Thursday, December 31, 2009
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
A Christmas Carol
"I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach."
GHOSTS of CHRISTMAS PAST
"For it is good to be children sometimes, and never better than at Christmas, when its mighty Founder was a child himself."
Eric 12/88
Eric and Ryan 12/90
Evan, Eric and Ryan 12/92
The Hardesters 12/94
GHOSTS of CHRISTMAS PRESENT
"I am as light as a feather, I am as happy as an angel, I am as merry as a school-boy... A merry Christmas to every-body! A happy New Year to all the world! Hallo here! Whoop! Hallo!"
Elder Ryan Hardester 12/09
Eric, Evan, Claire 12/09 (and yes that's Jos - and Andy was on the field too)
GHOSTS of CHRISTMAS FUTURE
"His own heart laughed: and that was quite enough for him."
Eric - car designer extraordinaire
Ryan - music mogul
Evan - rich guy...with a dog
Claire - BYU student
"It was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us! And so, as Tiny Tim observed, "God Bless Us, Every One!""
GHOSTS of CHRISTMAS PAST
"For it is good to be children sometimes, and never better than at Christmas, when its mighty Founder was a child himself."
Eric 12/88
Eric and Ryan 12/90
Evan, Eric and Ryan 12/92
The Hardesters 12/94
GHOSTS of CHRISTMAS PRESENT
"I am as light as a feather, I am as happy as an angel, I am as merry as a school-boy... A merry Christmas to every-body! A happy New Year to all the world! Hallo here! Whoop! Hallo!"
Elder Ryan Hardester 12/09
Eric, Evan, Claire 12/09 (and yes that's Jos - and Andy was on the field too)
GHOSTS of CHRISTMAS FUTURE
"His own heart laughed: and that was quite enough for him."
Eric - car designer extraordinaire
Ryan - music mogul
Evan - rich guy...with a dog
Claire - BYU student
"It was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us! And so, as Tiny Tim observed, "God Bless Us, Every One!""
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Christmas Puzzle
This is not a standing tradition but sometimes we get ourselves (myselves) a holiday puzzle or two - one for passing pre Christmas time and one for after Christmas before the New Year, to finish New Years Eve or around then. This year I saw these really fun looking Folk Art puzzles. They were being sold at Costco - two in a bag. There was an assortment. I picked a Christmas scene and a San Francisco scene. Generally, I would wait to pull the puzzles out until the kids are out of school but this past Monday I was so bummed to find out that my missionary son may not get any of his Christmas packages until January! that I just wanted to do something simple. The Christmas puzzle won - it is a snowy village scene with lots of elaborately decorated Christmas trees.
So - I pull out the edges, and as I'm putting them together I notice one tree has "Ute" decorations on it. I wondered to myself "Are there other colleges that refer to themselves as Utes?" Ah Ha - on the other side of the puzzle I come upon a piece with a "blue U". I grab the box, to look closer - This is a Utah scene! Maybe Park City? Duh. A totally fun puzzle!
Ever heard of Eric Dowdle? He's the artist. This is his "Festival of Trees"
See the Ute Tree? We think there's a missionary bear on the "Bear Tree." Or are they Gingerbread cookies? We don't know...
On to BYU.
Is that a proposal going on near the "Family Tree"?
Look at the skiers!
Love the Savior.
Happy Day to everyone.
So - I pull out the edges, and as I'm putting them together I notice one tree has "Ute" decorations on it. I wondered to myself "Are there other colleges that refer to themselves as Utes?" Ah Ha - on the other side of the puzzle I come upon a piece with a "blue U". I grab the box, to look closer - This is a Utah scene! Maybe Park City? Duh. A totally fun puzzle!
Ever heard of Eric Dowdle? He's the artist. This is his "Festival of Trees"
See the Ute Tree? We think there's a missionary bear on the "Bear Tree." Or are they Gingerbread cookies? We don't know...
On to BYU.
Is that a proposal going on near the "Family Tree"?
Look at the skiers!
Love the Savior.
Happy Day to everyone.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Hot Chocolate Talk
"What Christmas songs do you love the most?" Blog amongst yourselves...
What brings back memories? What are your new favorites? What makes you verklempt?"
As for me - Gotta love Barbara! It's not Christmas without her! "Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle all the way..." no breathing allowed during this song.
Andy Williams is also a must for me.
Amy Grant makes beautiful Christmas music.
