Holidays 2009......... come and gone

Christmas came, quickly as you can tell from my last post. Its now time to begin a new year. I would like to start the new year all caught up on the updates of the holidays so here it is, Holiday season 2009 recap!

The holiday season begins on the great day of Thanksgiving. I am fully aware that this was a long time ago but since I never posted pics and I really enjoyed this year I want to have the pictures to remember it by.

I think we started this holiday year off with a nice big bang with our great Thanksgiving dinner followed by the really fun pie party!

Here was the dinner spread it was yummy!

our humble eating arrangments. I was just glad to use my china.

all the ladies at the pie party. I wish we had got a picture of all the guys also. They are starting from the back left, Amy A., Austin C., ? Alisha's neighbor?, Bottom left: Sis. Bybee, Bybee daughter 1, Angela A., Allison W., Alisha B., Miriam R., Miriam P., On the floor: Me, and Bybee daughter 2.

wow lots of pie!

Here is Harley in a school play she did for Thanksgiving.

Here is a little bit of it. Harley does have a speaking part but you can't really hear her. She was also a narrator for the begining of the play. She did a really good job.

Its getting colder we have to bundle up!! The girls call this Gena's pink marshmallow outfit.

Niyah had a Christmas Ballet recital. She did so well and looked so adorable!

Here she is afterwards. She was so happy that we gave her a rose to say good job.

The Sunday before Christmas I thought the girls looked so pretty in their red dresses. I was in charge of the branch Christmas program this year and I was so glad when that Sunday was over!

On Christmas Eve there was a branch activity to come exchange cookies and let the kids do a nativity. Although I think Harley was sad not to be Mary they had a good time and made beautiful angels!

That night we spent with our good friends the Wilsons. The kids and Fred entertained us with singing Feliz Navidad! We were so grateful for friends to spend the holidays with. Especially since the Wilsons fed us and since we had just moved would probably have eaten toast for Christmas dinner!

Here was our tree. It was the first thing set up in our new home I wanted it up for Christmas. Somehow we didn't get any pictures of Christmas morning, only video. Since I can't seem to load video you will have to wait for that!

Then Christmas night it was back to the Wilsons for dinner with them and the Anderson family. Allison has received a popcorn machine from her sister and the kids were all entertained by it!

Thanks Allison and Fred for making our Christmas great!

Here is the Anderson family. Jeremy reminds me so much of my cousin Jordan that it frightens me.

Well except for videos to be loaded of Harleys school thing, Niyah's dance recital, singing of Feliz Navidad and Christmas morning there you have it, Holiday Season 2009! On a side note here are things that happened this past month that didn't have pictures or videos to go with even though some of them should

1: we moved again

2: Harley got glasses

3: Genevieve took her first independent steps on the 21st

4: I made my first ever horrible batch of divinity

5: We had a great time just being a family

On to 2010!

Christmas Eve.... WHAT?!?!?!

So here it is Christmas Eve. I am in many ways in total shock. This month has more then flow by and I can't seem to catch up. I have really wanted to come on the blog and post updates I have so many things to post but I never seem to find the time. Since Thanksgiving we have been kept busy with school things, dance things, Christmas things, oh yeah and moving! Yes we have moved again. That now makes it three times (if we don't move again while we are in Japan) in three years! If you count the crazy time before we came to Japan it is something like 5 times in five years....... (big sigh here)

The story is long of why and how we moved and I'm not sure if I should tell it because I am trying to put it behind me and be positive. Anyway we are here in our new place and its Christmas eve and I am "mostly" unpacked, mostly because we moved in on the 22nd I spent the 23rd unpacking what I could and I now have no pantry in my kitchen. Please understand that I have seen it as my duty to store as much food as I can in our pantry in our old place. I have boxes of food, and nowhere to put them. I think I am getting shelves for Christmas. But I have been so thankful for good friends who have helped with kids and our stress of moving, from those who just listened to my complaining and wanted to help me fight off the Air Force housing unit, to those who watched my kids, and let us eat dinner at their house. We are truly blessed. Especially since most of these same friends helped me do all the same things a year ago. So to the Wilsons,the Salmons, the Piersons, the Beyers, the Andersons, the Halls, and everyone else who I am forgetting to mention thanks for the help or even offers to help!

