Christmas and New Years 2016

Nothing says Christmas like Christmas Kitty Mitty and a new Sam's Club minky robe. It's gonna be a most excellent holiday season.

All the kiddos were home for Christmas. We had a good time. We went to Fong's for dinner on Christmas Eve. Mom and dad joined us. Then we came back to our place to visit for a bit. We gave mom and dad their gift from the kids - Ancestry DNA Kits. Now we'll know if dad is 101% Swedish. Oh no, what if mom's more Swedish than dad? They were excited with their gifts, especially mom. She's wanted to do this for quite a while. Allie and Kamiko helped them figure them out, spit, and get the kits ready to mail. Now we just wait 4-6 weeks for the results. Drum roll, please....

We also filled out a questionnaire about our Christmas favorites. It was fun to see everyone's answers and to hear the stories behind the favorites. I listed "I'll Be Home for Christmas" as my favorite song because it reminds me of the ward Christmas parties of my youth. The kids who were home from college would sing that song every year at the ward party. Here's the table of our answers:

	Aarl	Ann	Keenan	Dana	Kamiko	Allie	Mel
Favorite Christmas Song	White Christmas/ Silent Night	O Holy Night	Silent Night	I’ll Be Home for Christmas	I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas (Home Alone)	Snow in California	What Christmas means to me
Least favorite Christmas song	Hark the Hair-lipped Angels Sing	Christmas Story	Feliz Navidad	12 Days of Christmas	Baby It’s Cold Outside	Little Drummer Boy	12 Days of Christmas
Favorite Christmas Decoration	Kissing Angels	Santa Suit	Poinsettias	Santa Suit	Tree	Tree	lights
Favorite Christmas Movie	White Christmas	White Christmas	Elf	Elf	A Christmas Story	Elf	Elf
Favorite Christmas memory	Watching kids open presents	1st Christmas in Pleasanton	Singing Carols to friends	Getting lots of mail in Bolivia 1988	Getting Gameboy color with pokemon	Getting mitty	Sleeping together in tent and listening to Santa tracker
Least favorite Christmas memory	Kids playing with boxes	6 years old. Dad drunk	Driving brother’s van to see parents and it broke down	When kids quit doing advent calendar	Christmas of 2012	Not having Kamiko here	Al wanting to stay at her apt on Christmas Eve
Favorite Christmas food	Rod Kol	everything	Chinese food	Cinnamon twists	ham	candy	All of the food
Least favorite traditional holiday food	Giblets	eggnog	Fruit cake	Raisin pie	Fruit cake	Fruit cake	Fruit cake
Favorite Christmas treat	candy	Peppar kakor	Applie pie	Sugar cookies	Sugar cookies	candy	Popcorn from the Larsons

Christmas morning we went to Church. A new brother in the ward, Shawn Stevens, who has worked in Hollywood, sang "O Holy Night" and it was beautiful. Very memorable. Definitely a highlight. After church, we came home and opened presents. The gifts for the kids were quite practical. The kids spoiled us with great stuff. It was a fun day. After naps, we went to mom and dad's for dinner. We took what Melia thought was the BEST Christmas present: a meat and cheese platter that Papaw sent. She has decided she wants one for her birthday. She's a funny girl.

Mel gave me a great Arvo watch. Kamiko and Al gave me a Michael Kors bag.

Just look at this. It reminds me of the platters dad would get from patients before there were a ton of online shopping options. Swiss Colony was where it was at! Still is, according to Mel.

Kamiko and Mel got jackets

Instagram tutorial on Christmas day

Keenan gave me this cute scarf

Mel loves making her gingerbread house

The kids gave dad a record player and some records

Well, since the kids were so good to us, we decided to make a trip to Disneyland happen. We left on Wednesday, January 4, and came back on Sunday, the 8th. I'll blog about that soon.

The kids really did give thoughtful gifts and enjoyed watching reactions. Sadly, they have outgrown the advent calendar and other traditions, but they're growing up and are enjoying other aspects of Christmas. Our Christmases are about to change. Sad, but good. I love who my kids are becoming.

New Years...nothing...nothing really. Walter Frank was in town, so that was fun. Keenan took all the kids to Cafe Rio for dinner. I stayed home because I wasn't feeling too great. I watched the Hallmark Channel offerings that night til about 11:00, then I went to bed. The girls went to the movie with Brooke. Kobi was working. Kamiko and Walter Frank went to a dance at UVU. They said it was ok, but nothing special. Happy 2017! Hahaha!

It's Been a Long Time: October, November, and December

I didn't realize it's been more than 2 months since I last wrote. I finished the semester, celebrated Halloween, Thanksgiving, Sinterklaas, and Santa Lucia and Christmas is Sunday. We elected a new president and I made a wedding dress with Starlyn. I'm pretty bad.

