happy new year

my ipod

So now I guess I am really cool because Doug bought me an Ipod for Christmas.

It's true that they are really easy to use...however, like things of similar ilk...they are really easy AFTER you know how. Which is what I have been learning. Since I didn't ask, nor even imply that I wanted an Ipod, I was quite surprised! But the even bigger suprise for me is how thrilled and excited I am about it. I have been busy downloading songs mostly from our old CD's. I have done close to 500 which means that I only have room for another 19,500. Oh well, I will have to cross that bridge when I come to it.

I have also uploaded my Windows Contacts list and a podcast. Ta da!!!

It hasn't all been a series of successes however. I still have an audio book sitting on my desktop waiting for me to figure out why it doesn't want to join the Ipod party.

When I registered with Apple, I couldn't help noticing that I was in the very last age group that they listed, which was 55-64. Okay, I am not actually 55 yet, but it will happen this year. I suppose they think that there are no circumstances under which you can be cool enough to have an Ipod after the age of 64? Or maybe it is because the audio book recommendation on their website advertises that you will look and feel 15 years younger after reading it...which drops me to nearly 40. That was a good time, but I am not so sure about going back there.

Brianna keeps asking to borrow my Ipod. No, No, No, No, No.

I tell her, "Sorry dear." I have a pretty short list of things that I don't like to share including my toothbrush, my makeup, my computer and the newly added item, my Ipod. Besides, taking her back 15 years puts her 3 years before birth, and I am VERY sure about not taking her back there. Which means, that Brianna will be getting an Ipod at approximately real age 33, or Ipod age 18, which would make me 76 and even with help from Ipod, I would still be outside their coolness range at 65.

In the meantime, I am enjoying the experiences that all this great technology has to offer!

christmas day

One of my favorite memories of this Christmas is the delight with which we all watched Clark. Tanner said what we were all thinking, "This is the best!" he exclaimed while watching his son. But for me watching him watch his son was equally great!!!

only one more sleep 'till christmas

Chezzie, Brianna and I made a Christmas Eve meal of turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, rolls and apple pie. Afterwards, for family home evening we:
played Christmas charades with Brianna
Tanner announced the name of their unborn child, "Andrew Douglas Nielson"
(you can imagine the delight with which that news was received)
I organized a scripture excursion looking up symbols of Christmas
Chezzie had us play a word search game
And Doug read to us parts of the Christmas story ala Susan Easton Black.

It was a lovely time!

saturday fun

Clark is busy entertaining himself trying on shoes.

Brianna went with Natalie to hang out at the kid's club at the Gaylord.

And Doug, Tanner, Chezzie and I entertained ourselves today by playing a marathon pinocle game that lasted 21 hands. Chezzie and Doug won in the end by pulling out a double pinocle.

goblin market

The Goblin Market is a wonderful restaurant in downtown Mt. Dora, that will always have a place in my heart because it was sitting at a table having lunch that Melanie spotted our house in a Homes and Land magazine.

Cherylyn, Mom and I had lunch there today. It was great!

ice

Last year, my friend, Mary Gronlund took me to see ICE! at the Gaylord Palms for a Christmas gift. It was wonderful, and I loved it so much that I decided to take my mom back to see it this year. When mom decided to have a go on the ice slide, I knew that I was in trouble! Down she came and a few minutes later, I followed. It was actually pretty fun, even though I was afraid.

Afterwards, mom took me out to eat at the hotel restaurant Villa de Flora, where it was Greek night. Loved it!

dance recital

Brianna did a great job!

me and my mom

It's been four years since she last visited me in Florida. She arrived safely today. Apart from the fact that we both have brown eyes, we don't look too much alike. That blessing belongs to my niece, Karissa.

However, when I saw her walking down the ramp at the airport, I decided that we are alike in other ways!

P.S. She did notice the draperies!

what would Jesus see

I have been thinking lately about the popularity of WWJD over the past years. When I was growing up, lessons in church focused on WWJS if he came to your house? We were taught to be clean and orderly, along with a recommendation for good books, magazines and pictures in our homes. Taking it to the next level, I always hoped that if Jesus came to my house, he would find a happy family striving to keep the commandments. Because, like my friend, Amy, says, if you arrive unannounced you will probably only find that the house is "pretty clean" dishes that are "mostly done."

I like having company for several reasons. We seem to get jobs done that have been hanging around the low end of the priority list for a while. Having the high council party at the beginning of December is a bonus because the lights go up and the house gets decorated for Christmas. These things did happen at our house before Doug was called to be the stake president and I have every reason to believe that they will happen after he is released. But I do like knowing (this year for example) that it will all be done by December 7.

