To Be Jolly, Fa La, La, La, La, La

Merry Christmas!   It has been my kind of day.  I got to stay in my jamies all day.  Minimal cooking.  I got a nap.  I watched Christmas movies.  Jordan has been joyful today.  Chance has been mostly agreeable.  Can we have Christmas again tomorrow?

December 24, Christmas Eve

6:30 am-- I start Cinnamon Rolls.  I am making them for Breakfast and taking 1/2 the batch to the boys who drive Jordan from seminary to school.  

I start the traditional Hunsaker Tapioca Pudding.   1st step... soak for many hours.  It uses the large size pearls.  They are smuggled in from Utah since the only store in town that sold them stopped selling them.  How dare it not be a hot commodity!   

8:00 am  We clean house!  All of us.

12:30 pm   Neighbor gifts are delivered.    Jordan drives me to Safeway so I can pick-up my last 6 items, Ciabatta bread, cornbread mix, sausage, OJ, milk, and cream of chicken soup.   Parking and shopping carts are a hot commodity.   The line to check-out makes me rethink if I really need these items.   The sausage is a must, so I might as well get the rest while I am here. 

1:45 pm  We watch "Stalking Santa".   Chance and I like it.  Scott and Jordan laugh, but they won't admit they like it.  Chance now has some ideas from the movie he would like to try... more on that later.

3:30 pm   Dinner is cooking, we set the table.   

4:00 pm  We are eating Christmas Eve dinner.   New York Steak with tiger dill sauce, Christmas potatoes (aka funeral potatoes),  fresh vegetables with dill dip, rosemary herb focaccia dipped in garlic, Parmesan, olive oil and balsamic vinegar.   

4:30 pm   We are cleaning up the dinner dishes.   

Scott starts the Tapioca,  Chance is his assistant.

5:00 pm   24 hours of "The Christmas Story" begins.  (You'll shoot your eye out-- that show)

5:30 pm  Chance makes Reindeer food.

Opps, one falls on the floor.   3 second rule!

Add some more oats.   Reindeer food is ready!

5:45 pm    Jordan FINALLY makes his Gingerbread house.

6:00 pm   Chance shows me his sensors he is going to use to prove that Santa is real.  He has 3 set around the room.  This is what watching "Stalking Santa" did for him!

This is the tracking device.

6:15 pm  We open Christmas Pajamas.   The kids open an ornament for the tree.  Chance gets the Winnie the Pooh book series, Jordan gets a train.

6:30 pm   We head out to see Christmas lights.   Chance keeps coughing, it gives Jordan a headache.  Chance just wants to go and go to bed;  he is too wound up to enjoy the lights.   This part of our tradition is not much fun tonight.   We are done by 7:30.

We had turned off the oven while we are gone.   We resume cooking the tapioca, it boils over, at least the pan is there to catch it.   It is done at 8:00 pm.  

Chance puts out his Reindeer food, Milk and Cookies for Santa.    He also positions his camera to capture Santa.   

We read the "Night Before Christmas" and the Christmas Story found in Luke.

9:00 pm  The boys are in bed.

9:15  pm   I stuff the Stockings.   

10:15 pm I go to bed.

12:15 am Santa wakes me up

12:30 am  Scott goes to bed

December 25, Christmas Day

6:45 am   Chance calls me from his room,  I check on him.  He wants to know why I did not turn on his tracker.  I forgot, I was tired.  It is the truth.  I am sorry.   He comes to bed with me and snuggles.

7:00 am   Chance wiggles too much, we decide to go start breakfast.  He chops the potatoes.  Scott cooks the sausage and eggs.  

7:30 am   We eat the Hunsaker breakfast.  Creamed potatoes, sausage, and scrambled eggs. (I forgot to make the cornbread!)   You eat it by mixing them all together, at least that is what we all did except for Chance.  He eats his separately.  It is a hearty breakfast that keeps us from eating the candy in the stocking.

8:00 am   We go into the Living Room.  Santa did come.  He has left a note and the food and milk are gone. 

Pokemon cards in Chance's stocking.

Jordan is transferring his loot.  He knows that he must have a box.  Stocking paraphernalia must be kept contained at all times.

English Pounds

And a money belt to put it in.   

Just what he has been wanting and it is autographed just for him. 

