perfectly imperfect holiday season

What was your best Christmas as a kid? Was it the one where there was a lot of stress about a perfect meal elegantly served-on time-to a perfectly dressed family? Or was it the one where the dog pulled the turkey off the stove and dragged it away through the dog door? There was no perfect meal that day. Everyone rolled with the punches. They rolled up their sleeves and worked together in the kitchen to salvage a makeshift meal.

The beauty of that memory is not in perfection and organization, but in remembering the joy of being together and doing things together. It was the laughter. It was one of those days when the choices were to laugh or to cry, so you all laughed it off and enjoyed one another. It brought you all together in a different way.

Holidays are times for enjoying one another. We are not suggesting that you purposely feed the turkey to the pets, but we strongly suggest that an imperfect day with little stress will create better memories of loving relationships.

We wish you a perfectly imperfect holiday season,
Jim Fay
Love and Logic

Christmas Sunday Outfits

-oops, I forgot a solo picture of Andrew...next week after church because there is no way I will be able to get him in is church clothes on a week day!
>



Notice how Andrew just casually put his arm around Alex
Now notice what a stretch it was for Alex to reach his younger brother!! I was trying to take the picture and I couldn't stop laughing. It is okay that Andrew is taller, I mean they are only 15 months apart, it was just funny to see! :)

I love this picture!

asleep in the hay

Isn't this the cutest manger?!
Mom/Grandma Allen gave it to us. Thanks! Do a good deed to fill up the manger with hay so Jesus has a soft place to lay on Christmas Eve.

Delivery Girl

We love doing neighbor gifts for our little culd-a-sac. I have thought about just doing the neighborhood food bank in lieu of gifts, but even if we did I know I would still do my neighbor gifts because we enjoy them so much. (except when their dogs do their 'business' on my lawn..!! he! he! he!:) We really do have one of the best neighborhoods.
This year I got a short read book, The Christmas Box by Richard Paul Evans.

An oldie, but a good message and hopefully everyone hasn't already read it!
No preschool today, so Anika helped me put them in bags along with some yummy chocolates (not homemade!) and off we went to deliver. She was so excited skipping to each new house where she handed the bag to them if they were home and left the ones on the porch to those who weren't. To those who were home her saying seemed to be about the same, "Here, Merry Christmas. This is from my mom, Pam Bennett that's her nick name. See, she's right here! k- Bye!"


It is a little chilly out this morning but nothing to complain about for winter weather. No snow except for that which hasn't melted from a week or so ago on the side of the neighborhood that doesn't get the direct sun on their front yards during the midday! We are lucky that is not us!

Merry Early Christmas To Me!

ya! An SLR camera!!! No more waiting 10 minutes in between pictures! Now I just have to learn how to you use it and not treat it like a $50 camera.
I have so much to post and so little time...

Guilt

This morning I left to take the kids to school while still wearing my slippers and pajama pants, while driving Andrew asked if I was coming to their assembly as his class was performing a song. That would have been nice to know 10 minutes ago! I really didn't want to drive home and then drive back to the school for a 10 minute assembly. Then he goes on to tell me how last year when I didn't come (my guess is I didn't know about it) how he was so embarrassed! I told him I can't be at everything and I am not going to go into the school with my slippers and pj's on.
Well on the way home I thought about how I really don't have anything too pressing to get done today and decided I would go back.
As Anika and I got there his class was just starting their song. They did a wonderful job! Alex's class then did a quick little poem so I was able to see two kids perform! These are the things they are suppose to remember-right?!
Hopefully them seeing my presence will reinforce my love to them and they don't have to be embarrassed that I didn't show up and they can grow up to be a healthy productive adult!!!

My only picture that turned out!

Demolition Update II

no pillars or big box thing in the middle of the floor!

Demolition Update...

Here is a good picture I should have added last time, right before the final blow that made them come crashing down...there was a good thump!-oops :)


Update: not quite done, but the holes in the walls are patched



need to patch the hole with the carpet! I tried to match it but don't think it does now that I am home, it seemed to match my sample when I was at the store...hmmm
perhaps as it gets as dirty as the rest of the carpet it will blend!! It is temporary so I don't really care too much if truth be told!

One more box thing to get out!
As per past post "now you see it"
Now you don't!

And, I like it! :)

Uh Oh! What did Pam do this time?!

What is a girl to do when she gets bored at home?

