2011 At-a-Glance

January: Mini-vacation in Vegas with Grandma and Grandpa Hunter over Martin Luther King weekend. Girls loved the giant Forever 21 store there. Kamiko got a cool jacket.

February: Allie turns 15, Mom starts helping with AFHS Boys Soccer Booster Club - a huge undertaking. She rounds up a lot of donations from local businesses. Kamiko is admitted to BYU!

March: AFHS Boys Soccer Team Fundraiser (soccer boot camp). Lots of kids participate and the team earns a lot of money. Soccer season officially begins at the high school.

April: Mel's soccer season is going, too. Trip to visit Easts in CA for Spring Break. Marie Sykes marries Eli Evans in Bountiful Temple. Mom gets some cool red shoes. Kamiko gets injured and misses a lot of soccer games.

May: Melia turns 13. Dad goes to Georgia for a conference and gets to see his older brother, Kalei. Mom emcee's Kamiko's last end-of-season soccer banquet. Mom is officially done being a soccer mom for him. It turned out to be a great experience.

June: Kamiko graduates from AFHS. Tutu and Papaw come from Texas and Aunty Edna and Lynne Shiroma come from Hawaii. Kamiko begins Summer Term at BYU and moves into Heritage Halls. Within days, Melia has transformed his old bedroom into her's. We adjust to just having the girls around. Allie goes to yearbook camp.

July: Happy Birthday, America! Mini-vacation in Vail, Colorado. Connor Crockett is baptized here in Utah. Allie and Melia go to YW camp at Bear Lake. Mom has a very quiet week at home without any kids and with dad at work.

August: Kamiko turns 18! Kamiko gets his wisdom teeth out and makes everyone laugh with the video mom took while he was still on laughing gas. Allison East marries James DeVuyst in Oakland Temple. All of us, except Melia, go to CA. Melia stayed home to play in soccer tournament. We go to Bass Lake after wedding to visit Mike. School starts. We get Honu, the kitty, on the 27th, while at Melia's soccer team bake sale at Walmart. Dad is in charge of successful ward day of service. Mom is a team mom again, this time for Utah Sol, Melia's team. Kamiko begins taking mom's cooking class.

September: Dad turns 47 and starts to teach Dutch at BYU. We celebrate one year of dinner group. In 2010, we joined Trumps and Bowdens in a dinner group. I cook once a week for all 3 families and deliver dinner at 6:00 pm. Maria Trump cooks one night and Amy Bowden cooks another night. This means I only cook about twice a week, because the other nights dinner is delivered or we eat left-overs. It's great. I should have gotten a wife to cook for me sooner. Kamiko is hired in food labs as TA when a TA has to quit for health reasons.

October: Mom turns 45. Steve Jobs, founder of Apple Computers, dies on mom's bday. Mom and dad celebrate 20th anniversary in Salt Lake City, seeing Mary Poppins Broadway Production, going out to eat, and shopping in Park City. Soccer is still going for Melia. Kamiko is playing intramural soccer at BYU. Mom watches a couple of his games. Halloween!

November: Uncle Mike comes to spend the holidays. We, including grandma and grandpa Hunter and Mike, go to Colorado for Thanksgiving. We had so much fun last year that we had to go again. Highlights were Black Friday shopping and the man with tourettes disorder that works at Blockbuster. We get food storage from Daily Bread!

December: Go to see "Savior of the World" with friends from mom's work. See Mormon Tabernacle Christmas Concert, which NEVER disappoints. Awesome! Melia plays Silent Night on her ukulele in ward Christmas Recital, while Brittany Allen sang along. It was great. Boys go to BYU basketball games. Kamiko is home a lot. We meet his girlfriend, Sam. She stays here a bit during finals. Sinter Klaas party with Keenan's mission friends. Lots of late nights with friends.

Merry Maids, Sewing and Blendtec Ice Cream

Took Allie and Melia down to mom and dad's today to help mom clean the house. Allie vacuumed and Melia dusted while I helped mom navigate through her blog. I'm glad I started one so I can journal. It was sweet of the girls to help mom. I had stew in the crock pot, so we ran errands on our way home. I dropped the girls at the mall while I went to Costco. We then went to Winco to get a few groceries. We love that store. Tried new Cookies and Cream flavored Chex Muddy Buddies. They were great. I think I'm sick from too much junk, though. I came home and finished a sewing project. I'm making covers for my blender base, toaster and mixer so the clutter "matches" on the counter top. Finished the day eating ice cream Keenan made in his new blender. Again, feeling a bit sick. I think I should stick with smoothies and healthy snacks. Oh, and all is right with the world again...Sandy and I went walking this morning. She's been busy with company. I've missed our walks. Walking again tomorrow.

P.S. Christmas is down. Snowmen decorations remain.

Awesome Soup Delivered for Dinner Group - I Love Soup Season!

White Chicken Chili, from Maria Trump

5 cans great northern beans (drain 3 of the cans and don't drain 2 of them)

2 small cans (4 oz each) diced green chilies

1 can (regular size; not jumbo size) green enchilada sauce

1 small onion, diced and sauteed

Put all in crock pot on low for a few hours, then add:

2 cans chicken or a couple of cups of your own cooked and shredded chicken

1 lb light sour cream

Stir and let warm through on low for a couple of hours.

