The Empty Chair

My heart hurts every time I walk by our big brown chair in the family room. It was the chair my mom always sat in whenever she was at our house. It's very empty. I miss my mom. I've missed her every day since last May when she passed away, but especially now...at Christmas. This is my very first Christmas ever without her. We did so much together. We shopped together, planned together, decorated together, wrapped packages together, cooked together, made lists together. She loved Christmas and always made it special for each and every one of us. She loved surprises and absolutely loved to make wishes come true. Her greatest joy was in giving and loving us. I miss my mom. I loved our shopping trips and lunch at Diamonds (Dillards was always Diamonds to her). When that little cafe closed, we would meet at the Fashion Show and soon it was lunch at Nordstrom's Cafe. In recent years she loved for me to stroll her around the mall in a wheel chair so she could see all the pretty decorations...we would pile all our packages on the arms of the chair and she would laugh at me trying to push her and all of our loot at the same time. I can still hear her laugh. She was always my first phone call on Christmas morning... and the kids could hardly wait until she and Papa Jack got here. When I saw their car coming out of the kitchen window I would yell, "Grami's here!" and everyone would get up and make sure everything was ready and that the pillow in her chair was set just right and that the footstool was ready and then they would run to help her in. My dad would sit right next to her and wait on her and dote on her all day. I loved to see her beautiful smile and hear her squeal as she would open her gifts...she would always say we did to much...when it was always Grami who spoiled each and every one of us.
I miss my mom.
I know that we are so lucky and so blessed to have had her with us for as long as we did...
and I know that death is part of this experience called earth life...
It's just that the separation is so much harder than I ever knew it would be...until now.
I do feel the wonderful peace the Savior brings and I am and will be eternally grateful for the Plan of Salvation and the knowledge that we will be together again...right now, this Christmas, I just really miss her.

This is part of a poem called My First Christmas in Heaven that my Aunt LaRae sent us...I can hear my mom's voice when I read it.

I know how much you miss me. I see the pain inside your heart,
But I am not so far away. We really aren't apart.
So be happy for me dear ones. You know I hold you dear,
And be glad I'm spending Christmas with Jesus Christ this year.

I send you each a special gift, from my heavenly home above.
I send you each a memory of my undying love.
After all, love is the gift, more precious than pure gold.
It was always most important in the stories Jesus told.

Please love and keep each other, as our Father said to do,
For I can't count the blessings or love He has for each of you.
So, have a Merry Christmas and wipe away that tear.
Remember, I'm spending Christmas with Jesus Christ this year.

So, this year I will hold tight to the memories and be grateful that I have so many. I will try my best to share the joy and love that for so many years Mom gave to us. I will remember the reason for the season.
I will praise God and I will worship Jesus Christ.

This year, my first call Christmas morning will be to my wonderful dad...and we will get that big brown chair ready for him. We will all shed a few tears I am certain...and then we will all smile as we feel Mom's love and the love of our beloved Savior surround us...for He is the reason we will be a family forever.










I love you, my beautiful Mom...I miss you.

High Council Party

This year Allyn and his presidency decided to do something different for the annual High Council Christmas Party. We usually have a fancy dinner but this year they we able to get a big bus and about 30 of us met at our house and then boarded the bus and went Christmas caroling to a few different families in our stake. It was wonderful and such a fun experience as we laughed, played games on the bus while we drove around, and brought smiles and even some tears to the people that we sang to. It was really sweet. After our caroling, we all came back here for hot wassail, hot chocolate and yummy desserts. After everyone left Allyn and I commented on how blessed we are to have such wonderful friends and great people who enrich our lives.

