Christmas.... 2010

Christmas has always been a magical time of year for me... I just love the music, and the glittery decorations, and the pretty lights that color the cold winter sky.I love the look of houses buried in fresh sparkling snow, and their fireplace smoke clouding the sky. I love finding the perfect gift for the ones I love, doing a little charity work, and spending as much time as possible with family. And I definitely LOVE the cooking, food, and candy!!!

This year was a hard year for us during the Christmas season. We didn't have any money to buy gifts for others or each other, and I almost had to miss Christmas Eve with the Garcias, and Christmas Day with the Georges because of my job... but more than anything the hardest part of this holiday season, at least for me, was not having children. Celebrating the birth of a baby has never been such a hard pill for me to swallow... but this year, for whatever reason, it REALLY was. As more and more of my friends and family enjoy their little ones around me I get more and more depressed that I cannot experience that joy too. Everyone says maybe one day and to not lose hope.... but that is easier said than done.

We somehow managed to help my family donate to a young child from the Angel Tree, and also had them help us send some things to Ben's nieces and nephews in Mexico. It felt good being able to give something to those in need, especially when it was extra hard for us to come up with the money to do it, because it really meant more to us that way. We had a nice feast at the Garcia house on Christmas Eve, and enjoyed a house full of noise and chaos since it was one of the few times almost all the siblings were under one roof together.We went to the George house for Christmas morning and found a few gifts each to open there. We truly felt blessed for both families and their gifts to us.

The best present and event that took place this Christmas though was the call from our missionary! Jeff got to call and talk to us for 40 minutes on Christmas morning, and it was so nice to get to hear his voice again after 2 long months without him. We talked about recent events in our lives, and exciting experiences and adventures he had endured... and the time flew by SO quickly. I can't wait to talk to him again in a few months!

All in all, as I am slowing taking down the decorations and putting them back in their boxes and reflecting upon the holiday season, I would have to say it was both one of the best and one of the worst I have had to date. It definitely makes me look forward to a new year and what the future holds... and makes me hope for the better.

Happy Thanksgiving Family!

This year was the first time in more than 10 years that I have been able to attend the annual Thanksgiving dinner at my Grandma Scherbel's house. My husband and I were both EXTREMELY excited to go, especially since I hadn't been in so long, and because he had never been... so needless to say it was something we were looking forward to for several weeks ahead of time!

Of course just because we had gotten our hopes up things got in the way, and we almost ended up not going. First Ben's truck window stopped working and got stuck down in the middle of winter, so we were forced to shell out the money to fix it.... and that money was what we were planning to use for gas money. Luckily though my parents wanted us to be there as badly as we did, and offered to cover our gas costs so we could still make it.

After that issue was resolved we got news of an expected "blizzard" that was expected to hit Utah the night before we were planning on heading out. I thought for sure we were going to be stuck at home for the holiday while we brought some extra firewood inside and prepared for the storm. We waited and waited, and sure enough it came as predicted..... but after a few hours it was gone and only left a few inches of snow behind it! I was very glad this so-called "blizzard" ended up being a dud so we could still leave as planned.

The roads were quite icy on the way to Blackfoot, and a little dangerous... but we made it safely to my Grandma's house the night before the feast. Thanksgiving day was just like I remembered it being.... waking up to the smell of TONS of delicious foods, coming downstairs to find dozens of warm freshly baked rolls and pies lining the counter top, turkey roasting in the oven, and Grandma in the kitchen making it all look so simple and effortless. We had a huge feast of all the delicious foods, and enjoyed reuniting with aunts and uncles, and a few cousins too.

We came home and spent the last day of the long weekend recuperating from our food induced coma and laziness to prepare for work starting early Monday morning... but man is it hard to find motivation after relaxing and stuffing your face for three days straight!

It was so nice to be able to spend the Thanksgiving holiday enjoying family and food, and sharing a family tradition with my husband too. In years past I have tried to make a feast of my own for my husband and siblings that weren't able to go to Idaho for the holiday, but never have achieved such a grand feast as my grandma! She has always been and will always continue to be my idol and my personal hero... I hope one day my cooking and skills as a woman can be compared to her!

Grandpa Wixom's Funeral

A sketch of Grandpa 

About an hour after I got to work Thursday I received news from my mom that my Grandpa Wixom had passed the night before. He has been very sick for a long time, due to many years of smoking and alcoholism... and we had several scares earlier in the year where we thought we would lose him, but he somehow found the strength to pull through. He finally decided that he had come to peace with things here on this earth this week though, and let go of mortality. 

