Merry Christmas 2012

Christmas was a blur this year.  There were all kinds of concerts, parties, events, dinners, shopping, working, and school to fill our time and it flew by.  Here are a few things that we did:

We got snow exactly a week before Christmas and I let the kids stay up late and play in it.  I didn't know if the snow would stick (which it did) or if it would stay for the holiday so we broke the house rules and played.  It was so pretty in the street lights and really made it feel like the Christmas season.

Perfect night for a walk! 

Dalyon and Cami started out by making the largest snowball ever, but then it didn't qualify as a snowball because they couldn't throw it, so they added two smaller snowballs on top to make a snowman.  He lasted the whole week! 

The end of the world (according to the Mayans) was predicted on Friday, December 21, and once again it didn't happen.  So, on Saturday, Dec. 22 we had a very special event.  Austin was able to go through the temple for his first time.  It was a very neat experience for me as a mom, and I will always remember it.  We got to the temple at 8:30 in the morning and I did initiatory while  Austin did his with his Dad as his escort.  To meet with him in the holding room, with him all dressed in white filled my heart so full it spilled right over through my eyes.  The spirit was so strong and my joy so very full.  I got a great surprise then too, because my dad who was supposed to be in California, came and sat down next to me and my mom.  We were all really glad he could come and go through with Austin.  The session was very sweet, and seeing Austin in the Celestial room, and then in the mirrors in the sealing rooms was very neat.  Someday he will take his bride and stand in those mirrors and see for eternity, but for now I got to stand with him, and that meant a lot.  We went to lunch after at the Golden Corral with our family, then Austin and I turned around and went through again with his good friend Ephriam Tait, who was going through for the first time that afternoon.  I was exhausted by the end of the day, spiritual things and crying wear me out.  Austin said he felt like he was trying to take a drink out of a fire hydrant, there was so much to think about.  His friend Andy Ashcroft and his dad Kelly also went through both sessions with us that day.  I was glad to share it with my mom and dad as well. 

As I said before, Christmas came and went in a hurry.  Besides preparing for and going through the temple with Austin, I was also baking.  This year I intended to scale down my Christmas rolls and give myself a break, but I ended up doing 219 rolls in the end, and mostly by myself this year because everyone else had other obligations and the only day I could do them was during school.  They got done, and delivered, and I suppose eaten.  Check that one off the Christmas to do list.

Ready to be baked. . . .

We had Christmas Eve at Grandma and Grandpa Winn's house this year and Vickie and her family came too. Austin and Cody took their guitars and we had a night of sing-a-longs and good food. We opened presents from the extended family and of course our traditional Christmas pajamas.  This year I gave each of the kids a book with their pj's.  We had a really nice time together.  Christmas was on a Tuesday this year so there was no torcher of waiting to open presents until after church, which I still hear about.  ha ha!    I think everyone was pleased with their gifts.  It was a different Christmas for Austin because he is getting ready for his mission and got mostly mission stuff.  All the boys got a remote control truck that they all took out to the sandbox and zoomed around with for fun.  Mady got a cedar chest and Cami got a horse to go with her American Girl doll.  We had a very nice Christmas.

It is just too early in the morning to be doing this!  They got up at 6:30 and they NEVER get up at 6:30 am.
Mady is sticking her tongue out at Austin, who is hiding behind Cami.  Life is never dull here. 

New Years Eve was very different for us this year.  Normally we have thrown a big party and had a lot of friends over to be loud with, but this year I had to work on New Years Eve Day and Doug was in Montana, so I didn't throw a party.  Doug left the day after Christmas to go to Boise, ID in a snowstorm to pick up a house going to Wiliston, North Dakota.  We are so grateful for the work and didn't even bat an eye about the fact that this is the first year in 23 years that we haven't been together on New Years Eve for our 11:27 kiss.  That has to be a record of some sort, kissing each other at the same time, on the same night for 23 years.  There is a story about why it was 11:27,  we thought it was midnight and after the kiss realized that it was only 11:27.  Neither of us complained, however, because we were able to correct the mistake at midnight.  Regardless, New Years Eve was quiet with Austin, Mady and Cody out at a bon -fire Austin and friends were hosting south of town, Cami was at a friends house, and Dalyon came home about 6 from a friends house.  He and I decided to go to the movie "Parental Guidance" and watched the ball fall in NYC, something we have never done.  It was a quiet but nice night with just the two of us. 