So now I am going to go attempt to dig out some flour and sugar and make some cookies because it is Christmas Eve and it wouldn't be Christmas without some cookies. Of course I am waiting for my mom to call because I can't find my cook books!

MERRY CHRISTMAS !

Here comes Turkey Day

(picture has nothing to do with post this is just me and the girls playing in the Japanese photo booth, the girls used the decorations tools, don't you love my crown!)

I just am so excited for Turkey Day. Tomorrow I start my cooking in the kitchen and don't plan on leaving for 48 hours (except a little break for dinner with some friends!) We are having dinner at our place. I am excited to be hosting it all on my own. For dinner we will have our good friends the Wilsons over along with the Porter family and a few single guys from the branch and Jebs work. Then afterwards I have invited several families over for a PIE PARTY! If you know me you know I love to make pies! I do miss all the family this time of year so I have to focus on what I am doing so I don't get to homesick. I think of Aunt Jannettes rolls and making pie with my mom and I miss it! I miss me and Janeal being tough playing football. :) I definitely miss family more at Thanksgiving then I do at Christmas, Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday after all. SO Here is to Thanksgiving. If you have read my ramblings good for you, I just wanted to ramble I guess. For those who would care here is my yummy menu.





Turkey (stuffed with apple, onion, and garlic)


Stuffing (made by Allison she makes great homemade stuffing!)


Mashed Tators and gravy


Homemade rolls (aunt Janettes recipe)


some herb popovers


yams/sweet potatoes pecan bake


candied carrots


asparagus with Parmesan cheese

green onions w/cream cheese

deviled eggs

beets

lasagna

salad

jello w/ marshmallows

and the pies!

two chocolate

three pumpkin

two apple

two cherry

two cheesecake

one sweet potato

I think thats everything, of course I could be forgetting something I don't have my list in front of me. What do you think? Am I missing anything?

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

What have you been up to?

I get that question a lot, what have you been up to? Well since I haven't put anything on my blog for a long time, I thought I'd update on few things we have been up to the last couple of months. (these pictures are not in chronological order so keep that in mind)



We went on our first full family bike ride! Jeb got me a new bike, Japanese style I love it, and put on a seat for Gena. I was so excited, Gena loved everything except the helmet. (please ignore my funny face in this pic and messy background)

We adopted a pet. When we kicked him out of Harleys shoe that had been left outside we felt the poor guy needed a new home. Here he is down in her shoe, Harley squeled when she found him.

Here he is in his bug box. He soon afterwards made his cacoon and we await him coming out in the spring!

We surrived our first soccer season. (yes I can't believe it either I became a soccer mom!) The girls loved soccer. They both had great coaches. Harleys was Bro. Salmon from our ward who we really like. Niyah was the Sissans and they were so kind.

We had a fun Halloween. This was the first year the girls didn't want to be some form of princess. It made me kind of sad. But they made great Ninjas and Genevieve was the cutest skeleton ever.

I finally finshed this project (it only took me five months) the little aprons turned out cute.

We went on a homeschooling field trip to the planetarium. It was really fun and I like the girls meeting up with the other homeschoolers. I am trying to get more involved with the group here. yes and my girls are the two in the front facing backwards.... *sigh*

All in all we have just went about our normal everyday lives.

The girls are still the best of friends, it makes me so happy. I often find this when I check on them at night.

Oh and here is a conversation I had with Niyah:

Niyah: mom I know how it works

Me: how what works?

Niyah: How you get a husband

Me: Oh how is that?

Niyah: well when you get to that older teenager age..... how old did you say it is mom?

Me: tell your almost done with college, in your twenties, not teenager

Niyah: well when your in college and you decide you want to get one you just go outside and ask them and find one that is ....

Funny, they have to be happy and make you laugh.....

Nice, they can't be mean......

They have to love you......

and they have to go to church so I can go to the temple.....

and then you get married and have babies.

Me: Well thats about right

so there you have it all those with eligible boys the standard has been set!

I have also been very busy because this little one has become much more mobile. As you can see. Ok maybe not, since I can't get the video to load. But she is very mobile and stairs are her newest favorite toy. Busy Busy

A day in the life of a baby model

A couple of weeks ago Genevieve had a modeling job. I thought I'd let Genevieve share what her modeling day was like...



