The Me For Maren

Maren left for home before Oliver's new blanket was completed and she was anxious to see the finished product. So, Maren, here it is.


Very early on when he couldn't say blanket, Ollie called his original baby blanket his "me." The original, as happens when a blanket is well-used and loved, is wearing exceedingly thin. Not long ago Maren had Emily help her make a new larger Cars-themed blanket for Finn because his original was also wearing thin and was much too small for a four year old. Ollie saw Finn's blanket and was pretty sure he need a new one, too. So Meagan took him shopping and he chose the fabrics to go with the leftover squares Grammy had in reserve from his original. The finished blanket has a row of original squares along each end, and all kinds of fun bits of Ollie's choosing, including some Cars patterns, in between.

Nice job Meags -- Congratulations Ollie

Oh, and by the way, yesterday was the worst snow day EVER. It snowed solid, without even a minutes break for two days. There were at least 18 inches of new snow on top of what we already had. It was a Provo storm, with far less accumulation in SLC. I no longer have anywhere to throw the snow; the piles are as tall as I am. The photo was taken after the third or fourth time I had shoveled and I shoveled two more times after that. ARGHHHHH! I do like a drink of water in the summertime, so I mustn't complain, but for pity sake, enough is enough. The snow gods must have heard my cursings at the sky, because it was warm and sunny today and I only shoveled ice chunks.

That's all for now.

OXO

D.

Hundreds of Words for Snow

The Eskimos are reputed to have hundreds of words for snow. Well, I'm beginning to understand. I have shoveled several different kinds of snow just this year. Who knows how many different kinds I have shoveled in a lifetime? It started raining last night and the rain quickly changed to wet snow that froze during the night. It was the worst stuff I have ever shoveled -- like frozen snow-cone ice. It wasn't deep, just tough and stubborn. It was also rather beautiful where it clung to the trees. This morning, as the sun peeked from behind the mountain, Kris called me to see the tree over the back fence. She said that it looked like a crystal chandelier. I believe she was right.


OXO

D.

Happy Birthday Harry!

Harry will be two on 11 January, but since he will be in Arizona and we all will be here, Maren and Gavin hosted an early birthday party for him yesterday. We went to Bombay House for dinner. It is his favorite. Okay. I know, it's everyone else's favorite. Todd and Courtney came too and it was a jolly bunch.

After dinner there was a lively Elmo-themed party back at the house. There were games for the kids and cake and ice cream for everyone. It was great fun and I'm glad we all got to celebrate early with young Harry David.

Delicious, as always

Emily needs some adult company (and lots more sleep)

Todd and Courtney's first trip back to
Bombay House in many moons

The birthday boy was regaled by the Bombay House
with free mango ice cream (which was delicious)

Opening presents surrounded by the cousins

Maren's clever and delicious Elmo cake

Emily says that the eating season is FINISHED!
Just stop the feeding!

Baby Goat Cheese and Holman Hunt
aren't as sure as Auntie Em

The Youngs are headed back to the Valley of the Sun tomorrow and the High-Dickie-Days adventures will begin to wind down now. That's all for now.

OXO

D.

Opa!

New Years day was time for Christmas decorations to come down in preparation for a Greek feast. This has been an intermittent tradition of the David and Stephen Taylor families for many years. Everyone participated, making Greek specialties and everything was fantastic. Phillip marinated and grilled the souvlaki (chicken and pork kabobs), Maren made rice pilafi and the grape drink, Emily made tzatsiki (yogurt and cucumber salad/sauce) , Anna made Greek salad, Stephen and Ann made dolmathes (stuffed grape leaves), Katy and I made spanakopitakia (spinach and cheese-filled filo triangles) Millie made rice pudding and provided pita from P712, and Steve made Greek cookies. It was all just spectacular.

After dinner, the binkers watched a video downstairs and the adults played Jeopardy, courtesy of Meagan. One category was "Okole Charades," where one spells using one's okole (hind end). We had a great time.

I have somehow developed a reputation as a tooth puller, and the evening was finished off with a quick and painless extraction of Ander's first tooth -- quite a way to wrap things up.

Our lodgepole pine from Baum's was still fresh and green

The grand Greek feast

Mrs. Furgis's wonderful book provided the recipes

The Youngs seem happy and well-fed

Millie and her famous rice pudding

Dickie does Okole charades

Brave lad, Andy

That's all for now.

D.

