Christmas 2011

Hola and Happy New Year!Well it's Tuesday, the second Tuesday of 2012, to be exact!  It's been a whirlwind of activity the past couple of weeks.  We had fun times in fun places, and got to spend time with both sides of Grandparents, too.  You can't beat it!

I will try to avoid boring you with too many details.  Here was our Christmas week, with a "roll" of photos for you to peruse.  (Remember "rolls" of film?  24 photos!  Oh, and if you click on any of the photos, you can see them full-sized and JUST look at the photos.)

CRUISE.  We took a 7-day cruise on Carnival, to the Western Caribbean.  We left Christmas Eve.  The ship was huge -- I think it was 14 stories tall and the length of 3 football fields.  How something that size can stay afloat is beyond me.  It was like a small city.  4500 guests, and 1000 crew members.

AND I DIDN'T HAVE to COOK.  Did anyone ever say there was food on a cruise ship?  An embarrassing amount of food, I'll add.  An embarrassing amount of really GOOD food.  Enhanced, of course, by the simple fact that I was not in charge of planning the meals, shopping for it, bringing it home to unload, and preparing it.  My heart leaps for joy at the very thought. They could have served me grilled cheese for 7 days, and I would have taken it with a smile.

But we did NOT have to eat grilled cheese for 7 days!!!!!!!  (It was available, don't get me wrong.  I just did not eat any.)  Steak and lobster and chicken and fruit and pastries and juices and omelets and mongolian bar-b-que and soft breads and a whole slew of desserts.  24-hour ice-cream and pizza bar, too.  A ridiculous amount of really good food.  Our comical waiter also brought out stuff NOT ordered: "Here, kids, try the snails.  Here's a sample of alligator.  And don't forget frog legs."  Now the kids have tried them.

SWIMMING.  There were swimming pools, and fancy water slides for the kids to play on during the "at sea" days.  Here's a video of Frank going down the slide--sound and everything, if you turn it up!

COZUMEL.  First day to disembark, we spent on Cozumel.  (Now, the sidenote here is that Cozumel has some of the best scuba diving in the world...this, however, was not a scuba trip.  While that was a little disappointing, Frank consented to these other activities and still had a fun time.)

4-WHEEL BUGGIES.  We bounced around the jungle terrain on 4-wheel off-road buggies, you might call them, into holes and over hills and around curves and trees.  The more mud, the better, which Frank hit with as much speed as possible whenever possible.  He and Teresa were definitely the most covered when we finished.

BELIZE.  Second day to disembark: Belize!  This was our snorkel day, and Mom surprised me by saying that yes, she would indeed like to snorkel with us.  It was so cool!  We took a little plane to a little island.  A little boat took us out to where there were plenty of sharks and rays.  It was warm air, warm water...I can get used to 78 degrees, both air and water.  It was lovely.

We also took a little movie of the rays, while our guide fed them.  You can see David (black rash guard) and Teresa in the video.  And if you turn up the sound, you can even hear the bubbly sounds in the water.

ROATAN, HONDURAS.  Day three to disembark: Honduras.  They had iguana farms and a monkey farm that the kids wanted to explore.  Types of "petting zoos," if you will.  The U.S. has many rules and regulations that would probably make farms like this inaccessible to tourists.  But we went, and Frank counted 104 iguanas.  We fed them leaves and they looked like dinosaurs.

MONKEY FARM.  Drive the length of the little island, and next stop: mini animal farm!  They had a small variety, but the highlight was the monkeys.  One cage had 2 baby monkeys in it.  One climbed around and found Frank.  He held onto Frank's bent arm and looked up at his face.  Then he climbed into the crook of Frank's elbow and laid his head on Frank's forearm.  THEN...(wait for it)...this little monkey closed his eyes!  It was so cute you can't even imagine.  Here are monkey photos: Teresa, & Frank holding the monkeys.

