I WAS THERE...

Shepard Fairey poster

At least that is what I will be saying Wednesday morning. I am leaving in an hour to go to DC for the inauguration. Can you say "what a shocker!" I just want to get cozy with 4-5 million other fellow citizens to witness history. It really would never make sense to another, but Obama's journey to the presidency is a sort of personal metaphor for my own journey the last four years. Nervous, anxious, hopeful excitement is brewing. I've got to go and pack my warm clothes. Look for me... I'll be wearing an ice blue puffy coat and a bright pink hat. This song is repeating over and over in my mind this morning... click here.

ring in the new year - holiday rewind

Girls with hats (Amy, DeAnn, Ella, Jenny, Jeanette) Angus gets ready to toast to the New Year. Ella participates in the limbo.

Explore Bryce Canyon in the morning. Amy and Ella play in a tree while the others climb up the trail.

We jump for joy for 2009. Snow fights are the irresistible activity at every stop.

Ooooh and Aaaah!

A ready-made snowman greets us on the trail... and isn't Jenny so clever to hold that hoodoo.

Cross-country skiing along the rim of the canyon was spectacular.

Sunset point at sunset. The Fergusson Family, the Olsens and the whole new year crew: Darren, DeAnn, Angus, Amy, Jenny, Duncan, Ella, Fraser, Hugh, and Jeanette.

Hooray for 2009!

weekend wonder (I wonder what are we thinking)

What a weekend:

1. I drove in a snowstorm to my dad's on Thursday night to meet the Fergussons and watch the National Championship game. I got lost in Croydon, hmmm how does that happen I've been through that town thousands of times.
2. Spend a leisure morning at my dad's with the Fergussons. Amy is my dad's buddy shoveling and scraping snow. My dad was an excellent host and the new home is really nice.
3. Shopping at the outlet mall. I rarely get a chance to shop with "the girls". It was a good time.
4. Meet Darren and the boys at Red Butte Cafe for dinner.
5. Attend the gymnastics meet at U of U. On the list as one of my favorite activities. The girls were awestruck.
6. I take the boys to Bodyworlds at 1:00am (yes you read that right - it is open 24 hours for the final days) - it is sold out, but a kind ticket agent let us through in the wee hours of the morning. We finally finish at 4:00am and return to the hotel to sleep.
7. The Fergussons leave after breakfast. (for San Fran, Figi and then back to Oz) I am so tired that I can't get emotional, but on the inside I so don't want them to leave. We have had such a fantastic holiday with them.
8. Slumdog Millionaire. Don't wait - go and see this movie now. Unbelievable.
9. Dinner at Harry and Amy's. They cook us steaks and perfected potatoes and gingered vegetables and oooo so yummy ice cream. (soy for me). We stay at their house and visit until after 11:00.

That's how to spend the weekend; with great family and close friends. I feel good and exhausted and happy.

eve feast... holiday rewind

We gather, friends and family, open our crackers (or bonbons, as the Australians call them) adorn our party hats and feast on roast beast. This year we especially remembered my mom - she was always here for us on this night, made the gravy. Angus was kind and jumped right in and did it for me. My dad spent the night with us and watched the boys and the Fergusson girls open their gifts on Christmas morning.

people with mustaches...

Guys with mustaches enjoy the snow - not only guys with white beards. This is Land, Austin and Dallas leaving for snowboarding after adorning stick-on facial hair I received as a white elephant gift at a holiday party.

Cheers

Christmas stresses me out. I can hardly breathe. I think it all happens too fast, too much pressure for one moment and then there is such a drop-off as soon as the moment is over. That is my excuse for posting about Christmas nearly two weeks later. As I was gathering gifts a few days before the big day I saw a supposedly funny card that made me want to upchuck the little bit of holiday spirit I had managed to drum up. It had a beautiful painting of Jesus and a quote bubble that proclaimed, "Happy Birthday to Me". I couldn't purchase a single thing after that, I thought really, He would be disappointed in all this horrid consuming. We went small on gifts - and enjoyed my dad and the Ferguson family staying with us. It turned out to be a magical week.

Pictured above are some of the cheerful decorations that helped us be jolly:

a. Our scuba santa ornament from St. John. I really felt that I was drowning in the stress.
b. The nativity given to me years ago from my mother. A peace dove from my sister-in-law. Flowers in the frame above the table are from my mom's grave given to us from a woman in Coalville... so beautiful.
c. The living room mantel all dressed in white with a photo of my mother and the ceramic Christmas tree made by Darren's grandma Olsen and given to us when she passed. Our favorite decoration.
d. The dining room with a grosgrain ribbon runner and the nutcracker and Steinbach music box and smoker given to me from my grandma Hazel.
e. The stockings I made years ago when we first moved to Utah and of course the holiday books.
f. The Santa collection, several are from my mother, one is from Russia from my good friends.
g. A colorful wooden nativity... I bought one for my niece as a wedding present - she was married in December and one for myself. The boys and I made trees out of clay and evergreen branches.
h. The felt Santa, reindeer and sleigh I couldn't pass up at ABC Home in New York.
i. The entry of the new home. Christmas cards are hanging up above.
j. Our easy-up, easy-down Christmas tree.
k. The tree that "spoke" to Chase when we went venturing through the woods with friends and neighbors. The boys said they needed to save it from its embarrassment in the forest. I think it is sorta charming.

the tree has eyes

Happy New Year - icicles and all.