Classic

My sister's and I in the photobooth circa Kmart 70's. Mel so beautiful, as always, even with the stylin' lenses. Me looking a little disoriented - now I know where Land gets it, and Jen with a hint of deviousness and total focus, she looks just like her youngest urchin.

Now, if this doesn't put you in the Christmas Spirit nothing can. (Actually, this image rends me melancoly) First you have to feel for that Santa. I'm fairly certain that at five years old Chase weighed more than him. His eyes look so hollow and tired much like the you know you're a redneck camping tarp background. But I can't ever decide if Chase is brilliantly happy or if he is channeling Mr. Burns, "ex...cell...ent" plotting to take down the Wal-Mart St. Nick.

Thanks!

Change, uncertainty, mystery...
Thanksgiving was my mother's holiday. (well, Easter too) For 25 years the family has gathered at her home for the thankful feast.
We are heading to Long Beach tomorrow morning.
A new start for the holiday season.
Little nephews adoring their grown-up cousins.
Laughter, nostalgia, chaos, ocean breezes, food, goodness, gratefulness.
Embrace.
Enjoy.

photo via: seal beach

boo

Aren't we the festive couple? It was a gorgeous fall day in Cache Valley. Darren's in the background carving some awesome pumpkin... I'm just back from a jog a resembling a real witch. Trick or Treat? PS: I know it is late, but we have full-size candy bars at our house and not a lot of candy grabbers -- what's up with that?

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!

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.

What a day

While attending the interior design department's holiday open house I flipped out over the new Harry holiday tunes. Gets me every time... his voice, the jazz, the big band members, especially luscious Lucien. Take a look here for a Santariffic riff. Oh my.... can you imagine if he showed up at church?

all things counter, original, spare, strange;

Spring and fall

:to a young child

Margaret, are you grieving 

Over Goldengrove unleaving?

Leaves, like the things of man, 

You with your fresh thoughts care for, can you?

Ah! as the heart grows older 

It will come to such sights colder

By and by, nor spare a sigh 

Though worlds of wanwood leafmeal lie;

And yet you will weep and know why.

Now no matter, child, the name: 

Sorrow's springs are the same.

Nor mouth had, no nor mind, expressed

What heart heard of, ghost guessed:

It is the blight man was born for, 

It is Margaret you mourn for.

--Gerard Manley Hopkins

I tried to memorize a poem for every letter of the alphabet, and this Hopkins gem (my favorites beside this are Pied Beauty and God's Grandeur) came to mind with its leaf-crunchy rhythm when I was jogging with the dog on Thanksgiving morning.

We had ventured to cut down a Christmas tree the day before and trudged through the "worlds of wanwood leafmeal".

I hope you all have a poetic thankful week.