New Years Eve

New Years Eve turned out to be an all-day affair. In the morning almost everyone, except those who had to work, met at the BYU Wilkinson Center for bowling. I believe that everyone had a good time, especially me. I beat Emily by a couple of points to win the day. That was really a Festivus miracle because I haven't bowled since Brazil in 1965.

Happy bowlers

Baby Goat Cheese is a bowler

Goat Cheese lets it roll

Lizzy, Dersy, LJ, Sugarsmax, and Tuckerman
at the Wilk

Later in the evening, following an afternoon of hanging out and a few last-minute purchases, the food and games began. They were all so rousing that Kris and I stayed up all the way to midnight for the first time in many years. We were joined by Millie and Holden (Colton was providing the P712 faithful a special New Years spread) and Tom and Carrie.

The spread

The ladies (with Holman Hunt) seem excited

Tom, Carrie, Gavin, et al. made Speed Scrabble
the first game of the night

Rob is the speediest of Speed Scrabblers

Jayson provided much entertainment with Rock Band

Lucy did some vocals for the rockers

Meagan entertained the binkers with some fun kid games

Dickie and Emily sang along to an Abba hit

The kiddies settle in for a little bit of WALL E

Phillip, Katy, and Millie rocked hard

We watched the ball drop, toasted the new years with sparkling grape juice, cleaned up, and went to bed. More fun is planned for this evening, so stay tuned.

OXO

D.

Fun and Games

Yesterday it was Phillip and Meagan's turn to provide dinner for the family so everyone met here to eat homemade chicken noodle soup and sandwiches. The sandwich maker was a great hit and we enjoyed panini-like creations. The evening was filled, again, with several rounds of Pit (I won, I won!) and a game of Ticket to Ride. Meagan made her famous ginger cookies. I don't generally love gingerbread, but these cookies are WONDRFUL: soft and mild. It was another fun-filled evening, thanks to Meagan and Phillip.

The sandwich maker

Homemade soup and sandwiches

Lizzie, Max, and Ollie

Meagan rolls out the cookies -- literally

So incredibly ono!

Gavin makes his move

Ticket to Ride -- Meagan won

The Hastings are home today and the New-Years activities are starting to unfold, so stay tuned.

OXO

D.

Christmas 2008

On Christmas Eve the family, except for the Hastings who were in Hawaii, gathered for dinner, a reenactment of the nativity, a talent show, and story time with Grammy. It was all most enjoyable. By the end of the evening the youngsters were very excited for Santa's visit. After the cousins had gone home to their beds, Grammy, according to longstanding tradition, read the Story of Christmas and the Polar Express to Finn, Harry, et al. As the reading wound down, we all heard the distinct sound of sleigh bells -- really! (Possibly bottles clinking to the vibration of the fridge -- unplanned and very convincing whatever it was.) That was enough to send everyone scurrying for bed.

Christmas day, Maren had to wake the boys. I had time to shower, shave, dress, and shovel the snow before opening presents. I was excited for Kris to open her surprise: a beautiful custom-made pendant of jet. She loved it, but the coup de grace was the present from the kids: a book of photos and remembrances prepared by Katy with everyone's contribution. Kris couldn't contain her tears. Later in the morning, we proceeded up to the Ringers for their traditional Christmas brunch, walking in the beautiful freshly-fallen snow. We spent the rest of the day visiting with family, eating, relaxing, and then in the evening, playing games. It was a splendid day!

CHRISTMAS EVE

The Ensigns

The Youngs

Ollie, Katy, and Grammy

The rest of the Taylors

Prime rib, horseradish sauce, stuffing, potatoes, gravy,
rotkohl, brussel sprouts, cranberry salad, and Kris's rolls

Chrismas carrot pudding with lemon or
butter sauce for dessert

The navity, planned, costumed, and well-rehearsed
by Meagan, was seriously great

The talent show included a Hawaiian version of the
Twelve Days of Christmas

Story time with Grammy

Grammy reads The Polar Express to the boys before bed

CHRISTMAS DAY

The little guys unstuff their stockings

Kris's jet pendant (you can see the true scale
in the next photo, on Kris)

Plenty of good stuff to go around

Jeff and Amy on Christmas morning

Katy, Tom, and Zoe at the Ringers

Christmas night filled with games of Pit and Apples to Apples

The mad round of visiting, shopping, eating, and games goes on unabated. It appears there will be more even tonight. Anna, Rob, and all the little Hastings, we miss you.

The lead-up to Christmas is in the post below -- keep reading.

OXO

D.