Liking Winter

Well it's January 31st and it's possible that there are those that have forgotten what's so great about winter.  It's time for a pep talk while we review the perks of the season.

My Grandma and Grandpa Miller lived in this 2 room
log cabin in UT with their family  1924-1925

The obvious best part of winter is snow.  Although responsible adults may hear the word "snow" and immediately think of shoveling the stuff.   Don't be discouraged.  Snow shoveling is very good exercise. Scooping, pounding, and throwing snow works the core, arms and thighs and can be aerobic if one does not stop to blow his nose. Shoveling after the storm can be particularly satisfying as the squarular borders of the cleared cement enlarge with the scooping process.  Shoveling during the snow storm gives particular meaning to the phrase we hear but may not understand as literally as we could. "Cleaning the house with children is like shoveling in a snowstorm."  If we actually shovel during a snowstorm it's like we're doing research.

Invigorating photo session in the brisk West Virginia winter air.

Driving in snow can be tricky, dangerous even, but guess what comes from dangerous driving conditions?  You guessed it!  Snow days!  2 hr. delays!  Cancelled meetings!  One February when I was living in West Virginia and teaching seminary, we only held class on 7 out of 20 days. Oh the excitement of the 5:30 am calls,  "School's cancelled."  Winter sleeping in is the very best sleeping in. Staying inside the cozy covers is just so delightful.  The only down side was that one of my seminary students was going to bring cinnamon rolls and each time she said she would, class was cancelled.  On the other hand, no cinnamon rolls meant 400 calories I didn't eat.  It was a win-win situation.

The young and young at heart hear the word "snow" and recognize it for its fun factor.  Just the snowflakes alone are magnificent little creations, but put it all together and the possiblilities are endless...snowmen, snow angels, snowballs, snow forts...

My dad and his little snowman .
He improved his skills until he was making
Yogi Bear snowmen for his children.
.

The most exquisite snow angels ever.

Becca and Andrew snowball making in IL
I'm not exactly sure what the bags were for.

Snow is slippery and that can be a fantastic characteristic.  Combine this with slope and gravity, and sledding, tubing, skiing, and snow boarding make their happy appearance.  In CA we had to drive to the snow.  We did this about once a year.  Going to college in UT introduced me to the "Best snow on earth."  with some of the best mountains on earth.  Then when I was married we spent a lot of years in NE which as you know is on the plains.  We had only gentle incline from the top of our backyard to the street and we made the best of it. But when we lived in MN winter got really good, long, but good.  The locals became giddy as the lakes started to freeze over.  Out came the trucks pulling the shacks to the middle of the ice for ice fishing. About once a year a car would fall into the ice, but I think this just added to the sport.  There were ice sculpting festivals, neighborhood ice skating rinks, and snowmobiles driving along the side of the road.  Our own personal property had one of the best tubing hills in town.  We had a walk-out basement and the back yard neighbor had an extended lot.  By starting in the front yard of our house we could get a run that raced down our property and circled into the vacant lot.  With use, the run became slick with packed snow and ice.  Those were glorious winter days, with temps ranging from -20 to 15 degrees.

My dad being pulled by his cousins

Nebraska

Minnesota

Tubing in the Sierra Nevadas with friends in 1978

Serious tubing with the Olsens in CO

Sundance 2011

Snow is white.  That's different than green, even if green is the best color in the world, variety makes the beauty of each color more apparent.  And if there's one thing winter is lacking it's light, and what color reflects light?  White.   And on a sunny day snow sparkles and sparkle is good.

West Virginia

The view from my Dad's boyhood home in Harlan, OR

Speaking of variety, sometimes our winter coats, hats, scarves, and gloves just need to get out.  Economically speaking, we need to get our cost per use down on our investment.

Beautiful snow-capped Mt. Timpanogos

3 California girls excited about snow.

When we live in a region that rarely gets snow,we can still enjoy the low temps.  Cold weather is wonderful in several ways.  Snuggling in the summer can be sticky, but in the winter we gather our loved ones and blankets and hot chocolate for movies, reading and huddling together for warmth.  Since it's dark outside and the plants are sleeping we can cuddle restfully without guilt or feeling like the weeds are growing if we aren't outside to stop them.

Exercising in other seasons can be hot, but on these crisp days, we can run and run and run and never even feel warm.  And consider the fun of seeing our breath condensing in the frigid air. Just one more amazing perk.  And winter brings extended refrigerator/freezer storage.  Drinks to chill?  Put them on the porch.  Jello salad needs to set?  Put it in the garage.  Might as well have a party.

