Thursday, December 31, 2009

My favs for 2009


movie: Angels and Demons
book: Chains by Laurie Halse Andersen and on a lighter note: Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica George Day
song: 21 Guns by Greenday (because of Gwen)
tv show: Man vs. Food (only show I have watched more than 2 times)
entertaining amazing find: David Blaine (magician) and Jim Gaffigan (comedian)
new activity: facebook, I have loved reconnecting with friends from all over including Argentina!
vacation activity:going down the the alpine coaster up at Park City, sooo fun
restaurant find: Blue Lemon & Hibachi House
date:going to the BYU vs Utah State football game
least favorites of this year:
congress passing so many bills that have put us into greater debt and taking away our liberties in the process
and my own lack of self control, I lost some weight at the beginning of 2009 and went right back...

It's the end of the year. A time for reflection and gratitude for this past year. I have heard many say that can't wait for 2009 to be over and hope this new year brings better things for them. I sincerely hope that each year is better than the last--for every one. I know that it really doesn't depend so much on what is going on in the world or my world but how much I have met my challenges with faith. This year seemed to hold new surprises and challenges I never imagined but that was true of 2008. I am forever grateful for faith in God and his Son Jesus Christ or I may not have survived as well as I did with some of the things I faced. These were those private things we handle and later share when we can. I am also grateful for the temple, my gratitude for the opportunity to go has increased my faith and given me peace. So on a lighter note...what were your favorites of 2009?
Happy New Year everyone! I hope you are all blessed with love, health and peace.

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Snowshoeing with my scouts...




So today I took my scouts snowshoeing with the WEBELOS too. We are so blessed we had some parents who were willing to come too. We had a really good experience. I don't post much about my scouts but they are my second set of sons. I love them and enjoy having new experiences with them! It snowed the whole time but it made it warmer for us. It was beautiful and peaceful...

Monday, December 28, 2009

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day...

 

So Christmas Eve I mostly spent finishing up a book I made for my dad, which some of you knew I was doing. I had received some 'memories' from people the days before and I think maybe even one that morning! Anyway, it was a really great experience for me to read the stories of others and the impact my dad has had on them. Tim got to get the gorceries we needed to get through the next 2 days for sure. We decided ot have our simple 'Back to Bethlehem' feast on a blanket on our floor again since everyone liked it last year and wanted to make it our new tradition. My parents joined us last minute since all my other siblings had plans and they didn't want to be home alone all night. So after our meal of cheeses, summer sausage, crackers, dried fruits and fruit juice which was a nice change from the heavier foods of other dinners, we watched Joy to the World. It has the Nativity Story read from the scriptures and it has scenes acted out and music by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir as well. We hadn't seen it in a few years and it was a great part of our celebration. My parents left after the kids opened their pjs, our tradition on Christmas Eve. Then we did part of our service that we had been working on but I can not devulge more details. I will say that I was brought to tears by my kids and their generousity. It gave me great hope in what we teach them might be sinking in, a little! Then the 5 youngest wanted to go to bed right then when we got home! Gwen didn't want to join the other four in a 'sleepover' in the little boys' room so I put her to bed. Emily did join them. Taran and Timo hung out and watched Trapped in Paradise. I was cleaning the Emily's room--let's say organization is not one of her talents. It thought it would be a gift to her and me! She was appreciative but doesn't think she can keep it! Once the little kids were asleep Santa filled the stockings and put out the gifts. Santa had been very organized but it still took until 1 PM to go to bed!

The kids got us up at 7:20 AM, not too bad! They all seemed very happy with their gifts. It's a little harder for the teenagers to get excited these days about their own presents since they usually know what they are getting. But I think for the most part they still enjoyed themselves. We did not give the kids any presents except their pjs and saved that money for helping other projects in our community. We explained that to them and they seemed fine with it. They still got a gift from a sibling and one from each set of grandparents so they still got plenty in my eyes! Plus we got a family gift from Keith and Amber and Teresa--it wasn't her year but she can't help herself! My parents brought their presents over which saved us carting them around all day. We had brunch over there at 11 AM then opened gifts and visited. Then we went to Tim's parents in the afternoon. His sisters Shellie and Amy and their families (minus Juan who was on his way to Chile to see family there) were there too. It was great fun and if you look closely at the collage you will see Emily, Taran and Timo with quilts Tim's mom made them from scraps from their clothing she had made them when they were younger. Pretty awesome! I know that it doesn't mean as much to them right now (except Emily who loves hers) as it will later but I still think that they liked them in their own way. We ate lunch/dinner there. And had fun visiting and we watched the new Star Trek on BLU-RAY. Tim, Taran and I saw it last summer. Tim's dad got it as a gift and the other kids enjoyed watching it. Tim's parents gave all the families a trip to a place with cabins for a family reunion this summer! We are very excited about that gift, love memories more than stuff! So we had a great day and feel extremely blessed and loved.
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Sunday, December 27, 2009

Holly's birthday, BYU vs. Oregon...