For our Halloween Book Club, we dressed up and I went as the bee Snapchat filter. Snapchat is an app on the phone that changes your face and/or voice for sending messages. I love the bee filter. Erin, my TA, did my makeup and I looked pretty good. I was gonna be Ken Bone. He's a big guy that wore a big red sweater to a presidential debate and made quite a splash with his question and appearance.

Of course I wore my sweatshirt to work 

We had 2 Thanksgiving dinners and I was pretty wiped out by the end. We had a family get-together at the Sykes on Friday, complete with Derek and Rachel and family in town. But, my kids wanted Thanksgiving on Thursday and wanted leftovers, so I did the whole thing on Thursday, then repeated pies, rolls, and green beans on Friday. We also took a spinach artichoke dip on Friday. Yep, I was a bit cranky by Friday night. It was sure fun to see the Hunters visiting from California. Mom commented that we didn't take a single picture. Derek said we have the memories.

Our former TA Elaina is getting married soon. She kinda had a falling out with her mom and as a result, her mom pulled her financial support. Elaina was beside herself, trying to figure out how she could get a dress. When Starlyn and I saw what she wanted, we realized we could make it. It was a bit tricky since Elaina is in Texas. But, we got her measurements and picked out fabric via skype. I quickly made up a mock top and sent it to her for a fitting. She wanted a few tweaks. I was then able to make the top. Starlyn and I made the skirt. Some co-workers contributed some money, which helped. It turned out great. When I mentioned the project in Relief Society, a visitor came up to me later and told me she is a photographer and wanted to take pictures for Elaina, free of charge. It was so nice of her. Elaina came in town the first part of November and the dress fit like a glove. She and her mom made up and that was great. I hope all goes well. I'm sure it will be a beautiful wedding. Wish I could be there. Erin will go and represent the foods lab. I must admit. It felt really nice to help with something so important. I love these TA's and I loved working with Starlyn. At one point, Star called me in tears. She was struggling with the skirt. I went down to her house and we got it figured out and got it done.

This dress was $300

Erin, Elaina, me, Starlyn. I think we did pretty good for less than $150.

We had a Presidential election. It looked like Hilary Clinton was a shoe-in. The media put out every bad story about Donald Trump, the Republican candidate, and gave excuses for any indiscretion (or illegal act) Hilary had. Election night was crazy. I was actually sewing with Starlyn and told her husband, Lee, to put on the election returns. States were being called for Trump. WHAT?! We got the skirt done with time for me to get home to watch final election returns. Mel was home and all her friends came over. We stayed up pretty late. Nothing was final by the time I went to bed, but it looked like Trump would win and he did. Since he won, we've had tons of liberals complaining and whining. They have said they feel unsafe, threatened, etc. College students are saying they can't live any longer. They don't know what to do. Are you kidding me? Welcome to losing. Deal with it. You'll be fine.

Levi Patterson, Keenan, Parker Shelby, Brooke Walker, Meghan Winward, Kobi Watkins, Allie, and Melia

Kamiko went to California and brought me an excellent belated birthday gift. Disneyland's California Adventure is closing one of our favorite rides for a while. They're changing the Twilight Zone's Tower of Terror to Guardians of the Galaxy. I'm not excited about it at all. BIG MISTAKE. I remember when they changed the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse to Tarzan. It's never been the same. Well, Kamiko brought me this awesome shirt. I love it. In fact, I'm wearing it right now. My boy knows his mom.

Ugh. I look especially old without eye makeup

Oh, another great thing Kamiko did was to invite me to be his "plus one" at his work Christmas party. It was a nice dinner up at Sundance Ski Resort. We had a great time. I borrowed a dress from Mel. When we walked in, we each got to pick 2 gifts. I chose a necklace and earrings. I kept them for me. For a split second, I thought of getting stuff the girls would like, but then I decided I wanted mementoes from the party, so I chose stuff for me. We had a lot of fun. Great food. They also did a drawing and every employee won something. Kamiko got a $100 Costco gift card which I bought from him. He also got a bonus and a nice jacket. The downside of the jacket is that it says the name of his work across the back and all over the lining. Hahahah

Speaking of jackets, all Adcocks are now proud owners of Columbia jackets. Allie had one. I had one. Kamiko and Mel needed jackets so we bought them each one for Christmas and they picked out Columbia. I know Keenan has one somewhere, too.

So, Christmas approaches. I have all my kids at home. And all their junk, too, because they're all in between apartments. Kamiko has bought someone's contract in Provo and will move in later in December. Allie bought a contract in Provo, too. She has moved some of her stuff, but stays here at the house because nobody is in Provo. Mel is changing dorms. She's moving from Stover Hall to Hinckley Hall, so she had to bring all her stuff home. Wow. Kamiko's mission buddy Mark Rice was also here for about 3 weeks with all of his stuff. He's also in between apartments. It's a regular hotel. It was fun having Mark here. He seemed to enjoy the Sinterklaas festivities of chocolate and nerf guns. 

