Some Pictures

Well, it seems winter has finally caught up with us in Livingston. Have a look from my front porch:

White out!

the snow from my side deck. WOW.

There's no better time to blog the few pictures I have taken this week! On saturday, we deep cleaned all the kids' rooms and moved some furniture around. We moved my old desk from Angie's house into Addie's room so she can do a little more quiet studying (Math is getting a little tricky this year). She was really excited when we finally got it done. So excited, in fact, that she sat down and did homework!

Addie at her desk

Studying away!
Desk

The first homework completed at the new desk!

Addie on her fluffy bed!

(the other kids were asleep by the time we finished this room, so we didn't take pix of their rooms).

***

This morning while he ate his oatmeal, James practiced his letters on Addie's new chalkboard. He was so excited to be able to write his name and his cousin's name!

James Writing from MelinFamily on Vimeo.

On Wednesday we had a belated FHE and put up our Thankful Tree (A golden branch strung with lights and hung with leaves that say what we're thankful for). Sadly, I came home yesterday adn our little tree had shed a whole limb! It looks a little Charlie-Brownish now, but we still love it.

There is only one me, I am IT.

To brighten your Tuesday, one of my favorite Sesame Street songs.

A Couple of Heartbreakers

Yesterday while I was driving Heidi to Bozeman to go to the dentist, she told me about her dream and then asked, "What did you dream, mom?" I said I couldn't remember my Wednesday night dreams, but I remembered my Tuesday night dreams because they were kind of sad. I watched Oprah's interview with GW Bush right before I went to bed and I was struck so much by the love and respect between him and his dad. It was mentioned several times.

Papa Bill & Baby Heidi

And so as I drifted off to sleep, I began to sob (I'm a little hormonally imbalanced right now) because that great love in my life is gone and life hasn't even slowed down enough for me to really feel it. But the closer the holidays come, the more my heart aches for my grandpa. So of course I dreamed he was with us for the holidays, and I woke up feeling his absence like never before. I told all that to Heidi in six-year-old terms. She responded, "Oh, I miss Papa Bill, too. He talked to me the other night in my bed when I was missing him."

"Oh, really?" I said, curious. "What did he say to you?"

"Well, he wasn't really talking to me, mom. It was just like when Jesus talks to you with a feeling in your heart, you know? And he said, 'Heidi, don't be sad. I love you so much!' and I felt better."

I'm not kidding. That is exactly what Heidi said (I wrote it down when we got to the dental office because I loved it). It makes me feel happy because I know she is learning to feel and recognize the Spirit, and also that she has an eternal relationship with my grandfather, which is something I really hoped for my children.

Addie, Papa & Heidi in 2006

"For the joy of human love--brother, sister, parent, child

Friends on earth & friends above--for all gentle thoughts and mild

Lord of all, to Thee we raise

This our hymn of grateful praise."

Makin' A List, Checkin' It Twice...

I've had some requests that I post the Post-Drews Family Christmas Exchange List for this year, and also some wondering how they can help with Thanksgiving. If you belong to one or both of those categories, this post is just for you! Christmas Gifts 2010

(family-to-family)

Jamie-Sara

Willy-Amy & Michael

Laura- Marshall & Abby

Lisa- Jamie

Sam- Willy

Dana- Laura

Jill- Lisa

Matt- Sam

Sara- Dana

Amy & Michael- Jill

Marshall & Abby- Matt

Thanksgiving Menu
Turkey (brined & roasted) & Gravy -Jamie
Stuffing -Jamie
Candied Yams & Squash -Jamie
Cranberry Sauce & Salad- Jamie
Mashed Potates-Mike Melin
Green Beans- Mike Melin
Carrots--------
Relish Tray--------
Rolls-Rosalie
Martinelli’s- Jamie
Lemon Water -Jamie

Dessert Bar
Pumpkin Pie-Rosalie
Apple Pie- Angie
Pumpkin Cake- Addie
Chocolate Tarts- Jamie
Whipped Cream-Jamie
Ice Cream-Angie
Various Cocoas-Jamie

(If you're coming and don't have an assignment yet, it's vegetables :) )

Cozy Day

First of all, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my dear friend & nephew,

Tallon Smith! (click)

He's 18 today and this is the first year we've been able send him our greetings personally, though we've thought about him every year.

