Christmas Week in Ashton

It's Sunday night and I wanted to let all of you know what we've been doing the past week. We have had a nice Christmas holiday and have had a good time being all together for a few days here and there. It has been so fun to haveLeah here with us. We just wish it could be every day - but we have to share with the schauerhamer's who also love her and want to see her all they can.

Before Christmas last week Leah found the nativity puzzle and knew what to do with it. She dumped it out and started putting it together. What a smartie!

A puzzle must be studied from all angles . . .

to be sure . . .

that you're getting the right pieces . . .

to go in the . . .

right places!

And now my puzzle is done.

In her mom's rocking chair - standing up and rocking and loving it

Like mother, like daughter.

With the aid of the rocker she bravely reaches up high and undecorates the little tree.

Eating lunch with Grandpa.

Such a ham.

Christmas Eve Zack worked on this Rubik's cube and got it sooooo close.

Just two pieces opposite of each other in the wrong places.

It took something like 70 moves to undo the mistake - and he still never got it right and then he put it back together just how it was in the picture above.

Christmas Eve we had rack of Lamb. I thought I would post a picture of what I had been boasting about. It was delicious - if I may say so myself.

Pouring the martinelli's - which was not taken by a large labrador retriever.

Christmas Eve the frontroom was absolutely clean and in good shape.

Next morning

it was a mess!

Alan and I got snowshoes for Christmas.
Do you think we'll need them?

We also have a jigsaw puzzle we've been working on.

Morgan and Andrew made these pictures of our pictures. They were really neat.

Andrew was out yesterday on the new sled (snowmachine).

Morgan has been taking pictures of everything - even my Christmas village. This is after she put it back together after Kitty laid in it and squashed all the cheery goodness right out of the Christmas villagers, trees, and buildings with her large hairy body. This happens two or three times a day.

Leah has been using her new cell phone and talking to the dog, horse and sheep that make sounds on it.

Also playing with her pound and play toy. She's not too careful about pounding on the right toy.

We've all been eating way too much food and lighting the makeshift menorah candles every night. Our Menorah has Christmas tree votives in it. Shudder!

This next series of pictures is entitled "Clue"I say it was Leah in Zack's room,

No, wait a minute. Make that Leah in the upstairs hall,

with a redornament and the christmas

tree.

Leaving the scene of the crime.

Acting all innocent. Repeat offender.

Ornaments got stacked together and hung up high because of Miss sticky fingers.

Zack in the office in front of his new computer.

Zack's presents in preparation for college.

Leah modeling her Christmasey outfit. Very preppy!

The black Mary Janes give it just the right touch.

Add the red coat and it really extends the wardrobe.

Checking the weather - just like grandpa.

Tonight Zack lit the menorah for the last time this year.

Notice the Jelly belly Hanukkah mix next to the menorah. Some of his presents were a little lion, a small bottle of olive oil, some chocolate coins, Hanukkah m&ms, and gold fish. I don't know why I gave him gold fish crackers, except that he likes them and so does Leah. Yes, he has enjoyed the small celebrations we did each night and we have all learned more about Hanukkah, some other Jewish traditions and the tribe of Judah.

And we're all better off because of it. Happy Hanukkah , Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. We love you all.

Third Day of Hannukah

On Sunday Evening after tithing settlement and home teaching we were finally able to start our Hannukah celebrations. Andrew was somewhat concerned that this would be against our religion, but I assured him there would be no real observance since we aren't Jewish and aren't serious about it, it's just more of a learning and gaining knowledge thing for Zack. We have the prayer that is said when the Menorah is lit, but we don't have a Menorah and we didn't say the prayer. I still think it made Andrew slightly nervous - I think of it as expanding our horizons.

So I made some latkes (these are not a picture of mine. Mine were much more atteractive and tasted pretty darn good) and we had sour cream and pear sauce because I had no applesauce. Zack was not into the sour cream on his potatoes. Thank goodness he didn't have to get out the ketchup and pour it over the latkes , which some people may have done, but he did sprinkle on some extra salt. There's just something about fried potatoes and salt going together. Then we took turns telling one thing we knew about the tribe of Judah. Zack had studied recently and was able to tell us a few things. Por ejemplo - did you know that the prophet Isaiah was from the tribe of Judah? Also, the lion is a symbol of Judah like the star of David is for the Jews. Judah was the fourth son of Jacob and Leah and received a birthright and a patriarchal blessing from his father. His posterity was blessed that they would keep their identity and not be lost like the other tribes. And most importantly, the Savior of the world would come from the tribe of Judah. A great blessing indeed!