We have had a crazy year, as usual, which should feel like the norm for us.  Looking forward to 2013 I anticipate more craziness and a few tears. (A mom has the right to cry when her boys leave on missions, right?) Our lives continue to change as does our world and we are grateful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ in our lives that brings us peace in troubled times.  I look forward to better times and am grateful for the good memories we have had. 
 

Bar J Wranglers, a Continued Christmas Tradition

Once again we decided to treat ourselves to a holiday performance of the Bar J Wranglers, our new Christmas tradition that we started last year.  This year we brought my mom and dad along and had an enjoyable time once again.  Austin was home for a few days and we were glad he could come because it will be a couple of years before he can go with us again.  Mady was in charge of the pictures and she took mostly videos, but here are a few still shots that show how much fun we have!

The whole group on stage.  Babe Humphries, the founder of the Bar J joined them
at this performance.  It was quite a treat. 

We sat in two rows, one right behind the other.  This is Austin catching up with
Grandpa.

An after concert shot with Babe Humphries and his son.
 

Another autograph and phot shoot with the guys. 
 

This is a very fun time for our family!  Lots of laughter, toe tapping and smiles.  I'm glad we were all together for the concert again this year.  What a nice way to start the Christmas season! 

Our Mexican Japanese Hibachi Chef

Some things just stand out in your mind and you never forget them.  Last Thanksgiving weekend after opening Austin's mission call we had our family pictures taken and Doug and I treated the kids to the Samurai 21 Japanese Steak House in St. George, a first for our family.  There were several new things tried this night for each of us.  Sushi was one, although I don't know what  the kids were fussing about because all I ordered was the California rolls which have COOKED crab meat in them, not raw fish.  They all made faces and squirmed around, but they all tried a piece, except Doug of course, who is a meat and potatoes guy.  Now that I think of it I believe Mady passed on the deliciousness as well.  Oh well, more for us I say! 

All of us around the hibachi grill.  We are all smiles because everyone is having STEAK!
There are no chickens in this family!!

Our Japanese Hibachi Chef who is from Mexico.  Very funny!  He really
picked on Cody and Mady.

At the end of all the fancy cooking our Chef tosses a piece of chicken or shrimp in to our mouths.  Most of us caught it, and Austin slid way back against the wall and caught his piece!  Very impressive!  This was a great memory for us and we hope to do it again when we are rich and famous!  ha ha ha!! 

"I Hope They Call Me On a Mission!"

The day after Thanksgiving is BLACK FRIDAY, when all of the stores have really great deals to start off the Christmas shopping.  I normally don't kill myself to get out there and get the bargins, but this time I couldn't resist the deals this year.  I was out at 5:00 that morning making rounds to all the stores and called Doug and Austin about 10:00 to see if they could take me to breakfast while they were in St. George delivering Austins truck bed he was selling.  We met at the Cracker Barrel and were in the middle of our breakfasts when Cody called to tell Austin that he had the next two years of his life in his hands.  HIS MISSION CALL HAD COME AND WE WEREN'T HOME!!!  Suddenly we were nervous, anxious, and Austin couldn't drive he was shaking so badly.  We hurried and texted everyone we knew to meet at one o'clock to open his call. 

I rushed home and Austin and Doug delivered his truck bed, then rushed home.  Because I got their first I got to try and see the letter first. 

Sadly, the letter was hidden by the mission packet and I couldn't see anything.  Darn. 

Dear Elder Beutler, You have been called to serve as a missionary. . . .