The winter feature I love best  is that it is the least favorite season for my least favorite creatures.  Since December I have not seen one scorpion, one tic, one fly, one fire ant, and best of all, not one snake.  And the poison ivy is behaving as if it's dead.  So lets enjoy this misunderstood season of dormancy. We must forgive the naked trees and grey days and dark nights.  They are setting the stage for new life. Ready or not. Okay, I'm ready.

Play your position.

Did you know that the BYU men's volleyball team is ranked #1 in the country right now?  The BYU-Irvine game was so fantastic.  I hope you all watched it on BYUtv.  Considering who I'm married to, (Mr. let's learn about every sport) I should know more about the positions and strategies, but I do know that it was really cool when Tayler or Ben or Russ totally put the ball down in an amazing spike.  One thing that wasn't very cool was when some BYU cougar was where he wasn't supposed to be and left a huge hole in the court.  In a blinding second the opposition saw the weakness and buried a hit right in the vacant spot.  We still won the game, but that was a dangerous situation.

Onto my real life, I have some interesting friends and family. They're doing exciting things in the community, in church, in the corporate world, in music, in education.  When I hear of their adventures, the band starts to play and I want to march along.  I want to have a job in a corporation, I want to go to med school, I want to write a song, I want to be a motivational speaker. All good things, but if I leave my life to live someone else's, I leave a vacancy on the court. Today I'm going to work on being the most awesome player I can be and do my job with mind boggling dedication.  No one's going to spike in my zone.

Happy Birthday Eliza

Once upon a time there was a prince and princess from different kingdoms who went off to the same faraway land.  They lived very near each other in what was called "The Elms" apartments.  They fell in love and married and became the king and queen of their own palace.  They were very blessed in their desire to provide heirs.  Their firstborn was a handsome and courageous prince,  their second born was another handsome and courageous prince.  In fact, their third, fourth and fifth children were all handsome and courageous princes.  Such a lovely court, with so many handsome princes, but the question went about the land, would a princess ever grace the palace?  The general consensus of the populace was, "Doubtful."  Even the king and queen did not believe there would ever be a princess coming to them.  They had been so happy with their valiant sons no one voiced concern, but in the heart of the queen was a secret longing.  If she could someday, somehow have a little girl...someone to talk to about pink, someone to share her feminine heart, someone to watch Anne of Green Gables and Pride and Prejudice, all her wishes would come true.  Well, another baby was to be born to the royal family.

  All were happy with the prospect of another fine boy to grace the kingdom.  The queen welcomed the idea of another son, but did allow herself just enough hope to choose a name for a girl.  In the remote possibility that a princess presented herself, her name would be Elizabeth (from the bible) Laurie (after her mother).  She would be called Eliza after Eliza R. Snow, and because it's sassy and adorable and seemed like a good idea.  Then the fateful day came.  Labor was long, but not hard and a beautiful baby was safely delivered.  To the amazement of all, the announcement came, "It's a girl."  The first princess in the Stoker kingdom!  Cheers were heard throughout the land.  The queen cried tears of joy, could life be so wonderful?  Five sons and a daughter too?

The little princess was beautiful with big blue eyes and chubby cheeks and legs. She did have a bit of the run of the house.  The royal family worked tirelessly to please her.  She rewarded them with smiles and hugs and a loving manner.  There were those times however, when things did not go her way, and she let her voice be heard.  If her voice was heard too much her royal subjects (the princes) made themselves less available and at times ventured to laugh at her anger.  They knew that after enough time transpired, she would forgive them and smile again.

The princess and her grandparents

dancing with the king

The princess and her cousin (Princess Abigail) in matching gowns.

Her highness and Duke, the grandparents' royal dog.

The king and queen loved their little princess and provided her with all they could in the way of education and opportunities.  There was much spoiling of the princess in the palace, but the king was particularly wont to bequeath her with gifts.  The princes were spoiled also, but the king especially didn't want his little girl to go without. In spite of the spoiling, she worked hard in her studies and her responsibilities in the palace.  She excelled in many areas.

All of the heirs at the wedding of the first born

When she came of age, she went off to the faraway land. There she met a handsome prince of her own who used cunning and skill to win her hand in marriage.  They were sealed in the Manti temple and live happily ever after.

The king and queen still love their little princess even though she belongs to another and has her own kingdom.  When she returns for a visit the royal family rejoices and all are blessed by her lively sense of humor and goodness and fun.  She is still beautiful with big blue eyes, but alas, she no longer has chubby cheeks and legs.  And the queen is grateful that this little princess will always be her daughter, and the queen will never forget her.

Remember to remember.

