A Time for Life & A Time for Death

Well! What an eventful last couple of weeks. It's been an emotional roller coaster, but it is finally beginning to slow down.

June 9, 2009. Mom and I went to prayer meeting, but just before it was beginning we received a phone call from Dad. I handed Mom the phone and the first words out of her mouth were a startling "Oh My WORD!!!" So many thoughts rang through my mind; what could it be? Then she turned to me and said, "Pat died," my Grandma. I didn't know what to think, didn't want to let it set it. It couldn't be real. People from church came to comfort me, offering hugs and condolences. I just began to shake. We ended up going home early and telling my sister.

Turns out our trip to Colorado Family Camp would have to be cancelled, as well as Nemo and I's vacation to Springs to visit family. At first I was crushed. First my Grandma was taken away and then my trip I'd been looking forward to for 5 months. Slowly I accepted the fact that all things work together for good (Romans 8:28). We ended up going up to Taos on Sabbath for the service. My sweet CO family made the trip down and it was nice to have them there! My Aunt P told about Grandma's last moments alive.

Grandma had had many strokes in the last few weeks and just seemed to be going down hill. Then they found blood clots in her arm, her leg, and eventually in her lungs. Her body was failing. After many years of abuse from lack of exercise and improper nutrition it was giving up. She wouldn't have to suffer anymore. Aunt P was sitting with her as they watched Grandma's favorite show, "Jeopardy." Grandma faintly spoke, "I'm dreaming the dream of dreams." My Aunt didn't understand at first, so she had Grandma repeat it. "I'm dreaming the dream of dreams." Then she understood, she knew that Grandma was going to die. She had lived a long, good life and it was flashing before her eyes one last time. Aunt P never took her eyes off her. Grandma's big blue eyes sparkled as they always had (those big blue eyes that I am blessed with a replica of) Aunt P stroked her hand and told her how much all her kids loved her. She died peacefully right before 7:00 PM on Tuesday, June 9th 2009.

After the service we drove down to Santa Fe with the COs to eat a delightful dinner at Tomasita's. :) Surprisingly it was hardly busy at all, but we managed to sit right next to a rowdy bunch! Once we were stuffed to the brim with sopapillas, we parted our ways. Cousin R stayed the night with us. Her and Nemo stayed up all night and finally managed to fall asleep at 8:00 AM, after being awake for 22 1/2 hours. They just couldn't make it to 24.

Monday afternoon we caught a flight to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. That evening we met up with 15 family members at the hotel where we would all stay. We enjoyed dinner together. Some of us hadn't seen each other in 5+ years. It was nice, but not for the occasion.

Tuesday morning there was a family visitation at Peterson-Patch Funeral Home in Waukegan, Illinois. My Grandpa's service was held here just over 10 years ago. At 11:30 they closed the casket and we proceeded to North Shore Garden of Memories for the interment. This part was the roughest, especially placing the Peace Lily and red rose on the coffin.

Afterwards we went back to the hotel restaurant for a Memorial Luncheon.

That afternoon we went to see Marie, my Dad's babysitter from when he was a wee one. It was nice to see her again, though it was probably the last time. She was so grateful to see us and to have seen Grandma in March. Grandma and Aunt P made a grand trip to see old places and old friends and family members for her 85th birthday. My Uncle G secretly called it the "Farewell Tour." Turns out he was right.

Then Dad took us to places of his childhood memories. His old house on Russel Avenue, old school, the hospital where he was born, and places of that sort. That evening we had dinner with the family again and bid adieu since most would be leaving early the next morning. Us on the other hand, we'd be leaving Thursday evening.

Dad wanted some down time just to relax and drive around The Loop in Chicago. So that's exactly what we did on Wednesday. The old buildings are oh so extravagant and magnificent! We stopped by the Grosse Point Light House in Evanston, Illinois, but it was closed. Bummer! I was planning to stamp my National Park Passport... We ate lunch at 'The Chicago Diner,' which has been 'meat free since '83.' It was scrumptious! We drove past Wrigley Field several times, trying to persuade Mom to go to the game - Cubs vs. Chicago White Sox. (Go Cubs!), but it was to no avail. After having seen enough of historic buildings, we drove back to Waukegan on Sheridan Road, the street known for its mansions. Huge estates that cost millions upon millions of hundreds of dollars! We oohed and aahed and videoed till our 2 1/2 hour tape was full! I did manage to save just enough room for a short trip by the cemetery.

The grave was now filled in, but the sod had yet to be replaced. An abundance of flowers surrounded the marker. My great-grandparents on my Dad's Dad's side (George August, Sr. and Marion Prince) are buried there and now both of my Dad's parents (George August, Jr. and Pasty Marie Clark). There are markers for my Great-Uncle (Ronald Charles, whose ashes are 200 yards away) and my Uncle (Craig Clark, Dad's only brother) who died in 1995 from AIDS. Grandma has been laid to rest right beside her beloved daughter (Penny Amelia Pincombe) waiting for the glorious resurrection. Though I never met Aunt Penny (she died in 1984 from Parkinson's Disease- 25 years ago this November 11th), from all that's been said, I know she was the epitome of sweet and caring.

