Annual Christmas Party

What is Mr. Monkey up To?

Mr. Monkey looks like he is trying to hide something...

SURPRISE!!!

Annual Christmas Party

Last sunday we had our traditional Christmas party. We have had the same Santa and Mrs. Claus for as long as I can remember. Must be proof that they are the REAL jolly 'ol folks! They bring one gift for each UNMARRIED child and they all get a chance to sit on his/her knee and whisper what they are dreaming of getting for Christmas. This has to be my all-time favorite tradition. I hope (hint, hint) that our family never lets this tradition slip away. As siblings, let's make it easy on our offspring and all sign up now for the same resthome! Course, Santa and Mrs. Claus will have to sign up at the same place, too...

Christmas Eve PJs

Another great tradition is opening pajamas and slippers on Christmas Eve. My kids still look forward to this year after year. And I have to make sure they are REAL comfy since you know they will be worn for at least 48 hours straight!

The Forgotten Carols

To those who are familiar with The Forgotten Carols, you will totally relate to this post; to those who haven't seen it, plan now to attend next year. The kids and I went to the Forgotten Carols last night at USU. That is the third year we have gone together and the 4th time for me. And I think each year it means more and more to me. The kids have been looking forward to it as much as I have. Still haven't got Ned to go with us but we all think next year will be the magic year... They were having "technical issues" and were trying to deal with them so Michael McLean came out and entertained us ad-lib while they were working on it. That was pretty fun. Our seats were on the second row on the aise, towards stage right so we were right in front of where most of the dialog between John and Connie Lou take place. That was awsome, too. You know how it ends, everyone all LINKED up together - and you know how there is hardly a dry eye in the audience... I looked to my side and there were my three "angels" all linked up. I really lost it then. There is nothing like the love of a mother for her kids. And seeing them all linked up was - unexplainable. But I know that you have all experienced the same thing at one time or another. What a way to start off the holiday season. Remember - if you haven't seen the show, decide NOW to make it part of your holiday celebrations next year. Wow...

Oops!

Thinkin' of starting up my own catering business - what do ya think? Actually, Thanksgiving dinner went pretty well, thanks to allrecipe.com. We had luscious slush punch, yummy sweet potato casserole, creamy cranberry salad, autumn squash casserole, superb cranberry sauce with apples and pears, moist poultry dressing, and of course, turkey, potatoes and gravy, and rolls. The only thing that really went south on us was the Thanksgiving Sweet Potatoes... Everyone was getting sat at the table, I showed Shan how to turn the oven to broil, put the yams in, and told Kam to not let them burn... I went to the bathroom, combed my hair (a prerequisite before T-day dinner) and walked back into the kitchen just as everyone started "sniffing". I ran to the oven but alas, and alak... as you can see, it was too late. Ned grabbed them before they were fully engulfed and chucked them out on the lawn. Cheyenne wouldn't even look at them. Kam was pretty disappointed - they were the thing he was most looking forward to, but life will go on. Think I will try them again for Christmas... :)

So I'm A Turkey...

Big thank you to everyone who helped to make this a special birthday for me. You know how as grown ups (is that what we are?) some times bdays just come and go like any other day, and sometimes they are pretty a-okay? Well this one was one of the better ones. Our original plans were to go to Aunt Gayes for turkey dinner, but then Ned decided we should just stay home. I could have KILLED him... First, I hate to cook and second, it was my bday. But he had his mind made up. Thanks to the internet, I pulled together a few recipes and it really didn't turn out too bad. Shan was EXTREMELY helpful and I think we made some pretty good memories. I'll post about the dinner another time... Anyway, Ned (pick on Ned-post :) ) is never very good about gifts but last week he told me he was so proud of himself because he already had my gift bought. So today he presented me with the most AWESOME gift. He had a friend here in town re-finish my mom's cedar chest. It has been down in his dad's barn for about 15 years. I started to strip it down a long time ago but quickly found out I had no idea what I was doing, so quit. Is that cool or what? It means a ton to me... And then I got LOTS of cards, phone calls, texts, and blogs - thanks so much to all of you. It really was a feel-good kind of day. Hope everyone had a great day, too, even if it wasn't your turkey birthday!

PS: All of you bloggers... next time you decide to blog about me, could I screen the pics you post of me??? :0)

I'm Losin' it...