As I sit here in front of my computer desk an old saying comes to me, "Out of sight out of mind."  It's true.  In sight is the only chance I have to keep things in my mind.  I try to stack my piles to feign organization, but the truth is, to get anything done I need lots of reminders.  If I want to know where something is,  it's best if it's right in front of me.  So, I have my library PIN#, fitness class schedule, pictures that I might want on the blog, camera, list of percussion teachers, partial Christmas card list, (it's been dangerously separated from the other partial list so if you wanted a Christmas letter let me know), a family group sheet that I promised Mom I'd fill out and mail, a freshly printed recipe, my insurance card...you get the picture.  It works well enough, and I've learned to live with the brain I was given and make compensations when necessary.

When it comes to people however, this system is not good enough.   I have my near and dears that are right in front of me whose needs are always on my mind.  But what about those who aren't in front of me, but have needs that with the smallest bit of remembering could be a little happier, feel a little more loved?  It's my friends who aren't feeling well that aren't in their place at church or school, etc.  Sometimes people are in their place physically but the hurt in their heart is hidden away out of sight.  I need to remember them.

One of my friends has enlisted me as part of a "Meals on wheels" delivery team. As this friend was getting me acquainted with our route,   I was calculating  how best to get it done in the shortest amount of time possible.  Then she began telling me about the last sweet lady on our list.  She usually spends a few more minutes with her after dropping off the meal.  One day there was confusion in the schedule and there wasn't time for visiting.  The sweet lady told my friend, "I'm sorry. I really look forward to your visits."  This very interesting lady lives in a little room built onto her granddaughter's house.  Her family is loving, but she spends much of her day alone.  15 minutes of attention once a week makes a difference to her.

This started me thinking of all the people who I already know and love who need a little care, attention, just a few minutes.   Basically they need to be remembered.   How many times have I thought about sending a note, or making a phone call?  It comes to my mind, I plan to do it, I get on the computer, check facebook then e-mail and what was I going to do? I walk through the house to get an address or find the phone, I see the laundry, start looking for hangers...  "If you give a mouse a cookie," right?

I don't make New Year's resolutions, but I have been known to start some habits and try and improve some behaviors in January.  One of the changes I'm working on is paying more attention to those I love and less to things I see.  In other words, "Remember to remember."  So I want to remember my husband and everything he has done for me, not just what I want him to do for me.  I want to remember each child, and how great they are whether or not things are going their way.  I want to remember my parents and let them know not just that I'm doing great, but that they're doing great.  I want to remember my siblings and let them know that they're my heroes even though I'm the big sister.  I want to remember my friends and people that I feel friendly towards because they have helped me along the way with their smiles and examples and stories of strength and courage in the journey of life.  I want to remember that there are those within my reach that  could really use 15 minutes.

And most importantly, I want to remember my Savior, at church, at home, on vacation, in the marketplace, in nature, in sports, in choosing entertainment, in learning, and especially in my dealings with His children. Because He has saved me, and I want Him to know that I remember.

A little recap of some magnificent holiday moments.

Okay, I just lived through a 2 week holiday that was practically perfect in every way.  It can be a little nauseating to read about someone's perfect life, but I share this freely to encourage young mothers everywhere who are trying to stay this side of  insanity.  You see, it's all worth it...the sleepless nights, the constant noise, endless food needs, being on duty all the time to teach, discipline, entertain and inspire your little angels disguised as hooligans.  Because not only are there magic and delightful moments along the way, but someday, sooner than you think, you will have some moments straight from heaven when you realize there is no place you'd rather be than with your children.  They have grown into clever, humorous, good-looking, loving and talented friends and can they please stay a little longer?

So here are some highlights:

First we got Jacob.  He came the regular way, on an airplane.  He brought his guitar and his love and jokes.

.
Then these two came kind of like a surprise.  Only I was prepared just in case my dreams came true, and they made it to my house, and surprise!  There they were on my porch.  I actually did not know when or how, but I really wanted it to happen and then it did.  Thank you darling people.

Joseph (my son-in-law) had 2 holiday requests; Poinsettia bowl and caroling. The football game was looking very bleak and then the defensive miracles started to happen and Kyle Van Noy, the BYU linebacker, started to score.  Best BYU bowl game ever and twice as much fun with family.

 Right after the exhilarating victory celebration (jumping around screaming)  we got Aaron.  Provo had now given up all the Stokers that are mine and our energy level launched off the charts.

The next day was spent knee-deep in sugar.  We had sugar cookie decorators, ginger-bread cookie icers, and a serious divinity concoctor.  Paul is in charge of divinity as it is a chemistry experiment, and everyone knows that I'm no chemist.  We gathered our treats and plotted our caroling route.  It was a modest route, because as loud as we are, there are only a few true extroverts in the group and caroling creates a fertile soil for awkward moments.  Inspired by Joseph's desire to serve his fellow man we pressed onward.  Okay, there was that one time when the neighbor's teenage son was doing all he could to keep his dog from bounding away while we finished our joyful song, and the other time when the people weren't home and we were just singing loudly and probably suspiciously to an empty house.  Other than that, we were met by cheerful and grateful receivers of our sincere if not perfect wish for a Merry Christmas.  One festive gentleman came out even though his wife and children were gone and sang the rest of the song with us.  (I'm going to do that next time carolers come.  That was nice.)

