Jamie's Christmas Party...(still catching up)

Wow, I am so far behind. It has been a busy month.

On Saturday Dec. 18th Jamie hosted a Christmas party.  It was attended by Leslie and her family, Angel, Charles and Debbie, Jamie and her boys (of course), Patrick, myself and JOE and his fiancee Jessica!

I have not seen Joe in little over 10  years. Here is a picture of our meeting.....he actually cried (yea, and so did I)...

We've chatted on FB but it was so good to actually see him and meet Jessica.  They are so twitter-pated with each other.  We teased them about how mushy they have gotten on FB.

Jamie made a Vietnamese spread....spring rolls and beef salad, rice and french bread (okay so that wasn't Vietnamese).  Yummy!

We had fun exchanged good conversation and of course gifts. Worst part...I FORGOT MY CAMERA!!!! I never forget it and both girls were surprised. So I have stolen from Debbie's pictures from her FB page. Jamie and Leslie haven't posted theirs yet.


Here is my present from Jamie....a copy of OUR movie "Mommy Dearest".  We watched this together when Jamie was a teenager and since that time she has aways called me Mommy Dearest and I call her Jamie Darling.  What can I say....."no wire hangers!"

A good time was had by all and Jamie did a great job!

Still catching up.....

Tuesday Dec. 14th.....

I had made a hair appointment last week for today at 4:15 forgetting that the Relief Society Christmas program was at 6.  So I called Jen and asked her if she could move it up any ( I REALLY needed to get my hair done) She said she could have me come at 2:30, YAY!  My bosses are so great and they let me burn a couple of hours of vacation so I could go to my "appointment" (that's all they needed to know).

I love going to Jen's salon "The Best Little Hair House".  They had it all decorated for Christmas and they were all wearing Christmas tshirts with funny sayings on them. When she got done with the color and cut she asked me if I wanted her to style it....duh....of course I did.  My hair looked fabulous.  If I had all the money in the world I would hire someone to do my hair and makeup everyday.......oh and of course someone to clean my house.  But if I couldn't afford both I would definitely hire someone for hair and makeup.

The Christmas program was very nice.  Carol asked me to play Christmas music (anything I wanted to) for a half hour while the ladies looked at all the Nativities that were on display. There were some Nativity sets from all over the world that the ladies had brought. 

I love playing 'background' music because I do not get nervous because I figure no one is really listening to me play.  But as they all got done looking at the Nativities they came into the chapel and sat and just listened to me...then I get a little nervous.

We have some very talented people in our ward.  Mary R played "O Holy Night' on her sax with her brother in law on the piano.  I played for Jodi and her sister Amber as they sang "When Mary Sang Her Lullaby".  Rhonda played her guitar and sang "In the Bleak Mid-Winter".  My favorite was Martha playing the piano and singing "Silent Night".  She has an absolutely knock out voice!  There were several other performances all very good.  Those were just my favorites.

Afterward we had refreshment....everyone was asked to ring their favorite cookies. I live in such a fun ward and have some great friends.  It was a nice evening.

Doing some catching up............

Sunday Dec. 12th.......

So my Sunday mornings are pretty lazy with church not starting until 1pm.  I rarely am dressed before 11.  So today I laying around in my jammies.  I had just finished my preparing my Primary lesson and had checked the music schedule to see what songs I would have to play at the organ today (Christmas songs...piece of cake) when my phone rang at 10:15ish.  When my phone rings on a Sunday morning it is usually not a social call and this time was no exception.

I looked at the caller ID and it was Carol.....and yes I answered it (I can be a glutton for punishment sometimes).  She then proceeded to explain to me that she got a call telling her that the person that was doing the musical number for Sacrament meeting was sick and could her family (all her kids were home for Jed's mission homecoming talk today) provide a musical number. So then she continues saying they were singing an arrangement of Silent Night and Hanna was playing the violin, and Jed, Caleb, Emily and Jenny were singing.  Her mother was trying to play the accompaniment but she only plays by ear.

By now I was giggling and told her that is sounded like she had everything under control.  I do love to torture her.  So she told me to asked if I could come over right now and play for them today.  I told her I was still in my jammies, she said they would be waiting for me. Whatever happened to that shy reserved Carol that I loved so well?

So I had to hurry and get ready for the day.  Yes I know I could have just thrown on some clothes and pulled my hair into ponytail but....Her family (knowing them the way I do) were all dressed and ready for church looking polished and beautiful and I became a little vain and did my hair and makeup and put on my church clothes.

I walked over and I was hoping it was an arrangement I had played before but no I could not be that lucky.  So I put my super powers of sight reading to use and we ran through it twice.  It was beautiful and I do love playing for Carol's children when they perform.  Carol's mom came up and thanked me profusely for saving her from the piano (it can be a vicious instrument).

Jenny wasn't there so Emily asked if I would be able to run through it again right before the meeting.  Well since I was playing the organ that day and would be in the middle of playing the prelude, that was going to be a little difficult. I just haven't mastered being in two places at once.

Well as I was just setting up the organ to begin, Jenny and Emily came in so I quickly went to the Primary room so that Jenny could run through it once.