I hope you have a great day & a wonderful year, Tallon!

***

This morning I felt good enough to get up like a normal person. I saw Rich & the girls off, then James and I went to Grandma's house. Grandma was babysitting my niece Hannah AND trying to do payroll AND helping me with some Christmas surprises. James and Hannah played together so nicely Grandma and I both got lots done! Then James and I came home and made lunch for Daddy, then we got busy baking 7 dozen sugar cookies to freeze and decorate on Thanksgiving...Cookie Men ready to bake!
James took this picture of me in my "England Apron," which I bought while I was with Erin in England. Now I kind of wish I had found a "Mind the Gap" apron...oh well.
James has a problem--he can't resist climbing on the bar. We were listening to Christmas tunes on the ipod, and this is him being an angry reindeer dancing to The Smithereens' "Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer." He's so funny.

Angry Reindeer close-up (my favorite pilgrim guy is in the background).

Thanksgiving decor in the Living Room.

After cookies, we picked up Heidi from school. She wondered why I was taking pictures. I told her "I've got to blog SOMETHING today, so why not YOU?" She thought that was funny. Now she and James are enjoying cocoa and fresh snickerdoodles (I rolled the cut scraps in cinnamon sugar for them). Addie is on her Grandma date and all is well. We hope it's just a nice where you are.

The Best of Nights, The Worst of Nights

Yesterday was a draining day. It was my first day "up" all day in nearly a month. I got up and finished all the laundry, mending, cleaned out the girls' dressers/ closet, made a thrift store donation, prepared for PTO meeting, picked up the kids, went to teacher conferences, fed the kids (Rich was at his stake meetings in Bozeman), went to PTO meeting, and picked up the kids from Grandma's at about 8pm. While they were climbing into the car, Heidi got her hand shut in the car door. It looked gnarly enough that Grandma and I decided I should take Heidi to the ER and let Addie and James stay with her. After about an hour and some XRays, we learned that Heidi's hand was not broken, just contused. Rich met us at the ER and Heidi's hand is in a splint for the weekend. Luckily (well, lucky for the kids, not me) there is no school today, so she won't miss any work (it's her right hand). It ended up being a late night and I was in a ton of pain. I finally got all settled in bed with a heating pad and some lemon water, and turned on the Colbert Report.

My hard day was rewarded with Elvis Costello singing a song from his new album, National Ransom on The Colbert Report. The song, "A Slow Drag with Josephine," was BEAUTIFUL! In fact, while I was all enthralled with the show, James was laying next to me, commenting, "That guy is a cute Grandpa... That cute Grandpa sings fun songs...Mom, this is my favorite song, I love it." (aside: yet another great song about "Josephine"--I love the Wallflowers' Josephine song, too--if I ever had another daughter to name, she'd be our Josie!) After his new song, Elvis sang "Dream" with Colbert. Stephen Colbert is the luckiest dawg in the world! Check it out:

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Exclusive - Elvis Costello - All I Have to Do Is Dream
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes 2010 Election March to Keep Fear Alive

So that end of the story is, hard, hard day rewarded by not just a lovely lullabye from one of my all-time favorite musicians, but also IRA GLASS (my other Jewish boyfriend) and DAVID SEDARIS on The Daily Show. Most nights I'm sorry I ever turned on the TV; last night I was exultant. Heidi is fine today, I feel better, we baked 6 loaves of banan bread, and Sedaris' new book in in the mail (Rich got it for me for my bday). Life is sweet.

Adios, October!

