Donny and Marie--The Rest of the Story

The truth:  Tim is a fan.  I know who they are.  I appreciate their talent and professionalism, and I think they have an incredible story.  I think Marie is an amazing, strong, accomplished, talented and resilient woman--love that she is real and what she stands for.

However, back when Donny and Marie were huge pop culture icons, I was growing up in rural Idaho, in a home without a TV because antenna signals weren't strong enough back then to reach us.  My first intro to Donny and Marie (after we got a TV) was my mom being excited for us to watch their Christmas special on TV.  My mom had also been excited for us to watch Lawrence Welk.  For all I knew, Donny and Marie were in the same category as Lawrence Welk.  If my mom liked it, I was sure it was my duty as a budding teen to not like them.

When I realized who they were, I thought their story was cool, but I missed out on the mania that creates lifelong fans...

Which is what Tim is.

When our children were younger, he bought a Donny and Marie CD and put it in the car CD player.  One day my kids were singing Donny and Marie songs.  It was then I heard that when I wasn't in the car, they would drive around with Tim with the windows down singing along to the Donny and Marie CD at the top of their longs.  (So glad I wasn't with them.)  I can appreciate the talent of the Osmonds without singing their songs at the top of my lungs, right?

But when their show was coming to Salt Lake City so close to Christmas, I couldn't resist getting tickets for Tim...

And what an amazing show.  They really are talented performers...  50 years in the business and still going strong in a business that chews people up and spits them out...selling out shows 5 times a week in Las Vegas, winning awards in Vegas, where shows are known for pushing limits... That's impressive.

So, yup.  There you have it.  The rest of the story.

Day In Review...If You Give A Mouse A Cookie

You know those days when the day leads you?  When best laid plans get ignored? (a.k.a give-a-mouse-a-cookie kind of days.)

But before the day in review, I need to say Tim and I had huge plans to attend Donny and Marie concert in Salt Lake City later in the evening...Tim's Christmas present from me, and I did surprise him, unlike most other years.  Yes, I bought the tickets in November and Tim still didn't find out.

Day in review:

• Plan to do some winter cleaning...
• Drove Megan to basketball practice
• Start winter cleaning, which included a nice sized donation pile.
• Tim was doing his some winter organizing of his own in his office...new set of shelves he built.
• Couldn't get down the hall while he was moving the shelves in so I got put on guinea pig babysitting duty while Gabby cleaned her guinea pig cage (guinea pigs are a gift from Santa).
• Jeran found Kohl's cash while helping Tim move shelves that had to be used by the 1st.  (Note:  Change of plans...add trip to Kohl's into my day, when I go to drop off huge donation pile, and pick up the tickets from my office where I hid them.)
• Somehow the dog and the guinea pigs got into the same room...no harm.  Dog was curious, but not interested in making Gabby's new pets into a meal.
• Relieved of pet sitting duty.
• Leave to pick up Megan from basketball practice.
• Megan is dizzy and feels like passing out.  She eats and feels a little better, but as we're talking about symptoms, she named some symptoms of diabetes (which runs in her genes...over 50% of the population of Marshall Islanders over 30 has diabetes...something I've always worried about).
• Call a friend who is a nurse and takes care of daily testing for students with diabetes in our school district.  Wait for her to call me back.
• Megan feels better but is still pretty wiped out.
• I go to Kohl's.  Friend calls back while I'm there...thinks Megan should get checked out.  Tim has a friend who also works with diabetics.  He said the same thing.
• Cry on the phone to Tim because the emotions of the day and worry about Megan hit me all at once.
• Tim takes Nate to driving portion of his driver's license test.  Nate passed.  (Huge, loud cheering.)
• Finish at Kohl's and go home to take Megan to Urgent Care without dropping off donations (which are still, at this late hour, in the back of the Durango).
• 2.5 hours at Urgent Care.  It's their busiest week of the year (the nurse said so).  All the while I'm wondering who Tim will take to the concert if Megan is sick or in the hospital and I can't go...
• Turns out Megan's blood sugar is ok...She was dehydrated.  
• Stop at the store to buy some healthy food as Megan tries to talk me into every sugary treat imaginable because apparently, 2.5 hours of imagining her life with sugar restrictions had left her with some cravings (but I said no...such a good mom...who is more determined than ever to help this girl never get diabetes).
• Get home in time to see the huge mess I left trying to get some cleaning done...which would have to remain a huge mess because no matter what, we were going to the concert.
• But first I had to drop Jeran off at a birthday party and pick up the tickets from my office.
• Enjoyed an amazing evening of entertainment with Tim and about 2,700 of Donny and Marie's friends.

