Goodbye 2008!

Well this is the last post for 2008! Wanted to wish each and every one of you a very happy and safe New Year! We are ringing in 2009 with some friends, lots of food, and of course, fun in the form of adult beverages. :) We hope you all have a fabulous night! I hope the New Year brings you all good health, happiness and prosperity.

On a side note, Way to go Beavs! An incredible 3-0 victory over Pittsburgh today in the Sun Bowl. (The sarcasm is OOZING if you can't tell.) Hey - a win's a win!

Christmas Pics - Finally!

Okay, so you know how it goes. The week after Christmas is hectic ... polishing off the leftovers, (cheesecake was finished off yesterday, very sad moment), finding places to put the new gifts, going back to work, yuck, and to top it all off, we're all getting over colds. So ... at any rate, pictures of Christmas are finally here! We had such a great time this year. Christmas Eve was full of all the hustle and bustle it usually brings, and we decided to try and balance that out with a quick and easy dinner - Pizza! which was accompanied by the family favorite classic movie Christmas Vacation. It was a great dinner, and quick enough so the kids wouldn't DIE of anticipation in opening a few gifts. And only in Arizona, we had s'mores for dessert. :) Got our light saber fights in, skateboarding and pogo-sticking. Very late night for all of us - you know, tipping back a few and waiting for the kids to go to bed. Not a problem for Kailee and Alex, Cameron, well he was determined to wait up for Santa this year. Christmas morning was early for some of us, but Cameron and I seemed to be the last ones up. In fact, I had to wake Cam up. Guess he stayed up a little too late waiting to catch a glimpse of Santa. Christmas morning was great - we opened some more gifts, checked our stockings, and our mimosas tasted fabulous with the great homemade Sausage/Egg McMuffins Bryan for breakfast. After playing with our new toys, and attempting to clean up some of the paper mess, we finally got our prime rib dinner going. All in all a fantastic Christmas!

Posing before opening!

One of two new boards!

And the other one:

Theresa modeling the fashionable glasses that came with one of Cam's boards

Mom trying to show Theresa up

Everybody got light sabers! Well Uncle Bryan is using Alex's here ... thinking now we should have gotten him one also.



"Putting together" Cam's new toy

Okay - we have our jammies on now... WHERE ARE THE S'MORES?

Only in Arizona - S'mores on Christmas Eve

Looking good!

Round two ...


FIRE!

Where the *bleep* am I supposed to put all this crap?

One of (I swear) about 6 garbage bags full of paper and bows





















CHRISTMAS MORNING! SANTA WAS HERE!


Cam's MyVue glasses


And wearing the new glasses:


Daddy waiting patiently for his turn to play...


Ummm, yeah. This was BEFORE Christmas dinner. ;) Typical Grandpa!

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Greetings from Arizona! Wishing all of our family and friends a very Merry Christmas. May your Holiday be filled with much happiness and love!

Love,
Bryan, Alicia & Cameron

It's a Major Award!

Just had to post. I love it! Cam wants one. Saw it in the SkyMall magazine on our flight back from Portland. Maybe when your older and have your OWN house you can get one! :)

'Twas The Night Before Christmas

I know some of you have seen this before, but I love it. And it always makes me cry. Go figure. I cannot imagine being away from my family at Christmas, let alone halfway across the world fighting in a war. Certainly makes you thankful for what you have, and for all they do to allow this freedom that may occasionally be taken for granted.

Twas the Night Before Christmas, he lived all alone,

In a one bedroom house made of plaster and stone.

I had come down the chimney with presents to give,

And to see just who in this home did live.

I looked all about, a strange sight I did see,

No tinsel, no presents, not even a tree.

No stocking by the mantle, just boots filled with sand,

On the wall hung pictures of far distant lands.

With medals and badges, awards of all kinds,

A sober though came through my mind.

For this house was different, it was dark and dreary,

Found the home of a soldier, once I could see clearly.

The soldier lay sleeping, silent, alone

Curled up on the floor in this one bedroom home.

The face was so gentle, the room in such disorder,

Not how I pictured a United States Soldier.

Was this the hero of whom I'd just read?

Curled up on a poncho, the floor for a bed?

I realized the families that I saw this night,

Owed their lives to these solders who were willing to fight.

Soon 'round the world, the children would play,

And grownups would celebrate a bright Christmas Day.

They all enjoyed freedom each month of the year,

Because of the soldiers, like the one lying here.

I couldn't help wonder how many lay alone,

On a cold Christmas Eve in a land far from home.

The very thought brought a tear to my eye,

I dropped to my knees and started to cry.

The soldier awakened and I heard a rough voice,

"Santa don't cry, this life is my choice;

I fight for freedom, I don't ask for more,

My life is my God, my country, my Corps."

The soldier rolled over and drifted to sleep,

I couldn't control it, I continued to weep.

I kept watch for hours, so silent and still

And we both shivered from the cold night's chill.

I didn't want to leave on that cold, dark, night,

This guardian of honor so willing to fight.

