Christmas Choir Program Rocks Wasilla!

We had the best ever Christmas program at church today. Of course it had nothing to do with the fact two of my beautiful cherubs, Emily and Naomi, had parts in it. :~) Emily played the part of a girl that liked to dress up as a bumble bee. She did very well. I was soooooo proud! Naomi had a solo. I was so impressed she didn't freeze up. ANY of you that know her, know how shy she can be. It was a marvelous performance by all! We had to do 2 performances back to back this morning after having a 4 hour long dress rehearsal yesterday. We had the usual kids throwing up (at least she made it to the restroom!), kids pressing on even though they were just getting over the flu (some were stuffed with tylenol) and those who were just being downright honery and tired of practicing (I told them they didn't get ice cream if they didn't straighten up)! It worked!! They all were amazing and we got a standing ovation after the second performance. It was great! Most of all, our Lord Jesus Christ was honored today and that is the most important part of all. It was a great story about all the names of Jesus. The kids really got a lot of good things out of it that will be with them the rest of their lives. They know just about every name between Alpha and Omega.

Joseph also turned 4 today. We took him out for our traditional date with mom and dad all by himself and he got to spend some of his birthday money. He bought a wooden loader and Bob the Builder video. He did such a good job at not throwing a fit because he wanted a million other things too and when I told him know he said, "ok." We gave him a Radio Flyer big wheel tricycle and a scooter with a bell that dings. He loves them. Last year we tried this new fangled "balancing" bike. It's a bike with no pedals but it still has two wheels. It still looks brand new. I don't think it will make a comeback on the market this year. I figured I would put it down in the crawl space until I have grandkids (at least 10 years from now!). Then it will be a novel thing to go to grandma's and ride that really cool bike that has no pedals! Right?

We are almost ready for Christmas. I will get pictures posted soon of that Christmas room. I just haven't found that round tuit yet. Tiffany will be back with us overnight Christmas Eve before she heads down to Texas. Ya'll pray for that transition now, ya hear? She is excited. You guys just all remember the reason for the season! Just like in our program today....how do you spell love? JESUS!! Don't forget to give to others outside of your family and share the love of Jesus this Christmas, YES, CHRISTMAS and every day of the year! Tip the waitress more than you think you should. Smile at that cranky driver or cashier in the store. Wish them all a BLESSED CHRISTMAS!!

Just remember that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it, so go to bed and forget todays.

10 Honest Things About Me:

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Kelli Jones for bestowing upon me the Honest Blog award. I feel so honored and special to be classified with such a great crowd of bloggers! Especially since I have only blogged three times!! WOW!! I decided, in the spirit of the season, to make these 10 things about me festive!

10 Honest Things About Me:

1 ) I LOVE to watch Christmas movies every Christmas even though I have seen them a million times. Right now we are watching the Santa Clause trilogy. We just added it to our collection of It's A Wonderful Life, White Christmas, Miracle on 34th Street, The Little Shop Around the Corner, Holiday Inn, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Charlie Brown Christmas, The Bishop's Wife, Frosty, Mickey's Christmas Carol, The Little Drummer Boy, Annabelle's Wish, The Nutcracker, Veggietales The Star of Christmas, Silent Night, and a myriad of others. (My kids just love Christmas movies, they watch them all year long!)

2 ) I like to hang every single ornament we have every bought or been given on the tree even if I have to double hang! The angel at the top of my tree is one that Tiffany made us when she was 2. I have been given tree toppers and have seen some really beautiful ones over the years but none compare to my paper plate glittered angel on top of my 7 foot fake tree. (Rick hates the needles.)

3 ) I play Christmas music 24/7 all month long! (Rick just loves this!)

4 ) I set a budget, make a list, check it twice and still buy too many presents and have to re-group. I also have 99% of my shopping done in October because that is when we Alaskans are rich for a day with the Permanent Fund Dividend. (otherwise known in this house as the Christmas Orthodontist Dentist Fund~exactly in that order!)

5 ) I take 3 weeks off from teaching piano and homeschooling so my kids and I can sit around and watch Christmas movies and drink hot cocoa. By day two, they are asking if they can do some schoolwork. (they usually really don't mean it, they just try to impress me.)

6 ) I make Christmas bread or Christmas cookies to pass out to people. I haven't figured out this year's category yet for who is getting some. It will probably be pretty random as I can be. (guess that is something you guys didn't expect, did ya now?)

