Why I love December

Working on the Creche

This is what sets the tone for me for the rest of the month.

I have come to know and love the women/men scattered throughout the stake who work so hard to make this wonderful event happen

Great friends! Friendships I will cherish forever

The Miracle of turning Chaos into sheer beauty.

And best of all the spirit...so amazing ...and tangible...it is present the moment you walk through the doors.

350 Creches and 9,000 visitors in 5 days.

Over 300 volunteers

I feel so blessed to be part of this dedicated group of people.

OUR CHILDREN'S BIRTHDAYS Erik (Moey) who just turned 29...my tender hearted, first born....who is truly a Californian!

He loves ALL things California

The Beach.......Sand......the Waves...Surfing...Santa Cruz...

Mexican food...

Camping in his VW bus

Making curtains and restoring this same bus

Wandering.and exploring San Francisco...

Biking the hills

Barbecuing

Teaching the YM how to make skim boards

Skiing

Working as a Project Engineer

Helping his dad with projects

And of course his favorite....Megan!

(And she isn't even a Californian.)

KARI (Bears as we affectionately call her.) Who just turned 25

She has dual citizenship...Utah/California. She lives in Utah

but "left her heart in San Francisco".

Kari loves Beckham, her precious, adorable, funny "furball"

Her new apartment, where her magic touch turned it into a "home".

She captures the world with her Camera....Amazing!

Her ipod,Computer and Cell Phone

These things she can't live without..they connect her to her huge social network...But if the truth be known, she really prefers to be at home in her sweats.

Her friends...she has too many to count!

These initials.....NBA...NFL...RSL...

Cafe Rio, Costa, Paradise Bakery and Target

Pier One (I'm sorry Kari)

Visits to sunny California

Being close to grandma, aunts/uncles cousins, and children of those cousins

She has a new hobby, making baby blankets...she even learned to sew!

She loves the children she nanny's for

and of course, her Budgies!

CHRISTMAS...

The day after Thanksgiving I send out the message "the Santas are coming"! This means

mom starts to decorate.

I love decorating our home. As I put things around the house and on the tree, I am filled with wonderful memories..

The music boxes Bob gave me at the birth of each child

Ornaments, handmade by Erik, Kari and family.

Christmas Books and magazines

Cold weather...not snow...just cold

Christmas Music 24/7

Christmas smells

Christmas lights

Friends and the excitement and wonder of children

The magic of the season...anticipation...kindness

And most importantly

The joyous birth of our Savior

I love December

Our family....I am so blessed!

The Big Dig update....

This was typical day on our project in November....lots of equipment. Then it rained, and
rained and things sort of slowed down. Poor Puppy, he hates all of this "stuff" in his backyard.
He can't quite figure out what to do with himself. Oh, and with all this, the gophers are still
there, digging holes.

Thanksgiving and the annual Tree cutting!

We have so much to be thankful for and feel so very blessed. It was nice to be together as a family and to also share this day with our friends,the Gustafsons. I even made gravy "solo"for the first time in 32 years of marriage. It was really good if I say so myself. Kari experimented with pears and gold dust for the table settings. I must admit we had a very

Martha Stewart looking table.

We have been going to the same Christmas Tree farm for 29 years....we got the first tree when Erik was born. It is a fun, day after Thanksgiving day, we always take a picnic, left over turkey, rolls, cranberries, and chips. Some years the weather is hot and beautiful, some years rain and mud, and some years just really, really cold. It usually takes several hours to check out ALL the trees before we can decide which one is the "perfect" tree.

This is the view from our Tree farm. So beautiful with the fog resting on the tops of the trees.

The ocean is just beyond the horizon.

Kari was happy just to wander around taking pictures. Oh yes, she is also good for carrying the tree back to the car.

At last!!!! They found the perfect tree for 2008. Now the trick is to find

where we left the truck and carry the tree back over "hill and dell" and head for home.

The road to the Tree Farm is not a favorite....lots and lots of curves and narrow one way lanes.

Some have been known to get car sick on the drive (Puppy) and have not been invited back. It is all worth it though when you see the beautiful, fresh tree all decorated.

The "BIG DIG" begins!

Finally, after two years of planning and "dealing" with the city of Portola Valley, the first

chunk of concrete was removed. Bob was having so much fun he didn't want to go to work and miss out!

So much NOISE!. We received a "worst neighbor of the week" award

from an anonymous neighbor. Little signs posted all over our cars, fence, mailbox

and bridge.

I will admit, the noise did get annoying after the first couple of days. This project has been consuming much of our lives for the past two months. So many decisions to make.

Our project manager has finally realized that Bob is a perfectionist.. .. They are getting good at "re-doing" though.