Then the soldier rolled over, with a voice soft and pure,

Whispered, "Carry on Santa, it's Christmas Day, all is secure."

One look at my watch, and I knew he was right.

MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIEND, AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT.

Gingerbread House

Actually, there is no gingerbread involved, but rather graham crackers. So technically this would be a graham cracker house. :) Cam made this today during his Christmas party at school. Wanted to share the beautiful architecture and design with all of you. Pillsbury Creamy Supreme Classic Frosting is about as close to snow as we'll get, I'm sure. Of course, stranger things have happened, like snow in Vegas ... right mom? :) Hope you all are having a wonderful Holiday season. Cameron is officially out of school for the next couple of weeks. But thank goodness his Skate School has a skate camp going on, because he's going to be "so bored with NOTHING to do..." Well you're whining to the wrong person. I've got baseboards that could use a good scrubbing, the dog needs to be brushed, windowsills vacuumed, weeds in the backyard ... do I need to go on?

Around the World at Christmas Time

Tonight was Cameron's Christmas Program. Yes ... it was called a Christmas program, not a Winter Concert or Holiday Extravaganza ... Christmas program. Another benefit of a charter school I suppose, which is always nice. At any rate, he "had to perform in the choir concert if he wanted to get an A in music, so that's the only reason we're going otherwise I'd skip it ... but it's actually pretty cool and you will like the songs." :) So we decided to drag ourselves over to the Queen Creek Performing Arts Center. I know, fancy. Pinkies up. It was great. The first thru third graders performed several songs each, then the 4th thru 6th performed. There was an intermission after Cameron's class was done, at which time the principal gave us permission to leave if our children were done singing. We took him up on it. Cameron's class sang O Hanukkah, The Pinata Song (one of my favorites), Up on the Housetop/Jolly Old St. Nicholas, and Around the World at Christmas Time (brought tears to my eyes, no surprise there.) Another nice addition to our Christmas Season!


Cam and I - Daddy wasn't feeling very well, so I agreed not to post the attempted family portrait we took in front of our tree. He owes me one.

Cameron all gussied up for his program!

It was also Papa Mike's birthday today - HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Thanks for sharing your day by coming to the program! We love you! (After 10 pictures of this same exact pose, this was the ONLY one where everyone's eyes were open. He was trying to divert Cam and Denise's attention from the camera flash. :)

Christmas Questionnaire

Hey everyone! I got this Christmas Questionnaire in an email and thought it was pretty cute. Feel free to comment with your own answers.

CHRISTMAS QUESTIONNAIRE

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Egg Nog – but only if it’s an Egg Nog Latte.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Santa wraps!

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? Both ... Colored lights on the house, and white on the tree.

4. Do you hang mistletoe? No but we should!

5. When do you put up your decorations? Day after Thanksgiving.

6. When do you take them down? With a live tree, ASAP. (Last year we probably should have taken it down a week BEFORE Christmas). This year, with our new artificial “Oregon-like” tree, probably around New Years.

7. What is your favorite holiday dish? One that is appropriate for ANY holiday: Uncle Steve’s mashed potatoes

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? Not really sure, it seems like all of a sudden he wasn't real. (Maybe the year we moved a couch in the living room to make space for everyone, and exposed one of “Santa’s” hiding spots?)

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Yep – Jammies!

10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree? Lights, strings of beads, and LOTS of ornaments – even the one I made in kindergarten that everyone makes fun of.

11. What is another favorite Christmas tradition memory? Walking the neighborhood after dinner to look at the lights (Merry Christmas Griswald), luminaries, playing cards, watching White Christmas and A Christmas Story, enjoying “spirits” with family and friends.

12. Can you ice skate? Absolutely not

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? Too many to list … When I was younger: kitten, TV and a box FULL of art supplies. In recent years: a jewelry box, sacred heart cross, diamonds (thank you honey!) and anything Cameron has made!

14. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you? Spending as much time as possible with my family and friends

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? Grandma Eileen’s cheesecake.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Didn’t we already cover this?

17. What tops your tree? This year it is a rustic tin star

18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving? Giving, especially to kids

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song? O Holy Night

20. Candy Canes? Only as a stir stick for a drink that includes Bailey’s or Kahlua

21. Do you feel Christmas is too commercialized? Who doesn’t?

A Pattern for Living

I honestly can't believe that it is already the 15th (well almost) and that it has been more than a week since I posted last. Time has really flown this week, but in a good way. I haven't been stressed about the holidays, at least not yet, and think that just kicking back and enjoying the many Christmas activities has taken precedence. Putting up our tree and decorations, the Christmas lights on the house, helping Cameron make and wrap "his" Christmas presents, writing our letter to Santa (I'm thinking this will be the last year for this, actually pretty surprised that it was still something he wanted to do ... !), watching the Christmas cartoons and movies, and of course the school Christmas programs. Kailee and Alex had theirs last week and it was adorable. Kailee was Mary in the Nativity Story, and Alex was a shepherd. They were fantastic and of course, I was a bit teary-eyed. Go figure. So precious - it really snaps you back to what's important. Cameron has his program on Wednesday so of course I'll post pictures of that. I do have to admit that I am about 90% done with shopping (including those that needed to be shipped), so that probably helps with the stress level, but for some reason this year I'm just really trying to let some things go and enjoy.

