Wednesday, December 31, 2008

My Trip, My Family, My Oh My!

Our Christmas trip to Utah was a complete blast!

Tuesday - We got into Salt Lake just as it started to snow, went out to lunch and went Christmas shopping. I'm not sure I've ever been shopping on the day before Christmas Eve in any city other than Salt Lake City, but let me assure you it is not really indicative of the "joyous season". There were NO parking spots anywhere and at least 2 cars in front of you waiting for a car to pull out. For weeks we have been hearing about how depressed the economy is and how merchants are so concerned that people are not shopping. What, exactly, were all these crazed people doing there, then? Anyway, once we got a parking place and trekked a mile through slushy snow the battle was half over. People didn't look like they were having fun! In the end, however, it wasn't a big surprise that people were rushed and cranky so we persevered and got the shopping finished. (Sort of) We even laughed a little about the slush and grumpy people. You may be asking why we waited so long. That's a reasonable question and I'll tell you. Did you know that it costs money to check even one suitcase on an airplane? Our 3 small bags cost a total of $55 each way.

Wednesday, Christmas Eve - Monte and Bill went skiing in the morning. I slept in! After a little more wrangling over Christmas shopping the real fun started. We went to Bill's house for a traditional Danish Christmas celebration. Bill and Stephanie cooked all the traditional food (Yum - they do a nice job) and then we danced around the house holding hands and singing. (Picture Monte and I skipping and holding hands - okay stop laughing now.) Ben thought it was great fun. He laughed like crazy until the end when we all cheered and it scared him. We sang carols, read the story of the Savour's birth from the book of Luke, and then opened presents. All of my children and grandchildren were there. Thank you, Bill and Stephanie, for such a sweet memory.

Thursday, Christmas Day - LOTS of snow on the ground, coming down from the sky, and flying around. Our drive back to the hotel in Draper the previous night had been scary so we got up wondering if we were going to be able to make it to Bountiful to visit my dad. I pouted a little and Monte agreed to try it. It was the weirdest thing. By the time we got to Midvale the roads were clear and there was no snow falling! I can only conclude that God has a sense of humor and all that praying Monte had been doing for snow so he could ski had resulted in the snow falling down on our heads. The Christmas/Dad's Birthday celebration at my dad's house was as fun as always. We had an unexpected blessing. Monte and I showed up on time and were there nearly an hour before anyone else! We got first crack at the food (Yum again!) and sat and visited with Dad and Diane and Rian (my brother) until everyone else arrived. After lots of visiting and eating we opened presents. Diane, bless her, has encouraged my interest in family history. Last Christmas she and Dad gave me 2 bound copies of family history from Dad's side of the family. This year they had a packet of pictures to go with those books. I monopolized my dad for awhile to get him to give me names and details. After a brief rest back at the hotel, we went to see Bedtime Story with Brenda and Derek and the kids. It was cute and funny in fairly typical Adam Sandler fashion - without the crude humor that REALLY bugs me. Not stellar, but entertaining.

Friday - No skiing today. The snow had now covered the valley and the roads to the canyon were restricted. We slept in, putzed around, went to Provo for lunch with Bill, Steph & Ben. Then we putzed some more, took a nap, and went to PF Changs with a BUNCH of people. I invited Mike and Sue (long time family friends), Brenda, Derek, Xavey, Daevius, Anna, and Anna's friend Stan. PF Changs is my favorite, so of course I had a blast.

Saturday - Monte and Anna skied all day. I went to Provo again (to drop off forgotten presents) and then up to Bountiful (same reason). We went to dinner at Outback with Anna.

Fun trip. My only regret. I didn't see enough of Brenda and her family.


Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Snow! Snow! Snow!

Okay, I love snow. I love how quiet the house gets in the middle of the night when it is snowing and the power goes out and the TV shuts off and my husband can't just turn it back on again. I love the way it hides all of the brown left over from the color-burst of autumn. I love the way it sticks to feet and mittens and hands and gives you an excuse to really enjoy being warm inside your clothes or your house. I love the way it smells - like all the odor in the world has taken a holiday. I really love snow days, too, but we didn't get one today. School was in session. Kids are great on snowy days at school. They get louder and rosier and walk faster. You almost NEVER hear a kid groan and say "Oh no! It's snowing." Here are a few of my favorite snow memories.

The first winter after my sister and I left Bountiful where we lived with my father and moved to Lake Tahoe to live with my mother we had one snow storm that dumped so much snow on us that the 1st floor windows were covered with snow. I still remember how eerie it was to open the curtains and see nothing but snow. That same winter the snow got so deep that we could step off of the second floor balcony onto the snow in our back yard. There were actually people who could not find their cars.

I remember taking Anna and Brenda sledding in Winnemucca, the time Brenda and her friend Amber launched themselves off a jump. Amber didn't want to play anymore after that. Go figure. Brenda was game though! I wonder if she remembers it?

I remember skiing at Alta with my kids and my new husband and his brother who came to visit from Taiwan! The kids were so impressed to see Monte flying down the hills with icicles dangling from the ends of his mustache.

Once, I walked to the bus stop in Sandy, UT to catch a bus to the UofU. The bus was late, got as far as Sugar House and then slid off the road and could not be moved. We all got a transfer and an offer to catch the next bus that came along. Some of us decided we'd rather go to lunch - and did. No classes that day. I found out later that the teacher had not shown up either. She was stuck in the snow.

Now, I have to go drive home in it. That's okay, too.

