A Week in Review

Kent spent this past week in Las Vegas at World of Concrete.  We missed him.  A lot.  Kent rarely travels for work, essentially only to the trade show once a year.  Last year we all went, but this year we didn't.  I had thought about taking the children, along with my mother, to Disneyland, traveling with Kent to Las Vegas and then meeting him for the drive home, but we put a lot of money into our house and couldn't afford it this year.

Instead, while Kent was gone, we did some things around town so we didn't feel like he was having all the fun (yeah, right).  Tuesday afternoon we went miniature golfing, Wednesday afternoon we went swimming at the Lehi city pool, Thursday we went to the Discovery Museum in Salt Lake, and Friday evening we went to see Merchant of Venice at BYU.

Miniature golfing was wild.  Cousin Lyla was in the hospital again, so we were joined by Ava, Crew, and Griffin.  Little actual "golfing" occurred.  There was whacking and throwing, rolling and leaping, and everyone stood in everyone else's way.  We didn't really follow any course outline, and we certainly did not bother to keep score.  We finished up our round of golf with somewhat frantic arcade playing and came away with valuable prizes purchased with tickets won.  Five dollars worth of tokens produced 110 tickets.  With those 110 tickets, Blythe was able to get three pieces of candy and a plastic top, and Brandt got two pieces of candy, two plastic army guys, and a plastic top.  If I had gone to the store to purchase those items I probably would have spent less than one dollar.  It's a racket, but it got us out of the house.

Our Wednesday swimming was wonderful.  There is something of the guilty pleasure in swimming in January, even if it is indoors.  The Lehi pool has a play area complete with small water slides, spraying features, a lazy river, and beach-like sloping bottom.  It is like the Veteran's Pool in Provo, only indoors.  It was fantastic.  The kids swam and slide, floated and splashed.  The pool has a big twisty slide that Blythe wanted to go on, and I agreed to take her.  After we climbed all the stairs she was very hesitant to go, but I promised I would hold on to her the whole time.  The inside of the slide was pitch black; you couldn't see a thing.  I said encouraging words the whole way down, but I could tell Blythe was scared.  After we splashed out at the bottom, Blythe said, "I did not like that."  Brandt wisely chose not to go.  I love how swimming wears the children out.  When we got home, they were tired and fell asleep quickly.  I think we will go again before the winter ends.

Our trip to the Discovery Museum came about at Brandt's request.  When I asked the children what they would like to do, Brandt said, "I want to go to the helicopter that you can climb into and drive."  So we did. Auntie Lala joined us which was good because Brandt wanted to be outside in the helicopter and Blythe didn't.  So I sat in the rain for twenty minutes and Mikayla followed Blythe around inside.  Both Brandt and Blythe were totally engaged in their play, interacting with others as well as each other.  They especially liked the grocery store.  Both children wore aprons (Blythe's said "clerk" and Brandt's said, "butcher"), they put food in baskets, and they scanned purchases.  At one point, Mikayla and I were sitting watching the action.  Brandt ran by and said, "It's double coupon day at the market!" and then raced on.  We had a fun time.

I had told the kids that on Friday we would get a Redbox movie and have popcorn.  Our plans changed just a bit.  As we were just walking out the door for school, Brandt complained he had a stomach ache.  He had a huge breakfast (I had made waffles), so I thought he had probably had too much to eat.  Turns out he really did have a stomach ache; he threw up at school and I had to get him early.  Popcorn was right out, but we did get a movie, Cars 2.  Between noon on Friday and noon on Saturday, Brandt watched it four times. Four!  He liked it.

Although Brandt wasn't well in the morning, having thrown up seemed to help him feel better.  He seemed right as rain the rest of the afternoon, so Friday evening we went to the play.  BYU's Theater for Young Audiences did Merchant of Venice, and we got to participate.  It was theater in the round, we sat right on the front row (we could have been on the floor, but Brandt didn't want to be that close), and at one point in the show, we got to hold up a banner.  Brandt helped.  He was very engaged in the story (I gave him a rundown before it began), Blythe wasn't.  About half-way through she turned to me and whispered, "Mom, I'm ready to go home now."  She did last until the end, but she was bored.  I think Brandt actually liked it.  I took them for an ice cream cone afterwards which they both liked.

For all that activity, I got one picture.  My camera batteries died, and I kept forgetting to replace them before we left the house.  So for the week, here is the shot.  We were at the play.  We were all happy that Kent made it home.  Saturday morning the children both ran in and squealed with delight to find him in bed with me.  I was pleased to have him there too.