Here are a few pics from the Nativity Story:

Kailee as Mary


Alex as a Shepherd


So I have either purchased or received (or both!) a Christmas book every year since Cameron was born. To name a few, we've received The Night Before Christmas, Polar Express, and Charlie Brown's Christmas as gifts. They're fantastic and love the fact that we can enjoy them each year. Beginning with December 1st, we read a Christmas story each night before he goes to bed. He loves picking out a different story and it's a great tradition that we look forward to together each night. I haven't bought one yet this year, mostly because we still have plenty to last us for a few more days :), but also because Cam has said he'd like to help pick it out this year. At any rate, one of the Christmas books that I keep with the rest is actually one that belonged to my Great-Grandpa Len. My Great-Grandma Jean gave it to him for Christmas in 1963. Hard to believe 45 years ago they were reading this! I really hadn't looked at it too much since I've had it, but did read through it a couple of days ago. The book is by Helen Steiner Rice, and entitled "A Christmas Collection of Inspirational Verses." There are some really pretty prayers/poems in here. I found this one and thought I'd post it:

A Pattern For Living

Christmas is more than a day
at the end of the year,
More than a season of joy and good cheer,
Christmas is really God's pattern for living
To be followed all year by unselfish giving ...
For the holiday season
awakens good cheer
And draws us closer to those we hold dear,
And we open our hearts
and find it is Good
To live among men As We Always Should ...
But as soon as the tinsel
is stripped from the tree
The spirit of Christmas fades silently
Into the background
of daily routine
And is lost in the whirl of life's busy scene,
And all unawares
we miss and forego
The greatest blessing that mankind
can know ...
For if we lived Christmas each day,
as we should,
And made it our aim to always do good,
We'd find the lost key
to meaningful living
That comes not from Getting, but from unselfish Giving ...
And we'd know the great joy
of Peace Upon Earth
Which was the real purpose of our Saviour's birth,
For in the Glad Tidings
of the first Christmas night,
God showed us
The Way and The Truth and The Light!

Happy 80th Birthday Grandma!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!
80 years ago today, Eileen Marie O'Meara (Hall) was born! We are so lucky to have such an amazing matriarch of the Hall Family and an incredible role model to learn from. 4 children, too many grandchildren and spouses for me to count right now, and almost 13 great-grandchildren later, we all gathered to celebrate. There were over 50 of us there for grandma, and as far as we know, only 4 that were unable to make it. You were all missed! We had an awesome time. Thanks grandma for always being there, I am proud to be your granddaughter!

So, obviously we're back from our trip to Portland and had a GREAT time! We were all able to visit my grandpa in the hospital after his back surgery - it went very well - and even under the circumstances was great for the kids to see their Great-Grandpa. We also had dinner with Grandma Doris at the Spaghetti Factory and it was fantastic! Gotta love those leftovers ;). It was so awesome to see everyone again, and especially for all the kids to reconnect with their cousins. Time means nothing to them, they just pick up where they left off from the last visit. We had a great time hanging out with everyone (Thank you Uncle Mark and Aunt Judi AND Uncle Steve and Aunt Sue for your hospitality this weekend - we pretty much lived at these two homes all weekend!) We all hung out and caught up with one another, met two new cousins for the first time, celebrated a first birthday the same day as Grandma's celebration, Kimmy's baby shower, and the Sunday football/poker event at Uncle Mark's for the "guys." It was great! Lots of pictures below from the trip ... Enjoy!

We finally got to meet JT!

JT and I

JT, Kailee and Cam

JT and Cam

Mom and JT

Mom, JT, and Dad

GRANDMA'S BIRTHDAY PARTY!
Uncle Joe, Grandma, and Uncle Dan

Erin, Aunt Judi, and Shannon

And we finally got to meet Nate!
Liz and Baby Nate (Katie is in the background telling secrets)

Christine giving Isaac a massage - we think

Cameron, Jackson and Stella

Mom, Aunt Cathy and I

Dad, Jim, Uncle John and Ken

Grandma and Suzanne (Happy 1st Birthday!)

Aunt Fluffy and I

Me and JT

Dad, Aunt Sue and I

Alex and Dan

The Great-Grandkids

The Great-Grandkids + Kimmy & Lucy!

JT and his cigar - thanks Uncle Rick!

Dan and Cam

Cam and JT (Who's putting who to sleep here?)

Aunt Sue and Isabelle

Uncle Steve

Kailee getting her first massage

Cam's first massage - whatever - I think I was 30. Thanks Christine!

SPAGHETTI FACTORY
Cam, Grandma Doris and I

Cam and Papa Rick

Me, Grandma, Dad, and Theresa (and my wine)

Mom and Cam

Cam and I