Our Christmas Eve

We had a Christmas Eve dinner with our friends, The Palmers, and Mom and Dad. We had a great time, eating and then we sang Christmas karaoke, and read the Christmas story.

Merry Christmas 2008

We had an eventful Christmas this year. We were especially grateful to have my Mom and Dad with us and to get to spend time with our friends. Ashlee made out like a bandit (one of the only benefits of divorced parents, you have four sets of grandparents, and two parents to give to you.) We enjoyed the Thursday Christmas with the rest of the week and weekend off. Poor Bill was very sick and made a trip to the doctor on Christmas Eve to get some antibiotics. Needless to say he waited up "all night" for Santa. He was miserable on Christmas Day but he was a good sport.

Ashlee and her Wii (Well... our Wii, since we can't get the adults off of it.)

No Christmas would be complete without Edward!

Mom is so fun at Christmas. Everything is exciting for her.

Little Bill with his Bronco's blanket that Ashlee made him. It came in handy on his very sick day!

The boys with their prizes from Santa!

The Wii in Action!

And YES... we had a White Christmas!

VICIOUS

On Wednesday night when I got home from work I noticed there was something on my front door. A card from Animal Control. So I called the officer and she said that there had been an indident with my dogs earlier in the day. Appearently I had left my back gate open and they were wandering.

Break: My next door neighbor on the east side is a crazy, cranky, confusing, confused, old man. Some days he is very nice to us. Some days he is mean. Last April when I was planting my front flower bed I the dogs were outside with me and he walked by and said "Your dogs are so beautiful and well behaved." A month before that he had called animal control on our dogs. Three times this summer he came to our door to let us know that he was having his yard sprayed for weeds and wanted to let us know so that our dogs didn't walk on the lawn and get sick. "He would hate for them to get sick." (Our dogs have never been on his property) On Tuesday during lunch when I went to get my mail and take the dogs to play ball (our regular lunchtime activity) And he says "Hi there, look at those cute dogs, How is Bill doing?" Up and Down, Up and Down. We just try to be nice.

Okay back to story..... So apparently during the wandering I guess Polly went over in his driveway and he claims that Polly (the lazy lovey dog) chased, yes I said chased him into his garage. So he called the police. There is more to the story but basically the animal control officer thinks it is ridiculous. This is the same dog that on Tuesday night while I was babysitting my friends 10 month old baby, let the baby climb on her and pull her hair all while she just layed there. This is the same dog that the neighborhood kids ask to have come play at the park with them. And the same dog who won't even chase a ball but instead lays on the grass while Sadie plays ball. Trust me she doesn't "chase". So now we are faced with the possibility that Polly might have to be placed on the "Vicious Dog List" and we will have to keep a beware of dog sign on our property. Yes.... when you have stopped laughing you can agree with me, with the animal control officer, and many others, I would actually be impressed if my dogs would do anything aggressive. I can't even get them to bark when a stranger comes to the door. One night when my dad arrived late at my house, really late like 3am from traveling across the country he pulled into the driveway around back and walked right into my back door and my dogs didn't make a peep and then welcomed him as he walked in. Seriously I wish they would be more like watch dogs but they are not. They are family loving, kid playing, loyal, fun, great dogs, and they bring so much joy to our lives.

My Little Christmas Matador

As usual Ashlee was more help than I needed decorating the tree this year. She helped a little but performed for most of the time. And of course the Pops was under the tree on the tree skirt within 2.2 seconds. And then Sadie and Polly are so excited about the tree. So excited that they walk by it with their tails wagging and knock the ornaments off. It is so exciting that some things never change. It makes Christmas feel familiar again!

Broken Toe

After 35... no wait, 34 years of my life I have finally broken a bone. Now in all those "Have You Ever?" questionaires I can answer "Yes". Does a toe count though? How did I do it you ask? Well I was carrying laundry through my bathroom and kicked my scale (I knew that thing was worthless.) Anyways it hurt so bad that I yelled and screamed so loud that poor Sadie thought she was in trouble and hit the floor immediately. My toe was purple for a week and my foot is still blue and aches in the mornings.

Things I Have Done

I like these becuase they are an easy way to tell about yourself without writing a life story. I have done all the things that are in bold. Turns out I am more accomplished than I thought!! :)

