Driving Home for Christmas

We leave our home and head west,

and cross mile after mile of seemingly endless highway.

There is no end in sight

as we pass countless semi-trucks and other vacationers.

After two days of driving, the landscape begins to change:

the hills get higher and sagebrush replaces winter’s barren cornfields.

We strain our eyes as we look towards the horizon

and finally see jagged mountain tops in the distance.

From the moment when the mountains appear

a subtle excitement feels the cab.

We know that a mere six hours away

we will find the warmth and love of family.

The final hours pass quickly as landmarks are pointed out

and childhood memories are shared.

Eventually we arrive at the home that centers in those memories

and as we disembark, the door is opened, and we join those memories inside.

Baking Cookies

Owen and I made cookies yesterday. Here's the story about the adventure:

First, we put on our aprons.

Second, we made sure that we had all the right tools.

Third, we added the ingredients.

Fourth, Owen watched all the ingredients mix together in the mixer.

Fifth, Owen tested the cookie dough to make sure that it tasted just right.

While Owen tested the dough, Mommy got the dough ready for the oven.

Fifteen minutes later - we had perfect cookies right out of the oven.

And last of all, Owen thinks that warm cookies are always the best to eat.

The Holidays Begin

So, I haven't really written much for a while - mostly because I haven't taken any pictures to go along with our life in a couple of months, so I guess I just need to catch up by writing.  November was a crazy and good month.  Bryce's show, Cabaret, came to a head.  This meant a couple of weeks of him spending 12 - 18 hours at work trying to get the sound and sets ready.  He was really busy and we didn't see him a lot, but we did try to visit him every other day or so at the University.  Owen loved going to see Daddy at work, and he became a favorite of the students as he ran around trying to help everyone.  Picture a two-year-old pushing a push broom that is twice as tall as he is, or trying to make an electric screw gun work.  They were precious moments that pictures wouldn't do justice even if I had taken any : ). 

Last week, we took a mini-vacation to Herrin, Illinois to visit our friends - Leslie, Captain, and Harvey Smith - for Thanksgiving.  We drove down on the 24th (Bryce's birthday) and then we all went out to dinner to celebrate.  We had delicious barbecue at the 17th Street Bar & Grill (a local, award winning restaurant).  The next day was Thanksgiving and we enjoyed spending it with our good friends that have become our family away from home.  Owen and Harvey played well together - mostly, and Owen didn't want to go anywhere unless Harvey came too.  On Friday Leslie, Harvey, and Judy (Leslie's mom), came home to St. Louis with us, since Judy had an early flight the next morning.  We had more fun with our friends and were sorry to say good-bye, since we probably won't see them again until some time in January.

After all of our Thanksgiving fun, Bryce and I have both taken turns being sick.  Bryce with an ear infection and a cold, me with just a cold.  We are both still a little bit under the weather, but have returned to a mostly functional state.  We have realized that Bryce only has two weeks of work left until Christmas Break and we are looking forward to the fun adventure that we will be having this winter.  We will be hopefully leaving December 12th and driving first to Northern Utah, then we're going to California for Christmas at Disneyland.  We will then go back to Northern Utah for a few more days, then we'll be traveling down to Southern Utah for New Year's and to stay for a couple of weeks.  Then "home again, home again, jiggity jig" in time for school to start on January 18th.  I have enjoyed Bryce's new job so far, but I think I will really come to appreciate the vacations that educators get to have.  He gets to have time to both work hard and play hard and I get to stay home and take care of my little family.  I really don't think life can get much better than this.

Book Review: Anne's House of Dreams

Anne's House of Dreams by Lucy Maud Montgomery

This is the fifth of eight books in the original Anne of Green Gables series.  I have loved these books since I was a little girl and I have recently started re-reading them.  I love the whole story from the day that Anne arrives with Mathew in Avonlea until Kenneth Ford comes home from war to find Rilla Blythe waiting for him in Glen St. Mary. When I was younger I related best to the young Anne in the first couple of books.  She had a great imagination, was always getting in to scrapes, and even dyed her hair green and nose red.  It also helped that one of my best friends growing up (Stefani Carroll for those of you who know both of us) also had red hair.  We would occasionally pretend that we were Anne and Diana. 

Now, as I am several years older, the wife of a college professor and mother of a wonderful little boy, I relate better to Anne Blythe, newlywedded to Doctor Gilbert Blythe.  I love the way that Ms. Montgomery adjusts the friendships that Anne has from those of a young girl to those of a young married woman.  Friendship is just as important as ever, and although you always cherish and remember fondly the friends you made while growing up, you make new friends that are just as important in your life now as the friends of your youth.  I love the characterizations of Captain Jim, Miss Cornelia Bryant, and lonely and tortured Leslie Moore.  As an adult, friendships can come from the most unexpected places, but if we keep our eyes and hearts open and aren't afraid to go out of our comfort zone to meet new people, we will be able to meet many people who belong to "the race that knows Joseph."

Halloween 2010

We had a wonderful and epic Halloween this year.  It was the first year that Owen understood what was going on and he loved the costumes, the trick or treating, and, of course, the candy.  He even mastered the art of "twick o tweet" and "tanks" as we went about our trunk or treating at the church and trick or treating at the zoo and around our neighborhood. 

The only ironic part about the holiday was his costume.  One of Bryce's favorite super heros is Batman, and Owen loves watching Batman cartoons with his Daddy, but when we took him to the store to choose a costume, he chose Superman over Batman.  (His second favorite costume was actually The Flash - Batman only rated 3rd favorite : )  Bryce and I chose to be pirates.

Another fun Halloween activity that we had was pumpkin carving.  Bryce carved one, I carved the other, but Owen was more interested in eating dinner than helping.  He did really like them once they were done though and was willing to pose with them on our front step.