12-25-02
Christmas Day

Christmas eve was spent with Dave's parents in their home. Delpha, as is their tradition, fixed her wonderful clam chowder and oyster stew. We opened gifts and it was a nice evening. Jill brought Wade, Kelli brought Isaac, Kyla, Jed and Emmy were there and Brian even made it....couldn't miss a gift! Mike and Linda came as well as Brett, Carrie and Mat.

Christmas morning after Kyla, Jed and Emma arrived, we opened gifts and fixed a pancake breakfast. Emmy got a tea kitchen from Grandad and Gram and she stayed busy most of the morning fixing everyone tea and pushing her baby in her new stroller (see picture on the right). We cleaned up the usual array of paper and boxes and in the afternoon the entire Evans family came for a prime rib dinner. Everyone brought great food and it was a very nice evening. Thank you to everyone for the wonderful company.

We hope everyone had a wonderful, blessed day as we did and pray that God will bless each of you as we feel we have been blessed.

Merry Christmas!

12-23-02
Dinner Out, Christmas Cookies, Burnt Popcorn
Friday evening Jill and Wade took Dave and Vonda to dinner at the Electric Station for part of our Christmas present. We had a wonderful dinner and enjoyed being with both of them one on one. We don't get a chance to do that very often.

Saturday morning Vonda made sugar cookies and gingerbread men for a group of Kelli's friends to decorate. Five of her friends came as well as Charo, Kyla and Emma. After much chaos, colored frosting, and lots of sugar, they succeeded in decorating quite a few. We then had pizza and they had a white elephant gift exchange. Amoungst the rowdy laughter they had a great time and there was a few very, shall I say, unique gifts, huh girls? After all of the girls left, Kyla and Kelli brought out one of our old favorites, "A Christmas Story" and fell asleep watching it.

Sunday we made a Costco run for a ham for Christmas dinner, which will be at our home this year and the evening was spent with Kyla, Jed and Emma having dinner. After they went home Dave succeeded in burning popcorn in the microwave and we are still trying to get the burnt smell out of the house. All in all the weekend was lovely. We are truly blessed.

12-18-02
Dry Chicken, Card Making, Cookie Baking, New Furniture, Scary Movie and a Manly Man
Friday we had Wades birthday dinner (see the birthday boy below left). As always the birthday person gets to pick what they want for dinner and Wade chose BBQ chicken, macaroni salad with extra dill pickles, rolls, broccoli with cheese and CHOCOLATE CAKE. We had to provide him with lots of katsup since he loves the stuff on chicken......ewww! But he keeps telling me "don't knock it until you try it"...somehow I just can't put it on chicken or turkey. Wade's dad, Jack and his fiance, Tammy also came to dinner. It was nice to get to know his family. But the poor chicken was kind of over done.......a little dry so maybe katsup would have been a good idea. Hey that is probably why Wade likes katsup on everything....to hide the cooking!

Saturday Dave and Vonda went Christmas shopping and ended up buying a new dining room set and a bed. It is a belated anniversay/birthdays/Christmas gift to each other. We have been looking for quite a while and finally found a good deal. Kyla and Jed will get our old dining room set and Kelli will get our head board and footboard. We just have to buy a new mattress and box spring for her and she should be all set.

Sunday Jed, Kyla and Emma spent the day making Christmas cards while Dave and Vonda did a little more shopping. Kelli and Isaac took Kyla and Jed to dinner at Chapala's while Dave and Vonda watched Emmy. We made spaghetti and then Gram and Emma made some cookies. When we were all done, I thought "wow" she isn't even asking for cookies. Then I remembered she ate just a wee bit of dough! But it was a very fun evening.

Monday our new furniture was delivered and it is really beautiful! After 22 years, it is really nice to have some new things. Dave and Vonda spent the evening putting together the new bed while Jill, Wade, Brian and Dez watched "Halloween", a movie Dez was in the mood for. You know Dez, it is Christmas now......how about "A Christmas Story" or something? Well she said she needed to have a good scare so I guess she got that. Vonda had a crown put on today at the darn dentist and lunch with Susan Rich, an old friend from high school. It is always fun to get together...we do more laughing than eating. Tuesday was spent buying the Christmas gifts that need to go to Baker for family and today I mailed them all. Quite the lines at the post office...I hope they make it on time.

Jed attended his office holiday party and they exchanged white elephant gifts. Check out what a "Manly Man" Jed was with the purse, jacket and wrinkled shirt (on the right)!! What great gifts they all received.....wonder who will get that snazzy purse next year?

12-6-02
Shopping, Flat Tire and No Jury Duty
Kyla and Jed spent last weekend putting up their Christmas tree and decorating. Emmy is having a bit of a hard time leaving the decorations alone….but don’t all two-year olds? Unlike us, they have the shopping done. So they should be able to enjoy the holidays like the rest of us wish we were able to do.

I have been spending a few days trying to come up with holiday pictures to use in a letter to family and friends. I never realized I took so many….hard to choose from. Jill went to the coast for the weekend after Thanksgiving just to relax and rest and then came home to Wades birthday on Monday, the 2nd. We are going to have his birthday dinner on Friday, the 13th. Kelli and Isaac volunteered time over the holiday weekend at the Festival of Trees and Kelli house sat for GG and Grandad Max. Kyla and Jed came to get their Christmas decorations out of storage and while Emmy and Grandad played piano, Jed took a nap. He is on a dead run with school and work and all the volunteer time he has to put in for his degree so it was a much-needed nap. Brian spent most of the weekend doing homework but did manage to get out and go to Silver Falls with Charo and her guests from California.

Dave and I managed to get a few gifts after work each night this week but that leaves us getting home so late. This morning Kelli had a flat tire so we spent our lunch hour today changing the tire and taking it to be fixed. During the process of changing the tire, one of the bolt snapped in two….Argh! The good news is that I don't have to serve on Jury Duty....there was no trial! Just a bad time of year to be caught up in that. This weekend we would like to get the tree and decorate but we'll see.