Okay so we had a very busy holiday break, and not mention my internet was not working AGAIN! I've had bad luck with the land line internet since we've moved into our apartment. But that is beside the point. So one to parts two and three of our Christmas.
Christmas Eve was done with the Sovereign's and Company. Christmas Eve dinner in the Sovereign Family is called Favorties Thing dinner. Everyone is supposed to bring their favorite thing to eat. This year I didn't b/c I wasn't planning on going, that was until my Grandma changed her party to the night before. But I didn't need to bring anything anyway because we had more than enough food to feed an army, well so it seemed. Once we had stuffed our faces with good food my brother-in-law Rick read the Christmas story from the scriptures and then my mother-in-law read the new christmas story that came out called The Miracle of the Wooden Shoes. A really good story by the way I highly recommend that you read it if you haven't done so. Then after the stories the kids got to open their Christmas pjs. Very Cute! Thanks Aunt Shellie!
Last night was the annual Elsberry/Fuller Christmas party. It is always held my Grandma and Grandpa's house. This year was a little different. Because of conflicting schedules for Christmas Eve and my grandma wanting everyone to be there decided to have it on the 23rd. Yes the 23rd hence the title Christmas Eve Eve. This way everyone that wanted to be there could be there. We always have mexican food, Yummy! and a white elephant gift exchange. In our family the white elephant usually has a lot of gag gifts, but some good ones usually find their way in and they become the hot ticket items. This year we had 2 favorites and they were a bubble foot bath and a George Foreman Grill, a small one of course. There is a rule, that a favorite item can not be traded more than 3 times. So here is what happened. Starting with the bubble bath, Ricky opened it up first, then my aunt Julie wanted but in the end my cousin Ryan and his wife, Susan ended up with it. Now the grill, again Ricky started out with it then, Ryan got, then it ended up with my cousin Chad and his wife Ashley. It was a lot funnier in person trust me. Poor Ricky, kept getting jipped. It made for a fun evening, catching up with family that we don't see on a normal day to day basis. Enjoy the pictures that I have posted. This is only part one, more to come later.
This is just a short post that I thought was too good not to write about. On Sunday night I was folding Scott's laundry and when I finished he told me that he wanted to put it away. Great! So I handed him little stacks so as to not mess up the neatly folded clothes. He back came each time telling me that he put them in the right drawer. The next thing that happened was when I was getting up from the couch to grab his shirts to hang them up he says, "Mommy! No, I hang them up by myself b/c I'm a big boy." How could I not resist a chuckle to myself. So I said ok. He runs into his room and the next thing I hear is a noise coming from his closet. I ask him if he is ok, he says yes as he comes back into the living room holding a small stack of hangers. He then proceeds to put the hangers into the shirts, and takes like 2 or 3 at time back into the closet to hang them up. (Just a side note: there is a dresser in his closet that is below where his clothes hang. What he does is pulls out the bottom drawer and uses it as a step to reach the hangers.) He wanted to hang up his pants and shorts as well but I told him that I would do it b/c they were higher and had different hangers that needed to be used. My little boy is growing up.
This was a vey busy weekend for us and it started on Thursday. Matt's birthday was on Thursday and it was also his graduation day from ASU. YEA!!! So here's what happened. Matt had told me a while back that he didn't want to walk so I didn't schedule the day off from work. Well he changed his mind and decided that he was going to walk, but I didn't find out until I got home from work. Well he went to the graduation ceremony didn't see anyone that he knew, but he had called his dad earlier to let him know that he was going to walk. But after seeing no one he knew he decided to leave, and did try calling his dad to let him know that he decided not to. Unfortunately his dad didn't answer his phone and sat through the ceremony. Sad I know. My husband can be a nightmare sometime. Matt felt bad and so later that evening we went over to his parents house so that he could apologize to dad.
Like most of the country Arizona has been hit by the massive cold front. For those of you who don't live in Arizona, let me tell you, it has been raining since Monday. It has been overcast, cold and wet. It is a consistent rain which has thoroughly soaked the ground, broken up parts of the streets because there is no place for the water to go, and created large puddles. Along with the rain it has brought snow to our mountains and higher elevations, i.e. Flagstaff. I love the rain and welcome it. I have been able to wear my nice warm coats and winter clothes, something that I normally don't get to do in December. The weather forecast is that we are to expect more rain probably until Friday. Craziness!! We haven't had this much rain in, well I can't seem to remember the last time a storm has lasted this long. My only fear is that when I'm out driving there are people who don't know how to drive in this kind of weather and create problems for others. Those people just need to stay home and wait for the storm to pass. :) From what I hear Four Peaks is capped with snow. I haven't seen it because of all the cloud coverings, but once the storm passes I will see if I can get a picture and post it.
