Christmas Cabin

We had another wonderful Christmas. Noah was especially excited to get the massage chair pad that he really wanted. Go figure - of all the things an eight year old boy could ask for - we are all reaping the benefits however.

We left two days later to go to Pinetop, Arizona for a week in a cabin in the White Mountains. We started this tradition last year and loved it so much that we decided to do it again. It's an awesome way for all of us to be together at Christmastime and get our fill of snow and cold for the year - and there was plenty of it!

There was sledding and skiing and snowball fights everyday. Even the dogs had fun in the snow and playing with each other and thoroughly wearing themselves out. We also did our annual decorating of the tree for the animals, but never really witnessed any animals enjoying the fruits on the tree.

This year, Noah really got into tending the fire for us all and was so good with his little cousins to read to them and play with them.
Inside, we also put together our annual puzzle, played many games, participated in fun projects put together by each family and ate a lot. Pop was again the favorite of the dogs - I wonder why - it couldn't be that he feeds them - he would never do that!

For New Year's Eve, we made chinese yoyos, watched the ball drop at 10pm with our bubble wrap stomp and sparkling cider, then went to bed. Where did the days of really caring about the new year go? I hope they come back - they were really fun.

Anyway, it was another very successful and memorable year in Pinetop. I can't wait until next year, but am so glad to be back with a snow-free driveway and 70 degree weather!

Community Christian Church of Marana

Not too long ago (Nov. 19), Dave, Monica and Noah celebrated their 2nd full year in Tucson, and Dave's 2nd full year as pastor of Community Christian Church of Marana. The church has a solid 50-year history in Marana. It planted the seeds, provided the property, and did alot of early work for what has become a thriving community medical center and a thriving community food bank, both located right next door to the church. It also started a day care about 30 years ago, and that has morphed into a Christian preschool that is owned and operated by the church.

A sign of the church's health when Dave arrived, however, was that there wasn't even one family who used the preschool during the weekday who worshiped there on Sundays. Membership had been slowly declining and aging, with an average worship attendance of about 30/week.

Two years later, thanks to a small handful of people who stuck with the church even in thin times, thanks to new blood, ideas, and energy, and thanks to God most of all, the church in 2008 has an average worship attendance of over 80/week, has moved to two worship services (it's a small chapel), and enjoys people of many ages and ethnicities together each week in Christ's name (including a few families from the preschool!). Indeed, only God could have made possible and brought together all that has happened there, way too much to go into with a short posting.

Dave (Monica and Noah, too) is particularly thankful that his mom and dad have become members there, and are quite active in the church's ministries.

At some point, if and when we figure it out, a few links to Dave's sermons will be posted. In the meantime, if you're in the area, we'd love to have you visit us - anytime, of course, but if you can stay over a Sunday it would be terrific!

Welcome to the Christmas edition of getting to know your friends. This is for those who I do not have e-mail addresses for. I would love your responses to these questions.





1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? I love to wrap gifts, but if it's oddly shaped, I bag it
2. Real tree or Artificial? Unfortunately artificial. We used to get real, but something just does not feel right about shopping at a tree lot in your shorts since we moved to Arizona.
3. When do you put up the tree? Definitely after Thnaksgiving. We do no Christmas anything until after thanksgiving - we've got to give Thanksgiving a chance
4. When do you take the tree down? on Epiphany - January 6. Dave feels the official Christmas season starts on Dec. 25
5. Do you like eggnog? Yes, if it's in my latte


6. Favorite gift received as a child? A baby Alive - she actually ate and pooped. Why is that so fascinating as a child and then as parents we can't wait to get rid of the diapers?
7. Hardest person to buy for? Dave and his parents - they don't need or even want
8. Easiest person to buy for? Noah - he wants everything!
9. Do you have a nativity scene? Four currently - I love them. One I painted, one my mother painted, one made of blocks for Noah to play with and one that was a gift
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Usually mail, but they never get done until the following Easter. This year we are going a different route - blog
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Nothing free is ever bad - you can always regift
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation and A Christmas Story (who doesn't love this one)
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Used to have all shopping done summer before, but am no longer that organized
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Christmas, birthday,... I always appreciate anything given to me, but if I won't use it, why let it go to waste?
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? A 9x13 pan of my mom's baklava!
16. Lights on the tree? and stair rail, and plants, and house and..
17. Favorite Christmas song? Do I have to pick just one? My Christmas Card to You by Partridge Family
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? We never have traveled far - just a few miles to parents house. This staying home and traveling the week after. Best of both worlds
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen, Comet and Cupid and Donner and Blitzen - but do you recall, the most famous reindeer of all - Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer - had a very shiny...oh sorry, I got carried away
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Star recently21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Always one present on Christmas Eve - usually pajamas
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Christmas stuff in the stores and commercials before Halloween!
23. Favorite ornament theme or color? Ornaments are supposed to have a theme?
24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? my new favorite is sandwich fixins - I don't cook and it's Dave's favorite meal - it's become our new tradition since staying home for Christmas eve. It used to be my mom's lasagna - now we get it after Christmas - like I said, best of both worlds
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? Snow at Pine Top and to be with family (and to sleep on my back or stomach)
26. Who is most likely to respond to this? Everyone - right?!
27. Favorite Stand Out Christmas Memory – Past Christmas traditions that have changed since moving to Arizona. Our whole family used to go on a long shopping and sight-seeing weekend in Salt Lake City and stay at the Marriot Hotel connected to the mall. It was a great way to kick of the Christmas season. We all used to have a big sleepover at my parents house for Christmas eve and we were each in charge of leading some sort of activity for all of us to do that night. I really miss those years, but we have now started some great new traditions. We all meet in Pinetop, Arizona and stay at a cabin there for the week following Christmas day. We do our activities there together along with ski, sled and have a weeklong sleepover. Can't wait for it this year! And now I really love leaving the snow behind when we come home.

