Happy Birthday, Mac!

Our grandson McKallister would have turned 6 months old yesterday! It's been 6 months of tears, laughter, fear, comfort and family. Thanks, Mac for the best 6 months of our lives!!

What a FANTASTIC Christmas!!

We certainly can't complain about our Christmas this year! We had decided early on to make this a more Christ-like Christmas and not worry about the hustle and bustle of buying gifts for everyone, but giving more of our time, to each other and others in need. It's a good thing, too because I got bronchitis and a sinus infection, and all I wanted to do was lay around. So it was a good thing I didn't need to shop for last minute items - since we didn't have first minute items either!! Mike had to work on Christmas Eve, but got home in time for us to head down to Lehi where some of Josh's family lives and spent a few hours with them. Santa was already there, and handing out gifts. Alex got a light saber - which is awesome since he loves being 'the Star Wars kid.' (He doesn't realize that's not necessarily a good thing!) Then Santa had a special gift for Mac. That's right! Mac got a gift, too. It's a temporary grave marker, which when he gets his real one, this one can just sit on a shelf at Cali and Josh's house. It's beautiful!!

Christmas stockings and decor!

This weekend we had our 'family Christmas party' and made Kierra's and
McKallister's stockings to put on our fireplace, and each kid decorated a Christmas ornament to put on their tree for this year. Our fireplace is getting full!! But it's nice to see our family grow. It was sure fun to watch everyone make their ornaments; Taylor took 2 hours, and it still wasn't up to her specifications, Cali took almost as long and put the whole year's events on hers. Kierra was right up there on the time, but she was extra creative and put crinkled paper in her ornament. Josh and Alex's ADHD kicked in fairly soon so they ended up playing the Wii together after making their art, and Colby just sat and stared at his, then finally decided to make some goodies. After eating dinner, we played a few rounds of Phase 10..... one of these days we're going to actually play an entire game! There is nothing better than spending time with family. I just wish we could do it more often!! I love you, guys!

Happy 12th Birthday, Alex!!

Wow! He's really 12! He woke up soooo excited saying, "I'm 12. I pass the Sacrament!" (We'll see about that!?!) Last night we took his best friends to play laser tag and had a great time! We decided that game is Alex's forte.... shooting guns and hiding. Before we had cake, the workers at Laser Quest 'shot' Alex with their toilet paper gun while we all sang happy birthday. It was awesome!! (You could really toilet paper someones house good with that thing!) Today at school we held a mini party for the last day of school before winter break AND his birthday. First the class sang happy birthday while Alex showed off his fantastic dance moves. Alex passed out Ding Dongs for his treat while big sister Taylor painted a little something Christmas-y on every one's cheek. They loved it!! We then checked Alex out of school and had lunch with Mike and Brendon. So far, a great day!! He's ordered steak for dinner. We'll have to see about that, too! HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALEX!!

5 MORE DAYS!!!....

... until Alex turns 12! What's happening to my babies? Two of them married, one of them a mom, the 'first' baby in college, and now this!?! What happened to the kids I used to have to help into the car? Now they help me get things down from high places. What happened to the kids who used to fight if they were in the same room together for too long? Now they set times to actually do something together. And what happened to that chubby little boy that moved into our house 8+ years ago that never talked, had snot streaked from one ear to the other with a thick river flowing down to his mouth, followed by a drip of drool down his chin? He's grown into a fine, young man that still cuddles with his mommy, can blow his own nose and seems to never stop talking or singing. AHHH! Life is good!!

Alex has had it rough lately!

We put Alex on some different anti-anxiety meds because he was dreading school so much he would worry as soon as he got off the bus about the next day at school, but it has done the opposite. It's made him very aggitated, even aggressive. That's not my boy! He was only on it for 2 weeks, but the pharmicist said it may take 2 weeks to get out of his system. I've kept him home from school today, and probably tomorrow, just to let him relax, but keep him in your prayers. The poor kid has enough to go through without having to be frustrated all the time!!

Activities # 2 and 3!

