Happy New Year from Park City, Utah!

Where the snow is deep
and the pool is heated
and the kids are
all above average!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Beginnings!

Thoughts on: Gentlemen's Day Out

Our men decided to do their annual
snowshoeing again this year.
They always do enjoy this and
that makes us happy too.


The other thing that makes us happy is
we get to stay home by the fire
and look out the panoramic windows
pretending we are inside a snow globe.
Love the Santa sock hat Jimbob!

Absolutely no idea what they are doing here!
Packing it all down for the camp, Lowell says.

After setting up camp...

Time to start the lunch prep!
Lowell carries the water!

Putting it in the pot!
It is going to be a colder day in
'you know where'
that I'd haul my pots and pans
with me in a pack on my back!
{I like to get away from them when I go out!}

Or start a fire with no matches
like Chris did just for fun!

Top Raman, anyone?

The aroma is delightful to
the tired cross-country hikers!

Yummy! Lowell spiced it up and added good ingredients.

Now for a cozy, warm nap in the snow!

Heading home after a seven hour hike in the snow!

How does anyone do this? I am baffled! I struggle getting from the car to a building in this stuff. I made a complete spectacle of myself last night but that is too embarrassing to recount. It is not a user friendly substance for me, even though I do find it incredibly beautiful. Especially when the sun shines on it and it is all sparkly.

This is when I am so grateful for our sons so they and Jim have a chance to have this kind of fun together~alone. This is when I imagine the tune to "I Enjoy Being a Girl" and lip-sync the words! This is when I thank God for these men and that they are put on this earth to be strong and to provide for their families and to protect us from the elements. {{I am glad they practice once a year, just in case.}}

This is when I know that God's plan for men and women to marry and be one is so great. This is when I know that as we each do our part, we become one and whole. And lastly this is when I know I can enjoy their fun in photos as much as they enjoy being in them. I love these big, burly, Raman eating men very much! They make me feel safe and I am thankful for them and I do not take them for granted.

Not after suddenly losing one of our dear, dear friends just yesterday, who left behind a wonderful and beautiful wife and outstanding children, at age 51. It has rocked our world and taught us valuable lessons about loving each precious day we all have together. And we thank God we know what is next and His plan for us and our families. And we pray we can find some way to help when we get home.

Christmas Lights Like No Other...

Yesterday I posted a few photos of Temple Square in Salt Lake City. It was so beautiful that night, here are a few more.

There are several shots of the Temple that I
just thought were so pretty so have
included some here.

The image of the Temple in the reflecting pond.
The bubble lights in the pond are solar,
They slowly blinked and were so pretty.

The Assembly Hall

The red trees around The Assembly Hall!
This night was very festive and fun and
full of others looking at the sights.
Our family enjoyed it a lot.
Judging by this display,
colored lights are now totally "in!"

A Simple Woman's Daybook~December 28, 2010

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So, For Today...

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Outside my window...it is sunny, with melting snow on the ground and it is 30 degrees out but it doesn't feel that cold. I am feeling that afternoon draggy time coming on but thought I'd see how far I can get on this before crashing for a little nap.

I am thinking...it was a fun morning of after Christmas shopping with Missy Jen, and Traci at TaiPan Trading Company. Then I took the girls to lunch at the Blue Lemon, in Lehi. We got some fun things while shopping for a song and laughed our heads off at lunch time.

I am thankful for...This wonderful white Christmas we have had and looking forward to a couple of days in Park City before we head home next week.

From the learning room...All the hubbub of Christmas seems to just melt away at the strike of midnight on Christmas Eve. I felt the stress melt away like a snowman in the sun. Spent Christmas Day in PJs and semi-catatonic with relaxation. It was great.

I am reading...Christmas in Europe but Rick Steves. Loving it.

I am wondering...if the low grade fever Hazel has had the last couple of days will just go away or if they are in for another go around?

I am hearing...Jim and Christopher talking in the dining room and Owie playing with his toys.
And here comes Zachary into the dining room to join his little brother. Piper is over this afternoon hanging out with Connor. I cannot hear them because they are sitting next to each other texting on their new DSIs. Still don't really know what they are but will find out before I leave here. I do know they are hand-held electronic devices with cameras.

Today if I could change one thing...it would be moving Nevada down so that CA and UT were bordering states.

I am quoting..."The world is a looking glass and gives back t0 each person a reflection of his attitude." Anon
I am going...to have to mail a box home because I bought some great glassware at TaiPan this morning. I love mercury glass and it's so inexpensive here, so I got a few pieces. And the lime green and copper colored mercury glass is too die for! But the silver is so classic and vintage. Choices, choices.

I am missing..Laura and Robert's family. They are celebrating their anniversary today with the break in the snow storms back east. At least that was the plan a few day ago.

One of my guilty pleasures...sleeping later than usual when we are on vacation and visiting the kids. Usually when we are on vacation there is a big agenda but not when we come here. We do a lot of chilling and hanging out and I love it.

Pet Peeves...people that leave receipts, lists, and wrappers in grocery carts. Seriously...what is up with that?

One of my favorite things...having good places to shop in Utah. Our area is deprived by comparison.