Ned and Shani don't think I dare post this, but what the heck... Most mornings I go walking with friends after we load the kids on the bus. My attire on cold mornings consists of thermals with sweatpants over the top. After I get back home, I take the sweats off and get a few tasks done while cooling down, just wearing the thermals. Monday is laundry day so I sat down to separate the loads, then went about my daily business. About 1:00 pm I was talking to Dad on the phone and my cell messed up so I went outside to get Neds' phone so I could call him back. He and his worker, Brandon, are putting in a barbed wire fence to the south of our house so we can run more cows. I had to walk about 75 yards to get to where they were, then rode back to the house with them, just standing on the running board. Then they went to the shop and I walked to the house. While walking, I looked down and noticed I was still sporting my thermals... baggy butt and all. I guess Brandon asked Ned if I always walked around in my thermals and he really didn't know what to say... Oh well, it's my house, right? Happy Thanksgiving!

ATTENTION! New Blog Site!!!

Hey everyone! I think I have figured out how to link to a new blog I set up. It is called Calderberry Crafts and the location is: http://calderberrycrafts.blogspot.com/. Hop on over and check it out! Then don't forget to add it to favorites or link it or whatever.

Life Lessons...

Don't ya just hate it when you have to learn lessons the hard way... For example: We have had a long week that threw lots of food for thought our way; a good friend passed away, another good friend gave us quite a medical scare but dodged the bullet, another friend was diagnosed with terminal cancer and has about a year to live, and goodness, what about Cliff Anderson? So we have been pretty humble. Our RS goes to the temple together once a month and this last Thursday was the day. I always convince myself I don't have time to go, etc. But early in the week I decided I would go no matter what. I do not attend near as often as I should so it gets to be a pretty big occasion when I do go. So I was psyched all week. You just know how special the session will be, how wonderful you will feel when you come out, and the peaceful feeling you get inside. I even washed and ironed my clothes, which is REALLY out of the ordinary! I talked to RS pres Wed. night and planned out rides, etc. I told her I could take some sisters over, but that I had shopping to do afterwards so they would have to ride home with others. Ended up a good friend rode with me and we had a great conversation. She is moving to PA in Jan and so it was good to chat one on one. We got to the temple, entered, and started filing through. "Thank you, sister!" "Thank you, brother!" And then it was my turn. "Oh, sister... Could you step aside please?" WWWHHHAAATTT? Panic set in. He assisted the rest of the line and then turned to me and said, "Let's try this again." and scanned my card. He then looked at me and apologized saying, "I'm sorry, sister. It seems your recommend has expired." And he tried scanning it a third time. No luck. We looked at it and sure enough, it expired in October. The life just leaked out of me. How could this be? I was SOOOO ready for this. OR SO I THOUGHT... I'm trying not to ramble, really! So the rest of my group went on in and there I stood... I gathered myself together and returned to my car. I had to sit at the entrance to the parking lot and wait for four or five cars to enter before I could exit... I went to the bottom of the hill, parked, and proceeded to bawl my eyes out. I was not bitter, just hurt. I kinda had a vision or ah-ha moment or whatever you want to call it... I thought I was so ready to go to the temple. But because I did not pay attention to the little things, I was denied access. It made me think of the final days when we get to the pearly gates and Father in Heaven will look at us and say, "Enter, sister - well done" to some and to others He will look and say "Oh, I'm sorry, you go the other way." And that will be it. Either we make it or we don't. What a wake up call! I am not going to get to the final point and be told, "Oh, sorry - you go the other way" while the rest of "YOU" are invited in to the Celestial Kingdom. What will keep us from entering? Just a little thing? Like an expired card? Or... Failing to be of service to our neighbors or ANYONE in need? Speaking unkindly to family members? Judging others? Sabbath day activities? Tithing? Gossip? Not listening to promptings we might receive? AAUUGGHH... So all we can do is...the best we can. Live each day as if it is our last and determine in our hearts that we will NOT BE FOUND TO BE EXPIRED in our final day. The end!

ThroWiN' iN the ToWEL...

