Christmas 2011 Recap and Highlights

I think what made this Christmas so special was the fact that we didn't put a whole lot of expectations on it. We had decided early this year that we would put more emphasis on birthdays to avoid the frenzied, materialistic-centered Christmas hub-bub. And I think that paid off. We kept the gifts simple this year, and focused more on time together as well as serving those around us.

The girls and I (along with a lot of help from Mark) had another great experience doing Secret Santa for 3 families in our Ward. It was so much fun to gather items donated by ward members, and then actually go and shop for the missing pieces. Wrapping them up, and delivery was the pinnacle for sure. The girls loved it, and I did too. It really warmed our hearts. For Girl Scouts, we made platters of Christmas cookies and big THANK you cards for the Tonica and Lostant Volunteer Fire and EMT departments. When I asked the girls what they loved about Christmas this year, these were some of the things they mentioned. I would have to agree, it really set the tone for our holiday.

We enjoyed Christmas Eve and Day at home with just the 5 of us. Seems pretty simple to some, but it was really nice for us. Nothing really pressing to get to or do, just kind of enjoying the days for what they were. Highlights included staying home, cooking our favorite traditional foods (ham, cheesy potatoes, jello salad, green beans, rolls), watching A Christmas Story, reading the Nativity story out of James, singing some carols, and then finishing the night with The Night Before Christmas. We sprinkled some glittery oats on the lawn for the reindeer, and tucked the girls in for their long winter's nap...


(Parker and Mark just before bedtime on Christmas Eve...)

Sunday morning, we let the girls see what Santa had brought them, but then started getting ready for Church.


(This is the pose we got after asking Parker to "show us your face!!")





After a lovely Sacrament program with beautiful music, and reading selections, we were done!! It was actually the shortest meeting I've ever been to! We got home and made a huge brunch of eggs, bacon, hash browns, fruit salad, and toast. Then we got busy opening our presents. It was nice to be able to take our time and enjoy each gift. That's exactly what Parker wanted to do...she wanted to stop and play with each new toy for awhile before moving onto the next, and luckily she was able to. After we were all done, she and I took a nap while Mark and the girls began to test out some of the new toys and games they received. That evening we enjoyed our traditional Christmas lasagna with salad and bread.

It was really a wonderful Christmas, and we are so grateful for all of our blessings. One of the things I was struck by is that this was the first Christmas since we've been married that we weren't absolutely strapped financially, where we didn't have to strategize our spending down to the very last penny. Mark and I were actually able to buy presents for each other, rather than having to sacrifice that so the kids could have what they wanted. I am grateful for that feeling this year. It was something special and unique, and I recognize that it is a direct blessing from my sweet in-laws who, in their giving way, have helped to ease that burden in our lives. But at the same time, it's because we don't have them anymore that we are able to appreciate this blessing. So it's bittersweet. I do wish they could have celebrated another Christmas with us, but I also recognize that they are still serving us each and every day, in a a way that would make them just as proud. I will never be able to thank them enough.

So with that and the simple, quiet holiday we were able to enjoy I think that 2011 was one of the best Christmas's ever.

Hope yours was merry and bright too!!

Christmas Eve Jammies

Thanks Grandma and Grandpa Day for our cozy Christmas jammies!!

Now it's off to bed for us, and some pretty yumm-o treats for Santa (and the Mrs!) Tee hee!!

My Birthday Girl

Maryn is 11 today!! Can you believe it?!? It seems so surreal sometimes. She's past a decade now, and as my Mom keeps reminding me, we're on the downward slope in terms of our time with her before she gets her wings and fly, flies away. We've got 7 years left...but let's not dwell on that today...no, no. Instead let's celebrate Maryn Elizabeth...our sparkly braces and glasses wearing pre-teen girl who is growing before our very eyes!!

We had a birthday party for Maryn on Saturday at our house. It was a friend party that included all of Maryn's favorites: Casey's cheese pizza for lunch, drawing self portraits, playing Pictionary, shaking their booties to "Just Dance", watching a movie, and making ice cream sundaes. I think (and hope) they all had a good time. Maryn chose to give them all one of her new favorite smelly lotion scents from Bath & Body, as well as a yummy flavor of chapstick, some cute hair bands, and her favorite candy: M&M's and a candy cane in their treat bags. (Remember when she called them "any-ems"?!?)