RUINS.  The last day was back in Mexico, where we toured some ruins that none of us had been to.  Our guide was really great.  He explained the Mayan calendar, how they have 20 days in one unit, and 20 years in another unit, and 20 X 20 years in the largest unit of calendar measurement.  So, 2012 is the end of the largest unit, like 1999 was the last year of the melinneum for us.  But the calendar will keep going!  Just like there was life after the year 2000.

This is longer than I planned, and so I will finish this segment and do the Whitesell's house in Florida (New Year's Weekend) on another post.

We reminded the kids that this would BE Christmas...well you know what I mean...that they would NOT "also" have a bunch of gifts to open or anything.  We talked about it months ago, and the kids still wanted to go.  Then, after it was over, we asked them again...if we could rewind the clock 6 months, knowing what we know now, would you still like to have that trip "be" our Christmas, again?  All 3 said definitely, yes.  Success! :)

CHRISTMAS DAY.  It was really cool because Frank planned a "Sacrament Meeting" for us.  We had asked our Bishop previously, about having the sacrament on board.  He said usually you ask the local church leader for permission, but since we'd be "at sea" he could give that permission.

So we reserved a room to gather in, and left it open for any others to join us, in case there were any other members of the church on board.  It turned out that a really nice Catholic family came and since we were the only service on board, they asked if they could join us.  There was the Mom and Dad, and 3 college-aged daughters.

Frank and David prepared the sacrament with some condiment cups from the restaurant.  We read the Christmas Story from the scriptures, and sang Christmas carols.  Frank had his laptop and we listened to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.  It was a really neat meeting.  We won't have that kind of Sacrament Meeting again, will we!  It was a very nice way to remember the birth of our Savior.

Have a wonderful week!  Kari

5 Days until Christmas!

Hola--

The days are swishing by, getting us closer and closer to Christmas Day.  One good thing about living far away from people (??!?) is that you "have" to get your Christmas shopping done early.  Our frantic buy/wrap/package/tape days were 10 days to 2 weeks ago.  By now, the things that didn't get done?  Won't get done.  And that's okay!

I was browsing articles on http://www.usatoday.com/, and they had a whole album of Christmas at the White House photos.  Most of them are from this year, of course, but the last 10 or so were of U.S. Presidents of the past.  Almost every president had a dog, it seems!  Let's see if I can get this one loaded of President Kennedy and Jacqueline...  

I also liked this one of President Reagan and Nancy.

Well, we are also counting down...we get to go on a Christmas cruise this year, to take advantage of HP's "mandatory shutdown" between Christmas and New Year's Day.  My mom will come with us for a week visiting Cozumel, Belize, Honduras, and Costa Maya, then we get to visit for a weekend with Frank's parents, the Whitesells in Florida before we return.

We've had a mild November and start of December here in New England, but now the cold temps are here!  I look forward to the 70's and 80's.  I never get tired of that weather.

If I don't post again this year, Merry Christmas and Happy 2012!

Kari

Caroling, Decorating, Selling

December is here!  I love this month!  This time of year: the music, the festivities, and focusing on our Savior's birth.
Here are a few highlights of this past week:

CHRISTMAS TREE.  We did end up decorating the tree last week.  The Christmas music was playing for a little bit, then Frank remembered that Virginia Tech was playing.  We turned off the music and had football in the background.

Here we are in front of the mall entrance, downtown Boston.  They had these giant ornaments all over, inside, outside, hanging from the ceilings, stacked on the floors.  Who knows where they store them the OTHER 11 months of the year?

CAROLING.  The conductor for the Boston Pops was downtown (Boston) on Saturday, welcoming in the season with caroling and other various Christmas-y activities.  We went to listen and sing carols with them.  A sunny day, a little cold, but very nice.  (Kara's friend is in the middle.)

CHURCH TOUR.  And since we were RIGHT there, we walked next to the plaza where they were singing, to take a tour and learn a little about the Christian Science Church, also referred to as the First Church of Christ, Scientist.

(Just so you know, this is different than Scientology.  Tom Cruise was not there.)

Their church has its headquarters in downtown Boston.  Very beautiful, very large complex of worship buildings and administration buildings.  Now we know a little about how Mary Baker Eddy founded that church.