 

This collage shows somewhat our status the days leading up to Christmas Eve and Christmas. Last Sunday night we invited the Grandparents and my sister Teresa over for dinner and a talent share. All the kids participated but Gwen who was feeling shy and tired. Izak and Micah had both learned several Christmas Carols on the piano and we told their teacher she didn't need to plan a recital that we would just do this. Zane played Jingle Bells on the kazoo and that was the most entertaining. I will post the video sometime if I can get Tim to load it onto the computer for me!

Monday night we celebrated my niece Holly's 2nd birthday and did our Nativity with them too. It was very entertaining. My nephew Anders decided to be a leopard instead of a shepard with his costume. Gwen enjoyed being Mary. The adult males were putting together an electric fireplace for Charl while we did this.

Tuesday we got our promised snow storm. I helped in Zane's class party. Then I got mixed up with the time and missed Izak's. Owell, unfotunately Izak was worried about me and cried. I was at home oblivious. I took Timo Christmas shopping that afternoon luckily the storm wasn't too bad. Most of the kids went sledding that afternoon. That night we went to Tim's parents' to watch the BYU vs. Oregon St in the Las Vegas bowl. Tim made sugar cookie dough and so Shellie (his sister) helped the kids cut the cookies out. And the kids painted them--you mix food coloring with egg yolk. It was a fun diversion even though the game was fun to watch it kept the younger kids involved in something.

Wednesday I ran errands--I had to return some things before Christmas. The kids finished taking treats to their friends--well most of them. That night we went to my parents' for our annual Joseph Smith Birthday Party. My dad had wrote a short script about Him seeing Jesus Christ in the Kirtland Temple and receiving the keys from Moses, Elias and Elijah. It was a nice evening and the little kids were quite attentive. People sometimes think "mormons" worship Joseph Smith but we are just really grateful he restored the gospel of Jesus Christ. Joseph Smith is a modern day prophet who lets us know that Christ is real, he lives and he still talks to God's children through prophets today. And what a comfort that is to me during these challenging times!

I will post Christmas Eve and Christmas together.
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Sunday, December 20, 2009

Graham Cracker Houses, Lights...

 

We have had another fun week of Christmas activities. Monday, we went to my Aunt Leslie's for dinner, to make graham cracker houses and the annual white elephant exchange. It was a ton of fun as you can see from the collage and we got home late. Tuesday I took the kids (minus Taran who had a study group and Timo who had Jr Jazz practice) to the lights at Thanksgiving Point. Teresa and my dad joined us. We had a lot of fun again and on the way home Teresa took us by a house whose lights were synchronized to music you could tune in on your radio. It was amazing and free--we paid $8 to see the lights at Thanksgiving Point! Thursday night was Taran's choir concert and it was very good but late. As you can see in the collage both grandparents were able to make it. Friday night Timo and his friends had their annual white elephant which was entertaining, they played games and watched Trapped in Paradise (edited w/out swearing)! Saturday was Gwen's dove performance in The Little Match Girl. She was cute and actually did some dancing. Very fun! And both grandparents came but I forgot to get a photo of that. We are so lucky to live near family it has been a great Christmas season! Rejoicing in the birth of Jesus Christ! I can't believe Christmas is this week! Although I plan to wrap more than one present this week! Hope your week isn't too stressful but full of the true meaning of Christmas... the love of our Heavenly Father and his son Jesus Christ!
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Friday, December 18, 2009

Freedom Friday

Another interesting article on the health care issue...

Less Health Care for More Money
by Ann Coulter
The New York Times' Nicholas Kristof recently wrote a column about John Brodniak of Oregon, who developed a cavernous hemangioma, causing him great pain as blood leaks into his brain.

According to Kristof, Brodniak can't get medical help because we don't have universal health care. Senators who vote against ObamaCare, Kristof said, are morally equivalent to someone who would walk past a man "writhing in pain on the sidewalk."