The letter signed by President Thomas S. Monson himself.  We were kind of hoping he could go somewhere he hadn't been before, but Austin has a great attitude about going wherever the Lord wanted him to go and is excited to serve in Anaheim, California.  I struggled with it for day or so until I was reading the letter again and realized that the Prophet reviews and signs every letter personally.  He double checks each call to make sure the call is what the Lord wants and I know that this is where Austin needs to go to serve.  I'm grateful he is going to be close enough to send packages and letters and that we can easily go and get him when he finished. We are very proud of Austin and his decision to serve a mission.  He is going to the happiest mission on earth!!  (because Disneyland is in their mission).  He is going to have a great experience.  Congratulations Austin!!

We are all thankful for. . .cell phones?

This year for Thanksgiving we decided to stay home instead of going up to Dayton or over to my Mom and Dads house.  It was just our immediate family for dinner and it was kind of nice, even though I had to do all of the cooking.  Austin came home from Idaho hoping to open his mission call on Wednessday, but it didn't come, so he jumped right in to hanging out with his friends and having them all over for a movie night.  It seems like you cook for days for this one meal and it is over in just a few minutes, but it is always worth the effort. 

We broke out the nice china, crystal goblets for the fancy lime slush, and REAL silver ware for the occasion.  Cody helped me set the table and finish up the cooking before dinner.  I found it very interesting that when we sat down to the meal I spent hours on, this is what I saw:

We are a modern family for sure, everyone has an electronic device that they are occupied with.  Needless to say, the blessing on the food was delayed.    

 

For dinner I made a small turkey breast because everyone voted to have ham instead.  I also made Idaho grown mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing cassarole, sweet potato pie, orange glazed carrots, homemade rolls, jello with whipped cream, and orange jello pudding salad.  I also had pumpkin, apple, and banana cream pies for later.  I think everyone enjoyed the meal and liked the new recipes for the most part.  It is always fun to use the finery I have saved in my hope chest for a long time.  I am grateful to have everyone together and safe, and for all our many other blessings that are to numberless to list.  We are so blessed!      

 

Happy Birthday Cody!

What do you get to do when you are fourteen that you didn't get to do when you were thirteen? That is what Cody wanted to know as he turned fourteen on the twentieth of November. It is not much of a difference, he decided, except he was ordained a Teacher in the Priesthood and can now go with the teachers on Tuesday nights, and he can go to the Stake Dances with Mady and his friends, and he can have girls and boys over for night games and parties. He is very excited to turn fourteen.  Happy Birthday Cody!

We had a small family party for him on Tuesday night with my Mom and Dad.  We had cake and ice cream and presents.   

He got a new western shirt and wranglers, a gun stock for his shotgun, and CAT socks and safety glass and a hat.  He was very happy with his gifts and had a really good birthday. 

Mady's first REAL date. . . Sadie Hawkins

On Saturday, the 17th of November Mady had her first "real" date.  (I guess her dad wasn't a "real boy", or so she says).  Her first date was to the girls choice dance, Sadie Hawkins, and Mady and her friends went as a group.  Mady asked Kyson Spendlove, whom she had to chase and put a tag around his neck per the rules of Sadie Hawkins.  She accomplished that on the first day of the chase and was so proud of herself! 
 She and her friends met on Satruday for the "day date" (a custom that has evolved from only going to the dance at night, to spending all day together playing games or four wheeling, or whatever.) with another group and had a "Minute to Win It" marathon.  Bobette Green and I planned the games and tried to make them as messy as possible. 

They did contests like picking gummy bears out of a pan full of whipped cream, pudding and other stuff; they ate lunch with their hands tied together, they shot elastic bands at toilet paper until it broke; sat on balloons filled with shaving cream until they burst;  put shaving cream on their shower capped heads and threw Cheetoes at each other, and other fun games like that.  It was very messy, but everyone had a great time. 

Mady and Kyson after the "cheese head" minute to win it game.
 

For dinner they went to Kelly Labarrons' Grandparents house and had a dutch oven dinner, then went to the dance together.  Mady had a very fun time dancing and laughing and having a great time with all of her friends. 

Mady and Kyson Spendlove

Kyson Spendlove, Mady, Trevor Halowell , Shelby Copeland,  Jenny Gowans, Justin Byce,
Kelly LaBaron, Talon Demille.