2008 Year in Review

My friend Marie had the following questions on her blog and I liked the idea of answering them. I hope she doesn't mind if I steal them.

What did you do in 2008 that you'd never done before?
I honestly can’t think of anything.

Did you keep your New Years Resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I didn’t keep my resolutions, which I generally don’t even make. I seem to disappoint myself when I don’t stick with my goals.

Did anyone close to you give birth?
My sister Tiffany had Rocky in February and our stepsister Daryl had Waylan the same day.

What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
More organization

What was the best thing that you bought?
Hubby bought me a new van and an iPod alarm clock

Where did most of your money go?
Everyday expenses, our home and savings.

What did you get really really really excited about?
Tickets to Wicked

What song will always remind you of 2008?
I honestly can't think of a song. I mainly listened to talk radio this year.

What is your favorite band/album of 2008?
The Wicked Soundtrack

Who was on your playlist for 2008?
Toby Keith, Josh Groban, Josh Turner, Brad Paisley

Compared to this time last year are you?
*happier or sadder* probably a little sadder
*thinner or fatter * the same
*richer or poorer * the same

What do you wish you'd done more of?
Exercising, camping, reading with my kids

What do you wish you'd done less of?
Eating

What was your favorite TV show?
Bones and NCIS

What was you favorite reality TV show?
I don’t watch reality TV

What was your favorite guilty pleasure on TV?
Grey’s Anatomy

What was your favorite movie(s) of 2008?
Twilight

What was the best book/author you read?
I reread the entire Harry Potter series

What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 38 and I spent the day with my family. We went out for an early dinner and then I took the kids trick or treating.

What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
If I had lost weight

What kept you sane in 2008?
My hubby and my family

What political issue stirred you the most?
The presidential election and Proposition 8

Who was the best new person you met?
I don't know if I met anyone new?

Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned this year?
I learned that I need to make my marriage more of a priority.

What do you anticipate will be the biggest change in your life in 2009?
Who knows, ask me in a year.

Books I have read in 2008

Fablehaven
The Golden Compass
The Seventh Sinner
The Curse of the Pharaohs
The Broker
The Moroni Code
Vanishing Act
Shawdow Song
At Home In Mitford
Return to Red Castle
Mermaid's Purse
A Light In The Window
Death By Darjeeling
My Sister's Keeper
The Goose Girl
The Tenth Circle
By A Spider's Thread
Jayhawk
Death Of A Domestic Diva
Tippy Toe Murder
Nineteen Minutes
Blind Side
Gunpowder Green
The Great Gathering
Double Take
Knit One, Kill Two
The Celestial City
Arthurian Omen
Needled to Death
These High, Green Hills
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
A Girl of the Limberlost
Fablehaven: Rise of the Evening Star
Princess Academy
The Host: A Novel
City of Bones
The Great and the Terrible: From the End of Heaven, Book 5
Fablehaven: Grip of the Shadow Plague (Book 3)
A Modest Proposal
The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Cherry Cheesecake Murder
The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate
City of Ashes (Mortal Instruments, Book 2)
Home Improvements: The Chapman Guide to Negotiating Change With Your Spouse (Marriage Saver)
The Great and Terrible, Volume 6: Clear As the Moon
Uglies (Uglies, Book 1)
The Deep End
Pillage

Weekly Menu

Monday: Quick Ziti with Swiss Cheese
Tuesday: Bean Soup with hot rolls
Wednesday: Beef Buns
Thursday: Ham Pan Sandwiches
Friday: Sloppy Joes
Saturday: Hawaiian Haystacks
Sunday: Cubed Beef in Gravy

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve we went to the at the Treehouse Museum in Ogden. We took my two nephews and met my sister and her family there. It was a lot of fun. They had face painting, crafts, snacks and Santa came for a visit. The kids had a good time dressing up and playing with each other.

Day after Christmas

We had a good Christmas yesterday. I swore I wasn't going to get the kids a lot of stuff but they ended up with a lot anyway. I don't know where to put it all. I think they were happy with their gifts. I got them each bedspreads because we are going to redo their rooms Z got a Nerf Wii game and they got games for their DS, plus other toys and games. R had to go into work after we opened gifts so we spent the day opening, putting together and playing with things. There are still a few packages we didn't get put together.