Bath Toys

Here is a collection of bath toys that appeared on my bathroom counter.

The duck and the boat I can understand.

The other items I'm not so sure about.

Our bath is deep, but certainly not deep enough to warrant a snorkel.

Playing Barber

Yesterday afternoon, Blythe dragged me upstairs to her bedroom.  She had put two stools together, covered them with her blanket, and spread out every hairbob, clip, and flower we own, then told me she wanted to play barber.  She wanted all the hairbobs in her hair, and though her hair is short, it is long enough for little piggies.  I set her on the floor and did her hair with lots of hair bobs.  Lots.  Here is the result.

I really thought these piggies would last about three minutes (if we were lucky).

Instead, Blythe kept them in for almost three hours.

She did come to me, however, and said, 

"Mom, will you take these out?

These hairbobs are bugging me."

The play didn't stop there.  Next, Blythe wanted to be the barber with me as the patron.  She had me sit down and then she did my hair.  She sprayed my hair with water, combed and brushed, blow dried, and then finished with a flower.  The best, however, was the conversation we had as she worked.  In a low, masculine voice, Blythe said, "Hello.  How are you?"  After a pause, she said, still in the low voice, "Do you like princesses?  Who is your favorite princess?"  I told her I liked Mulan, and when she didn't know who she was, I gave her a bit of an explanation.  Then I asked her, "Do you like princesses?" 

Still in her growly voice, she replied, "No.  I don't like princesses.  They wear make over and I don't like make over."  

Too funny! Here are my results.

Blythe took this picture of me.

Post-Christmas Gifts

Grandma Dawn and Poppa Scott came by and brought Christmas presents.  How great is that?  The children were delighted (of course), and played and played.  They are still playing, in fact.  We are blessed to have Scott and Dawn in our lives.  They have embraced us as part of their family and love us, which is always a nice thing.  They brought Brandt a remote control Jeep and Blythe some fairies and a fairy house.  Merry Christmas, again!  Thanks for the great presents.

The Fast and the Furious.

You decide which is which.

 

Blythe came outside with her fairies and Brandt said, 

"Blythe, put your fairies in my Jeep and I'll drive them around."

Don't they look funny, with their wings all poking out?

I can honestly report they got a wild ride.

Scott and Baby Mak (McKenna).

Only the day before they came over, I said to Blythe, 

"I think we need to find a small girl person to give your trike to."

And voila!  A small girl person.

They happily took the trike away with them, giving McKenna a fun trike to grow into, 

and us a bit more space in the garage.

Grandma Dawn and Miss B.

Pirate Ship

This is Blythe's idea of playing "pirate ship."  She has brought the majority of her toys from her room into ours, lined it all up, and made Kent play along with her imaginings.  I don't know how tea sets and fancy clothing come into the pirate setting, or why our room seems more ship-like than hers, but there you have it. At least everything is well ordered, and she was very cooperative when it came time to sail that ship back to port.  

Celebrations

On January 12th, Kent and I celebrated our 17th wedding anniversary.  We went to the temple to do sealings, and then went for Thai food.  This is what we did last year, and the year before that, and very likely the year before that.  Same temple, same restaurant.  I suppose we lack somewhat in originality, but I am always happy to be in the temple with my husband on our anniversary and remember our wedding day in the same temple.

Our wedding day was beautiful.  Although it was January, it was sunny and over 50 degrees.  I had been anxious the night before about whether or not Kent really wanted to marry me, and that anxiety carried over to the morning.  I broke down and sobbed, confessing to my mother that I wasn't sure I should actually get married.  She told me to stop crying because my nose was turning red.  She reassured me that it would be fine, but only if I didn't look like I had been crying all morning in my wedding photos.  When the time came for us to leave, I had calmed down and felt ready.  As I knelt across the alter from Kent, a complete sense of calm washed over me and I knew I was doing the right thing.  It has been wonderful every day since, except for the days when it has been hard.  Kent is a wonderful husband--I am a lucky woman to have him.  I tell him practically every night that he is the best husband I have ever had.

