New Year's Party

It worked out that Jenny's family were able to come down on New Year's Eve for our party. Dana's family came over too as did Lori and Cody. We had dinner and then played games. We went old school by playing some of the old games like Prophets, Pig, and the one we played the longest - Signs. Even Brett came and played that one with us. They all had to leave around 10:30 p.m. to drive home, but then we broke out Tetris again and played it until the new year.

The night was another bittersweet experience because we found out that Lisa lost her baby. She was 20 weeks along. Her water broke and she went into labor that night. Turns out the cord was wrapped tightly around the baby's neck twice. Ryan James Hyer was born at around 4 a.m. He was six inches long and almost a pound. I woke up New Year's morning and heard the news and immediately started crying. If it was that hard on me, I can't even imagine what it is for Lisa to go through! Mom and dad left before I even got up in the morning to drive up to Idaho to help out as needed.

When I was at Jenny's two week's ago, I picked up Nate's guitar and played a few songs for the boys before we prayed together and went to bed. One of the songs I played was Tammy's in Love. TJ loved it and kept singing it to me. Turns out two weeks later he still remembers it and sang it for me again. I caught it on video and love, love, LOVED his super red lips (cherry popsicle). Makes me want to just bite them!

End of an Era

Mom and I went to one movie over the holiday. Not my usual record, but still good to get at least that one in. We saw New Year's Eve and she particularly liked to see it because it reminded us of our trip to New York last year at this same time.

When I drove home on Monday, I decided it was time to stop lugging around my big cello, so I stopped off at Summerhay's and turned it back in. It's the end of an era! At least I got to do a few performances with it. Now it's time to focus on the guitar!

The picture below is the beautiful sunrise that I saw while on my way to work. Hardly anyone is going to be around this week at work but there is NO WAY I'm going to waste any of my vacation days when I could be using them for...say...Argentina? I'm also working this week on putting my blog in book form so I can use it as my journal. I think it's going to take quite a few hours...



Merry Christmas to You

I liked that Christmas fell on a Sunday this year. Besides getting Friday and Monday off from work, plus Saturday and Sunday, but then we all dressed up and went to Church. I hit the Spanish ward with mom and dad and got to model a few of my new Christmas things. Including the new earrings Amanda Felix gave me for Christmas.

Jason's in town and he stopped by twice today. The first time to chat and catch up, and the second to play Tetris with us that night. Cody has started to like Tetris more so we got to play several times over the holidays. Yes!

Matthew got new binkies for Christmas.
He used one and gave me the other.



Christmas Eve!

Jon had a Christmas party at his house on Friday. I went as mom's support for a little bit. Beau stayed by me the whole time I was there and even took pictures.

Mom had promised me that I could have my bedroom over Christmas. When I got to the house, she said, 'I lied.' Even though I'd had a conversation with Lisa about it when I visited her place in Idaho, she took over my room anyway. That meant Kevin who said he'd wanted to stay over Christmas had to find somewhere else to stay, I had to sleep in another room, and Jodie had to sleep on the floor. For our Christmas!!! It made the holiday a little bittersweet, but we made the best of the situation.

One of our fairly new traditions is to have a recital before dinner and the evening program. I brought my cello down and played with two of the boys. Jeremy and Nate are so talented! Jeremy plays the saxophone, clarinet, and piano. Nathan plays the trumpet, violin, guitar, and piano. Love it! I also played the piano during the nativity scene. We had some cute participants!

Early Out Day

Today was a work day, but I scheduled two of my appointments for the day so I could leave work early. I saw Dr. Francis first and got the final check of my teeth. Then I had a laser appointment. I hurried there so I could meet up with mom and grandma. We went to grandma's eye doctor appointment because there were worries she has degenerative eye disease. Turns out she doesn't have the wet kind, only dry which is better. Still not great, but not a fast progression. After, we went to eat at Mimi's Cafe. Mom called Kevin unexpectedly and he met us there to eat too. Grandma had a cancer spot burned off her ear and it looks charred and crispy!



New Friendships

Karen Allred said she's missed me since our trip to England. So, when her family came to Salt Lake to go to a Voice Mail concert and to see the lights, they stopped at my place afterward. I made hot chocolate and cookies and we all sat there and chatted for an hour an a half. Karen's whole family came, plus her mom, so there were ten in total counting me. So much fun!

Christmas Caroling

We got together as a family to go Christmas caroling. There was a little drama at first as someone ran late and it caused a few problems, but we eventually got into the groove of things. We visited Brother Oliphant who lost his wife this year and sang to Aunt Barbara. We tried going to our old regular, Elwood Foote, but he is now living in a retirement home.

When I got back to my apartment, my neighbors the Fusek's had left a plate of Christmas treats for me. It was an awesome combination of fruit, nuts, and snack bar.

Performance Day

I had some super cute boys come and wake me up in the morning. They like to climb in bed for a little while before going out for breakfast. I certainly don't mind!

For this Sunday, I played two songs on the cello in two different sacrament meetings. The first was the Spanish ward and I practiced beforehand with the eight kids who would be playing the violin (all from the Spanish ward except Nathan and Mike). Jenny played the piano for it. I think it went pretty well. After, we went to the Zabel's ward to see Jeremy get the priesthood. He's really growing up on us! Then, we played two more songs in that ward's sacrament meeting. There wasn't time beforehand to do any practice with this group. There were about four times as many people at this ward and since we didn't practice, I was really nervous. Do you know how hard it is to play a stringed instrument when your hands are shaking?!! I didn't feel like this one went as well as the first meeting, but we made it through!