In another article in the Times, William Yardley wrote about Melvin Tsosies -- also of Oregon -- who ended up with $200,000 in medical bills after having a heart attack.

As of March 2008, Yardley reported, Tsosies was waiting to find out if he would win the Oregon lottery for health insurance. But with 600,000 uninsured state residents and a "universal" health care program with only enough money to pay for about 24,000 of them, Tsosies is more likely to win a Powerball lottery.


How can this be happening? Oregon already has "universal health care"! (Probably just a coincidence, but isn't Oregon also the only state with physician-assisted suicide?)

Once again forgetting about the existence of the Internet, the Times neglects to mention its own erstwhile enthusiasm for Oregon's universal health care plan, introduced back in 1990.

Back then, the Times published an editorial titled "Oregon's Brave Medical Experiment," hailing this technocratic monstrosity as an example of "hardheaded compassion" designed to make "health coverage available to many more families."

Ron Wyden -- then a congressman from Oregon, now a U.S. senator at the forefront of pushing "universal health care" onto the nation -- said: "This is a strong dramatic step toward universal access of health care." He predicted, "[T]his is going to be copied everywhere."

No wonder Wyden is such an ardent proponent of national health care -- it will force states that didn't adopt these idiotic universal health care schemes to bail out the ones that did.

Liberals cite medical horror stories from the very states they once cheered for enacting universal health care in order to argue for a national health care plan that will wreck the entire nation's medical care the same way liberal states already wrecked their own medical care.

Only Democrats could propose fixing one Bernie Madoff-style scam with an even bigger Bernie Madoff-style scam.

Maybe when national universal health care fails, we'll be able to go international. Then interplanetary -- then interstellar! Why should I pay for my gall bladder surgery when some Venusian could?

Eighty-five percent of Americans are happy with their health care, but Democrats have a plan to make it worse for more money. As a bonus, national health care will add trillions of dollars to the national debt, and your insurance rates will skyrocket.

Democrats are being utterly disingenuous to say that you won't have to leave your current plan under national health care. Maybe, but it won't be your choice: Your employer will be making that decision for you.

Recall that one of the big selling points of national health care is that it is supposed to reduce costs for American businesses. The only way national health care will make American companies "more competitive" is if they dump their employees into the public health care system.

It's so weird! We expected X number of people to show up for health care and instead 75X showed up! Yeah, just like every other government program in the history of the world.

Ten years from now, we'll be talking about cost overruns of $6 trillion -- but by then, national health care will be an untouchable "third rail" of politics, just as Medicare is now. (Ironically, injuries sustained from actually touching the third rail won't be covered under ObamaCare.)

As with Medicare, voters will be terrified to go back to even the wisp of a free market system we have now, afraid that they'll never be able to get health insurance without the government providing it. Having been dragged unwillingly into the government plan, how will a 58-year-old be able to leave the public system and get insurance on the free market?

Speaking of which, how many of you are planning to retire on your Social Security benefits? Just you there, with the shopping cart full of cans?

The only solution will be for the government to keep running up gigantic deficits and raising taxes on "the rich," which, in turn, will stifle job creation and economic growth in a phenomenon known to economists as "the Carter years."

In addition to forcing Americans into dealing with surly government workers in order to obtain medical care, sooner or later, there's no free lunch. (And if government X-rays are anything like the photos the DMV takes for your license, count me out. I don't want my lungs looking like they had a bad hair day.)

Even if national health care puts the screws to doctors and pharmaceutical companies by reimbursing them below cost -- so all future doctors will soon resemble DMV employees and no new drugs will ever be invented -- the government is still going to have to cut services and pay for the system with massive tax hikes.

Which is exactly what happened with Oregon's "Brave Medical Experiment."

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Check out who owes taxes...

Feds owe Uncle Sam $3B in unpaid taxes
December 14, 2009 - 10:43am
Mark Segraves, wtop.com

WASHINGTON - At a time when the White House is projecting the largest deficit in the nation's history, Uncle Sam is trying to recover billions of dollars in unpaid taxes from its own employees.

Federal workers owe more than $3 billion in income taxes they failed to pay in 2008. According to Internal Revenue Service documents, 276,300 federal employees and retirees owe $3,042,200,000.

The IRS tracks the voluntary compliance rate of federal employees and retirees each year, and each year feds come up short. The one bright spot in this year's report is that after several years of a steady increase, the amount owed by feds is down from the previous year.

Federal employees and retirees owed $3,586,784,725 in unpaid income taxes in 2007.

