The Happy Family...

I saw this picture inside the cover of The Ensign a year or so ago and made it my personal quest to find a way to get a copy of it. I did an extensive internet search and emailed ever possibility at The Ensign who could help me out. All to no avail. I kept the Ensign cover inside my nightstand, I was not going to give up! I just loved the sentiment this picture captured.

Last month Scott and I were staying at The Armstrong Mansion to celebrate our anniversary and decided to go walk through the Church Museum. There, in the gift shop, was a framed copy of "The Happy Family"! We talked to the employee about obtaining a copy and decided it was too much to spend right then, but at least we knew where to get it now! The woman also told us that the original had been upstairs on a wall near the employee lounge, but Elder Uchtdorf had selected it to have hung in his office.

What a surprise for me Christmas morning to see it downstairs! It was a complete surprise and I was again reminded what a thoughtful husband Scott is. He told me he took it to be framed at a shop the Museum recommended, but he was so overwhelmed with all of the choices he decided to let me do the framing. I can just picture him with all the hundreds of mat and frame options- I'm sure he had no idea how many different options there are and I'm sure his head was swimming with all of the choices.

I can't wait to have this wonderful picture hung in my living room! Hopefully the tender spirit of a happy family will have an influence on ours...

Christmas 2008...

Christmas morning was "the usual" this year - Grandpa and Grandma Fotheringham joined us bright and early so they could see the boys open their gifts. We ate breakfast casserole, Scott's favorite tradition, and were ready to crash for the day at 11:00 a.m. - no such luck with the boys anxious for our help to assemble and try out every new toy and game. We did eat the traditional lunch at Great Grandpa and Grandma Fotheringham's and mingled with all the Fotheringham side of the family.

Oakley with his "Santa Pile" of presents. Oakley used to open one gift, play with it for a quite a while, and then open the next one. His birthday is 16 days after Christmas and he used to still have Christmas presents left to open when his birthday came! Not this year, he tore through all of his presents in record time and was trying to get everyone else to hurry up and get all of theirs open. I definitely prefer the opening one at a time, taking it out and playing with it, and having the fun of opening presents last for days and even weeks. Those days are definitely gone!

Eli with the present at the top of his wish list- a remote control tarantula. I think he was especially excited to get this item because he knows he can use it to terrorize Oakley - Oakley will run out of the room screaming at the site of even a pretend rubber spider- let alone this one with eyes that light up red and that scampers with all eight legs creepily across the floor!

Grandpa helps Asher pull one of his party poppers that make a pop and shoot out streamers.

Oakley, Eli, and Asher lined up with their new Christmas pajamas with the scooters from Grandma Lee Ann. I was so pathetic this year I didn't follow the usual tradition of having the boys open their present on Christmas Eve with the new pajamas and ornament to add to their collection. I just handed each of them the plastic bag from Gymboree that had their pj's and ornament inside and said, "Here you go!" How pathetic! Actually, I was just too burned out...

Documentation...

The majority of the time they are fighting, so it's nice to have some photo documentation of what I hope the actual truth is- they love each other! I'm hoping the loving moments increase and the fighting decreases...

Christmas Eve 2008...

The parties have all been attended, the decorations have been put away, and all the presents opened- so all that's left to do is reminisce and jot down a few memories of Christmas 2008. This is the first year we decided to break away from the huge, all Moore side of the family Christmas Eve party and meet with our smaller family groups. It just gets to the point of being too many and seems so impersonal in a huge, cold gymnasium at a church building.

Colt, Melissa, and Baby Lucas

Our Christmas Eve gathering was hosted by Jeremy and Emily and they set the standard high for the rest of us! The meal was scrumptious, which they insisted on serving to each of us, on REAL plates might I add, as we sat and took in the festive atmosphere. The tables were set in a way Martha Stewart would have been proud of. We toasted to the Christmas season with our glasses of Sparkling Cider and enjoyed pulling open our "crackers" which contained a small prize, words of wisdom, and a golden paper crown to be worn. What a fun English tradition those crackers are and I can see them becoming a tradition of our own.