I didn't say, "Good riddance, October," although that's kind of how I am feeling. It has been a hard month--a beautiful, hard month. I get a little depressed when I don't feel well for long stretches of time, especially when that time is full of activities, trips and things that must be done, even when one feels yucky. But we survived, and life is good! I have been so under the weather that I have done a TERRIBLE job of taking pictures. My little brother Michael came to visit andwe didn't take a single photo, we had the most beautiful fall in years and I didn't take pictures, and we have ONE picture of Halloween! ONE! Bad mommy...anyway, here's what was on the camera this morning: On the porch, October 16th: Our Slovakian "son", Peter, just spent his 4th summer in Livingston. He came by the house to say good bye and brought Kinder Eggs for the kids. This year he is going to Hawaii before he returns to Prague.


Here is the single Halloween photo I have of our family at the Trunk or Treat on Saturday night. Addie was a "Halloween Fairy," Heidi was an "Angel Queen," and Richard and James were pirates. I went as a "Really Tired Party Pooper/Activities Chairperson."

***
On Sunday after church, we drove to Helena to see our new baby cousin, Miss Emily Post, who was born to my brother Matt & Amie on Wednesday, October 27th. She is a doll!


Addie was trying to take a picture of Emily's yawn, but she missed it and had her finger on the flash. It's still a cute pic, though, and I love having Amie in the background.
Aunt Jamie & Emily

Addie & Emily

Heidi & Emily

Sweet Baby!

James & Emily

Amie's mom, Cynthia, was there helping and it was so nice to see her!

Addie is a good little mommy--she loved holding Emily.

***

The day before Emily was born, this darling baby, Henry Brent Mayberry, was born to my dear cousin Brent (who's practically my brother) and his lovely wife, Autumn.

Seriously, how cute is that baby?!?! I can't wait to see him! Brent is serving our country in Djibouti, and he was only home for 2 days before Henry made his debut. What good timing--now daddy can spend the rest of his "R-n-R" bonding with his boy and spoiling his mighty wife. We are OVERJOYED for the Mayberry's and this long-awaited golden boy!

***

So the month wasn't all bad--it's so nice to have those two lovely babes in the world and to have Halloween over with (My sister, Sara, found out she's having a BOY in March, too!). So now it's November and time to get on with the business of GIVING THANKS. Aunt Marti & Uncle Ralph and my dear Gram are coming for Thanksgiving and I couldn't be more excited. Bring it on!

I'll Carry You and We'll Walk in the Light

It has been the bittersweetest day. All kinds of beauty and a lump in my throat.


THIS SONG pretty much covers it all.



Maybe I miss my Grampy. Maybe I miss my mom, who is only half-here, or my sister, how she used to be. There are so many lovely things laid out before me, so many opportunities, I feel so thankful but also surprised that so few of the people I thought I'd be sharing them with are still near. But then again, these four companions of mine are so delightful, I don't know what I can be sad about.



From upstate at school one friend writes,

Everything is changing while the day sky stays blue.

Changing around him, and me without you.

Waiting for you to arrive,

Where does the time go?

Another Reason I Love My Kids' School

You may have heard that I am serving as the PTO Secretary at my kids' school. This is something that was not really on my radar screen--I'm not generally the PTO type, but I am kind of in love with all the teachers at the school and I want their jobs and lives to be better, so I was motivated to help out (in my own lame way).

What kind of letters do you get from the teachers of your naughty kids? This one pretty much rocks:

FRIDAY 3PM

Jamie,
Heidi didn’t have her folder or behavior chart here today so I thought I’d just email you.

I’m assuming Jim called you about the issue on the playground yesterday afternoon (Heidi mooned a classmate). This seems to have been a really hard week for Heidi on the playground. Today was an equally difficult day in the classroom. Heidi wasn’t able to follow directions at all today. She seemed to really be distracted and not listening to anything that was really happening in the classroom.