The documents show delinquent employees from nearly every federal agency with more than 25 employees. Based on percentages, the Department of The Treasury, which includes the IRS, has the best compliance rate. Fewer than 1 percent of Treasury employees didn't pay their taxes in 2008.

The IRS is the only federal agency where employees can be fired for not paying their taxes. The non-compliance rate for IRS employees in 2008 was 0.76 percent -- down from 0.89 percent in 2007.

The agency with the most tax scofflaws is the U.S. Postal Service, with 28,913 employees who owe $297,933,756. But that is still a dramatic improvement from 2007 when more than 54,000 employees owed more than $407 million.

"We urge our employees to comply with all tax laws and are encouraged that many who have been delinquent have agreed to payment plan with the IRS," USPS spokesperson Mark Saunders tells WTOP in a statement.

"It's important to look at the percentage of postal employees who may be delinquent on their federal taxes, not just the number itself. According to IRS figures, the delinquency rate for Postal Service employees is relatively small."

The Postal Service, the largest employer in the federal government aside from the military, has a non-compliance rate of 3.95 percent compared to the federal average of 2.8 percent.

Retired military personnel make up about 33 percent of the money owed with $1,343,538,055 in unpaid taxes for 2008.

The agency with the highest percentage of delinquent employees is the National Capital Planning Commission, where 10.42 percent of its 48 employees owe $26,947.

"NCPC is committed to working closely with the Department of The Treasury to resolve issues of federal income tax delinquency involving its staff," NCPC spokeswoman Lisa MacSpadden said in a statement.

"The agency takes this matter very seriously and recognizes that federal employees must adhere to the highest ethical standards regarding financial matters.

"We remind our employees of this responsibility as part of our mandatory annual ethics training. Upon receipt of an official notice from the IRS about a specific employee's noncompliance, NCPC will take appropriate administrative action."

Other notable agencies on the list:

* Executive Office of the President (includes the White House): 50 employees owe $812,917;
* U.S. Senate: 231 employees owe $2,469,026;
* U.S. House of Representatives: 447 employees owe $5,809,631;
* U.S. Tax Court: 3 employees owe $39,752;
* Active Duty Military: 27,111 employees $102,474,672.

While some taxpayers may scratch their heads and ask why the federal government doesn't garnish the wages of these employees, the reality is they can't. According to federal tax laws, employees are treated the same as any other taxpayer who doesn't pay their taxes.

The IRS must go through the same procedures and court process with feds as it does with John Q. Public. Once a court awards the IRS a judgment or if the employees enter a voluntary payment plan, the IRS can garnish wages. However, federal employees do jeopardize any security clearance they may have if they don't pay their income taxes.

As for the general public's voluntary compliance rate, the IRS no longer tracks those numbers, so it is impossible to compare. But an IRS report from 2001 (PDF) showed the total tax gap to be about $345 billion. The tax gap is the difference between what is owed each year and what is paid, and includes income, corporate, employment, estate and excise taxes.

(Copyright 2009 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)
Mark Segraves, wtop.com

WASHINGTON - At a time when the White House is projecting the largest deficit in the nation's history, Uncle Sam is trying to recover billions of dollars in unpaid taxes from its own employees.

Federal workers owe more than $3 billion in income taxes they failed to pay in 2008. According to Internal Revenue Service documents, 276,300 federal employees and retirees owe $3,042,200,000.

The IRS tracks the voluntary compliance rate of federal employees and retirees each year, and each year feds come up short. The one bright spot in this year's report is that after several years of a steady increase, the amount owed by feds is down from the previous year.

Federal employees and retirees owed $3,586,784,725 in unpaid income taxes in 2007.

The documents show delinquent employees from nearly every federal agency with more than 25 employees. Based on percentages, the Department of The Treasury, which includes the IRS, has the best compliance rate. Fewer than 1 percent of Treasury employees didn't pay their taxes in 2008.

The IRS is the only federal agency where employees can be fired for not paying their taxes. The non-compliance rate for IRS employees in 2008 was 0.76 percent -- down from 0.89 percent in 2007.

The agency with the most tax scofflaws is the U.S. Postal Service, with 28,913 employees who owe $297,933,756. But that is still a dramatic improvement from 2007 when more than 54,000 employees owed more than $407 million.

"We urge our employees to comply with all tax laws and are encouraged that many who have been delinquent have agreed to payment plan with the IRS," USPS spokesperson Mark Saunders tells WTOP in a statement.

