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Christmas Update

So much has been happening the last few weeks. The kids were all here for Christmas Eve. Rebekah & David spent the afternoon, then headed to his family. That evening everyone else was here for dinner and presents. Chirstmas morning we went over to Matt & Ashley's to watch them open presents.

Bekah has introduced me to the Harry Potter movies. They brought #5 over on Christmas day. I watched it with help of them explaining everything. Yep, I've never read the books or seen any of the movies. Since Christmas day, I've had to back track and view each from the beginning. I've now seen #'s 1-3.

Friday night Ron & I took off for the Grand Garden Arena to see Van Halen. I don't want any comment from the peanut gallery - I guarantee the medium age there was at least my age if not older!

Thankful Thursday

The more I study the Old Testament, the more I think it relates to our generation today. This quote was from seminary this week, talking about the Isrealites and how fast they forgot miracles performed for them from one day to the next:

"Murmuring seems to come so naturally to the natural man...Murmurers have short memories...Strange, isn't it, brothers and sisters, how those with the shortest memories have the longest lists of demands! However, with no rememberance of past blessings, there is no perspective about what is really going on."

(Elder Neal A. Maxwell, Ensign, 11/89, 82-83.)

I think Thankful Thursday causes me to remember and put each week in perspective.

• Teaching Seminary. I love being there in the morning with these teenagers. It is the best-kept secret in the church.
• Fabulous Freddies. Yesterday, they told me to put my 'FABULOUS car' in neutral...Not only am I called fabulous, but now my car is too.
• Christmas music and talented musicians
• Ward Activities Committee that provided a great evening to get together with 400 of our closest ward member friends. No easy task.
• That I could be there when someone needed help.
• The example of Lamar Noorda. He puts 100%+ in all his assignments. He constantly does little quiet things that most people don't ever know about & never does it for public acknowledgement.
• Charlie's look of amazement while she watched the animated Christmas decorations.

Christmas Music

I'm not gonna lie---when I saw this album on the store shelf a couple of months ago my first thought was, "Wow, that is a gorgeous skirt. If I was skinny, I'd definately wear that outfit." Then this week I had a lot of running around to do and decided Lexi needed some Christmas music in her. My instrumental Christmas album of choice for the last 15 years (Miracles, Kenny G) played it's last season last year - it needed replacing. That's when I remembered the gorgeous skirt.

I'm glad to report the music is as gorgeous as her skirt. It's a must have. For the girls in the family, it will definately make the My Favorite Things bag this year. (that was for you, Rebekah, now I've told you something I'm getting people...)

If you'd like a listen...http://www.jennyoaksbaker.com

Don't Mess With Foreigner

Matt and Ashley were riding in the back seat of Lexi with us last night. I was doing my usual flip through radio channels, "FINALLY a good song, about time." I'm sitting there listening to the radio, enjoying the ride home when from the backseat I hear Matt telling Ashley halfway under his breath, "This is one of my mom's favorite bands. The only way you can hear them is if you own an 8-track player."

That's just not true. They've been digitized.

I've owned (I guess I should say we've. If I bought it for Ron for his 17 or 18th birthday, then inherited it back when we got married, then I can claim possession, right?) several albums in multi-media form -- album, 8-track, cassette, CD:
Eagles, Hotel California; Boston; Supertramp, Breakfast in America. Those are the ones I can think of in all four formats. But there are lots I had either album/8-track/cassette and switched to CD format: Journey, Foreigner, Styx, Queen, The Police. (If I'm going to somewhat represent Ron here, I must confess that he had a lot of Ted Nugent stuff. It was actually the first thing I'd eject out of the 8-track player when I hopped in the truck, and I never felt the need to replace it with CD format. However, I will watch his hunting shows on VH1. To give Ron equal time, he would say he listened to WAY too much Barry Manilow to make me happy.)

Just so you know, Matt, Foreigner is CLASSIC. You can never tire of listening to them. Oh so many choices, which song should represent?

Random pictures from the last couple of weeks

I love how Scotty is in the background of David and Bekah's picture

Brian doesn't think he's been mentioned enough in the blog. Here his is with Scott's girlfriend...On my computer...

With Rebekah. Brian is studying hard, working hard, playing hard. He's hardly ever home. The best squatter a family could ask for.

Drew was a shark, and Charlie was an octopus for Halloween.

Cousins...Ashley, Jenn, and Litany.

Gangsta' bros.

Awesome stuffing.

Shorter hair!

Thanksgiving