We have a second reason to celebrate January 12th.  Brandt was sealed to us on the 12th, a fitting day we thought to make him part of our eternal family.  It all began on that day for us as a couple, and it seemed right to have Brandt share in that memorable and significant day.  We have found that the children love to hear stories about themselves, so that day, I made sure to recount to Brandt, in great detail, the experience we had in the temple when he was sealed to us.  It makes me cry every time I tell him about that day, and it makes him cry too.  Although Blythe was not sealed to us on the same day, she, too, loves to hear about her day, and Brandt always shares what he remembers as well.

Over dinner, Kent and I discussed the best parts of the past year.  We had a wonderful trip to Capital Reef (the children are still talking about it--we will go again this year), my sister got married, and we bought a house. We were able to send off Grandma Hare in fitting style following her death, and then do the same for my dad a few short months later.  Not highlights, but significant family moments and cause for celebrating the love of our Father in Heaven for each of us.

January 18th was Kent's 55th birthday, and naturally, we celebrated.  I am astounded Kent is 55 as he acts so young and immature (chuckle here).  That morning, Brandt asked Kent how old he was and when he answered 55, he realized he is 50 years older than his boy.  He felt very old (Kent that is, not Brandt).  But he is young at heart, active, and so involved and engaged with the children, one would never know he wasn't young like me (another chuckle here).  Kent wanted hamburgers for his birthday dinner, and then we had family over for pie and ice cream.  It was fun to have everyone here at our house.  We actually fit!  I didn't feel like we were sitting on top of each other.  The children had adequate room to run around with their cousins too.

It has been a happy month, with much cause for rejoicing and true celebrating.

The birthday boy blowing out 5-5 candles, as truly 55 would have sent off the smoke detector.

Don't my pies look yummy?

They were.

Blueberry, chocolate cream, jumbleberry, and apple.

The children helping blow out the candles.

Sentences

Brandt brought home this paper from school this week.  He was to write three sentences using word wall words and animals pictures he drew himself.  Here is his work.  I will provide a bit of translation.

Sentence 1. The web is on the mouse. ("Web" and "mouse" are the picture words.)

Sentence 2. The bus in on the treasure map. ("Bus" and "treasure map" are the picture words."

Sentence 3. The alligator stepped on the pin. (When I looked at "alligator" I said, "Oh, is that a spider? No, it only has six legs.  Is it a bug?"  "No," Brandt replied, "It's an alligator."  Obviously.  How did I miss it?  Six legs, giant body, tiny head.  So "alligator" and "pin" are the picture words.")

We love that Brandt is writing and reading.  His handwriting is pretty bad, but it is getting better.  His coloring too.  All of a sudden it seems, he is coloring inside the lines, selecting different colors for things, and really making an effort to do it well.  We love to see him improving and learning and really thriving at school.

A Happy New Year's Letter (because Christmas came and went)

Each year I send out over 100 Christmas cards, to family and friends.  This year it didn't happen (like so many other things).  I am giving some serious thought to sending out a New Year's card.  This is the picture I am considering including.  We look cute, and cold.  Appropriate for January, at least the cold part.  So if I send a card, this is probably what it will say.  You may or may not get one.

Barrus Best of 2011 (because I always give a rundown of the "best" that happened during the past year.)

Brandt turned five, started school, learned to ride his bike with no training wheels, and is learning to read.  His fine motor skills are improving as he practices writing and coloring.  He is bright and funny.

Blythe turned three, got potty trained, learned to ride a bike (with training wheels), discovered she is a fairy princess, and competed with her brother in just about everything.  She is a tease.

We bought a house! We ripped out carpet, painted, replaced light fixtures, and installed new hardwood and carpet.  We still have lots to do, but we love it!  Katherine has been decorating and planning all sorts of home improvements, all of which we will start "in the spring."  Kent has been enjoying subtle changes he sees when he comes home from work, and swears "we will never paint again."  He finds home improvement projects take on a different hue now that he is improving his own home.  Katherine hopes we can accomplish many things before the novelty wears off.

Best books read.

Katherine: Captain Corelli's Mandolin

Kent: The Housing Boom and Bust (And yet we still bought a house.  Will wonders never cease?). 

Brandt: You Can Name 100 Trucks.  We pretty much read this one every night and chose which of the 100 trucks we want to be.

Blythe: Fancy Nancy or Pinkalicious.  We read and re-read these too.

Although we had a stressful year with the death of Katherine's father and a house move, we feel incredibly blessed in our circumstances and feel our Heavenly Father's love.  Life is good and we are happy.

An Art Project

Friday morning, as Kent went to take Brandt to school, he discovered this on the front porch.