KARA SELLS.  Who knows where this came from, but our daughters like to sell things.  No, really.  For the past few weeks, I have been driving Kara to different neighborhoods in Wayland to (gasp) sell raffle tickets!  This is to earn money for "field trip scholarships:" So everybody can go on the Middle School field trips, even kids who can't afford the extras.

Since neither Frank or I have a single "Selling Bone" in our bodies, I am still shaking my head.  But she sold ONE HUNDRED and ONE raffle tickets!  Amazing.

She helped her class get the pizza party for Most Tickets Sold, AND she got 2nd place of top sellers in the school!  Very fun.

PRIMARY NATIVITY.  And lastly, Kara got to be the Angel Gabriel who told Mary that she would be the mother of Jesus.  Sunday the kids went to an assisted living home in a neighboring town, to sing Christmas carols and act out the events surrounding the birth of Christ.

Hopefully I can download some photos to go along with these.  Have a wonderful December week!

Kari

Married to a Black Friday Junkie

All families have a few skeletons in the closet.  Secrets they would be happy for the neighbors never to know.  There's always some habit or event that is a little sad and embarrassing, or even tragic, that has no real resolution, but just IS.

Our embarrassing event happens annually.  My husband doesn't really think he has a problem.  But he does.  I know it's coming, the end of every November.  I hope each year that he won't do it again.  But it's inevitable.  He can't help himself.  My husband is a Black Friday Junkie.

It starts on Thanksgiving Day.  He wakes up and says he's going out, to find a newspaper.  Normally we don't get a newspaper...we read our news on the Internet.  He has to find the Thanksgiving morning issue.

He comes home with the local newspaper, 25 pounds worth because of all the ads.  He spreads them out on the dining room table and starts perusing.  He circles the outrageously good deals, possible gifts or items of interest with a pen.  He knows the stores only have 3 of them.  He knows they are out to catch the consumer, to suck them into the store to just buy more.  He circles them anyway.

Then he plans out his route.  What time do the stores open?  Which stores are close to each other?

This year, the Target and Kohl's ads are extra enticing.  Instead of opening at 4 a.m. the Friday after Thanksgiving, they open at MIDNIGHT THANKSGIVING NIGHT.  What??  You don't have to go to bed at all.  Just stay up, and then go to the store for the deals.

After Thanksgiving dinner and socializing with friends, we make our way home.  The ads are still out on the table.  He peruses again.  I am so tired by 10:00, I go upstairs.  By 10:30 I am out like a light.

I open my eyes at 2:53 a.m.  The bathroom light is still on, like I left it.  His side of the bed is still empty.  I walk downstairs, hoping against hope that he just started a movie late, and it is about to end.  No such luck.  The basement is dark and quiet.  I shake my head.  He's gone shopping.

I go back to bed.  At 6:15 I open my eyes again.  Still no Frank.  At 6:30 I hear the garage door open.  He is back.

It turns out, Kohl's and Target pulled a trick and while the ad said midnight, they didn't actually open until 1a.m.  He waits with the crowds.  Then after shopping those 2 stores amongst the ridiculously large masses (at 1 a.m.-- literally hundreds of shoppers at 1 a.m.), it's after 3.  Home Depot opens at 4, and he's already there, right?  This is the warped rationale of an addict.  Get a yogurt and banana at Target, and there's only 30 minutes until the next store opens.

I wish it was different.  He decided not to go to bed when he got home.  He hasn't slept now for 36 hours.  I do my best to cover up this insane behavior to the neighbors.  I would get him professional help, but like I said, he doesn't think he has a problem.  I sigh and shake my head.

It's over.  Until next year.

Sprucing Up a School in Costa Rica

Hola!

Frank was in Costa Rica for work (Hewlett-Packard) a few weeks ago.  Part of their week was spent painting and refurbishing a school.  It was awesome!

They put together a short video of the day.  I'll see if I can load it.  I think I saw him 4 times during the video: painting, or in the group shots.

(If you watch it "full screen," it's a little grainy...)

squirrels, bruises, Babylon

Hola!

