December at a glance

Matt and I went to his office Christmas party at the beautiful Zermatt Resort in Midway. We were even able to stay overnight, thanks to helpful cousins who played house with our kids. Truly a needed vacation before the busy-ness of the coming weeks. Family pictures on a very cold evening made for some shivery, impatient, grimacing subjects. Serves me right for waiting so long. Luckily, Megan was able to coax enough smiles that we ended up with a few keepers.

In the space of a couple days, we experienced two major snowstorms that brought about a foot of snow to our yard, and about a pound of glee to the kids... ...except Nate, who has no snow gear yet. To bring an extra measure of Christmas spirit, Matthew and I went on two holiday dates: first, to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas concert on a Sunday morning before church; and second, to see A Christmas Carol at our local theater, which starred his aunt/my sister-in-law as Mrs. Cratchit, his 3rd-grade teacher as a chorus member, and a school friend as a young Cratchit. I was completely impressed by Matthew's attentiveness at both events...he will continue to be my back-up date.

We left our camera at Papa & Nana's house on Christmas Eve. (Yes, it is only a block away, but it was early and cold and the kids were ready to go.) Fortunately, we have video footage of the traditional Christmas morning joy. Maybe that will be posted later. We'll just put this retro goodie in as a placeholder.

The children, dressed for Sunday, indulged my need to have an annual photo of them at the tree.

Jamie Beth's answers

Because I had to know her thoughts, too.

1. What is something mom always says to you? I love you.

2. What makes mom happy? To color together.

3. What makes mom sad? Fighting.

4. How does your mom make you laugh? Tickle me.

5. What was your mom like as a child? She liked to run.

6. How old is your mom? 20

7. How tall is your mom? As tall as an ostrich.

8. What is her favorite thing to do? Color.

9. What does your mom do when you're not around? Play with Dallin & Nate

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for? Making books.

11. What is your mom really good at? Cooking.

12. What is your mom not very good at? Fixing pipes.

13. What does your mom do for her job? Clean the bathroom.

14. What is your mom's favorite food? Pizza.

15.What makes you proud of your mom? You cook for me.

16. If your mom were a movie character, who would she be? Mary Poppins.

17. What do you and your mom do together? Color.

18. How are you and your mom the same? We both like coloring.

19. How are you and your mom different? You don't like to play on balloon (blow-up) slides, and I do.

20. How do you know your mom loves you? Because you tell me.

Matthew's answers

I was tagged a while ago with this one. I won't tag anyone else, but I do recommend this to all moms.

1. What is something mom always says to you? I love you.

2. What makes mom happy? When I help you make dinner.

3. What makes mom sad? When I'm mean.

4. How does your mom make you laugh? Tells me something funny.

5. What was your mom like as a child? Smart.

6. How old is your mom? 31

7. How tall is your mom? 5 feet, 6 inches.

8. What is her favorite thing to do? Read.

9. What does your mom do when you're not around? Clean.

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for? Reading the most minutes.

11. What is your mom really good at? Cooking.

12. What is your mom not very good at? Football.

13. What does your mom do for her job? Take care of kids.

14. What is your mom's favorite food? Salad.

15.What makes you proud of your mom? You taught me how to read.

16. If your mom were a movie character, who would she be? A girl from Pride & Prejudice.

17. What do you and your mom do together? Go on dates.

18. How are you and your mom the same? We both like to read.

19. How are you and your mom different? I'm good at football, you are not.

20. How do you know your mom loves you? Because you say I love you.

Conversation with Dallin (of course)...

Mom, did you know that Keoki is a Spanish name?
--Um, I think that is actually a Hawaiian name.
No, Matthew told me it's Spanish.
--I see. Where did you even hear that name anyway?
On Veggie Tales. The bwock-a-wee (broccoli) says, "I'm Don Keoki!"
--Don Keoki?
Yup.
--Do you mean Don Quixote?
That's what I said, mom. Don Keoki.
--Oh, then yes, it is a Spanish name.

Optional questions for additional study:
*Why does Don Quixote the broccoli star in a Veggie Tales show about the Golden Rule?
*As familiar as I am with Dallin's peculiar pronunciations, how could I have possibly misunderstood him in the first place? (Keoki=Quixote, of course.)
*How does Matthew even know that Don Quixote is Spanish?
*Why does Matthew's opinion on word origins outweigh mine?

Just a Thought

I stopped putting on my makeup for a moment and peered at myself in the mirror. I'm not stressed out yet, I thought, but if someone could just take the kids for a couple hours, I could get everything done and continue to stay calm and happy. I wouldn't ask anyone, but...it would be nice.

Barely even a prayer, really. Just a brief thought directed heavenward during a quiet moment as I prepared for our trip to Denmark the next day.

Yet, a couple hours later, Paige stood at my door. I can't remember why my neighbor stopped by, but I remember what she said: "Would it help if I took Dallin and Jamie Beth for a while today?" I hesitated because my first instinct was, Oh, no, I'm fine; we'll be just fine; everything is fine. Then that non-prayer came to my mind and I realized it was being answered. "Yes," I responded, "that would be very helpful."

Like any mother, I worry about my children's educations, futures, health, and safety, and I think about their social, emotional, and spiritual development. And then, in addition to the big stuff, I also pay attention to their favorite books and favorite foods, their daily ow-ies, who they play with at recess, what they want for Christmas. The big things and the little things that matter to them, also matter to me. I believe in a Heavenly Father who feels the same way about me. He helps me work through the important issues, and sometimes he sends someone like Paige to help with the littler matters.

"The Lord does notice us, and he watches over us. But it is usually through another person that he meets our needs. Therefore, it is vital that we serve each other."
*Spencer W. Kimball--Ensign 1974*