CHRISTMAS 2008

I love Christmas. I love the sight of thousands of tiny bulbs lighting up the night. I love the sound of bells you seem to hear around every corner. I love the music, anything from Santa Baby to Ava Maria. I love giving gifts and even shopping is fun this time of year. (If you are smart and shop when the madding crowds are just eating breakfast or sleeping...haha..or you have a great shopping partner like McKenna to help you out) I love the feelings of warmth and human kindness that abound this time of year. But most of all I love that this is the time of year we celebrate the greatest gift ever given; the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. For some reason it seems especially important this year to remember and to let others know that we remember and celebrate this important day and why. So as I go about describing our Christmas of 2008 I wanted to say that the "good tidings of great joy" are in my heart and soul this Christmas and always. This helps remind us of the reason for the season:



We spent Christmas eve just exhaling after all the bustle of preparation. I'm embarrassed to say that we ate Little Caesar's pizza for Christmas eve dinner. YUCK. I vow never to do that again. Next year it will be cream of potato soup, crusty French bread, salad, and pumpkin pie. I promise. We opened our one Christmas eve present but it didn't seem the same without Brinlee and Kyle and Ray was too tired to really get into it. SOOO, the next morning we slept in 'til 7:30 and then we opened all our gifts.
Here's one of my favorites...Whoohoo!
McKenna had it hidden under her bed for days and days before Christmas. What a sneaky rascal. Ray left a note in my stocking..."IOU one flat screen tv for the mom room". But it was okay cuz he had worked 10 - 16 hour days for the the week or so before Christmas and he doesn't shop until the week before Christmas so he got a little behind. And I was just glad that the new 4 wheeler wasn't my present. I bought him the reading lamp he's been obsessing about since we moved.

After opening presents and breakfast, we headed out in the snow to Cedar City to spend the rest of the day with Aunt Kathy and Unc and their family. The food was good (we had Unc's rolls) and the company was even better. We got some great pictures and played a little Wii. It was a BLAST! Sh'Kell was rocking us some thrilling Mii's and helped teach Kenna and me how to play. I'm sure it was pretty hilarious to watch us play tennis, bowling, and especially boxing. I'd also be willing to bet Amber has some embarrassing pictures of the action. OMIGOSH, if you click on this picture of Amber you will see that she has the coolest looking nails!



Heather got a puppy for Christmas. I'm jealous. So I got a puppy of my own and he is just Ray's type of dog. He doesn't shed, poop, pee, or need a sitter when we are gone. He's great with kids and other animals and doesn't disturb the neighbors with barking. I love him.



We headed home in a snow storm. It was 45 mph on the Interstate weather. The wind was howling like a banshee. There was a car rolled over on the side of the road. It was reassuring to see the person being attended by rescue people, even though it was below freezing and crazy windy. After the Blackridge it was raining and when we got home McKenna and I ran from the curb to the front door where it is protected and we were like wet dogs when we got in the house. It was so freaky to have to fight the wind to get to shelter.


This is our Christmas tree and yes, that is a replica of the Alamo at the bottom of the tree. I'm not sure it really fits in with the rest of the rustic New England village but what the heck. It belongs under my tree so it's staying.




Friday arrives and so do Brin and Kyle. We got to have Christmas all over again. Whoohoo! Lucky us! Here is a picture of Brin in front of the wonderful present they gave me. Isn't she the cutest pregnant girl ever? Okay, yeah I'm prejudiced. I can't wait until we all take our remote control trucks out and race them. Kyle took Tank out in the front yard and he chased the car like it was some kind of varmint. When the car got too close to the house he grabbed it to protect his people. Way to go, Tank!


Here we have a picture of the "cookie snob". She refused to eat any of my Christmas cookies cuz they were store bought and only decorated at home. They weren't Aunt Kathy's so they had to be vastly inferior, right? Then she ate one and was pleasantly surprised that they weren't mega nasty or some such notion. I think Kyle has a grey hair in his chin pubes. Huh.



