Grandparenthood

We had Colette over for the weekend, as Nicolle and Johnathan were in Costa Rica helping her folks renovate her abuelita's kitchen in San Jose, and Rob was working during the day. I remember being the only grandchild visiting my grandparents in Orderville and at the house north of Glendale in Long Valley, and how much fun it was to eat with them and "help" do chores. Colette was very good, and helpful, and we tried to indulge her in every single little thing. She really likes to play the games on "PBS Kids" online. I have a very nice new cot for car camping, and she slept by herself for two nights in the living room by the fire. When Rob and Nicolle and Johnathan came down last night, they slept on our new fold-out sofa in the front room. It is great having so much space for people to sleep, and I like when our sweeties come to stay with us.

Also, Johnathan is completely toilet-trained. This is a major cause for celebration. He came out of the bathroom this morning with his underwear around his ankles. "Did you go to the toilet?" I asked. "I peed and peed and peed and peed and peed," he said.

Today was very warm for the middle of January. I sat out on the deck in the sun, and the trickle of melting snow was as loud all around me as the trickle from the waterfall below. It will be cold again soon. I am engrossed in reading my garden magazines and looking up garden sites online--I have another idea for my Lucy garden. We shall see.

We tried to go with the kids to a dollar movie, but they were all sold out, so we bought a movie and watched it while we ate nachos. Then there was the sunset and they went home.

An Invitation

I'll be posting stuff to our UK blog more frequently now, as we leave in ONLY FIVE MORE MONTHS. I'm excited, and apprehensive, since I didn't actually have a job when we left for half a year the previous two times. Will I still have a practice when I come back? Well, no, but maybe I can rebuild it. Poverty is a small price to pay for the chance to live in such a beautiful house and exciting city for six months.

People are already starting to schedule visits! Make sure you get your reservation in early. Hint: London is less crowded in the fall than in the summer, and we will probably be in a bigger apartment fall semester--more room for visitors. But any time will be great!

The photo of Ethan is a bonus.

The Parties Are Over

...but we sure had fun. We gave up the traditional marathon present-opening with 25 people in the tiny Christmas room, and had the families open their presents whenever they arrived Christmas day. It was much more relaxed and more room to maneuver.

Ethan liked his truck from Grandpa:

Colette shows off a new book:

The next party was at J.Lynn & Tana's for Grandma E's birthday:

We ate in the well-heated garage. The California Moungas were there, and most of the Gales. Jody took two and a half hours driving through horizontal snow to get from Provo to the Farm, and Damien hadn't made it back from Utah County due to an accident on the freeway. John and I made it home by driving behind a semi at 35 mph after the fog had blown away. I was thankful not to be driving from Houston to Utah and back this year, as we did for several Christmases in the past. Much better to drive 40 miles than 1400 (or however many it is).

Our Current (and Former) Political Climate

I first saw this on Times and Seasons, one of my favorite Mormon blogs:

A Happy Christmas Evening

We drove down to The Farm and arrived on a wet and foggy Christmas Eve. Another visitor touched down just outside the window:

J.Lynn and family came over to G&G's for a talent show:

Kelly, Milinda, and Kendrick did Scotland the Brave using nothing but humming and their nasal passages. It was very impressive and funny.

Kendrick and his brothers played the piano.


Chris played as well, and J.Lynn videoed it, so I'll get a copy when we go back on Wednesday for Grandma's birthday party.

We came home fairly early and built a fire and read the scripture story of Jesus' birth.

We finally got Grandma Gene's Christmas lights put up.

Our house on Christmas Eve:


Merry Christmas to all!

A Christmas Song for Doubters*

About the Universe I hear
So many different stories
From 'this is all we have my dear'
To 'we'll sing heavenly glories'
The world will end in fire and ice
Or all are raised in Jesus Christ.

On whole I like the atheist view
It's tidy and it's neater
And death's the end. I don't deny
That Resurrection's sweeter
But hope in Christ risks such a fall
I'd rather not believe at all.

Jesus walks free and wise and wild
Do I dare follow this brave child?

*the first Poem of the Day, hopefully (somewhat revised from this morning)

In the Bleak Midwinter

It snowed, heavy wet snow blue in the depths of the shoveled piles, on the border of freeze/melt.

John shovels the sidewalk beneath the crabapple tree:

No picnics on the back deck

or in the garden

and the kitties stay in their heated boxes

while we come inside for hot chocolate and tea and watch it fall.

Hero watches us--Why do I have to stay out here? I would be sympathetic if, during her days as in indoor cat, she hadn't always been so eager to escape into the great outdoors.

Here is my favorite Christmas song of this year, by Annie Lennox: