In the Bleak Midwinter

Here is a glimpse at the past several weeks - busy holiday weeks - with the Melton family.

At a local assisted living home with what seemed to be about half our ward - while our kids performed Christmas piano music for the residents.

Tillman

Sully & Grace

Untitled from Angie Melton on Vimeo.

Untitled from Angie Melton on Vimeo.

Making pomanders with Grandma Melton - always a favorite tradition

I discovered on Christmas Eve that our tree was actually sprouting new buds! Unbelievable. At this point (3 days into January) we made a decision to leave the tree up for now. We can't bring ourselves to get rid of it when it is thriving - and apparently the tree thinks it's spring. Maybe we'll take it out and plant it when the snow thaws. Ha ha ha.  

The numbers for our Sullivan family Christmas Eve dinner grew this year to overflowing - almost 50. There was no longer room in the inn - so to speak. We were able to schedule a church building last minute to accommodate the Sullivan crowd.

But then I had to figure out how many potatoes we would need to peel to feed that many. Logistics. Luckily we buy the 50 pound sack of dirt crusted Idaho potatoes every fall from the neighborhood high school marching band members - so we had plenty. Tillman and Noble helped me peel them. Noble really got into a potato-peeling zen. I had to stop him from peeling interesting shapes & sculptures because too much potato was going to waste. At one point he asked, "If peeling potatoes paid really well I think I would like that job. Do you think it could be a career?" Oh I love this boy.

Potato shark

Here is part of the crowd at the church and the stage set for the nativity. Some people were disappointed that the nativity would not be housed in the barn as has been family tradition, but this venue had it's benefits. While there were no neighing horses, and candles, we were all warm, and Mike's Mom (who is allergic to horses) and Great Grandma Gertie were able to attend in comfort.

I'm not going to say this little angel was the best part of the night, but... oh, Little E. melts my heart.

About a week before Christmas Grandma Gertie came by the house. We talked about Christmas Eve plans - and as she was leaving I got an idea and asked her, "Grandma, would you be the Angel of the Lord for the nativity?" Always the good sport, she said she would. Beth wrote her into the cast - and there you go. Here she is with the angels and shepherds and Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus.

Christmas Eve family devotional. 

As per their tradition, the four oldest slept together in the basement family room, and watched Lord of the Rings. The little boys had their own "brothers' room evening" (something Noble implemented with Tillman when they were little - like Family Home Evening - but just for themselves).

Meanwhile, Mike and I were up late to make sure Santa made it. As we finished preparing for Christmas morning I looked out the front door to see that a quiet snow had been falling (another foot would fall before midday on Christmas). Everything was so peaceful it filled me with happiness and wonder. All was right with the world.

Mainly for Grandma and Grandpa Sullivan's benefit (since they weren't here to make Christmas morning rounds)... 

The little boys in their shared Christmas gift

New long boards for the big boys

Jessie got a pass to Snowbird and a new helmet and goggles

Grace with American Girl "Grace"

After opening gifts we spent Christma morning digging out (and digging the neighbors out) and roasting a turkey for our Christmas Day feast with the Meltons and some of Mike's cousins' kids whom Mike invited last minute.

December 26 we drove to BYU  MOA to see the Norman Rockwell exhibit with Jacque, Howard and Tim. I took this picture of Rockwell's painting of Icabod Crane before I got busted. I loved it!

After the museum we stopped at Zao (one of our favorites) for lunch.

...this was the mirror in the bathroom.  :)

Not everything went like a fairy tale this Christmas break....speaking of breaks...The main water line to the barn broke. We spent the coldest days of the winter so far hauling buckets of water for the horses, and then digging in freezing, sticky mud to help repair the line. All respect goes to Roy, the man with the will, the skill and the drill - he saved the day. Mom and Dad, you may want to write a little something extra for him into your will for his many sacrifices. That's all I'm going to say.

The muck crew.

Noble's contribution

We've watched our share of football of course. Who were we rooting for? It goes without even being said...

The man and his dog (River wearing his team colors - a timely Christmas gift from Santa)

Mike's new obsession - making wings. He prepared 4 different varieties for the big New Year's Eve game. Finger licking good.

Sully spent much of his Christmas break reading. Here he is with one of his new Minecraft series books.

New Year's Day we took those who wanted to go snowshoeing/hiking/sledding up at Neff's Canyon. I always want to plan a more adventurous day of snowshoeing, but somehow life gets in the way - and we end up compromising on a shorter (more well-beaten) path. It's all good. The sky was beautiful and the sledding fast!

...and the pho at Oh Mai afterward was so yummy!

We wish you all a happy 2016! 

Holidays

I've gotten behind again.  As you can imagine, lots has been going on this time of year.

We spent Thanksgiving in St. George with the Melton's. It was a very relaxing 4 days of food, laughter, football at the park, shopping, playing with our little cousin, red rocks and football on tv. It was wonderful!

Those handsome Melton men...