We ate dinner afterwards at Jenny's and Matthew was so cute! He insisted I have a place at the table...the children's miniature picnic table that is. I couldn't pass it up though with how cute he was. He also liked trying on some sunglasses.

P-P-Practice

I'm going to do a performance with my cello tomorrow, so I went to Heber to practice with Jenny. We had dinner and I played with the boys. Jer had a basketball game that night in Sandy so he and Brett left to go to that, we banished the remaining boys out of the room and Jenny and I turned on a movie and wrapped presents.

Final Act on Committee

Today was my final act on the social committee. I served on it for two and a half years, and was originally slated to be on it for another year. Thankfully, it was decided to go for all new people. Yay! This was our Christmas potluck luncheon. We had a carol sing-a-long too which I didn't feel went very well as there are really only two piano players left in the department (there are more but they refuse to play). Elder Zivic was asked to sing at the end with two others and I was asked to play on the piano impromptu for them.

Christmas Wrapping

While at work today, my gums were really bothering me and it felt like there was something loose by my teeth. I pulled out my compact mirror, grabbed a corner, and did a little tugging. This is the stitch I pulled out that the doctor missed. I put my pen next to it so you can see how long it was. And it didn't tickle coming out!

Tonight, I went to my ward activity so that we could wrap all the Christmas presents we bought last week for our Sub-4-Santa families. That place was so crowded it was crazy! We had five people crowded onto our little table wrapping presents for six kids. There were 139 other kids ward members were wrapping for (we raised over $15,000 to do Christmas for 145 children) so the place was bedlam, but we got it all done. I took the presents home with me since I won't be able to make it to next week's delivery activity since our family will be Christmas caroling then instead.



Heberite

I'm becoming a regular Heber-ite. Today was no exception. The family all met up to go to Jenny's ward in Heber for Nathan to receive the Aaronic Priesthood. We stayed for Church and then had dinner afterward at Jenny's and played games. Micah beat all of us at Guillotine, or as mom prounounces it, Gill (like on a fish)-otine. It was also Brett's birthday so we sang and had dessert. Jenny played the violin in her stake Messiah Sing-a-long which we also all went to. I love going to those, though I would be happy to only have to sit through the songs where the congregation all get to sing instead of having to listen to all the solo parts.

Since I was in the area, I decided to try and find the 2012 HGTV Dream Home. They bill it as being in Park City, but after seeing a picture of it with the Provo River in the backyard, I decided it had to be in Midway. Sure enough! I found it on my first try. I think I made all the security people a little nervous driving back and forth in front of the house.

 

My cute winking cowboy.

 

Sarah JOY and Clan

Sarah Joy, Brittany, Beau, Lori, and Cody were coming up to have dinner at my place, then for us to go to Temple Square and enjoy the lights. Jodie called an hour beforehand so I invited her to come join us as well. Sarah made her enchiladas, tortillas, and black beans. Lori brought my favorite salsa from Los Hermanos and I supplied some ice cream.

I have never been on Temple Square before where it was standing room only on every sidewalk there. It made it a little difficult to manoeuver around. All the street traffic was that busy too. It took Jodie an hour to get to my place from the freeway exit. So crowded! Bleh!

We stopped to watch the nativity scene.



Appreciation Luncheon

Yesterday we had the First Presidency Appreciation Luncheon. I had to sing as part of the program along with seven others. We were told it went really well, but you know how it is when your part of a musical number...you can't hear yourselves so you don't know how it really is...

Elder Claudio D. Zivic also sang a musical number. Afterward, Elder David A. Bednar, who was attending and was our speaker, said that Elder Zivic is our own Argentine Bing Crosby. He really did sound so great!  I sat at his table for lunch after the program and spoke quite a bit with he and his wife. They are a very sweet couple.

Today, Christian went in for surgery to correct his trigger thumbs. Brett sent photos of him in the hospital. He's so cute in his hospital gown!

The before photo.

The after photo.

I sure wish I couldn't have uploaded the entire video!

But, here's a taste of Elder Zivic's smooth voice.

Update

Tithing Settlement - Check
Shepherd's Meeting (Sub-4-Santa) - Check
Sleep at mom's for Dr's Appt - Check
Mouth Stitches removed - CHECK!
Shopping for Sub-4-Santa - Check

What my teeth and gums look like with all the medicine on them.

The GROUCH Who Stole Christmas

Lori picked up Jeremy and Nate and brought them to my place for a pizza and cookie dinner (those cookies went fast!), then we went and saw the lights on Temple Square before heading to a play at the Off Broadway Theatre here in Salt Lake - the Grouch Who Stole Christmas. We couldn't talk the boys into going up to be recognized for their birthdays, and when Nate found out after that they would have gotten free tickets to return, he wanted to go talk to the box office afterward to see if they would still let him have tickets.  They spent the night and I made them a big breakfast, with meat, before they headed down to Pleasant Grove with Lori. I was supposed to head down too, but ended up feeling heart-sick, so I've remained prone for the rest of the day.

Waiting for the play to start with Jer.