Christmas Dinner

We had a very quiet Christmas dinner at home with Grandma Linda and Grandpa Gary. We have been spending great family time out of the nasty weather...except on Friday. We went skiing, it was -28 with the wind chill. I was cold, but the kids didn't mind. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!!

Merry Christmas!!

From my mother in-law:

I remember my best Christmas adventure ...it was with my Grandma.

I was just a kid, and my friend had just dropped the bomb: "There is no Santa Claus," she jeered. "Even dummies know that!" My Grandma was not the gushy kind, never had been. I fled to her that day because I knew she would be straight with me. I knew Grandma always told the truth, and I knew that the truth always went down a whole lot easier when swallowed with one of her "world-famous" cinnamon buns. They were world-famous, because Grandma said so. It had to be true. Grandma was home, and the buns were still warm. Between bites, I told her everything. She was ready for me. "No Santa Claus?" she snorted .. "Ridiculous! Don't believe it! That rumor has been going around for years, and it makes me mad, plain mad!! Now, put on your coat, and let's go."

"Go?" "Go where, Grandma?" I asked. I hadn't even finished my second cinnamon bun. Where turned out to be The General S tore, the one store in town that had a little bit of just about everything. As we walked through its doors, Grandma handed me ten dollars. That was a bundle in those days. "Take this money," she said, "and buy something for someone who needs it. I'll wait for you in the car." Then she turned and walked out of the store. I was only eight years old. I'd often gone shopping with my mother, but never had I shopped for anything all by myself. The store seemed big and crowded, full of people scrambling to finish their Christmas shopping. For a few moments I just stood there, confused, clutching that ten-dollar bill, wondering what to buy, and who on earth to buy it for. I thought of everybody I knew: my family, my friends, my neighbors, the kids at school, the people who went to my church. I was just about thought out, when I suddenly thought of Bobby. He was a kid with bad breath and messy hair, and he sat right behind me in our grade-two class. Bobby didn't have a coat. I knew that because he never went out to recess during the winter. His mother always wrote a note telling the teacher that he had a cough, but all we kids knew that Bobby didn't have a cough; he didn't have a good coat. I fingered the ten-dollar bill with growing excitement. I would buy Bobby a coat! I settled on a red corduroy one that had a hood to it. It looked real warm, and he would like that. "Is this a Christmas present for someone?" the lady behind the counter asked kindly, as I laid my ten dollars down. "Yes, ma'am," I replied shyly. "It's for Bobby." The nice lady smiled at me, as I told her about how Bobby really needed a good winter coat. I didn't get any change, but she put the coat in a bag, smiled again, and wished me a Merry Christmas. That evening, Grandma helped me wrap the coat (a little tag fell out of the coat, and Grandma tucked it in her Bible) in Christmas paper and ribbons and wrote, "To Bobby, From Santa Claus" on it. Grandma said that Santa always insisted on secrecy. Then she drove me over to Bobby's house, explaining as we went that I was now and forever officially, one of Santa's helpers. Grandma parked down the street from Bobby's house, and she and I crept noiselessly and hid in the bushes by his front walk. Then Grandma gave me a nudge. "All right, Santa Claus," she whispered, "get going." I took a deep breath, dashed for his front door, threw the present down on his step, pounded his door and flew back to the safety of the bushes and Grandma. Together we waited breathlessly in the darkness for the front door to open. Finally it did, and there stood Bobby. Sixty years haven't dimmed the thrill of those moments spent shivering, beside my Grandma, in Bobby's bushes. That night, I realized that those awful rumors about Santa Claus were just what Grandma said they were: ridiculous. Santa was alive and well, and we were on his team. I still have the Bible, with the coat tag tucked inside: $19.95. May you always have LOVE to share, HEALTH to spare and FRIENDS that care...

You are still one of Santa's helpers, and he needs your help this year?

May you always believe in the magic of Christmas!

Christmas Programs and Concerts

Jonathan had his Christmas concert last week. He plays the guitar this year, he has played in the Orchestra for the past five years and decided to switch over to guitar from the bass. Ian and Elizabeth had a combined school program this week. They attend St. Anthony's Tri-Parish school. Ian was one of the Three Kings and Lizzy was part of the PreK choir. They all are great performers!

Thanksgiving at home

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving break. Thanksgiving day was spent with Grandma and Grandpa. Linda makes the best pumpkin pie. Friday evening was a dinner at my house with Mary, Anna, Pete, Mom and family. My cousin Daniel was here too with his family. Saturday and Sunday were very restful and a great time to break out the Christmas decorations.

Olivia Ann Lavin

Anna and Larry had a baby girl. She is 6 lbs. 3 ounces and 19 inches long. So cute!