It is a large mound of rice crispie treat fixings.  In addition, he found a reminder for a Saturday baby shower.  I had no idea why the ingredients were there, so I called my friend who was throwing the shower and asked if she had dropped them off.

"What? Like I would just drop off stuff without asking if you would make something first?" she said.  I would have been happy to make anything for the shower, even lots and lots of rice crispie treats, but they weren't from her.

Shortly thereafter, my mother called.  She began our conversation by asking, "Do you have anything going on this morning?"  How is that for a leading question?  I didn't have anything on so she told me a funny story.  Her boss, Scott, went to the University of Utah and remains a huge Ute fan.  While he was in college, he and some buddies came down to BYU and made an attempt to steal the school bell that hangs outside the Marriott Center.  They had it down out of the bell tower and were ready to haul it away when the police showed up.  Everyone scattered, but one man was caught and ratfinked on the rest.  Scott, along with his buddies, was arrested.

Naturally this story is part of Scott's family lore and a testament to his true devotion to his alma mater.  It was his birthday on Saturday and they were throwing a big party for him at work.  My mother asked if I had time to make a rice crispie treat bell that could be used as the centerpiece for the table and would harken back to his youthful escapade.  Sure, I said, why not?  If I was willing to make rice crispies for my friend and the baby shower, I should certainly be willing to make something for my mom.

I needed a mold, something I could put the warm and sticky marshmallowiness into to form a bell shape.  This is what I came up with.  I placed three bowls on top of each other and figured when they had hardened up a bit, I could stack rice crispie treat molds on top of each other and shape it a bit.  I got to melting.

I used all the ingredients Mom had delivered, making eight batches of rice crispies.  I filled each of the bowls and then turned out the contents onto the board.  Here is what it looked like when I had shaped it a bit, squishing in the middle to make it look more bell-like.  I also made a rope of rice crispies that I wrapped around the bottom layer to give it a bit of a lip. 

Then I frosted the whole thing with grey colored icing and engraved a Y on the front so that there would be no question it was the Y bell.

While this probably doesn't look like much, it took me all morning to make.  It takes a long time to make eight batches of rice crispies, and the whole molding, frosting process took time too.  As I was frosting it, Brandt said to me, "Mom, why are you making a volcano?  Where does the lava come out?"  (As a side note, Brandt got a volcano making kit for Christmas from a friend, and together we molded and then erupted it using baking soda and vinegar.  We made certain the eruption chamber was large enough spew lava, but this thing I was making had no hole at all.)

I called my mom to make sure she was at work so I could deliver the bell.  When I called I said, "I am going to prime you for the correct exclamation when you see this bell.  You are to say, 'Wow! That looks fantastic!'  You are not to say, 'Why did you bring in a volcano?'"  Then we went off bearing the art project.

When I walked in with the bell, my mother very effusively declared, "Wow! That looks fantastic!  It really does look fantastic.  You even got the Y on it."  We had to hide it, so we took down the hall to another woman's office.  When we walked in, Mom introduced me and the woman said, "Oh, you have a volcano."  

Augh! It looked like a volcano! Mom corrected her and said, "No, it's the bell," and then the woman said, "Oh yes.  It does look like a bell."  I was somewhat disappointed by her response.  I hoped Scott would get it.  

I had to wait all day to find out how the bell was received.  Mom was very busy and I didn't talk to her until the evening.  When I called she said, "Scott loved the bell.  When he walked in the room he said, 'Wow! It's a bell!  How fun!'"  They cut into it and ate some, and then Scott took the remainder home to share with his family, especially a grandson who loves rice crispies.  I was glad the guest of honor liked my efforts and recognized it for what it was.  That said, however, I'm not sure I'm going to answer the phone the next time my mother calls.

Owl Man

We have had one day of snow this year.  One.  We did have flurries another day, but nothing stuck.  So last week when we woke to actual snow stuck to the ground, the children could hardly wait to get outside.  They got out the shovels and helped Kent do the sidewalks and driveway, and then they built a snowman.  An owl man actually.  His facial features looked distinctly avian.  It was good I rushed right outside with the camera, because by lunchtime, Brandt had whacked him all apart with the shovel.  It didn't really matter as all the snow was melted before dinner.

Blythe, eating snow.

I hope it isn't yellow.

Look at the gleam in Brandt's eye as he prepares to hurl the snowball at me.

Owl Man.

Apparently I was a little too late, even though I came right out.