Happy Holidays everyone!

Love,
Monica

Hallmark family protrait

Don't we belong on a Christmas card?!

The Polar Express

Since I have moved here, I have heard talk of this fabulous activity near the Grand Canyon called the Polar Express. So, almost a year ago we made reservations to all ride this wonderful train and experience it for ourselves.At that time, the train was already booked for weekends, but we were able to get tickets for a Sunday night.

All of us (except Grammy - she was not able to go) drove to Williams. AZ - about a 4 1/2 hour trip - to the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel. They served us a buffet dinner and then we boarded the train. On our 45 minute journey to the North Pole, we had hot chocolate and cookies and listened to the story of the Polar Express. At the North Pole we saw a village of lights and Santa got on the train. As we headed back to the depot, we sang Christmas carols and Santa gave every child a silver bell.

That night we stayed in the hotel and then were given a buffet breakfast in the morning. All in all, it was a fun event. I'm not sure that it's something I will have to do again for several years, but we had a good time. It was especially exciting for my nieces.

The Salt Lick

Diamond is a licker. She likes to lick everything: the shower door, people's noses, the crook of my arm, belly buttons, the dirty dishes in the dishwasher. But I thought this was the most hilarious thing for her to lick - my brother's bald head! We gave her quite awhile to see how long she would go and she did not stop on her own. Here is just a fragment of the time she spent cleaning his scalp. What is it that she's missing from her diet to make her want to lick all these strange things?

Happy Turkey Day

I have to preface this holiday with an explanation. As I mentioned earlier, my mother just had knee-replacement surgery, so the plan was to have Thanksgiving at her house, but only if she promised to not try to do anything and let the rest of us handle it all. I went up on Monday to help her and watch my nieces and to help get things together for the holiday.

When I got there, she informed us all that she had ordered Thanksgiving dinner from a local restaurant which I thought was an excellent idea since we have not had great luck with the turkey in past years and I am certainly not cook. She told us the restaurant would provide turkey breasts, stuffing, vegetables, mashed potatoes, yams, rolls, salad, gravy and pies. She then proceded to tell us all that she had bought a turkey to cook (so we would have the smell of turkey in the house on Thanksgiving), and that she needed to get ingredients for stuffing (to put inside the turkey she was going to cook), potatoes (because hers are the best) and for waldorf salad (which only my dad likes) and green bean casserole (because you can't have Thanksgiving without it). She also said that my sister-in-law would be baking homemade rolls because they are so much better.

Now, I would agree that she makes the most wonderful mashed potatoes, Heidi's rolls are excellent, the smell of turkey is nice and it just can't be called Thanksgiving without green bean casserole, but come on, aren't we defeating the purpose and being a little ridiculous?! First, why did we order it if we are going to still make it ourselves? Second, she promised not to do anything. And Third, who is going to eat all this food?

We were able to talk her out of the stuffing and the potatoes. We had to cook the turkey the night before because of limited refridgerator space, so we did not have the smell on Thanksgiving day after all. It did turn out perfectly, however, I'm sure because we didn't need it for dinner. I made green bean casserole, which is about the extent of my cooking abilities, very easy. And Heidi did bring her rolls. Grammy and Pop also came up from Tucson and brought ginzakraut with them - a traditional favorite of a few of us.

My mom still managed to weasel her way into the kitchen quite a bit that day, which I knew would happen. She just can't help herself from being involved and hated to be completely waited on. All in all, it was a very nice day. But after day 4 of leftovers, I was ready to be done with Thanksgiving for another year.

We played a pictionary game where we drew things we were thankful for. I am very thankful for all the usual things: family, good health, shelter, etc. But most of all, I am thankful that, especially in these hard economic times, we are fortunate enough to be able to help others. And, right now, I am very thankful that the temperature is in the 70's where I live! It really is the most wonderful time of year!