Monday, December 8, 2008

The Notebook

Don't get excited, this is not a post relating a heart wrenching love story. This is my own personal ramblings. I have a little notebook that I keep in my purse. Whenever I have a few minutes I pull it out and write down random thoughts, experiences, memories and then I decide later if I want to take the time to expand those ramblings. Here are some things from my notebook in the past few days.

Thanksgiving - We went to Paul's house and I decided that Monte's family is much easier to get along with than some families who shall remain nameless. (Don't assume I mean you!) Paul and his wife, Peggy, and their children and numerous cats have rented an old farmhouse complete with a barn for the cats. It's a wonderful place.

The Gingerbread Party - the day after Thanksgiving I had my nieces and nephews and grand nieces and nephews at my house for a gingerbread house decorating party. I have many pictures and will be adding a more comprehensive blog about that some time when I am not just sitting in my office waiting for all of the buses to pull out of the school parking lot so I can go home.

The Sabbath following Thanksgiving - I wrote 5 pages during sacrament meeting (yes, I was listening to the speakers) about the terrific people in my life. This is another topic I really want to explore in more depth maybe in this blog, but certainly in a format for my children to read sometime. I'd like them to know that I realize how blessed I am.

Then Work, Work, Work - Progress reports were due Friday at one school and today at the other. Special ed progress reports are different than report cards so, despite the fact that I (maybe) have fewer to write each one can range from 1 to 3 full typed pages. Also, Seminary, Seminary, Seminary.

Friday we went and saw "Twilight", Hmm. I liked the book and the movie was fairly true to the book. Not exactly on a level with "The Notebook". There was a gaggle of adolescent girls with a couple of mom-types in the bathroom afterward going on and on about what a great movie it was. I guess I missed that. Monte was a good sport about it but his only comment was "weird". Nevertheless, when the other books are made into movies I'll go see them. I'm a sucker for the big screen and the big popcorn bucket!

Saturday - I had Katie and Stacy come for a sewing lesson. Oh my goodness, I had fun. They are so excited to learn and didn't groan or anything when I made them take notes and review fiber content of thread. They must either be really polite or kindred spirits in the sewing room.

Saturday Eve - We had our YM's Leadership Christmas party - My husband is a good cook. LOTS of work even though we tried hard to make it simpler this year. The work was more than worth it because it is all about actually spending quality time with people who work hard all year on behalf of the young men in our ward. They deserve any and all perks we can show them. Besides it is just fun to have adults sitting around my table visiting. (Monte and I don't really count as adults - ask our kids)

Monday Blahs - one high point. I was teaching a lesson in a 3rd grade classroom on respect that went like this.

Me: Okay, how do we show respect for what our teachers are teaching us?
Student: We shut up?
Me: Well, being quiet is a beginning what else could we do?
Another student: Keep our mouths closed? (I'm sensing a trend)
Me: Okay, but what do we do with our ears?
Yet another student: Wear earrings? (Do you think I'm losing them?)

Well, the buses are gone and I'm scheduled for another sewing lesson - Woo Hoo! Have a great one!

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Auntie Flo

Okay, this is fair warning. I need to rant and this will not be a subject my husband is going to "get". I'm not shy about it but consider yourself warned. This post is about my Auntie Flo. If you do not know who Auntie Flo is or if conversation about that unwelcome relative falls under the heading of TMI (too much info) STOP READING NOW. I'm going to begin with a baby boomer check. Does anyone remember the episode of "All In the Family" where Edith Bunker forgot to stuff the turkey at Thanksgiving because she was so upset that Auntie Flo would no longer be visiting? She was convinced she was "no longer a woman". Not so this woman. For the past 2 years Auntie Flo's visits have been either vicious and unending or non existent, unpredictable ... yada yada. Last year she was so unpredictable that I carried an emergency change of clothing "just in case" in my car. The doctor assured me this was normal and a precurser to that "dear lady's" final demise. I was ecstatic! Auntie Flo has not visited since the beginning of last August and I was really thinking our relationship was at an end. Mother nature is a witch with a sense of humor - she's laughing at me. Today I as I was getting ready for work I thought, "Well I know it's past September but I'd really like to wear those cream colored pants today so I can wear this sweater with it - it's cold outside after all" Then I went on my merry way. Guess who came to visit all in a rush as I was standing in front of a room full of 1st graders! I made a dash for the bathroom, fending off people along the way who wanted to "talk" about this or that. Usually the teacher's bathroom has an emergency box of pads for teachers to dip into in a pinch. It was there - empty. Okay, ask the nurse. She provides emergency supplies for the occasional 5th grade girl but, of course, what she had to address my plight was for when Auntie Flo is a gentle little thing - it didn't hold out too long. As soon as I was finished with my groups I headed for Target. (Remember it takes the better part of an hour for me to drive home) I bought the first pair of black jeans I could find and a bag of "emergency" pads to keep in my car. By the time I got to my afternoon school my britches looked like the opening scenes of a CSI episode. I ran into the building and straight to the bathroom with my coat on and clutching my Target bag in front of me. Nothing is quite such a relief as getting cleaned up after an episode like this. Today, I'm especially grateful for Super Target and credit cards. Auntie Flo is NOT a welcome visitor in my house and I think I know who is to blame. As I was leaving my afternoon school to come home today I counted no less than FOUR pregnant teachers. Cute little moms with their round tummies-phahh!! The estrogen is probably floating around in the air messing up my ban on Auntie Flo.