Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas all my family, friends and fellow bloggers! Was your Christmas truly merry and bright? Mine was! I think a fun time was had by all in my house. Everything is unwrapped, mostly put away (except for all Dan's new toys, they still reside in the living room, all over the floor) and Jim and the kids are all off either reading the books they got for Christmas, playing with toys, or just relaxing. I have some time to download all the photos off the camera and post a blog entry letting you in on all the highlights.

Our holiday started on Saturday with the Lundberg family tradition of Christmas Brunch. We have of course altered the tradition in the fact that we now hold it the Saturday before Christmas instead of the morning of Christmas. Makes it so much easier on those that had to go and move so far away, across the valley. The food was fabulous, like always, and the company was even better, like always!

Dan with his Ironman toy.
This is Bev and her thing 1, Kaity.
Some of the kids, assembling their airplanes. (Jim believes that you can't just give gift cards! You must have something to play with in order for it to truly be Christmas!)
My handsome, engineer Sam. Later, he made modifications to one of the airplanes to make it more aerodynamic.
Dad and Susan holding Kaity's new baby, Holly.
The cutest "Present" under my tree!
Hmm...this next one needs some explaining. First I must warn you that I come from a very strange family. We are loud and boisterous, recite movie lines every time we're together, and have a very strange sense of humor. When my Mom passed away, we girls got together to go through all of her personal belongings decide who wanted what, or give away what wasn't wanted/needed. In my Mother's possessions was a small statue we always called David. Though in actuality he is the Greek god Hercules. (No, I really have no idea why my mother owned this.) For some reason nobody wanted poor little Hercules! Beverly finally said she would take him. That year when we got together for the above mentioned brunch, Bev "gifted" him in our exchange. Sadly, he was out of circulation for a year when I misplaced him, but since then has shown up every year with a new "addition" to his alabasterness. First addition? That was mine. I felt he really should have some sort of clothes, and so gave him a black leather loin cloth /underwear. Nicely molded to his buttocks, don't you think?

The lovely chapeau was added by Margaret. This year he came to us from Crissie's house, proudly displaying his holster and boom stick (what Jacob called his gun). He has now returned to Bev's once more, and we all eagerly await next years addition.

Later on that evening we had our Ward Christmas party at the church. Dan finally got to see Santa and tell him what he wanted for Christmas. This was the first time that he willingly sat on Santa's lap. I'm one of those mean mommies who believe in torturing the child for the photo!

And what exactly did he ask for? "A Hungry Hungry Hippo toy".

Snowflakes were the decor this year and eventually the children figured out that the pretty. sparkly, snowflakes on the tables were actually stickers. You simply had to peel off the paper backs and voila!

Dan and his friend Harley

Last night was our traditional Jones family Christmas Eve party. One of my favorite nights of the year. We eat tons of yummy food, sing carols and of course Santa comes to our party to hand out one gift to everyone there! Of course, I think he might just be one of Santa's helper Clause's, because we all know how busy the jolly old soul is on Christmas Eve!

Daniel was so excited that Santa was coming. He wouldn't even come in to sing with us because he was waiting by the front door, watching for him to arrive.

Christmas morning...

We had fun watching our Dan open his presents, especially his much requested Hungry Hippo game.

Here are Sam, Kacie, and Sarah wearing the beanie hats Jim made for them, and holding up their quilts that I haven't quite finished making for them!

Well, they are mostly done. I need to machine quilt and bind them, and then they will be all ready for use.And finally, playing Hungry Hungry Hippos! I wish you all could watch him play. His little tongue darts in and out of his mouth while he's playing. It kind of reminds me of little Ralphy in A Christmas Story. When he's concentrating using his decoder ring!

What did I get? I got tickets to 4 shows at Gammage this coming year! I am the luckiest and happiest girl today! This next year I will be attending RENT, STOMP, WICKED (did you hear me screaming?) and I am going to take Dan to see his first show, CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG. Good show to introduce a 5 year old to the theater with I hope. With luck, he'll learn to love it as much as his mother. Then as he grows, Jim can make Dan go with me, thereby getting himself out of it.

