So this is all the 2008 birthdays....   Starts with Mercury (4), then Venus (11) and Iris (7), and last the twins who just turned 2 on the 19th.  Where DOES the time go???  I couldn't find any music that I liked to go with this remix, but music would have been nice.    So Grandmas, enjoy. 

Redbeard and I have decided that for this year we are starting a new tradition that we are making our gingerbread houses on Christmas Eve.  The point of this is so the little ones aren't in so much trouble for snitching the candies off the houses from the older ones.  Also, since this seems to be a big thing for our kids, when they get older and come back home from college, they'll be off school by that time, so it'll be a tradition that can expand beyond just the young years.

This year I have bought a ton of books.  I finally bought J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings Trilogy.  I hadn't yet because I was so busy buying "classics", but these are classics to me too, although I have yet to find them on any classics list.  The older I get, the more I realize just how inspired SOME science fiction writers are.  I also bought the first three Episodes of Star Wars, and some of the original offbeat novels (the one by alan Dean Foster AND the Han Solo's Revenge books) that came out between Star Wars: A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back, back in the 70's.  I already had bought the trilogy from the 70's and 80's for my daughter, and it sparked an interest in her like I had hoped it would.

Why Star Wars?  I guess it's because I want to facillitate more reading amongst my young ones, and although I read classics to them, I think George Lucas was right - they DO need a hero.  My Venus is not much of a reader at all.  But she has gotten into the movies with Athena, so I am hoping that if we read these as a family, she'll start to catch on.  Besides, it's great memories for me.  I grew up loving The Hobbit (I already own the 50 yr. special edition so I didn't have to buy that, but my paperbacks are long since worn out) - I wouldn't let them watch the movies until they were older, but Redbeard argued with me that their grandparents had already let them watch The Fellowship of the Ring (why don't Grandparents ask how we feel about that sort of stuff???) so I lost that battle, but I won't let Iris watch it - it's much to violent for little ones.  Iris won't even watch the Star Wars stuff because it scares her - she's very sensitive. 

Star Wars for me is a whole other memory.  Back in the 70's there was no "I'll wait til it comes out on video/DVD) - you either went to the movies or you didn't see it.  For some reason my parents were excited about it and drove from Cypress to Houston (back then it was a drive - now-a-days it's all one big mess) to watch it, and I remember driving back in their Dodge hatchback with my feet up on the window (my Dad occasionally yelling at us girls to put our feet down) looking up at the stars and seeing the X-wings and the Tie-fighters dueling it out in the night sky.  I wonder if my sister remembers that?  Anyway, I shared with my daughters my love, and they love the original series as well, but the newer ones - episodes I - III not so much.  I had heard that the books are better than the movies, so that's why I got them to try it out.  Honestly, I got to thinking about it, and I think the reason why they like Episodes IV-VI so much better is because you are watching someone from obscurity beat the bad guy - not watching the hero break down into the bad guy.  But if what I hear is right, reading them in sequence will give a clear vision of choices and accountability, and how love can really be the winning factor.  Which, if you read the giant Killer, goes right along with that theme.  Anyway, I'm very excited about starting these with the kids.  :)  As for the offshoots I bought - I just loved them as a youngster, and thought maybe the kids might too - no classic potential there. 

Anyway, thought I'd share.  Wierd topic for Christmas, isn't it?  I'm filing it under Family History because I've shared some memories, and the Gingerbread house is making memories. 

Hope you are having a wonder Christmas season!!!  :)

Rather than show ALL of them, I'm just choosing two.  :)  Redbeard told everyone "Together, Orion and I make 42".  He just refused to tell folks how much of that Orion took up...  LOL.  He can get by with it - he has such a baby face, people don't realize that he's 38.  I miss his beard sometimes.  I really do.  I like it when it gets a little stubbly....  :D

 Yes, I didn't work very hard on decorating, but Orion never noticed.  Redbeard got his lemon cake, and chose to forgo the traditional chocolate frosting and went for lemon frosting.  He said it was perfect.  So, alls well I suppose...  and I didn't kill myself over it.  :)

This is one of Orion's gifts - you shake it and it makes airplane noises, and pull the trigger and it flys across the the room.  Made of that nerf stuff, so it doesn't break anything.  He got other things too, like a bubble blower, some coloring things, stuff from grandparents, but this was his favorite.  Very boy.  And that's a good thing.  :D

I will answer where to find Donna's family rhythm stuff in a day or so when I'm not in such a time crunch. But I haven't forgotten. :)

My little sister just had her very first baby!  7lbs. 8 oz. - 22" long.  They had scheduled a c-section because the baby was breech, but she and her husband did some research and asked for a certain procedure to be done to get the baby to turn (I don't know what that is).  She said they tried twice and it didn't work.  Resigned, she fell back and sighed and all of the sudden there was excitement in the room - and she relized the baby turned.  So they induced her right then and last night around 11:45 her darling baby girl is born - NO C-section!  I'm so glad for her!!!!!    I wrote her a poem, but I haven't sent it to her yet -  just wanted to share just a portion of it here:

This morning I kissed Athena good-bye and sent her away to the Shakespeare Showdown, where she is going to be camping through Wed.  I wish I could go with her - I don't like my 13 yr. old being away from family so much, but I'm trusting the Lord that she'll return ok.  I trust the other Moms she is going down with, so that makes it easier.  At least she is with parents that are like-minded.  She gave me a hard time this morning because I insisted she take a coat with her.  Love and Logic would have said "Let her go without - it's her choice."  Well, I don't care.  I know what those mountains are like at night (not to mention the weather advisory says they may be getting snow) and I won't have her freeze for three days because she's being prideful.  She can learn that lesson at another time.