Fall Thoughts

We have had two good snow storms already, but the Fall colors are still here. It amazes me. Looking out the window I can see all the beautiful orange and red colors but just beyond that is snow on the mountain. The horses are growing their coats and I love riding in the winter because of those fluffy coats. The kids are grabbing coats, gloves and hats in the morning, just in case. Thanksgiving is getting close, Anna will have her baby soon, and ski season will be here. Each season is filled with a new wonder and I love the change. Happy Autumn!

Babies on the way...

Anna and Larry

Baby Hoffman

I can't believe it...finally...we have two babies coming to our family. Anna is due at the end of November and Pete and Cassie are having their first in May. Larry wanted to make sure they had photos of the pregnancy, he is really excited. Cassie just sent me this photo of the first ultrasound, look at those little arm and leg buds.

Happy Birthday Ian and Linda

Ian and his Grandma Linda have birthdays a day apart. When Ian was born, Grandma was in San Diego celebrating her birthday with friends. He came a week or two late and Grandma flew out about the time I went to the hospital. Ian turned 9 and celebrated with family and friends. He had a bowling party for his school mates. He is starting flag football and is looking forward to his school camping trip next week. They spend four days on the mountain, just the teachers and students. So exciting...

Happy Birthday John!

Thank you for being the best husband. I just love the family and life we have created together. Thank you for taking me to New York, it was fabulous!

Colorado Champs

We didn't have a Wyoming state tournament to participate in, so we went to Colorado. John and I missed it all because John was in a wedding in Jackson. A great end to the long season. School will be starting soon and now we have time for some family vacations. Here is a link to the news article. http://www.casperjournal.com/articles/2008/07/23/sports/sports072308c.txt

Catch us if you can...

We have been on the move. Fishing, on the road, family, baseball, on the road again. Between work and baseball we travel the state North to South very often. Luckily, our home base is right in the middle. The 4th was spent in Cheyenne, where fireworks are legal, and boy did the baseball team put on a show! They had the McDonald's parking lot lit up, with plenty of onlookers. No photos, because mom was in the room with sleeping Lizzy. Jonathan is off to Greeley, CO; Ian is going to Cottonwood, ID; John and Heather are heading to Jackson; and Lizzy will be spending this weekend with Aunt Mary.

Pitching 101

Happy Birthday Elizabeth!

Lizzy is 4! She made a Barbie cake with her grandma and she was very proud of it. We celebrated two times. We were in Fort Collins for her actual birthday and we took her shopping. The second celebration was in Casper with family.

Loving the rain

We have had an unusually wet spring. Everything is very green around here. The work around our property is overwhelming. The weeds are out of control and the grass needs cut every few days. I have been very busy. School ended today, so summer is officially here. I love summer with the kids. We have a lot planned and Jonathan and I started our summer with a short round of golf. We had a lot of good laughs.

Track Day for Lizzy

We had a beautiful day for Lizzy's first track day. They participated in all the "big kid" events. Watching 3-5 year olds run the relay race and passing off the baton is so cute. Here are a few photos and a video.

Jon on youtube

Here are a few videos that Jon has been working on: the first is long (5 min.), it is the 2008 snowboarding season. Jon wears the orange pants. The second is a short clip of skateboarding. Warning: You might want to turn down the speakers...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzOm5wEE-aw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVrWKI9W2sY

CONGRATS PETE!!

Pete called me yesterday during his lunch break to let me know that he is now the Head Coach for the Jackson Broncs basketball team. He has been such an awesome JV coach for years now and the head coach job was given to another man a few years ago, but now it is his turn. He went in to his interview with a "business plan" according to Cassie. The panel was so impressed. A few years ago he went to help a paraplegic man stack wood with Cassie and her dad. He was not real happy about spending an entire day helping out, but he didn't complain (maybe a little)...this man was on the panel that hired him. I am so proud of him, he is a wonderful man and the best uncle my kids could have!! Love you Pete. Here is a photo of him surfing in Costa Rica a few weeks ago.

My little trouble maker

Well, the owl has left the nest...We still hear them around, but we don't know what happened. They might have been a little upset with us checking them out all the time.

Can you believe this little angel had to go to the principal. Anna is her preschool teacher and had to send her down because she pushed a little boy, twice. I just laughed, probably the wrong response when Anna told me, but COME ON!! She is 3!! Anna is pregnant, by the way...my first sibling to have children. We are so excited for them.

A week ago Lizzy got into my jewelry and took my diamond tennis bracelet (a Christmas gift from John) and lost it. I have searched everywhere and no luck. She can't remember what she did with it. Hopefully it will turn up one of these days.

Miscellaneous

Here are a few photos from the past weeks. We have a new visitor in our back yard, Mrs. Owl. She is a Great Horned Owl and everyone is fascinated by her. Lizzy and Ian decorating eggs. AND..a photo of my new tub. It is peat mud, although it does look like something else. It smells like pine trees because of the pine needle extract and is so energizing. My friend calls me and the first thing she asks is "are you in the bathtub?"