Image credit shared by my friend on facebook when she knew we were going to the concert

...And the mouse hangs the picture on the refrigerator and stands back to admire his work and seeing the refrigerator, wants milk, then asks for a cookie to go with it...  And the whole thing starts over again tomorrow.

Pondering Christmas

It's 9:45 p.m. on December 25th.  We've enjoyed presents, love, food, and companionship, and as this day ends, my heart is full of love for this season and this day.

I love my Savior--our Savior.  The Savior of the World.  It means so much to say, "He lives," because he does, and is a part of our lives every day.

Where would I be without His love?  I can take anything to Him.

Anything.  My joys, my tears, my love, my mistakes, my worries, my fears...  All of it.  When I'm hurting, or worried, I feel peace.  When my heart is filled with joy and love, I feel His rejoicing with me.

And I am always amazed he does the same for all of us, where ever we are, and whatever we are doing.  His love for us is personal, and reaches every person where they are in deeply meaningful ways that only we individually understand because He knows us that well.

His birth--the gift of God's love to the earth--is meaningful beyond measure.  Last year I started a personal tradition of reading the Four Gospels by December 25th.  It's difficult to do, for sure, and there was more than one occasion when I was cooking dinner or goodies or food for a gathering that I'd listen to chapters on my computer while I was cooking, and other times when I would listen on my iPhone as I drove...  And I finished.  And how amazing it was, once again.  It strengthens me and lifts me and helps me focus on the incredible meaning of this season.

Without Christ's birth, there could not have been the gifts of the Atonement and Resurrection.  Without His birth, my pain would remain pain, and I wouldn't know the gift of complete peace in the midst of worry.  And most definitely, I wouldn't know the hope of once again seeing and living forever with loved ones who have died before me.

(Told you my heart was full.)

At the end of the book of John, Christ is once again with the apostles, and was teaching them after his resurrection.  He lovingly counseled with Peter to feed his sheep, and then in John 21:18 Jesus tells Peter, "...When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not."

At various times in my life I read that verse, and it has had different meanings to me, but mostly a personal meaning to gain the maturity it takes to set aside my own will and live according to His will.  That is such a difficult thing.  But through my life, as I've walked those paths where the Savior has taken me wither I wouldest not, I've always known His peace, and it is because of that peace that my heart is full.

I know it is because of the Savior that on all these journeys where I don't want to go, He can somehow turn that journey into a journey of growth and love and peace that knits my heart to His.

And so it is that His birth means so much--to me, and to the world, that each of us personally can know eternal love and peace, not just after we die, but right now in this life as we walk with Him on our life's path.

Amazing.

Merry Christmas to friends and family (cards are still coming...  I ordered New Year's card's this year, knowing we wouldn't get them out in time).  My love and best wishes to all of you this season and in the New Year.

Merry Christmas!

Once in a while, quite by accident, I take pictures I end up loving, probably not because they're great photos, but because of the memories and emotions behind them.

Last night was one of those nights.  It's our Christmas Eve tradition to wear our family pajamas and have an indoor picnic.  These pictures came from last night.

Like I said...probably not the pictures, but the memories.  I love those smiles and every one of those little not-so-little toes.  I love the minutes and hours and days we spend together.  We are blessed.