Here's Brin after Kyle licked her face. They are always clowning around. Kyle is our resident snowboarding expert. I call him an expert cuz he really can do a flip. I've seen it on video and I am easily impressed. Awesome! Anyway, Kenna got a new snowboard set up and Kyle kindly put the bindings on for her. In the process he ran into a problem and Kenna was begging him to fix it, calling him the "Hagrid (think caretaker) of her board". It was pretty funny and we laughed out butts off but maybe you had to be there. Here's a picture of "Hagrid" and Kenna's board after all his hard work. What a guy! Thanks Kyle.

Well that about wraps up Christmas 2008. A few notes, Ray is not cutting his hair until spring, Brinlee is so pregnant, Kyle is off snowboarding today, Kenna is enjoying her time off from school, and I'm looking forward to spending more time with my friends and family this coming year. May the good Lord bless and keep all our friends and family in 2009.


ONE HUGE P.S.: WE MISS OUR FAMILY IN TEXAS AND WILL SEE THEM NEXT YEAR!!

OCTOBER RACES 2008

Every year we travel to Las Vegas to go to the National Hot Rod Associations big races. They have one in April and one in October. We get to stay with Kyle and Brinlee which is very sweet of them. This year in October we got up early to eat at the Cracked Egg. They specialize in breakfast and it was worth the trip. Thanks Kyle and Brin for turning us onto this place. Then we headed to the race track. We met Darrin aka Uncle Dag and Austin at the track and we walk through the "pit" which is where all the race cars are worked on. Kyle and Brin have gotten to be experts at gathering drivers' autographs and getting their pictures made with them. Tony Schumacher even let Brinlee sit on his Harley for a pic. I'm jealous cuz Tony is my favorite driver. It is a loud, chaotic, crazy time but tons of fun. You always meet the most interesting people and it's an evil thrill to see how many kooks you can spot. Believe me there are lots of them. :) Some of them even drive race cars. You can't tell me that John Force is not the kookiest. Sure, he can drive a race car but the man is certifiable. But he's harmless and very funny so it's all good. One of my favorite things about going to the races besides watching Ray have such a good time is sitting next to Austin and teasing him. We steal each other's seat cushions and tap each other on the opposite shoulder and then act innocent. We have shoulder fights to see who can push the other over the farthest. We have a lot of laughs and usually top off the weekend with dinner out someplace. I look forward to these trips because it is one of the few chances I get to spend some time with my baby brother and his boy, Austin.

MICAH'S GRADUATION

After the trip to Texas the first part of June for the Kenny concert I got to return at the end of the month with McKenna for Micah Dallas Stefan Haile's high school graduation. Ken and I rented a car and drove from Dallas to Abilene so no one would have to come pick us up. It was so nice to have our own set of wheels to go anywhere our little hearts desired. We also got an upgrade on the flight to Dallas to first class. It was hard to fly back on coach after that. We only stayed a few days but as usual in Texas we had more fun than a barrel of monkeys. (I'm sure they are talking about the children's game when they say that cuz I don't think a real barrel of monkeys would be that much fun but now I'm just being random so on with the blog) We attended the graduation and I didn't even fall asleep like I did at Cody's graduation. Although the trip was quick I'm glad we were able to go. I want Sharee's kids and Darrin's too to know how important they are to me and how much I love them. I rejoice in their successes and feel for them when they are dispirited. I love spending time with all of them and hope that they will always feel welcome at my house and that they will "come see me sometime".