Well after mom got me up at 6:00 AM it started with a crowded rush hour, 1 hour long train ride into Tokyo



My sisters were good sports and came along to keep me and mom company



Harley seems to fit in well with the Japanese



Once in Tokyo we take more trains to get to the right station...... Check out the video my mom took. Some of the other trains were more crowded then this but this one was pretty good.


We got to the station and waited for awhile for our agent...... mom was a little frustrated. But finally she came and we took a taxi to the studio which seemed to be a house made up for photo shoots.

Here is a picture of the studio, you can see what they call the story board of how they plan the pictures for the magazine.


So then they changed my clothes, took my picture, took off my clothes, let me play, put on new clothes, took my picture, took off my clothes, let me play, put on new clothes took my picture, took off my clothes, let me play,...... it just kept going like that

Here is me waiting for my next set of clothes



My mom thought this outfit was cute. I didn't really think it was any different then the others.



Then I must have fell asleep because next thing I knew we were on our way back to the station.

We always have to stop in the train station bathrooms a lot and mom always makes us go in the family ones so we can all stay together.


Check out the huge safety door, it kind of feels like getting locked in the vault. You have to push the big green and red button for the door to open or close. My sisters always fight over pushing them, when I'm old enough I think I will push the green one.


Then my mom let my sisters stop for a treat...... she said they had been really good and patient


Where's my ice cream? Wasn't I good? I was the one getting my picture taken, sheesh


All in all I found it exhausting work, I tried to tell Dad all about it but I was so tired I just fell asleep again, thats ok Dad fell asleep too.

The Perch house

Ok so I haven't shown you were we stayed the whole time. Its called the perch house and this is its link http://www.shimoda-beach-house.blogspot.com/

The lady who we rented it from gave us lots of warnings "it is not luxurious, the stairs to get to it are very very steep, more like a hike..." anyway she was very upfront. So I was not expecting much.

Here is my list on it (for anyone thinking of going there so they can decide)

PROS

*great location (very close to the beach)

*Great price (it was about 100 dollars a night versus everywhere else was 150 per person, ouch!)

*Friendly lady to rent from (she was really nice and so so trusting)

*They let you use their stuff (surf board, boogie board anything that's there)

Cons

*Ok I have to be honest the kitchen and bathroom could use a good scrub down! I know she hires a cleaning lady but she does not clean much in those areas. That would be my suggestion it needs a deep clean.

*its a bit cluttered, I think the homeowners must still stay there sometimes and so there is a lot of stuff..... just stuff, you know cluttered in corners and on shelves. It doesn't really give it a relaxing feel.

So my suggestions if you wanted to stay there I wish we had brought our own camping stove, I was glad I brought my own shampoo. Just think of it as camping in a trailer and you should be ok. :) Oh and yes it is a really really steep hike from the parking to the house so if your not a bit of a trooper, well probably not for you. We didn't mind that part, in fact I thought it added to its charm.

so here is the grand tour

The road to get to the house


The stairs to get up.... once again glad for my tough guy, carrying all our food, and gear up that, love you babe!


Harley quickly saw the chess set and wanted to play a game!


OH and the story wouldn't be complete without a picture of our bathroom buddy! oh yes Niyah found herself locked in the bathroom with this guy..... Poor girl she was whimpering and me the mean mom said , oh Niyah your ok its just a spider.... then I peeked my head in. Yes I probably would have been whimpering too.


Trust me the pics and video do not do this monster spider justice, it totally freaked me out. I do realize that being in a jungle ( like we were) bugs like this are just part of life. Still it took me awhile to sleep that night.

More beach.....

So after the aquarium we spent the rest of the day Friday at the beach. Can you blame us? Is is so pretty!

Jeb and Harley spent most of the time out riding the waves. We had a boogie board from the house we rented and it was really fun for them. They were so far out though that I didn't get any pics or videos. :(

The girls had fun playing in the sand.

This was when Genevieve was having fun. She didn't really like the waves but liked playing happily in the water.

Then a huge wave came and hit her right after we took that video and looked like this the rest of the time.... if you look at it close you can see she is covered in sand from getting knocked over by the wave!