I'm watching all the Hallmark Christmas movies I can. The shopping is done. Mel got her wisdom teeth out. She was very weepy on the meds right after the procedure. Her top teeth were rough. She's been swollen and unable to eat much for 5 days now. She just graduated to grilled cheese sandwiches. She's hoping to fully enjoy Chinese food at Fong's on Saturday (Christmas Eve). I had my first colonoscopy and survived. Things are just fine.

Annual gingerbread house making. We cheat and buy the kits. It's so fun.

Mel's friend Larissa joined us. She'd never done gingerbread houses before.

Fun Fall Day and Free Ice Cream

Drew Blankenship, a former student from Arkansas, came to town one day. She came to the lab with Annie Christensen, the TA who introduced us, and Mel dropped by. We all went on an adventure to get free ice cream. UCCU was celebrating 60 years by giving out certificates for free half gallons from the BYU Creamery. We went to UCCU by BYU and they were out of certificates. So, we went to the branch in Riverwoods and scored certificates and ice cream scoops. Success!!!!!! Notice I'm wearing my BYU t-shirt. I'm loving football season. It's a great excuse to do casual Friday. I get to wear jeans and a t-shirt. It looks like team spirit, but it's purely for comfort for me.

Bonus: We talked about life. I asked the question I've been thinking about a lot lately: "How do you turn your problems to the Lord?" Annie had a great idea. For quite a while, she's been using what she calls "His Box." When she's ready to give up a burden or grudge or sorrow, like really ready, she prays about it, writes it down on a paper, and leaves it in "His Box." She doesn't look at what's in the box once it's in there. These young adults are geniuses! It's no wonder I love my job. I get to hang out with the BEST people in the history of all time.

Mel, Annie, Drew, and me

I'm 50!

Bugles, the delicious corn snack, and I were both born in 1966

I had a fantastic birthday and, as usual, I'm celebrating til Halloween. That's my official birthday cut-off. I got everything done on my 50 year bucket list and enjoyed time with friends and family.

Deb came to take me to lunch on October 1. It was conference Saturday. Mom and I met her at Cravings Bistro in PG for grilled cheese sandwiches. It was so yummy. When we were leaving, we noticed a bunch of people dressed like superheroes across the street. I just had to get a picture. We almost left without one, but I told mom "I only turn 50 once, let's get a picture!" So we got Deb out of her car and went across the street for a picture. I just love it. I don't think I would have done that if it weren't for my bucket list. It's had me doing crazy, fun stuff all year.

I worked on my birthday. As I went to get in my van, it was obvious that Keenan had been there. It was FILLED with black and orange balloons and 50 signs. There were also pop tarts and diet Dr. Pepper. I finally got that all cleaned out and headed to campus. My students sang to me in lecture. When I entered the dispensary, there were balloons and a candy bar card from Starlyn. Everyone was so good to me. Marci gave me a really pretty bracelet that her neighbor made especially for my tiny wrist.

Section 6, Wednesdays from 2:00-4:50 pm

I finished the LAST thing on my list by going to JDawgs with my friends after work. About 20 people showed up, including Keenan and the kids. Kim and Kris had flown in from California. It was so much fun to be there with my good friends. I was very grateful that they took time to come celebrate with me. Keenan brought a bakery cake and mom brought balloons.

Back row: Starlyn Hjorth, Adrienne Murray, Cathy Newton, Cathy Voorhees, Danelle Prince, Amy Christensen, Carrie Gibson. Middle Row: Jamie Wigington, Jenny Fosdick, Annie Christensen, Jenny Sykes, Kristen East, Me, mom, Kim Blight, Kim Cassetti. Front Row: Kamiko, Kobi Watkins, Allie, Keenan, Mel

From there, Kris, Jen, Kim, and I went to mom and dad's to visit with them for a while. We then went to Midway. Jenny had gotten us a timeshare condo for the 3 nights that the girls were in town. Jen had decorated the place with balloons and signs just for me.

We went into Park City on Thursday after taking a nice walk and eating butternut squash soup. Kim hadn't ever been there and we knew she would like it. She did. We went downtown and just walked and looked in shops and galleries. We had yummy ravioli back at the condo for dinner and just stayed up late talking. Kim had brought each of us matching pj's and some lotion and lipstick. It was so thoughtful of her. She also gave me a beautiful clutch. Kim is really in the know about fashion and I love the purse. I would never buy such a nice thing for myself and I feel so spoiled using it.