Here's a hodgepodge week for you!  I have a few photos which have nothing to do with each other.  But I'm going to post them anyway.

FAT, BOLD SQUIRREL:  Kara and David did such a good job carving our Halloween pumpkins this year...sorry no photos of the finished product, but one was a witch and the other a werewolf.  They were nice and detailed.  We put them on the front doorstep.

Then one morning I notice that they are all chewed up!  "SOMEone has been eating MY Halloween pumpkin," I can hear the little bear saying.

The next morning I open the front door and see this fat furry guy, sitting on top of the pumpkin chowing down.  He stopped chewing a moment to look at me, then went right back to chewing.  Even when I moved to get the camera, returned, and started snapping pictures, he kept on eating, giving me an occasional side glance.  "Are you still here?  You're kind of interrupting my breakfast."

YELLOW, GREEN, and BROWN.  These are the colors of my bruise on my face.  I set up the tripod and took these pictures so Frank could see.  He missed it, with his conference in Las Vegas last week.  The swelling went down a little in my cheek (caused by the mini surgery skin graft I had done in my mouth), to be replaced by awful colors and bruising on my cheek and jaw!  So, here's the proof that it really happened.  I didn't notice until I looked at the photos, that even under my eye looks yellow and bruised.  Poor me. (??!? It's almost all gone by now.)

HANGING GARDENS of BABYLON.  Kara is studying Messopotamia in Social Studies, and her current project (due Tuesday) is to replicate these Hanging Gardens.  Frank took on this one (bless you, thank you, thank you), by mapping out the project details with Kara, and taking her to the craft store yesterday.  Today he put in a full afternoon of coaching, while she drew the patterns, painted, used the carpet knife to cut, glue-gunned, decorated and put on finishing touches to this masterpiece!

So, that's last week in a nutshell.  Now we have a short week, a long weekend and time to be thankful, all mixed in between!

Happy Thanksgiving in 2 more days!  Kari

You Live, You Learn

Hola!

WARNING: TOOTH STORY.  (A little gross but not terrible.)

I hosted a Pity Party on Facebook yesterday.  But for the benefit of those who don't visit Facebook, and for my own record, I will tell the story here.  :)

PERIODONTIST.  Did you know they could do a skin graft in your mouth?  I know, it sounds WAY too gross, and it is!  But I had it done yesterday.  Why?  Well, long ago, I habitually brushed my teeth way too hard.  Something about thinking the harder I brushed, the cleaner my teeth would be.  NOW I know, that you really need very little pressure on your teeth when you clean them, to get them clean.

But there were a few years there, where I brushed really hard.  To the point of pushing my gums back a little, and now I have a few teeth where the root is slightly exposed.  This is bad.  Your gums support and hold your teeth in place.

So.  Yesterday my periodontist worked on the worst 3 teeth.  She took a tiny bit of tissue from the roof of my mouth and stitched it to the gum where it was receded the worst.  Now my own gum skin will mesh with that graft and make its own new tissue.

EEEeeewww!  I know.  Today my cheek is swollen and bruised a little, even though I have been icing it.  She put this putty stuff on the roof of my mouth to cover the strings of the stitches.  In a few days they will dissolve.

Enough of that!  But I haven't really been in a happy-skipping mood.

TERESA is FOURTEEN!  Happy Birthday to Teresa, on 11-11-11!

**Notice the candles on the pie: they make "11-11-11"**

November 11, 2011.  She had a sleepover last night, with pizza and candles in her Birthday Dessert Request, Butterscotch Pie.  I think they ate another 3 pounds of our Halloween candy.  (And there was much rejoicing.)

VETERAN's DAY.  Always sharing her birthday with her fabulous Aunt Pam, and the soldiers we honor on this day!  She's in pretty good company, then, for her whole life.  :)

LATE, QUICK AUTUMN.  The leaves have changed, now, and most are falling or have fallen.  Yes, in roughly a week's time (last time I said they were green and still on the trees), fall happened and is just about over.  Very strange this year.

Happy (long, in our case) Weekend!  Kari