"It's important to look at the percentage of postal employees who may be delinquent on their federal taxes, not just the number itself. According to IRS figures, the delinquency rate for Postal Service employees is relatively small."

The Postal Service, the largest employer in the federal government aside from the military, has a non-compliance rate of 3.95 percent compared to the federal average of 2.8 percent.

Retired military personnel make up about 33 percent of the money owed with $1,343,538,055 in unpaid taxes for 2008.

The agency with the highest percentage of delinquent employees is the National Capital Planning Commission, where 10.42 percent of its 48 employees owe $26,947.

"NCPC is committed to working closely with the Department of The Treasury to resolve issues of federal income tax delinquency involving its staff," NCPC spokeswoman Lisa MacSpadden said in a statement.

"The agency takes this matter very seriously and recognizes that federal employees must adhere to the highest ethical standards regarding financial matters.

"We remind our employees of this responsibility as part of our mandatory annual ethics training. Upon receipt of an official notice from the IRS about a specific employee's noncompliance, NCPC will take appropriate administrative action."

Other notable agencies on the list:

* Executive Office of the President (includes the White House): 50 employees owe $812,917;
* U.S. Senate: 231 employees owe $2,469,026;
* U.S. House of Representatives: 447 employees owe $5,809,631;
* U.S. Tax Court: 3 employees owe $39,752;
* Active Duty Military: 27,111 employees $102,474,672.

While some taxpayers may scratch their heads and ask why the federal government doesn't garnish the wages of these employees, the reality is they can't. According to federal tax laws, employees are treated the same as any other taxpayer who doesn't pay their taxes.

The IRS must go through the same procedures and court process with feds as it does with John Q. Public. Once a court awards the IRS a judgment or if the employees enter a voluntary payment plan, the IRS can garnish wages. However, federal employees do jeopardize any security clearance they may have if they don't pay their income taxes.

As for the general public's voluntary compliance rate, the IRS no longer tracks those numbers, so it is impossible to compare. But an IRS report from 2001 (PDF) showed the total tax gap to be about $345 billion. The tax gap is the difference between what is owed each year and what is paid, and includes income, corporate, employment, estate and excise taxes.

(Copyright 2009 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Sledding, MOTAB ...

 

So we finally started getting some snow around here to replace the brown lawn. Now don't get me wrong, I don't LOVE the snow but I live in Utah so it's life. If I truly hated it enough I'd leave but for now the job is here and the grandparents so we weather the nasty weather with purpose! Sorry, I just get tired of hearing certain children say, "I hate the snow!" I told him, "you aren't allowed to say it until May!" It's Utah, get over it already! He may end up at BYU-Hawaii in the end. Anyway, the other kids were so excited to go sledding. Gwen was trooper walking back up the hill. If you notice in the pictures that there is grass showing only because SO many kids had been sldding already that day. We got dumped on Saturday night and today (Sunday) so they'll want to head out tomorrow after school! We were hoping to take the kids up to Temple Square in Salt Lake City after dinner tonight but the roads might have been scary so we stayed home and sang Christmas Carols and watched Mr. Krueger's Christmas.

Earlier in the week Tim took Timo and Taran and some friends to a Jazz basketball game they were playing the Orlando Magic. It was a late game but the Jazz pulled out a win but they got home really late so I guess it was worth it. Emily got to go help with Special Needs Mutual and saw Tim's cousin's son Stewart there! Small world. She talked to him and couldn't remember how she was related to him. Timo's js Jazz team won again.

I took Zane, Gwen and Zane's friend Mark to see some ice sculptures--only 2 were left! I was sick when they made them so I couldn't get there earlier. I bought them big gingerbread men cookies so that made up for it, I guess. The sculputres were very cool. Too bad I forgot to put them in the collage! We should have fed the ducks! Maybe this week.

Our lives have also been busy with Emily auditioning for Suessical jr and Gwen's dance practices for The Match Girl, Gwen's performance is Saturday night. I just hope she dances after all the time and money!

The highlight of our week was Tim and I went to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir concert with Natalie Cole and the guy who wrote 1776 and John Adams. It was incredible. The church lets everyone apply for tickets through a lottery and we happily got them! We took my parents since they took Emily and Tim last year and it could be my dad's last year he may feel like going. We left early and parked then found a burger place just blocks from the Conference Center so we ate there and walked down to the concert. The place was crowded since it was also a Jazz game vs. the Lakers and a Kurt Bestor Christmas concert too. Unfortunately part way there my dad fell--he slipped on some ice. He managed the rest of the night but was sore. Hopefully he's okay. It was a great concert and we had fun with my parents even though it took 45 minutes to get out of the parking garage. We listened to my mom's new CD of Susan Byle--wow! We got home late and the older kids were still up and had to fill us in on their night. They took the younger kids to our ward Christmas party at the church. They had fun but I guess Gwen was tired part way through and ready to go home.