Saturday was a day of all days.  We arose early in the morning and filled the cars with the 9 people  in the house and travelled the hour to the Atlanta temple.  There we worshipped as a family together.  Such a joyful occasion.  I thought my heart would burst from happiness as we served our ancestors who had gone before  united in love and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Then we returned home to prepare for the "Whobilation."  I've gotten a few questions about this event so I'm going to spend a little time explaining it.  When Jacob and Eliza and Rebecca are together they have been known to have a theme party or two.  This was one of the things on Jacob's list and he loves the Grinch movie, and Eliza loves to dress up, and Rebecca likes to create, and Gabe likes to be with his siblings, and Aaron likes to have fun, and Andrew likes to party, and Joseph likes to make it great and so it began.  We googled "Who" and "Grinch" images and went to work.  Our friend had stopped by a few days earlier wearing his Grinch costume. (Your friends do that, right?)  We mentioned our whobilation and he offered to share so we were set for the Grinch.  Obviously Aaron was the Grinch, not because he hates Christmas, but because he loves silliness. We spent the afternoon creating Who hair and Who clothes, etc. The games kind of evolved, but Andrew turned out to be a great contributor of ideas.  We played "Jury duty, jury duty, blackmail" instead of duck, duck, goose.  We threw multiple stuffed animals rapidly off the second floor while the first floor participant tried to catch as many as he could in a laundry basket in 30 seconds.  This game was called "Dump it to Crumpit."  Jacob and Rebecca printed the words to "dahoo doray" so we could sing Who-ily around the tree.  We had a pillow case race and then the wrapping game.  Two teams each chose one person to gift wrap, taking their time to be creative.  We used 10 category cards from one of our other games and assigned them to the deserving team.  Some examples are prettiest, most intimidating, etc.  Eliza had been wrapped into a Christmas tree and Paul a dragon.  Paul won the most cards and a victory for his team.  We ate dinner and ended  by watching Jim Carrey's "How the Grinch Stole Christmas.  This party was more fun than we ever anticipated so next year don't hesitate to have a "Whobilation."

Sunday was a lovely day full of beautiful Christmas music.  We went to an "Evening of  Music" at a friend's house and completed our season by joining an impromptu rendition of the Hallelujah chorus sung with much enthusiasm if not much expertise.

Christmas Eve was as close to a dream come true as it ever has been.  The food was ready.  The house was clean.  The program was one of the best ever.  Everyone was happy.  We had no tantrums (good job, me). the only thing missing were a few members of our family.

Nativity cast 2012

It makes me feel better to post a picture of the missing kids

also missing 

I was a little nervous about Christmas morning because it was going to be Christmas presents lite, but everyone gave with their heart and the gifts were gladly received.  I had already gotten what I wished for on Christmas Eve (a program), but was twice blessed with a stocking full of love notes from my children.  And okay, I was thrilled with my little willow tree grandchildren replicas.

With Christmas over, our fun needed a little freshening up, and that's when Daniel came with his family.  Yay for babies!  We now had new personalities, new jokes, new talents and new people to play our games with us.  And when you have rangers leading the way for your nerf team it adds a little focus.  Not to mentioned a photo session that really met my needs if not the boys'.  But they were good sports and looked great.  Thanks Erica.

Then if things weren't exciting enough my sister Carrie and her family spent some time with us.  Her children taught us how magical our back forest is as they ran to play in "Tarabithia."  As luck would have it Paul and Joseph had just fixed the tree house.  It was great to see the bright colors running through the wintry woods.  Carrie gave us a fun dance clinic so we're ready to salsa at the club.  We didn't, but we could.

We (meaning my kids) put together about 4 puzzles, and the real we played volleyball, dodgeball, frisbee and ate lots and lots of food.  Paul saved the day more than once by going to the grocery store for important items, even though there was a regular trip for groceries daily.  And then it started to end.  Carrie left, Daniel left and Aaron left.  We celebrated New Year's to the best of our ability but at a greatly subdued level of partying.  Joseph and Eliza drove off in the wee hours of the morning.  Jacob and I played raquetball and he serenaded us on his last night home before the Stoker house was left with just ourselves.

Tomorrow all my kids will be in school and I'll be back to just my normal great life.  I'll try and eat less sugar and worry about ways I need to improve and wean myself from movie watching and exert all my will power to get my food pantry organized, and be thankful for a fantastic Christmas.