patience has paid off


After months of waiting for Erin's first album, it's finally available on iTunes.

It will not disappoint.

Happy Boxing Day!

My Christmas gift to all of you! Finally, another post. Call me a slacker, that's fine! I can take it.

This year, I gave the gift of life...a bag of A+ blood that took me just over 4 minutes to fill up. Next time, my goal is to break 4 minutes. The Red Cross guy said that if I can get under 4, then I'll be considered fast.

Here's the run down for the family Christmas festivities:

My dad's brothers have a home health care company and sometime before Christmas, we all get together and go caroling to some of their clients, usually patients on oxygen, some who are home-bound and all are elderly with TONS of stories. This year we visited the Young's who actually were in our ward in Albuquerque when I was just a little tyke. They fed us butter cookies and let us oo and awe over their progeny's artwork.

Christmas Eve began with homemade pizzas: grilled chicken & herb, pepperoni, ham & pineapple, and chocolate chip cookie. Then we took the party into the living room for the Christmas story from Luke 2, Hymns and some great costumes.

While shepherds watched their flocks by night...Avery and her sheepie. She totally got it and stayed in character until the presents came out.


Mary and Baby Jesus. Didn't know he was a thumb sucker! Something we have in common.



Christmas morning has evolved over the years. No more 4 am wake up calls. Thank goodness! I was awake at 9 am (not proud to say that my "break" has produced some bad habits, namely staying up late and sleeping in.) We still start with stockings, but now they don't contain candy, aren't from Santa and are waiting upstairs instead of hanging on our bed frames when we wake up. Everyone comes over for presents and breakfast.

It's so fun having half of the next generation close. I think Q-cheeks likes Christmas!


Traditional fare, Danish Pastry and Egg & Sausage bake. So Good!


Followed up with some calorie burning and snow playtime. Avery's newest word, "sledoe-ing."


I hope you all had a Christmas as great at mine! Long live tradition and Happy Holidays!