Taran was on a school dodge ball team and had a lot of fun playing yesterday--it's a fundraiser tournament. They didn't do to well but they had fun anyway!

This week is full of more Christmas activities so it should be great fun!!! Hope your holidays are going well!
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Saturday, December 12, 2009

Pennies for Peace


Emily and some of her friends got together and caroled our neighborhood collecting Pennies for Peace in the process. This is an organization setup by Greg Mortensen (Three Cups of Tea) for kids to raise money for building schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan. We made some food that might be a western version of their laddoo and caramel custard. And learned some about those countries. It was fun and they had fun. I am just proud of Emily that she likes to do stuff like that hopefully it will help her stay grounded as she hits the selfish years. I am also glad she has friends that were excited about it too. And our neighbors were great sports and many donated more than pennies! It was a very cold night but I think they didn't notice too much.

Friday, December 11, 2009

Freedom Friday

So I have about a million things swirling around in my head. First of all I can not believe the crazy spending Congress is planning. "I'm sorry but just because you still have checks does not mean you still have money!" Sometimes I feel like I am the only person who thinks they are crazy. People are out of work, companies are cutting back...where in the !@#$ do they think they are going to get all the taxes from they are planning on raising? What revenue? When companies have to pay higher taxes they lay off people/out source to India and they raise prices... All this taxing and spending is so unwise. Then thinking they can take over private industry and improve it? What kind of geniuses do they think they are? Arrogant. I wonder how many people realize we are on the verge of total economic collapse. Soon China and Saudi Arabia may stop lending to us because we are too high a risk. So then what? We really need to let our President and congress know how we feel. They need to stop spending and start cutting the budget. It will be painful but better now than when we are in total collapse. We also need to remind them that they swore an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution. Many of these laws threaten it. And my last rambling thought is about the Clown Ballet and Singing Gardens our tax money went to support in the last stimulus package that passed...stupid, stupid, stupid! And they want to take over our health care...crazy! That's my last thought, the world is crazy! (sorry, I think my cold meds took over).

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Our Christmas Angel...

 

Here is another collage, this time it's just of Gwen. I have to be honest. Seven children is not exactly what I had thought I would have but women know and have feelings about when it's time to have a child and when we are done. Well, at least for me I feel done after Gwen. I wouldn't trade her or Zane for any extra 'me time', sleep or money. They are worth it! Especially this time of year we so enjoy their enthusiasm for the Christmas traditions. Gwen is a dove in the dance concert The Little Match Girl. They had their class pictures yesterday and I only had my camera on my phone but I still managed a couple of cute shots with it! She now has her own purple tinsel Christmas tree. Tim took the photo of her in front of our tree because that was my first attempt at curling her hair--I used rollers overnight since her hair is so fine and straight! It turned out very cute! Gwen was so excited Monday with our first December snow. She and Zane played for awhile before lunch. The older kids went sledding while I took her to the doctor to get her Moscullom removed--nasty warts on her legs. She can't wait until we have another good snow and can go sledding. She made a snow angel with Zane but they walked through it before I could get a good picture of it. But she is our little sweet Christmas angel who warms our heart with her smile.
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Monday, December 7, 2009

Cute Wooden Nativity...


This is from Sugardoodle here's the link brown nativity for the patterns and instructions.

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Christmas Decorating and other adventures

 