"Grown up Christmas List" (her's was the first I'd heard of this song)
"Breath of Heaven"
"Heirlooms"
"A Christmas to Remember"
"Christmas Lullaby"
"The Night before Christmas - "...but you don't have to be an angel to sing harmony. You don't have to be a child to love the mystery and you don't have to be a wise man on bended knee. The heart of this Christmas is in you and me..."
I could go on and on with Ms. Grant - I love her music (plus I think she's an alto, thus it is easier for me to sing with her music...)
Carpenters! (another alto!) "Happy Holidaaaaaays....."
Love the soundtrack from "Elf"
Relient K - "12 Days of Christmas" This is on a "NOW that's what I call Christmas" CD - it's rockin' - and some screaming which I don't like but it's fun and crazy and reminds me of my crazy rockin' garage band kids.
"...what's a partridge? and what's a pear tree? I don't know so please don't ask me
but I can bet they are terrable gifts to get.."
MoTab - everything - beautiful - and even fun - such as the 12 Days of Christmas "A Musicalogical Journey Through the Twelve Days of Christmas" each day representing another genre of music through time i.e. On the first day of Christmas...is a Gregorian chant and the last verse is played out in the grandiosity of a Sousa march!
And Josh Groban! I waited and waited and finally he came out with a great album and I was not disappointed. It was an instant favorite.
"Angels we have heard on High"
"Noel"
"Thankful"
You can see, I have lots of favorites. Music is such an important part of my Christmas. I will always cherish my memories of singing with my family - caroling to friends, riding to Sacramento, standing around the piano. I still sing those harmonies. They are a part of me.
Happy holiday listening and singing and harmonizing...
Love you all.
What brings back memories? What are your new favorites? What makes you verklempt?"
As for me - Gotta love Barbara! It's not Christmas without her! "Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle all the way..." no breathing allowed during this song.
Andy Williams is also a must for me.
Amy Grant makes beautiful Christmas music.
"Grown up Christmas List" (her's was the first I'd heard of this song)
"Breath of Heaven"
"Heirlooms"
"A Christmas to Remember"
"Christmas Lullaby"
"The Night before Christmas - "...but you don't have to be an angel to sing harmony. You don't have to be a child to love the mystery and you don't have to be a wise man on bended knee. The heart of this Christmas is in you and me..."
I could go on and on with Ms. Grant - I love her music (plus I think she's an alto, thus it is easier for me to sing with her music...)
Carpenters! (another alto!) "Happy Holidaaaaaays....."
Love the soundtrack from "Elf"
Relient K - "12 Days of Christmas" This is on a "NOW that's what I call Christmas" CD - it's rockin' - and some screaming which I don't like but it's fun and crazy and reminds me of my crazy rockin' garage band kids.
"...what's a partridge? and what's a pear tree? I don't know so please don't ask me
but I can bet they are terrable gifts to get.."
MoTab - everything - beautiful - and even fun - such as the 12 Days of Christmas "A Musicalogical Journey Through the Twelve Days of Christmas" each day representing another genre of music through time i.e. On the first day of Christmas...is a Gregorian chant and the last verse is played out in the grandiosity of a Sousa march!
And Josh Groban! I waited and waited and finally he came out with a great album and I was not disappointed. It was an instant favorite.
"Angels we have heard on High"
"Noel"
"Thankful"
You can see, I have lots of favorites. Music is such an important part of my Christmas. I will always cherish my memories of singing with my family - caroling to friends, riding to Sacramento, standing around the piano. I still sing those harmonies. They are a part of me.
Happy holiday listening and singing and harmonizing...
Love you all.
Monday, December 7, 2009
"Snow? In San Jose?"
Welllll, sort of.
This is a "foothill" in front of our "big" mountain - Mt. Umunhum. It is cold here. Ha - I know you're all saying "boo hoo" but it is cold. And the snow of course is exciting. And it is supposed to be colder tomorrow.
This is a shot down our street.
It's the same foothill just a different view - I'd say it could have been snown close to the land fill.
OK - I found this picture - see that very first foothill? That is where our snow is!!...was...
This is a "foothill" in front of our "big" mountain - Mt. Umunhum. It is cold here. Ha - I know you're all saying "boo hoo" but it is cold. And the snow of course is exciting. And it is supposed to be colder tomorrow.
This is a shot down our street.
It's the same foothill just a different view - I'd say it could have been snown close to the land fill.
OK - I found this picture - see that very first foothill? That is where our snow is!!...was...
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