1. Started your own blog- and I love it!!
2. Slept under the stars- In the backyard on the trampoline as a child
3. Played in a band- Played the Keyboard in a Band in Vegas. We played at a couple restaurants but it was a joke.
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland- So many times I can't count but loved everyone of them
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo- Lots of them and I love to sing.
11. Bungee jumped- At Lagoon in Utah. I am afraid of heights and I won't do that agan.
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning- yes thank you Taco Bell
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty- didn't go all the way to the top and I am mad that I didn't. But I have seen it in person and it is awesome.
18. Grown your own vegetables- Yes and just this year.
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill- Bad Worker. Who wants to stay home when they are sick. I don't want to wasted a day at home sick when I have so much to do.
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb- I love Lambs. When we were little we had a runt lamb and we bottle fed it and loved it. Then for some reason Dad said he gave it to another family but we started having a lot of lamb for dinner. Hmmmmm.
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise- Best Vacation Ever.
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person- It is massive.
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors- Does Utah Count??
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language- Still in the Process
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing- Once in Las Vegas at Red Rock, but there was a snake so I was done with that whole thing.
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke- Mine and Ashlee's favorite pass time.
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight- I love the ocean. There is no where I would rather be.
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted(well,drawn)- Does the Sea World Character drawing count? :)
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling- Snorkeling, wasn't as scarey as I thought it would be.
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business- Hard Work.
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies- Unfortunately. I would much rather eat them then sell them.
62. Gone whale watching- Not organized but saw many on my Alaska cruise.
63. Got flowers for no reason- Before I married Woody his best friend send me flowers everday for about two months but never said who he was. Poor guy. Then I fell in love with his best friend. Wasted Money.
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter- My Grandpa Calderwood was a helicopter pilot. I love to fly because of him.
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy- I wish I was sentimental. I did save some toys but they were doll clothes and Ashlee wore them when she was first born because she was premature.
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar- NO THANKS!!
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone- My Toe is the only thing and I just did it last week.
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper- When I was elected Student Body President of my middle school, and when my cheerleading squad in Boulder City NV won the State Championship twice in a row.
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House- just the front.
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous- Chuck Norris. My old Boss and friend Ken Gallacher is the vice-president of Chuck Norris's karate system. One time we had breakfast in Las Vegas at a hotel and then I would see him at the Karate Conventions when I would go with Ken's daughter Tara, my friend from high school.
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one- Only one time, My Grandpa Bradley, who I miss dearly.
94. Had a baby- Only one and that was experience enough for me.
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone- I miss the days when I didn't have one and no one could get a hold of me.
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Seen Mount Rushmore in person
101. Learned to play an instrument- Piano and Guitar. I want to learn the violin.

Ashlee's New Hair

Ashlee has been begging to get her hair cut short for months. Her hair is so thick that it takes her an hour to flat iron it when it is long. Boy is she cute now. She was so excited on Saturday when she got ready to go to the movies and it only took 15 minutes to blow dry and flat iron it. Plus this morning she was ready with her lunch made by the time I got back from seminary. Yeah!!!

Un-Fit Mother

Yesterday the Principal brought Ashlee home from school. Why you say???

Ashlee stayed after school to watch the basketball games. One started at 4:00 and the other at 5:15. When I left work at 5:30 I called her to see if she was ready to come home and she said the game was in half time and that she would call me when it was over. From there I rushed home to meet my visiting teacher who came at 5:30. I carried my purse in the house and then let her in. We started talking and talking you know like visiting teachers like to do. All the while I was waiting for Ashlee's call. It was about 6:15 at this time and I had not heard from Ash yet when there she was walking in the front door. I was surprised becuase she knows that she can't ride home with a friend unless she calls and asks. When she walks in she says "Mom, I tried to call you 15 times." Then I remember that my phone was plugged into my car charger and I forgot to bring it in the house. So I ask, "Who gave you a ride home?" She answers, "Mr. Woodruff." "The Principal?" "YES!"

HOW EMBARRASSING!! Bill thinks this is hilarious and says that he gets about 10 "get out of Jail free cards" for this stunt. I am grateful that I know the Principal personally and he likes Ashlee so he knows I am not a complete failure. Most of all I am grateful for the Principal for not leaving my child there at the school in the dark alone. The benefits of living in a small town. Needless to say I have sent Mr. Woodruff a BIG thank you email this morning!!

I'm So Glad When Daddy Comes Home

This weekend Bill came home for the first time since he left for college in Sept. I don't know who was happier to have him home, my dogs, or ME!! I thought poor Sadie was going to have a heart attack she was so excited to see him.

I'm am going to take a minute to be sentimental.... Read this carefully because it doesn't happen often.

While I have hated having Bill gone, I am a little grateful for this experience. It has made us both really appreciate each other, probably me more than him because he is naturally kind and loving. I have really realized how much I appreciate and love him. I look forward to every minute that we spend together now when I see him. We are kind to each other, we don't let things bother us. Our conversations are more meaningful and we say "I Love You" a lot more. More than that though I have realized what a great man and wonderful Husband he is. It is funny how you don't realize how much you depend on someone until they are gone. This weekend Bill helped me with so many of the things that "being a woman" I just couldn't do. For instance... I was trying to winterize my home and take the hoses off the spicket and I could not for the life of me get the sprinkler off the hose it was on there so tight. I twisted and twisted and got angry and even cursed but I physically did not have the strength to do it. Bill gets it off with one twist. He also climbed up on the roof to cut some of the tree branches that were hanging over the house. He made dinner on Sunday which I really appreciated because it had been a long week for me. He also helped Ashlee do a science project that would have taken me a lot longer to help with. Most of all though I was just happy to have him there with us.