Last night the snow storm finally hit our house and it snowed all night. We woke up to a buried van and steps. Two weeks ago when the storms started our snow shovels were buried in the yard thanks to the kids playing with them and never putting them back in the garage. Since that time I have been digging out our walk ways with a kids' small snow shovel. Our driveway is on a hill and I can never dig up the driveway without sliding down it so it has stayed covered in snow. Finally this morning the dog got out and I had to go up to the neighbors to get him so Z dug me out behind the van and I went to get the dog and I finally bought myself a snow shovel so I could at least dig out the walkway to the van so I'm not slipping and sliding.

I thought about going up to Logan yesterday since R was working but they kept predicting the big storm and I didn't want to drive the van in the storm. Also the kids were having fun playing with their gifts so it worked out fine. Today I thought I would call my sister and meet her somewhere so the girls could come spend a few days with us but she just called and told us we should come up to take the kids sledding behind the 4-wheelers. I'm not sure how long R has to work today but I think we will go up and sled and then maybe hit the movies with the kids.

We really should tackle our house and put Christmas gifts away, but I guess that can wait for another day. I also want to take the tree down and get it out of the way.

Merry Christmas

Monday Madness

We are almost ready for Christmas. I took the kids shopping today to get gifts for their dad. Of course they came right home and wrapped them. I need to grab a few stocking stuffers tomorrow and take in some work gifts and neighbor gifts. We've been so busy at work for the last week that R has had to work crazy, long hours so we have missed him around the house. I'm hoping he'll be able to spend Christmas Eve day with us and of course Christmas Day.

We are doing something with my sister and her family Christmas Eve day. Then we will come home and they will deep fry us a turkey. I've never had this and they say it's yummy so we'll see. I'm hoping tonight and tomorrow night that I can get the majority of the gifts wrapped so I won't be up all night like I generally am on Christmas Eve.

The kids both had friends over today to play. Their youngest sister follows them around and drives them crazy after a while. I just laugh because she especially drove S bananas today yelling "Rah" every second S wasn't in sight. She just loves to play with S and her friend and they eventually give her what she wants to keep her quiet.

I finally finsihed mailing out our Christmas cards this morning. We generally write a family letter (actually by "we" I mean R generally writes a fabulous family letter) but this year we didn't. After reading our letter from last year we realized that nothing much has changed, except the kids are one year older. So I just mailed the cards without a family update and hopefully that's okay and our life will be more exciting this year so next year we have something to say.

Well dinner is ready and I'm baking cookies and hope to make some fudge tonight. I also want to watch White Christmas while I'm knitting or wrapping gifts.

Weekly Menu

Monday: Meatloaf & baked potatoes
Tuesday: Sloppy Joes
Wednesday: Deep Fried Turkey
Thursday: Christmas Ham Dinner
Friday: Leftovers
Saturday: Bean Soup w/ hot rolls
Sunday: Beef Buns

Sledding

Yesterday we got a lot of snow so I took the kids up to Cheese Park above our house and they went sledding. I was far away, watching from the car so I didn't get any good pictures. When we came home they continued to play with the sleds in our front yard where I took some pictures. They are having so much fun.

Favorite Christmas Movies

I love holiday movies I love watching them especially on days like today when it is snowing. Some of my favorites are:

White Christmas
I secretly watch this movie all year long, I love it!


It's A Wonderful Life
It can't be Christmas without this movie.


The Family Stone
I watched this for the first time last year and really had a good laugh.


The Santa Clause 2
My daughter and I love to watch this together, even when it's not Christmas.


The Polar Express
I feel in love with this movie and book.


The Bishop's Wife
I'm a huge Cary Grant fan.


What are some of your favorite Christmas movies? Amy @ My Friend Amy is hosting an Oville Redenbacher Giveaway in which you can win a month's supply of Oville Redenbacher SmartPop!