Paul bearers placing the casket

With little notice Ben and I were left scrambling to find a way to get up to Blackfoot Idaho to attend the funeral services. We were also asked to provide a musical number on our guitars as part of the program. We ran through a rough version of "How Great Thou Art", and decided that it might be better for Ben to play with my brother in law Jonathan instead since I am NOT that great! LOL! So we drove up to Kaysville for them to run through it a bit, and ended up deciding that was the way to go, because they sounded great together. 

Folding the flag

Military Rites

We drove up Friday afternoon after I got off work and stayed with my Grandma Scherbel. We went to the viewing late this afternoon. I saw many family members that I have not seen since I was in my early teenage years, and it was great to catch up with them. My Aunt Lauri delivered a thoughtful life sketch in the funeral program, and many others got up and shared their thoughts and memories about my Grandpa. Jonathan and Ben delivered a beautiful performance with their song that brought the spirit into the room and left everyone in tears. It was a great way to end the services.

We left in a procession through down via police escort out to the graveside. We watched as the grave was dedicated and then had the Military Rites delivered as well. It was very quiet and thoughtful as they proceeded to fold the flag and fire the rounds in my Grandpa's honor. 

Goodbye Grandpa

Funerals are always a bittersweet moment in life for me.... because they are moments of sorrow and loss, but also moments of happiness because they are one of the only things that can bring the entire family together, and it is good to see everyone. I am sad to see him go, but I am also relieved to know he is happy and resting peacefully now.... We love you Grandpa.

Farewell Elder George!!!

I cannot believe that time has gone so quickly. It seems like it was only just a short time ago that my brother was still in elementary school, riding bikes with the neighbor boys, or playing t-ball in the common area... and in the blink of an eye he grew up. He started high school and played football, got his driver's license and started dating cute girls, got a job.... and now this last year or so he graduated and got his mission call to Macon Georgia. My baby brother is all grown up now, and I cannot begin to find words to express my gratitude for his good example, or how proud of him I am!

Yesterday we gathered at the stake center for his farewell meeting. Jeff said his nerves were getting to him and that he hadn't slept all night long, but he delivered a beautiful and heart felt talk and never faltered in the slightest. I told him he seemed like he had done it a million times, and that he did a great job. I think he was just relieved that it was finally over!

Elder Jeff George

After the service we had a luncheon at my parent's house. We were reunited with some long time family friends that we hadn't seen in many years! It was great to talk to Dawn and Darren Kelsey and see how HUGE their children have gotten, and Scott and Lauren Alger and their boys too. I remember babysitting their kids when I was younger. We also got to visit with Bill and Patty Zierse (who we haven't seen in a LONG time), and our old bishop Tracy Bushman and his wife too.

We had a few family members make the long journey early in the morning to support Jeff too. My Uncle Craig George and his wife Lynette along with their son Danny and his wife Kim, and my Aunt Brenda and Uncle Kim Cox all made a long drive from Blackfoot to be to the church meeting by 9:00am. My cousin David Meanea came from Kamas too. We also got a surprise later in the afternoon when my Grandma and Grandpa Scherbel, my great Grandma Anderson, and Aunt Lauri, and my cousin Julia showed up from Blackfoot too! We had a lot of great food and shared great memories.

Things settled down after a few hours of visiting, and everyone was exhausted.... so we all took our normal Sunday nap to recharge our batteries. We stayed longer than usual to try and take advantage of the time we had left to spend with Jeff. I knew we needed to head home to prepare for bed and work the next day, but I really didn't want to leave. Finally, when we couldn't hold off any longer, we said our goodbyes. I hugged him as tight as I could, and he held me tighter back, and we said goodbye.

I have thought about it all day today, and still don't think the reality of it has set in yet...... I saw him and hugged him goodbye for the last time in two years last night. Although he doesn't leave for the MTC for a few more days, I won't get to see him again because of my work schedule. I miss him already. I will write him ever week though, and am hoping that our letters will just bring us closer than ever before.

Good luck out there buddy!!! I love you!!!!

October Birthdays!

October has been a pretty festive month for the George clan, and is about to wrap up with Halloween right around the corner.

Mom's mouse ears! LOL!

All 50 balloons!

We started off the month with a double birthday celebration with my mom's big FIFTY year birthday party.... and my brother-in-law's twenty fifth birthday on the same weekend. We decided since my brother in law was exactly half my mom's age we would do a 25/50 party and decorate an area of the house for each age. Dad couldn't resist the urge to decorate in black for mom, so he got 50 helium balloons and spread them all over the dining room, and boy was it a sight to see! Katie decorated the windows and doors in the kitchen and dining room in black for mom as well. They chose to decorate the front room and hallway for my brother in law in very bright greens and neon colors from the 80's for his room of the party. Quite the opposite of the dark and drab at the end of the hallway! 

