The Dallas Clan

On Christmas day about 12:30, after we got to talk to Ryan, we drove to Dallas.  The whole clan was there - minus Laurie, Michael and Steven (who will be off his mission next Christmas!)  Here is the whole crew after dinner.

Some members of my family who will remain nameless, Julie, are ashamed of the Waffle/piñata tradition.  For them, and Michelle who still wants to get a whack at the piñata, we had another one on the 26th.  Here are Julie's kids Shelby, Jenna, Josh and then Sophie who broke it open.

It snowed the day before we got there - real snow that was still on the ground when we arrived.  It also snowed on Tuesday, and I got a picture of 3 of my 4 girls.

Now, this part is really for my brother Steven who is on his mission.  His president lets him check my blog, so here you are - we went to Babe's without you.  Here are some pics!  For everyone else, Babe's is home of the best artery clogging fried chicken.  They only have chicken and chicken fried steak.  All good - not good for the body, but good to taste!

I told them it was Michelle and Brady's anniversary, so there is their heart biscuit.

One last pic of the fam.  Megan drew my brother Patrick in the family name draw.  This is what she got him.

Patrick has taken up cage fighting.  So Meg got him a boxers robe/thing.  She played the theme to Rocky when he opened it.  She pinned on a card that said the Grand Patri - which was his nickname growing up.  It was funny, and very appropriate.

It is always fun to get together with everyone.  We missed those who were not there, but had fun.  It was crazy and loud, but great Linford Family Time.

Not To Be Leftout

Just got some pics from Ryan.  Here he is trying to open a piñata one of his investigators dropped off when she heard about our family tradition (how sweet is that?).  He brought it over to the family who was nice enough to feed him on Christmas.

So, I guess I do have pics of all my kids hitting the piñata this year!

A Snuggie Christmas

You have heard of Snuggies?  A backwards robe that, according to the commercial, can be worn at home or even to sporting events.  It is a blanket that allows you to still have your sleeves.  Who wouldn't want one? 

The older girls have been wanting one for a couple of years.  Of course, the twins got in on the action, and snuggies it was for Christmas.  They have gotten lots of use out of them!  And ours are special - Santa personalized them.  And he brought Red for Tomball HS (Kelsey can bring it to a game) and blue for the new Tomball Memorial HS (Sophie can bring it to games).  How thoughtful of him.

Christmas Eve 2009

It was the usual Christmas Eve traditions at the Pearson house this year - waffles, piñata, Luke 2 (both video and reading) and pj's.  This year we were able to have the missionaries join us.  It was a little lonely without Ryan, but having two 19/20 year old boys helped.

Pics to follow.  It is fun to see how excited everyone gets for these traditions.  These are the traditions I brought from my house - I have been doing this since I was a little girl.  It is fun to have the continuity.  Ryan told one of his investigators they had this tradition, and they dropped a piñata off for him.  Even in Utah, he still could have a Pearson Christmas.

Caroline Takes a Whack

Next up Allie.

SPD is the next batter.  Does this girl own anything but soccer shirts?

Up next, Kelsey.  Now you can see Sophie did damage the bottom, but Kelsey was nice and did not break it open so that Elder Martin could have a shot.

Elder Martin was not as nice - he broke it so that Elder Gustafson did not have a shot.

Everyone in their new Pj's - even the missionaries put theirs on over their clothes.  The Elders got Houston Texan PJ pants.

As I said, it was fun.  We missed Ryan, but we did manage to enjoy Christmas Eve.

The Christmas Surprise

The last week or so has flown by!  I am going to take Christmas in chunks, just to keep you riveted, which I know you are.  Since this is really just to journal it does not matter.

We had a great Christmas.  One of the most exciting parts of Christmas for me is when I have a gift for someone I know they will LOVE, and they have no idea about it.

Eric has always wanted a regulation BYU football helmet.  Don't ask me why, but he has.  With my sister Michelle training for the football team, I asked her how hard it would be to get one signed by the players.  She was nice and said she would do it.  I know it was a pain, but she did it.  I am going to post the pictures in progression of Eric's opening of the present.