This Christmas season I challenged myself to read all the gospels (the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) in the month leading up to Christmas.  I've heard of doing this before, to really draw near to Jesus Christ during the season of his birth, but for whatever reason, this year it was in my heart to actually do it, and what a blessing that has been.  I needed an extra dose of Christmas in my heart this year.  (And for the record, I finished last night, and even went back today to re-read some chapters in Luke I slept through while trying to listen instead of read.)

This experience has made this Christmas remarkable.  Reading in detail about the Savior's life and his mission in such a short period of time has made it all seem more real to me.  I love the feeling of the Savior's love in my life, and even when life gets challenging (especially when it's challenging), that love carries me.   

Earlier this month I gave a Christmas message at Tim's family's Christmas party.  I talked about "joy" because I love that word.  To me it means living in lasting happiness, even when things aren't what we wanted them to be.  Not even a few days later, life got challenging again.  As much as I don't like challenges, I do love the feelings of peace and joy that are always ours when we seek it.  Over the past several weeks, I continue to be amazed at "joy" as a possibility, even during difficult days.  

Today in church, one of the speakers said, "Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall; Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.  All the kings horses, and all the king's men couldn't put Humpty together again. But the King can, and the King will."

I love the Savior.  I love what He has done for us.  I love how the Son of God could find it in His heart to come down from heaven, to walk the earth, to teach, to heal, and to love, then to give up His own life for all of us, and to give eternal life to all who seek Him. 

Amazing if you think about it.

God bless us, everyone!

Early Christmas

I can't ever surprise Tim.  

Ok--maybe not "never" but at least rarely.

In the span of our years together, Tim has discovered almost ever gift I've ever intended for him, not because he's nosy...  In fact he doesn't even look for his presents.  He just happens to find them, no matter how or where I hide them.

This year the kids unanimously decided that Dad needed a new phone.  He has previously been the owner of the first generation of the Android phone.  In phone years that makes his phone really, really old, and he just hasn't upgraded yet...

So we decided to do it for him.  

This was the plan:  

1. Buy the phone two days before Christmas with instructions to activate on Christmas Day.  
2. Purchase the phone on the Verizon account so it wouldn't show up on the debit card.
3. Hide the phone at my office until Christmas Eve.  Tim was working a midnight shift on Christmas Eve and the day before Christmas Eve.  He would be sleeping a lot during the day.  Chances of him finding out about the phone...about .001%.

I was proud of us for concocting this plan.

This was the phone we selected...a much improved and updated version of his well-used loved Android phone.   

Jeran, who was with me, thought dad would like the iPhone.  I love mine, but explained to Jeran that dad, who I have known for 17.5 years doesn't usually go for huge changes.  I told Jeran about the time the person cutting Tim's hair suggested a new hairstyle.  The result?  He didn't go back to her.  Shirt style, pants, shoes...all 100% predictable.

Here's where the plan went wrong.  While Jeran and I were making the purchase, Tim was supposed to be catching a few hours of sleep before going to work.  Instead, he and the teen gang ended up at the mall...

And while Tim was waiting for the teen gang to shop, he saw the Verizon store at the mall and decided he would upgrade his phone while waiting.

Really?  

From what I'm told, here's how the conversation went:  

Verizon service representative:  How can I help you?

Tim:  I need to upgrade my phone.

Verizon service representative (checking the computer for the upgrade):  Ummm...I'm showing you're not due for an upgrade until 2013.

Really?  

About an hour later, with Tim's phone tucked securely away at my office, Tim started dropping hints that he knew about my purchase.

"I think I'll upgrade my phone in January."

I kept my poker face.  He'd be so surprised.

Then:  "I think I'll get an iPhone."

My poker face was slipping a little.

Finally, with a huge grin on his face he told me about his encounter with the friendly grinch Verizon service representative at the mall.  GRRRRRRRR!

The good news is, we got the right phone.

The better news (for Tim) is that he got an early Christmas present.

The bad news for me is that somehow, once again, Tim discovered a surprise.

