A California December

I hit the ripe old age of 34 and Haleigh followed it up with a youthful 11. Joshua turned seventh months old. We've enjoyed the last week and a half with everyone home, including the man of the house, and are looking forward to one more week off. Maybe I can negotiate with the school district for a little more time? As previously stated, we opted for a quiet California Christmas. Joshua ate all the wrapping paper so we didn't have to bother to do any recycling:) We enjoyed receiving everyone's well-wishes and hope you received ours:) One day I'll get a decent family photo out to everyone. We've (Kade and the honeys) been on strike regarding the professional route, but maybe once JC Penney moves in next door (opening in March), we'll drag our lazy backsides in for a photo op. I'll just have to bribe Kade and all the honeys to make it happen. I guess that's what I get for taking photos of them 24-7. Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

Stevens Christmas 2008

Hi there. We will be staying put this year for Christmas. Matt doesn't ever like to travel, but he REALLY doesn't like it for the holidays. We'll probably eat Christmas dinner with my mother, but that's not a definite. Once again, that's not a favorite activity of Matt's. Apparently, my side of the family is a little wild. ; ) In all honesty, I don't like the stress of running from this place to that place and back and forth on the holidays. Kids like to be at home to mess around with their new stuff.

One of my favorite traditions is opening each part of the advent calendar each day and reading the scripture that goes with it. The other is reading "The Christmas Story" from Luke 2 on Christmas Eve. I love that cozy, peacefull feeling of Christmas Eve with the glow of the Christmas tree lights, hot chocolate, and a family reading of the story out of my family bible. That's the same bible my mother used to read my brother and I the story when I was little.

Christmas

Justin, Katelyn, and I will also be staying put for the holidays. OUr anniversary is on the 22nd, then Christmas, then New Year's, then Katie's blessing on the 4th, and finally Justin's birthday on the 5th. I guess you could say we have an eventful holiday season ahead of us.
If anyone wants to come to Katie's blessing on the 4th, they are more than welcome to come.

Like I said, it will be on January 4th here in Rexburg. Sacrament meeting starts at 1:30. DOn't feel obligated to come though because we understand about roads, weather, impossible distances, and getting kids ready to go back to school.

My favorite christmas tradition is probably going to look at lights as well. I didn't get to do it last year because it snowed a foot in one evening which happened to be Christmas Eve, and since we don't have 4wd and Rexburg doesn't blow, we opted to stay in. I'm planning on it this year though. Justin's family also had their big meal on Christmas Eve, so we've started doing that as well. And this year we're going to start a new tradition of making cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning.

Petersen Plans for Christmas and New Year's Eve

As per Jill's request, here is the lineup for the Petersens this holiday season. We are planning to stay home for both this year, given our status with a newly potty-trained toddler and a nursing baby and a mom with a broken tailbone who can't take much chaos these days. We are looking forward to our first Christmas in this home, since we were gallavanting around Utah last year. I imagine we'll ring in the new year as well from our comfortable abode. In between the two, we are planning a trip somewhere around California, probably up north a little ways to Mount Shasta to play in the snow for a few days. Kade's not a big fan of snow. Having grown up in the Cascades of Washington State, he's shoveled far too much snow for a lifetime (they used to jump off the roof into 10-ft. snowdrifts, or so the story goes). Having said that, we still like to ensure our California honeys remember both our roots and not wonder what that foreign white powder is about.
As for traditions, we've managed to do a lot of combining my and Kade's family traditions, and keep coming up with new ones. One of my all-time favorites is going around to see the Christmas lights on Christmas Eve. And, since Christmas eve was such a big deal with Kade's family growing up, we like to have our main Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve, which makes Christmas Day a more pleasant, relaxing one.
Merry Christmas, all!

Hello

Hi everyone, I finally get to have the computer to myself. I usually come home from work, and then have to fight Amber and Shane for the computer. Shane is uptown with the Starks' for the Christmas Stroll and so was Amber. She just got home and is hungry, so I get to write while she eats.

I am loving my new job. It has gotten very busy, however, and I am having trouble keeping up. I did get to go to Phoenix for a distance learning conference, and I got to see the Barrett's and Toni. That was a lot of fun to see them. Ann graciously drove me back and forth, so I got to stay with them. I got to fly over the Grand Canyon and that was something like I have never seen before. I enjoyed the different scenery that Arizona has to offer.

Amber cleaned and decorated our front room last weekend, so it is feeling more like the holidays, although we have very little snow. Thanksgiving was very quiet. Amber remarked how strange it was not to have little people running around and how weird it was not to have a whole bunch of adults talking to each other. It was really warm out, so I cleaned out in the yard. How weird is that for November?

Jordan is enjoying college out at the COT. He certified in the 1st level of welding. He is doing well with school, and he is still working hard at Burger King.

I don't need to update you on Amber since she does a better job of communicating than I do.

Shane is still homeschooling, and we are doing a little better with that. He just had two ears infected, also. I had to take him to the doctor last Sunday.

I have spoken to Logan recently - he was trying to make that old fashioned fudge I used to make - the kind that you either ate with a spoon or chiseled with hammer.

John was up a couple of weeks ago to see the kids.

Well, I'll close for now. I love you all!