Monday, December 31, 2012

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Last day of 2012

Happy New Year family. I am so excited for 2013. Here are a few of my reasons.
1. We barely survived the end of the world 12/21/12. Shewwweee that sure was scary.
2. I am a glass half full kinda guy but I am so grateful for a new year because
much of 2012 stunk like Sherri's gas after camping for a few weeks or any of our breath after a glass of milk.
3. I'm hopeful for better income and get out of all my debt this year. Very positive for future...like tomorrow.
4. Buckeyes were awesome but banned from a bowl.  Excited for what Urban and company will do next year.
5. I will be able to see family more because of my flight benefits.
6. I'm going to start 3 successful companies this year...be positive.
7. 2012 saw Mitt lose to our current admin. Poop!
8. Hopefully McCoy will learn to communicate better and won't be such a mischievous boy.
9. We are all saddened by the loss of our father and it is still not real that he is gone...but it's so peaceful knowing where he is, who he is with, and have hope in the infinite atonement.
10. I'm grateful for a new year because I believe we can all be better because of our Saviors love and I'm going to devote more time to my family and to being an instrument in the Lord's hands and helping the kingdom grow and prepare for His second coming. I love you all.
Bring on 2013!

Sunday, December 30, 2012

Our wing of the family has gotten grief over not posting so I hope I'm doing this right!
Today Cord spoke in sacrament for the first time....he nailed it. Like,mother,like son. He spoke on agency and accountability and shared a babysitting disaster story about Brayden. The next speaker got up and said he came from a family of all boys and his mother had a famous saying...1boy=1 brain, 2 boys=half a brain, 3 boys=no brain, 4 boys= negative brain.......needless to say my mind thought of all you Hall boys!!!!   Love from Boise

Saturday, December 29, 2012

Christmas 2012 from a Grateful Mother

I have no clue if this is going to work...you know your mom and her abilities with modern technology.  But, I am going to give it my best shot.  I do want to thank Jeff for being so creative in thinking of this wonderful Christmas idea.  I love it and hope each of you will get in the spirit and stay in the spirit all year long.  Nothing will make me happier than to be able to look in the Journhalls and see a note, a picture or something about one of my kids or grandkids.  I will love reading it or looking at it time and  time again.  Please do it.  It may take a little time, but think of the joy each of us will have as we all get to see each other weekly.  I can hardly wait.  I have already enjoyed seeing Mason in her braces and watching Angie and the girls dancing away.  What fun!

A little about Christmas for Rick and I.  Naturally, a bit sad after burying Mom on the 19th, but then each of you know about losing a parent this year.  That first year is the toughest, but Rick knows his parents spent Christmas together for the first time in 17 years so that provided him a degree of gladness. We fondued with Sherri, Brett, girls, and Brett's parents on Christmas Eve.  This was Brett's parents first time and my 41st time (minus 1 year that we didn't do it).  What a tradition..I love it.  Everything about it.  I am glad that most of you still carry that tradition out. Remember the video your Dad made for you all?  It shows each of you fondueing as you grew up.  We always did it every year and I have such fond memories of the fun we had  and opening up PJ's around the table.  Christmas  morning, Rick and I were up at 5am and on the road early. We stopped at every one of his kid's houses and also Mark's. Enroute, I talked to David and Michael, Jeff, & Sherri so I talked to all my kids on Christmas Day.  Then onto our house where we had a turkey dinner with Jeremy and his kids and Mark, Ang and the girls.  We sat around afterwards and talked about our favorite gifts, our favorite  traditions, and our favorite thing about our mother.  What a tender  time for all of us.  Angie surprised me by telling something about her mother and then something about her mother-in-law.  I sure love that daughter of mine.  Many people think she  is my daughter since we are both dark headed, tall, slender and beautiful.  Ok, I got carried away.  Rick and I went to bed Christmas night feeling very blessed that we have such wonderful kids and grandkids!!!

December 26th, well, I have to say we woke up to snow, snow and more snow.  The day was a day to celebrate my handsome hubby turning 70 years old, but who would know it?  He does not look it or act it, but the calendar says it is true.  By days end, he had shoveled our drive 3 times and we had 8" of snow.  30 people showed up for his birthday dinner, including all of his kids, Mark and Angie, and his brother, George and Marianne.  What a treat, considering the roads were awful.  4 more  inches of snow fell over night and thus, he had to shovel again early Thursday before we set sail for St. George.  It was a treacherous drive and snow fell most of the trip, but we made it back safe and  sound.  It is only  in the 40's here, but no snow  and sunny with blue skies does help.

