A Year in Review ~ 2009

JANUARY

Mauri turned 8 and was baptized a member of

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

FEBRUARY

Britta performed with her high school cheer team
at the UCA Nationals in Florida


MARCH

We spent Spring Break in Moab --

riding horses, hot-tubbing, and visiting Arches National Park


APRIL

Shilo performed in the school musical OKLAHOMA --
She's in the green dress.
Mauri and I couldn't stop singing
"OHHHHHHHHHHHH-KLA-HOM-A..." for months


MAY

Britta graduated from Chaparral High School --
a bad weather day, but it cleared for the graduation ceremony


JUNE

Britta moves to Provo, Utah to attend BYU --

she had a whole month off before jumping back into school

JULY

Lexee went on her 4th Year hike for Girls Camp --

it was HARD.

AUGUST

Not much happened in August...
except for the first day of school.
Bill and the girls all left the house together


SEPTEMBER

We celebrated Taylor's ONE YEAR mark with enchiladas and these yummy ice cream bars...
they're from MEXICO!  (Really, Costco)


OCTOBER

Lexee began the cheer competition season --
Her team took first place in their League


NOVEMBER

Bill, Shilo and Lexee attended the BYU/Air Force Women's Volleyball game in Colorado Springs
The team signed tickets afterwards -- so FUN


DECEMBER

Christmas Eve -- another Syddall Family tradition:
new PJs
Our friend Cheyenne joined us


I hope 2010 is just as GOOD

A few of my favorite things

Gingerbread houses, Mar's festively dressed

Mondays -- an email from Taylor's the best

Choir concerts at Christmas -- I'm there for 13

These are a few of my favorite things

Visits from parents -- with crisp apple streudel..

Yummy, we even tried schnitzel with noodles

Spirit curls sure give those cheerleaders zing

(although Lex hates them)

These are a few of my favorite things

Girls in black dresses with pink satin sashes...

Snow days that keep all my kids from their classes

Tulip deliveries -- reminds me of Spring

(Thanks Jen)

These are a few of my favorite things

When housework bites

When stresses sting

When I'm feeling sad

I simply remember my favorite things

And then I don't feel so bad

Date Night

What do you do when your babysitters both accept paying jobs on the same night?

How about taking your baby with you?

We took a much-needed break from the Christmas chaos and enjoyed the movie THE BLIND SIDE.

Mauri didn't mind hanging out with her parents, and even liked the show.

Ahhh..... only 5 more days until Christmas.

Third Grade Trends

Mauri's third grade experience has been unique.

This year I've noticed some TRENDS among those third graders.

One of the latest fashion trends is to wear a Santa hat to school.

(The friend NOT in the Santa hat is NOT a third grader.)

Another recent trend: bring an exercise ball to replace your chair in class.

(The other three third graders here already HAVE their exercise ball at school.)

And they're off to another day at school. 

It has been an interesting phenomenon.

I can't wait to find out what the next big trend will be!

Wondering...

Mauri has been talking about Santa lately.

She has said things like,
"I just wish I knew if Santa was real..."

This has never happened to ME before. 

Years back Taylor had a talk with Bill.

"Alan says his dad is Santa."

Bill's response, "Well, that sounds pretty amazing.  Do YOU think Alan's dad is Santa??"

I'm not so quick.

I just gulped at Mauri's wondering, not really knowing HOW to respond. 

I finally managed to ask, "What do you think?"

"I don't know."

I can tell she's torn between WANTING to believe, and all the
talk, talk, talk

of her classmates at school.

It's made me a little sad. 

Our days of making that magic happen are numbered.

(Or maybe they are already gone.)

Courage

Shilo had another swim meet.
The entire week before she kept saying, "I can't wait until Saturday's over."  I could tell the anxiety was building.  
I told her that we would pray that she would do her best.
She said, "I'm just going to pray for courage."  

That morning we had Breakfast with Santa at the church, then we would head to Fort Collins for the meet.

She didn't enjoy the breakfast.

Or the 1-1/2 hour drive to the meet.

Or the wait once we got there.

Shilo is in lane 10 for the 100 Freestyle.

Preparing for the turn...

...and the first to touch the wall.

Shilo won two of her three heats, and proved to herself that she COULD swim a 200IM. She was glad to have the meet over, and happy with her efforts. I am impressed with her courage. In fact, I'm impressed with ALL of my children and their ability to overcome performance anxiety.