I'm open to suggestions for next year.  Anyone?  Anyone?

Building a Palace

Last blog post:  November 30th.  I think I'm slacking.

I just don't have blogging in me these days...

But I've been thinking a lot about this quote lately:

“Imagine yourself a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps you understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing, so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of; throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were going to be made into a decent little cottage, but He is building a palace.” — C. S. Lewis

I've said before that I'm not the world's most patient person, so construction projects that hurt a little aren't usually on my to-do list.  In fact, I'm fairly certain that I'd be content in a cottage.  Really.

I think of all those times I say, "I want to be more like the Savior," or "I know God's love is real."  I really do mean that.  I think...at least until the construction isn't going the way I imagined it would.  To be honest, I'm the type that imagines God standing by with his magic wand, gently waving it over me and transforming me into a Christ-like, compassionate, whole, perfect being.  You'd think I'd get by now it's not that way, but I still kind of stomp my foot and whine and say, "But this isn't what I had planned..."  

But I am thankful to He who knows better than I what I am becoming, even though I hate that familiar ache that comes with construction.

As far as not blogging a lot lately, I am going to use the "under construction" excuse.

But if I was blogging more, I would have shared how much joy has been in this Christmas just sharing it with Gabby (and I love how there can be joy in life, even when souls are under construction...God's gifts are good.)

This year we let Gabby choose decorations and she chose purple...all purple. 

(Dark pink is so 2010...see here.)

It actually turned out nice.

And it was a fun, incredible first to be with Gabby at a local festival when she sat on Santa's lap for the first time ever.

And the Nativity she set up this year was priceless...

She said everyone wanted to be as close to Baby Jesus as they could be.  

Love that girl.

And two days ago we celebrated one year with Gabby.  I posted this on facebook:  "A year ago today we walked into Prairie Winds Elementary School in Omaha, Nebraska as a family of 6 and walked out a few minutes later with Gabby as a family of 7. I'll never forget that feeling of looking at all of us together after those months of waiting, and knowing the rest of our lives together started right then! Happy Gotcha Day to Gabby!"

And of course there was a celebration at a buffet-style restaurant where the only thing on Gabby's plate was french fries and Ranch dressing.  She did also eat some pizza and ice cream.  (And Gabby's favorite quote of the day, "I don't have to do chores today because it's my special day.")

So there you have it...  Life marching on, which apparently is possible, even when we're under construction.

Christmas Day

Christmas Day was quiet (relatively speaking, of course).  Two days later Pallavi is saying, "Next year I want a big Christmas."  We're blaming it on the adoption agency.  They told us to plan small so it wouldn't be overwhelming.

(Maybe they had never lived with Pallavi.)

If you've followed our blog for longer than a year you know we have a fireplace correspondence tradition with Santa in our house.  The kids leave letters for Santa in the fireplace, and he usually responds with treats and a letter to let them know he got it.  Even as the kids have gotten older, the letters continue...

(After all, there's something in it for everyone.  Personally, I'm glad my kids humor me.)

This year Santa heard Pallavi would be here for Christmas.  Maybe it was all the kids asking for gifts for Pallavi in their letters to Santa?

Amazingly enough, the day before we left for Nebraska to meet Pallavi, Santa left a letter in our fireplace for her.

We delivered Santa's letter to Pallavi in Nebraska, and she let us know she already told Santa what she wanted:  an iPod Touch.  Nate, who was with us, immediately became concerned that he had waited until he was 12 to get an iPod Touch, and he had earned the money for it himself by mowing lawns...because Mom and Dad said no to asking Santa.  And even at 14 there are internet supervision restrictions to the iPod Touch.  There was unfair! written all over this one.

Tim and I weren't too worried.  We trusted the magic of fireplace correspondence.

