Amazing Singers

The two young ladies on the right are six years old. The two in the middle are seven and the one on the left is eight.

Christmas Questions

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Depends on how tired I am and if Mike will wrap them. Had way to many late Christmas Eve wrapping parties!

2. Real tree or Artificial? Real for sure but we only do artificial in Fl. Way to many ticks come with the real trees! But there is nothing better then fresh tree smell!

3. When do you take the tree down? New Years day along with everyone else in the world.

4.What is your favorite family tradition? 1. Being with my family is the best. 2. Sitting in a quiet house with the lights out and just the tree lights on and pondering. 3. Reading Jonathan Toomey. 4. Knowing that my shopping is ALL done!

5. Do you like eggnog? Yes we do!

6. Favorite gift received as a child? That was too long ago. Seeing as I must put something I would have to say a husband! But I didn't get him as a kid! He came later on.

7. Hardest person to buy for? Everyone in my family. Wish I was more creative.

8. Easiest person to buy for? Murphy! His wants never change!

9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes I have many since I have collected them for many years. I always look for the ones where Mary is holding her swaddling boy.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? We don't do well with either I'm afraid. I try to send out Christmas cards and miss the holiday only to say, New Years cards will do. Then that day passes and I think... Valentines Day cards would be amazing, and well it just continues on. Sorry folks!

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Can't think of anything right now.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Any of the old Christmas shows I grew up with. Drummer Boy taking the lead.

13. When do you start shopping? When I have time. It gets later and later each year! But I do start to think about Christmas in June/July. The problem being is I get stuff put it away and forget about it.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Nope only wedding gifts!

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Sees candy!

16. Lights on the tree? Yes and those especially that are attached to the tree!

17. Favorite Christmas song? Oh Holy Night, I saw Mommy Kissing Santa Clause sung by Jeff and Lelia Crosby.

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Travel with all our kids together and then stay home. Last year we all went to Disney and had a blast. Wish we could do it again this year.

19. Can you name all of Santas reindeer's? Sure can!

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Star

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? PJ's on Christmas Eve, everything else on Christmas morning. PJ's one gift the kids wont let us quit doing even though they are adults.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Having to work.

23. Favorite ornament theme or color? Nativities and Santa's.

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Sees Candy! And anything else we chose to make. Our dinners rock!

25. What do you want for Christmas this year? That Rob and Brittany could spend it with us and time to relax.

Time

Is it me or is time passing by too quickly???? It almost seems a shame to have it zoom by because you can't enjoy the moments of a day. Now I know what you are thinking to yourself. Why would I want to slow down a bad day?

It just seems a shame to not be able to take a moment to ones self and enjoy time. Tonight I left a friends home and decided to drive around and look at the lights. Some houses were simple and some had a ton of stuff on them. I enjoyed myself as I drove down the streets on my way back home. One house that is in our neighborhood has put up lights that move to music. I had hoped they were done by now so I could enjoy them. How disappointed I was when I drove to their house with my window already down.... they only had a few lights up. No music and a for sale sign in their yard. I guess someone else will get to watch their light show! Maybe they just haven't finished their yard yet.

We shall see. Here is hoping time slows down for you and for me and we get to enjoy a moment to ourselves!

Decorating the house.

On Friday Mike and I were emailing back and forth at work about what to do that night. It was date night and it was a chance to be together. We enjoy those moments even more since he is gone almost all day Sunday, Tuesday, Thursdays. We talked about bringing out the Christmas stuff on Saturday. It is exhausting to do that. I didn't really want to spend a whole Saturday putting things up and out. So we decided to jump on it Friday night. Bryan and Michelle came over for chile and hot dogs. Bryan then helped Mike get the boxes from the attic down. The festivities had begun!

The tree went up quickly and the decorations for the tree as well but it was late and we couldn't finish it in one night. Bryan and Michelle left late and we sat all alone amongst the boxes bushed!

We got up the next morning and proceeded to finish the tree. I opened more boxes and to my great surprise I found a whole new bunch of wreaths to put out. They all look wonderful and I was thrilled for last years after Christmas clearances. Mom loved wreaths and I have come to as well so I try to put them everywhere in my house. Mike never says anything to me if I want to buy something he just says... is there anything else you wanted to get as well? I love that about him.

Mike left to go help Devin take his stuff down and then they came back to put our empty boxes back up in the attic. At some point Bryan had brought over Glenn Beck's Christmas DVD thinking we would like to watch it so we popped that into the machine. We laughed as we watched it. It was pretty funny and brought back some of my own memories as a kid with my family. His DVD is divided up into 2 sections. Part 1 is funny stories about growing up and part 2 is about the reason for Christmas. He kind of reminds me of a preacher on TV when he got going but hey, he was driving home a great message.

He talks about a Christmas sweater his mom gave him. How he careless threw it on the floor and perhaps stepped on it. It was the last Christmas gift his Mom gave him because she died after that. But he talked about the Savior and his Atonement and do we do the same thing with the gift He gave to us? It touched my heart as I reflected on my life and how I am need to change my life in so many ways.. so I can one day stand in front of the Savior and not be ashamed that I threw his precious gift, He worked so hard to make happen for me, down on the ground only to be casually walked around.

I always acknowledge the many things we have been blessed with as a family and I know they come from ONE Source. I think I shall make my New Years Resolution to pick up the gift of the Atonement next year. To learn about it, to understand what that means for me.

