Christmas 2008

Christmas is over and as you all may know, Michelle and Josh did not get to come to Utah as long planned. This came as a result of our soon-to-be born grandson's efforts to try to get here sooner than he is supposed to. Instead, we packed up Christmas and sent it to them in Charleston. We plan to visit as soon as the little bounder is born but we hope that is not for a few more weeks. Christmas Eve found me madly trying to get our webcam to work with theirs so we would be able to see them on Christmas morning. This was finally achieved at about 5:30 a.m. Utah time on Christmas morning but not before a few curses were uttered. Kristin and Cody slept over and Phil went and got his mom very very early. In fact, just as she was arriving the kids finally dragged their butts from the sack. Kristin had gone to great lengths to surprise Cody and it paid off. He was thrilled the get an XBox 360 and has quickly abandoned us all to his little world of Madden 2009. After gift opening, we got on webcam and talked to Michelle and Josh by cell phone. Michelle's belly is getting bigger all the time!! Then we had breakfast and while I cleared the dishes and made rolls for dinner, Kristin fell asleep by the fire with Rebel. Phil visited with his mom and Cody played his XBox. Then after awhile we took off for my parents and to see Phil's sister and her family. Record snowfall on Christmas day made travel kind of risky but we lived. In the evening, we had dinner together and then settled down for the night. All in all it was a pretty good year but we really missed not having Michelle and Josh with us. Maybe next year...

Thanksgiving 2008

Phil & I will be alone this holiday--Phil's mom will be here so I guess that's not completely alone. We are planning a fine meal as usual followed by the annual viewing of "A Christmas Story" to properly begin our holiday season. On Friday, we will trek out to find a fabulous tree for the family room. Which we will put lights on and then leave undecorated until our whole little family (of six now) converges on us December 13th. A decorating party will then begin complete with spiked eggnog (okay so it will have Sprite in it...) and likely some cheeky moments when our sons-in-law will do vulgar things with icicles like last year. Our very pregnant Michelle will probably knock down as many ornaments as she places on the tree but the very smug and swift Kristin will probably come to her rescue--or push her over. (Kristin is quite unpredictable when it comes to her mischevious nature.) Then I suppose the games will begin and I will likely be heard saying something like "this is not a rumpus room!" while Phil will probably be telling us to be more quiet.