My mom is coming this week--December 18 to be exact. The house has been decorated, since December 7 as I mentioned and it is "pretty clean." But then I got to thinking how I had never finished making the draperies for the room that she will be staying in. We've lived here six years now and surely I must have had time to finish that job at some point. But I haven't. So I decided this would be a good time to make that happen.
Here are the draperies laying on the bed waiting to be hung on the naked windows.

The matching twins on the other wall.







We have actually done many projects since my mom last visited. She will see them admire them all with enthusiasm. I don't know if she will notice the draperies or not. In any case, it has given me pleasure to finish them in honor of her visit.

WWJS? A daughter who is glad she came to visit. A daughter who is grateful for a righteous mother who's legacy of faith is currently touching the lives of three generations. I feel sure He'll like seeing that.

the golden compass

Months ago when our little book club read this fantasy, we planned our holiday outing to see the movie. Tonight was the event. About the movie, it stayed pretty true to the story, although, as is usually the case, the book was better. About the company, I truly enjoy being with this group. Thanks Mary, Melody and Debbie for a fun night!

rle staff christmas party

As part of the festivities, we were given gifts lottery style. Since I am normally quite lucky, this is okay with me. Last year, my number was the very last one called, but the gift was great. This year, we all drew numbers out of a bag early on and then hunted around to find the number that matched ours. I WAS lucky! My team leader was not...


I got at $25.00 gift certificate for Goblin Market, my favorite restaurant in Mt. Dora. Wahoo!

it's beginning to look a lot like christmas

it's that time of year

We have been working all week to get the house prettied up for Christmas in anticipation of the high council dinner party on Friday night.






The fabulous friends who served dinner actually asked to serve again. They are so awesome.












We had a wonderful evening together.

what is a meme?

Fellow Blog Readers: Please copy and post your own meme as I would love to read your responses.

Christmas Meme
1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper.


2. Real tree or Artificial? Real.

3. When do you put up the tree? I like to do it the day after Thanksgiving. One year when we lived in the UK, we bought it before Thanksgiving, which isn't a holiday there and they delivered it on Thanksgiving Day.

4. When do you take the tree down? Normally sometime after New Years. I am in no hurry.

5. Do you like eggnog? No. My mom made it from raw eggs in the blender when I was a kid and I always thought it looked and tasted disgusting.

6. Favorite gift received as a child ? My mom doesn't sew a lick. But one year she got together with a friend of hers and she helped her make dresses for me and my sister. They were the kind with big full twirlly skirts...loved it. And I loved that my mom made it.

7. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes. Many. I love them all.

8. Hardest person to buy for? Dan, Spencer and Tanner (I don't have boy experience.)

9. Easiest person to buy for? All my girls are easy to buy for.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail. I am also tempted to quit with the advent of blogger, but will probably keep sending out for a little while.

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? One year my dad bought some used restaurant chairs at an auction. What do you think I thought I was getting when they took us to the garage to see the present and pressed the remote and there were 4 very used chairs sitting there? We eventually gave them to our apartment landlord who was very happy to have them.


12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Muppet's Christmas Carol with Polar Express as a close second and I really like The Nativity movie that came out last year.


13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? I buy all year hoping to have most of it done by December so I can enjoy the holiday and also I like the feeling that I bought something specifically for them and not just for the holiday.


14. Ever recycled a Christmas present? Sometimes I get gifts from my classroom kids that get recycled, but only if they are decent and I think that someone will enjoy them more. For example, chocolate, which I don't eat at all.


15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Homemade cutout cookies.


16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? Clear.


17. Favorite Christmas song ? Angels Carol arranged by John Rutter and I especially like the Cambridge Singers although MoTab does a great job on it as well.

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? I love to be with family through the holidays, so whatever it takes.


19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Yes I can, and I can also do the entire Twas the Night Before Christmas by Clement Moore, which apparently my mother taught to me when I was four and I orginally "performed" for my dad's seminary class. I, however, have no memory of learning it and it just seems to be like it is something I have always known.


20. Angel on the tree top or a star ? Angel.


21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas morning.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? Commercial hype.

23. Favorite ornament, theme, or color? Nativities (see #7 above)

24. What do you want for Christmas this year? I want 3 pictures. One from each of my girls' families with their kids holding their Christmas stockings. And since I have my opportunity here...lol...I would also like someone to do lousy grunt work in the yard under my direction once a week. And I would like...J/K

a birthday celebration

Happy Birthday, Clark!

Papa is going to give him a couple of months to practice with those pedals before they have a race. However, if Clark is anything like his mom was on her big wheels it won't be much of a contest!