Again, thank you, Jeff, for this most thoughtful gift.  I  love it and I love my family.  I am so blessed as a mom.  I  pray we will all find 2013 to be a good year and may God continue to bless us with good health, good family, good times, and let's vow to get together at  least once in the New Year.

Mom & Grandma

Friday, December 28, 2012

Mason's braces

Mason got her full braces on today! Pink and aqua colored bands. A pretty girl is getting even prettier.

Christmas day fun!

The girls big Christmas present this year was a Wii, and then grandma got them Just Dance 4 for the Wii. Our family spent the day playing Wii and dancing our little bums off. Dad danced one song, but his lack of moves and lack of stamina led to disgraceful episodes with heart attack like symptoms. I am old and out of shape!!! And very very white (when it comes to dancing). The girls have played Wii all day everyday since Christmas, literally from waking up to going to bed (Mark and Angela haven't been much better). FUN TIMES!


Tuesday, December 25, 2012

My initial post

I just wanted to take a minute since I just signed on to add a quick snippet. I will likely add something more later, but I have initial thoughts that I wanted to jot down while they are fresh. As we sat around the table last night for our fondue dinner, I asked my girls what is their favorite Christmas tradition that they will come home for in college or make sure to do with their own families some day, and Connley said, "open presents" and Mason said, "fondue". I am the same as Mason, perhaps my greatest Christmas memory and tradition is fondueing as a family. While the process takes a long time, it is also a unique experience, that brought us all together for extended periods of time. I cannot even think of a time we spent fondueing and there was ever a fight, perhaps we were on our best behavior for Santa or perhaps it was something more. I am just so grateful for this family tradition, and the opportunity to now pass it on to my children and some day theirs. I recognize we may not all fondue anymore, but I think many of us still do. To me that is what makes it so special, I know we are not able to all be together for Christmas every year, but I know we are all having similar Christmas experiences; fondue, Christmas pajamas, and egg casserole breakfasts. It is this tradition that helps me feel connected to our spread out family each Christmas Eve and day. Thank you Mom for all of the hard work and sweat each year to make sure we had these special traditions as children.

Merry Christmas (in the voice of George Bailey)

In a perfect world we would see each other after church on Sundays at Moms, and at all our kids school, sport, church, musical, events etc. We would also all be wealthy in  terms health, finances, spirituality, and Mitt would be president soon. But we live in a fallen world and are tried and tested in "all" things to prove we can obey and have joy at the same time. So taking Moms idea and adding the wonders of todays technology, let's all commit to updating our journhall once a week. The thing about this gift for all of us and our children, and grand children...it is 100% up to each of us to update, read, post, etc. This is for all family members to post that are tied back to Mom somehow, whether through marriage, birth, adoption, or accident.
It does not have to be a long post. It can be a picture of your kids that week. Something they are doing in school, church, anything. It could be an idea for a fun thing you did as a family or as a date. Or something you are grateful for that happened that week. A shout out for help, that we can all be praying for. Something that inspired you. A talk we gave or heard. Or all the idea's Mom offered about gratitude or something we remember from our past or want to plan something in our future. It truly can be anything so we can actually see each others kids grow up and know who their teachers are and get to know them better. They can make post too. Everyone except McCoy...he would write things even too bad for internet and may give your kids bad ideas or nightmares.

Rules and Regs.
1. Post once a week. (Great for Sabbath)
2. No negative comments. (No hurting anyone's feelings, icnluding correcting my spelling/grammar)
3. Don't give our login and password to bad people that would take our family journal and sell it to major movie producers to make gain off our lives.
4. Have fun.
5. Don't post anything while going to the restroom...that's one or two.
6. Love one another
7. No judging
8. Keep it kid friendly and remember it will be read by all...even in many years to come
9. Be Happy
10. Humor is good
11. Don't post anything on here to Facebook or any other social outlets.
12. Be nice. (No kicking anyone while there down or below the belt)
13. Remember, we are family and we are all sealed for time and eternity.
14. No holding back secret family recipes...you know who you are.
15. Have fun and post

Ammendment #1
All of us start today, this Christmas day. Share about what you are doing, who you are with, a few pics, memories...anything.