOELLE!!!

October: Grandma, Cornbelly's, Uncle John, LEGOS, Halloween

November: Michael Buble, the Robertson's, soccer trophy, orchestra, Thanksgiving, Sewell's, baby blessings galore, 18 years!!

December: Violin recital, Jr. Jazz, Temple Square, caroling, Christmas music, enjoying not being pregnant, and slobbering over the most perfect little baby a Mom could ever hope to have.

**********

Raef: I think this kid has grown at least a foot this last year. He is now 11 and an exuberant kid. He loves LEGOs, shoveling snow, football, basketball, and history. He is starting to really enjoy reading, finally. Raef loves to hold Noelle, change her diapers, and cuddle with her. He continues to excel in the viola and even got to perform a solo with his orchestra. He still loves camo and likes to hide and build stuff, like igloos. He loves to earn money and is pretty darn frugal. 

Zach: I recently bought him a Super Mario Bros. piano book and now I am living in a video game. But I love the fact that he is playing the piano again, non-stop. He is constantly sneaking into the pantry, although I don't know where it goes because he is still a skinny bean pole, though a much taller bean pole. Zach loves to read, memorize jokes, perform for anyone on his violin or piano. Zach also competed in a triathlon this year as well as a 5k.  He really enjoyed it. He does a great job making lunches, especially macaroni and cheese and putting the kids to bed. He is an incessant kisser of babies, especially Noelle. 

Eli: I think he must be just about the cutest kid ever. He will randomly come up to me to tell me how much he loves me and how much he loves our family. Eli is obsessed with LEGOs these days and gets books from the library to get new ideas on construction projects. He is also playing the violin, though some days the playing comes with a lot of 'tude. He also loves Skylanders. This year he also taught himself how to ride a bicycle. Everyone should have an Eli, but sorry. He is ours.

Harry: This kid always walks into a room with a big smile on his face. He also has amazing eyebrow action. He is a whiz at puzzles, loves to play with magnet figures on the refrigerator. He loves LEGOs and watching his brother play Skylanders. Harry is a big helper and forces me to put his laundry away expeditiously because he loves to hang up the shirts. He loves "Nephi's Courage" and any song I sing to him when he goes to bed. And "Go Dog, Go" is classic literature to this kid.

Julia:  She is an artist: on the walls, the furniture, her brother. She loves lipstick, nail polish, and pretty hairdos. If only those hairdos could be done without a brush!  Julia is a loving little girl. She loves chewing gum, mini dolls, dress up, and she has the most amazing imagination. You put a wand in her hand and watch out. Magic happens. And I recently discovered that she really has a passion for painting. Maybe more painting will mean less graffiti for the coming year.

Noelle: The best baby ever! She is so calm, serene, and just precious. All of the kids slobber over her and she just loves it. Plus, she really loves me because she sleeps through the night consistently, 8-10 hours. Yes, the best baby ever. Pregnancy was totally worth it.

Salt Dough Ornaments

I decided to do salt dough ornaments with my kids. I wanted more personal ornaments for our tree. I really wanted my kids to make some. It is a special thing to get the Christmas decorations out and to see the ones my kids have made. I treasure it so much.  I had the stuff out and when I had song practice with the girls for the Christmas breakfast, they saw the stuff. 

Then I had the bright idea to invite them over to make some of their own. It is the perfect gift for their mothers. And since I love their mothers, what a better way to give them a really good gift. It is just what I would want to get from my kids.  

I contacted their mothers and told them to make sure to tell their girls. This enabled them to invite friends, and they did! On Tuesday, this cute group came over and made a huge mess, making tons of ornaments. It takes at least two hours to cook them. This project was going to take two visits to my house because after they were cooked, the ornaments needed some paint and sparkle.

I had a few of them come back today and the rest will be here tomorrow. They are all sworn to secrecy. No moms can know what we are doing. It is rewarding to watch them create special ornaments, work really hard and put a lot of thought into it. They made them for all of their siblings, their parents, and maybe a grandparent or two. Precious.

If you want something to be a certain way, you can't sit back and wait for someone else to do it. I would love for my daughter to be able to do this for me. And I know if I would love it, other moms will too. Therefore, why not be the person to make it happen, right?

And when you think about it, what is the big deal? The ornaments cost practically nothing, I am home anyway, and the mess just kind of blends in with the rest of the mess under the table.  But I get to see 7 girls really happy. It is totally worth it.

