The Day Before Christmas

Cherisa and Mikie loading up dart guns.

Roux and Sy shooting Mikie.

Josh shot Heidi once too often. Heidi, Sy and Roux were out to stop him.

Christmas Eve dinner

The kids' gingerbread house

Vi and Deegan decorating the kids' house.

Roux and Sy "helping"

Nonna and Heidi's house.

Nonna and Heidi having fun decorating.

Deegan and Nonna practicing the organ. They played a Jingle Bells duet.

Decorations

The Christmas wreath on the front door and Ranell giving me the "stink-eye" for taking the picture.

This was the threat for the kids when they were younger.

Ranell's cross stiching

Gpa Wakefield and I made this bird house for her.

Air Darts

Ranell got air darts and guns to go with them. We had the PVC pipes that Keith and Austin are using. Talk about loud and wild and crazy in the family room!

Roux with safety glasses loading up.

Deegan and Poppa are loading up.

Josh was hiding under the desk to get a great shot at Deegan.

Christmas

Ranell loves this time of year! She is so much like my mother who took such joy in this time of year.

On the wall of the kids' pictures, (drawings by Opa, Ranell's dad) she has found a home for her Santas.

We have had this nativity scene for years that the kids could play with and put together as a puzzle. They have all loved it and put it together way faster than their Dad.

Well after all these years, Ranell mentioned that she would like a nice nativity scene. So Gpa Wakefield and I looked all over Logan. While we were going to Cox Honey to get stuff for our cracked and bleeding hands, they had a great sale on their Christmas stuff and I fell in love with this one. Ranell really likes it. Choosing Nativity Scenes for someone else is really a challenge!

I Married the Best of the Best

How could I have been so blessed! Truly, I have the best husband in the world. Now, I realize that many women think their husbands are the best--and it may be so, for them. Why do I think Mike is so great? Read on...

• He puts up with my moodiness, and even helps it to go away.
• He can read my mind, but only when necessary.
• He puts the lid down.
• He vacuums and mops floors.
• He cleans bathrooms.
• He cooks breakfast in bed for me (not that I am in bed very often for him to do this)
• He has dinner ready for me when I come home from work.
• He calls the kids and checks up on them.
• He calls my mom and talks with her.
• He calls my brother.
• He goes to Rexburg and includes my sister's daughter (Rachael) in the Wakefield activities.
• He is worthy to give priesthood blessings.
• He is worthy to work in the temple.
• He sacrifices so many things for me and for the family.
• He has brought home and tended a four-year-old grandson for three weeks.
• He loves his grandkids and knows how to play with them.
• He is a father to five, and all love and respect him.
• He checks up on his family (dad, brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews) and is there for them.
• He has taught our children about the gospel and the Savior.
• He is an example.
• He has been a positive influence for hundreds of teenagers.
• He loves the Lord.
• He loves me, unconditionally.
• He is talented and shares his talents with others.
• He encourages me to stretch and grow with my challenges and responsibilities.
• When things get tough, he keeps on going.
• He says "yes" when asked to serve in the Church.
• He will drop everything to run to my rescue.
• He will drop everything to help the kids, and any other family member.
• He teaches an awesome Gospel Doctrine lesson.

The list goes on, and on, and on, and on. After 25 years, he is more awesome than I could ever imagine and my love and appreciation for him continue to grow. He really is the Best of the Best.

Pie Party

Thanksgiving Dinner--the turkey, potatoes and gravy, stuffing, yams, vegetables, rolls, salad, and other yummy food items to fill our tummies to the max. And then, stomaches full and hardly able to move, the pie comes out and we are way too full to fully appreciate the wonder of them. A few years ago, Mike and his sister solved the problem of "too full for pie on Thanksgiving." Bring the pies out the night before Thanksgiving for a pie-party! Great idea, so we tried it with his brothers and sisters. It was a hit and the beginning of a new tradition.

This year Thanksgiving is at our house, with our family. To kick it off, you guessed it, a night before Thanksgiving Pie Party. Family and friends were invited and the preparations began.

Mike and Roux taking laundry into the laundry room. It looked more like play than work, but the job got done--eventually.

Still hard at work!

The pie-making project in the early stages.

My niece Rachel was able to catch a ride from Rexburg to Provo, then from Provo to here. It will be fun to have her here. Before the day was over, Mike had a date lined up for Rachel for Friday night. We can't have her get too bored here.

We ended up having Lars, Rachel, Heidi and her family, Mikie and Cherisa and her two sisters and cousin, the Willis family, Sister Zobell (a sweet widow that lives down the road), Gary and Charly Scholes, and the Jorgensens come for pie. Colton, my nephew, arrived later in the evening (he missed the chaos, but snagged some pie). Lots of talking, kids playing, and of course, eating.

The pie collection--I made a banana cream, blueberry cream, lemon chiffon, chocolate chip, and two pumpkin pies all from scratch (Heidi was here to help with the pumpkin pies). I also made pumpkin squares and peach cobbler. Carey Willis brought blackberry pie. Cherisa brought two sweet potato pies. Charly brought a mixed berry cobbler. Heidi brought cheesecake and topping. Naturally there was real whipped cream and ice cream to accompany the selection.

This was, I think, a success and we will most likely plan one again for next year. Only one thing would have improved the night--having more of the family here.

A Day With Poppa

Roux has been with us for a week and a half and, surprisingly, isn't asking to go home yet. I have some theories about that--the first being that Poppa is keeping Roux so busy that Roux doesn't have time to think about home. The second, Poppa has Roux so tired at night, that Roux goes straight to sleep. Oh, he has asked about his mom, and has awaken during the night asking for his mom, but overall has just enjoyed time with his Poppa.

This is the first time that Roux has stood by the horses without an adult holding his hand. He has become a little braver, an little more confident, and a little more trusting of animals.

Yes, it is cold here. Jack Frost has found our area. The last of the apples have been picked in the orchard. Most of the apples at this point are treats for the horses. Roux decided he needed an apple snack--I hope he got one without worms!!!

Stomping the ice was a new and interesting experience for Roux. Armed with his tough cowboy boots, crunching and breaking the ice kept Roux's attention for a few minutes.

I saw this picture and just about

freaked out! Maybe I should say that I did freak out, silently. "What in the world was Mike thinking letting Roux chop wood with a hatchet?" ran through my head. I could not believe Mike would give an active four-year-old boy a hatchet to experiment with. Upon investigation, I learned it was a hammer and Roux was hammering nails into the wood. How could I possibly think Mike would do something dangerous with his little grandson?

Walking on the ceiling? Now I know how those footprints in strange places get there.

Poppa and Steve Ames decided to "take the dogs for a walk in the north pasture " one afternoon. This time of year that walk translates into one thing--pheasant hunting. I don't know the details, but apparently some pheasants were found. They didn't stay around our place, to I assume that Steve took the prizes home. Roux was initially timid of these prizes, but his curiosity and keen mind won out and he had to learn more about these things called pheasants.

When Mike first brought Roux here to visit, I was sure we would be driving Roux back to Arizona this weekend. I just didn't think this sweet four-year-old, or his sweet mother, could stand to be separated any longer. Both seem to be doing fine, overall, and we are loving it. I must say, this is only possible because Mike is the one doing all of the work, and having most of the fun while I put in long hours at work. Roux has an awesome Poppa, and I have the best husband in the universe!!!!