Spring Break 2008

We took the kids to Jackson for spring break. Cassie and Pete rode with us from Casper. They were here for State basketball. It took us quite a long time to get everything loaded and as we are driving out the driveway Cassie yells "Spring Break 08." Everyone started laughing because we knew the next 4 hours were going to be long with three kids, four adults and 1 dog. We were definitely loaded down. We skied for 3 days, got to see Pete and Cassie's house in Alpine, the mountain sheep on the way to their house and the last night we met our friends from Jackson at a great restaurant in Hotel Terra. John and I wanted to go somewhere warm, but the kids wanted to ski. As it turned out, the three days were the warmest of the season, and we all got suntans on our faces. Great fun and spring skiing.

He Said, She Said

Obama and Clinton were both in Casper last week and John went to see Obama, I got to see Clinton. It was total excitement around town. President Clinton and Chelsea were also in Wyoming...Riverton and Laramie. We got pretty good photos. John sat a lot closer than I did.

Daddy is home!!

John has been gone for two weeks and we have missed him. We have gotten used to him traveling a lot during the week, but two full weeks is a lot for us. Lizzy missed her dad so much that she still hasn't let him out of her sight. I went to pick her up at Preschool and she yelled "I don't want you, I want my daddy!" I was really embarrassed and had to drag her out crying. Here are some photos of Lizzy and her daddy and the beautiful snow.

Happy Birthday Dad!

I didn't have a digital photo of Dad, so I borrowed one from Glenda's blog. I never know what to buy my dad for his birthday. I haven't sent him anything yet, so I would love any suggestions. This is really sad, but the only memory I have of my Dad's birthday is from a photo that was taken when I was around 4. I was sitting on his lap and he was blowing out the candles. Happy Birthday Dad!!

Happy Birthday Mary!

Mary turned 25 yesterday!! Stephen planned a surprise party for her and she was surprised!!! That never happens. She knows everything all the time. They even got into a fight because he was being too "secretive." My mom came and Mary's good friend from college, Anna and Larry, my family and various friends from Casper. A good friend made the cake and used black, white and silver frosting; it was beautiful. We got some good photos of everyone's black teeth from the frosting. Mary loves living in Casper and they are buying their first home here. We are so excited for her. Stephen and Larry are cousins and they work at the family granite/tile business. Anna has the fanciest kitchen and bathroom I have seen, and now Stephen and Mary will be so busy "fancifying" their new home. She just got a new a-line haircut that really looks great, she is so beautiful. We have good times and I am fortunate to have her in Casper!

4's by Heather Ann

A.) Four Jobs I have had in My Life:
1. Lifeguard
2. Books on Tape Reader
3. Network Administrator
4. Housewife and a Mom (The Hardest but my favorite too)!

B.) Four Movies I would watch Over and Over:

1. My Fair Lady
2. Failure to Launch

3. Goonies (my kids love this movie)
4. Shrek 2 (Lizzy's favorite)

C.) Four Places I have Lived:
1. At the base of the Owl Creek Mnts.
2. Randolph, UT
3. Thermopolis, WY
4. Casper, WY


D.)Four TV shows that I watch:
1. Today Show
2. Boston Legal
3. Oprah
4. whatever my kids are watching.

E.) Four of My Favorite Foods:

1. Salmon
2. Lettuce Wraps
3. Edamame
4. Chocolate


F.) Four Places I would Rather Be:
1. In my new ThermoMasseur tub (can I just live there?)
2. Anywhere the wind is not blowing
3. On the ski slopes
4. Getting a Massage

G.) Four Places I have Been:

1. California
2. Arizona
3. Seattle
4. Washington DC


H.) Four things I am Looking Forward to in 2008:
1. Finishing my bathroom
2. Summer gardening
3. Vacations
4. The kids growing and their activities

Happy Birthday Jonathan!!!

My little Jonny had a birthday on Tuesday. He is such a wonderful young man. He is into music, playing guitar, he also plays the Bass in the orchestra. He doesn't enjoy that as much as guitar, but we continue to encourage him to keep doing it. He snowboards every chance he gets. I take him up the mountain every weekend. He never has a plan to meet anyone up there, he just goes with the person that will keep up with him. His latest love is hiking "Ridge" and making his own jumps, trying them out, and hiking back up. I think the chair lift is easier, but you don't get the good powder. In a few weeks he will start spring training for baseball, he is a wonderful pitcher, we love to watch him. This boy never slows down...basketball, golf, skateboarding, he loves all sports. AND...he gets good grades!!! Jonathan is a wonderful blessing!!

Holiday Break

Photos from our trip to Utah...

Sledding fun.

Sophie and Lizzy

We had such a wonderful time, hanging out, playing games and visiting family.

Christmas Day

We had an awesome Christmas Day! We even took a family photo.