Tonight after school, we'll take her out to dinner at her favorite place and give her presents from the fam. Items on her wish list included makeup (sorry, not gonna happen for another year), perfume, books, art stuff, and a Kindle. We'll see if she was a good girl this year...stay tuned!

Thanksgiving Recap (really late)

Thanksgiving was so nice this year! We went over the river and through the woods to Grandma and Grandpa Day's. Besides hitting some annoying traffic outside of Kalamazoo (which tacked on over 2 hours to our regular drive time), the weekend was wonderful!





Thanks to Erin and Ben for being the hosts with the mosts!! Seriously, sooo fun to bunk with them in their adorable West Chicago house...we all loved it!





And thanks to Shauna, Daren, and Maddi for traveling from the rocky mountains to spend some time with all of us...it was so nice to reconnect! And even nicer to catch an evening show of Breaking Dawn with my sestry!! Whoo hoo!! I'm not even into Twilight and I must admit I kind of loved it. Ha ha!!





And a round of applause goes to Ma and Pa Day, who in spite of some pretty horrible circumstances the past few months still managed to put a smile on their faces and open their home and kitchen to us all...there is no place like home and it was so warm and comforting to spend our holiday with them in theirs. I am so grateful this Thanksgiving that Mom is feeling better and that things are moving in a positive direction!!



The menu was delectable, the conversation was hysterical (wherever the Pierson's are, there is always laughter!), and some great memories stored up for posterity.



Thanks again, it was great!

Da Haps 4 Ma Peeps

Just one of those catch-up blog posts for my peeps...givin' you all the 4-1-1, or "da haps"...a chance to get all up in our bidness. What?!? Well, any-hoo!

Mark

On a fast track to madness...end of the semester style. He was asked to be on a hiring committee for the assistant librarian on campus and they have to go through over 70 applications, as well as interviews, and decide BEFORE Christmas break...throw a few hundred research papers (7-10 pages) each in there for finals, and you've got a perfect storm, right? Sure sounds like it! Basically Mark is doing his best to keep his head above the mountain of paperwork trying to take his life, and doing pert near durn good at the juggling act! Only casualty is his chronic winter cough is back...I like to call him "barky Marky" this time of year!! LOL!!

Moi

I will actually be relieved when I can go back to my 6-8 hours a week next semester. Keeping up with my work schedule this semester has been challenging. Plus it's getting cold and the snow is going to come and I'm actually kind of looking forward to hibernating for a few months. Sure I'll come out on occasion, but the idea of pj days with Parker watching Dora sounds pretty good right about now. Picked up a side hobby/business venture in the past several months, it's called "online garage saling". I know, perfect for me, right? It's been so fun, and I have really enjoyed it. I've been able to sell tons of my stuff, make some money, and find a large portion of our Christmas presents online for cheap, cheap, cheap! Gotta love that! I have so many projects swimmin' around in my crafty little brain right now...mostly of the wreath variety. Don't ask me why, but I have plans to do a Christmas wreath, halloween, and valentines. I'll letcha know how they turn out.

Maryn



Looking forward to turning 11 soon. She keeps asking me when she can start wearing makeup...like every day, multiple times a day. Her class got another new girl this year and she and Maryn seem to have hit it off. Can you all just take a moment to recognize that God does hear secret prayers? This year is already so much easier for her, I couldn't be more relieved. She totally deserves it. She is such a kind-hearted, compassionate soul. She deserves a break now and then too!! Especially considering all the abuse she has been enduring at Parker's hand. For some reason Parker has really been picking on her lately...grabbing her glasses, pulling her hair, knocking her over. I asked Maryn if it bothers her, and she said no, not really. I wish she had that same attitude when it came to her relationship with Avery....if you know what I mean!! Ha ha! Maryn is learning to play the flute in the school band this year, and it's been fun for her. We'll see how her practice is paying off at the Christmas concert coming up next month.

