2008 - A Look Back

2008 was a fun year around our home. Kennedy started preschool and Alex started nursery. Tara stopped working part time and I worked even more. Every one in the house got bigger in 08, even though two of us weren't trying!

Alex stated the year still looking like "Baby Alex" and now he's every bit the big boy. He talks up a storm, even if he still only has a few topics (Wii, ball, Mommy). He still loves to tease, but unfortunately for Dede, he's learned how to take it up a notch. What a fun kid!

Kennedy left 2008 as a confident 4 year old. A student, a dancer, an athlete (kind of), and a friend. Kennedy tried several new things this year and we had a hit (school) and a miss (soccer). Overall Dede had a wonderful year - full of wonderful highs and a couple dramatic fits. What do you expect from a diva?

We had new beginnings (oven) and lost a few friends (Ariel the fish). It was a year in which our investments took a hit, but we were blessed to have enough to meet our needs. Can you believe we paid $4.19 for gas in September and last week in was $1.30? What a crazy year!

As we look to 2009 it will be fun to see what changes come to our family. Maybe a new pet? The possibility of a two party diet? The expansion of the team? A new car? We'll have to wait and see. So long 2008, Hello 2009.

A Look Back at 2008

Here's a fun, if not irreverent, look back at 2008. It was quite a year with financial meltdowns, political uprisings, and typical celebrity idiocy.

Christmas - The Day in Photos

Christmas Eve at the Cabin

We had a our annual Christmas Eve party at the cabin yesterday and as usual, everyone there had a good time. This year's party seemed especially fun. I'm not sure what the difference was, but the party was perfect. The sledding was awesome, the weather and scenery were beautiful, the food was yummy, the nativity was sweet, the present opening was quick and the company was enjoyable. I think this year's party wasn't rushed and we were all relaxed. We all just had a fun time.

Kennedy and Alex really loved the sledding this year. I think we spent at least two hours outside on the hill. The first time I took Alex down on the "flexible flyer", he seemed a bit nervous.


The "flexible flyer" is an old fashioned sled that is honestly the fastest sled around. We were flying down the hill and I didn't think we were ever going to stop! When we were done, Alex looked up at me and said "again!" I think he liked it.




Kennedy couldn't get enough of the sledding hill. After a few times of going down with mom or dad, she decided to go on her own. She found this little flat sled that she loved and she spent the rest of the day going up and down the hill on her own. I have to admit, I was quite impressed with Kennedy. She is usually a little wimpy with things like this, but she was a trooper on the sledding hill.



Both kids went for a few 4 wheeler rides and then we headed back to the cabin for food and the rest of the party.


After lunch, we did the nativity. Kennedy was a little sad that it wasn't her turn to be Mary but she was okay with being the "special" angel.


Alex wasn't so sure about being a shepherd until I gave him some sort of stick that looked like a crutch. Then he was fine. If he can swing something or hit things, he's happy. We won't worry that he looked like Tiny Tim with his crutch. He was cute anyway.


After the nativity, we gave my parents their gifts and then they gave us and the grandkids their presents.


My parents always do a little homemade present for all the grandkids and great grandkids. They always come up with the cutest ideas and this year was no different. They gave all the kids little wooden Christmas trees. I'm sure they spent a ton of time making them and they turned out wonderful. We have quite a collection of homemade gifts from my parents and they are all special.

I had to put up a pic of the present that my brother gave my parents. It was classic.


I love the tradition of going to my parents cabin on Christmas Eve. As our family gets bigger I know that someday it won't be possible to have it up there anymore, but until then, we will keep enjoying it.

New Look for Christmas

Alex has needed a haircut for quite a while. Actually, I've needed a haircut for a while myself. As an early Christmas present for Mommy, the little dude and I headed out in search of a barber shop that could accommodate a couple of shaggy dogs.

We settled upon Cookie Cutters, a shop that caters to kids. I asked if they would cut daddy's hair as well and their affirmative sealed the deal. I've heard of Cookie Cutters before, but this was my first time there. It's awesome for little kids. Games, slides, video, balloons - they had it all.

Alex did great while getting his hair cut. I was kinda worried when the boy before Alex started crying, but there were no tears from our little man. He sat in his race car and silently let the stylist cut off his golden locks.

It's amazing what a change a haircut is for a two year old. He looks so much older and a lot smaller. One thing stayed the same - he is still as handsome as ever. Now if only a haircut could do the same for his dad...

