Happy 2014!

Happy New Year!

Enjoy whatever may come, and whatever you create this year!

New Year's Eve!!

Tonight's December thirty-first,
Something is about to burst.
The clock is crouching, dark and small,
Like a time bomb in the hall.
Hark, it's midnight, children dear.
Duck! Here comes another year!

- Ogden Nash

Have a happy and safe New Year, everybody!

The Sweater Christmas

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were everything I hoped they would be: full of family, fun, and traditions. My mom gave all of the men a sweater in varying shades of grey and blue. I think Peter got two or three; enough that he quipped: "I call this 'The Sweater Christmas.'"

Christmas EVE!!

A new tradition: A white elephant game. We had fun seeing what items Lindsey had come up with, and stealing Slinkys, Princess puzzles, and bungee cords away from each other!

A small, yet stalwart, cast for the Nativity

This screams "I'm doing this not because I want to, but because you asked me to." I appreciate them being good sports. They were so cute as Mary and the Angel!
(I love Dad videotaping in the background. Hope to see the video someday!)

Talent show!
The G-child's piano skills are growing!

"Christmas Bells are Ringing"

"Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer"

"Twas the Night Before Christmas"
I love hearing my mom read out loud. Truly one of her most valuable skills!

"O Come, O Come, Emmanuel"
(Speaking of growing skills)

Dave recited a cool Shakespeare-era poem about the resurrection. Impressive and lovely! 

Singing carols and ringing bells.  You haven't heard "Jingle Bells" until you've heard my siblings clucking and mooing their way through it. Funniest thing I've heard in a while!

Lime slushie and a beautiful couple in flannel. That's the dream!

Christmas DAY!!

Dad surprised Mom with a new diamond ring. She cried.
"I thought someone would get a ring this Christmas, but I didn't think it would be me!"

Old (not really) blue eyes
(Doesn't his expression remind you of the official photos for the General Authorities?)

 The calendars were a hit! Better yet, my mom's exact words when she saw the cover photo were:
"That's the best picture of me, ever! Let's put it on Facebook!"

The latest from Mom's campaign to steer Aaron away from his stylin' printed t-shirts ;)

I admit, I totally cried when I opened this pass for the Salt Lake Comic Con FanXperience, and my brothers all slow-clapped.
I am BEYOND excited to meet most of the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation in April!
It's my fifteen year-old dream come true!

"The Frozen castle!!"

Zonks and Breezy could not have been more excited about their new dollhouse. They reacted very differently...

...Here is Zonks quietly hugging it before it is entirely unwrapped :D

Breezy fell down a lot trying to thank Grammy and Boppa. As Aaron said: "The ability to walk is overrated when you get a good present." When she couldn't get close to Boppa because of all of the gift, wrapping, and footrest obstacles, she kissed his foot. Dad laughed, "A lot of people have had kissed on their lips and cheeks today, but I'm the only one who got it on his feet!"

Lindsey and I both received this fancy trash can, and we were both thrilled! 

In Lindsey's words: "It might be sharing the bed with Adam and I tonight."

Haha!

(Now we see where Zonks inherited her quiet reaction ;-) )

Everyone had fun with the Dominoes set the kids received. Unfortunately, we haven't quite gotten the knack of how far apart to set them. It was still fun!

Our resident engineer/med student builds a crazy-tall tower

My friends and family were so generous this year. I don't deserve them!
(But I will keep them ;-) )

I know I take it for granted how well my family gets along. I watch movies and t.v. shows where families yell at each other, and I can't relate (I loathe those kinds of shows). I won't pretend it's all happiness and understanding all the time, but generally we appreciate and support each other and enjoy being together. I am so lucky! I sure do love these people.

It was a little bittersweet knowing this is the last year of our family the way it is now; the way it has been for the last three years. Next year, we'll have a new baby and a wedding (dare I hope for two or three of each?)! Good changes, for sure. We have enjoyed being a family of twelve. Looking forward to the added love and fun the new family members will bring!

God bless us, everyone!

My sentiments for the day are summed up in the immortal words of Fred from Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol:

There are many things from which I might have derived good by which I have not profited, I dare say," returned the nephew, "Christmas among the rest. But I am sure I have always throught of Christmas-time, when it has come round -- apart from the veneration due to its sacred name and origin, if anything belonging to it can be apart from that -- as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow-passangers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys. And therefore, uncle, though it has never put a scrap of gold or silver in my pocket, I believe that it has done me good, and will do me good; and I say God bless it!

Happy Christmas, my friends. I love you, and I hope the day is full of family, friends, and fun!

Jury Duty

This month brought a new experience for me:

Jury Duty

This phrase strikes fear into the heart of a lot of U.S. citizens, and I confess that I wasn't thrilled with the timing of the initial notice (right before my birthday and Disneyland trip) but by the time they actually called me in I was kind of looking forward to it. I was definitely looking forward to a change from the regular work day!

Fortunately, I was called to a less-severe court than those that do murder trials and such. One of the cases I was called for was for theft. I arrived bright and early and waited in a room with about 20 other people for an hour. During that time, nearly everybody complained about how inconvenient it was. I mean, sure, none of us asked to be there, but do you have to whine the whole time? It doesn't change anything... it just makes me not like you :P Although, I admit I felt a little sorry for the woman who had been called in every two years like clockwork for the last 16 years. That would be annoying (knock on wood)!

Also, I noticed quickly that I was overdressed. I had on a sweater and heels and a sheath skirt... most other people were wearing jeans. Nice jeans, but they definitely looked more comfortable than I. That's what I get for dressing like I'm on an episode of Drop Dead Diva! Now I know for next time.

Finally, we were called in to meet with the judge and we assumed to be vetted for duty. That's when the judge said that not enough witnesses had shown up for either case, so we could go home.

Oh. Okay.

She gave us a chance to ask questions, and a few people did, but I was out of there by 9:30. Since I had the day off from work, I went home and took a nap and it was awesome!

So, my first foray into the world of justice was a little anti-climactic. Ah, well, at least I won't be called for at least another two years!

Have you ever served on a jury? What was it like? What was the case like? Are you excited to do it again?

I accept your applause

While doing our first read-through for The Sound of Music, I noticed the following stage direction in the script (which I helpfully highlighted for the photo):

"They accept the audience's applause."

When I posted this photo on Instagram, my cousin Emily said "If it's not written in the script, do you reject the applause???"

I had the same thought, which is why I started giggling. My friend Kenn asked me what was so funny, so I pointed out the direction and said, "I accept your applause." Then HE started giggling, sang the end of the song, and we both said together, "I accept your applause" at which point a few people turned around to see what was going on. We were supposed to be listening to the people reading, so we were being very rude, but we couldn't get over how funny that direction was.

So, just know that the next time I get any applause, I will curtsey or bow or whatever the director deems appropriate, but in my head I will be thinking "I accept your applause." Because, apparently, if I don't formally accept it, it will be the same as rejecting it, and I really do appreciate the gesture!