But Nate took matters into his own hands.  I've got to say I was a little nervous when a letter I didn't know about showed up in the fireplace, but Santa scored again (Nate, you'll make a great dad one day), and gently broke it to Pallavi that Mom and had had contacted Santa on the "secret Santa phone..." (Yes, we also have one of those.) ...and according to the letter, we had told Santa that Pallavi could ask for an iPod Touch when she was "eleven or twelve."  

Pallavi was totally fine with this.  Turns out there's nothing like a personally addressed letter appearing in the fireplace to soften the blow.

Within five minutes, Pallavi had written back and changed her request to an iPod Nano (the same thing Joie had asked for) and Santa delivered!

(And today Tim spent most of the day downloading songs for all the kids on their various iDevices which makes him my hero.  Joie and Pallavi were getting bored with their selection of FM radio stations on their iPods, and when the radio stations stopped playing Christmas music, the selections drew even more complaints...  Anyone my age or older remember being thrilled by a gift of any electronic device that could pick up a radio station?)

Back to Christmas...

On Christmas Eve, Pallavi and Joie decided to sleep downstairs.  

Amazingly, they were asleep by 9:30 p.m...

We were in bed by midnight.

Then Joie was awake by 1:00 a.m...

Then asleep again by 2:00 a.m. (ish)...

Then Tim was up by 4:00 a.m.  I was not happy and somehow he knew to not wake up the kids!

Tim had to turn the light on to read, a sacrifice I was willing to make if it meant the kids weren't waking up...

But five minutes later I went to sleep in Pallavi's empty bed since she was still snoozing downstairs.

By 5:45 a.m. the kids were awake.  The goal was 6:00.

Close enough.

Waiting to come upstairs...

A thank you note from Santa...

And I didn't catch the Santa gifts on camera, but we did get a few shots:

The Mythbusters game from Grandma Susan was a hit!

Joie and Pallavi got Zu Zu Pets

Just a side note.  Don't ignore the label on Zu Zu pets that says Caution:  Please keep away from hair.  Somehow when Megan was holding Joie's Zu Zu pet it accidentally found Joie's hair.  (What would a caution label be if you couldn't test it?)  We unsuccessfully tried to detangle Joie from her Zu Zu pet, but eventually resorted to scissors.  You can't really tell.  It was only a small chunk of hair.  

And the best part of Christmas for me (drumroll please).  Present opening was over by 7:00 a.m. and with no assembly required gifts on the list, I took advantage of the kids being lulled into present la-la land and went back to sleep...until 9:30!  Best Christmas present ever!

We spent the afternoon at Tim's parents' house with all the cousins.  Pallavi has been sooooo excited to meet all her cousins, and wasn't disappointed.  She was introduced to the fun of Jarman Nerf gun wars and took her job of guarding hostages very seriously.  I know who I'll be calling if I need a bodyguard.

Then another great Christmas gift:  That night we had planned to go to bed early.  Everyone was tired and we had church the next morning.  

But Megan, Joie, Pallavi and I ended up just talking.  Bedtime?  What bedtime?

I'm blessed with girls who have wise souls.  Their kid bodies are deceiving.  I felt like I was talking to three of my best friends.  I didn't want it to end.  

I've decided my "mom job" is to provide the container in which they'll grow to adulthood.  They need love, safety, and a healthy home, but every day they lead me.

We love all our friends and family, and wish you all a belated Merry Christmas.  We hope your day was blessed!

Reindeer Food

A neighbor gave us sparkling reindeer food to spread outside so the moonlight would cause the food to sparkle and lead the reindeer to our house.

But the dogs ate the reindeer food!

(So Pallavi made more.)

Start with oats and carrots...

Add sparkles and an apple...

Sprinkles will do if you don't have glitter.

Now pink...

Done!

Just a few more sparkles.

We hope the reindeer find our house tonight!

Sound Sleeper

Tim got home early this morning from a week of traveling and didn't sleep much last night.  

This proves that he can sleep through anything.  

We were getting out Christmas decorations while he was sleeping and the kids had a little fun.  Jeran said, "The stockings were hung on their father with care..."  

Now we all know who's in charge around here.