That is something I am still learning to do.

A Tale of Two Trees

We have had a "country tree" for as long as I can remember. 

Probably because I LOVE that old-fashioned, hand-made look. 

And I'm the mom, and I buy the ornaments and decorations. 

I have been collecting those country ornaments FOR YEARS. 

I have even actually made a few.

(I made those really cool clear balls with the image of Christ... one of my forever favorites)

(Another favorite... the dried orange slices.  I made those about 15 years ago.  Just sliced some oranges, borrowed a friend's dehydrator, and presto... ornaments that have lasted longer than I could have ever imagined.  They look SO COOL when the lights are on.)

This year Bill, Mauri and my Dad decorated the country tree.  I had absolutely NO INPUT. 

They only used a fraction of my ornaments.  But it still looks lovely.  It still evokes that modern-old-fashioned feel that I love.

A few years back, my children COMPLAINED.  They were tired of the country tree. 

They wanted glitz.  They wanted sparkle.

So, wanting to please my children, I started the collecting process again.

My first attempts at a more tradional glitzy tree failed miserably.

I hated those trees.  They just didn't "go."

Last year I was determined to "make it work" (as Tim Gunn would say)

So I visited my friend Alexa, who had very beautiful, sparkling, glitzy trees in her home.

She had taken a class.  She shared her secrets.

I found an ornament that I LOVED. 

I loved the colors. 

I loved that it centered on the Savior

(which is, after all, why we celebrate).

Last year, the tree turned out okay.  I only had so much in my budget to spend on it. 

I would need more ornaments, more sparkle, more stuff.

The collecting process begins.  Again.

This year I have actually had a few compliments on my tree.  It must look okay.

I didn't have ultimate control of the decorating... I had LOTS of help

(and we were hurrying to make the early movie... you know, it's CHEAPER).

But I think I'm going to like this tree.

It may even "work" for many years to come.

It "goes" with my house and the room it's in.

It has the glitz and sparkle desired by my children.

It has been worth the effort.

O Christmas Tree!

School of Hard Knocks

It is a Syddall Family tradition to take pictures on the first day of school...

When Lexee started this school year, she didn't realize that she would occasionally be attending 

THE SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS.

She had exciting things to look forward to:

Turning 16 (a brand new phone for her birthday!)

Getting her braces off

Getting her drivers license

But in the past month she has attended THAT school.

She left her phone unattended in the locker room for a few minutes...

it was stolen.

And then, if THAT wasn't enough, she gets a speeding ticket right after school, right BY the school (luckily NOT in the school zone).

Not only embarrassing, but involving long-lasting consequences.

She DOES get her day in court... with a parent...

I'll be sending Bill.

She will also be looking for a job to help cover those insurance costs.

Good-bye hair

After careful consideration, Shilo decided to cut her beautiful long, straight hair. 

Maybe because it was a little hard to stuff into her swim cap...

...maybe because she had to have her Dad help comb out the snarls after her shower...

...or maybe she's like most girls and just wanted a change.

We were all a little nervous when I put her long hair in an elastic and cut it off.

(Especially me, who thought maybe I had been TOO QUICK to cut, 

and had MAYBE cut off a little too much.) 

She plans to donate that pony-tail.

The results....

a happy girl...

...with awesome hair (still).

THANKFUL

Thanksgiving Day...

the food... the company... the family togetherness

Getting the table ready.  Shi and Lex did a great job!

Ready to eat.

The finale... the house-lighting ceremony.

Happy Birthday, DAD!

Thanks, Dad, for being such a wonderful man.  

Thanks for going to work every day to support and provide for your family.  

Thanks for getting up in the middle of the night to console me when I was afraid of sirens or bears.  

Thanks for helping me through troubled times.  

Thanks for your amazing example of diligence and patience.  

Thanks for your sacrifice and service, your forgiveness and love.  

I hope you have a wonderful day and know that I am thinking of you. 

 I love you.

You are the best.  HAPPY 70TH BIRTHDAY!!

Holiday anticipation

Mauri may just well be the next Martha Stewart.  

In her excitement for the upcoming Christmas season, and with her desire to "make something," 

she created this amazing likeness of Rudolf. 

To think you could make something this SUH-WEET with mere computer paper and tape.

I had "Thanksgiving Lunch" with Mauri at school.  Mar ate her cookie and roll.  I ate everything BUT the cookie and roll. 

We could have just shared.