...and beautiful Melton women

We drove through the first snow storm of the season getting back to Salt Lake, and since then we've had several good winter storms drop about a foot of snow, putting us all in a festive mood. In contrast to recent years, we've had a lot of beautiful white stuff this December. The snow blower is getting a workout and the kids are having a ball, spending hours every day sliding on it and building with it.

Mike at the controls...one of the best purchases we've ever made - we'd never get this giant drive way cleared without it.

I love this picture of Sully running next door for his piano lesson - snow and Christmas lights on our cozy street.

With our backyard hill finally sodded this past summer and the rock wall finished - our dreams of backyard sledding have finally come to fruition. 

With the backyard sledding hill and this 6 ft high x 12 ft long snow cave that Noble and the Dos Bros (the two boys next door) worked into the night to build (they used almost all the snow in our front yard - see the grass?) - our house has become a winter recreation destination for neighbor kids from far and wide. I'm just a little nervous about a cave-in risk as the weather warms up - that is a LOT of snow.  

Getting ready for Christmas. This year Mike's wish for a taller tree was granted with an 11.5 ft alpine fir from the Peterson Farm tree lot. I know I say this every year, but this is my favorite tree ever. We each decided on a "gift to the Savior", a commitment to improve something in our lives, wrote it on one of these paper angels, and hung them on the tree.

Sully and Abner putting on their own Nativity puppet shows. 

This year's ginger bread creation

And thanks to the older kids  (GRACE), the little boys are treated almost every morning to a new elf adventure. I totally don't have energy or patience for this kind of thing...I only bought the elf a few years ago - NOT the official Elf on a Shelf - because I thought it would be a cute, stationary, addition to the decor. Grace has brought us to another level. Here is the elf (it doesn't have a proper name as so many do) - Mission Impossible-ing over our dining table. The boys love it...so kudos to Grace on her care and attention. It won't be many more years before this type of magic at our house is a thing of the past.

Other winter goings on - these two cooking it up in the kitchen with Grace, and Abner falling asleep in my arms one afternoon (that is very rare these days - I savored every moment)

Grace and Emory started basketball. Grace loves it! 

We made it to Logan for little cousin Maven's blessing. What an amazing day! (Her dress was so lovely.)

 We also made it down town to see the lights (in a down pour of rain) which made standing in line outside the Lion House for dinner impossible - so we opted for the empty Jimmy Johns across the street, and did a speed tour of the lights on our way through Temple Square to the newly designed Church History Museum instead. (The kids LOVED it!). We didn't get any pictures in the bustle and  the rain.

Today I got to enjoy the school Christmas programs at the Montessori school. Tillman's class hosted a  Central and South American cultural / holiday presentation. They sang Christmas songs in Spanish and Tillman was blending and handing out samples of Dulce de Leche.  Here is Sully's class doing "Boogie Woogie Blitzen".


Christmas program from Angie Melton on Vimeo.

But THIS is why we rejoice... the gift of Christ and his atonement, the gift of the spirit that fills us with wonder and hope and gratitude and JOY. I took this picture at the Oquirrh Mountain Temple yesterday after I walked out to this glorious winter scene.

WE ARE BLESSED. SO BLESSED! 

Halloween in the Valley of the Shadow of Death

About a week after we got back from our trip Mike contracted the plague. It turned out to be a case of strep on top of a some nasty virus that sent stabbing pain through his stomach and chest intermittently (especially if he tried to eat). So even after we managed to beat back the strep with antibiotics, he was still totally incapacitated for another week. He went days without eating. I started to get worried. I wondered if I should take him to the hospital because he just wasn't eating at all.

He couldn't eat my homemade chicken soup (too thick), no toast, no mashed potatoes, no shakes...(but he did try a little homemade egg nog that I made him at Mom's suggestion). He got to where he could eat the mostly broth canned chicken soup, and even though he rolled his eyes when I brought home the kind of supplemental geriatric shake that is designed to help sick old people gain weight (he kept calling it weight gainer), I knew at least he was getting some calories and nutrients. 

He survived on these two things, plus saltine crackers for 3-4 days. 

He dropped 12 pounds before he turned a corner and came back (little by little) to the land of the living.  The first day he was able to go back to work (he missed about 4 days - on top of our week in Nauvoo - ouch) he called me and announced gratefully that he felt like he was at 50%. He's still a little weak. This has sure made him grateful for his health (and me too!).

Because Mike was so sick he mostly missed out on all the Halloween festivities: the Ward Trunk or Treat, pumpkin carving, the family Halloween party, and Halloween trick or treating. He also had to cancel our planned family trip to Goblin Valley right before Halloween (I was so relieved - I was not looking forward to cramming that into an already super busy week and month).

Carving our pumpkins

Ward Trunk or Treat - the best costumes of the night - Bill S. Preston, Esquire and Ted Theodore Logan (Jess and friend)

Family Halloween Party - Minnie Mouse and Day of the Dead girl

Noble with Baby Maven

Neighbor friends ready to Trick or Treat!

So grateful for neighbors who took our little boys Trick or Treating because they knew Mike was out of commission and I needed to be at the helm with the candy bucket.