Early this morning as I was getting ready for work. I hear a shuffling behind me and Scott saying, "Mommy?" So of course I turn around and as I do so Scott says, "Mommy I'm sick." To my horror his shirt is covered in puke, (blagh, yuck!) and he has a very concerned look on his face. So I quickly shed his pjs and put him in the tub and let the warm water wash him and soothe him. I run into his room remove all of his blankets and stuffed animals and the sheet and throw them into the wash. What I forgot was that I hadn't bought a new waterproof matress pad for his bed, b/c the last one the elastic ripped off in the wash,. so I had to scub the matress. Yea! I go into the kitchen get a glass bowl, go back to the laundry area, pull out the oxy clean and the clorox. I place them on the bathroom counter and then as I turn around to check on Scott, I hear a bang on the floor and as I turn around I immediately panic b/c the Clorox fell and the cap fell off and was now dripping onto the rug. Great! Now I will have a bleach stain on my nice brown bath rug. So I quickly clean it up and fill up the bowl and proceed back to Scott's room to clean the matress. I got the smell and the stain out. Yippee!! Now all it has to do is dry by the time I get home so that I can put the clean sheets on it.
Just as I thought that Scott was ok I hear a gagging coming from the living room and Scott running into his room to try to make it to the bathroom. He didn't quite make it and threw up again on the carpet. Err! Another mess to clean, this morning couldn't get any worse, so I grab a wash cloth and clean up the mess as he is hunched over the toilet. Poor kid, the look on his face was priceless, big round brown eyes looking at me and almost crying because he didn't feel good. Since I can't miss any more work I go in and wake Matt up asking if he can stay home with Scott and thankfully he said that he could. Ah the joys of being a parent, but I wouldn't change it for the world.
This evening was our Primary Activity. It was a Snow Party at the Goodman's. The kids had a blast playing in the mound of snow that was brought in. Thank you to the Goodman's for hosting it at their house, we had fun.
Today is my brother Chris' birthday. I can't believe that it has come so quickly! He is 24 years old and it only seems like yesterday that he was only a teenager causing some sort of mischief with his buddies. There is a 3 year difference between us but we have a pretty good relationship. We like to joke around and whenever I have a techincal question about the computer I know that I can call him up and he is always eager to answer it. What can I say he's a computer nerd!
Growing up Meesa and I liked to tease him. Well actually we still like to do that. I remember one Christmas break Meesa and I had come home from school to visit. Chris was still asleep and we were up and we decided to wake him up. So we ran to his room and jump on his bed. Meesa was perched that the foot of the bed moving it and I jump up and was jumping next to him and the whole time were saying "It's time to get up!" He rolled over and grunted and told us to leave him alone so that he could sleep. Ah those were fun times!
He is a great brother and friend. He has a fun sense of humor and is lucky to have found a girl that can match him. So Kudos to you Carree, you are his other half. :) So Chris I hope that you have a fun birthday today and Carree make sure that it is a special one, b/c you have a birthday coming up to. ;)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY little Brother!
Last night was our annual Christmas Enrichment. This year I am part of the Enrichment Committee and was part of the planning that went into the evening. We had a great turn out and everyone enjoyed each other's company. We had a display of fun and inexpensive gift ideas. We had a soup bar where some of the ladies volunteered to bring in different soups for us to enjoy. Very Yummy!
I'm a little late in posting what happened on Thanksgiving, but unfortunately I had to be at work on Friday morning. Ugh. So this is what happened at the Sovereign Family Thanksgiving.
Matt when to play football with some men in the ward at about 8am. Not a big turn out from what he said. He came home and then we headed out to his parents house. (Oh, just a side note it had been raining since Wed night.) Once we arrived Matt dropped us off and then headed out to meet his friends for another football game. So I settled in to read a book and Scott headed into the play room to play with the toys at Grammy's house. My mother in law pretty much had everything ready to go. So I didn't do much but peal potatoes. Then Matt came back and got cleaned up. We took a family picture for our Christmas card. Yup, it's that time of year again, so if I have your address you will be getting one.
Today I would like to share what I am thankful for . . . .
1. For a place to live, it may be a 2 bedroom apartment but it is a place to call home that keeps us safe and warm.
2. For our jobs. Although they are not our dream jobs they pay the bills and put food on our table. One day we will have our dream jobs. :)
3. For food, we love food and are grateful for being able to buy the things that we like.
4. Family, with out their support and love I don't know what we would do.
5. The gospel and the light that it brings into our lives.
6. I am grateful to be an American and to live in this free land where we are free to worship how and what we may.
7. I am thankful for music for the peace that it can bring when you are having a bad day it can lift your spirits, and I'm thankful for my parents and grandma for teaching me to appreciate it.