His eyes have been somewhat demolished.

A Visitor

Look who came to see us today.

Cousin Donovan was a big hit.

Better Parenting

Early in the week there was an article in the Deseret News titled "Tips for being a better parent in 2012."  I feel tips are often helpful, and I want to be a better parent, so I read on.  Allow me to share.

Tip one: Eat dinner together as a family.  We do this well.  I make dinner practically every night, and we always eat together.  I know.  My children are only five and three, so where else would they eat?  They aren't very good at actually sitting down at the table and consuming food, and I find that most of our dinner "conversation" is me and Kent nagging the children to sit down and eat something, but at least we are doing well to be together each evening.

Tip one was the only one on the first page.  I was feeling somewhat smug until I turned the page.

Tip two: Teach patience.  Drat.  How can I teach patience when I have none myself?  I'll have to work harder, lots and lots harder, to be better here.

Tip three: Give children lots of your time.  The article quotes Ellen Braun who writes a parenting blog at www.raisingsmallsouls.com, who said, "Our children, for the most part, are unaware of the myriad of things that we do FOR them.  However, they are fully aware of the thing which we do WITH them."  So this week I have tried to be more engaged with the children.  Blythe wanted to color this week, and rather than just getting out paper and crayons for her to use, I spread a long roll of paper out on the floor, stretched out on the floor next to her and colored with her.  We made this lovely drawing.

As we began, Blythe said, "Let's draw a family."  She always wants to draw a family.  She was fairly insistent on helping me.  As I would begin something she would scootch right over next to me and say, "I will do the roof," "I will do the door," "I will do the trunk."  She had to put dirt under the flowers, shoes on the family members, and when I got to the sun she said, "I will do the poky things."  She wasn't much interested in what the poky things were, but she knew they had to be there.  When I drew the two clouds she asked, "Is it raining?"  It wasn't; the white crayon just doesn't show up on white paper.  I was made to draw the sister, brother, and dad, but Blythe drew the mom.  The mom is the big-headed long figure wearing the pinkish-purplish dress, the large hat with a bell, and the colorful arms.  Blythe did a pattern along the arms, something she learned about from Brandt who is learning about complex patterns in kindergarten.

Thursday morning Blythe asked if we could do "an activity" while Brandt was at school.  I said yes and asked what activity she wanted to do.  She said, "We could play PBSKids.org, we could watch TV, we could do my princess puzzle."  Again, I agreed.  Then she said, "No Mom! I know what we can do!  We can make cookies and cupcakes!"  I made her chose one or the other, so we made cupcakes.  I will work hard on this one too.

Tip four: Get a pet.  There are all sorts of benefits to having a pet, and I am not averse to this idea.  I don't want a cat as too many of my family members are allergic to them, but I do like dogs and am more open to this idea than I have been in the past.  I have been unwilling to add an animal to our family, knowing I would have to clean up poop when I was regularly dealing with child poop.  We also had virtually no yard, but now we have a good size yard, so we may look for a pet in the spring.  And I want to get chickens.  Do chickens count as pets?

Tip five: Read with you children.  As with tip number one, I can be very, very smug about reading with the kids.  We began reading with Brandt at the beginning and we have never stopped.  There are few things I like better than snuggling with the children on the couch or in bed and reading to them.  They love it and I love it.  Kudos to us as parents.

So I guess for me, it all comes down to patience.  Drat.

The Final Frontier

We are largely organized following our move.

Except in the basement.  

Anything I haven't known what to do with or where to put has gone downstairs.

Now I need to attack the final frontier.

Wish me luck.

Christmas

At 6:30, Brandt burst into our bedroom and asked, "Is it morning yet?"  We told him it was, and then listened as he clomped down the uncarpeted stairs.  Mere moments later, we heard him racing back up.  Clomp, clomp, clomp.  He burst in a second time, said, "Santa came!" and raced off again.  Clomp, clomp, clomp down the stairs.  Kent got up and stumbled down with him.  Again, just a moment later I heard him racing up again.  Clomp, clomp, clomp.  He came back, said, "Mom! I got an orange!" and ran off.  Clomp, clomp, clomp.  I thought to myself, 'If I don't get up, I'm going to miss it all,' so I got up too.