7 ) I have a passion for Christmas lights! I purchased 10 boxes of outside icicle lights last year on clearance for 50 cents a box and they have yet to see the edges of my roof. (Rick just didn't think getting up on the ladder after it snowed was very safe. Guess what he will be doing in August?)

8 ) This is the first year that I did not pack up all my usual decor in my house and entirely replace them with Christmas decor. I was having a lazy year so we rearranged the downstairs living areas to create a "Christmas" room in the former living room. The former downstairs bedroom is now the school/music room, the former school/music room is now the family room w/ sectional & tv and~not to mention~our vast movie collection, and the former living room will still be the living room except for every year in December. (I really didn't do all that to create a "Christmas" room but it sure did sound good!)

9 ) Somehow, every year, my oldest children figure out what they are getting. I don't know if Tif has figured hers out yet since she isn't living at home to hear all the clues. Natalie just poked and prodded until she figured it out. Zac's excuse this year was, "That was the only thing on my wish list." Of course he is completely assuming that is what we got him. I am just really bad at hiding the truth. My face and reactions are completely readable. (I am sure that is a surprise to you guys!)

10 ) I always have the same basic things for Christmas dinner~Ham, Turkey Breast, Dressing, Potatoes, Green Bean Casserole, Broccoli-Rice Casserole, Homemade Rolls, and Pumpkin Pie. I usually add other stuff and experiment with new recipes, but my kids have decided these dishes are traditional and why ruin a good thing. (Ask Zac why I make 4 pumpkin pies.)

Thanks to Kelli for nominating me for this most prestigious award. Now, I pass the baton on to:

Tammy Zydonis
Rebecca Walker
Menda Fowler
Ronda Unruh

I would have passed it on to Kelli, but she passed it on to me first. :~)

The Rules:
1. Post 10 honest things about yourself along with the award picture.
2. Tag at least 5 other honest bloggers that you know as well as me. (if you know that many)
3. Have fun!

Oh What Fun It Is To.......

......starve your six year old ALL DAY LONG because the dentist is running behind on surgery day!! Yes, my darling Naomi could not have any food after midnight and then got to eat a yummy breakfast of Jello Jigglers and Juice promptly at 8:45a before the 9a cut-off time because we were having pulp restoration, sealants and other fillings done while under anesthesia because we won't cooperate with nitris at the dentist's office. Initially we were going in by 1:15p, then that became 1:45p and she finally went in at 3:45p!!! She only fell apart on me once and then I told her if she didn't get it together, the promised prize was on it's way to Neverland! Guess what?! She stopped! Dead on, full stop, done with the fit!! They are really cute when they are sleeping under the influence of that not so yummy medicine they give them so they can get and iv in the hand without World War 7! She did great! Tooth is now a shiny silver addition and she wanted gold. She is showing everyone that will stop and look. She doesn't remember the iv coming out even though she was awake. She fell asleep with me next to her, yes, laying on the gurney. Wish I'd had a camera! Then she awoke with Rick holding her. She doesn't remember all the cruel and tramatic things they did to her mouth but she keeps reminding us that she doesn't like the hospital and she is never going back! I think she just might cooperate next time, maybe, I hope.

Well, I also wanted to post some pictures of my Christmas room, but Rick lost the cord to the camera and I can't seem to remember to stop and buy one at the MacHaus~the most awesome Mac store ever! I call it my Christmas room right now because it's all decked out!! We don't have furniture for it yet so I guess the name will change as the surroundings do. We will have to see what it's called when January rolls around. Oh, speaking of January, Rick and I are headed to Ireland on a mission trip the last two weeks. We are really excited. We have never been able to go at the same time since Natalie was a baby. One of our brave, dear friends, Esther, is watching the kids and Zac is going to be king of the castle for 2 1/2 weeks!! Little does he know, I did ask someone to come stay here. It will be a way cool surprise, don't you think? Pray for us as we go. We sold a few things to help cover some of the expense....the snowblower, a kid or two, etc...just kidding. Everything else has worked out so far. We serve a great big God that is more than able to take care of everything! Also in January.....Tiffany is heading to Texas to live with her most awesome web designing uncle and very pregnant, beautiful, gracious aunt and my three darling nephews. She is going to be Uncle Bill's slave, I mean, intern and learn all about that web designing magic he performs. She is excited and we are too! They gotta fly sometime! That is why God gave them to us.....to prepare them for this day. So why the heck am I blubbering?! That about sums it up for this week....my big music recital is tomorrow. Pray all my students remember their music and don't puke on stage. Yes, it has happened!