In the meantime, things are moving along with the house.  Redbeard has some phone calls to make and I'm starting to pack boxes.  Tomorrow we meet with the current owners of the house.  Moving day will be upon us before we know it.  I'm very excited - we'll finally be out in the country!  YA-HOOOOO!!  My kids are looking forward to raising chickens.  I'm going to have to ask the locals how to keep them warm in the winter - I'm such a Texan!  LOL!

Here's some pictures of the kids at the park on the day we went down to Blackfoot while Athena practiced for 5 hours on her play.  It was a looooong day, but worth it.

WOW.  Thought I'd feel old when I was over 35, but I'm realizing I'm quite young.  36 isn't all that bad.  LOL!  Yesterday I realized that as I am in the end of my baby years I was still standing in the back of the RS room (a church sunday school for women), and now I'm no longer surrounded by women my own age, but by these slender young things that look like they just graduated from high school.  I guess I'm one of the few that kept going after two.  Personal choices and reasons - I'm okay with that.  Butttt......

I was never thin after my first one!  But then, I'm about a foot shorter than all these Amazon women too! 

Anyways, I had a good chuckle over that.  Reminded me of my Mom when she had my younger brother in her 40's - I was 18.  My kiddeos aren't quite that far apart.  I still have mixed emotions about "being done" - I guess it depends on the hour you ask me about it.  I'd still like to have one more girl, but my body (and my mind) is super tired.  So we'll see.

Back to my birthday.  Tonight we plan to go garden with our friends.  Venus says she'll make me a gingerbread cake with frosting (normally I don't eat frosting because of all the sugar, so it's a real birthday treat!)  Maybe I'll have Athena bake a "normal" cake for everyone else since they don't like the gingerbread as much as I do.  :)  At least we save on ice cream!  hehe  Otherwise, it's business as usual.

Oh, and last night Athena made me some bread, so I actually get TOAST with my eggs and sausage - a rare treat!  It really is the simple things.....   Happy Birthday to ME!  :)

My parents, after having the same phone line since 1979, have axed it.  They are now cell phone users only. 

I told Mom she has traumatized me.  Now how are people from the past supposed to find me?  Like anyone is LOOKING for me... LOL!

So anyway, she emailed me the news, and I'm floored.  Not sure what to think.  I blame it on the signs of the times - Mom and Dad are now cell phone users - no more land line.  Yep, the end of the world MUST be near!

LOL!!!!!!

My adopted sister just told me that a very dear lady in my life has passed away.

Jane was really an inspiration.  She went through all kinds of grief with an abusive husband.  She waited until she felt confirmation from the spirit that she should leave him.  She came back to the church, and was always worried that she wouldn't live to see any of her children return as well.  I'm happy to report that she did see that happen in her lifetime.

Jane taught many of us by just being "Jane".  I remember going to her house and just listening to her talk about her mother.  She taught me that being a mother was a sacred responsibility and that you must nuture love between you and your children - it's not something to be taken for granted.  She taught many sisters in the ward how to make pie crust!  And some of us how to can jams and jellies.  I don't know how many times I borrowed her Kerr canning book!  She taught me about long suffering, how to look after myself and to research ailments instead of going to the doctor for a "quick fix".  Jane lived a lot longer than any doctor thought she would!  She taught me how to rely on the Atonement and how to serve quiety but firmly.  She was so kind to us - she sent our children movies and lots of gifts, never asking anything in return.  Yes, she taught me so much!

Jane also taught me about following the spirit.  Many don't know this, but we bought our little mobile home in Texas from Jane.  She only wanted enough for her hearing aids for it, but we were trying to pay her a fair price.  At the time we were having major cash issues.  Between my parents and us, we paid her about $6,000.00 for it.  One day she called us up and asked us to come over.  We always did as she asked.  She told us that she had been praying about it and felt very strongly that she was to "forgive" us the remaining amount.  So she had the papers drawn up and signed it over to us.  It was very humbling, but she allowed us to go home and pray about it as well.  We know that she had done Heavenly Father's bidding.  Shortly after that the Lord sent us a buyer for the home and we were on our way to Idaho.   I never did ask her if she realized that she had been very instrumental in that move.  What a testimony it was to me that when we follow the promptings of the spirit not just our lives are benefited, but others as well.

We loved Jane like our own Grandmother.  I am so sad I won't get to see her again in this life.  So very sad.  I am sure the Lord will let me give her a hug and tell her how greatful I am for her example when I return to my heavenly home.  She was such a great lady - I will miss her so much.

Sorry!  I've been so busy I haven't any time to even blog, let alone upload, edit, crop, etc pictures!  Geez!

Anyways...  for those of you who didn't watch the previous photo show, you have to click onto the volume thingy to hear the cool music, which I LOVE the music with the photos.  It's so much fun-ner!  :0)  (Little Leagally blonde quote there.)  Yes they had some toys, but we didn't bother to wrap them.  And I didn't really care for the pics we took of them... these were tons cuter.  So enjoy the twins first birthday... wish you could've been there!

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