The musical number was absolutely beautiful.  They are so talented.  It gave me goose bumps while we performed.

Church went well the rest of the afternoon.  I managed to conquer the organ once again, taught my Primary class (love those kids) and played for choir practice after the meetings.

Gary and Bill, my home teachers, came over that evening and brought me a pretty poinsettia.  Then Jodi and her sister came over so we could practice the song they were singing Tuesday night for the Relief Society's Christmas program.

And they say Sunday is a day of rest.......

Annual take the grandchildren Christmas shopping.....part 2

Today started out with our ward Christmas party.  We usually have it in the evening and have turkey with all the trimmings but this year they decided to have a breakfast instead.  Don't they think any of us like to sleep in?  I love a good breakfast but I usually have it for dinner.  I sat with Carol H. and her family.  The company was good, the program was good.  I got to accompany Carol's daughter Emily while she sang (beautiful song, beautiful voice). 

The food........not so much as far as a GOOD breakfast is concerned. They served french toast sticks (the one you buy in the big boxes in the frozen section), scrambled eggs (powdered eggs) with ham and cut up red and green apples.

Today was also the day that I was taking Jax and Trevon to do their Christmas shopping.  Jamie and the boys got here about noon.  We went to lunch first at Subway (sniff, I sure miss Taco Time, sniff).  Then I took Jax shopping first.

He is growing up so fast.  He is almost as tall as I am.  He knew exactly what he wanted to get everyone.  Once we were done getting every one's gifts he of course wanted to look around to see what HE would like.  This was very helpful when it came to helping Trevon decide what to get him.  Every time we saw anything Justin Bieber he would tell me that he wanted it so he could run over it with his bike :). 

Then it was Trevon's turn.  He was a lot quicker than last year and knew pretty much what he wanted to get everyone.  He wanted to get Patrick a movie so we went over to the electronics department.  He told me to go over to the $5 movie dump (he was riding in the shopping cart).  So I pushed him up, expecting him to start digging through the movies.  Nope, he just stood there, staring at the bin.  He did this for a couple minutes, didn't move just stared at the bin of movies.  I'm pretty sure he was using his super powers in hope a good movie would pop up magically.

When we got done with his shopping he then told me that he wanted to buy his present now.  I think I had this conversation with both Gunner and Braxton too.  He (also like his cousins) immediately told Jax what he got him the minute he saw him.......  Does no one know how to keep a secret?!

We came home and they split up to wrap their gifts.  Jax wrapped by himself.  He does a really good job to.  I want him to wrap all my presents.  Trevon needed a little help, but he was great with the tape.  

They had to leave right after that because Mister (their dog) had surgery and Jamie needed to get home to him.  Poor puppy :(

So now all the Christmas shopping is completed.  Except....... I still have Paul and Patrick, they are the hardest ones to get gifts for.

Annual take the grandchildren Christmas shopping....part 1

So a couple of years ago I started a tradition of taking my grandchildren Christmas shopping for their families.  It has been so much fun and I get some one on one time with each of them.  This last Sunday I took Cambria, Gunner and Braxton shopping.

I took Gunner first because it was his first year to get to go shopping.  He was quite excited but he's 3 and he doesn't really get the 'giving' part of the season.  Leslie had given me list to help me help him choose gifts for everyone. 

So we started off with getting his mom's present.  She wanted new drinking glasses for her new house.  So I asked Gunner if he wanted to get his mom glasses, and he of course said yes.  We go over to the housewares aisle and I find the glasses that Leslie had told me that she liked.  I picked up the box and showed them to Gunner. This is our conversation:

ME-Do you want to get these glasses for your mom?
GUN-No those aren't glasses!
ME-yes they are
GUN-no they're not
ME- Yes they are (and I pulled one out of the box to show him)
GUN-those aren't glasses those are CUPS!
Now I am getting the problem we are having, he is thinking glasses, as in what you wear.
ME-so do you want to get these CUPS for your mom?
GUN-No I want to get her glasses!

Oh My!

When we had picked out a present for everyone I told Gunner we were all finished and now we could pay for them and go home and wrap them.  He gave me the saddest face and said "We didn't det(he says d for g) my plesent!".  Oh dear.....So I remind him that he is getting presents for his family and that they will get HIM presents when they go shopping.  That didn't help.  So I asked him if he wanted a treat.  That made him smile, little did I know that it would take us almost a half an hour for him to pick out what candy he wanted! Talk about pushing my patience to it's limit......

When we got back to my house Cambria was waiting in the kitchen for us and Gunner went right up to her and said "Tambia, I dot you a shirt!"  I told Gunner that it was suppose to be a surprise. He just proceeded to tell everyone else what he got them.  He told Leslie that he got her some glasses and that she could drink out of them and then wear them.......we are going to have to work on that :)

I left Gunner with Leslie, so she could help him wrap his gifts and I took Cambria next.  She and Braxton had been fighting and she was mad at him.  I told her he was just being a normal little brother.  Her reply; "if my mom has another boy, I'm running away from home!"  First just so you know Leslie is not having another one right now.  I asked her where she would go.  She told me probably my house and then she said that Gunner feels the same way.  Poor Braxton.....nobody appreciates him.

