Behind? Who Me?? really???

Ever feel so behind you just don't know how you will catch up? Like when you haven't done laundry for a week, or haven't worked on you photo albums for --or let's say-18 months or more???

Well, let's just say that those could be my current reason for feeling so behind but the real reason is that we just got home from a whirlwind 2 1/2 weeks of travel. To Florida in mid December for my Mimi's funeral and then the day after we arrived home we left for 2 weeks in Colorado to celebrate Christmas with The Dad's mother, brother and his family.

We did lots of fun things that I would love to update you on--and will in the next day or two (or perhaps one of the kid-lettes will). But for now there is a pile of laundry to do, ski clothes to wash and put away (the highs will be in the upper 60s this coming week so i don't think we will ski THIS week), Christmas cards to address and mail (yes, those fell by the wayside in the travelling) and a bed that is calling my name.

Good night for now...

The Mom

white Christmas

the kids have been dreaming of a white Christmas.. and what do you know? their dreams have come true..



From our family to yours.. may you all have a Merry Christmas...

A New Christmas Tradition

So usually the Nam Ladies go out for Christmas Tea in December. But this year...being in Colorado...and being among the far east members of our family...we all (boys, girls, ladies, and gents) went out for Dim Sum.

Yum.

Yum.

YUM.Not so yum...at least to most of us. But Mom N. enjoyed the chicken feet....





Oh and that last picture wasn't part of our dining pleasure...thank goodness...but it did make for an interesting photo.

Of course eating dim sum made is think of our dear friends Derrick and Angela P who first introduced us to the wonders of Dim Sum. Boy aren't we glad!

~The Mom

I. Am. Sore.

Yes, I am.

Very sore.

Even though I am not old like a certain person here at pheonamenaldays (he will go unnamed), my shoulders still hurt. Whose shoulders wouldn't hurt after falling, like, a billion times while snowboarding?

At least I had fun. Chip and Mickey are getting the hang of boarding. I am only sorta kinda getting the hang of it. Minnie is doing fine: wiping out a few times, turning a few times, and being cold most of the time. The Mom and the Dad are just concentrating on being cool while wiping out.

All this to say that we've had a GREAT week.

Let's hope that this Tylenol works soon...

Twinkle

Surprise!

Look what i did today!








Yup...about 10 inches....all packed up and ready to go to Locks of Love...a charity that makes wigs for children who need them.



surprise! I love it!

~Minnie

Christmas Shopping

Well, us kids here at phoenamenaldays have had a fun time Christmas shopping. We nearly blew our budget at the Dollar Tree. Yup, spent a near twelve dollars. Whew! I think I need to get a job.

Anyway, as I was saying...oh, yes, Christmas shopping.

Today I called Old Navy to see if they had a certain pair of pajamas (they have little elves all over them).

But, I decided to throw a fastball at the store-person-who-helps-you-pick-out-clothes. It was a swing-and-a-miss.

Awkward pause on the phone.

So, tomorrow I will go and pick up the elf pajamas.

Under the name of "Ursula."

Twinkle

Colorado

We are in the wild desert of Colorado.


Not.

Actually, we are in the almost-winter-wonderland of Colorado. ("almost" because fresh snow will fall on Friday.) It is 30* or less most days. I am loving it.

The Mom? Well, she spends the day in three sweatshirts, gloves, and sometimes ski socks.

Yeah, she's loving it.

here are some pics of all of us playing in the snow...The Mom came out for a short photo shoot and then passed the picture taking responsibilities to me.

Twinkle

A Life Well Lived

Dear Friends,

It is with sadness that we write to inform you that The Mom's maternal grandmother--affectionately known to us and to many of you as 'Mi-Mi'--passed away Saturday night.

From what we understand she had a nice dinner, wheeled around in her wheel-chair, and was getting ready for bed when she told the nursing home staff she was having trouble breathing. They stabilized her breathing with an oxygen mask and she settled in to rest. Her vitals, however, were not good. While they were calling for the paramedics, she peacefully went to be with the Lord.