Christmas Shopping

This morning after the kids left for school A and headed out to tackle our Christmas shopping. I have been such a slacker and have done minimmal shopping. Yesterday I shopped for my MIL and her hubby so I could send their gifts home with them today and I got my Mom and Dad something yesterday but that was about it. I've been torn on what to do for my kids. Last year I just felt like I walked up and down the toy isle and grabbed stuff but except for a few things I had no idea what to get them. I decided this year I don't want to just go grab stuff to give them what seems like a lot of gifts. Anyway today I found some cute bed comforter sets at Kohls and got them. We are working on painting and decorating their rooms so maybe it's not exciting gifts for them but I hope they like them. Z also wants a desk for his room and I am looking for a pink CD player for S. I did get Z the nerf Wii game and I picked out a DS game for S. I still have a little more shopping to do but I hope by the end of the weekend that I will be done so I can enjoy next week.

R is always a challenge to shop for because he will just go buy what he wants so I'm hoping he likes the gift I picked out for him. I need to find a fun gift for my sister's family and I also need to figure out neighbor gifts. I'm looking forward to the kids being home from school and enjoying a break from homework and getting them to bed in a timely manner.

A family R grew up with in Sunset invited us to their house either this weekend or sometime next week to visit. Their kids (that R grew up with) are all coming home for a visit so it would be nice to swing by and see them all. R considers Joyce a second mom and we don't see them ofter enough but everytime I do I have so much fun with their family. Joyce and Rob are my idea of a perfect grandparents. Whenever I am in their home it is just filled with love and laughter and they make us feel so welcome and at home. Their home is what I hope our home will be like for our grandkids when our family is grown. Their home is also what I imagine my own parent's home being like if they hadn't divorced, it's what we all what to come home to.

R's mom was visiting for the weekend and the kids enjoyed spending time with Grandma and their cousins in Ogden. We had a family dinner Saturday night and exchanged white elephant gifts and yesterday after school Grandma took all the kids to a movie.

Happy Transplant Anniversary Sammi!

This is a picture of Sammi last fall when she was 9 years old.

This is Sammi in January 2003 a month and a half after the transplant.

December 15, 2002 my neice Sammi had a liver transplant. Today is her 6 year anniversary. Yay for Sammi. We were supposed to get together over the weekend to celebrate but the bad weather prevented it. This evening they are coming down from Logan and we are going out to eat.

The following is an article publised in our local paper in Emery County after the transplant:

Giving the Gift of Life

By PATSY STODDARD

Orangeville resident Shaun Bell recently gave the gift of life to his young niece, Samrah Bears, age 4, by donating a portion of his liver. Kris Bell said, "Sammy belongs to my sister Tiffany and they live in St. George. Sammy was born with a rare liver disease which is similar to cirrhosis of the liver and results in kidney failure. She has had to live with an ostomy bag. She has been a very sick little girl her whole life. She has also had three surgeries.
"She always looked jaundiced and her skin had a yellow or orange tint to it all of the time. Sammy needed a liver transplant and my husband Shaun had told me a long time ago that he thought he was a match for Sammy. This was a long time ago even before any testing was done to see if a match could be found.
"Shaun has been attending the police academy in Salt Lake since August and we were told originally that Sammy's transplant would take place after the first of the year. Sammy got sick again and we received a call on Dec. 11 to bring Shaun in for testing. The blood work and an angiogram was done and everything checked out fine and Shaun was a perfect match. His surgery was scheduled for Dec. 15 at 7:30 a.m.
"Shaun was getting ready for surgery and he called me in there and I had to put on the scrub clothes and I went in, he said, 'Are you OK' and I just started crying and he said you just have to be tough like me and he started flexing his muscles, he was really great about the whole thing," said Kris.
Shaun said, "I have been taking the 17 week course at the police academy and stayed at the dorms in Salt Lake and would come home on the weekends. I didn't think that I would be able to finish the course and would have to take the part I missed over again and finish it another time. The drill instructor, Sergeant Kyle Bushnell said that they would do everything they could to help me get through the course. He came and gave me the last three tests of my police officers standard training in the hospital. Kris and I worked on the questions for the tests for hours. She would read me the questions and I would write down the answers.
"I have worked for the sheriff's office for about six and a half years now, I've worked as a jailer and in dispatch. I had an interest in attending the academy and learning more about it.
"It was some time during the pheasant hunt when we learned that Sammy wasn't doing good. I didn't know what blood type I was, but I thought I would be a match. One of the side effects from the operation was they told me not to be too active in sports, but there wasn't anything too bad. I didn't really think about the side effects. There won't be anything that I can't overcome. I had already passed and completed the physical training at the police academy. We ran for a mile and a half and did pushups and situps and a lot of stretching. We tested three times for fitness throughout the training. The school said I had done enough by midterm so the operation didn't effect that.

