I Love Christmas

This year Christmas was so fun. I helped a few friends make Christmas presents and that was so fun. Both my crafting girls were gone, so it was fun to work on projects with friends.

Nadia and I made Christmas pillowcases for our primary kids. I also helped Nadia make pillowcases for her siblings.

Then I helped my Chick fil-A friends, Laura and Jessica, make Christmas presents. Laura and I made aprons for her nieces and a Christmas pillow for her sister and brother-in-law. I helped Jessica make aprons for her friend and for herself. We had so much fun. During it all, Laura got her dream job and we got to be a part of it all. Laura and I also saw a great movie, "The Man Who Invented Christmas." It's a movie about Charles Dickens writing "A Christmas Carol." We both fell in love with the movie and the story. I since have read about Dickens and have been reading "A Christmas Carol." Laura gave me the most thoughtful gift...a copy of a little-known book by Dickens called "The Life of our Lord." It's basically Dickens' telling of the Saviors life as read in the New Testament, but in simpler terms for his kids. He never meant for it to be published, but it did get published in the 1930's. I just love it.

I also had fun watching "Arthur's Perfect Christmas," Kamiko's favorite Christmas movie, with Keenan and Kamiko. Allie got invited to go to Florida with a friend and her family, so it was just the 3 of us at the house, but that's ok, we had a great time.

Oh, and let's not forget lots of Hallmark Christmas movies with Starlyn. I went to her house most weekends to watch a movie or two. She also bought us matching Hallmark tshirts. I packed it up, but had to dig it out. I just couldn't stand to pack it away. Plus, I'll need it in October, way before I unpack my Christmas boxes. So, the shirt is just in my drawer with my regular tshirts.

Bolivian nativity gifted to me from a student

the lovely book that Laura gave me

the family on Christmas Eve

Hallmark buddies

Mel's corner...Joy to the World and a cat

I made these JOY pjs for all 5 of us in the family. Mel got hers in Missouri and Allie got hers in Florida

While I was downstairs sewing in my corner, Mitty wanted to get in. He came to the right place to get my attention.

Me and Laura with our awesome projects

Me and my boy watching Arthur

Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas Concert

Karen surprised Elle for her 12th birthday and flew to Utah to spend some quality time together. They got in Thursday night, December 14. We packed in a ton of stuff while Elle was here, including a movie, JCW's, JDawgs, and Coco, the new Disney Pixar movie. We also went to see the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's Christmas concert. I lucked out with 8 tickets, so we also invited Cathy and Bill Voorhees and Starlyn and Lee Hjorth to join us.

That evening was crazy. SLC gets so busy and crowded. It wasn't the night I expected. I was really, really bummed because we didn't get a picture of all 8 of us. We got to the food court late, the Hjorths and Voorhees' had already eaten. Then when we left to walk to the venue, Karen wanted to check a store at the mall. I told the others to go ahead. We had different spots for seats, so that was the last we saw of each other. I was really bummed. Something seems to always go wrong when we go to this concert. I love the concert, though, so I keep trying to make it the perfect night.

Well, the concert was fantastic. We even got to sing with the choir. Yes, the director lead us all in Jingle Bells together. All the numbers were fantastic. The guest was very young and energetic. She's a broadway/TV personality that I didn't know. I did, however, know the narrator. Hugh Bonneville from Downton Abbey came and it was GREAT.

Well, wouldn't you know it that while we were walking back to our car, Lee and Starlyn found us. We parked in the same garage, so we walked together to our cars. While we were taking a picture of the 6 of us, who came off the elevator? Bill and Cathy!!!!!! So, I did get a picture of all of us. God blessed me. I need to be nicer next time things don't quite work out. I was admittedly a bit of a turd when the night was going a bit not like I expected.

Took Elle to get a birthday cupcake

Elle's crazy party with all the old ladies at JCW's

Jen came down and stayed here, too. Sisters' walk

Cute Elle got my phone for a second

All my friends...Lee and Starlyn, me, Keenan, Karen, Elle, Cathy and Bill

singing with the choir. Elle had to borrow my glasses, so I put in a contact lense.

with Lee and Starlyn before Cathy and Bill showed up

Jesus Wasn't Lost

Recently a friend told me about a lesson she learned while sitting in a church class of young children. The teacher asked the children what they knew about Jesus. One child responded "wasn't he lost?"

The reply:

"No. Jesus wasn't lost. His parents just didn't know where He was."

My friend talked about how this can really apply to us as we parent our young adult kids here on earth. Sometimes we wonder how they are. We fret about their choices. We think they might be lost because they are not taking the same path that we have taken.

Remember that we've taught our kids to be good people, to be Christlike, and to spread love to the world. We've taught them to work hard, to be responsible, and to right wrongs. Mary and Joseph thought young Jesus was lost, but He was exactly where He needed to be - teaching in the temple.

So it can be with our kids. Trust that they are currently where they need to be, doing what they need to be doing.

Thanksgiving 2017

After a few twists and turns, Thanksgiving turned out to be quiet and great. At one point, Kamiko and Allie thought they might go to California to be with Derek and family. Then Jen invited us for Thursday, along with many Sykes. Then Jen decided upon Tuesday for Sykes so we dropped out for Thursday. When Kamiko and Allie decided to stay here, that left 6 for our house - me, Keenan, mom, dad, Kamiko, and Allie.

But wait...Walter Frank Eng and his dad were en route to the Bay Area from Omaha and they wanted to stop by and surprise Kamiko. They were to arrive in the morning. I would fix them pancakes or something. That changed to a 1:00 pm arrival due to an unexpected nap and the need to drive well below the 75 speed limit because of a UHaul they were pulling. I told them to come hungry since we'd be eating at 2:00. Then when I went to a fitness class in the am, I found out my friend Emily's plans with her parents had been cancelled. Her 3 kids were super disappointed to not have Thanksgiving. So, I talked to mom and Keenan and we invited them to join us. For a while, it looked like our party of 6 was going to more than double to 13.