Avery



Been doing a little better in terms of staying out of trouble...I can tell when she is trying and that's definitely a step in the right direction. The thing about Avery is that underneath her tough exterior, she is soooo sensitive. She needs love soooo much even though at times my first inclination is a swift kick in the behind, if ya know what I mean!! Other than that, she is doing fine. She enjoys playing her ds every chance she gets, and is sooo naturally helpful and nurturing towards Parker. They actually play together and it's really fun to see their close relationship. She's not doing any extra-curriculars right now. It's been nice to just have all the girls home after school, with no real schedule to answer to. She's been reading a lot too. I'm pretty sure she's almost done with Harry Potter series now.

Parker



She is really starting to act like a 2 year these days...she's talking like crazy, she's throwing tantrums more, she's eating less, she's pushing her boundaries more, but at the same time, my gosh!! Could she be any cuter?!? She really keeps us laughing and excited about life. It's so fun to explain and show things to her for the first time. Now if we could just get her away from the tv, we'd be doing awesome! ha ha! She definitely loves her "progrums". And suckers! Did I tell you about her recent obsession with suckers? Let's just say she will pretty much be amenible to anything if there's a sucker in store afterwards.

Well, that's about it for now. We are on our way over to Michigan for Thanksgiving. We'll be dining in the delightful company of my parents, the Griswold's, and the Pierson's...all the way from the rocky mountains! Should be a hoot, can't wait!! Enjoy your holiday everyone, I am soooo grateful for ALL of you!!

Loves and turkeys and punkin' pie,

Suzy

Sista's Reunion '11

Although it wasn't nearly complete due to the absence of the eldest sista, Shauna and our SIL Gretchen; the Sista's Reunion 2011 edition was still jam-packed with food, fun, laughter, therapeutic conversations, tears, flatulence (doh, did I really just say that?!? LOL!), cooking, very little sleep, shopping, and bittersweet goodbyes. It's never long enough, it's always too few and far between, and we always say "when can we do this again?!?" as we pull ourselves away. What can I say?!? I love my sista's and can't wait for next time!!


Dinner Friday night at the Macaroni Grill


Black Forest birthday cake for Melanie at Erin's house


Shopping at the Town Peddler


Lunch at Potbelly Sandwiches


Manicures and Pedicures with Amy and her girls in Milford (where the "friendly" Asian workers talked about our hairy legs!)


Suzy says da!!


A little brother thrown into our Sista's reunion...this pic reminds me of that one they took a looong time ago in their navy blazers and briefcases, remember that one? They were all matchy-match that night at dinner at a Mexican place in Milford.


Melanie and Erin hijack my camera and start getting a little silly.


After dinner we had to do a late-night Target run...you can imagine the hijinks that ensued. LOL!!

Until next time ladies...let's do the dang thang!!

Halloween Pictorials 2011

Ward Halloween Party: Meh...we don't do trunk or treat in this Ward...and Halloween just isn't complete for some reason w/o that. We do classroom trick or treat, a chili cook-off, and carnival games for the kids. I guess it's oooo-kaaaay...ha ha!! wah, wah, wah!!









Town wide Trick-r-treating: Always fun...I actually like the fact that the girls can literally go to every house in town within a couple hours. This year we started in the nice big neighborhood on the hill...you know, where they give out the "good stuff"!! Ha ha! After that, the girls took off with their own friends and we took Parker home. I picked them back up at the town cafe drinking free hot chocolate and cider at 7, which is when the lights go out in town. It's actually one of the neater aspects of living in a small town. Everyone is out, walking around with their kids, you know pretty much everyone, and they all gather at the local cafe at the end. Sounds kind of Mayberry-ish, doesn't it?





(For some reason this is the way Parker "poses" for pictures, with her hands in her face...where does she get this stuff?!?)










(Parker posing with her half-eaten candy bar...it was a great night for her!! Can you say SUGAR RUSH?!?)

Ghosts of Our Former Selves, Part 2

After I finished writing my last post, I realized that it was only part of what I had on my mind after reading cjane's post about the ghosts of our former selves. I realized that there was so much more I wanted to say, to write about. So here goes...