"I really enjoyed the training at the police academy. We had to be up and ready by 7 a.m. It was just like the military. We had to be clean shaven and have a short haircut every morning. We even marched. When we entered a building we had to have our hats off and in our left hand and when we left the building we had to have our hats on. If we forgot then we had to do pushups. All these rules helped us to develop discipline.
"Giving Sammy part of my liver was just the right thing to do and anybody would of done the same thing. I knew I had to do it and I didn't think twice about it. I didn't consider the side effects...none of that was important.
"Sammy is doing really good. She is still in the hospital and has one IV left in her. She will have to stay in Salt Lake for a while to make sure that there aren't any complications. She will be on anti-rejection drugs for the rest of her life. The doctors said there weren't any complications and that it was a perfect match. The blood started flowing through her new liver immediately and her coloring started to return to normal within a day. She did have really dark yellow urine and within a day it had returned to a normal color.
"They gave Sammy the left lobe of my liver. We have two lobes in our livers and it was about one-third of my liver that they gave to Sammy. Sometimes they have to leave the recipient open for a few days for the liver to grow to fit the space or to shrink to fit the space . . . sometimes this could take up to a month, but in Sammy's case my liver fit in her perfectly and they were able to sew her up right after the operation. I had 41 staples closing the incision in my stomach.
"I was in surgery for six and a half hours and went into surgery an hour before Sammy. They were worried about scar tissue being present from Sammy's previous surgeries and her surgery started an hour later. The doctors were just amazed with how smoothly things went," said Shaun.
Kris said, "It was interesting during the surgeries to hear the updates. They would let us know how both Shaun and Sammy were doing throughout the operations. They said that they have a lot of success with living donors and the liver can go straight into the recipient. They hope to do a lot more with living donors in the future. Sammy's family is so relieved. Tiffany is looking forward to having a normal little girl. Sammy has required 24 hour care and she has had to take tons of medicine. It's lucky that Sammy has been sick her whole life because she doesn't know any different kind of life. Everything is going smoothly now. Everything was a match....it was just meant to be.
"Family and friends have been really great to help out while Sammy has been in the hospital and Tiffany has been living at the hospital," said Kris.
Shaun said, "I will be able to go back to work in about two months. I hope I can go back sooner. They told me to do a lot of walking and not to lift anything. The sheriff's office and the police academy were great to do everything they could to get me through the academy so I could pass my course. They were really good to me. The people at Primary Children's hospital were really great. They said I was a good patient because I was so big and could tell them what I needed. The nurses said I was the biggest patient they ever had.

"I'm really kind of sad my police training is over....it was good training and it was all worth it," said Shaun.
Shaun was in the hospital for five days and went straight from his hospital bed to his graduation ceremony at the police academy.
Sheriff Lamar Guymon said, "I'm really proud of Shaun and the sacrifice he made so his young niece will have a chance at a normal life.
At Christmas time, people feel more giving and I wish these feelings could last all year long.
"I think Shaun has given the ultimate Christmas gift and he has demonstrated the true spirit of Christmas which is to give of yourself to others. We wish Shaun the best in his recovery and look forward to having him back at the sheriff's office," said Sheriff Guymon.