"Diary of a Wimpy Kid"-- I have been wanting these Mom!

This book, "Cat Talk",  he screamed and jumped for joy.

Two Pounds of Licorice for London-- I see a theme here.

Santa left us truffles.  He signed it "He, Ho"  Apparently we have the redneck Santa!

Actually I think Santa was tired.   This weapon of destruction was suppose to say,  To Chance, From Santa.  

Night vision glasses

In his lab coat doing a science experiment.

3:00 pm   We are ready to eat.   Make your own Sandwich,  shrimp, California rolls, crackers and dip,  vegetables and dip.   No more tapioca left.   Scott has devoured it through out the day.   So we make more.

5:00 pm   24 hours of "The Christmas Story"  ends.   Yah!  I have only watched, slept, ate, and watched through it 3 times!

10:00 pm   I document our Christmas Celebrations.  

11:30 pm   I sign off-- I am going to to bed.   It has been a good day.   Merry Christmas to all and may God bless everyone.

Tis the Season

I write this on Dec 23, it is quiet through out the house, all are asleep.  Scott, Jordan, and Nathan (Jordan's friend and our adopted son we like to take with us on our outings) went skiing today at Dodge Ridge.  It was a perfect day-- lots of snow, not a lot of people, Scott said "Epic" would describe the day.  He may have pictures-- but as I said, he is in bed.  Maybe,  he will post and comment on them himself.    

Twas the Day before Christmas Eve and all through the house it smells of Christmas abound, however as I sit with my lap top tapping away, my nose smells through the spices and evergreen and picks up on the stinky litter box.  A shot of our reality--   

December 6

We have Gingerbread houses to be made and frosting to be eaten.

And some Frosting to go here too.

December 13

Wazzles, woozles and gazoos.  Lets go play with the drums in Best Buy.

Oh can I do it too?

Chance shouldn't have all the fun.

December 14

Our Pixie strikes!   An anonymous family from church who brings us 3 gifts before Christmas.  We get yummy treats ... and also a Christmas Tree in a Box-- a crafty item that includes origami.  How did they know Chance LOVES that.   

December 19

Time to make our traditional Monkey bread for Chance's holiday party.

Why stress-- that is not what Christmas is for.  Just butter up some frozen bread dough and throw it in the Bundt pan.  Too bad I forgot to take a picture, but it looked just like the real thing.  Chance said it tasted like the real thing also.   Here is to traditions and not creating stress!

December 22

And over the hills and through the overpass we went.  To Grandma Ellen's and Grandpa Gordon's home we go.  We went to the Castle Air Museum and saw a B-52 (so, so massively big) and many other newer and older military aircraft.  They were in a field of Christmas lights.  We also think we met the "real" Santa-- he has a real beard!  And he was pretty chubby too!

I put on Grandma's wig for kicks

What do you think?

And look at that tree- beautiful!

See the snow-- that is a tradition I got from her

Two boys a lounging!

And a coin collection book from Grandma, also good for hiding behind.

Oh, and the joys of an older sibling tickling you!

And to the Post Office we will go; don't forget Costco too for one of those fancy new phones!

Good thing my grandson can set them up for me!

Then it's back to the overpass and over the hills-- too far to go to make it to my bed!

December 23

They went skiing and we went to Denny's for breakfast!   A little holiday celebration for Chance and I.  He thinks it is special-- because we never eat out for breakfast.  It is.  I like talking to him.

  On December 7,  Chance wrote this letter to Santa.   He sealed it up in an envelope without letting any of us see it.  He gave it to Santa on his first visit.  I had to track down that Santa so I could get a picture of the letter.  The first two sentences read... "Dear Santa,  Some kids in class think you are not real.  I know you are real."  Then he tells he him all he wants for Christmas.

At our home we Believe-- we believe in the spirit of Santa Claus.  And we all visit him, we give toys and gifts in his behalf-- to Toys for Tots, to various gift funds at school and at church.   We give the service of our time.  We spread goodness, joy, and love.

Santa at our Realtor's Toys for Tots Drive

Our Ward's Breakfast with Santa

For our Christmas Eve day-- I am simplifying by spreading our traditions out.   We plan to have our dinner around 4 pm (we do not do a big dinner on Christmas).  We then have plenty of time to do our traditional drive around looking at Christmas lights, read the "Night before Christmas" and "The First Christmas Story" from the scriptures.  