Christmas miracle!

Did I say Christmas miracle? Why yes, I did! I know what you're probably thinking. Jim went out and bought me the perfect gift without me telling him exactly what the perfect gift is. No, that's not it. Of course that would be a miracle too!


My miracle is much more simple than that. Are you ready for this? I know you're sitting down (unless you prefer to blog surf on the run and are standing at your desk right now).


I actually did my nails!


This sounds like such a simple thing to you. But let me just tell you that this is a classic example of the cobbler's kids needing shoes. When you are a nail tech, and work on other people's nails for a living, the last thing you want to do when you actually have time...your own nails! My family and clients will right now be gripping their chair seats to keep from falling off of them.
I feel like Tiny Tim. "God bless us. Everyone!" See how festive!
Have you ever tried to take a picture of your nails? It's not easy! Try it sometime. Jim is the only other person home right now (besides Dan, and being 4 1/2 I doubt his ability to operate a camera!) and I wasn't about to ask him to take a picture of my nails for me. He already thinks I'm whacked for taking a picture of my candied yams at Thanksgiving. (It's a blogger thing honey. You wouldn't understand.)
I didn't want to be outdone by Crissie so here is a picture of my kitty too! He is also feeling festive. He "dove" into this garland and looked so cute and Christmasy I had to document it. I just wish the photos had turned out a little clearer. Again, have you ever tried to take a picture of a cat...

Bloggled.com

Wow! This is great! Some time ago I had a conversation with friends and fellow bloggers.
We discussed how great it would be if someone would come out with a service that would put your blog posts into book form and print it for you. Tah Dah! I was led to this site by another friend. Bloggled not only can print your blog, but they also backup your blog for you, so you never have to worry about accidentally deleting your blog! How cool is that! Can I just say how stoked I am! Oh, the best part about me blogging about their service? I get to put my name in a drawing for Cricut or an I-Pod touch! This is the bomb! Hope I win!!

AAAHHHH!

Do you see that little tree? That one right over there on the right hand side of this page? Every day I log on to my computer, click on my favorite little short-cut button on my toolbar. You know, the one that looks like an e with a planetary ring circling it.

Narcissistic me. My home page is my blog.

Oh my favorite past time...blog surfing my friends pages and seeing what you have all been doing.

But every day that little counter under the tree gets smaller...and smaller...and smaller. This is what I feel like.

Are you ready? I'm not! So much to do. No not the shopping, that is almost done. It 's all the handmade gifts that I really would like to finish. Did I just say finish? Ha! I haven't even started some of them. And don't even ask my sisters about the scrapbooks I started for them...what was it, like 2 years ago.

I've been contemplating an old Calvin and Hobbes cartoon.

Maybe I could take a box, add a button, and recreate Calvin's duplicator! Then if there were two of me...just think what I could get done! Why, I could sit here on the computer while the other me finished (started) all my projects.

Or, I could quit wasting time and get busy....

Nah! I'm going to go find me a box.

Christmas Past! ...and somthing for Leigh

It's Christmas time! Time for baking, for shopping, and especially time for Family!

In honor of this amazing holiday I thought I'd share with you some fun snapshots of my childhood. Please, feel free to laugh with me, not at me!

I can assume that this must be Suzee's first Christmas. Not a bad looking Santa, unlike this next one! Oh my gosh! Can you say unhappy? How about "I hate my Job"? Sure. I knew you could. No wonder poor Margaret is crying. The rest of just were not smart enough to realize we were sitting on the lap of the worst Santa in mall history! Oh, and you have got to love the candy cane on my nose.

This is my sister Beverly, followed by Margaret. Do you love the 70"s Christmas tree? Groovy!