When we got back home Cambria was showing her mom what she got Gunner and Braxton and Gunner walked into the kitchen and saw his gift.   He was so excited and told Cambria that he wanted to help wrap it.  She is such a good big sister that she took it in stride and let him help her.

Then all that was left was to take Braxton.  So Braxton and I were talking about the new house that they are building.  His and Cambria's bedrooms are going to be downstairs and Braxton is a scaredy cat and Leslie doesn't think he is going to sleep in his own room.  So I asked him if he was going to sleep in his own room.  He told me yes because he was going to have DISH TV!  He really is asking for DISH TV for Christmas.  I asked him why and he said because if he had DISH he could change the channels instead of watching movies.  I'm not sure why that is better, but of course I don't think like a 7 year old.

I asked him what he wanted to get his mom and he said that he wanted to get her a new frying pan.  I suggested that we look around a little bit.  We were walking down the gadget aisle in housewares and he picked up a whisk.  He held it up and looked at it and said "my mom needs a new one of these" and just threw it in the cart.  I put it back and told him we needed to keep looking.  He kept picking up the oddest gadgets and I kept telling him to put them back so we could keep looking.  He did end up getting her a frying pan....

While we were shopping for Gunner's present, Braxton would say Gunner would really like this.  Then he'd look at me and ask me if I would PLEASE just buy one for him too.  When we finished his shopping we stopped at Subway for some dinner for everyone.  I was ordering the sandwiches and turned to ask Braxton...
ME-Braxton what do you want on your sandwich?
BRAXTON-turkey and crumbly (shredded) cheese
ME-okay, what vegetables do you want on your sandwich?
BRAXTON-pepperoni..
ME-that's not a vegetable (pointing at the vegetables) which one of THESE do you want on your sandwich?
BRAXTON-I just want mayonnaise.....

Braxton and Cambria wrapped their presents by themselves this year.  Braxton did have to come out and ask me to help him wrap his moms.  Frying pans can be tricky to wrap......

Gunner wanted to open his presents right now and we had to keep telling him he had to wait for Christmas.  Leslie left all the presents at my house.  She didn't want to worry about them if their house sells and they have to move out before Christmas.   

Monday I got a call from Leslie.  She told me about the conversation she had with Gunner that morning.
GUN-is dramma at wort?
LES-yes
GUN-can we go to her house and det my plesents?
LES-no, not till Christmas
GUN-if dramma is at wort then I can get my plesents.
LES-no Gunner not until Christmas

Somehow he is thinking that it is my fault that he couldn't open his presents the other day so if I wasn't there he could get them and no one would stop him.  Don't you just love the mind of a 3 year old?!

I'll be taking Jax and Trevon this Saturday....stay tuned for more shopping adventures!

Girls day out..........

So yesterday I went with Jamie, Leslie and Cambria on a girls day out.  We met Jamie in Riverdale and shopped all afternoon.  The reason behind the shopping trip I came to find out (on Thanksgiving) was because my girls, Angel, Charles, Debbie and my parents had gotten together and given me $3oo to spend on new clothes for Christmas.  Mainly because all the clothes I have are now too BIG for me (that's a good thing by the way)!

Honestly I just have not been clothes shopping for myself in eons, mostly because it was never fun for me.  Nothing ever fit and I would just get frustrated and not get anything.  This being said Jamie, Leslie and even Cambria took the situation in hand and were busy finding outfits for me to try on.  The best part is I had to keep getting SMALLER sizes than what we thought would fit! 

Here I am at Maurice's...........

After Maurice's we went into Cambria's favorite store Justice.  I needed to get her Christmas present and I wanted her to show me what she wanted.  What I found out is Cambria shops like her mother.  She just keeps looking and looking to make sure she has not missed anything that could possibly be better.  Even as she is telling you she likes what she has picked out she is still scanning the store to make sure she hasn't missed anything. 

Here is my little fashionista with her Auntie Jamie at Justice...... 

After we had hit a couple of other stores with no luck finding anything good we decided to grab something to eat.  We ended up at Souper Salad.  It's just a little place with a huge salad bar and soups (kinda like the name.....).

Here is Leslie and Cambria standing in front of this poor unfortunate silver tinsel tree at Souper Salad.  I don't know who decorated it but I was embarrassed for it........ 

 Here are my two beautiful daughters (now blocking the poor tinsel tree)..........

Then it was off to do some more shopping.  We went to Old Navy next. Here we are (I think at this point we were all getting a little silly tired)............. 

We finished up at Ross's and then called it a night.  I finished up Christmas shopping for all my grandchildren (YAY!) and came home with (for myself) a pair of jeans, a pair of brown pants (for work), 3 shirts, a vest, a light jacket, a really cute sweater dress, a black skirt, a pair of shoes, a sweater, a pair of sweat pants, and a pair of slippers.  I still have money left from the $300 that I stared out with.  Jamie and Leslie are great at finding the best deals.  We had a great time and I love them so much!

THANKS to Charles, Debbie, Angel, Mom, Dad, Jamie, Leslie, Paul and all my grandchildren for the great Christmas present!  I love you all!