Along with the memory flashes of good times gone by, come the not so happy memory flashes. The flashes from my past that I'm not so proud of, the flashes where I humiliated myself, the times when I said something so hurtful, or the times when I didn't say enough, the flashes where I experienced such sadness that I thought my heart would literally break, the flashes where I was paralyzed with fear. I know we all have them, they are not so pretty and not so pleasant to remember.

Unfortunately they come just as often as the happy flashes, and I think they serve an equally important purpose. To remind us of things we've learned, things we've lost, things we've had to sacrifice for the greater good, and what NOT to do next time. Each memory teaches us and moves us forward, just like the good ones. I wouldn't be the person I am today without them, no matter how unpleasant my bad times have been, so for that reason I accept them when they come. I try and remember how I got through those times, and where I was on the other side after all was said and done.

I also sometimes think back about the person I was when my memories were happening. Who was I? What were my thoughts and feelings like? What were my struggles and fears? Why did I think I knew it all at that point in my life? Or why didn't I give myself enough credit for who I was? Why was I soooo hard on myself? If I could tell her something, anything...what would it be? The person I was 5 years ago, 10 years ago, and so on is not the person I am today. Sometimes she haunts me with regret, but most of the time I just feel sorry for her. I realize how much I've learned and grown from where I was.

I wish I could go back in time and relive some of my memories, especially the bad ones. I would do things so differently. I would realize that the period of my life that I thought I would never get through was really just a flash in the pan. Things do get better, time does heal wounds, and you can overcome. You can become a better person, you are absolutely capable of amazing things. Everything doesn't always have to be so hard. Aaaggh! I wish I could shake some sense into myself sometimes! Ha ha!

But then again, I know I have lived a rich life. I have had so many experiences, both good and bad, and when I think about how all of these things "shall give thee experience", and how truly blessed I am, I am humbled. This is all part of the "big picture"!! This is what the Plan is all about. Living our mortal lives...we get one shot. So be grateful for the time, the memories, and the lessons we are living each day. Live your life knowing that someday it will all come together in one big memory flash...and it will be yours forever.

Ghosts of our Former Selves & Flashes from our Past

I know many of you don't care for cjane. I understand it. I don't care for her for those same reasons, but even with her narcissism and self-indulgences, I still think she's a pretty good writer. Some of her posts are so thought-provoking for me. I really feel inspired to write after I read something she's written. So, if for no other reason, I continue to frequent her blog. (Even though looking at the millionth picture of her freckled face does get old after awhile...lol!)

So today, she wrote about ghosts of her former self that come back to haunt her. It really struck a chord with me this morning. I was just thinking about something like this yesterday. Not exactly what she was talking about, but a different angle and interpretation of it...

I asked Mark this question: do you ever find yourself completely carried away in a memory? A random flash from a place or an occassion that you are swept away to as if still experiencing reality? Almost out-of-body, but more like your spirit is remembering, feeling, sensing, and remembering an event from the past? I do.

Sometimes these memory flashes, as I call them are so real to me, it's like it's still happening. It's like it never ended and I never moved on, that years haven't even passed. It's strange, but I must admit I love it. I love the fact that I can immediately be transported back to happier times, where a treasured memory is burned so vividly in my mind that I know that yes, it did happen, and yes, it was incredible, and yes, it will always be with me. Mine, forever. I love that!

Here is an example before I utterly lose you in my rhapsody. For a long time after returning from my mission, I would have these memory flashes. For no palpable reason (like I didn't smell, touch, taste, or hear something necessarily) that prompted the flash, I would be transported to someplace/something in the mission field. Sometimes it was the bus stop in Hradec Kralove, where Sister Gerdy and I would trudge through the snow from our apartment to catch a bus to our tracting area during the bleak winter months. The light from a street lamp would glow gold and yellow into the night sky, dainty silvery flakes falling gently onto our dark coats. It would be so cold outside that my nose hairs would freeze, but I would feel so much warmth from within. "Click", the snapshot was taken and it was burned into my mind...seemingly forever. Other times, when I smell wood-burning stoves I am taken back to Olomouc and Ostrava...places out in the country where people lived very humble lives. I remember being invited into their tiny, warm abodes and offered warm cups of herbal tea. See how this works???