Plus, Julia was sitting there with the rest of them working hard, too. And these are the kind of girls I want her to admire and emulate. She can only get better by being around them. What a blessing.

Saturday Activities

Saturday was a fun day for our family. In the morning, we had our ward Christmas breakfast. Rinar and I were in charge of a small music presentation at the end of the breakfast. A neighbor played his trumpet for a few Christmas carols, some girls in the ward (McKinley, Kynnli, Ashlynn, Emily, Hannah, and Kate) sang "Nuttin' For Christmas" and then I sang "Gesu Bambino".  Then the bishop was serenaded by Sister Morris. This was a surprise number. I didn't know anything about it.  She sang "Santa Baby", accent and all. It was very funny.

Then the kids gathered around for a truncated version of the Grinch.

Rick E. was the Grinch. It was quite hilarious. It was a little scary for Harry and Julia, but they didn't cry or anything.

It was an enjoyable start to our morning.  Then in the evening, Rinar took me to Temple Square for a date. It was him, me, and Noelle.  We rode TRAX, which was a blessing because it was crazy-busy downtown. We went to the visitor's center so that we could watch a video on the family.  Rinar had seen it when he was in Oakland the week before, and he wanted me to see it too.  

The video was short and powerful. It wasn't preachy or anything, but it did a good job of reminding me what is the most important. When it is all said and done in my life, I want to be surrounded with the people I love the most. My family is a gift and I have been richly blessed. We both know it acutely.

The train ride home was a bit crowded, but uneventful. I made sure to get us a treat to share as we rode back to our car: a White Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory.

While we were gone, Leah and Jamie watched "Home Alone" with our kids, popcorn and all.  In the end, we all had a fun night.

Catye's Baby Shower

The Friday after Thanksgiving was pretty busy as well. I decided it would be a good time to host a baby shower for my sister. Her baby Paul is almost three months old now, but this is her first baby and it was the best time to celebrate with all family members in town. 

Hence, I was back in the kitchen getting ready for the next party. I had my mom and Leah decorate the room and give it a baby boy festive decor, using the same decorations I used at her wedding reception.  Hey, I am getting my money's worth, right?

I made a super delicious chicken salad, a Gable House recipe, a persimmon and pomegranate salad, fresh lemonade, homemade hummus (that I made about a month before), and a beautiful green salad with blueberries and goat cheese.  Sounds like a girly menu, don't you think?

All the food (besides the chicken salad) was super healthy, a nice balance from the day before.  

The shower was quite lovely and Catye got quite a few gifts. Hopefully, she felt special.

Catye's sister-in-law Jessica holding baby Paul. Isn't he so precious?

In the evening we decided to brave the crowds of opening night, and headed to Temple Square to see the amazing Christmas lights. They did not disappoint. The lights are amazing. The only problem we ran into was exhausted children. As we started to the 20 minute drive to downtown, Harry fell fast asleep in his car seat. That was not a good sign. It was the consequence of too many late nights playing with the cousins. He was pooped.

As soon as we parked the car, he was pretty miserable. But he face lit up when we got on TRAX. But that didn't last long. Therefore, we quickly enjoyed some of the Christmas lights and then it was really time to go home.

But we are not above bribery. In order to get these little legs marching back to the car, we told them we would get them a treat. Fortunately, right before we got onto the freeway, there was a convenience store. They picked out a treat and were quiet all the way home. Money well spent.

Next year, I am taking my kids to Temple Square on a weeknight some time in the middle of December, early in the evening. I think that would be better for many different reasons.

Christmas Day

 Christmas day was a low-key affair.  The kids woke up not so horribly early. They waited patiently at the top of the stairs.  We opened presents and then played with toys the rest of the day. Some highlights: Raef got his Lord of the Rings castle, Eli, Zach and Harry got bikes and Julia got a cute doll.

 As the boys had a blast assembling Legos and playing on the Wii, Julia and I played beauty shop.  She just loved it, all except for having curlers in her hair. She was a good sport, but very happy when they came out of her hair.

I put on a little bit of neutral blush and some lipstick.  I curled her hair and sprayed it. I even put a little bit of perfume on her.  She was in heaven.

It even ended up being a white Christmas. In the evening it snowed again. A perfect end to a lovely day.