And let us not forget about Dad. Keep in mind that at this point he had 3 little girls, not a boy in sight, nor was there ever to be one. Toy car? Well, I think Dad put something under the tree every year that he "claimed" was for us girls, but that he himself had purchased so he would have something to play with also. (The race car track comes to mind...)I think I always had my tongue sticking out as a little girl. Probably developing it for it's future use of lots of talking! Can't see my tongue in this next picture? I guess because I was licking the window frame of this awesome bike/wagon.Perhaps you are wondering where Crissie is? Well, finally she makes an appearance in the few family snapshots we have our childhood Christmases.Isn't she adorable? My Mom made us the pajamas. This was Christmas eve. Oh look! Did I hear Santa on the rooftop? Everyone else seems to think so. Except, of course, me. Can't decide if I was just a little slow to understand, or if I was always just a little bit off from what the rest of my sisters were doing.

Christmas morning...I don't know if this was Beverly's or Margaret's record player. If it was Margaret's, then Bev was just being Bev and taking over everything! Big sisters! And one of Mom that morning. Margaret looks exactly like Mom! I swear, if I showed you a picture you'd ask 'Is that Holly?'

Finally, something for Leigh. She thought she was an only child growing up. Technically she was. Leigh lived across the street from us our whole life! (Until my family moved in 86) She is the same age as Margaret, was one of her best friends growing up, and so was always at our house. She recently found Crissie on facebook and so has joined our little blogging world. I guess you could say it's like having her across the street again! After reading one of her older posts last night, She was on my mind this morning. I was thinking about the way we treated her as if she was one of us. You know, teased and picked on her just like she was a sister. Then I remembered that I had this picture. It proves that she was part of the family. It is Christmas morning. The gifts are still scattered through the living room, and we are playing with the bounty that Santa brought. This was a Polaroid picture and someone wrote on the photo (probably Mom) to document who was who.See...just another one of the girls! It's good to have you back in the neighborhood!

Picture perfect & Thanksgiving wrap up!

When I was a little girl my mom made candied yams for Thanksgiving dinner every year. They are one of the Lundberg family traditional foods. However, I think every year, my mom would end up slightly burning the marshmallows that went on top of the yams. Probably because they are one of the last things you do right before you sit down to eat. You know, when you are making gravy, setting all the food on the table, carving the turkey, etc. All while you are supposed to be keeping an eye on the marshmallows toasting! Oh the fond memories I have of mom yelling and throwing in a sh** or two, or three, as she pulled her smoking yams from the oven. I will admit that in my time I have also over toasted them a time or two.

Ahh...but this year, Perfection!

The night before is always my pie night! This year Dan pushed a chair over to the counter to help. As you can see, my other little boy had to see what we were all doing in the kitchen!

Our Thanksgiving Table

I know...I cheat by using paper plates on my table...what can I say. After cooking all day, and washing the dishes, also all day, I am done! The kids set the table this year. Personally I wouldn't have gone with the purple goblets on my rust colored tablecloth...

And finally...More goofing around brought to you by Sarah and Daniel!

The things we are Thankful for this year!

I am thankful for my family, and for my truck (wonder who said this...Sam?),For Butterfingers candy bars, And for colors! For paint and Art! I am thankful to have dinner at Jim and Suzee's, and for books, and for my Spiderman blanket. I am thankful for my education, for the scriptures ...that we can know what to look for and be glad. I am thankful for sitting by the fire at night with my family members, my job, and for pie! Lots and lots of pie! I am thankful for a bed, for my children, for the gospel and the priesthood, and for the knowledge that on Thanksgiving I can eat anything I want! I am thankful for our country, and for my iPod, my friends, and for music. I am thankful for my hubby who works so hard for our us, and for kitties who like me. I am thankful for David's strength, Jim's determination, Suzee's creative abilities, Sarah's smile, Sam's quietness, Kacie's giggle, Daniel's exuberance, and for Bonnie's kindness. I am thankful for this economy that will humble many people and turn them back to our Prophet's council. I am thankful for seminary, soft kitties that purr, and for a living prophet and apostles. I am thankful for being able to work and having work to do, for my testimony, and for school. I am thankful for my Saviors plan of happiness, our church leaders who teach us to have peace from our hope in Christ. I am thankful for makeup, and for my talents, to live in Arizona, and for good health. I am thankful for the air we breath, and rain to sustain life. I am thankful for the pretty clouds today. for my taste buds so I can enjoy Thanksgiving dinner, and finally, for Texting!