Oh, my! What a day!

Oh, my! What a day!

We woke up to more snow. We needed to get to church because Seth was scheduled to be baptized after church. Paul didn’t want to get up but he did and he went out and plowed. The other day he slipped on ice in the driveway and fell down and his ankle, knee and back were bothering him. Today when he was about done, he slipped getting out of the truck and fell. He was hurting but he got ready for church and got in the van and we left. When we got to church, we were extremely late but at least we were there. Paul said that the bench was killing him which I can imagine it was because they’ve killed me in the past (I’m actually a ghost, you know).

When Sacrament meeting was over, Elders Sanchez and Nash and Brother Peterman gave Paul a blessing. Seth got interviewed by the bishop. Paul decided that he wouldn’t be able to baptize Seth because it would be too much fun getting into the font. After Sunday School, he decided that he might ought to get to the hospital so I took him home to get his insurance card, meds, and a book to read. Then I dropped him off at the hospital and returned to church just in time to make copies of the program.

Nick got to baptize Seth since Paul couldn’t. We had him baptized but decided to have him confirmed next week so that Paul can do it. Nick did a good job. He had to do it twice because the first time his left hand didn’t go under but the second time it was all good. Everything turned out rather well.

Paul is home now. He has a fractured ankle and possibly his knee and tail bone. No wonder the bench at church hurt.

Joanna sold her scooter this afternoon. A guy wanted to come look at it this afternoon at 3:00 and he decided to get it so she is scooterless. She wants to go look at a Jeep in Connecticut Thursday. We’ll see how that goes. If she were to get it, she’d have to learn how to drive a stick before then. I’m just not sure that would work too well.

We were going to have Amena’s birthday party after we got home but she and Cedric were behaving so poorly on the way home that I decided that we weren’t so we didn’t. Seth thought that we should have pizza anyway since he was baptized today so we did do that and had cake as well. No ice-cream cake though. And no candles. And no Happy Birthday.

And that’s about all you are going to get tonight. I hope you have had a wonderful day.

Attack of the Mandarin Orange

I was going to add this to an earlier post but I can't figure out which one I wanted to. It was taken on December 9th. Paul had brought home lots of oranges, tangerines, and mandarin oranges and the boys discovered that mandarins are quite easy to peel and fun to do interesting things with. This one attacked Cedric's face before we could do anything. I am happy to report that it did no lasting damage and Cedric looks quite normal today.

 

Christmas 2012

This Christmas was different from last year. This year I was able to put the lights on the tree; last year I couldn't. That was Daniel's job. He was a huge part of decorating as well--he got to put up the more delicate ornaments (think old here--older in some cases than my grandmother) and was good at directing younger siblings on placement to fill holes and neglected areas of the tree. Last year, I could not bring myself to take pictures; this year I did. This is just a sampling--not necessarily the best, just some of those taken. No captions, either. If you know us, you might be able to guess at what is going on, if you don't, you might have a family and might have an idea anyway.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cedric's 11th Birthday

The matching snowman ice-cream cakes. We only ate one.

The top of the snowman cake I made for Cedric to have at school. They never ate it so he brought it home and we ate it.

Blowing. I really need to get some new candles.

Joanna telling Cedric to hold off on that one.

Notice me there doing cake and ice-cream stuff? Not many pictures because I had to do that because the missionaries had to be on their way. I didn't mind having them but I don't like having to rush things.



What's that?

Amena being pensive. She's good at that.

Now he can open this one. It was a guitar and he loves it.

Love Is What It's All About

Yesterday: Mixed up four batches of cookies and baked two (the other two are ‘chilling’). Mixed up a batch of ice-cream—green mint that will have grated semi-sweet chocolate in it. Mixed up a cocoa cake which is in the oven just about done. Folded five or six loads of laundry (well, my version of folding, anyway—includes folding Joseph’s and putting everyone else’s in piles for them to take care of). Washed three loads of laundry and dried three (a fourth is in the dryer). Helped Seth bring in some wood. Etc.

Today: baked the two batches of cookies that were chilling. Froze the ice-cream (and, oh, did it turn out well). Frosted the cake. Made waffles for breakfast. Etc. And now it’s not even 1:00. I think I’m satisfied.

Sugar cookie dough was one that was ‘chillin’. They want to be frosted and perhaps decorated. I cut out wreaths, evergreen trees and hearts with arrows through them. Joseph informed me that the hearts weren’t very good for Christmas. I said, “Why was Jesus born?”

“I don’t know,” Joseph answered.

“Well, he was born because he loved us. Why do you think Grandma is making you guys sweaters?”

“Because she loves us.”

“And why do people give gifts at Christmas?”

“Because they love us.”

“So, I think that hearts with arrows are perfect for Christmas cookies because love is what it’s all about.”

I’m not sure he’s entirely convinced but I thought it was a pretty good argument.