One of the things that I thought was so special about his visit happened at church however. When Sacrament meeting was over all of his Young Men flocked over to him to say hello and catch up with him. It was so great to see. I told him that was his reward for a job well done. His Young Men loved him and it was great to see they missed him.

Now I won't see him till Thanksgiving. Three long weeks that we will both have to endure

Snow White, The Evil Queen, & The Two Dwarfs

Snow White and The Evil Queen

We went to our Ward's Trunk or Treat Last Night. I must have looked really bad cuz no one knew who I was until Little Snow White called me Mom.

ITS HARD TO BE THIS EVIL BUT SOMEBODY HAS TO DO IT

Snow White and the Two Dwarfs

Sadie and Polly were not cooperative with this years costumes. They did not appreciate the beards...however Sadie did say it was a step up from the Fairy costume last year.

A Little Girl and Her Horse

On the first day we arrived here in Montrose over a year ago these horses were at our back fence. Ashlee immediately fell in love with them. A year later this horse (Ashlee has named her Felix) still comes to the fence, naying as she comes, for Ashlee to feed her carrots or apples. Ash adores this horse. It is so sweet to see that even as Ash grows older she still becomes a little girl as soon as these horses come around. I am glad to see she loves animals as much as I do. They bring so much joy to life.

But They Love To Swim

Just wispering the word "swimming" will jolt Sadie and Polly from a deep sleep. They love the water. Infact when we went to Bill's Dad's house earlier this month we took the girls for a walk and within two seconds they were in the pond. If we even drive by the river here in town Sadie has a coronary in the back of the truck she gets so excited and Ashlee's friend lives right next to the fishing pond which makes drop offs and pick ups difficult. So I can't for the life of me figure out why all the pouting goes on during bath time.

Choir Concert

Last night was Ashlee's Fall Choir Concert. I didn't know until I got there and saw the program that Ashlee was scheduled to direct one of the songs and also had a solo. She did an awesome job and her solo was great. The funniest part of the concert was the last song at the end where a bunch of white kids tried to get some gospel swing into their song. But even funnier than that was how the dancing section came to be. I guess that during class for the past month they would practice and since Ashlee was standing in the front of the teacher she would dance during the end part. The choir would laugh and the teacher would say " I am so happy you kids are getting into this song" Little did she know Ashlee was dancing behind her back making everyone smile. Well one day during the class the teacher turned around and saw the dance. She loved it and decided to have the choir do it in the concert. It was funny. I am thankful that Ashlee shares her talents and her fun personality with others. She is a great leader and I am proud of her.

Car Accident

Notice the lug nuts are still attached
This is the indention that the semi tire made in Bill's car. Right near the gas tank.
Here you can see the tire just ripped off the car but not blown.
If you look close you can see a white line in between the windows. That is where the bottom of the trucks trailer hit Bill's car as he was pushed against it.

Bill was in a car accident on the way home from Utah on Conference Weekend. He was about 10 minutes outside of Pocatello heading north on I-15. While passing a semi-truck his right front tire broke off of the axel and slammed into the semi, almost throwing him underneath it. At the last minute the semi's tire smacked into the back of his car and pushed him back out. The Highway Patrol and the witnesses say they have no idea how he survived becuase of how he was thrown against the semi. Bill was very shaken up throughout the day on that Sunday and the Monday after. He knows that he was protected by Heavenly Father and feels very humbled that he was saved. I am grateful that the Lord watches over us and protects us.

Volleyball Tournament

This Volleyball season has been rough for Ashlee. All summer long she worked so hard to improve her skills so that she could make top team. (Middle school everyone makes a team but they break it down to A & B teams.) During tryouts this season she was awesome. She was within the top 5 of all the girls there. When it came time to split the teams, however, the A team coaches daughter and the daughters friends (who cannot even return a serve) made the team and Ashlee was placed on the middle team. (After speaking with a few parents I guess this is something that coach is famous for) Ashlee was devastated and spent the weekend after tryouts trying to decide if she even wanted to play this year. After a lot of thinking, and me telling her that she shouldn't give up on this just becuase of that coach, she decided to stick with it for the season so that next year she would still have the opportunity to play in high school.

Her coach for the B team told Ashlee that they chose her to be the team leader, and Ashlee really stepped up to the plate. Many times the season was frustrating for her because she had to be patient with many of the girls on the team that were not at her level. The other girls on the team really worked together and this past Saturday they had the 8th grade tournament. The B team ended up winning 1st place in the tournament while the A team took 2nd. Ashlee was so excited and so was the team. I am proud of her for sticking the season out even when she was dealt an unfair hand.