Jen and Me

Kris, Kim, and me

Our cute pj's

THE purse

First time for my purse at church

I had work on Friday. The girls eventually came to Provo and took a tour of campus. Then they went to the Museum of Art on campus to see an exhibit of Minerva Teichert paintings of the Book of Mormon. I took Mel to a quick doctor's appointment and then I was off with the girls again. We went to Cravings for dinner, then to SLC for a wedding reception. Kris, Jen, and I have been friends with Ginger White Hyde since we were in college. Way back when, Kris and I were roommates with Ginger at Pineview in Provo. Jen lived next door. We've kept in touch all these years. Ginger and Garrick's son got married, so we surprised Ginger by going to the reception. She seemed really touched that we went. It was lovely. From there, we headed back to Midway.

Our place in Midway was so great. It had 2 bedrooms. Kris and Kim shared the room with the 2 twin beds. They had their own bathroom. Jen and I had the master room with a king bed. Jen and I are perfect bed-mates because we normally sleep on opposite sides of the bed. So, we just go to our respective sides. We had our own bathroom. We also had a nice kitchen and living area and patio. It was so thoughtful of Jen to get this for us. We truly got a nice vacation.

Saturday we got a slow start and went into SLC. We met up with mom, Deb, and Allie at City Creek Mall. It's a beautiful mall in downtown that the church built. We had lunch and walked around. I got a cute sweater at Anthropologie on super sale. We went over to Temple Square a bit, too. Then it was time to get Kris and Kim to the airport. We sure had a great time. Whenever we've spent time with Kim, it's been for a few hours or so. I did spend the night at her house one time I went to California and had such a great time. This time was equally memorable: just mom time. No kids. No worries. In fact, Kim joked that she was the husband on the trip. She brought no food and just went where we told her to go.

A side note: shortly after arriving at the condo, Kim got a text from her husband saying that they were out of butter. We moms just had to laugh about it. Kim opened the fridge in our condo and coincidently pulled out butter. "We found the butter!" She texted a picture to Rob. He later reported that he went to the drive-thru dairy and got butter. On Saturday when we were cleaning up to check out, I found a bit of butter in a dish and asked if anyone wanted it (wondering if anyone still wanted toast or something). Kim's repsonse: "Rob does."

A week later, Keenan and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary. We finally got around to going out to dinner on Saturday. Wednesday was our actual anniversary, but we had mutual. Thursday didn't work. I knew I'd be too tired on a Friday after work, so we went out on Saturday. It had been a while since we went to Fong's and it was delicious. We then came home and Keenan watched a Mark Ruffalo movie with me. Isn't he nice?

My Baby is in College

We moved Mel into her dorm on Wednesday, August 24. She had a lot of stuff. It's pretty exciting to move into your dorm and start college. I'm so excited for her. We got to Helaman Halls and there is no nearby parking. Like I said, she had a lot of stuff. When I looked at it, I realized I should get help from our JFSB custodians. I drove up there and asked if we could borrow a flat bed dolly. Yeah! They said yes. I got back to Helaman and we had everything in her dorm in 2 trips instead of a million.

Then I had a meeting at 1:00 on campus. Before going to my meeting, Mel and I went to grab lunch. I still wanted to try Mountain West Burrito for my 50th Bucket List, so we went there. The service was great, but the burritos were just OK. I don't think I'll go back. Wasn't awful, but wasn't great.

When I was done around 4:00, I headed back to Mel's dorm. By that time, Allie was there and they were hanging things on the wall, etc. We went to Hobby Lobby to look for a couple of items to fill some gaps that the girls felt were glaring at them. It was a fun day. I actually didn't make it to Young Women's because I was still my with favorite Young Women.

Look! She brought her sewing machine!

We got Mel settled in and headed home. She had orientation on Thursday and Friday. She called me Thursday night and said orientation was boring. She wondered if I would come on Friday and show her where her classes are so she could skip orientation. So, we spent some time on Friday finding her classes and just being together.

She has really missed home the couple of weeks she's been gone. She says she's sad that when she wakes up from a nap, she can't walk upstairs and get food like she did at home. It's hard that when she wants a change of scenery from her bed, the only alternative is her desk. Desk to bed. Bed to desk. I imagine it's quite confining. Allie gave her good advice to get out and just talk to girls on the floor and ask them if they want to hang out.

We joke that she may have peaked in high school. The best years of best friends may be over. Gee, I sure hope not. I think she's blue because the boys are all gone on missions now. Makei left Tuesday. Levi gets his call soon and leaves and that's it. None of her squad went to BYU, so she's alone there until Scotty and Makei get back from missions and join her. Poor thing. It's good, though.

All three of my kids are in college. How did this happen? I'm so proud of them.

Taken at Razorback stadium. The three of them visited Arkansas together and road tripped home.