Christmas Eve 2016

As has been shown in years past, we have a tradition of eating food from another country on Christmas Eve (or New Years if Mom works).  We did not want to let that tradition slide just because we were visiting family. 

My family was wonderful and joined us in a Harry Potter (or British food) Christmas Eve party.

Malisa expertly handled the wand making and had several helpers.

We also had quill making and origami owl folding. 

Quidditch practice... oh wait that is just the new foosball table that the kids loved playing on.

Oh and of course the food was delicious. We sorted everyone with cupcakes that had different color m & ms in them.  And we feasted on drumsticks, roast, mashed potatoes, corn, rolls, relish tray, jello salad, yorkshire pudding, salad, and other fantastically delicious things! I was so thankful for everyone's willingness to join in and help out.

After dinner we turned to a more spiritual note and read the nativity and acted it out. We sang a few songs too- it was wonderful! 

 Lily was Mary and she took her job so seriously. She had the below serene, humble smile on her face the whole time.  As I watched her act so calm and not so bold and sassy like she usually is I realized that she understood.  She understood what it meant for Mary that night to become the mother of Jesus, our Savior.  She is only 5 and so maybe she does not understand on the same level as an adult but she definitely knew this was something sacred. 

 (She did not appreciate when Samantha snuck up and literally tossed a second doll in to the manger.)

 The angels singing to the shepherds! 

 She is one of my precious angels! 

And of course, the wisemen, baring their gifts. 

I was so thankful to share this spiritual moment with my family- we were all there! I don't know when that will happen again and for me it happens so rarely that I see them.  They are good, strong, hardworking, kind, loving, and serving people. They enrich my life even though I live so far away from them.  They represent our family name well and I pray that I do the same. I am honored to call them my family.

Oh, these 2 beautiful, special people. 

I am who I am because of the foundation they gave to me and the love, lessons, and example they offered to me. The world is a better place because of them! 

 Since we were ALL there we snapped a photo- we are a good looking bunch....

with just a splash of wild and crazy! 

Travel to Utah - Christmas 2016

It had been 9 years since we spent Christmas in Utah- that is pre-Texas. 

It was more than time for us to go. In 2015, I purposefully worked Christmas Eve so that I would not have to work it in 2016. Then, the hospital made some changes to the holiday scheduling policies.  I was stressed and anxious that it would not work out but I went to my manager and plead my case and she made sure I was assigned the Thanksgiving rotation this year.  I was thrilled. 

 Preparing, packing, and planning for a Christmas away from home was a bit of an undertaking. Who are we kidding it was a lot of work but I would do it again and hope to do it again soon. 

First, was deciding when we would leave and how we would get there. This was where our first blessing came in to play. My dad was able to fly down on Tuesday night and then begin driving to Utah with us on Wednesday afternoon. It was a very brief stay at our house during which time our microwave broke and he went with me to get a new one. He is the best! Thanks Dad! 

The kids were so excited to see Grandpa and they were really well behaved for him and me in the car. We made it to Amarillo the first day. We enjoyed dinner at McAllister's and then some good sleep at the hotel with a boys room and a girls room. 

 We ate an early breakfast the next morning so that we could hit the road before 7 and try to stay ahead of some storms in the forecast. The kids were troopers and there was not one complaint. 

 The scenery really was beautiful! 

 And there was a good deal of cooperation in the car, sharing things, passing things back and forth, taking turns picking the movie, playing travel bingo and the winners picked the restaurants for lunch and dinner. 

 Snow was our travel companion with some rain the whole day on Thursday. It was fun to see. 

 We literally hit a milestone while driving....55,555 miles on our Suburban. May it be blessed with many more miles! 

 We saw the sun for only a very short time but it was long enough for us to spy a rainbow! 

 My dad and I discussed the pros and cons of the available hamburger restaurants: fries, hamburgers, variety.  In the end, Burger King one out! They do make a good hamburger and the fries are good especially when eaten with fry sauce! 

It was a 15 hour day but we finally made it and the first thing they did was run into the snow, start shoveling it and Jon threw snowballs at most of us (which lead to the first of many lectures about proper snow etiquette ie don't throw snowballs at people who don't want to be hit or are busy unloading the car).  For such a long drive they did amazingly well and I was so thankful to have my dad there to drive through the snow in Spanish Fork Canyon. 

First Piano Recital

Actually, I have played in many, many piano recitals but it was my first as the teacher. 

It was so rewarding to hear these students perform songs they had worked so hard to learn. 

It was extra fun because they all played Christmas music and were inspired by each other. 

It was also Jon and Arabella's first recitals ever.

They were fantastic! 