Just remember, tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes, so go to bed and forget today's.....after you repent! :~)

NEWS FLASH!! Natalie plays the guitar!

If you don't want your children to find out what they got for their birthday, don't ever tell the other kids OR buy it when they are present. You think I would have this figured out by now. Natalie received her birthday present 12 days early when she asked, "Can I get my guitar out from under your bed so Uncle Bill can teach me how to play it before he leaves?" I rolled my eyes and said, "Yes, but don't expect another present when your birthday gets here." So, we have listened to Natalie play the song she wrote last year for the last 3 days an innumerable amount of times. She has been walking around with an ice pack on her finger tips telling us it doesn't hurt anymore she can't even feel the ends of her fingers. They are numb. She did listen to you, Uncle Bill, and is using her thumb properly.

Well, tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it so go to bed and forget today's!
~Trudy

Anything you say can be used against you!

So, I decided I needed to make and attempt to "keep up with the Jones' boys" and the "Washington Walkers". "Can you believe it?" You guys came up with such clever titles for your blogs. Therefore, I decided to take a survey in my house on what my blog should be called. I was given the Bonnette Daily, Trudy's blog, but don't call it anything stupid, mom! I decided to stick with my Pampered Chef id which I am not allowed to link from this website or I will be in violation of PC law! You will have to get that from me some other time.....on with the post....

Once my family realized what I was doing I received many reactions that are normal in the course of a house full of teenagers and small children that think they are teenagers. Silly giggles, rolled eyes and many snippets of advice I am not sure I could have lived without. My hubby's sound piece of advice was, "Don't forget that anything you blog can be used against you in court!" I sure would like to know what that meant! He must be thinking of his other wife. She lives in his other world that is parallel to our present universe. If you don't know what any of that means just watch any given episode of Star Trek. I am sure it will come up.

We just spent two amazing weeks with my baby brother and his family visiting us from Texas. In the course of those two weeks we..........drove to the top of Hatcher's Pass just to see the city of Palmer lights; ate fast food in Wasilla; went to Fresh Start at Church on the Rock; played in the snow; went shopping @ Wal-Mart; ate Italian food in Wasilla; rode a dogsled; went shopping @ Old Navy with six children 8 & under; drove down to Portage to drive through the tunnel and see some glaciers only to be greeted by 100 ft ceilings; drove through the wildlife park instead and saw all the wildlife common to Alaska except the ones that were in hibernation; drove back in a blinding snowstorm with 6 children 8 & under; gave my brother a heart attack in the process; stopped in Girdwood and paid way too much for donuts; ate fast food in Anchorage; celebrated our thankfulness with friends; made way too much food; drove to Fairbanks over the river and through the woods to Santa's house we went; sat on the big guy's lap~well, the kids did; visited Dasher, Dancer, Comet & Blitzen; saw some really cool ice sculptures; rode the Christmas train and watched fireworks at Pioneer Park; ate Chili's in Fairbanks as well as Italian fare; swam in the hotel pool & shopped at Wal-Mart~twice; was told it was time to leave the pool promptly at 9pm with our cherubs because it was time for ADULTS only; drove 8 1/2 hours back to Wasilla from Fairbanks in blowing snow with six children 8 and under; stopped at Rose's Cafe in Healy~yummy fries; stopped at Cantwell and almost got blown off the planet; stopped at Trapper Creek and paid way too much for chips & soda; drove up to Talkeetna because the webcam said it was clear enough to see Mt McKinley~when we got there the peak was not visible due to one small cloud covering it; subjected each other to much harassment and whole grain cooking~kept us all in regular stitches; went souvenir shopping; and spent out last evening devouring Chinese take-out and yummy Alaskan cheesecake. I am sure I have forgotten something and left out many exciting moments including, but not limited to, me teaching my kids and my nephews to slide down our stairs in pillowcases; the many heart pounding moments on the Alaskan highways; watching my brother pound away at my computer to keep up with his web design business; watching my brother consume more diet coke than a supermodel; and listening to my poor sister-in-law say "shhhhh!" to my darling nephews 500 times when she had to get up before the sun did because they were still on Texas time. We had a blast! We all wish they could have stayed longer and even had Joseph asking where the "other brothers" were tonight when he got home. Bill and Kelli, we miss you and hope you can come for a much longer visit next time!!

Well, tomorrow is another day with no mistakes in it so go to bed and forget today's!
~Trudy