Christmas Breakfast and Dinner with the Egan Family

It was a busy but relaxing day. Grandma and Grandpa Cameron came for the customary breakfast. This year I made sausage/egg casserole with mufins and juice. We opened presents from G&G and they opened gifts as well. We ate early as we were having Grandma and Grandpa Drew for dinner at 2PM. Aunt Ellouise didn't make it in time for breakfast, but she came for dinner. Grandma and Grandpa Drew,Elizabeth, David and Henry arrived a little late, which was fine by me, since my oven had quit working for a time. The turkey was done, but I had other things to cook in the oven. They had trauma at home themselves, when Dad cooked the ham with the plastic covering still on. He had to clean the oven before they came. We had a huge feast, and we all even fit around my enormus dining room table! It was a nice day. The first we've stayed home all Christmas Day without going out.
The pictures are out of order, but here are Grandma and Grandpa Cameron. I had told them to come early because we were going to eat breakfast at 9AM, but when they weren't here by 8:45 I called. Grandma got confused and thought I said to come at 9:00. It all worked out and we had a nice visit and yummy food!!
The Egan clan with Grandpa Drew after dinner.

Christmas Day

Jenny loves getting church books for Christmas!!
Jon with Dad wearing his new lettermans jacket
Josh aka Santa's helper and chemistry set (watch out!)

CHRISTMAS EVE

Our Christmas Eve sounds alot like yours. We went to church and heard our beautiful choir sing the Christmas story. I enjoy it even more because Richard and Jon were singing in the choir. I usually do too, but my voice has not been up to singing since I've had 3 colds since early November. Anyway, the audience also participated by singing at different times with the choir. It was very moving and got me teary eyed as well, then I gave the closing prayer, barely hanging on to keep my composure. After church the kids made our usual neighborly calls to deliver plates of goodies for friends and neighbors (for Grandma Cameron too.) Around 4:00 we went to Art and Marilyns (Richards sister) for our annual Christmas Eve activities. Art and Marilyn have had us join their family for about 10 years now.We ate tacos, played out the nativity story and sang Silent Night, decorated Gingerbread houses and the kids exchanged gifts. Most years Santa also makes an appearance, but this year was waylaid by troubles at the North Pole. On our way home, we drove around in the pouring rain to see the lights in our neighborhood. It was a very busy day!!

Feeling the Spirit of Christmas

The multipurpose room made to look like a home with hundreds of nativities.

Festival of Nativities

A traditional part of our Christmas time is the annual Festival of Nativities our Stake puts on. This year was as spectacular as ever. Not only do we adorn the cultural hall with hundreds of nativities from around the world, the entire church is transformed into Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and scenes from home.
The Primary room is turned into Bethlehem with a huge stable, complete with hay, a manger and baby Jesus. The ceiling is transformed into a starry night and the walls adorned with scenes of old. People from throughtout the community can bring their children here to dress their children as shepherds, wise men, Joseph and Mary and pose in front of the stable. There are Christmas trees from each ward full of ornaments that each primary child has hand crafted. Lights twinkle as the children play with hands on nativities and puzzles acting out what might have happened that special night in Bethlehem.
The childrens nursery room was turned into a carpenters workshop with activities making little mangers complete with baby Jesus, coloring pages of nativity scenes, and other things. The room was filled with the smells of fresh cut pine and a real carpenter demonstrated how to sculpt with wood. The walls and ceiling again were covered to resemble Jerusalem. The chapel is filled with music throughout the 3 day display of nativities from school choral groups, ward choirs, and other talented individuals willing to share their talents. On the final day, a live nativity scene is played outside with a program and music for those brave enough to withstand the cold temperatures. (I was a wimp) It's a great way to begin the Christmas season.
a>

Josh: The Engineer

Joshua is always so creative. Here he is holding a model he built of the Tsunami that resulted from the eruption of the volcano Krakatoa. He's fascinated by weather: hurricaines, tornadoes, floods,....volcanoes, tsunamis, earthquakes and generally anything having to do with science. The model shows a rolling wave headed to the shore. Josh designed and did the entire thing, except cutting out the boards.
Last year he made an Incan bridge and a volcano found on Mars.
I had some good news yesterday. At my Weight Watchers weigh in I lost 2.6 lbs. over the holiday........that brings my total weight loss past 10 lbs!! It really hasn't been terribly hard even though Thanksgiving is a big eating day. I was thrilled!! It's a great diet because I can eat anything I want....but I'm learning to eat better.
More good news.....Jon learned today he was selected for ALL-STATE band. It will be in Seattle the last week in March. His lips will be sore for sure. He's doing pit Orchestra for the school musical....South Pacific started rehearsals this week......and he just got his Solo and Ensemble music. He's doing a solo and probably several ensembles like last year. Luckily he won't get the All State music until January.