#1. Sand the bathroom cupboards in prep for paint (picture to come out of batteries!)

#2. Plaster the bathroom, first coat is up, tomorrow sand and do the next layer- paint next week...stay tuned!


Blame this one on my aunt...I have been waiting all week for her to email me the paint color so I could paint the cupboards and since I am "still waiting!" AND I had to wait for the walls to dry I was getting a little bored, so that brought about #3. We have looked and thought about what to do with these pillars for 6.5 years now...I mean look, they're right in the middle of the room, what is one suppose to do with them? Don't say paint or put ivy down them...
Who knew a sledge hammer could relieve boredom?!

#3. Pillars Before...

The first swing is always the scariest!


Then after a few hits and dust flying around...


There's no stopping now...




My captive audience....they even told me they needed snacks and treats as they sat and watched, and cheered with each swing


After....
Oh no! The camera ran out of batteries and I have none left, come back tomorrow!!!!
Oh the suspense!

Good-Bye Good Friend

Well we did it, we sold our big comfy sectional couch. We loved this couch. We bought it right when we moved in. It was our first actual furniture buy of being married. We were buying something that was not second hand or "student living" furniture. We wanted something nice for the purchase of our first house! We loved the reclining chairs and the hide-a-bed did come in handy for guest since all our rooms are full to the max! The people who bought it seemed really nice and I hope they enjoy it as much as we did!






We have decided to get rid of some of our living room space to make more kitchen and therefore will get two smaller couches to rearrange things a bit. It will be hard to find something as comfy as the first, but hopefully with perseverance we will find the right set!

Changes all around

Alex had to get glasses! Doesn't he look cute?!



Rachel got a hair cut! :) Doesn't she look cute?! Totally a new person and look from 6 months ago...!!!


Don't you think uniforms are the cutest?!


Aubrey wanted in on the action!!

A New Anika

while getting her bangs trimmed,

"I look like a new Anika!"
"Don't worry mom, I will look like me tomorrow"

I guess it's time to Go Private

I have been watching my 'visitors' and I have got two I am concerned about...
This is not a "I'm saying I'm going private to see who reads my blog" I really think it is time.
The pain of going private is that you can no longer tell when someone updates their blog but, it is fun to get your comments and feed back. So, if you would like let me know if you want me to invite you and if you don't think I have your email address send this to me as well.
Good times!

Firm and Steadfast

I like to take the child who is getting baptized to get their picture taken with a background that goes with a scripture, so they will hopefully remember when things are hard what it is they need to do and stand for. I also hope that when they read or hear the scripture it will also help them to remember their baptism and the sweet spirit felt that day. For Andrew, I used the valley and mountains for his background. After we do the picture I sit with them and read the scripture verse and discuss it for just a few minutes and express my love and happiness for this child. It is a moment that will be forever be etched in my memory and if you know me I don't remember things well!!
For Andrew I chose:

1 Nephi 2:10 "O that thou mightest be like unto this valley, firm and steadfast, and immovable in keeping the commandments of the Lord!"




Andrew was baptised last Saturday, November 7, 2009 at the Stake Center or otherwise known as, by my kids, "The Spanish Branch." That is what happens when they hear their dad say for the last (almost) 5 years that he has to go to the Spanish Branch and they see him go into this building!
We were lucky again to have it be our Ward's turn to be in charge, so Grandpa Allen and Aunt Chantel sang, "Oh Thou Fount" and did a beautiful job, Uncle Kennedy gave a great testimony talk. Dad baptised and confirmed Andrew. While we were waiting our cute Primary President, Denise Smith handed out little cards for everyone to write a little note to Andrew, and after the baptism our Bishopric member, Brother Paul Holbrook gave a short welcome talk to Andrew. Then another favorite, Grandma Allen makes number 8 cookies for the baptism child to hand out to everyone. They always turn out cute and yummy!

Andrew was very excited to have his turn in the family to be baptised. After it was done and he was getting out of the water he had the biggest smile on his face and left with a silly little Andrew giggle! It was so cute! It really is true there is a certain glow that people get after they are baptised and Andrew really had this in his eyes and on his face.


Dad and Andrew

Andrew's favorite Primary Teachers of all time (Sunbeam) Brother and Sister Loosli

Almost everyone that was there

The Family!

Mom and Dad and Andrew
Andrew was so excited he called his little frined Noah to come as well, but my camera was 'acting up' and I never got a picture....maybe to come...!