Yup - you got it. I can't keep up with the "thankful thing a day thingy" so I will give one last hurrah and call it good. Today, and everyday, I am thankful for family. Not just my crazy crew, but my extended family. I love you guys, that's all there is to it. From our two "unborn" members all the way through my *@&&{?**}?! father - I love you. We had an awesome day today, celebrating Phil Bobs homecoming from a mission in S. Carolina. Almost everyone was there, but about 12 out of 72. Ned knows that I want to be the last one to leave, kicking and screaming the whole way. But if you don't have family, what do ya have? How empty and sad life would be without families. I felt so "secure" in church just lookin around at everyone and thinking about our relationships. Yesterday at James's Dads' funeral, the twins talked about memories of their grandpa and it got Ned and I wondering what our kids/family will remember us for... kind of humbling. Hopefully part of it will be these family get-togethers. Anyway, in case I haven't told ya lately, I LOVE YA! And I hope and pray everyday that when we get to that final feast, that there will be no empty chairs at our family table. Here are some fun pics from the day:

ThanKfUl ThiNgS

Day #3: Today I will spare you the joy/pain of a picture and just verbalize... Today (which is really the llth) I am thankful for DEMORAL! Hope I spelled that right for all you family med/transcrpit people. Yes, DEMORAL. Yesterday I had the distinct pleasure of experiencing a COLONOSCOPY. Talk about invading a persons' privacy! The actual proceedure must not have been too bad since I slept through the whole thing... (thanx to my buddy, demoral). But the two days prior were pure he_ _. The stuff you have to drink to "cleanse" the system was simply aweful. In fact, a friend sent me an email today and in it the guy describes the taste as "a cross between goat spit and urinal cleanser, with just a hint of lemon". And he was right on! And let me tell you how effective this little drink is... No use wasting time, KABOOM! And this drink thing had to happen not just once, but twice. But the worest part of all was being on a liquid diet for 40 hours. I was about suicidal. And this family of mine was anything but sympathetic. As they were eating and snacking, they would say, "whatcha wanna drink now, mom?" Anyway, it is all over and I am "clean as a whistle". My email address is tec@cut.net if any of you would like to request copies of the photos of the proceedure. :0)

tHanKfuL tHIngs

Day #2: Today I am thankful for my kids. I think I will spotlight each one of them so I can take up more days! Let's start with Jesse. Ned and I married when Jess was 7. What a blessing he has been. I loved raising him, helping him at school, and introducing him to the gospel. He was the easiest kid to raise - never disrespectful, always courteous, had very good friends, and just plain easy going. He served a very honorable mission, came home and worked hard on his school work, and found a perfect mate in Tierney. This is his last year of school and then he will teach/coach/counsel at a jr/high school. Love ya Jesse Meyer!!!

Thankful Things...

Man - if I don't get going, it will be Thanksgiving and I won't have proclaimed my thankfulness for ANYTHING. Got a few minutes before I have to get ready for church so I will get started.
1. On day 1, I must admit that I am SOOOOOOOO thankful for... M&M's! I know, pretty sad, but that is right up there at the top of my list. It is my comfort food, my main food staple, my binge food, my best friend, and yes, the downfall of every diet I have ever attempted (and there have been plenty). I like them all, but favs have to be: just regular ones, mint ones, peanut butter ones, and the almond ones around Christmas time. Did I leave any out? Yes, it is an obsession, but at least when I "go out" I will go out happy and with chocolate on my breath! (Yes, that is scrapbook paper in the background... :)

Poor Loser?

Yup, that's me. I just walked by the TV and told Obama to shush up cuz I was already tired of hearing him. What's this world coming to? No, don't answer that...

Halloween - Calder Style

As you can tell, Halloween is not my favorite holiday but I do try to participate to make it fun for my kids. Kam is the only one still "into" it so we went to the school carnival together a couple of weeks ago. Then on Halloween, Kayd had a football game and then we traveled to Orem where our Volleyball team was in state play-offs so luckily, we avoided the dress-up stuff that night. Halloween candy is over-rated anyway... All you need are M&M's and life is good. Our "bigger" tradition is carving our pumpkins - we always have fun with that. (and count it as our one FHE for the year!) So Happy Haunting and BRING ON THE TURKEY! PS - can you tell whose pumpkin is whose?

It's All in the ShOeS!

Bring on the Basketball Season! Kayden and Shani both loved their fall sports but are more than ready to get on the bball court. We ordered their new shoes last week and both of them are very happy with what they got. EastBay lets you personalize your item free of charge so Kayd decided to put "a" name on his. At RHS there is Kayden, a Caden, 2 Kalon's, 2 Hayden's, a Cameron, a Kamryn, and a Jade. So needless to say, the coaches are always looking for nicknames to keep the guys straight. This last summer they started calling Kayden "NED" and it really stuck. So he chose to put that on his shoes. I'm not sure if he or his father is more proud!