Jeremy and Emily made the traditional Bingo game more exciting when they added their prizes, which were different amounts of money sealed in an envelope, to the pile. Never has this family stared so fiercely at their Bingo cards, hoping the next number called would allow them to place a Navy Bean on a spot that would give them the required number of "beans in a row" to be a winner. Yes, I do believe another tradition of money-in-envelopes-in-the-Bingo-prizes-pile has been born.

Thanks for being such great hosts Emily, Jeremy, Audrey, and Grace!

Grandma Fotheringham then had the grandchildren gather round as she talked about the birth of Christ. She had a doll and a manger and was talking to them about how Jesus was swaddled and slept in a manger built for animals to eat from. She had each of them wrap the doll in some strips of fabric she had and explained to them about swaddling. Audrey was pretty sure the doll would be much happier being held than in the manger, so she kept "Baby Jesus" in her arms.

Jeremy tried to read "Twas the Night Before Christmas," but because it really was the night before Christmas, the children were too excited to sit through much of it.

Well, we knew Oakley was listening because he'd correct Jeremy any time he read something incorrectly. Jeremy was struggling to read upside down, but Oakley had memorized the story in school so he would let him know anytime he messed up.

We let the children open their gifts from Grandpa and Grandma Fotheringham and from the cousins. In addition to fun, new toys, Grandma had made each of the grandchildren a teddy bear from one of Grandpa Moore's old shirts. She had decopaged a picture of Grandpa onto a small heart, which was attached to the bear.



The Grandpa Moore inspired gifts didn't end there. Each of the siblings received a copy of Grandpa Moore's personal history- which is over a hundred pages of his writing and about as many pages of scanned pictures that show important people and places from his life history. Also, eight CD's of him telling more about his life when he was too weak to write any more. What a treasure! But what brought on the tears from me was the frame Mom had put together with a quote from Grandpa's testimony on one side and one of his ties on the other. The quote says, "...our greatest joy and responsibility is with our family. While it is good to render service and attention to others, our commitment and responsibility must be to the family...I have never considered myself a great man, especially when I think of the accomplishments of some...but I am always amazed at the love the Lord has offered me, and overwhelmed by his gifts and blessings..." I look forward to having this on my dresser where I can see it multiple times a days and be reminded of Grandpa's wise counsel.




The sentimental gifts didn't stop there... Jeremy and Colt had put together a DVD of an interview Jeremy had done with Grandpa over seven years ago. He set up a camera in Grandpa's office and interviewed him about all kinds of topics for two hours! Colt had taken the footage and divided it into chapters and organized it onto a DVD so that everyone could have a copy. What a joy it was to see Grandpa when he was so healthy and vibrant! He even had a bit of a "belly," which is hard to remember him ever having as he was so sick and frail with Lou Gehrig's the last few of years of his life. To hear his voice, to see his mannerisms, all those endearing things was such a gift! Yes, it was the year of gifts to commemorate Grandpa. These are the gifts that will be treasured my entire life and not thrown into the donations to charity box like so many other Christmas presents eventually are.



We drove home with the snow falling down and looking at all of the houses with their beautiful lighting, melancholy with thoughts of Grandpa and excited about who would be visiting our house that night leaving surprises under the tree...

Why I Love the Day After Christmas...

I love Christmas day, but I also love the day after. I know, piles of paper and boxes everywhere; mountains of toys that must find a new home in already overflowing toy boxes; sleep-deprived children who have consumed nothing but sugar the last 24 hours; garbage cans already smashed down to max capacity and piles of garbage still needing to be stuffed in; and just the depressing thought of, "It's over, already?!?!" But my favorite thing is TAKING DOWN THE DECORATIONS!!! I love decorating for the holidays, especially Christmas, but it is short-lived. I have a tolerance for these festive items of about two weeks. So by the time Christmas rolls around, these gay and festive items that line every shelf, end table, and window sill have become "the enemy". I anxiously await their return to their assigned Rubbermaid container to be doomed to the basement storage room for another year. This morning all the decorations had returned to their "homes" before noon. This year, with Asher breaking an average of one ornament every day, I was especially anxious to get all of the decor safely in it's storage box not only so I could enjoy a less-cluttered house, but also for the sake of their survival. Asher has broken the equivalent of one large Rubbermaid container in decorations this year. Sigh... hopefully next year he will understand I really mean no when he's playing "see what happens when I throw this thing on the hardwood kitchen floor as hard as I can" game. My soul feels more calm, despite the mountains of gifts scattered all over the living room waiting to discover their assigned spot in the house, with the "clutter" of the decorations gone. But believe me, by the time mid-January rolls around I'll be excitedly placing hearts, cupids, and other Valentines items around the house. I will enjoy the "change of scenery" around the place, at least for the first two weeks their up...

