Priceless Moments - Christmas 2019

Thoughtful.

Today, I was thinking about this blog, and how it's been such a long time since I've updated it. That  feeling of, "I ought to do that... "

So, I come to the blog to take a look, and lo and behold, .... a draft! Obviously, I've thought about this previously! Ha!!

So, in the interest of updating the blog, here's an oldie but a goodie: The elf skit that I talked my adult kids into doing, for Christmas Eve in 2019 -- so four years ago.

kidnapped.

We sure love our kids.

About a week ago, I was talking with Alyssa, who told me that her Friday classes were cancelled. This is significant when you know that she also has no classes scheduled on Thursdays. It became an un-scheduled four-day weekend for her.

Her text to me said, "Come get me???"

A bit unusual, considering it's nearly a 6-hour drive, one way. She's fully aware of that, so she really was only half-serious. She didn't actually expect us to come and get her. Normally, we might have just dismissed it, and said, "suck it up, buttercup" ---- but......

-  the weather has actually been pretty good lately (winter weather + travel = misery)

- gas prices are down

- the schedule at work was empty for the day

- her sweetheart was out of town for job-training

- we miss her, too!!

...

My return text to her said:

,
"Can you be packed to leave at noon tomorrow?"

"Wait. Are you serious?!?!"

...

"Pack your bags, sister. Prepare to be kidnapped!"

So, I got a sub for my seminary class that morning, we pulled Emma out of school, and off we went. Despite glorious weather at home, we did come across this scene, not long after leaving home:

... but after that, all was good.

Emma's a good little traveler, and a few hours later, we showed up at Alyssa's dorm:

And went out for lunch...

Oh, my. Those two DO look alike!!

The sneaky part about this was misleading Darcie about our trip that day. We told her we were headed in the opposite direction, and made no mention of Alyssa. Miss Darcie is so busy right now with softball practices and pit orchestra rehearsals (for the school's spring musical), and she wouldn't be home most of the day anyway. Lately, she doesn't even see Emma, since Darcie leaves before she's up and comes home after she's asleep.

So even after 11+ driving hours, going out to lunch, and doing some wedding shopping, we still arrived home that night before Darcie.

She was speechless when Alyssa popped out and said, "Boo!"

It was so great to visit with her again. All of us thought so:

We'd thought that Alys would drive her Jeep back to school, since she didn't take it this semester. But she elected to still leave it behind -- the price of a parking permit doesn't seem very cost-effective. So we packed up again when the weekend was over, and drove her back to school. This time, we stayed overnight, to break up all that driving.

Emma's favorite part of traveling is going to the hotel pool. She showed off her new 3-piece swimsuit for us:

Sure can tell she's had cameras in her face all her life!!

And finally -- I'm such a sucker for sleeping kids. Emma's new habit is to say goodnight after we read a story, and then read to herself in bed. It almost always ends like this:

And then I take the book away and tuck that sleeping adorable-ness under the covers. Sure love her.

And sure love our Alys. I mean, it takes LOVE to go drive that distance, and get her for the weekend, right??

And ..... we sure miss this little sweetheart, too:

(That's her first time sitting like a big girl in the shopping cart. She's growing SO fast!!)

I'm turning into quite the old mother hen. I miss my kids when they're gone, and I love to have them all back under our roof again. (Well, at least to visit!!)

Ding, Dong, the Bells are Gonna Chime! ---- Two.

You've seen them together in the pictures. You've wondered if it's serious. You may have even asked me about it. Or, maybe you saw it on Facebook. Here's the blog post to answer all your questions!

They met about a year-and-a-half ago. (Can it be that long?)

They starting dating a few months after they met.

He began taking lessons with the missionaries.

She headed off to school, ...

... a difficult separation for them.

In February, he was baptized, and became a member of our church.

(We were pretty excited about that!!)

She returned in late spring...

Dating continued. Yep, they were serious!

In November, he proposed.

And she said yes!!

They've set a date in May, and the wedding plans are moving forward! We are so happy to be adding Andrew to our family!

While on our December trip to Boise, Alyssa found The Dress! It's gorgeous, and just her style. (No photos of that -- he hasn't seen it yet!)  Although going to the temple is in their future plans, out of deference to Andrew's family, they have decided on a civil marriage, so that his family can be there with them, to share in their joy.

Currently, Alyssa is at Boise State, pursuing her degree in Radiology. Andrew has already finished his degree, and made the big jump of leaving his managerial job locally, and moving to Boise, accepting a much more promising position with a large corporation there. After The Big Day, they will be settling in the Boise area.

We're pretty excited about these two!!

I took the photos above, because we're wanting to use a bunch of pictures as part of the reception decor. But I'm no professional. So, these next photos are some of the ones taken by our awesome wedding photographer. She's done a great job, and I can't wait to see how their wedding day photos turn out! You can see more of her work here, on her website.

Can you tell why I'm excited to see the wedding photos now?

And we're getting busy with wedding plans.

It's going to be awesome!!

ringing in the new -- 2015

And ...... another year is over. It seems like last January was forever ago! These are a few pictures from our New Year's Eve Bash -- which was really much more like a family game night than some sort of "bash"!! We let Miss Em stay up for it, and she thought that was pretty cool.

(Coming soon -- a post about those two. I have PICTURES!! heh, heh, heh!)

New Year's Kisses!

(Based on those photos and *more*, I have come to the conclusion that a LOT of kissing happened around my house that night!)

Right at the end of the year, we took an evening and did our annual holiday family dinner "OUT" night..... to a yummy Italian place. These next photos, I took just before we walked out the door. I think they get a little crazy when they're hungry!! We had just taken down the Christmas tree (a little earlier this year). It was our last chance to eat out before Cameron was leaving for college. Alyssa stayed a week longer before we took her, as well.

I love their personalities, and I love watching them with each other. It does this momma's heart good to know that they get along and actually LIKE each other, now that they're grown. Well, most of them are grown! Sure missed having Brandon in these, too. It's gatherings like this that I miss Brandon & Cecilia and Giselle the most. I'm such a mother hen that wants all my chicks under my wings!

 I think Miss Emma is missing her Cameron, now that he's off to college again.

Love this man!!

Three days into the new year -- we got snow! Since it's been such an unseasonably warm winter, we sent the girls outdoors right away that morning, and it was a good thing, too -- because most of this fluffy white stuff was gone by late afternoon. Emma LOVED it!!

(The snowball chase)

And the yummy hot chocolate makes the cold all worth it!

It's pictures like that last one, that happen only once in a blue moon.....

that make me almost feel like a real photographer. (The fact that Darcie likes it, even though her hair was just tossed up in a bun, there's no makeup, and she wasn't really "ready" for the camera ---- is a bonus to me!)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!