I don't know how many trips it took to the store but many to finally get enough lights for our trees. Thanksgiving Breeak we realized that all our lights needed to be replaced. Our 9 foot tree was prelit and needed all the lights replaced or we had to get a new tree. Well, I love this tree it's the right height and width--narrow so we started taking the lights off. Let's just say that is the LAST prelit tree we buy! It took over 4 hours for Tim and I to get them all off and we lost our finger tips in the process. Then we had to get new lights. Well, you can't string regular lights in more than 5 normal strands so we had to find the longer strands. So after a week of living in Christmas chaos I think we can finally put away our boxes. Although I still haven't found the missing sheep... You may notice in the collage we have many trees. In fact each kids' room has it's own tree except Gwen who may get one tiny one soon. Why? Well, we used to have one tree in our living room and all the ornaments fit fine on it for awhile. But my mother in law gives each grandchild an ornament every year, my mom does if she sees one that fits that person that year and we usually make one or two each year. It adds up! So we decided to get the kids their own trees. They love having their own trees and I love listening to them talk about their ornaments. This year they can't put an ornament on their tree unless they earn it by being nice and they can get taken away too for being mean. It's been a rough week but they are getting better! We have one tree up stairs that's kind of fancy but I really just wanted white lights and a star at the top. Tim and the kids didn't go for that so between family and friends who have donated and a few purchases of our own it is decorated. It's too fancy for me but they all like it. I like it because it's tall and bright. When we finished our basement and bought the tall tree for upstairs we moved our other tree down. It's more my style. It's a potpourri of kid made ones and whimsical ornaments I have made or bought. I love the Scandanavian straw ornaments, some are from Ikea and some are from Finland. It's not too fussy which I like! Taran and Timo have a small little tree in honor of the Utah Jazz and BYU which I should have taken a picture of but I am too lazy. Emily hasn't gotten her tree up, too busy having fun with friends. I am torn about these trees. On my mission to Argentina most people didn't have trees and if they did they were very small, more like what my little boys have in their room. It's a different culture here, and I hate for mykids not to get out their ornaments and reminisce about them. That is a small joy of Christmas for them...once they turn 12 they won't care anymore and we can donate them I guess!

This last week we had a Christmas thing almost every night. I went to a live Nativity outside that was amazing! The baby was so beautiful and peaceful. It was a very great start to the Christmas season. Wednesday night Timo had his Concert Singer Christmas Concert and Taran was assigned the Madrigal Feast that night--it's first night. Since this was our only chance to see Timo we took everyone to that Emily went with her young women's group. We got to sit with both Grandparents, it was an amazing concert! We found out that their choir was invited to a special competition, not surprising! Thursday Timo had his first Jr Jazz basketball game which he won. Friday Was Taran's other assigned time at the Madrigal Feast. I ended up with strep throat that day so my sister went with Emily. Tim had bought tickets to BYU's Christmas Choir concert so he took Izak with him and they had a great time and met up with my parents, Keith and Amber and her parents so they went to TGIFridays for a treat! Meanwhile Teresa was having a less desirable experience at the feast (kind of funny but too much to go into here) but Emily enjoyed it immensely! So Saturday night Tim took Timo and Taran to the feast with 2 of Timo's friends (they can count this as a concert report) and they met my parents there. Even though Taran wasn't performing that night my parents wanted to have the experience. My dad called me earlier today and told me how much he enjoyed it (and Tim had said that the timing of singing was a little off). So I think they all had a good time, Taran said that he thought the show we saw last year was better but this still entertained. Emily got invited to see A Christmas Carol at the Hale Center Theater in Orem with Amber and Keith and Amber's family since she is friends with Amber's nieces who were there. They had a great time, of course! I did some online Christmas shopping and watched While You Where Sleeping. And I am feeling much better!

Oh, how I love all this Christmas stuff. We watched the Christmas Devotional tonight and loved the music and messages. This week isn't as fun but Tim and I do get to go to the MOTAB Christmas Concert with Natalie Cole on Saturday!!! Hope you are enjoying the holidays too!!!!
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Thursday, December 3, 2009

Freedom Friday a little early...

My mom sent this to me. Do we really understand what we are doing???

Inviting Terrorists to Our Shores by Peter Heck

The storyline is hauntingly familiar: terrorist detainees were moved to a major city to await trial. While there, fellow Islamic terrorists decided to make a daring and dastardly attempt to gain their release, not by attacking the well-protected courtroom or the heavily guarded detention facility (they are bloodthirsty but they are not stupid), but by going for a more tantalizing target.



Thirty-five bomb-laden Muslim terrorists stormed a crowded middle school full of parents, teachers, and children. By doing so, they immediately gained what they desired most: the eyes of a watching world paralyzed with fear at what they might do. And the world had reason to fear. Over the course of this three-day massacre, the terrorists barricaded doors and tied up authorities in "negotiations" that were used only to buy them the time they needed to coldly execute the stronger men hostages, rape young girls in front of their watching mothers, and rig explosives throughout the complex to ensure that when the authorities stormed the building there would be massive casualties.