Serve with grated cheddar cheese if desired.

So I don't forget

I simplified the Christmas decor a bit this year, putting groupings of favorite things around the house. Here are some pictures that I can use as a reference next year. I'm sure I'll tweak a bit. I had to be kitten-friendly this year.

Put pretty Christmas grouping on my favorite red cabinet

This was on marble-top chest of drawers by front door

In the corner of the living room.  Got idea from Sherrie Ritchie to keep snowmen out for January. I think I will make some cute grouping in the front room.

Shelf above couch in basement family room

Entertainment center downstairs. The kids hope this will be gone by next year and replaced with an HD TV.

The ledge by the stairs going to basement.

I have also been thinking a lot about the messages shared by our bishopric in Sacrament Meeting on Sunday. Brother Bowden gave a really touching talk about how we can be like the Savior. Just as His life was a gift to us, our lives are a gift to others as we serve them. Brother Murdock talked about how it is appropriate and necessary to talk about Jesus Christ. Bishop Mehr gave us counsel to live within our means and stay out of debt, have more meaningful family home evenings and to re-evaluate our temple worship and do better. It was a great meeting. The music was great, too. A nice way to spend Christmas morning.

We are working on the money part. In fact, the only debt we have is our house and we are quickly whittling away at that. We hope to have it paid off in a couple of years. I think we need to tweak our family home evening as the kids are now older. I think a meaningful conversation at the dinner table can work. I need to be reading the Ensign and New Era to be prepared for dialogs. Of course, plan for Sunday family councils and Monday FHE, but maybe cut down on the structure. I try to go to the temple twice a month. I think Keenan and I need to make an effort to go together once a month. That's what I will work on.

A Great Idea...I Think and HOPE

I woke up this morning, after staying up past midnight, working on MY BLOG, thinking that I can post my smilebox creations here. According to smilebox, I can. So, I'm gonna give it a try. I had planned to print them and add them to our massive collection of white Costco binders, but I think I may go digital. Here goes...

Create a photo album

Photo album created with Smilebox

This photo album personalized with Smilebox

Free digital scrapbooking design made with Smilebox

This scrapbooking design made with Smilebox

Another photo album by Smilebox

Free digital scrapbook customized with Smilebox

Another collage by Smilebox

Make your own photo collage

Digital collage made with Smilebox

AND DONE! WHEW!

Christmas 2011 - One to Remember!

Kamiko on the phone with Sam, as he opens a present from her.

Honu checks out the additions to the tree. What!!!!??????

Allie opens boots she found in Colorado. She never thought she'd see them again.

Vans that Melia only dreamt about online. Again, never thought they'd be hers. She later said the Vans and her camera were her favorite presents of the year.

A new scarf, made by Allie, and a new jacket from the kids for Keenan.

THE Vans!

Even Honu got a present

Keenan is thinking..."Is this what I think and hope it is?"

Keenan realizing "yes, this is what I think it is!"

"My very own Blendtec!"

To quote Kamiko: "This is 4 meals for a college kid" (9 king-sized Snickers candy bars)

I LOVE this picture. Keenan with all of his loot

Honu loved the gift basket the Russells gave us.

Allie and her 7 new shirts, boots, money, perfume, necklaces, etc.

Melia with camera, soccer ball, clothes, cash, candy, jacket, Vans, etc.

Me with lots of exercise gear, a calendar, a sewing box (just like the one I got for graduation in 1984), Diet Dr. Pepper, dish towels, sweater, scarf, et. 

Kamiko and bow tie, wearing jacket, pj's, sippy cup, cash, mini missionary action figure, candy, etc.

Mom and me in our new fleece pj's. I'm holding a cup Karen Crockett gave me that I just love.

Melia, Uncle Mike, Allie and Kamiko at grandma and grandpa's house

Rose and Kamiko

Rachel Hunter and Ann Hunter

Grandpa working his magic on a roast

Keenan sleeping and Kamiko and Mel messing with him

Keenan wakes to Rose's bum in his face

Mom, dad, Mike, Keenan and Allie

Jon and Ryan Amundson and Todd Reeder at family party

Jentrie McGee, Haley Reeder, Jon and Ryan and Sarah Amundson

Jon, Sarah, Rose Hunter, Scott Sykes, James and Andrew Sykes and grandpa Hunter

Jenny and Me at big Hunter Family Party at Deb's house

Cousins - Emily Sykes, Allie and Melia enjoy soup and bread at family party 

Jack and Sam, Derek and Rachel's dogs, enjoy grandma's fire on Christmas Eve

Me in my 2011 Christmas apron. I can almost guarantee I'll have another one for next year. I tend to make a lot of aprons. I say it's because of work and I need to have fun aprons for work.

Rose Hunter enjoying her piano on Christmas morning

Derek, Rachel and Rose with hats from Uncle Mike. Hilarious!

Father and daughter, Derek and Rose Hunter

First off, I was so excited to go to church on Christmas. I think I should have been Catholic. I can't think of anything better than going to church on Christmas day and listening to lovely music. We got to do that today. We woke up, ate a yummy breakfast, peeked into our stockings, then went to church. After church, we changed back into pajamas and opened presents. Then we went to mom and dad's house in Mapleton to visit and play 5 Crowns. It was great to be with everyone.