We have so much to be grateful for that in the midst of our sadness, we can't help but smile for Mi-Mi.

To think that after 95 years here on earth, the past 28 years without her husband, the past 2 years with declining sight and hearing, she is now in heaven with perfect sight, perfect hearing, seeing so many friends and family members who have gone before her, rejoicing in her salvation.

Mi-Mi is well remembered by the family here at Phoenamenal Days.....she lived with us for a number of years and shared in our first adventure out west to Nevada (almost 10 years ago).

I am not going to try to summarize or eulogize her life here, today. Her life was too full for this little blog.

Please pray for us, for our extended family.

And if you knew Mi-Mi, smile. We are.








~The Mom

Christmas Tradition #1

Have you read this book? No?

Get thee to a bookstore or library and read it.

Aloud.

Over hot chocolate.

With the Christmas lights on.

In one or two or three sittings. It is short and best read that way.


Enjoy! we sure did!

~the mom (who has been a busy poster today:))

Guess who is from the east coast?

So we went to our CG christmas party. Had a great time...laughed alot and ate alot and just enjoyed being together...never got to the Christmas carols or anything but still had a great time.

It was chilly here the night of the party...like in the low 60's.

SO I thought--hey, it's a Christmas party, it is chilly out...time to wear boots!.... It is DECEMBER for goodness sake....time to put the open-toed shoes away!! ...... er, um, or maybe not.....







Guess who the east-coast-transplants are??

~The mom, off to polish her toe nails for all the open-toed shoe days still left in the year!

I love getting mail!

Especially when it is from friends back home!

~Minnie

what young ladies think..

well, if it's true that the most important thing about a 'formal social' for a young lady is the dress.... then we are more than half-way there.
Just a few more things to be totally ready for the youth banquet this weekend.

Caregroup Christmas Party

Well, we just got home from a fun fun Christmas party with our CG out here. And no matter where you live or who you are, the ol' 'chinese' gift exchange is always a ton of fun and brings lot of laughter.

Now here is a blast from the past...like 14 years ago because I remember I was pregnant with Twinkle. How many of you remember the Cg Christmas gift exchange where one poor guy-who always got THE WORST white elephant gifts every year--received the lace collar? Remember how we all laughed at that? Kathe couldn't stop laughing enough to smile for the picture. All of the pictures from that part of the evening show her in full laugh-mode, tears streaming down her checks, hugging her husband as he modeled the lace collar. Ha! that is one of those stories that gets re-told every time certain groups of friends are together--kinda like the 'where is the milk...if my wife ever' exchange...but that is another post for another day:)

SO the party was lots of fun...good food, good talks and, of course, the gift exchange. It is funny to me how that 'game' always rouses people up...husbands and wives are conniving for the right plan to take the right gift in the right order. The person with the last number always snickering to themselves that they will get just what they want, only to have the gift be passed too many times around by the time it is their turn....yes , yes, we all remember those moments. And I gotta tell you--it is as fun here in Phoenix as it has been in Maryland.

Minus the lace collar exchange, but that was a once in a life time, legendary event.

Nothing could compete with that one.



I'll be posting some pictures tomorrow....

see you then!

~the Mom

childhood wishes

sometimes do come true. i've always wanted to throw a ball in the house when i was a kid. no surprise, it wasn't allowed when i was growing up..

well, this video proves i still haven't grown up.....

..... but now I can get away with it
(notice the Mom catching us at the very end)..

also, some of you might enjoy the photo we caught of the sunset tonight.. we played a nine-hole course not far from our house.. great practice area and perfect yardage for kids (50-130 yard par 3 course)..

Almost like home...

last week, we went to see the movie "enchanted." twice...(once with the grandparents, the other with the Macs.)
and the kids have been singing in the house all week....

the kids were telling us they miss the music that used to be generated in our home... so, after some saving... we went and picked up a guitar... it helped that we can use it for caregroup worship...

now.. how to get the piano here....