Third Annual Kenny Trip w/My Sister

This memory was this summer. The first was my trip to Texas for my and Sharee's third annual Kenny weekend!! Woohoo!! And yes that is Sharee jumping on the bed at the plush and very swank Westin hotel in Frisco. Would you really expect anything else?? I arrived at the hotel first but was only there a few minutes before Sharee showed up. As her bellboy is stowing her luggage in the room he tells us that Kenny Chesney will be staying at the very same hotel!! Of course it was a big hush-hush deal so we were sworn to secrecy and yes the bellhop got a big tip! We went down for a dip in the pool before dinner where we of course tried to guess which room Mr. Chesney would be occupying. Later we went for a drive and got something to eat. Then we got in our jammies and watched a movie on tv and laughed and talked and had the time of our lives. The next day we went shopping and just kind of dorked around until it was time to go to the concert. We tailgated for about half a minute and then went and got in line. We made instant friends with some of the other fans as we were waiting. We also talked up the security. We have found this is a good thing to remember to do as you never know when you are going to need a friend in security. One that say will not harass you about your "illegal" camera. Hahaha! Sharee and I were so amped up about this concert. It was a mini-stadium show (at a pro soccer field) so we got to see LeAnn Rimes and Brooks & Dunn in addition to the Kenny. Yes, we are Chesniacs but only mild ones. We don't stalk him or anything like that. Well okay, maybe we do but it is just silly things like checking out the dishes and stuff on his room service cart. And yes we took the empty Corona bottles cuz you never know which one he drank out of. No we are not crazy just lots of fun!! :)~
Here we have Ms. Rimes and Kix & Ronnie. They were all fantabulous! That LeAnn has legs that go on forever. And Kix and Ronnie put on one heck of a show. Kix had the coolest pants and guitars. Oh...and we were so close that Ronnie Dunn dripped sweat on Sharee. Hahahahaha! It was so hot but by the time Kenny took the stage it was dark and cooling off. Yes, ladies that's
how close we were. They call it the sand pit and while there is no sand it definitely is not the pits. The experience of this concert was so good that I am hoping he will do a concert there in 2009 and we can return. This is a picture of our little friend (on the left) that had a brain tumor. He knew the words to every song Kenny sang. We helped him keep his place next to the stage beside us. This next pic is a picture of what Sharee called "the gay cowboy-wannabes". We laughed our tushes off. All in all we had the same kind of time we always have when we are together and that is the best time you could ever dream of or wish for. I'm looking forward to the fourth annual Kenny trip with my sister. Woohoo!!

CHRISTMAS 2007

It seems impossible that these memories were made almost a year ago. Wow! Time just jets by these days. I feel like I should pay better attention somehow. I should preface this by saying the I made two trips to Texas last December but the other occasion was not as joyful as our Christmas trip. My grandmother, Dorothy Anthony, passed away at the age of 96. I will miss her and her sweet spirit and look forward to seeing her again.
But on with the memory of this great family time. Ray, McKenna, Brinlee, Kyle and I all drove from St. George to Abilene together. What a blast! Check out the picture of our stop in Roswell, NM. Thanks for the glasses, Kyle!

We had a wonderful time with all our family and friends. We ate all the good southern cooking we could hold. Thanks Mom and Sharee and Roy for feeding us so well. We played and goofed and had lots of fun. I sure will miss them this year but look forward to next year when we should all be together again.
This is a picture of us all together on Christmas morning minus Cody and Cassie (to the right) who showed up a little bit later.
I'm including some more silly pictures so enjoy.We have Brin, Kyle, Kenna, and cousin, Micah. McKenna and Micah being way gross. Brinlee and Kyle. Brin and Ken in PJs. The Girls--Brinlee, Aunt Sharee, Mom (me) and Kenna.The Hailes.And last but not least, Meemee!

MORE MEMORIES....

This was our cruise summer 2007. I've always wanted to go on a cruise and I wanted Ray to go with me but he wasn't about to go on one of those "floating rat traps", so I called my sis, Sharee, and we took off on what I hope is the first of many road trips. We were lucky that we got to ride to California with my friends, Mike and Dana McConnell. They were raised in CA and Dana knows how to do a road trip. She was awesome!! And even though Mike likes to act the curmudgeon sometimes, he was a lot of fun to hang out with. They picked us up in Las Vegas at Brin and Kyle's and the excitement began. We stopped at an outlet mall on the way there and what a way to start a vacation! We had so much fun as we boarded the ship and got to our cabin. We went on several excursions and saw Catalina Island, La Boufadora, and various other stops. We loved lounging on the deck reading books and especially dinner with our friends. After the cruise Sharee, Mike, Dana, and I continued the fun by staying a couple of days in Anaheim. We took in a baseball game--the Anaheim Angels. It was so COOL!! The next night we stayed at an old college friend of Mike's, Sever. That is is last name but it's all I can think of right now. The next day he took us surfing. It was hilarious!! Sharee and I secretly called Sever, Surf God. He was funny and thoughtful and showed us a really fantastic time. I'll never forget the memories we made that summer and the kindness of good friends.