Weekly Menu

Monday: Bacon Cheeseburger Roll Up
Tuesday: Taco Bake
Wednesday: One Dish Chicken & Stuffing Bake
Thursday: Spaghetti
Friday: Chicken Club Ring
Saturday: Cornbread Chicken Pot Pie
Sunday: Crockpot Roast with veggies

Fun Anniversry

Last night R left for work about 9:00pm and never came home. It turned out he spent the night at Capital Theatre to get us tickets to Wicked. The box office opened at 7:00am and he was home by 8:00am this morning. What a wonderful anniversary present. I'm so excited to go in the spring. I'm not sure I would have been able to sit up all night out in the cold so it was so nice of him to do this. It makes it an even better gift.

Tonight we had a date and went out to the Mandarin for a yummy dinner and then we went to Rogers Memorial Theatre and saw Plaid Tidings. It was so good to have a night out together without the kids, we don't do it often enough and we need to. I have made it my goal to plan a monthly date night. The play was so funny, I really had a lot of good laughs and I'm glad we went. I tried to late to get tickets to the Forgotten Carols but waited until this past week and the seats were all crummy so next year we are for sure getting tickets to see it.

Tomorrow morning is our ward Christmas Breakfast and I'm on the activity committee so I have an early morning of cooking. It's also Sammi's 5 year liver transplant anniversary so we are spending the day with my sister's family.

Happy 10th Anniversary!

Today is our 10th anniversary. Yay for us! Ten years ago today we were married in the church and 2 years ago today R took our family to the temple where we became a forever family. I was wondering this past week if I love him as much as I did the day I married him and I realized that I love him more. We've had babies, losses, changes and discoveries together so it's a deeper love.

Ten Things I love about my hubby:

1. He is still as handsome as when we got married. I love him with and without his beard.



2. He is a wonderful father to our kids and they love him to death.



3. I love his strong arms.



4. I love how he teases me in front of the kids.



5. I love the many wonderful gifts he has given me; a trip to Hawaii, 3 surprise vehicles, my iPod, and my surprise birthday present last year which were tickets to Wicked which I LOVED! and many many other gifts.



6. I love that he is the voice of calm and reason when I start getting stressed.



7. I love how he will do anything for our family and friends.



8. He encourages me to do anything.



9. I love the time we spend together as a family doing fun family things.



10. I love how he knows what I like, he knows me. For example when he orders my drink with extra ice when we eat out or an appetizer I love.

Well Checks

The two older kids had their well checks yesterday afternoon and they both got their flu shots.

9 year old Z
Weight: 47.8lbs (2% percentile)
Height: 50.0 in (13% percentile)

6 year old S
Weight:43.4lbs (33% percentile)
Height: 46.0in (50% percentile)

A had 2 shots at her Monday appointment and last night she started getting a fever. She has had a fever all night and I can tell she just doesn't feel good. I think she may be having a reaction to the flu shot.

Whatever Wednesday

The kids ran into our room messing around this morning and S begins to tell us, "Z popped my nipples!" R and I look at each other trying to decide who gets to tackle this when she said it again. Z is laughing and S is tattling and holding up her hands. Finally R and I laugh because we realize that S is trying to say that Z popped her knuckles. It was so funny and luckily the kids didn't know why we were laughing so hard but it gave us a good chuckle this morning.

Monday night we R and the kids put the tree up and last night the kids and I decorated it. I've decided it takes us two nights to get our tree up and it's a lot of work. Last year was the first year I just let the idea of a perfect tree go and I let the kids put the decorations wherever they wanted. It was a little easier this year and many of the decorations are clustered in the same place but they had fun and that's what counts. My goal next year is to put our tree up the week of Thanksgiving.

This year starting last night I started a new tradition. We will read a Christmas story every night in December until Christmas Eve, and then read from the Bible the story of the Savior's birth. Last night we started with The Miracle of the Wooden Shoes which is a touching story. We don't have a ton of Christmas books yet and we are slowly working on that, but there are Chrsitmas stories in the Friend and I will get some other books from the library. About five years ago I started to buy a nice Christmas book every year so I could grow our holiday book collection. A friend told me another cute idea along the same line as reading a holiday book everyday in December, she wraps 24 books and each night the family opens a book and they read it.