I put the present on his lap, and he said I know what this is.  I can tell by the size of it.  I was bummed, but he said I am excited, but I know (but he did not know all)

He sees it is a BYU helmet, and he is happy.  I waited for him to open more (it was in a plastic bag)

He sees the signatures.

He is happy.

Eric holding helmet.

First view of helmet.  Yes that is Harvy Unga.  McKay Jacobson.  Brian Logan.  Shawn Doman.

Bronco signed on the Y.  Jan Jorgensen.  Max Hall.  Colby Clawson.  Luke Ashworth.  JJ Di Luigi. 

Front View.  Michelle even went out and got the BYU stickers to add to it - the helmet at the bookstore did not have those.

All in all, he was surprised, he loved and it and it made me happy!

The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year?

I am trying really hard not to be all Scrooge like, but dang.  Could we try and jam some more into a few weeks time?  Things are settling down a little now - all the concerts are done (we had four - HS choir, JR HS band, 3rd grade performance AND Sophie played with the JR HS choir).  Whew. 

Caroline at 3rd Grade music performance

Allie in action at the 3rd Grade Music performance.

Finals were done.  This was Sophie's first time taking finals, since she is now in the JR HS.  It is the first time Kelsey has really had to study for finals.  It was stressful, but we survived.  Kelsey was even more stressed since she lost Facebook due to grades, and needed to do well to get it back.  Good news for everyone - she is back online.

Now I feel we can just sit back and relax a little.  We are headed to Dallas on Christmas day.  We will open our presents, TALK TO RYAN, and then head up in time for dinner.  It is really not that bad of a day to travel - really no one on the roads.  Eric is coming right back on Saturday since he is under the gun and needs to work, but the girls and I will enjoy Dallas for a couple of days. 

Of course, today is the BYU bowl game - will they win?  Lets hope so.  Really, it is as much fun looking for Michelle on the sidelines as it is watching the game.

Ryan sent his email yesterday, since that was P-day this week.  He told a really neat story which helps to get me in the RIGHT Christmas mood.  I will cut and paste it here.  I will correct his lack of punctuation and spelling - don't get me started on what text messaging has done....

"We get to teach a youth lesson every other Sunday at a members home. We did it this week on the true meaning of Christmas and Christmas miracles.  It was a really great lesson.  We talked about a guy, Ed, who we're teaching. He's living with his his girlfriend and they each have one kid. One is 5 and one is 16 months old.  He'd been looking for work when we started teaching him, found a job working on an assembly line, and just lost it because he didn't report an injury that he didn't think was an injury at first.  He is also an ex-convict, so nobody wants to hire him.  He had enough money to either pay bills for the next couple months or buy Christmas for his two kids.  After the youth lesson, a bunch of kids came up and were all wanting to know what they could do to help.  Because of these kids, there's enough money to get them Christmas, and we've gotten hold of the President of the the company that fired Ed and he's going to see about hiring him back. Talk about a Christmas miracle. It's amazing what these kids have done. They know the true meaning of Christmas. I'm amazed at their charity and desire to help others."

Merry Christmas.

Caroline's Christmas List

Like kids everywhere, Allie and Caroline put together a Christmas list.  It included all kinds of crap being advertised on all the kid stations.  Caroline did add one item which really touched my heart.

Number 16, in case you can't read Caroline, is time with Ryan.  The ongoing question/debate around here is how much time the kids will get to talk to Ryan.  For those who don't know, we only get to talk to Ryan, our missionary, twice a year - Christmas and Mother's Day.  Each time we have about an hour, so that time is precious.

As the person who brought him into this world, I think it is my right to take as much time as I want.   When I saw on Caroline's list she wanted time with Ryan, it brought tears to my eyes (not hard to do these days).  We all miss him, and sometimes I forget the little ones miss him too.  Kelsey and Sophie are more verbal about missing him.

So, I will share my time with everyone - and we will let Caroline get her time with Ryan.