MEMORIES

Ilene Mackelprang and her dog with his "doggles"

Linda and Scotty Mackelprang

As I use this blog as a journal of sorts I would like to take the time to reminisce about some recent memories I've made. I want to set them here so I can go back and remember all the fun I've had.

First was a fun four wheeler ride Ray and I took with some of the members of our extended family and friends. We met at the Wagon Wheel cafe in Leeds for breakfast before starting out on our trek. There were about 15 or so in our group inside that tiny cafe. I'm sure they were glad to see us finish up and get the heck out of there but we visited and teased and just generally had a good time. I got lost a couple of times and had to find my way back to the group or have Ray track me down and get me back on track. One of these days I'm going to really get lost and have to use my survival skills but not today. All I can say is what a bunch of characters and what a time we had. I can't wait to do it again.

Thanksgiving 2008

Well, it's Thursday evening on Thanksgiving Day 2008 and all is quiet and everyone is content (or passed out). Brinlee and Kyle are headed back to Las Vegas after making the trek to join us on this wonderful family holiday. McKenna is passed out on the couch but she's excused as she worked with me in the kitchen until late into the night last night making pies. Ray is watching his favorite Fox News channel and catching up on the world happenings. I have been sitting here contemplating and trying to assimilate all that seems to be happening. But I digress. First I want to say how thankful I am that I was able to have all my little family here for the holiday. It is so amazing to spend time with these terrific grown ups that are my kids. I am thankful that we all have our health and so many other blessings. I see Kyle and Brin working to build their life together with love and patience and forgiveness. McKenna is making a continued and concentrated effort in college while working two jobs and making sacrifices of her time to be successful in both areas. Ray is the same lovable, helpful, loving, exasperating man he has always been. (At least he's consistent..hahaha!) I have so many blessings that it brings tears to my eyes to think on them all. But it does us all good to count our blessings and realize how lucky we are. :)

We all enjoy a relatively peaceful existence which is contrary to how a lot of the world lives their daily lives. How lucky we are to be able to live in this wonderful place and to enjoy the freedoms we do. How thankful we should be to those men and women who protect those freedoms. It seems as if the world is in chaos but I feel safer knowing our military is out there watching our backs. I saw a news report today where an Iraqi man was asked how he felt about the soldiers being withdrawn. His answer was that he would "miss them. The Americans never sleep." He felt safe with them out there in the night guarding the peace. I know how he feels. A huge thank you goes out to our military.

I hope that each of us searches our hearts today and thinks long and hard about all our blessings. I hope those hearts are filled with gratitude to overflowing. May God continue to bless you.

Soooo Excited!!

I just wanted to let anyone who might be visiting this blog that.....
I AM GOING TO BE A GRANDMOTHER!!!
Brinlee and Kyle are having a BABY!! Yes, I know I'm yelling but I am so happy and excited that I can't stand myself. The Lord has blessed our family so much. It is humbling to even think about it. We are so grateful to have the wonderful son-in-law that we have and love to see the two of them growing and learning together. Sometimes I want to pinch myself to make sure it isn't all a beautiful dream. I wouldn't want you to think everything around here is perfect but wow....
a happy couple, a sweet baby on the way, another daughter really working hard to be successful in college, a new home...and the list goes on. When Pres. Monson was talking today about being happy in the moment by counting our blessings I knew he spoke the truth. Yes, the world is a scary, shaky place right now but each of our little havens from the world can still be beautiful. I'm grateful. Thanks Brin and Kyle for the good news!!

Today

This is from another blog but it says something that speaks deeply to me today. Enjoy--


Today is a gift. A gift to be cherished and used. What will you do with this gift? Will you give any thought at all to how precious a gift it is? Will you clutter it with negative thoughts? Or negative comments or worse, negative action? Will you make someone smile this day? Or better yet, will you make someone laugh outloud today? Will you sense the innocence of this day and try to let it soak into your soul? Will you make an effort to step outside your comfort zone today? Or will you stay secure in the cozy cocoon of another day like others that have come before, quiet and tranquil? Will you reach out to someone who may need you even if just as a sounding board? Will you answer the door if opportunity knocks? Will you say, "The hell with doors!" and go out looking for opportunity on your own today? Will you smile at the energy of youth unleashed and secretly wish you could recapture more of that part of yourself permanently as you watch the children playing today? Will you make a plan based on a dream, the first step of which you will take today? Will you do at least one meaningful thing as you watch this day unfold? Will you waste time wishing things were different in your life today? Will you give someone a call today and tell them you love them? Will you stop to watch as the sun sinks into the clouds on the horizon at the end of this day and smile because you know today was a good day? I hope so.