Heating Up

Replacing an appliance really shouldn't be that big of a deal. I mean, come on, you unplug the old and plug in the new, right? Wrong. In this house everything takes twice as long and costs twice as much.

When I went to unplug the old oven, there wasn't a plug. It was hardwired. This meant we needed to install a new 220 volt outlet. Electricity isn't usually that bad, but when you start talking about 220, I get a little worried. Ford came over after school a couple of weeks ago and helped me install the outlet. Surprisingly, both of us are still here to tell the tale.

The second problem we encountered was the hole. A standard oven is 29 7/8 inches wide, our old oven was 29 1/8 inches. I am getting so tired of everything in our house being 3/4 of an inch off. Close, but not quite right..

Well, after we cut the hole and installed the plug everything seemed ready. The installers showed up and told Tara everything looked great, except for one minor problem - the plug was in the wrong spot on the wall. Once plugged in, the oven sat two inches out from the wall. To fix the problem I would need to move the plug to the bottom of the wall. No big deal - wrong!

I cut 18 inches of wire to install the plug, now I needed that 18 inches of wire to move the plug. Argh!!! At this point it was time to bring in an electrician. Nothing I could have done to patch the wires would have been according to code and I was at my breaking point.

Three days and $100 later and the plug was moved. The oven was installed properly and I am done with another project that cost twice as much and took twice as long.

Facebook and Friends

I signed up for Facebook a couple of years ago. No, I wasn't looking for friends or feeling insecure about my social circle. Since I teach technology classes it seemed like a good idea to be in touch with the current trends. Funny thing is, I think I was ahead of the curve. There really wasn't much going on with my account - until this year that is.

So, earlier this year the Facebook explosion occurred and I'm glad it happened. This has been the best way to get in touch with old friends, former students, missionary companions, and high school classmates. Relationships come back quickly and it's great to be a small part of people's lives once again.

A few days ago the Facebook craze came to a head when I went to a party organized through the website. Some old high school friends were getting together for the holidays and I decided to go. It was so much fun. There were people there I hadn't seen in over ten years. We quickly jumped back into old conversations and discovered many common interests from the recent past. I am so happy that Jaremey put the shindig together and even happier that Facebook has brought back some old friends.

What's better than old Colts for Christmas?

Kennedy's Big Day

Our little girl turned four years old on Sunday and of course we had several parties to celebrate. We started with a joint party with Kennedy's favorite cousin, Jessica, or "Ca" as Kennedy calls her. We went to dinner on Friday night and then went back to Charlene and Corey's house for cupcakes and ice cream. Kennedy opened several presents from the Duncan's and Grandma and Grandpa Houtz and then kept on going, opening all of Jessica's presents and wondering why there weren't more. She's not spoiled, don't worry. It was a fun night to spend with everyone. No pics, forgot the camera.

Thanks, Ca, for sharing your birthday with Kennedy.

Sunday was Kennedy's actual birthday. Kennedy wanted to go to Chuck E. Cheese for her birthday, so we decided to wait until Monday to do the big party. We did let Kennedy open a couple of presents on Sunday which of course made her very happy.


Monday brought the real party. We started out with breakfast from one of Kennedy's favorite places, McDonalds. Then her nana took her to the party store for some balloons. Later that evening, we finally made it to Chuck E. Cheese. Kennedy invited her cousins and they all had a blast. I have to admit, I was a little leery of Chuck E. Cheese, but the kids loved it and even the older kids had fun.




The pizza wasn't all that great, so we hit Rumbi after and then headed back home for more presents and cake and ice cream.



Kennedy's nana made a cute Miffy the Bunny cake and Kennedy loved it. Her nana has a knack for making the cutest cakes and this year's was no different. Thanks, nana, for your hard work.



We ended the night with a major meltdown from Kennedy, but the poor kid was tired. Too many parties and too much fun for a little birthday girl to handle! We love you anyway, Kennedy, meltdowns and all! Happy birthday, big girl!

For your 4th Birthday

Kennedy,

This has been an incredible year for you Dede. There are times when I feel as though you're four going on twenty and other moments when I've seen the magic of childhood in your eyes.