This is a "bet ya can't beat that" post. This last week we put over 1,000 miles on the Tahoe. It is all a blur now but it went something like this: Thursday night Kayden played football in Star Valley, which is about 100 miles away (for those of you slow ones, that's 200 round trip). After freezing our behinders off, we returned home and got up the next morning and left by 8:00 am for a little meander to Monticello, UT for another football game. Game was at 7:00 and finished just before 9:00. That leg was 402 miles one way (stay with me now - 804 round trip). Back in the car and up to Price to "bed down" for the night at 1:00 am. Back up at 7:00 am so we could leave by 8:00 am to return to Randolph (home of the REBELS) so Shani could play a couple of matches of volleyball. Still not worn out so we re-entered the Tahoe (most were kicking and screaming by this time, including me) so we could run home, change in to dress-up clothes and go to Logan (another mere 42 miles) for Ned's sister Gayes son Nolans wedding reception. Yes, that adds another 84 miles round trip. Then back to home sweet home... Let me add that mileage up for you:200 + 804 + 84 = 1,088 miles. Don't bother timesing that out to find out the $$ amount spent on gas - it would FRIGHTEN you. Oh, the things we do for kids/family... But I wouldn't have it any other way. The time to sit in the ol' rockin' chair and wonder where life went is coming way too fast. FIND JOY IN THE JOURNEY!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Okay all you blogger-nerds... Got another question. I want to add a place on my blog where I can put the scrap pages I have done or crafty things, etc. So I want the current one to show, but then be a link to where all the other ones are stored. Possible? And feel free to email me if the answer gets lengthy. Or better yet, just DO IT for me! :) Yes, I am blog-challenged, but at least I will admit it!

Watch out below!

How funny is this? Just found it while looking back through some summer pictures. It was taken at the Logan pool while the Lofthouses' were invading us.

okay - I totally give up. What do you have to do to get the photos UNDER the text? AUGHHHHHH! And when I put a pic in, then text, then another pic = the last pic goes to the top. WHICH IS NOT WHERE I WANT IT!!! So feel free to make me feel stupid and tell me what I am doing wrong. I am off to school board but expect lots of answers when I get home tonight. PS : thanks for the help!

Okay - I am getting really frustrated with this site, but I will try this ONE MORE TIME! I had to delete some stuff cuz I didnt like the layout and could not get it to edit. But it went something like this: You can tell how much a person likes a holiday by the amount of decorating they do in and around their homes. So the other night I decided to get our Halloween decorations out - what do ya think? If you left click on the pic, you can almost make it out.

So now I want to add another pic below this one...

JK - this is what my house really looks like this year:

And another thing as long as I am rambling... You know my post a month ago about digging up the raspberries to plant corn next year? Well, I am now COMPLETELY sold on the idea. Yesterday Ned and I went into Lee's grocery shopping and I saw they had bundles of corn stalks for $4.99 a piece - and there was about 6 stalks total per bundle... BEAT THAT! I could become a millionaire just off of corn stalks. And yes, I shall remember all of you in my will.

PoOr LiL' tHinG...

What's up with that? I went to Logan today and YOU GUYS did not have any of this white, fluffy stuff on your roses... NOT FAIR! Wanna come build a snowman? :)

"I was walking down the street one day..."

While out on my almost-daily walk a couple of weeks ago, I noticed a couple of black cows up ahead of me in the area of Harbor Village. I couldn't remember of seeing them there before, but thought nothing of it. A couple blocks later, I looked up at them again and lo and behold, it was a MOOSE! I hurried and called Ned (my knight in shining armor...) and begged him to bring my camera to me. We circled around them and got some pretty cool pics. Channel 2 even showed one of them on the news one night. Anyway, that is what I love about livin' in this place.

Change of Seasons...

How sad is this picture? I am NOT, I repeat, NOT, ready to give up the sandals for socks and shoes. Is it REALLY going to snow tomorrow? I love the change of seasons, but fall has not lasted long enough. Any one out there agree with me?

Change of Harvest...

Okay folks - this is it... Fresh off the press... Ned and I have done some soul-searching and have decided after re-evaluating our summer crops, that we are much better at raising corn than raspberries - as you can see in the photo above. Why waste time raising little tiny raspberries when we can serve up husky cobs like this? So we have just finished plowing up the raspberries (3 acres total) and plowed up another 8 acres in front of the house. As soon as the threat of frost is over next spring (about mid-July) we would appreciate all the help you can give us to get the corn crop in. Stay tuned for more information!

Simply Gorgeous!

Made a "little" run to Kanab on Friday and found this cool photo opp along the way.