The Complete Answer to My Extra Question OR Quincy the Would-Be Rocker

Once uponce a time there was a little frog named Quincy. Quincy had a great life sitting on his lily pad nabbing flies with his tongue and watching his friends swim about doing their water ballet. He even had a song about him that all the children loved to sing, but alas, Quincy was not happy. You see, he longed fervently for a beautiful, flowing head of hair. Quincy was a huge fan of the band Aerosmith and wanted to look like his favorite rocker. All his friends told him this obsession with hair was unhealthy and silly but Quincy would not listen to them. He wanted hair. He tried several hair growth remedies to no avail. He even contemplated hair transplants but couldn't afford them. Finally his best friend, Melville, suggested he try a wig. Quincy liked the idea immensely. With his innumerable connections, Melville was able to obtain just the wig he thought Quincy would like. Quincy was ecstatic! He couldn't wait to get the wig on his head. After a somewhat lengthy preparation the wig was finally in place. Melville held the mirror up for Quincy to see. Quincy's eyes opened wide and his mouth hung open. He looked exactly like Steven Tyler! "Jumping Jehosephat, Melville!! Can you believe it?!" Melville was flabbergasted--speechless--amazed! Quincy really did look like the rock star. Slowly Quincy turned to Melville. The glow of discovery lit his eyes as he removed the wig. "Melville," he said. I believe I have just had an epiphany. I have suddenly realized that frogs are supposed to be bald." Melville just smiled. He'd known this all along. From that moment on a contented Quincy was seen hopping about the pond with his nice, green, bald head made all the better by his Bald Head Balm from Bloomingdale's. Melville just smiled and was happy for his best friend. This story is dedicated to my daughters, Brinlee and McKenna, both of whom loved the TELLING of the Grumpus story so much more than having it read to them.

Cake

If you haven't tried the Cake Parlor (also known as TwentyFive Main Cafe and Cake Parlor) in St. George, UT you haven't lived. My daughter, McKenna, introduced me to this wonderful gem. It's a great little place tucked away in the older part of town. As you can tell from the address, it's on Main St. It has funky, shabby chic decor that sort of freaks me out, but not in a bad way. The employees are pleasant and helpful giving you ideas or opinions on the menu to help you decide. The menu is not extensive but offers items that are apart from the norm. And last but not least, their cupcakes are heavenly. So if you are in the mood for a change, try the Cake Parlor. (McKenna, are you proud of me for not calling it the Cake Palace???)

Baby Boomers

HUH. I just read an article about how unhappy the generation of Americans known as the "Baby Boomers" are. The article was based on a series of polls done by some university over a period of years. To hear them tell it, Baby Boomers are a gloomy bunch. We do have $4 a gallon gas, rising prices on everything due to the gas prices, and negative naysayers around every corner. But I think those negatives affect everyone and not just Boomers. What was even more astounding were the few comments after the article! A couple of 30-40 somethings that posted comments were very bitter. Apparently they blame all the negative things in the economy and even, I dare say, the world on the Baby Boomers. Evidently we were all "raised selfishly" and in turn have "spoiled brats" for children. Man! I could get upset and defend all us Boomers but why. I know what I know and here it is: A) A poll is a poll. It is what it is and asking a handful of people what their opinion is can in no way give you much insight into the heart and soul of a nation's population. B) I can only speak for myself. I know that I am fundamentally happy. I know I have a better life than a lot of people. I try to help those less fortunate by giving as much as I can to different organizations I count my blessing everyday.
So boo to all the naysayers! I'm happy dangit!!