I said in an earlier post that we are doing a bunch of family activities for Christmas this year, and yesterday we were able to do 2 more things. First I must say how proud I am of Mike and Colby. After not picking up a trombone for at least 3 years, they performed at our ward Christmas breakfast with the Johnson men and did a fantastic job!! It was the best part of the party! Then the whole family met at our house for lunch and we headed over to The Festival of Trees. For those of you who don't know what that is, anyone can decorate a tree, whatever size they want and however they want, and then they are on display for a week. People can come and just look at the trees or actually buy one and all the proceeds go towards Primary Children's Hospital. It's a great fundraiser and a good way to get in the holiday spirit. This year was a little different for us in the way that we were looking for ideas so we could decorate a tree next year in memory of Mac! I guess that was a little too much for me, because by the end of the festival, I was in tears. Memories just flooded me; making a tree 9 years ago in honor of my nephew who was barely alive after open heart surgery; the days / weeks I spent at the hospital with Alex the first 3 years after we adopted him; Mac. It was nice spending it with the family, and I think Josh and Cali got some good ideas, but I was an embarrassment to the family once again! Once home, we went up to visit Mac and decorate his grave for the holidays.

All in all, a nice time getting into the holiday spirit. I hope and pray that we can all feel the true meaning of Christmas this year, and enjoy the love of family. I am so grateful for the family I have; the one that raised me, the one I married into, and the one that I have been honored to raise here on this earth. I am one lucky lady!!

Christmas Box Angel - Candlelight Vigil

Last night we were able to attend the 14th annual Christmas Box Angel Candlelight Vigil. It was beautiful!! So many people who have lost children.... and we are honored to be a part of that group. A friend of ours, Julie Williams spoke at the vigil. She is the sweet lady who treated Mac so kindly while she took his picture after he was born. We didn't know her until that point, but she has made an everlasting difference to us and will always be considered our friend. Thanks to all who played a part in this remembrance, and may God bless us all with comfort during this Christmas season!!

Our first 2008 family Christmas activity!!

In my eyes there is nothing more beautiful than the Salt Lake Temple, but add a bunch of Christmas lights, and the result is unbelievable!! (Notice the flag in the 2nd picture is at half staff. That is in memory of Elder Wirthlin who passed away the evening before. Good for you, Elder Wirthlin!!)

As a family we have decided to spend more time together this Christmas season and forgo the busy, hectic Christmas rush searching for gifts. Our first activity was to go to Temple Square and look at the lights. The ride on Trax was most memorable, and a definite 'blog moment'. A young man boarded a few stops after ours, and was very festive; his hair was in spikes all over his head, he had so many tattoos that they all blended together, he was wearing tight, girl pants, which is probably a good thing because he had so many chains dangling from the pockets that if they hadn't been tight, they would have been falling off! Luckily, Alex didn't see him when he got on. I say "luckily" because as soon as we all saw this gentleman, we all were worried about what Alex would say. PHEW! Nothing!! At least for 10 minutes, then he got a good look at this character. Alex turned to me and said, "Nice costume!" The attention was quickly diverted from pokey hair to 2 more men that entered the train; the first a tiny man who looked homeless, and the second man still smoking his cigarette. Wrong thing to do around Alex!! The first man just went 1 stop, so stood up soon after sitting down and walked toward the door preparing to leave, just as Alex got the guts up to say - or should I say yell - "NO SMOKING!!" The smoking man didn't hear him, but the poor tiny man stopped, looked at Al, and said, "I'm not smoking. Smoking is dumb!" To which Alex replied, "You tell him!" This was a very serious confrontation, and Alex meant what he said!!

Well, we thoroughly enjoyed the beautiful sights at Temple Square and headed home later in the evening back on Trax. Alex noticed his reflection in the window and sat and pulled funny faces at himself - and at the people in the cars sitting near the train that Alex couldn't see because they were in the dark. I'm sure more than one person replied, "Look at that funny looking kid!" Then, Alex realized his buddies weren't on the train, and asked, "Where's porcupine guy!!"

Gotta love it!! So, Merry Christmas Porcupine Guy, Smoking Man and Tiny guy!! Hope you enjoyed your evening as much as we did!!