5th Annual Grandkids Sleepover

I love this tradition each Christmas...I love these cute kids! Tuesday we had our 5th annual Grandkids Sleepover. The kids didn't have school Wed. because of parent teacher conferences so it was a perfect time for a party!
Here are a few of the highlights:

Pizza & Root Beer

Barnes Family Train Party (They were so good to let us come and bring the kids to see their amazingly cool train...my dad even came with us)
Singing Christmas Carols while Grampa Al drove us around to see all the beautiful Christmas lights
Salt Dough Ornaments...the kids shaped them, baked them and painted them
Miracle on 34th Street (The big kids and I opted out and watched So You Think You Can Dance instead!)
Ice cream to their hearts content with any toppings they wanted
Traditional presents...snow globes for the girls and nut crackers for the boys
Pancakes, bacon, cinnamon rolls, hot chocolate etc.
Gingerbread Houses
Hand Print Christmas Trees
Rudolf Ornaments
Princess and the Frog movie. It was really cute.

The kids were all great. It makes me happy how much they look forward to this every year. Even though I get completely wiped out...it is a wonderful memory, and one I look forward to almost as much as they do.

Christmastime Dream...

Since we have had kids living in Utah for the last few years, it has always been my sweet husband's dream to go to Utah at Christmastime and see the lights on Temple Square, go to see the play The Christmas Carol at the
Hale Theater, be with our Utah girls and have it snow while we're there...It has just never worked because usually I am just way too busy getting the shopping, decorating and baking done to take the time for a trip to Utah...well, finally last weekend his dream came true! It was wonderful!!! We had such a fabulous time and we both decided that it was our Christmas gift to each other this year...making memories=priceless. (I know corny, but so true!!) We got there Friday just in time for dinner with Amy and Allyson and then the play. It was great... great music, great actors, great intimate little theater. We stayed at Amy's cute condo and then Saturday we visited Aunt Lisa, went shopping, drove to SLC and ate at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building over looking Temple Square, walked around looking at the millions of beautiful lights everywhere, & took a horse drawn carriage ride while singing Christmas carols. Yes, Allyn and I had a smile from ear to ear...It was pretty much the perfect day. Oh, and yes, it snowed...lots! This is a memory we will cherish for a very long time...

Amy and Ally with their dad and with Mr. Scrooge...

NFR

The National Finals Rodeo is in town for the 25th year and for the first time Allyn and I got to go last night... It was a blast! Thank you to our good friends, the Dunns, for inviting us. I have never seen so many cowboys in my life (and I have never smelled the T&M quite like that before...lots of animals). I thought the Rebels pre-game fireworks were cool... they are not much compared to the opening of the NFR!!!! Wow! I also don't think you will find a more patriotic group of fans anywhere. When Lee Greenwood sang I'm Proud to be an American and all 18,000 fans were singing and waving flags I got goose bumps all over. It was way cool. From the first cowboy out of the shoot you'd better not blink or you would miss something. It was really awesome. I loved it!! I am a new fan and have a new found appreciation for cowboys and how they make a living...I am surprised that their bodies can take that much abuse.
If you can't tell already, we really had fun last night.

My very own cowboy... and I got to take this one home!

Too Cute!

Oh Levi...You melt my heart!

We loved having some of the Bunker Cru for dinner tonight...
You guys are the best. Remember, you have an open invitation!

Santa

Taylor, Kate and Kaden came with us to the Ward Christmas Party. It was a great night with beautiful decorations, great food, friends and a sweet program. I pretty much had to talk the kids into sitting on Santa's lap.
For some reason they think they are too big for such stuff.

What's a grama to do? At least they will still do it for me...

Champions...again!

Kaden's championship football game was Saturday morning. They played the #1 team from Henderson, the Malisha and well...the Green Machine smoked them 20 to 7!!! Way to go for another undefeated season. Kaden played great (1 touchdown a 2 point conversion and two passes caught for about 30 yards!)
The whole family watched the video of the game tonight...
We definitely have a peewee football superstar in the house!

It usually took 4 or 5 players to bring Kaden down. Yes, that's him at the bottom of the pile!

Kaden's third grade teacher, Mr. Lutke came to the game. Now that's awesome! He credited Kaden's success to all of that football playing at recess.

After the football game it was off to Kaden's first NJB basketball game (on the complete opposite side of town)...
It was great. I have to admit I really like all of this boy stuff. So much for cleaning the house on Saturday!