An enjoyable movie I have watched lately...Last night we all went to see Tangled except for Lowell and Hazie. It was a lot of fun and although I am not a big fan of animated movies it was very enjoyable. We also saw Inception, curious and too deep for me!

I am curious about...what the future holds for us with regards to moving closer to these kids. $5.00 first run movies is a plus!

A few plans for the rest of the week...nap very soon, art museum to see the traveling Carl Bloch (Danish artist from the 1800s and world renounced religious painter) art exhibit at BYU and then on to a dinner out with just Chris' family. Tomorrow girl's night out with Jen and Melissa. Maybe visiting my friend, Val, if she is up to it. She is quite elderly and often forgets who I am even though we have been friends for twenty years. How sad is that? But I love her dearly and just want to stop over and give her a hug. Her dementia started almost immediately after her husband died a few years ago. Friday we are going to Park City for two nights with Jen and family for a New Year's celebration. And then on the 3rd we fly home. Those are the plans anyway, unless Hazie gets sick again. If that happens, everything could change.

Here are a few photos I am sharing with you...from Salt Lake's Temple Square Christmas lights display. Absolutely Gorgeous!

I loved this tree!
So perfect in shape and light
with a magnificent background.

ChrisMissy Christmas Morning

We got to bed quite late last night after a wonderful afternoon and evening with Jen and Lowell and the girls coming over to Chris and Missy's. Missy prepared an amazing feast as she always does. The morning came pretty early with wide-eyed and very excited little ones. Here are some candid shots of the presents!

Zach with his already assembled Lego boat!

Putting the Barbie House together.

Owie eating Gummy Food French fries.

Connor got a DSI! No clue what that is but he was happy!

Connor breaking in the DSI

Lots of pretty paper flying!

Aynslee with her new jewelry chest and some new earrings.

Santa brought Chris and Missy some new cookware!

Owen has a lesson in DSI procedures.

Aynslee with her fashion design sketch portfolio.

Zachy gets a new Leapster cartridge!

The gifts for the kids were varied and fun. They received some movies, a Wii game, board games, Legos~always Legos, Ayns got some Barbie stuff and a jewelry box and crafty art supplies and Owen got a stuffed snake, among other things! Everyone was overwhelmed with tiny pieces from various things and very happy. They spent over an hour just playing with things from their stockings.

We ate Einstein Bagels and various flavored cream cheeses and drank hot chocolate and wassail and it was very fun! When the sun came up we saw snow on the ground and it was time for a nap! We talked to all the other kids and everyone had a similar experience around their Christmas trees this morning.

Last night all the cousins produced a video on their own of the birth of Jesus and presented it to the parents and and grandparents. How's that for the technology age? Holy Cow! I am going to try to Youtube it! It is totally a keeper!

Merry Christmas With Love

If you missed our invitation to view our Christmas Blog you can find it here:

http://averymerrychristmas.blogspot.com

Silver and White~Mercury Glass and Light

For some reason I have been putting off doing this post on the bathroom. I think it is because I feel like I am just a little too excited about this new bathroom we have. I awakened early with thoughts of this post on my mind and we are leaving for the airport in less then 2 hours. The thought occurred to me that one reason this bathroom still feels new after a year is that it is the fulfillment of a 30 year dream. It represents so much more to me than what it really is.

It symbolizes that dreams really can come true. First you have to have a vision, then you have to have patience, find a way to make it happen, pay the price and work hard. To me it represents how you can get something you really want by putting your shoulder to the wheel, it goes so far beyond just wishing. There is a pattern involved in it that makes me know nothing is beyond our reach if we follow it. I also love that the design and the end product was a 100 percent collaborative effort between Jim and me. I am not leaving our contractor, Steve, out in this in any way, he did a brilliant job.

I am just saying that in the bigger picture, the dream of it, finding the way and the means was something that happened between us within the confines of our marriage. The meeting of the minds that we had with this project was a defining moment in time for us. It resurrected some kind of a newness and hope for the future that I feel when I look at the end results. To some this may seem funny, but if you have experienced it with your spouse you know what I mean. The energy of it has affected everything else about us as a couple building a life together. No matter how old you get or how familiar, you have to keep building and stretching to keep the love alive and deepening it, in the way it is meant to be done. Somehow in this project more than the bathroom was renovated, redesigned and improved. So anyway, these are the thoughts that robbed me of an extra hour of sleep today!

I was excited to have new room to decorate for Christmas. I decided to just use White and silver and tiny touch of red. By removing the Tuscan colors that are normally in here it was very easy to get a completely new look.

Where the sunflowers use to sit
I added this whimsical, sparkly tree.

I have had these guys for several years
and I love them in here!

This Moonlight and Roses Santa is new this year.
and is so pretty in this room.
moonlightandroses.com
is one of my favorite sites.
I love their things.

My funny angel and the white towels
with a simple ornament is fun!

Chrsitmasy things in the tub tray.

I am in love with the mercury glass
vintage look and
I loved the way the windows sills
have glistened all month.

A nativity I have had for a long time
now has a wonderful place to be.

A little present in silver with a candle inside.

Love, love love, this reindeer and the candle holders.

I enjoy these whimsical kinds of
things especially at Christmas.

Love the corner window, in fact all of the windows.
The light in here changes everything!

A fun, little, vintage wall hanging I found this month!

Merry Christmas!