I think I understand better this statement by Pres. Hinckley " There would be no Christmas if there had not been Easter. The babe Jesus of Bethlehem would be but another baby without the redeeming Christ of Gethsemane and Calvary, and the triumphant fact of the Resurrection."

Pres. Hinckley also said "Everything we do is done in the name of Christ. ....We worship Christ; we believe in Christ; we accept him. And he's our savior; he's our redeemer. He's the Son of God; he's the great creator; he's the word made flesh as spoken of by John. He's the savior of the world, Jesus Christ, the Son of God."

The only thing I have left to say is BRING ON THE NEW YEAR!

Thank you Barber/Meyer Clans!

Last night we were treated to a wonderful sound outside our door. I could hear them all the way in my bedroom. As soon as I heard the sound I sprang to my feet (and for those who know me... that isn't easy some days!) and ran to the front door. Mike had the door open and there stood the whole Barber/Meyer Clan singing Christmas Carols. You all sounds amazing and brought tears to my eyes. I love the fact that you come and sing at our door. I often think of the times when the boys got their mission calls and we heard Called to Serve each time.

Thank you for making my night brighter and my Christmas Season extra special! I love you all!

Back to the old grind!

So today was back to work. Back to getting up early and wondering just what to wear. What to take to eat for lunch if I got the chance to eat lunch. Wishing that I had another week to stay home. Dreading the drive into work with everyone else.

I woke up with Mike and beat my alarm clock by 15 mins. I got out of bed and headed into the shower. I was actually ok going back to work. I hadn't looked at anything work related for 10 glorious days. I had move into a new office and my stuff hadn't even been unpacked yet. The day started off with a bang and just got busier. I have really some big things I need to do like hire new testers and schedule the schools for Jan.

I am still adjusting to the working world. I have pondered on what I would like to do for the next 15 or so years. I don't think it is testing though. I have decided I need to go back to school. I think I will pursue that in a year. I am still figuring out what I want to be. But I am pretty sure it will be in the health field. Perhaps be a nurse or do PT or something like that. I'm excited about the future and the many things it should have in store for Mike and I.

So here is to the women who work and to the women who stay home. I admire you and your lives. I am pretty sure there is not just one way to make it through this world and I know the only way to do it right is to listen carefully and follow the Lords will.

On a side note- it's the Christmas Season already. Black Friday came and went. I went and had a pedicure on black Friday. The lady making my toes and feet look great asked me how long I had been out shopping. I said I haven't. This is the first place I came. I called Mike to ask him about some deals I had seen and he said... Be careful at Walmart they have mobs running up and down the aisles. I said no running here. He told me about some guy getting trampled. That happens every year I thought. Then I heard on the news the story. I felt so bad for this young man and his family. How sad is it that people push and shove for "things." They aren't even things you get to take with you when you die. The real shocker is how mad the people where when they were told the store was closing because someone had died. They screamed at the employees and kept on shopping. Has life become that cheap? Do people really value "things" more then they do life? That just makes me sad. The world has changed since I was a kid or even a newly married young person. I shall say a prayer for the family of Jdimytai Damour. Come on people lets be kind to one another!

Thanksgiving

Today has been a productive day. The house is pretty clean, I have gone through all the ads from the newspaper and determined that I wont be getting up early for any of the big sale items. Long gone are the days of free stuff at the doors.

The turkey is in the oven, the stuffing is made and over to Devin and Kathy's to warm up. The Sweet Potato Souffle is cooked and it will just need to be warmed up. The Pumpkin and Key Lime Pies were bought yesterday. The garage was cleaned out, Mike paid the bills and 2 loads of dishes done! 1 load of laundry is done with 2 more to go. Wow... it only 1:30. Not bad at all.

While today has been a busy day I have not gone without thinking about my family and friends and how much you all mean to me. Robby and Brittany are in Ca with her family and I am glad they arrived safe and sound. We will miss them but are happy they get to enjoy the time with her family and getting away from Rexburg.

Thanksgiving Day always gives me a chance to reflect on past Thanksgivings. I remember one time as a child we were painting the living room I believe (it was huge). We didn't have a big sit down fancy dinner but rather we sat on painting stools and chairs draped with drop clothes. I think that was the best tasting Thanksgiving dinner I have ever had. I use to think it was because I was probably so hungry that it tasted so good. But thinking about it today I have come to the conclusion that it was most likely because it wasn't a big production and we just hung out as a family with paint specs all over us. I remember lots of chatting and laughing going on that day. I often think about the huge dinners we had as a family. I miss hearing my parents voices and laughter and even though we try to do "Mom's Stuffing" it will never be as good as her was although I am told it comes in as a close second. She made amazing rolls which I have tried to make but they only turned out once. Those were the days and I wish that I had the time to learn from my Mom how to do all those things she did. I wonder if they need a roll maker in heaven?

When we moved to Florida we would get together with many friends who also had small children. We had more food then we knew what to do with it. Those were very fun times and it provided us with a family when we couldn't go home. Nothing like 4 or 5 families squeezed into one home. Living in Florida you never know if you will have a warm summer day or a cold breezy day. Today happens to be a bit on the cool side but it isn't too bad.

We still get together with family and friends. That is what Thanksgiving is all about. Sharing time together and making memories. Each person bring a unique perspective to the dinner. Maybe that is how it was with the Pilgrims and Indians. Each sharing a part of their heritage and life with each other. After all that is how we gather amazing recipes?

Well I hope you all have a wonderful day with your family and friends. I shall be thinking about you.