Christmas Day

This year our family gift was a downstairs upgrade for the kids to have as a friend hang-out spot.  It fits perfectly with the teen/pre-teen age range we have going on in our family right now, and already today we've had friends over playing.  There's plenty to do down there.  This is a picture of the kids waiting to come upstairs to see what Santa brought.

Nate, who has been using Tim's 30 year old backpack for Scouts for the past 3 years, asked Santa for his own backpack.  Santa delivered.  Mom and Dad also gave him a new sleeping bag.  He's set.

Turns out Megan's favorite present wasn't from Santa.  It came from Mom and Dad in the form of a Perfect Brownie Pan Set.  Megan is the brownie queen at our house.  She asks to make brownies at least once a day.  Her other favorite present was her turquoise blue skinny jeans, a present from Nate, Jeran and Joie.

Jeran loves his BYU sweatshirt.  It's a good year to be wearing blue (even if you're the only member of the family who thinks so).  Jeran also got a snow shovel from Santa.  He also (kind of) got drums.  Santa and Jeran's parents reached a compromise that Jeran could have an electronic drum pad, complete with foot pedal and MP3 jack...real drum set pending after a year or two more of lessons.

Joie was super, super excited to get her Girl Power Password Journal.  It was a gift from Nate and Jeran, "so she will have somewhere to write 'I love Braxton C.' besides her dresser."  (And yes, I checked and she has been carving in her dresser so I've promised her a date with some sand paper sometime this holiday break.)  Meanwhile, the Girl Power Password Journal has provided hours of family entertainment since it was opened...turns out the REAL reason the boys bought the journal for Joie was to see if they could break into her journal.  The password is voice activated, meaning it technically only recognizes Joie's voice.  If anyone but Joie tries to speak the password to open the journal, sirens go off, sounding the intruder alert.  Nate, Jeran, and all the male cousins at the Jarman Christmas party were entertained for hours trying to speak in high pitched voices to unlock Joie's journal.  When they finally suceeded, they were more excited that they had beaten the voice recognition technology than they were about discovering what was on the inside of the journal.  Boys.

Another favorite were the beanie hats crocheted by Grandma Susan.  The hats arrived the day before the holiday parties at school, and the kids were supposed to wear hats and holiday colors to school the next day for singing-in-the-round, so I let them open the hats a few days early.  Fun!  We found a pretty purple flower to pin to Joie's hat and she's worn the hat every day since she got it, accessorizing every day with different flowers. 

For school the next day, Joie glued some holly to a hair clip for her hat, and Jeran, who was feeling the holiday love, attached a piece of holly to the tip of a Santa hat hoping girls would think it was mistletoe.  He also filled the brim of the hat with candy canes to pass out. 

Finding Light

A grumpy, difficult, tear-filled Wednesday lead us here on Thursday morning. 

A gift for Audrey (her own tiny jungle bell tree)

Wreaths for mom and dad.

An ornament made in school by a girl who can no longer see the smiles of loving parents as proudly presents them with her gift.

A ride home filled with chatter of Christmas memories, and a confession of sneaking out to see gifts in the middle of the night on Christmas Eve...  (Shhhh, don't tell mom and dad). 

A stop at a convenience store for a snack, a bag of jerky, the same kind she shared with her dad.  "I might act like a princess," she says, "But I can eat lke a man!"  That's what her dad  used to tell her when she'd eat jerky with him. 

Memories I've never heard before, a gift from a girl who lived for 8 years with parents who treasured her life. 

A journey that began with feeling sorry for myself, wishing for a "normal" Christmas Eve and ending in my heart being filled with joy at the blessing of being able to share the life of an amazing little girl.  Then spake Jesus again unto them saying, "I am the light of the world.  He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."  John 8:12  For the light that the birth of the Savior brings into the world, we are thankful.

Read about our loss here.

Snuggies

Every year for Christmas we get family pajamas.  This year we decided to be trendy and got matching Sunggies.