SHOPPING MEMORIES

Melanie arrived at the house Thanksgiving evening and we spread out all the ads and made our lists. This year I'm at a loss as to what to get the kids, but I had no problem listing all the specials I could stock up on. I set my clock for 4:15AM, and for the first time since we've been shopping, I couldn't get up. Richard said I kept hitting the snooze button. I jumped out of bed at 4:45AM and off we went. We arrived at KOHLS by 5:15, but the parking lot was so packed, we turned around and headed to Fred Meyer's to buy our socks. Gone are the days when we were first in line and people tried to push past us to get the coveted shopping cart. We're getting too old.....
We haven't pinpointed the year in which we began this insanity.....we're thinking 19 or 20 years. The year I was pregnant with Jon we stayed out all day and my legs hurt so bad that I couldn't walk the next day (NO KIDDING!) and I had to miss a Temple trip I was scheduled to go on with the youth. I can't forget to mention the year when we literally drove around for an hour trying to get a parking spot at a mall in Oregon, then when we came out 4 hours later, we found Melanies car had burned up. That was a shocker. They had even been paging us in the mall, but we were oblivious as we loaded up our arms with packages.. Through the years we've started out at different stores... when we first started we would just meet a the designated spot. As the years went by we would spend the night with Melanies mom in Portland to be closer to where we would begin, but for the past 10 or so years, Melanie has spent the night here and we shop mostly in Washington to avoid the traffic. Like I said we're getting old. (Melanie lives in Rainer Oregon an hour from Vancouver)
Nothing has deterred us, not even Kristie and Barth driving all the way from BYU to see us. Kristie says we got her hooked. Such a selfish Aunt to leave my guests to go shopping. (I can always repent later).
Somewhere along the way we started wearing the matching outfits. Melanie usually buys them, hoping for my approval. She says I like the old lady Christmas sweaters, and since she doesn't, she buys them....always at a very good price. We wear them for a few years or until they wear out or we get tired of them. Sometimes we recycle them and bring them out of retirement. She has very good taste and I always approve of her choices. One year we started taking before and after pictures and then during pictures. We usually find some nice souls to click our pic as we wait in line like madwomen. We always run into the same people year after year and we catch up on news of the past year. You cannot believe the comments we get about our matching sweaters!! We usually get asked if we're sisters,which we don't mind, but this year I was asked if we were mother and daughter!!! (who did they think was the mother???)
When the kids were younger it would be a rush to get to all the stores for the specials we needed on toys or electronics. We were so glad when we didn't need to go to TOYS R US anymore. There, one of us would wait in the hours long line while the other shopped, then we would switch so the other one could shop. Then there was last year when I HAD to have the 50% off fabric for the quilts I was making for the kids. There was a 2 hour wait just to get the fabric cut, then another line wrapped around the store to pay. While waiting for our number to be called to cut our fabric, we quietly pushed our cart to what looked like a good location, I put my coat on top of it, and we went shopping at another store. When we got back one of us got in the long line to pay, while the other one got the the fabric cut. All in all that was a 3 hour purchase.
Now, life is easier, our legs are weaker, our lists shorter, but we still find it a thrill to get out there with the throngs of other crazy people.............
until next year!!!

GIVING THANKS

It's been a nice Thanksgiving weekend. Jenny arrived home at noon on Thanksgiving Day. We spent the day with Richards sister Marilyn and her husband Art and their kids and families. Joshua had a fun time playing with his cousins as they ran in and out of the rain and rode Uncle Art's motorized scooter. I was good not to eat too much food to upset my diet, but I enjoyed everything I did eat. After we got home Jenny found a Bill Cosby CD we had and we watched it and rolled with laughter as it talked about parenthood. We could really relate.
The only thing about not making the dinner here is that there are no leftovers.
But, I've tried to make some of Jennys favorite foods to enjoy before she goes back home to her busy college life.
We went to see Santa Clause 3 on Saturday night. We try to see a holiday movie each year and since we've followed the Santa Clause movies we were glad we got to go.
A few things I'm thankful for: my husband working, good health, hard working children, a beautiful home, the gospel in my life, a wonderful family!!

This is a picture of Jon when he was on his mini mission to Hermiston Oregon this past summer. He lived with the full time missionaries for a week along with a Priest from another Stake in Vancouver. He rode his bike, He had 2 flats during the week. He went on discussions and dinner appointments. The members treated them very well. One Sister gave Jon one of the new smaller quads and wrote a really nice note inside. He had a great experience. This picture was taken by his companion when Jon was outside reading.

The small picture is of Jon in the marching band. I didn't realize it was going to be so small, but I'm not sure how to take it off...or make it larger. This was the 2nd year he was chosen for a special part in the show. Here he performed with 7 others about midway through the show. He's kneeling in front.

I'm still trying to get over my chest cold. I stayed home from work on Wednesday, sleeping all day and never getting dresed, but went back today. Last week I lost my voice completely for 3 days. That's why I haven't written...I wasn't sure if you could hear me (ha ha!!)

This is AC the cat. She had about 15 brothers and sisters in the neighborhood that had multiplied several times. They had taken over our neighborhood. They were all captured and taken away, but AC was friendly and took to our family. She's about 8 months old. Josh named her AC for Attack Cat.........but she's never attacked anyone. SO, I call her AC for Angel Cat. Well, I guess you could say she's swatted Lady our dog a few times as they've been getting to know each other. She is basically an outside cat, but we've been bringing her in so she and Lady can become friends. We have a bed in the garage for her to sleep at night so she isn't too cold.

I've figured out how to put the picture on, now lets see if I can put things into writing.
This is my 50th birthday picture. The best ones were taken sideways, and I can't get them turned around to post right side up.............so, note the beautiful "mum" and crown that were made for me. Jenny gave me a cute photo album with some pictures of us that I'm holding up.
This afternoon another big storm has moved in. It dried out for awhile yesterday enabling leaf raking and outside work by Richard and the boys.
I'm hoping to find a nice digital camera with my birthday money, but I'm not sure when I'll get out to do it. Maybe the day after Thanksgiving there will be a good sale.

Well, I've navigated myself to be able to post a blog and have been trying to figure out how to find my pictures. I'll get it eventually, then WATCH OUT!!! I'll bore you to tears........

Yea!!!!
I'm trying to navigate my way through this "blog" thing!! I'm not sure how to decorate my page or anything. I just keep clicking on things and I got here. Once I get it figured out maybe I can post a picture or 2 of the "Big 50".