That is my plan,  Stan!

A Christmas Chuckle

Right in the middle of the produce aisle, Frosty gets caught picking his nose.

Let it Snow

It is the last day of school for December 2008.  I think it should snow--- although it has been downright chilly here and there has been snow in the hills--- the likelihood is slim, but one can only hope.   The best that I can come up with is the fake snow on my Christmas Tree and the virtual snow on the my blog.    

Enjoy my snow!

Merry Christmas Mom and Dad

So I thought I would treat my parents to a night on the town! They dressed up as Santa's Helpers and hit the Elf Club.  They told me they have not felt this young in years.  Dad said it was a miracle-- his feet just floated as if they were on clouds. And Mom could not believe she still had all her moves. They really did seem to enjoy themselves, see for yourselves. And Mom and Dad-- you are welcome!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Happy Birthday Coeby!

Coeby means Swarthy Person's Settlement

Okay, so I really do not know what Coeby means and I think I need to have a talk with my Mom and Dad and find out how they came up with "Coeby". The name "Coeby" does not exist in any of the baby name searches! So I used the definition for Colby, which I am sure he gets mistaken for all the time. So what is a "Swarthy"?-- a beautiful dark skinned person. Kol-- means charcoal and Corby means dark as a raven. "Corby" is what google wanted me to use! (Who would name their child Corby, it is like setting them up to be called "Corky")

Coeby is my youngest brother and he is 31 today! Coeby is the only one of my siblings to be born in Blanding-- he joins my Dad in the that distinction to have Blanding on his birth certificate. The rest of my siblings made it to the hospital 20 miles away in the next town. Just my mom, my Dad, and Dr. Gibbons in the Blanding Clinic and of course Coeby. I actually remember my Mom just brought him home... no stay in the hospital. A little tidbit-- my parents where self-employed and all the kids except for me and my two younger sisters were born when my parents did not have insurance. That was 5 kids my parents paid out of pocket. And one of those kids... Marlo was in the hospital at the same time (when Brenda was born) with a broken arm- a bad one that required a hospital stay, a Snoopy stuffed animal and a trick elbow for the rest of her life! Now I know why we had to be dieing before they took us to see the Dr.

So back to Coeby. He definitely has the darkest hair of the boys and he is the only one with brown eyes, besides my Mom! So Coeby would be an appropriate name. The boy in the family with the dark eyes! 

Now about his settlement (homestead) ... he purchased his home as a bachelor and he outfitted it with a Paul Bunyan bed (ginormous if you did not get that) and a leather couch- he did some remodeling, like move the door to the garage to another location and moved the stairwell to a different location.  It flows so much better-- why didn't the builder do that in the first place? He then found the woman he had been waiting to marry (Lori) and together they have transformed that house even further. It is so beautiful. They finished off the full basement and have created a retreat just for them. Most recently they expanded the kitchen. I saw it in August and I was so impressed how they Incorporated existing cupboards and tile to the new and it blends so well.

Coeby owns his own trucking company-- it keeps him very busy traveling away from home. I am proud of him for working hard-- he is a great, awesome guy- with lots of curly brown hair! And the other day I was treated to a message from him on my phone-- thanking me for his family Christmas gift I sent.

Coeby and Lori-

A little video for my brother. 

I just could not resist, being the kind of sister I am! ;) 

I hope you enjoy- 

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Have a Happy, Happy Birthday Coeby. Thanks for being my littlest brother.  I so remember when we used to fight over who could be Coeby's Buddy!  We all loved having you around-- you were a terrific pal!  To think back to the time you wandered off by yourself on the busy street in LA. You were like 2 maybe three. Some kind Lady took you in and called the police.  Mom and Dad did not locate you for hours-- but you where safe at the Police Station trying to give them your name which you could not even say.  You have angels watching over you!  

Happy Birthday Brother--- I love you.   Your Sister,  Karalene  

Video of Holiday Parade

The Marching Band in the Holiday Parade-- December 6th.  

To watch in High Quality (it is pretty dark-- so it helps a little) 

go here and click on the high quality option.

They will Marching in the London New Years Day Parade.
They have been working on a song just this.
Hoping we have a local station that will broadcast it!