Your mom and I have thoroughly enjoyed your transition from toddler to preschooler. As soon as you started school this year, it was full steam ahead. We always knew that you were ready for school, but your transition has been amazing. In some ways you've left us in the dust - teachers, classmates, and parents all recognize how special you are. It's no longer our little secret.

One of your traits that has shown through this year is your compassion. I know there was a time when you seemed destined to be the bully, but you truly have shown the ability to look out for the children who need a friend (as long as it's not your brother).

I love the times when I get to spend time alone with you. Even though we don't get too much Daddy Daughter time, I love to talk with you and share our little "secrets". I can't imagine our lives without you Dede girl, your smile and laughter bring so much joy into our home. I love you Kennedy. Happy Birthday.

Daddy

Chaos at Christmas

Last week Kennedy performed in the annual Christmas dance concert at the Rose Wagner theater. It's a fun event for the girls and it's neat to watch them get so excited to dance. The dancing was wonderful, even if we were barely able to watch the performance.

The problem with Rose Wagner is that it's small. With so few seats available, many people got there extremely early to save seats for family members. This leads to a dilemma - what about the rest of us? We arrived at 5:05 for a 5:30 show. By this time all the seats were either occupied or claimed. We stood on the side and waited for some type of announcement or someone official to come in and settle the issue. They did.

"Fire code requires that everyone be seated. We can't have anyone in the aisles during the performance. Those of you without seats will have to wait outside."

WHAT?!

So, let me get this straight. I pay for my daughter to take a dance class and perform in this concert. But you're going to make me sit outside, because someone else invited every aunt, cousin, grandma, and family friend? I was just about to throw a major fit, when the theater made some concessions and allowed people to sit on the floor. Still, can you imagine the flack the studio would get if parents weren't allowed to watch their children. I would have pulled Kennedy immediately and asked for a full refund on costumes and concert fees. I'm just glad it didn't come to that.

The concert was fun and Kennedy did great. She is quite a performer and loves to strut her stuff for the crowd. Take a look for yourself.

Man Down

I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that vomiting at 3 am has an unique sound. Add a Christmas tree falling at 5 am to that list as well. Tara and I immediately jumped from bed to assess the damage. Fortunately it wasn't anything too major. A few broken glass balls, lots of needles, and water everywhere. Still it could have been worse. I guess this experience poses a new question: If a Christmas tree falls in the living room in the middle of the night, does it make a sound? YES!!!

In Memoriam

We lost a member of the family over the weekend. There was a quick funeral. No words were said, but much emotion was felt. Ariel the fish was gone - in a swirl.

I'm actually surprised that she lasted as long as she did. The fish lived almost two years. It was great for Kennedy to take care of her fish, even if Tara and I spent more time feeding and cleaning Ariel. Ariel was a good lesson in life and an even better teacher in death. We had a good chat with Dede about why things die. I know Kennedy misses her fish and for that I say - So long Ariel.

From the mouths of babes...

Yesterday the kids revealed a bit too much information about our family. At Church Kennedy's class was talking about what each child's parent did. Each 3 year old took their turn sharing about daddies who sell things or fix things. Kennedy then declared, "My daddy gets mad at everyone and then he spanks us." Great moment for me, especially considering I can count the number of times I've spanked anyone in our house on one hand.

Alex joined in the mix as I sat down on the couch yesterday afternoon. He immediately ran up to me and shouted, "NO FOOTBALL!" I guess he knew how I wanted to relax.

Sometimes I just can't win around here.

Tree Time

For Family Home Evening tonight, we finally got our Christmas tree finished. The kids helped us put the ornaments and final touches on the tree while we listened to the First Presidency Christmas Devotional. Kennedy and Alex had fun decorating the tree (we made sure Alex didn't handle any glass ornaments) and Kennedy decided that the tree looks much better with lights and decorations.



I think we are officially ready for the holidays. The lights are on, the tree is up, the boxes are away. Now, let's hope the tree doesn't break.

When it rains....

This weekend has already been an interesting one. We started out yesterday with our oven kicking the bucket. Now, we have known for awhile that our oven was on it's last leg and it has already been repaired several times. So we had already decided that when something else went wrong, it was time for a new one. But seriously, did it have to happen three weeks before Christmas? So now, we need to find an oven, quick. I'm looking at a double oven! Kind of fun, but a little pricey. Anyway, that was Friday.