Just recently, I've noticed that those memory flashes from my mission which seemed so real to me years ago, have faded and are now being replaced with new memory flashes. Maybe because I'm getting older, maybe because my life is moving forward and I am creating new memories to replace some of the older ones. Some that I've especially been aware of recently have come from Pocatello when Mark and I were first married. Our life was so simple then...I remember coming home from work after 10 pm (when I worked for OfficeMax!) and Mark would be doing homework on the living room floor. His papers spread out, tv on, our cozy little basement apartment so warm and inviting after a long day. All I cared about was just getting home...to him, to our little pocket of life that we were just beginning together. Click.

Also another memory from Boise. Our first house...the little white one with blue trim on Latah street. This is the place that I remember having my babies in. Even though Maryn was 6 months old when we moved here, I still remember her and Avery being so little in this place. Our house was so small that I remember getting up and feeding Avery by the glow of the morning news (like 5 am) in the living room, because there was no place else to go. Mark was still sleeping, Maryn was still sleeping; so I would scoop up Avery and we would snuggle up on the couch and fall back asleep to the Boise news every morning after her feeding. Click.

Now I'm in Twin Falls. Fall prompts this memory. The girls and I would bundle up and take walks to the park that was in our neighborhood several times a week. We had a wagon back then, because they were too big for the double stroller now, but the few blocks it took to get to the park was juuuuust a little too far...there and back. As we walked, I remember the sound of crunching leaves under our feet and tires of the wagon. They would intermittently jump out of the wagon at points along the way...to pick up another pretty gold leaf, or a pinecone, to inspect a bug crawling on the sidewalk, or to race each other giggling the whole way to the corner. We'd play at the park for awhile and then head back home, usually for naps and quiet time in the afternoons when I would put a Disney VHS in the 'ole VCR. Where has that life gone?!? Click.

Even now, I know I am creating memories for me to escape to at some future time. Just the other day, as I was going through some of Parker's baby things to try and sell I am immediately taken back to those precious fall days 2 years ago, when she and I would go back to bed after getting the girls off to school. We'd watch re-runs of Jon and Kate Plus Eight between feedings and naps, while watching the leaves turn and fall off the birch tree in the front yard. Click.

Now it's your turn...what's the one memory flash you had while you were reading this post? Don't edit yourself, just let your mind go...see? It's kinda fun.

If You Don't Hear From Me...

...it's because the girl scouts have eaten me alive!! This is the BIG weekend for my FIRST OFFICIAL overnight camp out as a girl scout leader. I am simultaneously freaking out, excited, stressed, anxious, nauseous, and chomping at the bit to JUST GET IT OVER WITH!! I know it will all be fine in the end, but STILL!!

me=FREAKING OUT!!

I'll be a better blogger when this is behind me!!

Fall Open House 2011

Welcome to my house for FALL y'ALL!! Ha ha ha!!

'Member when we did this a few years ago? Wasn't it fun to show everyone our fall decorations? Hint, hint!! So without any further adieu...I give you "Fall in Tonica, 2011"!!





Sorry this is a little blurry...what you can't really see are all the creepy crawly plastic spiders in my apothecary jars and sprinkled here and there...



A little from Mom and little from Mo...this little arrangement reminds me of my family.



Ta da!! New couch and chair set! No, we didn't just get this for Halloween. We stumbled upon a screamin' deal whilst mattress shopping. Couldn't pass it up and we love them!! We finally don't have to sink into the floor when we sit down! Yay!



Favorite Halloween fence made with Laurie in Rexburg back in the day. I think I've had this for 13 years now.



Peanuts Halloween on top of the piano...becoming a tradition to set up the Halloween "nativity" here each year.



We also got a new dining room table...we can finally all eat at the dinner table!

Don't you just love this time of year? I know I say this all the time, but there's just something so cozy and fun about Fall and Halloween. Seriously one of my faves. Wish I could invite you all over for cider, donuts, and a good old fashioned chili cook-off!

From our house, to yours...who's next?!?