Fancy paper products

Walter Eng, Walter Frank Eng, Kamiko, mom, dad, Me, Keenan, and Allie

Adcocks and Engs

Emily ended up with her brother, so there were 8 of us with the Engs. Kamiko was surprised and we all had a great dinner. Then we went to Jen's for pie with extended Hunters, including James and Marie and spouses, Clark Amundson and his new wife, Deb and Mark, and Haley and Todd Reeder and family. We had a nice time and some even got in a game of 5 Crowns.

Anna (Eli's sister), Eli Evans, Haley Reeder, Todd Reeder, Keenan, gma, Jen Sykes, gpa, Allie, Andrew Sykes

Clark Amundson married Alissa Smith the week before Thanksgiving

Cousins: Alissa, Clark, Haley and James Sykes with Ellie (expecting girl #2 in the spring), and Marie and Eli Evans (expecting baby #1 in the spring)

Friday I skipped all the Black Friday madness and went to High Fitness with Keenan and Annie. Metta killed us and her husband rocked an awesome t-shirt. After a shower, I helped at Jason Lee's wedding luncheon. It was nice to spend time with family and friends.

Look at the steam on that mirror: Annie, Keenan, me, Annie's sister-in-law, Metta, and Clair

EPIC Disney Trip

So, Allie and I had plans to go to Disneyland earlier in November. She had just bought herself an annual pass and wanted to go for the 3rd weekend in a row. It's not difficult to talk me into a trip to Disneyland. I was also gonna get to see my favorite Hunter family. 

On Wednesday night before the trip, Allie and Starlyn and I were at a concert that another TA was in. Starlyn said she needed a vacation and should come with us. We told her to join us. She kinda went back and forth on Thursday, but by Friday, she decided she was in. Starlyn had taken Friday off because of a funeral. Allie and I worked all day, then stopped in Springville to pick up our friend. We drove straight to So. California, stopping only for gas, bathroom breaks, and Cane's chicken strips. We were going to stay at Derek and Rachel's, but they came down with strep throat, so we got an air bnb. We stayed in a bedroom in an Asian woman's home about 30 minutes from the park. We got in late, around midnight. Allie still had to take an exam, but she got it done. We had a nice place to stay. Nice comfy bed and a bathroom. That's all we needed. Allie slept on a mat on the floor. When the lady found out there were unexpectedly 3 of us, she brought up an air mattress for Allie for night #2.

Saturday, we got up early and headed to the park. When I went to use my pass Derek had emailed me, it didn't work. It had been used by Connor Crockett. I know because the lady showed me the picture of the person who had used it. Oh no. There were Allie and Starlyn, safe in California Adventure, and I was stuck outside, waiting for Derek to get to the bottom of it all. He did. He was very frustrated, as I can understand, but it all worked out. The 3 of us had hopper passes and we had a blast. We stayed from 9 am until midnight. We did just about everything. We rode the new Guardians of the Galaxy ride and rode Soarin. We rode the cars ride. Starlyn hadn't been to Disneyland in years. It was fun to show her around. We do not get maps anymore. We know the park quite well. We went on Indiana Jones, Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Haunted Mansion, Ariel, Monsters, inc., Star Tours, Buzz Lightyear, Jungle Cruise, and many more. We also saw the Frozen show, which is so cute. I tell ya, we had a blast and wore ourselves OUT!

A funny thing that happened is that we thought we got an unlimited fast pass. Allie got a text that said there was a change to our fast pass and that we had an "unlimited attraction" fast pass. We understood that to mean unlimited pass for the remainder of the day. That was at about 4:00. We managed to use it 4 times before someone explained that it had "disappeared" from Allie's phone because it was a one-use pass. We just told ticket people that it was on our phone, but we couldn't download it anymore. We really thought it was a phone problem, not that it was a one-time use deal. Like I said, we got a lot of fun out of thinking we had unlimited fast passes. We also got on 4 rides when it should have been only 1, so it worked out ok.

the BEST fast pass user of all time

At Cane's on the way there

Great recommendation, Allie. Lunch at Downtown Disney at Earl of Sandwich.

Our faces when we thought we had unlimited fast passes

They turned Tower of Terror to Guardians of the Galaxy. It was a good change. I'm still upset about them changing the Swiss Robinson Treehouse to Tarzan.

Thinking of Sister Adcock "Joy to the Whirl"

Wins the prize for best Disney treat of the trip. Mallows, caramel, chocolate, sugar

Look Kamiko, it's Buzz

In line at Guardians

on the bus to the park

Santa + Disneyland + friends = PERFECTION

end of the day. a bit tired.

Sunday we got up and got donuts at a place Allie wanted to try. It was kinda funny in that we stayed in a very Asian part of town. Many signs were in characters, either Korean or Chinese. Allie saw a donut place and assumed it would be excellent since many great donut places we've been to are run by Asians. Well, it was Winchell's. She had no idea it was a chain. We went there anyway, then drove to Derek and Rachel's. They were feeling well enough for visitors. Man, I love those kids. They are so dang cute. We stayed there for about 90 minutes, then headed home. The drive is always so long. We did stop at Cane's again for more chicken. YES! I'm so glad I didn't have to work on Monday. I felt kinda bad for Starlyn and Allie, who had work and class on Monday. I didn't do much of anything but take naps. 

My Disney benefactor

Me and Milo

Charlie, Rachel, and me

Rose and me

Famous donuts