And all 50 candles!

My Grandma and Grandpa and Aunt Cheryl made an unexpected visit which was a great surprise! They stayed for BBQ steak and chicken for dinner, and cake and ice cream afterwards. We prepared a special slide show highlighting all the years and events of my mother's life so far, and she LOVED it!!! Overall it was a great weekend. 

This last weekend we celebrated my upcoming birthday as well. Mom made her delicious homemade chicken noodle soup and breadsticks just for me, and we all ate until we were completely STUFFED!!! She also made a cake that I always loved as a child that my Grandma used to make..... and angel food cake flavored with red soda that makes it turn pink, then whipped cream topping and fresh strawberries on top. It was better than I remembered it being, and the best part was that I got to take the leftovers home!!!

My cupcakes!

I got to celebrate my birthday at work too! My coworkers got a cake and decorated my desk, and my dear friend Gerty gave me a pillow pal that is a perfect item to have in the office! Half way thru the work day Ben showed up with a gorgeous bouquet of roses, and cupcakes too!!! I was not expecting a visit at all and it was a great surprise! I also got a gift certificate to a cafe called The Tin Angel that we had never tried, so we went there for dinner. What a great day!

All in all it has been a great month, and we still have both Halloween and my brother's mission farewell coming up this weekend to continue the celebrations! I am looking forward to the upcoming events and holidays, and sharing them with the people I love!

Happy Birthday Ben!!!!!

Ben and Hercules in their party hats

Today is Ben's 27th birthday!!! I wish I could have made it a little more special for him though. Really sucks being broke all the time. He wouldn't tell me what he wanted or needed so I knew what to get him as a gift, and then he caved at the last possible second and told me he wanted a framing staple gun. Sadly they're too expensive for me to pull that off now.... but maybe soon.

Power Ranger cake!

We both ended up working for a good majority of the day today (sucks being an adult.... birthday's don't matter anymore). I got off work a little early to pick up a special birthday cake, and some ice cream. I was hoping to get him a Bob The Builder or Handy Manny cake (since he's a framer and all....) and scoured the ENTIRE valley trying to find one.... but gave up after 6 stores and settled with good ol' Power Rangers instead. He was surprised both that I came home early, and that I brought him a fun cake, so all was well.


He had mentioned in a Facebook post several days back that he wanted to beat up a piñata for his birthday, so I got one of those too. He giggled and was as surprised and as happy as a kid on Christmas to see it! He definitely was NOT expecting that! We are going to take it up on Sunday to my parents' house to break it with the family. I can't wait!!!!!


I hope he enjoyed his birthday as much as I enjoyed seeing the surprise on his face with the few small things I was able to give him today! Happy Birthday baby, I love you!!! 

I Got My Baby Back!!!

Today is a happy day at our house, because after two and a half weeks I got my car back!!! It has been a LONG and inconvenient wait to have the repairs done, but driving it home as good as new was a happy moment.

Damaged Car

On the night of August 24th I was headed home from work when a drunk driver crossed the median and hit the vehicle in front of me head on, and then side swiped me as they continued down the road. At first I was really upset because it completely ruined our plans for our 5th anniversary, which was only days away. As I got out of my vehicle to check on the other drivers though and watched the events that followed my attitude changed. The car in front of me had a male and two hysterical females, and a baby that couldn't have been older than 3 or 4 months. That really got at me because he was so little. I never saw the driver of the car that hit us, because she continued down the road about 100 yards before she pulled over, but she and all of the members of the other vehicle all left the scene on a stretcher, and I didn't have any bumps, bruises, or scratches at all. Watching them all be taken in the ambulance made me extremely grateful that I had no injuries, and made me realize God had an angel riding with me that night to protect me.

I filed a claim with my insurance that night, but they wouldn't provide a rental until the determined liability, so I took the time we were going to use for our anniversary trip off work anyways and rested at home. The insurance wasn't great to work with, and I ended up going to get a copy of the police report for them since I was tired of waiting. Once I got that to them they authorized a rental and got my car in the shop for repairs, so for the last week and a half I have been driving a Kia Forte instead of my Impala....... blah.

I am SO glad that everything has been finalized with the insurance claim so I don't have to pay anything, and that I got my car back... but mostly I'm glad I'm alive and safe! The police report said the driver was being sited for DUI, and I have heard through the grapevine that the other vehicle she hit are suing. I sure am glad that I don't have to be involved in any of that mess! I do, however, wish the best for all the other people that were involved with this mess, and I hope I am NEVER involved with an accident again!!!