Why....

This is the reason why I have not posted... yet. Merrill isn't feeling well, Lynn started last night... and I think that Peyton started it all. I am hoping that I don't get it... (knocking on wood and crossing my fingers at the same time...)
Will hopefully post our fun Christmas soon! It will be multiple posts to cover the eventful few days, multiple posts for many memories!

Merry Christmas...

"Fear not: for, behold, I bring unto you good tidings of great joy, which shall be unto all people.
"For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
"And... ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger." -Luke 2:10-12
This selection of scripture was directed towards the shepherds who were watching their flocks at night. Humble people, humble circumstances. What did they know of this world? What did they know of Heavenly Father's plan? They went to see, and they didn't just walk... the scriptures tell us they hurried. What great faith it must have taken to see a messenger of the Lord, then to listen, go and see.
I hope that amid the fun and excitement of this day; the shredded and torn wrapping paper that will be all over my living room floor, my family will have something more... an understanding of the Peace, Happiness, and Joy, the great message of Love, that this single event in the history of time means for us. He lived as "a babe in swaddling clothes" and He lives today.
I pray that we can all be humble and have the faith to listen, and to go and see what great works the Almighty has in store for each one of us.
Merry Christmas...

Scattergories...

I found this on my friend's sister's blog...
Use the 1st letter of your name to answer each of the following. They have to be real places, names, things.. nothing made up!
You CAN'T use your name for the boy/girl name question. WHAT IS YOUR NAME: Mindy BOY NAME: Mork ;) 4 LETTER WORD: math GIRL NAME: Mandy, my alter-ego... OCCUPATION: mother A COLOR: magenta SOMETHING YOU WEAR: mullett BEVERAGE: milk FOOD: manicotti SOMETHING FOUND IN A BATHROOM: mousse A PLACE : Montana REASON FOR BEING LATE: Merrill ;) SOMETHING YOU SHOUT: Monkey balls!

I tag you if you wrapped a gift today...

Memory Quilt...

So, I know I am safe to post this... mom isn't on the "blog scene" very much, if at all...
This is her Christmas gift... em and my "sisters" (sisters-in-law, really... I have ALL brothers...) put together...
Let me explain..
In October, mom, dad, Kevin & Randee, went on a little trip to Yellowstone. While there, it was cold and rainy, and thus, icy. They took a little drive and soon came upon a woman, waving them down in the middle of the road. As mom was trying to slide to a stop, Kev jumped out of the car; there were two vehicles upside down in the river. He helped people out of their vehicles and up the steep river bank. Dad was up the road stopping on coming vehicles, and mom and Randee were wrapping what blankets thery had around those who were coming out of the freezing water. When the people were transported to the hospital, the blankets went with, one was a memory quilt that mom made for Christmas a couple of years age. She made one for each of us, and one for her.
The idea behind the memory quilt, is to find patterned fabrics that represent memories. She called all of our spouses parents to get some memories, and added to our own, and made the quilts. On the quilt that she made, there is a square with kids in capes, I think we all loved to pretend to be superheroes at one point in time; cherries, for grandpa and grandma's cherry tree we loved to climb and eat cherries from; Elvis, that's for me! A Christmas square to represent Christmas our individual memories; a soccer square for Randee; peppers for mom and dad's salsa making ventures; Strawberry Shortcake, me, again, well, granddaughters now too... so you get the idea?
We made her one to try and replace the one she lost. We made it with a twist though... the grandchildren drew a picture on some of the squares of something they love to do with grammy... and what fabric I could find, was incorporated in it. I know mom did some major hunting... I had a hard time finding more than I did.

Peyton...

Some of Peyton's newest activities...
Waking mom up multiple times in the night, then waking-up for good at 5:44 am...
Waving at everyone.
Knocking at every closed door, then betting upset if no one opens it.
Dancing.
And two top teeth coming through!

A walk through...

Ally did a walk through of her home all decorated for Christmas and I loved it!!! So I am being a copycat...
Here's some of my favorites around the house...
First, my collection of Nativities... most homemade...
This is a new one this year... you can't see it very well, but I did some vinyl lettering in gold around the wreath that says: "Peace, Hope, Love, and Joy..."
This is my "gihugant" gold wreath that is supposed to be on the front door... measured, measured, and measured again... still, it doesn't fit, if you want the door shut... That didn't help get me into the right mood on Thanksgiving.. Mer asked "Well, what do you want to do? Leave it hung on the door and leave the door open?" My reply: "I want to rip that screen door off, and paint the front door black..." I didn't. I want to! But in the interest of time, I found a new home for it, where people can still see it from the door, that door with the rickety old, in the way, screen door...
Our tree... I love it! I made a new star for the top. I think I have 6 presents wrapped under the tree now... better get finished...
Our socks, plus a new addition.. Peyton!
These are new this year too... I couldn't leave these unused so I put the gold paper through the cricut and cut out some well spaced stars and then wrapped the strips around the candles.
And because we believe in the magic of Santa (if you don't... too bad for you!) here are our few Santa things... the girls NEED this sign.
The book on the table houses all of those cute pictures from my flashback post, and the memories and names of those who were there each year. An awesome gift from Darlene the Christmas right after we were engaged.
And my most favorite!! All my Christmas cards.... can you find yours?
Hope your home is all warm and merry...

Did you?...

Christmas cards... I finally got them out!
Now, to hope and pray that everyone gets them... sometime this year!
I just got a card today from Merrill's uncle, and they have a new address... hope their old address is forwarding their new mail...
Here's some fun numbers, well, at least I thought they were fun...
46 cards (yes, I had to make 16 more...)
27 are staying here in Utah...
9 are going to neighbors homes, with a treat :)... so they are staying in Utah too...
6 are on their way to Michigan...
1 going to Texas... yee-haw!
1 to Colorado...
1 to West Virginia...
And 1 to Georgia...
If I didn't have your address, consider this your Christmas greeting...
We love you! Have a Merry Christmas!!!