Because I'm Not Crafty...

I think "craftiness" skips a generation. To look at Mom and Aunt Karen and all the wonderful creations over the years, you would think they come from a long line of Crafty Annie's and would pass on the gene to their posterity. Grandma Moore and I have about the same level of "craftiness." We used to get together once a month for Craft Day. Craft Day usually ended up with Grandma and I doing really important things like getting another glue stick for the glue gun, keeping every one's water glasses filled with ice and water, cleaning paint brushes, and other "important" tasks while Karen and Mom would create the most elaborate things out of what seemed like a pile of nothing.


I remember being required to take a Home Ec. class during 7th grade. The first quarter we were supposed to learn to use a sewing machine and sew a few basic items. The grand finale project was a pair of shorts. I spent 90% of my class time unpicking anything I attempted to sew. I was so far behind, I had to come in after school. The deadline was approaching and I was nowhere near completion of what I'm sure were "destined for the catwalks of New York" shorts. My teacher was optimistic in the beginning, cheerfully helping me after school. But her patience did lessen with each passing day. When I sulked into class the day the shorts were due, I was taken by total surprise when I opened my bin and found my shorts completed. I have no doubt that Mrs. Keetch finished my shorts for me in an effort to free herself of the totally frustrating after-school help sessions. The second quarter wasn't much better. During that time we were supposed to learn the basics of cooking. That quarter ended with me starting the oven on fire and I'm sure the story is still being retold in the Home Ec. room of American Fork Junior High.


Over the years I have tried to improve on my domestic skills. I think I've much improved in the area of cooking- I haven't started the oven on fire since my junior high experience. I still can't sew, but I do venture a craft project every now and then. Because the majority of my time is spent in activities with no obvious result- the kids get messy again after I bathe them, the clothes get dirty after I launder them, the kitchen floor that has just been mopped is immediately in need of anther cleaning as soon as the kids eat again, etc. It's nice to have an actual "fruit of my labors" to touch and see.


This Christmas I ventured into the realm of magnet boards. I went to Swiss Days in Midway with Lee Ann and Tenille during the Fall. Lee Ann was looking at all of the magnet boards and was seriously thinking about buying one. I was outraged at the prices and told her I could make her one for Christmas. As the holidays were drawing near I wondered if I could really pull it off. Thanks to my darling neighbor who has a machine that will cut vinyl letters, the "Magnet Boards for Christmas 2008" became a reality. I found a quote that I liked and she gave me the little ideas that brought it all together. I was happy with the finished product and actually had fun doing it. I am starting to think about who else I could make one for...

I made one for Grandma Lee Ann and one for Grandpa B.

I painted the little stars and attached magnets to the back.

I put each of the grandkids name on a star- with blank stars for future grandkids who join the family!

Gummi Pizza and Looking at Christmas Trees...

Eli was having a meltdown. I blame it on being sleep deprived from waking up way to early for days on end, but whatever the reason, Eli was out of control while we were at Grandma's house last weekend. He was being really mean to Asher, screaming and crying non-stop, completely ignoring anything he was being told to do- he was absolutely out of control. As the behaviour continued and seemed to escalate, I was ready to put him in a room for eternal time out. Even Grandma had reached her limit with how he was acting. Thank goodness for Grandpas! Grandpa asked if he could take Eli out for a little while. When they returned later, Eli told me all the details of their adventure. They first went to "Grandpa's Gas Station" (the one he goes to every Saturday morning for his Diet Coke) and he got to pick out any treat he wanted. After paying for his Gummi Pizza (yuck!), they went to a Christmas tree lot and enjoyed walking through the all trees. After they'd seen enough trees, they drove through some neighborhoods to enjoy all the Christmas lights and decorations.

Eli returned a new, cooperative, happy little boy. Thank goodness for Grandpa who could love a little boy no one else could at that moment.

Oh, to be Wise...