The children are nestled all snug in their beds...  Yeah, right!  They actually ditched the snuggies and are running around the house playing hide-n-seek and scaring eachother with the free booklights that came with the snuggies.

We got a kick out of the hospital gown effect...couldn't resist a back shot.

Tim, who was with me when we bought the Snuggies, and agreed with the purchase, declined wearing his (yet), so after he fell asleep...

The kids made sure he was wearing his snuggie!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Christmas Choir Concert

This is the only Christmas photo of Megan and Joie taken at their choir concert. It was taken with a cell phone because even though I remembered all the pieces of the Nativity costumes, got everyone there on time and dressed beautifullly, I somehow (always!) forget the camera. For Christmas my kids are getting me a camera to put in my purse, although sometimes that doesn't work either, because that's where it was for another school event, and I actually couldn't find it in my purse. Of course the girls did great and we have some wonderful family memories of the evening.

Christmas Cheer

We realized Christmas is getting closer and we still hadn't been to Temple Square so we made a spontaneous trip to see the lights and get a feel for the spirit of the season. It was a slushy, snowy night, but as you can see it didn't dampen spirits....or the crowds.

And on a fun note, Joie was spotted by Santa yesterday. Santa's timing could not have been better. At the time of this particular encounter, Joie had been having a day that was a teeny bit more naughty than nice and got stuck shopping with mom and dad...a day destined for boredom, or so she thought. If you've ever seen Joie in one of her moods, you've seen the face that can shoot daggars. Santa must have seen it too, because he walked right up to her and said hello. Now what's a kid to do if they're in the middle of a naughty mood when Santa says hello? Again, if you know Joie, you know she can turn on a dime, and she managed to be the right combination of shy but sweet. Tim and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to let Santa know that even though she was having a bad day, she was a pretty good kid. We also learned he did get the letters we left in the fireplace (and his whiskers were real, so we think this might have been Santa and not one of his helpers). We noticed a remarkable change in Joie's mood after that... You better watch out. You better not cry. You better not pout; I'm telling you why. Santa Claus is coming to town!

Dear Santa

At our house, Santa gives and receives his Santa mail through the fireplace.  His elves collect the mail at night while we are sleeping, and elves also return responses the same way.  I don't remember which brilliant child thought to contact Santa this way, but it worked, and has continued to work.  (No offense to the U.S. Post Office, but it's so much fun to wake up and check for responses from Santa.)  Sometimes it takes days for him to respond, but he always responds, and usually leaves a treat, so it's assuradely worth the wait. 

Every year the Jarman children go to new extremes to test the reality of Santa.  (Yes, we are aware we need to lay off Mythbusters for a season.)  This year, Joie wrote her letter in invisible ink and hid the magical ink-reading light with which such a note would be deciphered.  Then she just couldn't stand the anticipation of not revealing her letter to me, so she shared the invisible ink-reading light with me and let me read it also.  I hope Santa has one of those.  After writing what she wanted Santa to bring she wrote, "If you are not real, Santa, please say so in your letter back to me."  Can't wait to see how Santa responds to that one!  She also asked if she could also have a phone.  You can't blame her for trying. 

If you've been following our blog for longer than a year you know Santa surprised Nate with a phone last year.  Apparently the buzz in our house this year is:  When Mom and Dad say no, ask Santa.  Megan also asked for a phone.  Jeran just asked Santa for a snow shovel, and asked me if he could hand out flyers to start his own snow shoveling business so he can earn money for an iPhone.  Jeran first asked Santa for drums citing the phone incident of 2008 as justification for getting a gift to which parents have already said no.  "...You gave Nate a phone after the folks said no....," he wrote to Santa.  Crafty kids.  Nate was reasonable in his requests, but tested Santa by daring him to reveal something that only Nate and God know.  (Gulp) 

Stay tuned for the outcome...  Santa set a pecedent that apparently our children plan to take full advantage of.

Jeran's Christmas 2008

Make a Smilebox slideshow