Today started out nice. We had our ward Christmas party at 10 am. Something different, but it was good to have a breakfast and get things over with. The party was nice and the kids had fun. Jared had to work, so I took the kids alone. Luckily, the ward members are always there to help out.

After the party, we headed out to Walmart to pick up some Christmas lights. For some reason this year, 70% of our Christmas lights went out. The quick trip to Walmart ended up being a lot longer. After purchasing our cheap lights (which one set didn't work from the get go), we headed out to the car to go home and finally finish decorating the Christmas tree. Not so fast. The Xterra was dead. It would start, but just sputtered for a minute and then would die. It was obvious it wasn't getting any gas. After a few tries, I knew we were in trouble. Jared was at work and not available. So I called a tow truck. Luckily our insurance covered this. This was my first experience with a tow truck. I didn't realize it took them an hour to drive the few miles to our car. You can see some very interesting people in the Walmart parking lot if you hang out long enough.


Once the tow truck got there, I had them take it to a local mechanic who happened to be open on Saturday and was near our house. I had to call Jessica to come and pick us up. Apparently, tow trucks don't accommodate moms with two kids and two car seats. We finally got the Xterra to the mechanic. They said they would call with an estimate. Sure enough a few minutes later, the call came. $750.00. Your fuel pump is out and they are really expensive. Uh, that seems a bit too expensive. Don't do anything, I said.

So I called around, family members, the Nissan dealership-they would do it for $625.00, Checker Auto parts. Yes, it was very expensive they all said. I called the mechanic back. All of the sudden, they were down to $650.00. Still too expensive. I asked them to itemize how they came up with $650.00. After hashing it out, we are now paying $500.00 to get it fixed. Probably still too expensive, but I would have to have the Xterra towed again and pay the mechanic $50.00 for finding the problem just to get it out of there. I guess the mechanic thought I was desperate and would just say, "okay, fix it" with his first price. Can't trust these guys!


So now, new oven - $800.00 new fuel pump - $500.00. Merry Christmas kids.

Blow Out

So, yesterday was a day not unlike any other. I spent the morning preparing for a presentation I was giving for a lunch meeting. Nothing formal, just a look at tech gifts for the holidays for the people in our building. In fact it was so casual that I wore jeans instead of my usual khakis. Big Mistake.

As I was getting up from my seat I heard a strange sound. Not grumbling, not shrieking, more like tearing. I realized quickly that I tore a hole in my pants. With the presentation looming, I had no choice but to sit down the entire time and hope no one noticed. I alerted co workers to my situation and had them handle anything that required standing or bending. Needless to say, this is one of the worst things that can happen to someone who's about to be in front of 50 people.

When I got back to the office I grabbed some duct tape and headed off to the restroom to solve my problem. What do you think?

Family Time

It's been a fun weekend down in New Harmony. After all the running around on Thursday and Friday, Saturday and Sunday turned into some quality time at home. Kennedy and Alex love to play with their cousins, so Saturday afternoon was spent with little people playing with Little People (sorry I couldn't resist). It's fun to watch the kids play with many of the same toys I had growing up. Mom has them all available for use down here. Hard to believe, but one of Kennedy's favorite toys is a sand art toy, where you shake the sand to create different works of art. Why do I spend money on all the latest toys when the ones from the 70's get all their attention?

While the younger kids played with the toys, Coleton and I took advantage of the open TV and had some serious battles on the Wii. Madden was the game of choice and we discovered a new game called 5 on 5. It's basically just a game of tackle football, where you keep track of touchdowns and it's the first team to 5 scores. Coleton and I had a great time, even if the games were one-sided.

I think one of the best parts of our lazy Saturday was the chance for the mommies to get some rest. Both Tara and Alicia were able to take naps during the afternoon. With my parents and me available to watch kids, I think it's great when Tara can have a break - even if it's only temporary.

Last night we wrapped up our trip with a cookout. One of the best things about life in the desert is that you're basically camping out - all the time. My dad built a fire pit in his backyard last year and this was our first time to use it. Kennedy and Alex came out back with us and helped us roast some hot dogs for dinner. I'm not sure if any of Dede's dogs actually made it to the table, but she had a good time burning them anyway. Alex wasn't really sure what to make of the open fire (he's only seen fire in fireplaces) but he certainly wanted to part of the action.

Now it's time to head back to hustle and bustle of Salt Lake, but we always look forward to our time in the hills of New Harmony.