Oakley's primary teacher told me during their lesson they had been discussing what gifts they could each give to Baby Jesus. When she asked Oakley what he would like to write down, his answer was, "Frankincense and Myrrh because I want to be a Wise Man!"

Good answer- we should all want to be wise men and wise women.

The Truth about Giving and Receiving...

During our last Family Night, Scott was giving the boys the ol' "it's better to give than receive" speech as we were trying to get them on board with some service projects. Scott, then wanting to see if the message had sunk in, asked Oakley"Do you think it's better to give or to receive?" Oakley replied, "Both!"

I think that's the most honest answer anyone can give. Sure, it's nice to be generous with others, but it is pretty great to have some of your own presents to open.

The Winner of Mr. Christmas Spirit...

As we were decorating Grandpa's Grave last week I was reflecting on what will be missed the most this Christmas as Grandpa isn't here to celebrate with us. If there were a contest held to decide who was most excited about Christmas, Grandpa would come out the victor over all- including ALL children. Grandpa was not afraid to admit that he LOVES presents! It was like watching the eyes of a child who just walked into the living room to see what Santa had left to see Grandpa open his Christmas gifts. Every year when I'd ask Grandma for some ideas about what we might get them for gifts, she'd always reply that she didn't want a thing, but Grandpa would love anything! It was true, no matter what was in the present, Grandpa always looked as if he had won the lottery when he discovered the contents.

Your enthusiasm will be sorely missed on Christmas, Grandpa, this year and every year.

A Possible New Tradition...

Of course it's not going to win any awards, but we had quite a bit of fun making our gingerbread house. Thank goodness for the advances in gingerbread house creating! The house is already baked and just has to be placed in pre-cut slots on the plastic base. The candy is already bagged in small individual bags and the frosting already prepared in a frosting bag. Some may scoff, that's cheating! That's not really making a gingerbread house! To those people I say, there is no way I would ever attempt to actually make a gingerbread house from scratch. Not even when my children are older- it's just not worth the tremendous amount of time required. Now this instant gingerbread-house-in-a-box is just my speed! As long as available for purchase, I can see this becoming a tradition- mostly at Eli's insistence.

Yep, it's gingerbread-house-in-a-box or nothing around here!

Asher entertained himself for quite some time banging his head with the empty box.

Desperate Times call for Duct Tape!

It's such an odd experience and one that takes the brain a while to comprehend when the child you put down a while ago to sleep is now standing in the room with you and you know you didn't get him out of his crib. Then, finally, you figure it out - HE CLIMBED OUT ON HIS OWN!!! Oakley climbed out of his crib once and never did it again, the long fall down terrified him. Eli never even tried. I'm sure Eli would still be happily sleeping in his crib if allowed. Asher has always loved his crib, too. He liked to wake up and play his Aquarium toy that plays soothing music and watch the fish "swimming" in the water. He'd look at a few books and also enjoy the view from his window. In fact, if I went in to get Asher and he still wanted some "crib time;" he would back into the corner of the crib, waving his hands in front of him, and say, "No! No! No!" That's when I knew he needed some more alone time and wasn't ready to be taken out of his crib. As of last Friday, Asher doesn't want ANY crib time, not even to sleep. A few months ago we were watching Rowdy while Grandpa and Grandma were on a trip. Asher did climb out of his crib a few times then and I immediately ordered a tent crib (also known as Baby Jail). But by the time the tent arrived, Rowdy was back at his home and Asher was staying in his crib. I, foolishly, returned the crib tent thinking Asher was only climbing out because he wanted to play with Rowdy. What I wouldn't have given to have that crib tent saved for the future day when Asher was escaping again! I was in denial!

The only thing comparable to the last seven days is when you bring home a newborn from the hospital. Asher is up all night long, every two or three hours, and is up for the day at 4 or 5 in the morning. I am spending multiple hours a day trying to get Asher into his crib for any amount of sleep. There is nothing cute about a pair of eyes staring at you from a distance of 5 inches asking for "Ba-ba" (Yes, Asher is two and drinking a bottle. That's a whole other story.) multiple times a night. I've been completely obsessive about tracking the delivery of the new crib tent. As if checking on the computer every hour is going to get UPS to deliver that package to my house any faster. I know that there are many wonderful Christmas surprises that are being greatly anticipated by a plethora of recipients at this time of the year. But NONE can be more eagerly awaited than the "Tots in Mind - Original Cozy Crib Tent" arriving at 9430 Avanyu Drive.