We lit the menorah - I love the Menorah in this picture; it is so beautiful. The menorah represents the vats of oil that were lit in the temple. And the eight candles represent the eight days that the oil miraculously burned. Thus, the celebration of lights!
On sunday night Zack's "gelt" was a set of four Christmas tree ornaments each with a scene of Mary and Joseph traveling to Bethlehem.

In North America especially, Hanukkah gained increased importance with many Jewish families in the latter half of the twentieth century, including large numbers of secular Jews, who wanted a Jewish alternative to the Christmas celebrations that often overlap with Hanukkah. Though it was traditional to give "gelt" or money coins to children during Hanukkah, in many families this has changed into gifts in order to prevent Jewish children from feeling left out of the Christmas gift giving. Last night after lighting the Menorah, Zack received the movie "The nativity story" and we watched it for family home evening.

This morning we had bagels and cream cheese - a nod to Jewish ftraditions for the day. And until Sunday we will continue lighting the candles every sundown. So far, Zack seems to be enjoying our little Hannukah activities. I like learning more and more about the whole thing. Very interesting. Merry Christmas to all til my next post.

I'm Sorry I Haven't Posted, But I Have Been Busy!

Yesterday I made some treats for Alan and Zack to take to their families that they home teach.

I made peanut brittle (yum), gobbles, (yum yum), and magic cookie squares (yum yum yum).

Oh and then on Monday we took off for Utah and went to SLC, Enterprise (we've never been there before), and St. George. We thought when this wedding was plaaned for St. George we would have some heat in the middle of December, but NO!

Advice from the mother-in-law.
and their reaction. HMMMMM.

Banner and Leah - sorry it's out of focus.

Could this be? Yes, I think it is . . .

St Nick's limey fizzy drink. My favorite!

Wow! What a great picture.

Cuties!

Maren getting in on the receiving line.

Dancing the night away.

Can you just hear Miranda's laugh right here in this picture?

This little one was so smooth on her feet.

Zack must have said something hilarious. Ithink it was something about that he was going to dip me at the end of the song.

Leah got dipped by her mom and loved it.

Leah found a little boy that she chased all over the place. He thought she was alright too.

Wild Thing, You make my heart Sing. You make everything GROOVY!

Look at Jonas's hands. It was that good.

Jenny is sooooo happy.

Pretty temple - cloudy, snowy, cold day.

I think we should call them Brother and Sister Shurtliff.

Nice picture of the beehives and the palms.

Such pals.

Happy girls.

Alrighty. I'd say tipsy, but I know for a fact she doesn't drink.

There, that's better.

Oh, how sweet is this one?

And this one.

Nice outfit - so seasonal. She's kind of looking Mrs. Clausey

Cool that we were all there and actually got pictures taken this time.

I love this picture.

And this one.

And this one.

A view of the dining room at the Entrada.

A view of the view! Spectacular!

That was a nice cake. I had a piece of chocolate and a piece of the white raspberry filled. They were small pieces.

Hannah soing a fine job at holding the train.

Crazy artwork on the Volvo.

BTW was it really Zack who put on the WWJD?

Back to my house... I have been taking a few fun pictures of decorations at my house. These are my Christmas bells. They play many Christmas melodies.

This is a Christmas Elf in her jammies. So cute.

Part of my nativity scene. Iwas surprised to see that Sara has one very similar.

This is a very old porcelain set. And you can't even tell which baby angel had it's head smashed in by a basketball can you?

OK, this one isn't very artsy, but I wanted to show the Hannukah presents on my table. We will be mildly celebrating this holiday this year, and if we don't do it exacly as others do, it because we've never done it before, and we don't know how it is traditionally done. We may never do it again. We don't have a menorah and we aren't going to say the prayers, but we will have some fried foods (I think french fries if I can't make latkes) and we will talk about the temple and its importance to us and the Jewish people.

So, I'll just say "Merry Christmas to you all and Next Year in Jerusalem!"