We got snow last night and a bit this morning. We also got rain this morning. Paul plowed because we’re expecting people for Amena’s birthday party this afternoon. I think he’d rather have done it when he gets home but by the time he gets home it will be dark. I don’t remember if he likes to plow when it’s dark but I do know that he doesn’t like to drive when it is. We are supposed to get more snow tonight. That will be nice. I am glad that I do not have to go anywhere today because, as usual, the driveway looks worse than the road. And, for Massachusetts, that’s saying something.

This is somewhat short but I’ll be off now. I hope you are having a wonderful day.

The Trouble with Christmas

The trouble with Christmas is that it is bittersweet. I love Christmas. I love hearing and telling the story of the Nativity. I love the lights (which we went out last night to see). I love that Jesus Christ agreed to be born into mortality and experience life in order to be crucified that we might enjoy eternal life with our loved ones. This does, of course, bring a bit of sadness though because even as we can look forward to being with our family, and friends, in the eternities, as we look back to the events which make this possible, we must also look at the present. In the here-and-now, I miss Daniel. I miss Papa. I miss my dad. I miss Uncle Mick and our trips to Mt. Shasta on his motorcycle for ice-cream. I miss Robert Lee’s smile. I know that we all have experience loss and I know that as time goes on, we will experience more. However, I also know that one day, we will be together. Picture this: Papa, my dad, Daniel, Uncle Mick, Robert Lee, and all those who have gone before us, missing us. I imagine that, given their new perspective, they are not missing us with the tears I experience daily, but with smiles and encouragement to those of us who yet remain in mortality.

Christmas Eve

Our topper: Not your average angel.

With that, we had a good Christmas. We are still working on merging the traditions that we brought with the ones Paul grew up with along with the absence of Daniel so things are. . . interesting. . . but good. We had a turkey and ham with mashed potatoes, potato salad (made by Elizabeth who brought it because it is a Peruvian tradition, cranberry sauce, stuffing, rolls and gravy. Fairly simple. Before our Christmas dinner, we had shrimp dip, onion dip and cream cheese and salsa dip with chips. After, we ate candy. And more chips and dip. We had, besides our usual eight, my mother, Jonathan and Elizabeth, Elders Sanchez and Nash, and Adam. It was good.

Christmas morning. And I just noticed that Paul is giving Cedric his morning tickling.

Stockings

In the morning, before anyone was technically allowed downstairs, the boys were and were checking out the tree. From a safe distance because Grandma was on the couch and I was on my way down. Joseph said, “See, Santa is too real. Otherwise, where did all the stuff come from?” Seth had been giving him a bad time about Santa not being real. Paul and I back Joseph up. To me, Santa represents the giving of the season. Even as Jesus was born and gave his life for us, Santa translates that into the giving of gifts so that we can better understand the true meaning of the season.

I can't say that Stan (the skeleton) is the most original gift I've ever received because each creation that my children give me is original and unique. I suppose I could say that he (Stan) is in a class of his own.

It being Christmas, it was also Amena’s thirteenth birthday. She’d been struggling with a cold and asthma. She was bad enough that I considered taking her to the hospital but since we had Paul, Jonathan, and two missionaries, I suggested a blessing which she agreed to. After that, she was better. I hear her coughing but she was up for dinner yesterday and stayed up after that. The coughing is part of the package which really stinks.

Today we are back to a somewhat normal routine. Paul has to work as does Joanna. Laura is taking my mother out to see Les Miserables. Joanna needs to go to Leominster before work to buy a new pair of pants because hers are falling apart. I fixed them a week or two ago but they are quickly approaching the point of no return.

The dryer just stopped which means Joanna will be wanting to leave shortly which means I will be back at some point before the day is over.

11:11 am

Well, here I am. We went to Marshall’s first but they didn’t have any pants that would work. Then we went to Target and they had some but the only ones they had that would fit Joanna were skinny jeans. Then we went to Payless Shoes but they weren’t open so we waited until they were and she got shoes too. Then we stopped at the West’s to get a movie that Amena wanted to borrow for her birthday party which is tomorrow. Then I dropped Joanna off at work and only 15 minutes early. Not too bad.

Paul is gone to work. My mother is knitting. Laura is in the shower. Seth brought in one load of wood (he’ll need to do at least three or four more). Joseph cleaned the ashes out of the fireplace. The goats are watered (by Seth and Cedric) and staked (by Laura, Cedric and Seth). I already have pictures downloaded and have something in mind for a post in my other blog. Laundry is drying and washing and I’ll be doing lots of that today. I plan on making cookies. There is much to be done so I supposed I’d best be getting on with it.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and that today is as good.

I just thought the lights from the tree would be cool behind Stan.

PS Aunt Julie, thanks so much for the email. If ever you can come visit, I would love to have you. Any time. I love you guys and miss you bunches.

PPS AD, we did have a houseful. And it was fun. I think a houseful of family and friends is a testament as to the kind of people who live in the house (which should not be taken badly in any way for those, like you, who had just you—there is a time and a season for everything). Love you too, always.

PPS To everyone, thank you for being my family and friends. Even though we may have differing opinions and thoughts on some things, those things really are trivial when it comes to the core of life and that is love.