Side note - Kelsey announced a couple of days ago that even with Ryan gone, the whole blog is still about him...  The fairness fairy strikes again.

Trim The Tree

This is our first year to do the Christmas thing when everyone is not here.  It is a little sad. I have threatened to cancel Christmas, but we all know I won't really do it.  Thus we had to undertake the trimming of the tree.

I have had a tree for a long time - I got it when I was pregnant with Sophie.  I wanted a pre-lit tree, and these were the days BEFORE pre-lit trees.  So, I pre-lit it myself. 

As each year went on, I had to spend more and more time dealing with the tree to get it up and working each year.  Last year I almost gave up, but we pushed through and used it for Christmas.

This year Eric wanted a real tree - he wanted the real tree smell.  Well when he went I guess he discovered he did not want the real tree price.  He came home with a smaller tree, which he announced would go upstairs or somewhere else and we could get the other tree out.

This is what the bottom half of my other tree looked like.

It is supposed to be in one piece.

So, we have kept the smaller tree downstairs as our tree this year.  I will go and get a tree next year -  I am thinking the Costco tree looks good.

Since the tree was smaller, there was not room for all the ornaments.  I decided not to hang Ryan's ornaments since he is not here.  There is one however...

When Ryan was 4 or 5, he went somewhere with my Mom  to a class she taught.  I am not sure where or why, but they made these ornaments.  I have tried for years to throw it away - I mean come on.  It is a raisin box.  But he LOVES it (maybe because I want to throw it away).  He won't let me.  So, in honor or Ryan, we have it hanging on our tree.

And the tree is trimmed.

Let It Snow

The prediction for Houston is snow.  That is all ANYONE has been talking about.  I have seen a few flurries, but not much yet.  The poor kids are at school and will not be happy if they don't get to see the snow.

All the talk of snow brought me back to the beginning of our marriage.  We were both students at BYU.  We needed to work.  I had a job, at a little flower shop which is now a hot dog stand (I think) and Eric wanted an on campus job since we lived in the ghetto (seriously it is not even there anymore - it was grazed for a mall) and we only had one car. 

Back then, on campus jobs were hard to come by.  But he got one.  With the grounds crew.  It was hard work, but he seemed to like it.  Until the snow hit.  Cause they would call you at 3:00 am and tell you to come to work to shovel snow.  And if you did not answer your phone, you were automatically fired.  Nice huh?  So we did not like snow not only for the mess, but Eric did not enjoy being pulled out of bed at 3:00 am.

But we all survived.  Now we live somewhere where it does not snow - a point which the girls do not appreciate, but I LOVE.  Poor Ryan is getting his fill of snow now!

If we get some good snow, maybe I can get some good pictures.  More later.

Thanksgiving 2009

We did not camp - thank you Sarah Jones.  We did spend time with family.  Sophie got behind my camera and shot all the pics, so here is our Thanksgiving in pictures - from Sophie's perspective (of course I have not included all cause as you can imagine she took like 150)

Preparing the turkey for frying.

Lowering the turkey in.

Watching the oil and talking football (and how Michael is going to design a pulley system for this process so as to make it safer).

Adult Table.

Kid's table (can you tell Sophie was at the kids table, hence the need for the photo)

Uncle Patrick reviewing the letters Allie and some of her classmates wrote to him on Veteran's Day.  He is a trooper.

After dinner Cowboy game - Dad, Michael, Patrick and Erika.

Then off to see the Pearsons.

Eric and his mom.

Eric's older brother Chad, and his wife Vickie.

Eric's sister Karen, lover of all animals, had her dog there - he is 1/2 Boston Terrier 1/2 Bulldog.  It was funny to watch he and Oliver interact.  Here they are licking each other.

We went and saw Melissa and Chris' house - it was beautiful.

And finally random pic of Kelsey getting licked by Oliver. 

It was a quick trip - up on Thursday early morning, back in Houston by 10 am Saturday.  But it was fun.  Now on to Christmas.