Have a nice weekend. --J

FRIDAY 3:15PM

J--
Yep. Rich talked to Jim (the principal) on his lunch hour and took away all the wii games and Heidi's other privileges. She has done equally bad at home...tough week! I have had the flu, too, and barely enough energy to do my regular mom stuff, but I did muster up the energy to wash her mouth out with soap on Wednesday night and put her to bed right after dinner yesterday for making poor choices at home. I almost cried when Jim called because I have no idea what to do with her except just trying to be consistent with what's in place...*SIGH*--Jamie

MONDAY 8AM

Jamie,

I hope you are feeling better. Keep your head up! You are an awesome mom with three beautiful, God-loving children! There is no harder job in the world. Heidi is a loving little girl who is just throwing us all a few curve balls right now, we will get through this TOGETHER! Jim and I have visited a little about maybe getting the school psychologist involved, how do you feel about that? It is a fresh new beautiful day, we are starting anew and I will pour my love on Heidi and pray we can all help her to make good choices! --J

***

It kinda makes me want to sing, "What's gonna work? TEAMWORK!" (nickjr fans?) I feel much better today than I did Friday... and less like locking up my naughty first grader.

You Can Thank Me Later

I pretty much hate shopping. I told my counselor in high school that I was going to college so I could afford to mail order everything (little did I know the internet was coming!). I'll admit it can be fun sometimes, but mostly it's an anxiety-filled headache for me.

I've narrowed down my issues and mostly I hate crowds and having to make important spending decisions on the spot. So I avoid these things by living in a pretty un-crowded place, always making lists and looking at sales online so I don't have to make very many decisions at the store.

So knowing this about me, you might be surprised to know I sometimes go shopping at 3am on Black Friday. Hubs and I have made this a way-fun date, and we can have Christmas done and stashed away before 7am if we play our cards right (this is combined, of course, with all the things I bought the previous year at the after-Christmas sales and stashed away). The thing that helps us "play our cards" is this little link right HERE. You don't even have to pick up a newspaper! You just peruse the ads and make your list and your action plan and go for it. One of you can go do the actual shopping more stealthily, but if the kids sleep over with Grandma and you grab some crepes at IHOP to fuel your trip, it can count as a date.

I kind of loathe Walmart, but I have to give a special shout out here because Black Friday shopping there is awesome. It' a 24-hour store, so you can go there anytime over night, fill up your cart, and just be in line when the sale officially starts. I know it's not like this everywhere--I shudder to think what kind of craziness there would be in a populated place like San Diego or Tucson--but if you live near a nice suburban Wally like I do, it's pretty sweet. And you can get really useful things like a $3 crockpot (I use mine all the time) or nice $40 mp3 players for your kids. So just give it a whirl. Subscribe to that link up there, look at the ads, and see if there is anything worth getting up for. It could be fun, even for anti-shoppers.

***
I wanted to share my secret recipe for soft winter skin with you, seein's how I just took the skin-smoothingest bath ever. Aside: My dermatologist said that olive oil is probably the best, most readily-available ointment for our skin, yet most people don't use it because of the smell and its associations with food. If you have terribly itchy, cracking skin like me, you have no pride when it comes to scent, etc...I use olive oil all the time, especially after doing dishes.

Get a little bowl in the kitchen and pour 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil in it. Then pour in enough sugar to make a paste (you can do this with salt, too, but I have a lot of open skin and that can burn). If you happen to have some oils or extracts, you can add a drop or two for scent. I like my vanilla, coconut, or orange extracts the best.

Now take your little bowl to the bathroom and jump in the shower. Get yourself damp, turn off the ater, then use the paste --sugar scrub--to exfoliate your skin, giving knees and elbows and extra good scrub. Rinse with warm water and proceed to shower as usual. Use a rich moisturizer right after your shower (I just used Tree Hut Coconut Lime Shea Body Butter from Walmart & Costco and it's good!) and enjoy being baby-smooth for a few days!

Oranges

Today at the Stake Provident Living Expo (which my husband organizes each year) in Bozeman, they served a wonderful lunch of three kinds of soups, rolls, and fresh fruit--perfect for a rainy fall day!

James took an orange and stuffed it in the inside pocket of his patagonia fleece. A few minutes later he patted it and said, "Mom, I'm saving this orange for Papa Bill when Jesus makes him back alive. He loves oranges and I want to share it with him."

It still makes me cry, just typing it.