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 !