As night number seven approached, desperation doesn't even describe my state of mind. Wonderful Grandma Fotheringham and Grandma Moore took the boys this afternoon so I could take a much-needed nap. So I was feeling a bit more rested to take on the night-time battle. My new idea to try was having Asher sleep in his portable crib. It seemed like the sides were higher and he might not be able to get out. Wrong. After all the work of hauling it in from the garage and getting it set up, he was out in less the 3 seconds. I just kept thinking if I could somehow make the sides of his crib higher. I then had a stroke of genius, divine intervention, whatever you want to call it- duct tape big blankets all around the top of the rail! I'm embarrassed to admit how often duct tape is involved in the solution to my life problems. I rounded up an armload of bulky blankets and let the tape fly! After getting a few secured, I realized the blankets weren't adding enough bulk. Plan B- pillows. After getting a few taped on, it was all I could do to hold back the giggles of excitement. I just knew it was going to work! Asher would once again be a prisoner of his crib and I would have a night of uninterrupted sleep. Trial Number One failed. I didn't put pillows on the one side of the crib that was close to the wall because I didn't think it was a large enough space for him to even fit between the wall and the crib. I'm surprised Asher didn't decapitate himself getting over the edge of the crib and down to the floor is such a tiny space. Never underestimate the desperation of a two-year-old seeking his freedom. After one escape, additional pillows added to the last side, I'm thrilled to report a night free from "ba-ba" requests and not seeing two beady eyes staring me down as I'm trying to sleep.

Although the duct-taped pillows have brought one night of sleep, I know it's a short-term solution and I'm WILLING that UPS truck to drive FASTER!

The B.Y.U. Christmas Party ... another Christmas Tradition

It's another one of those things you do because the kids love it so much. The first Saturday of every December B.Y.U. has a childrens Christmas Party for the employees to bring their kids and grandkids to. We've been attending since Austin was a old enough to walk, so we've got quite a few years under our belt. Every year it's the same set up- making a craft, writing a letter to Santa, eating donuts, playing games, and waiting to see Santa. I think we've only waited once in the line to see Santa. The line is always ridiculously long. As are all of the other lines. The games are the same every year, the good ol' traditional ones-Fishing Pond, Cake Walk, knocking over a stack of cans with a bean bag, musical chairs, pin the nose on Rudolph, throw the rings on Rudolphs antlers, take a swing at the pinata, and the most anticipated of all- playing in the balloons. They talk about playing in the balloons all year long. For Oakley's fourth birthday we made a balloon room for the kids to play in. Grandpa and Uncle Colt filled up the guest room, which was not finished yet and was empty, with balloons about two feet high. Thank goodness for the air compressor! Without question it was the hit of the party.

Oakley's letter to Santa was most interesting. I'm hoping he's not got his heart set on any of the five things he asked for in his letter because he won't be getting any of them. It kind of makes me sad, but it's also typical Oakley- he wants the impossible. His letter requested the following four items:

1. a puppy (it might happen in the Spring, but not for Christmas)

2. a gun (no explanation needed there)

3. a drum set (see above)

4. musical chairs (when I asked him about this, his response was "We don't have enough chairs to play a really good game of musical chairs, so I want Santa to bring us more.")

Grandma always accompanies us to the party. Scott seems to always have some reason to get out of going, which is fine because I know he would be miserable dealing with all of the crowds and line-waiting. I know what our plans are for the first Saturday in December for many years to come - as long as the kids thing it's worth waiting in line for twenty minutes to get a small cheap toy that will be broken by the end of the week from the Fish Pond.

This picture completely cracks me up! I was trying to get a picture of Asher with his balloon, but he kept putting the balloon right in front of his face. I said, "Asher put your balloon down so I can see your nose." He proceeded to put his nose right in front of the lens, hence the extreme close up!

Santa Smokes?!?!

Today while we were wrapping presents Eli asked, "Mom, where are the Santa cigarettes? I can smell them on your breath!" I couldn't help but burst out laughing, which Eli was quite offended by. Once I could talk in a normal tone, I asked him, "Do you mean the cinnamon Santas?" Yep, that's what he meant.