8. I'm thankful to be wife and mother, that is blessing all in itself.
9. For books, they are another world to lose yourself in as it allows you to dream of the possibilites life can offer.
10. For friends to love you even when you do goofy things.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!
Today is my sister Meesa's birthday! Today she and I will be the same age for the next 4 weeks. Yes, you heard right we will be 26 together. Meesa and I are 11 months apart so it's kinda like having a twin for about a month, b/c it confuses people. We have a very close relationship, she is practically my best friend. We have done a lot of things together over the years. When I started Junior High she was right there with me because she was way better at math than I was. I thought that it was pretty neat. She was also with me when I started my first year of High School for the same reason I just mentioned. We both got married the same year, she getting married first, which I didn't mind at all. Then being pregnant at the same time, which I think was great because we could compare how we dealt with our pregnancies. We shared a room for 17 years! Yep it's true! It was great because we could share clothes and shoes. We still share shoes, well at least when she is in town. I like to give her shoes that I buy but then don't end up wearing and she loves it! Since I work full time I have a fun shoe collection, that is why she loves it! We never fought over a boy, because we had different taste in guys. I can't recall a time when we have ever fought. We have disagreed on somethings growing up but never yelled or did anything intentionally mean to each other. I think that part of the reason why we have such a unique bond is because we've had rely on each other since our mom died. Together we pretty much raised Chris, our brother.
Meesa is a very fun, loving, free spirited person. She cares about the people she loves and admires and is an awesome mother to my cute niece Avry, and nephew Carter. I can call her anytime to just to talk and she is willing to listen, as long as she isn't busy, sometimes I call at random times of the day. She has come to rescue when I have really needed her, no questions asked. Of course I would do the same if and when she was in need of me. So with that being said I wanted to wish my fun younger sister HAPPY BIRTHDAY and hope that Trevor takes you out for a great time!!! I love you!
Last night was a really neat experience for us. It was our first time doing sealings, but not just any sealings, they were Sovereign Family names. My father-in-law was sealed to his parents last night and that was something special to be a part of. Matt's brother JD and his wife Alison stood in proxy for Jack's (father-in-law) parents. We did at least 5 families, I really wasn't keeping track. Matt and I stood in as the parents of a large family that had at least 8 or 9 children. Wow! But it was such a spiritual experience to be there with his parents, brothers and their wives. I hope to be able to do more family names, like what we did last night, together. Later we all went to dinner and just enjoyed each other's company. I think that we all grew closer together as a family. I also know that those family members were glad that we have done their work so that they can now be together forever.
It's been awhile since I've posted. I am still without the internet, I am at my in-laws blogging. It's nice to have family that live close by.
Well the weather has been quite enjoyable this past week. It is cool in the mornings and evenings and warm, not necessarily hot, during the afternoons. Scott loves to wear his jacket in the morning on our way to school and work, but is disappointed when it is warm when I pick him up, b/c he wants to wear it. Silly kid. I am now starting to build up his winter wordrobe. It won't get cold until like mid-November so I still got time.
Well we are preparing for Halloween this year. Scott is really excited to wear his costume that he picked out. Last year he didn't quite understand that you dressed up for the holiday, so this year it is really exciting. He will be Optimus Prime, from Transformers. I found a fun witch costume with an awesome wig to go with it. Matt said that he will be dressing up as a lumberjack, b/c that is what they will be doing for work. Simple enough for him. We are looking forward to our ward Halloween party, which will be a blast. I will post pictures of the event in a later post. I've been helping my friend Rhonda sew a Cinderella costume for her daughter. It is turning nicely. I guess that is all for now.
On Saturday night I attended the Relief Society Broadcast with my friend Rhonda. She is a recent convert who Matt now home teaches. I always love hearing the General Relief Society presidency talk about motherhood and our roles as women of the church. After the broadcast our Stake provided a dinner served by the young men of the stake. It was so much fun to sit and talk w/ my friends from the ward and catch up without being interrupted by children screaming or crying for attention. Since this was Rhonda's first broadcast we all asked her what she thought and she said was really inspired and she enjoyed. I just love being a member of the church!
It's been awhile since I've posted and the reason is because my internet service has been having technical difficulties for the past 6 days!!! ERR!!!!! It's very frustrating, so I'm writing a quick blog while I'm at work. I have things that I will be posting this weekend. I will post my thoughts about the Relief Society Broadcast and a small dilemma that happened last night with the upstairs apartment washing machine leaking. Fun times! Stay tuned.
I encourage anyone who reads this blog to please post a comment. I like to hear what people think.
