Helping Hands

The girl is already an amazing help, and I have the highest of hopes for the boy.

Daddy got a sunburn.

Well, that was Pippi's initial response when I showed this to her.

Focus, Silly Witch, Focus

This is the year my life is going to change. I mean it this time. And I'm going to change my life with one simple New Year's Resolution. This year (drum roll please)--I am determined to form new habits by setting realistic goals and focusing on one thing at a time. Got it?

My first new habit is to be in bed, asleep by 10:00 pm every night. I'll give you an update in thirty days. This new goal is going to change my life. Watch.

The Birthday Girl

So we couldn't do it. We could not have a birthday party on the same day as Christmas. Noel was NOT in the mood to open more presents. We could not bring ourselves to eat cake. But we did party--2 days after her birthday.



Good times. (Oh yeah, and she walks. Everywhere.)

Gifts from the Heart

"The gifts were really tokens, like cut straw for brooms or small squares of leather for sandals. Still, everyone made a fuss over what he or she had received, and there were hugs and loud expressions of thanks. '...It's not the value of the gift, but the philosophy of giving and receiving...It's a hard world all in all, and to receive a present means someone else cares for you, that you're not alone."--The Autobiography of Santa Claus by Jeff Guinn

I'm winding down from Christmas, and I love the wind down although it leaves me a little teary-eyed. I'll miss all the mail. Christmas cards started to be my favorite part of Christmas when Stacy passed on. I felt that they connected me to all those people that knew her and those that she loves--and I love.

Every year The Warlock's grandma sends The Warlock's mom jars of jam to send on to us. I have the jam at eye level in my pantry, and I think of her. Pippi wears this poncho that my grandma made for her a couple of years ago. I wonder if I will think of my grandchildren and great grandchildren at Christmas time. And I wonder if they will visit me. I also wonder if I will know how to garden and can jams and sew by the time I am a grandmother. I think by living so far away from family I'm missing out on a lot of my mother's knowledge. It would be so much easier to learn how to do all the things she tried to teach me when I was a kid now that I actually want to know them and am interested in doing them.

I'm also thinking about Sister J at church who leads the music. She sends Christmas Cards with a family update to everyone in the ward. She's a great-grandma herself. When I told her how much I liked hearing about her family in her Christmas Card, she told me that she, in all of her years of marriage only received Christmas gifts from her husband a couple of times because she chose to send out Christmas cards rather than receive gifts. She told me that she sent out 500 Christmas cards this year. What joy the people around her must bring her. I'm so glad I go to church so I can know her.

Today as I was gathering ingredients for Chex Party Mix, I thought about my Dad. How my mom was not kidding when she always told me he is the finest man she knows.

Not too old!

Pippi's not too old to play on a blanket.
The Warlock's not too old to play 3 rounds of Nerf tag.
Bardo is most definitely not too old to take naps (although he says he is.)

Christmas Eve at the Paces

I'm sorry, but there are no pictures for this one.

For Christmas Eve, our dear friends the Paces invited us over for a dinner. Natalie is an incredible cook and made some delicious roast beef sandwiches, a veggie tray, a salad, and some mini pizza's for the kids.

After dinner, the kids played and watched Curious George the movie while the adults poured their hearts out to each other. We then read the story of the Nativity. Pippi and the Pace kids really enjoyed it. Bardo, completely fatigued from a day of shopping didn't want to participate--maybe next year. Noel sat in the Warlock's arms with Rocky, the Pace's gentle dog, playing.

I am grateful for my good friends who let the Silly Witch family into their home for a few hours.

Christmas 2009--Opening Presents

Here's Bardo glancing through the antitheft packaging.
Noel was just happy with a box.
When we opened the box and pulled out her toy, she knew just what to do--stand on the seat. Yikes! She definitely understood that this toy was hers and screamed loudly whenever Bardo tried to play with it.
Noel was not interested in opening presents for the rest of the day. However, Pippi was very interested in opening presents, and finished unwrapping Noel's presents for her.

Hand-Made Gifts

My mom made some incredible hand-made gifts this year. Pippi's quilt came with a note attached: "The hearts are because I love you and the arrows are for 'Choose the Right." I think Pippi will treasure her quilt for years to come. And below, here's me with a cute new purse. I love it!
Pippi also made me a hand made gift this year. As the large shoe box containing her gift was removed from the tree she reminded me that it was fragile and to not shake the box. Here is her gift to me:
I took a picture as fast as I could because this gift was very fragile, and it did, sure enough, meet an untimely demise.

Don't worry Grandma and Grandpa...

Pictures will be forthcoming over the next couple of days. I have a new camera and have to figure some things out. Thank you for your patience. I love you!