This horrific drama played out in the quiet Russian town of Beslan just five short years ago. In the end, 394 lay dead (over half of them children) with another 704 injured.

And stunningly, Barack Obama has just invited the same carnage to our shores.

When the President's Attorney General Eric Holder announced the administration's breathtakingly ignorant decision to bring 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheik Mohammed (KSM) and five compatriots to New York City to stand trial in civilian court for their act of war, there was undoubtedly a collective gasp in the small towns outside New York. The citizens there surely must recognize that the high-profile status of KSM alone is enough to tempt every terror cell this side of Basra to consider making their rural middle schools the stage for Beslan: Act Two.

Why any president sworn to protect the lives of his fellow citizens would take such an outrageously absurd and completely unnecessary risk is unfathomable. And make no mistake...it is unnecessary. KSM and his fellow terrorists were already being tried by military commissions far away from American children and out of the international spotlight that they so desperately crave. Many, including KSM, had already pled guilty and requested execution.

But Barack Obama halted these commissions when he came into office, apparently more concerned with bolstering his image as a "citizen of the world" than protecting his own people. He then passed the buck to Eric Holder who announced that the terrorists would be brought to one of America's largest cities for the trial of the century.

The negative consequences of this decision are plentiful. From endangering innocent Americans to gift-wrapping a perfect propaganda opportunity for the terrorist world, this decision is inexcusable. And considering that the choice to try these monsters in civilian courts was to supposedly ensure that justice would be done, this decision becomes incomprehensible. (How, for instance, will these show trials result in any better or more just outcome than a guilty plea and execution sentence - something that the military commission had all but secured?)

In short, this is about to be a circus. [Editor's Note: Results from a related OneNewsNow poll question appear at the end of this column.]

Obama and Holder have now given constitutional "rights of the accused" to these terrorists (something that has never been done throughout all of American history). And if you don't think that their lawyers are going to bring up the manner of their detainment, the circumstances surrounding their capture, any perceived threats or mistreatment, any notion of coerced confessions, their lack of immediate access to attorneys, demand for relocation, complaints about a biased jury, calls for mistrials, and the need for an extensive appeals process, you aren't thinking...sort of like the Obama administration.

With a decision this bad - one that is receiving scorn across the country from angry Americans of all political backgrounds - one might hope that Team Obama would come to its senses and reverse course. Not likely.

When announcing this preposterous decision Holder stated, "To the extent that there are political consequences, I'll just have to take my lumps."

Frankly, sir, the grisly images of Beslan are a little too fresh in our minds to be overly concerned with your personal political consequences. We're a bit more concerned about the potentially deadly consequences this ragingly incompetent administration may have just brought on innocent American citizens.

Vice President Joe Biden once criticized Barack Obama's lack of preparedness for the serious responsibilities associated with the job of president by saying that the presidency was "not something that lends itself to on-the-job training." God forbid that we're about to see just how right he was.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Christmas Traditions


I really enjoy this Nativity painting as it seems so personal of Mary and Joseph enjoying baby Jesus. I love Christmas. It has such a unique spirit of love that it brings. We are hoping that through our family traditions our kids will feel that same spirit. Today we started reading from one of 4 Christmas books/binders we have--3 were given to us. Each has a daily something in December to enjoy the Christmas spirit. This year we are using one that has a scripture from the New Testament and a Christmas Carol or Song to sing that day AND a story pertaining to Christmas. The stories are long so we won't be reading them everyday but on occasion which is fine so the older kids don't get too bored of hearing the same stories every year we use it! We are going to start a new tradition this year that I heard about from another blogger Pikes Pickles. She shared that last year they had to earn the decorations for their tree by being nice to each other--you notice the good others do and then you get to put up the decorations. Luckily I remembered this year before we got the tree up so we are also starting that tradition. AND part of that is that if we aren't nice to each other we take some off! So if you come by our house and wonder why our tree is only part way decorated or not at all you'll know things haven't been going so well! Other traditions we plan to do are on Christmas Eve we act out the Nativity as we read it and we eat on the floor simple foods like summer sausage, cheeses, crackers, crusty bread, nuts, fruit and juice. We started that tradition last year and the kids already asked if we were going to do that again because they really liked it! We are doing our extended family white elephant gift exchange and gingerbread houses. Christmas choir concerts and dance concerts. We may throw in a play or two and we always watch lots of Christmas shows in between it all! We are trying to do some service for others also but we haven't decided yet what we'll do this year. May you and your family enjoy the love and simple joys of the season!