Interesting Tidbits One Learns During Christmas

(Here's Noah on Saturday Morning In Rio Rico, About To Let Go Of A Rocket Balloon That Santa Left In His Stocking)

So, the Holidays (Ooooooh, better not say Christmas or anything like that), er......Christmas has come and gone, as has the beginning of the New Year, and I have yet to type even a little note in here about the goings on of one little family on the border of Arizona. I profusely apologize and ask that you be patient as I re-live the events of the last month or so (sheesh! Has it really been that long?). I'll just give you a little overview instead:



We didn't think Helaman would get any time off for Christmas because he didn't get even one day off for Thanksgiving, so we had our own little gift exchange here in Rio Rico the Saturday before Christmas so we could enjoy it together. I then traveled to Pearce to enjoy the week of Christmas with my family. We were pleasently suprised when we found out that Helaman got the two days after Christmas off so he could come out to Pearce (yipeeeee!) and have fun with all the family. By all I mean myself & Noah, my younger brother Richard and his fiance Stephanie, my youngest brother Michael and his girlfriend Stephanie (yes, they really have the same name), Aunt Dee Dee, Uncle Mel, and Jason, my Grandad, and my parents. The cute brick house was bursing at the mortar with all those guests, but we couldn't have had a better time. A few highlights would be:

* "These Boots Were Made for hum, hum. And that's just what hum, hum. Hum, hum, hum, hum, hum, hum boots are gonna hum all over hum." (During a wild Cranium game)

* Medusa?!?! What the heck?!?! (Again, during Cranium, cheaters!)

* Learning that it's fun to have an Oregon Ducks fan and an Arizona Wildcat fan giving gifts in the same room to the same family on Christmas morning.

* Trying to understand that no matter what the dog does, if the dog gets upset, it will ALWAYS be the child's fault.

* Giggling with glee when we see that there can never be to many presents underneath that Christmas tree.

* Coming to an understanding that each person will choose their own path in life and that it's ok to let them choose that path.

* Knowing that we should show support for each other no matter what those choices may be - because we love each other.

* Learning that it's actually against the law to pump your own gas in the state of Oregon (really, it's true!!).

* Seeing that every female member of the family can look super cute when their hair is french-braided, no matter how long (or short) their hair may be!

* Understanding that no matter what our differences may be, what life we choose to live, what mistakes we might make, or how far away any of us live, we are still connected at the heart and we are a family who loves and care for one another like nobody else can. We can understand each other when those in the world can't hear us. We have some sort of bond, and it shows when you get us all together in the same house. Even if it's a little stinkier, you can still grasp a feeling you can never duplicate or feel any other time than when you are in the company of those you love; your family.