I look forward to hearing and observing the progress those two make as well as all of my students. 

Jon's Birthday

Jon had his birthday on Dec 15th and he turned 11. 

I can not believe he is that old. 

He has been such a blessing in our family. He is funny, a bit rowdy, super kind with his sisters, a typical but loving brother to Joseph and has helped me learn so many things. 

 He has wanted this Nerf gun for a really long time. He was so excited to open it and equally sad to not get to play with it until after school. 

 Jon is my shrimp lover and so that is what we had for dinner. Two different kinds of shrimp with homemade french bread and cauliflower- his choices.  

And we must not forget dessert! He loves cheesecake and so this variety platter was the perfect answer! We love you Jon! 

Court of Honor

In December, Joseph had a Court of Honor. He has worked really hard in scouting and so has earned a lot of merit badges- 15 that night. 

He has one merit badge and his Eagle Scout project to finish to earn his Eagle award. 

We are really hoping to have this wrapped up by the end of the summer, just before he turns 14. 

 I had Arabella take some pictures while we were up with Joseph when he earned his new ranks (yes, he earned two between the last Court of Honor and this one).

She did a good job. 

Yes, these three were there too. Jon had an earlier activity with his pack and made it back just in time for the Court of Honor. I think this was taken by Arabella too. It is a great close-up. 

First Saturday of December - Packed with Fun

We woke up and headed to the hospital I work for and met Santa.  

We made ornaments, ate donuts and drank hot chocolate with all sorts of add ins. 

 There were also tiny juice boxes which look extra small in this man-child's hands. 

 Later that afternoon, we headed to a Community Nativity that is hosted by a neighboring stake. 

 Jon's friend Ryan came along. 

 So many nativities of all varieties-like frogs, rubber ducks, tons of international ones, glass, nails, bullet casings, spice bottles, and of course they have a live Mary and Joseph on the stage. 

 The one above I had never seen before and I loved it! 

 We got a kick out of the nativity in a bus! 

 Check out that crew!  

Samantha loved being on Dad's shoulders and she considered doing a lobotomy with a pencil through Dad's nose but in the end decided against it. 

I love the nativity and it such a wonderful way to start the holiday season. 

Light the Word- Humility

The church this year is doing a wonderful advent through social media called Light the World. It has been such a blessing to participate in. Today we are supposed to think of how the Savior showed humility and think of a time when we learned humility or had to have humility.  

I have had many humbling experiences in my life but this is one that I have not shared often probably because I am ashamed of my quick judgments and lack of compassion. 

Many years ago, when I was working in Utah I was charge nurse on a particularly busy night. As I was working through the charts and trying to move some patients to rooms, I was reading chief complaints and came to one that said post partum constipation.  You may be thinking Shellie, how could you be judgmental about constipation after delivery (it is real, it happens, even to me).  Well, the judgment came when I looked at her age...16.  I thought to myself and may have even muttered out loud something along the lines of "Well, if she had not been having sex so young she would not have found herself in this situation." Shameful already, yes but it gets worse.  

She was brought back to her room by a volunteer and the assigned nurse was busy so I did the initial evaluation. I asked her what was going on and how long she had been having symptoms and when she had delivered.  I asked if the deliver had any complications.  She answered all of my questions and I ended my evaluation, which I likely did not do in my most loving and patient nurse voice- I was all business, it was busy and remember my previous judgment. I told her I was sorry she was not feeling well and that a doctor would be in shortly and on a happy note I said is baby doing well at least?  She had not brought baby with her.  Then her eyes filled with tears and she said " I don't know I gave her up for adoption."  

My heart sank. I could not believe that I had just minutes before looked at some basic facts, made quick judgments in my mind and assumed she was a young teen who just wanted to play mom.  My eyes filled with tears and I did what I could to console her by telling her that she had made such a brave and wonderful decision.  I then reassured her we would get her feeling better so that she could really start to heal.  

That awful moment has never left me.  I was not the bigger, older or more mature person in that room that day.  That young teenage girl was miles and miles ahead of me.  I have tried really hard since that experience, especially at work, to be open minded about chief complaints that seem like something that could be handled at home or at a doctor's or just simply not my emergency.  It is an emergency to them and it may not always have to do with their physical state. 

I realize there are only about 5 people who ever look at this and so maybe I am still hiding my shame by not sharing this in a more open forum but I am sharing it.  I think of when Christ went to the pool at Bethesda and healed the man who had been lying there for years.  He did not enter and make quick judgments about who was most deserving or even who deserved their "consequences".  Nope, he just went there and healed and loved. I have tried to do better and will keep on trying.