Brandt was beside himself with excitement.  He has sorted all the presents from under the tree and had his stacked on the couch.  He showed me how Santa had eaten the cookies, filled his stocking, and left him a present.  And then he began ripping into the packages.  Brandt got Star Wars Legos, something he has been asking for for about two months, a new book Pirate Cruncher, three new long-sleeved shirts, new shoes that don't fit, new pillows, and a new game.  I began helping Brandt put his Lego jet together, and then Blythe woke up.

Check out Kent's bedhead!

Brandt was so keen on doing his Legos, he wouldn't even look up at me.

This was the best picture I was able to get of him.

We went through much the same routine when Blythe woke.  She came clomping downstairs too, exclaimed excitedly about her presents, and then the paper began flying.  Santa brought her Blythe's Little Pet Shop (I had no idea that the proprietress of the Little Pet Shop was named Blythe--what a happy coincidence), and a carrier for all the animals.  She also got two new outfits, a new pair of snow boots and a heavy winter coat, the book I'm a Fairy Princess (entirely appropriate as Blythe thanks Heavenly Father in her prayers that she's going to be a fairy princess), a Pinkalicious puzzle, and new pillows.  So much fun.

No one will look at me once the opening begins.

Kent and I also exchanged presents.  I got a new pair of slippers and a book, and Kent got a 2012 calendar with pictures of the children and a book.  

Oh, and we got a new house.  

YEAH!!!!!

After fast and furious present opening, twice, we got ready for church (fast and furious again).  We had a lovely meeting; Brother Bowie read the Christmas story from Luke and Matthew interspersed with congregational singing of practically all the Christmas songs in the hymn book.  Bishop Seamons then delivered a wonderful message.  It was a lovely way to start the day.  Or continue it, as we had already been up quite a while.

After church, we went to Grandma Sue's house to spend the day.  It is tradition to have brunch with all the DeMartini's, with pig by-products featuring prominently on the menu.  Dad liked pork.  A lot.  We had less pork this Christmas, but still had ham and bacon.  The children sort of ate, but we were eating before opening presents, so it was hard for the little people to concentrate long enough to actually consume food.  We had more frenzied present opening, and then settled in for play, play, play.  The boys each got a remote control car and nerf gun, so there were much driving and shooting.  Uncle Guy joined in the fun, and as it was a relatively warm day, there was wild running around the yard.  The girls all got "make-over" and spent considerable time locked in the bathroom making themselves beautiful (as if they needed help).  The adults played Bananagrams, Parcheesi, and Hand and Foot (a card game) while refereeing when necessary.  And we hardly cried at all missing Dad who loved most of all to have all his little people running around as he presided over the chaos.  

Remarkably, the children, all the children, cooperated while we took their picture.

It was a Christmas miracle.

Along the back: Collin, Makenna, Ava, Lyla, Brandt, Luke, Crew, Blythe, Griffin

and Blake in front holding Donovan.

I sure do love these children.

Lyla.

I only got this one picture as I began helping undo cars and guns and seeing make-over, put the camera down, and got distracted.

Grandma Sue wearing a fancy boa Blythe got from her cousins.

Lovely.

It was a wonderful Christmas, being with all our family, celebrating the birth of Christ, and rejoicing in the bounties of our life.  As life was mostly disorganized because of our move, I found this year we did what was most important and let the other "traditions" wait until next year.  In a way, I think our move helped me miss Dad less because I was so busy, and the true meaning of Christmas--the celebration of Christ's birth--became all the more meaningful and poignant to me as I remembered that Christ came to earth to die and live again so that we can too.  I am grateful for our Savior and rejoice in His life.  Merry Christmas!

Christmas Eve

It was a strange Christmas.  My father's absence and our December 14th house move both colored and disrupted my normal festive merry making.  I found myself bursting into tears at odd moments as I thought of Dad, my Santa, and how his large and jolly-ish presence was so obviously lacking.  There was a somewhat somber mood on Christmas morning among the adults, but the children were so gleefully excited, it was impossible not to be swept up in the electrical feeling of anticipation and delight.

Christmas Eve is always spent with the Barrus side of the family.  This year we gathered from 1-4pm at the Parkridge clubhouse.  With nearly fifty people expected, we don't fit in anyone's house, especially if we want to sit down and eat.  One in the afternoon is kind of a funny time to get together for Christmas Eve, but the clubhouse was reserved later, so that's when we met.