Today the two older kids have doctor appointments after school and they will get the flu shot which will not make them happy. I don't worry about getting a flu shot and I'm not sure if R will get one. The only time I had the flu shot when I was pregnant with A, I swear it made me sick so I don't like it and I honestly have never had the flu.

Maybe today when I finish up work, I can get some holiday baking going, the kids would love to come home to cookies.

2 Year Well Check

A had her 2 year well check visit today. Poor thing had two shots and you would think she was being tortured when the doctor was trying to examine her because she was screaming so loud.

Weight: 26 lb 12 oz (47% percentile)
Length: 35 in (73% percentile)

Sunday Musings

• Wondering if we will get our Christmas tree up tonight, the kids are going crazy because it's still not up.
• Wondering when I will find time this week to hand deliver all the Ward Christmas party reminders to every family in the ward.
• Doctor's appointments for all three kids this week.
• I still haven't started my Christmas shopping.
• We celebrate our 10th anniversary this week.
• The kids are begging me to make cookies.
• I don't think the Peanut Butter Fudge I made tonight is going to set up (I wonder if it's because I used fat-free evaporated milk since it was all I had).
• I want to sit down and read Shades of Earl Grey.
• I can't seem to keep up with my recorded shows on Tivo so I need to start deleting some of the shows I used to think were so important.
• I still need to order our Christmas Cards, write the Christmas letter (or delegate that to R) then address and mail our family Christmas cards.
• Is it bed time yet?

Finally Friday

Yay, it's almost the weekend. Although I feel like I will have a busy weekend at least we don't have school stuff to worry about.

Tiff and her family are coming down this morning since her girls are performing a dance recital at the Festival of Trees. They perform between 12:55pm-1:25pm which is during my kids school hours. I've been debating for 2 days if I should pull my kids out of school to attend. R finally suggested I ask them what they want to do. I think Z would like to be pulled from school but then he would also miss Cub Scouts and he doesn't want to miss scouts. S of course wants to see her cousins but then I think she will miss tumbling. So it looks like I will keep S with me today while Z is in school and scouts and we'll go see the girls perform and look at all the trees.

We still don't have our Christmas tree up so I am really hoping we can put it up tonight. It's on a high shelf in the garage so it's a challenge to get to but the kids are getting excited to put it up and I was hoping it would already be down by now.

My mom called me yesterday and she ran my best friend from my 10th and 11th grade years in high school. We were friends when I lived in California and were glued at the hip and did everything together. Of course we lost touch several years after I moved away but Mom ran into her in St. George. I was just in St. George last week so I'm bummed I didn't know she was there so I could go visit her. Hopefully I will be able to go see her before she moves in the spring.

Thankful Tuesday

It was so hard to go back to work and get the kids ready for school yesterday morning after having 5 days off. I can't wait for Christmas Break when the kids will be home more.

My sister Kris is in town for work stuff so we met her for dinner at the Gateway Mall and had California Pizza Kitchen (one of our favorites). My sister how would have only order pepparoni pizza was brave and order half of a BBQ Chicken Salad and thought it was good. I was to full from my pizza to share with her but R helped her finsh the yummy (my favorite) salad. After dinner we rode Trax to Temple Square to see the lights. Kris said she hadn't seen this lights since she was in Young Women many years ago. It was a perfect night since it really wasn't very cold. The lights were beautiful. I don't remember the Nativity scene on the reflection pool last year when we visited but it was so pretty along with the floating lights. And of course the Navitity scene by the visitors center was amazing as we listened to the Christmas Story. Even A kept pointing at the manager saying "Baby". It was the perfect start to the holiday season for me and a reminder of what Christmas is about. I can't help but feel the spirit when Christmas story is read.

Tonight we have our Relief Society Chirstmas dinner for couples. Luckily the YW are in the nursery to watch our little ones. I'm sure it will be fun and a good little mini date night.

I have been wanting to put our tree and Christmas decorations up for over a week now but it hasn't happened. I am hoping in the next day or two I can finally do it. Yesterday I finally removed our Fall decorations. S suggested we make Christmas cookies yesterday so maybe tomorrow we can start off our Christmas baking.