Time

Well, this is going to be a complaining blog. What do I have to complain about? Not much really. I have a good job, two of them actually. I have my health. I have a TERRIFIC, WONDERFUL, ADORABLE family. I live in America. I have a beautiful house with this amazing yard. I have all the food I could possibly eat (and usually do..haha) I have great music on the radio. The opportunity to be and do and say anything I want. Okay, what was this blog about again??? Oh yeah, my one complaint. My kids came up from Las Vegas this weekend and I had to work all weekend. And the time I did have with them I spent part of doing something I could have done when they weren't here. Geez Louise! When am I gonna learn? I hope that I have learned a lesson this weekend. Don't let those little moments slip by you. Don't be distracted by inconsequentials. Don't take anything for granted. And last of all; DO pay attention to your life or it may slip by you. There is a song by Jim Croce about keeping time in a bottle. I wish that were possible but it's not so don't let it get away!!

UT/AZ Bowl Off

Well, today was an interesting day. We had the Utah/Arizona Bowl Off. All the people I work with went bowling in shifts today. We will take the two highest games from each side and see who wins the trophy for being number one. Let me just tell you that the games I bowled will not be among those vying for first place. Hahahaha! But nobody had more fun than me!! I'm serious! Okay, just watching me bowl is hilarious cuz I have some wicked form going on. Haha! Not really....but we cranked up the jukebox and there was dancing in the lanes and some serious screaming going on. Okay, maybe I WAS the only one dancing in the aisles but hey....there was dancing. Maybe you had to be there but to me there are few things funnier than a bunch of older adults getting their groove on to Nickelback's "Rock Star" in a public place!! Am I wrong? You know I'm not. The only thing that would have made it better is if my kids had been there so I could have really embarrassed them!!Hahahaha! Good day!

POST! Or else!

Okay, so I'm gonna post or else Brinlee will kick my backside when she gets here this weekend. I don't know exactly what to post. I am not that good at writing but here goes.

This post is mostly just going to be about random thoughts. So....

Thought #1: I believe that spelling is genetic. You either have the spelling gene or you don't. I have it. Ray does not. Yes, you can improve on what the good Lord has given you by studying and such but really, it is a lot more difficult to be a good speller if you don't have the spelling gene.

Thought #2: I have decided to lose weight. For reals. I have also decided to make this decision public so ya'll can kick me when I backslide. I joined Weight Watchers a couple of weeks ago and have lost a total of 6 lbs. That doesn't sound like much, I know, and in all reality, considering the amount of weight Ineed to lose (upwards of 100 lbs.) it isn't much. But if I keep plugging along at this rate I should see my goal in a year or maybe 18 months. Holy cow! That sounds like such a long time. But I am determined and willing to sacrifice (I'm giving up Coke, aren't I?) so I really believe I can do it. Let's hear some encouragement from my support group!!



Thought #3: I am sad that Brin and Kyle are not going to Salt Lake City with us for the 4th of July. We have Poison tickets!! How can they say no to Poison tickets?? Gosh, Brin and her new job have put a wrench in the works. But WOOHOO! to her for landing that good job. Isn't it funny how things work out? She felt like it was the end of the world when she got laid off but now she has an even better job with better hours AND better pay AND she got a fews weeks of semi-paid vacation to boot. Still, it is a bummer that they will not be there with us in Salt Lake City. I will miss them.

Thought #5: Have you seen pictures of my granddog? He is so cute. He is a black lab and his name is Tank. That is a hella funny name. Is "hella"a bad word cuz I am trying to quit swearing. I hope Dad will be reasonable about the dog when Brin and Kyle visit. Ray has a pet hair phobia and it is very difficult at times to reason with him about this. I wonder what the word for pet hair phobia is?

Thought #6: Do you like the new Sugarland song? And how do you feel about Bruce Springsteen? My answers are yes and torn. What do you think?

Thought #7: I just saw a bunch of people who are gonna vote for Obama on a music video for a song called "Pork and Beans" by Weezer. YIKES!!

Well, that is enough for now. I have a doctor's appointment and have to run. Hope everyone is having some great day.

New Blogger...

Hi. Brinlee here, setting my mom up on blogspot. I'll make sure she posts something soon. GOOD LUCK MOM! I love you!