We had yummy food.  I made a delicious salad with pears, mandarin oranges, pomegranate arils, avocado, candied almonds, and blue cheese.  We had it at our Relief Society Christmas party and I knew I wanted to make it for the holidays.  Kent always likes to us to take steamed shrimps, so we took those as well.  In consultation with sister-in-law Brenda about menu, I also volunteered to bring a vegetable.  I made a big bowl of glazed carrots and when I put them down, my other sister-in-law Michelle said, "Carrots!  You made carrots?  I made carrots!"  She had a large crockpot full of carrots in an orange sauce.  We laughed; we both must have really been lacking in beta carotene.  We also had turkey and ham, potatoes, baked broccoli with a cheesy topping, fruit, and homemade bread.  All delicious!  The children ate next to nothing.  They never eat when we are with cousins.  Too much going on to stop to eat.

The fun thing about having Christmas Eve celebrations at the clubhouse is that there is a pool.  The children were so excited to swim and must have asked me sixteen times as I ate when they could swim.  How fun is it to swim on Christmas Eve?  I suppose if you live in the Southern Hemisphere, swimming on Christmas Eve is probably not unusual.  But in Utah?  They swam with cousin Lydia while I watched from the pool deck and tried not to get too wet.

Blythe's swimming suit has lost most of its elasticity.

She has a droopy bum.

Funny Christmas Eve pictures, I know.

We also did a white elephant gift exchange.  When Brandt's turn came up to choose a present, he became very shy and didn't want to pick anything.  He doesn't like lots of people watching him.  When I was finally able to convince him to take something, he ended up with a goofy outdoor decorative metal ant that stood about a foot high, had a bobble head, and held a small pot of fake flowers.  He opened it and said to me, "I don't want this.  You can have it Mom."  I put it down next to the fireplace, and Brandt said, "Let's leave it here."  We did take it home, but as we were emptying the car, I put it immediately into the trash without taking it inside.  I don't need more stuff to deal with at the moment.  I think Blythe got a wind-up frog, and Kent took a book from someone that had been a library book but that had been gnawed on by a dog and so had to be purchased.  Dog damage was minimal and the book looks interesting.  I, however, came away with the best gift of all.  I got a Richard Simmons exercise video, Broadway Blastoff!  Could it get any better than that?  Yes it could.  It had $10 taped to it!  Yeah for me!  I did take it from someone else, and I was the third steal so I got to keep it, and I don't feel bad about it at all.

As always, it was wonderful to be with family, to laugh and joke and play.  Several of our nieces and nephews were there with their spouses who we don't see very often, even though they live close.  George gave us a run-down of the year and bore a sweet testimony, invoking a patriarchal blessing on all of us.  Brent and Brenda were here because of their current posting in Virginia, but will be off to Taiwan in the summer.  And the Brinkerhoffs (Brandt and Blythe's favorite cousins) are moving to Indiana in June, so we won't be with them next year either.  I am glad for time to be with loved ones and celebrate Christ's birth.

In years past, Christmas Eve celebrations with the Barri have always been in the evening, but because we were done early this year, we spent with rest of the evening with my mom.  She and Dad are usually by themselves as we all spend Christmas Eve with our in-laws and Christmas day with them.  Given the circumstances, no one wanted Mom to be alone.  She planned a lovely dinner with her siblings and spouses, Aunt Georgianne and Uncle Lauren, and Uncle Tom and Aunt Darlene.  Kent and I went too, as did Mikayla and Guy, whose parents are on a mission in Guam.  We had another delicious meal, and then sat around the table and talked and laughed.  Mom remembers Christmas dinners being very lively at their house as they were growing up, and Uncle Tom pointed out, glass of eggnog in hand, that their parents enjoyed spiked eggnog which helped liven up conversation.  Maybe that's what we all needed to be less sad.

After the children were in bed, I dug a fake Charlie Brown Christmas tree out of the garage and decorated it with six ornaments the children made at various places this year.  No lights, no tinsel, just six ornaments.  I wrapped presents and pretty much called it good.  Brandt has been on the fence about the whole Santa thing.  He finds the whole story a bit impossible and knows the guy in the Santa suit we saw at the ward Christmas party is just a guy in a Santa suit.  But when push came to shove, he wanted Kent to make sure we put out cookies for Santa, just in case.  So we did.  We had some vanilla wafers, one of which I sort of crumbled up over a plate, and then I had a glass of milk and left the cup next to the plate.

A somewhat sad Christmas tree.  

I don't think anyone really cared.

Although I was able to quickly find the stockings, I did not find the hangers.

Santa was able to fill them anyway.