Our Christmas Tree

Our Christmas tree is pretty much the same every year; but I really love it! It is a collection of ornaments that go all the way back to our first year. Of course we have gotten rid of some here and there and it's only the ones that have special meaning that make the cut and get to hang around forever.

Our tree is one of family love and traditions. When our children were young, every now and then we'd add decorations that were made at cub scouts, or by their primary teachers, containing photographs. These were the beginning of the tradition that we are now really enjoying. As we added grand children we started putting little frames with their pictures in them on the tree as ornaments.
I've gone back and added more of my children as they were growing up too.
I love it, it brings so much more to the tree to me.

I know it's not trendy and it's always pretty much the same every year but I love it!

It only takes me about 4 hours to put all of the decorations on in just the right places. That after setting it up and making sure the lights are all working. Gene pretty much takes care of that part for me.

And yes it is an artificial tree. We have gone that route for many years. I was always so worried about the real tree catching on fire, it was hard to enjoy it. I think I got that worry/fear from my mom, but seeing them go up in flames when lighted on fire after Christmas is over every year, made my fear into a paranoia. Then about 25 years ago, I was visiting teaching a sister the day after Thanksgiving and her tree was up. Now when we were growing up we always had to wait until at least Dec. 15th to get our Christmas tree and the same with the Wilson family. The thought of having a Christmas tree up as long as I wanted and not the fire worry, sold me!!! Ever since then we have had an artificial tree, I love that too, for so many reasons.

Now on to decorating the rest of the house!

Our Julie

and Dustin too of course are having a baby!!! That is such fantastic news, we've waited along time for this happy day.

They had their big ultra-sound and met the whole family to share the news;
It's a BOY!!!

Two of my beautiful girls, Julie and Ema, our oldest grand daughter, 13 (my beehive!)

It was a fun night. Now we only have to wait until the end of April
to met the little guy!

New Word SMIZE

"SMIZE" Smile With Your Eyes

Tyra Banks is my new afternoon friend if I have put off treadmilling that long, or if I just have some down time and need some noise. Today she shared some of her new words and I love this one . . . SMIZE. So if you hear someone say SMIZE instead of or in place of "say Cheese" you'll know what they mean.

November is my Gratitude Month

As I have previously stated this blog is the closest thing I have to a journal, thus I get kind of reflective and sometimes give just TMI, too much information. That being said, I decided to share some of my gratitude that I reflected on during the month of November, my month to remember my blessings and count them just a little more than I usually do.

Earily in the month of November I got a message on Facebook, from a friend that I grew up with. The message was a challenge that I chose to accept. It really made me stop and think about the things that I am most thankful for.

This was the challenge . . . "Let's see how many people can do this. Every day this month until Thanksgiving think of one thing that you are thankful for and post it as your status. "Today I am thankful for..." The longer you do it the harder it gets! Now if you think you can do it then re post this message as your status to invite others to take the challenge.

#1. Today I am thankful for . . . . a worthy Priesthood holder as my lifelong friend and sweetheart. We've been together longer than we were apart.

#2. Today, I am thankful as always for my beautiful children and the people they have grown into. They were my pride and joy when they were little and continue to be so now.

#3. Today I'm thankful for our kids that joined our family by marriage. They are all wonderful and bring unique and crazy qualities to our family. They all fill a special spot.

#4. Today I am thankful to be a grandma. I love each and every one of my 10 plus 1 on the way, grand babies. They are a true joy and i believe that my love for them is a reflection of the love I feel for their parents, my children multiplied many times.

#5. Today I am thinking about, thankful for and feeling very grateful for the blessing of my wonderful parents. When I was sent to them I hit the lottery. I have been given so much by them I can't even begin to enumerate.

#6. I am thankful to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The gospel of Jesus Christ gives meaning and fullness to my life; it defines me, it is who I am and His teachings are what I need to reflect in my daily actions and relationships. I'm afraid I fall short way too often.

#7. Somehow I was so busy yesterday that I didn't get on the computer at all, imagine that! But if I had been on the computer i would have shared my gratitude thought of the day, and I did think about it all day. (#7) I am thankful for the family I married in to. I know it was an answer to sincere prayers and I have never regretted.

#8. Today, I am grateful my chosen career, of wife, mother and home maker. I have found so much joy and fulfillment in my life. I've never regret ed my choice and I'm thankful for my husband supporting that choice. I am truly a blessed woman.

#9. I am grateful for having fantastic health. I've had crazy health issues, heart surgery & RH- blood issues during childbearing years, but I am amazingly very healthy and strong. I know that is a true blessing and am very thankful for it.

#10. Today I am thankful for a living prophet on the earth today, who is God's mouthpiece to His children. I know that if I follow his council, I won't go astray. This gives me so much peace in a troubled world.

#11. I am so thankful that my husband, Gene has a great job that he loves, most of the time. He is willing to work so hard, and give us our SWEET life!

