Christmas 2011

I really wanted to post more regularly so I will start again. Christmas was a lot of fun this year. Our family is growing and changing. Christmas Eve always brings the fire truck to the neighborhood with Santa perched on the top wishing everyone a Merry Christmas. The bags of peanuts and hard tack date back to when I was a kid. I love this fun memory and so thankful for the people that keep it alive.

We then finish the evening with the reading of Luke 2 and opening pajama's.

Christmas morning came with lots of gifts. This year I had surgery on the December 21 so BettyJo helped Santa and I slept. But morning came and everything was in place for a fun and enjoyable Christmas Day.

Emma got a pair of personalized soccer shoe's.

Lark got a Nook.

BettyJo got luggage and an ottoman for her front room.

Shane got a helicopter and Nellie an iphone.

Reed got a helicopter and bought one for Darryll but they were crashed and unworkable before the end of the day.

Paige and Casey got clothes.

Jalee got a video camera and I got a new robe. It was a fun and wonderful Christmas.

Christmas Traditions

This is one of our newest traditions this year. Last year the kids gave me ornaments from our trip to Disneyland. After realizing that their were to many bulbs to place on the family tree we decided to decorate a new tree. I was going to have it put in my room but the girls insisted that it find a visable place in the house so in the Dining Room it went. (but next year it is going in my bedroom). I picked up all the princess ornaments this year and a couple of extra, Goofy and Donald. Andrea went to Disneyland just prior to Christmas and picked up matching Minnie and Micky so every tree has a representation of the twins on it. There are very few traditions that they are a part of but an ornament on the tree has been one from the first Christmas after their birth.

Christine carefully painting these two ornaments in commemration of Tami and Troy. They have been placed on the family tree for the last 22 years.

This is our Traditional Family Tree. It has pre-school to current ornaments. It is the fun tree. We truly love it.

But most importantly is the star atop the tree. The star was found in a house in Mesquite. While I was growing up the exact start sat on top of our tree. Every year mom would glitter and glue, change light bulbs and get the short in the wire in the right spot so it would stay lit. When I found this star in the tin I knew it was our star for our family tree. It has to be over 55 years old.

"THE DDODENBIER FAMILY STAR"
aka Anderson Family Star

I would like to share a few more of the traditions we have every Christmas.

I made this probably the 2nd Christmas Darryll and I were married. It was an exact duplicate of the "Merry Christmas" I had growing up. It will continue to hang until it falls apart. I remember it being a long and hard task to make. Now give me a cricuit and the letters are cut out. It has to be easire??? Well maybe not.

These were given to us early in our marriage from Grandma Anderson. This is as close as we like to get to snow during the holiday.

These are our stockings. I made them the first Christmas Paige was born. I started with Darryll, Janet and Paige. Well our next child was BettyJo so I gave her mine. Then Reed recieved Darryll's original. I didn't have to make new ones until Nellie was born and then I redid Darryll's and I. Well last year for Christmas I decided it was time to retire the old and bring in the new since I have 3 grandkids and 3 additional spouses for the kids. Well it didn't set well with the kids. I was informed that the old ones were to always hang at the house. You would be surprised how many Christmas breakfasts were dispensed from those old stockings. Our tradition for the stockings has always been a boxed cereal, hot chocolate, juice, pop tarts, granola, orange, banana, cider and a toothbrush. Well the new stockings didn't hang again this year I may come up with a new tradition for the old ones.

St. Nicholas Day
This is a tradition that stems back to our Dutch Heritage. The children put out their wooden shoes on December 5. That night St. Nicholas comes with a large chocolate letter and hagel. We eat hagel until we are sick. Then it goes away until Christmas next year.

This is the Dutch Tree. It is filled with Delft Blue ornaments from Holland. This is a very formal tree in the entry. I love it every year.

This year we added lighted garland to the front and back stairs. We have always had garland but this year is was so beautiful.

The Christmas dishes was a tradition started long ago. When the kids were little we had Christmas dishes. I have numerous sets now and enjoy each of them. (BettyJo thinks its a great idea, it keeps the clutter off the Dining Room table)

Last but surely not least is the Nativity. I was suprised this year as to how many I have. Here are two of them. The newest is the Fischer Price nativity. I want the grandkids to know they can touch and talk about it.
Then in the entry is the Willow Nativity. I am so grateful for the Savior and all he is and does for me. There is a saying that is next to my nativity that says. "We all decide if there is room for Him"
I always hope to have the needed room in my life for the Savior.

Summer is Here!!!!

Well I am not a very good blogger. But I will try again. Things are going fast a furious as always. Nellie is home and saving the day. She is working hard at the studio and reducing a lot of the stress. Lark and Emma are home some of the time. Lark has camp after camp scheduled and Emma has already spent 4 days in Las Vegas with Breanna. Reed & Jalee are spending the summer in Cedar and Jalee is being such a good wife and taking care of his broken collar bone ( I am glad she has that responsibility now). BettyJo is working hard at the bank and getting her hours of work in. Paige is amazing at the studio. She helps and saves me quite often. The kids are all doing great. The grandkids just keep growing and growing. Casey is Mr. Mom this summer. He is finished with school and waiting for nursing school to take applications in the fall for winter. Darryll and I are doing great. We are sneaking away to a Judicial Meetings in Fallon next week. I hope one day to be a great blogger but I just need to keep working at it.

Paige thinks it is time to update the blog. I think so too.
What a wonderful New Year. All is well.
We have had 2 beautiful additions to our family, Jalee and Reed were married October 10, 2009.
Jessie quickly followed November 14, 2009. We have opened our new studio in downtown Mesquite and really life is great. Paige and Machelle are putting in their hours to help it work. We hope it takes off real soon. BettyJo, Reed & Jalee, and Nellie are all in Cedar right now. BettyJo is working and the others are in school full time. Lark is helping with the girls basketball team on the side and just passed her permit driving test so she is now behind the wheel of a car. She actually is a pretty good little driver. Emma is dancing all over the place, she has her first performance tommorrow. Darryll is working hard, he bought himself a new for him truck. We have been going on a lot more rides lately. It is a king ranch so we may have to buy him a pair of boots. I am just working but having the studio is really a wonderful thing. I tend to go home at night and just enjoy being home. Maybe I may now have time to post on my blog now and again.

Our Family