#12. How could I have neglected to state my thankfulness for my 2 brothers and 4 sisters along with their spouses? I don't get to associated with them very often because of distance but they bless my life everyday by their terrific examples. I need to be more like them all.

#13. This is the first one that I've needed to think about. I am thankful for righteous young men willing to be full time missionaries for the Lord. My nephew Will Mitchell has '"Returned with Honor" from his mission today, welcome home Elder Mitchell. I sure love you! You'll never regret the time you gave to the Lord!

#14. Today I am thankful for living in Southern California. It's colder today and it makes me realize how much I love living in a mild climate, I'm such a wussie, when it gets below 60 degrees, I start to look for my jacket and whine about being cold. I am thankful for where I live and that most of my kids live close to me, along with all my Wilson family!

#15. Today I am thankful that I get work with the youth, specifically the young women, but the boys too, through Gene, at church. It is so fun to meet with them in their meetings and try to help them understand the gospel and gain their own testimonies. I feel so blessed for this opportunity.

#16. This is defiantly getting harder! but as I sit here with my laptop I'm thankful for modern technology. Ema is next to me with one in her lap and Dane is on the desk top computer in the other room. Some times we take it for granted but what a miracle to be able to reconnect, communicate and get information instantly.

#17. I am so thankful that my three daughters and their families live close to me. I get the opportunity to share their lives with them and their darling children and husbands.

#18. I am thankful that I took this challenge to list my blessings. It has helped me stop and really count the ones that are nearest and dearest to me. Have a Happy Thanksgiving, tomorrow, be safe too.

I am really happy that I took this challenge because it forced me to slow down, reflect and then count my blessings. I'm thankful for the month of November that we dedicate to gratitude.

It's Dylan's 4th Birthday

I decided to blog again today because it is Dylan's big day. When I signed on though I saw that Jess had already blogged about our special guy. So, I will just let you go to her blog to check it out. He's a special little boy and I wish he loved closer to us. We miss him being a part of our everyday life, but we love him and are so glad that he's part of our family.

The Painting is DONE!

Gene says that the ceiling looks like a ice skating rink, but I love it. The old popcorn ceiling was so gross and dirty looking. I'm glad we finally decided to have it removed.

Our dining area

The thing that gets the most attention at our house. Yea, life can get back to normal.

New Accommodations at Our House

This post is mostly for Greg and Jessica's benefit, so please bare with me. In the past few years when they came to visit they were given Greg's old bedroom which was very crowded. Since Julie and Dustin have struck out on their own and moved to their own place, and since we had the painters here anyway . . . we made use of them. So from now on when the "Utah Wilson's" come to visit they will have much better arrangements. No longer will our house guest have to stay in the "garage bedroom"! That's now the work out room/play room.

We even have a bed for Adam and Abby when she's here and needs a nap. Brandi's big on naps. Wade was here this morning and we put him in the crib and he really didn't like it, he's not a crib baby at all.

Here's the room that was Dusty's office, now a lonely bedroom again. But it's going to be my sewing room again too. That's the desk waiting to be set up again.

This can be Dylan's room when he's here!

Halloween 2009, Some of my cuties!

Our ward, like many wards has an annual Halloween Party. If my kids weren't close it'd be hard to drag me there. I've never been much of a Halloween fan. All the costume pressure, candy that I'd rather not have in the house, and I hate haunted houses, especially in the church. I just don't think it's very appropriate at all. Anyway, my kids are close and Brandi even let me take the girls to our party while they were at football practice. So we took them and met the Stockards there, that made it fun for me. Gene needed to be there anyway because the young men were helping in the spook ally, in the Jr. Chapel I may add, and he needed to oversee their antics, somewhat. He can be one of the biggest kids around, sometimes.

Here's my pumpkin and Rosetta the fairy.

Our darling cowgirl, and Tinkerbell.

Wade was Charlie Brown, with the delay on my camera, it's hard to catch anything but the back of his head.

Our sweet ladybug and Tinkerbell again.

Need I explain were Wes was? Oh he was there but way to busy for pictures. Busy winning at the cake walk, and squirting the hot nacho cheese into his hand, that kid is one of a kind!

Anyway it's over for another whole year. Will we ever go again? It depends on where my kids are and if they will humor Grandma and go with me!!!

My Friend

My friend in the kitchen, there's not been much cooking going on in there, lately.

They assure me that it's almost done. Then we will only have one last bedroom to do, the first part of November. Oh, did I say, Julie and Dusty are moving too? I know, so sad! Not far either, only Costa Meas. They need this, it will be good and fun for them, and they need to be on their own. Gene and I will have to get re-acquainted,

Here's The Mess

A very find drywall dust is covering everything

We're not doing anything to this wall only the ceiling above, thus we didn't need to unload and move the shelves. Oh man I hate to think of what that would have entailed.

Paint station

Dining room with all the furniture. Now my dilemma, how do I rearrange it all??? When you come to my house you never know what you'll find, I get board easily.