My Grandma's life was full, she was always involved in something that would benefit others. I've be aware of this my entire life. But now I see the effects of it and I am striving more than ever to become what God wants of me. To find a fulfillment and help others toward the same goal.

But through the tears and sadness that we've experienced in the last couple weeks... There is good news! Come late December or early January I'm going to have a new cousin! Aunt R and Uncle S are expecting their 2nd and his 3rd. Little T won't be an only child after all. I'm personally hoping it's a boy. Poor cousin R - all of her cousins are girls, since the only boys are her brothers. Plus there are currently eight of us and five are girls; we need more of a balance. But we'll see what God allows! I can't wait to hear and find out!

And now for my trip up north. It seems I may have waited too long to book a flight. This past weekend I realized that it's next week I was planning to fly out and that I better find a flight and fast. We have a free ticket, which is so nice! And online it looked as if there were plenty of flights, but then I found out that only a certain number of free flights are reserved. And that's just it - the reserved flights are already RESERVED. We've called three times and each time no two same flights have been available, so we're praying that when we call back tonight that the right flight will be available and things will work out as or similar to as planned! It's kind of hard to figure everything out because Dad flew out to North Carolina on Father's Day for a business trip and this three-way thing is sort of a hassle... In HIS time, He makes all things beautiful in His time!

I am still working on that post from OKFCM and should have it up in a couple weeks or less! But for now I need to get going.

Have a wonderful day in Jesus!

God's blessings,

`janelle`

A Long Delayed Update - more to come

For New Year's Eve we showed "Flywheel" at the church and then I slept right through midnight. My best friend called at midnight her time, but I only mustered enough energy to say I'd call her back in the late morning. And while I was painting/decorating my room a light peach color, she was diving into the frigid waters of Lake Coeur d'Alene for the Polar Plunge in 34F temperatures. Crazy, eh? I'd say so.

On the 20th we watched Obama's inauguration. We'll see what all he has in store... (not too hopeful). It was fun watching the polls on election day though. If only I'd been old enough to vote in 2008. :)

My sister went to Kid's Fest - Diggin' In, a retreat for kids, in Corrales at the end of January and our Pathfinder (PF) club went to sell drinks at the finalé. It was one wild night!

On February 8th, our East Mountain Cougar's Pathfinder Club had a speaking engagement down in Truth or Consequences, NM, so we all went down there for the day's event. They did very well!

In mid-February we met up with Uncle T at 'The Pit' for a Lady UNM Lobos vs Air Force Falcons basketball game. Funny! It was his team and our team against each other. UNM won by a large margin; it was a pretty boring game for the most part, but we got to see Uncle T!

We bought an iMac - smart move! :) I've been having so much fun editing videos and making DVDs. The whole OS is completely different than that of a PC. Now, I've grown up on PCs, and they're much more complex and when you switch to a Mac it's so simple that at first it seems hard. The only thing I dislike is having to switch between my laptop (PC) and the iMac, just like I'm doing now. I'll never go back to PCs again if I have a choice!

My sister had a tooth pulled and then finally had braces put on! :) In less than a year, she'll have straight pearly yellows just like me!

Our sweet friends, K and S Wyre, left, on a calling to do mission work in China. We held a going-away "party" for them and will miss them dearly!

We also had the First Annual Father-Daughter Purity Banquet at church and invited the Nebblett Youth to come and speak. They gave a beautiful message that was thought-provoking.

And with that, March went by uneventfully for the most part. Except that Grandma had a TIA in Tennessee on her 85th birthday. She recovered and a week later flew to come visit us. She came with us to church (she'd never seen our new facility) and then afterward we drove up to Taos for the weekend. :)

We picked up the newly-released movie, "Come What May." It's very great, I highly recommend it; you should definitely check it out! The guy who wrote, directed, and produced it was a guest speaker at this year's home-school convention as well.

Daddy turned a year older (shhh!), but we weren't able to spend the day with him because my sister and I were babysitting our Pastor's kiddos! Three little ones full of energy, what fun to keep up with when they all want your attention at once! We stayed the weekend with them while their parents attended and presented a Marriage Seminar/Retreat. We really enjoyed ourselves! We watched them just this past week too, while their parents went house hunting. Please pray that both offers (the selling house and the buying house) go through!

With early April came OKFCM time! I'd go into detail, but that would take too much time. So I'm saving that for a separate post that is yet to come.

The evening that we arrived back at home from camp meeting, rejuvenated and ready to face the world, there was a wonderful concert held at our church. The Oklahoma Academy Chorale and Bell Choir was passing through and performed a magnificent concert! Thank you and well done!

Our dear friends (my sister's best friend's family) announced to us that they're moving into town so they can put their daughters into school. We will surely miss them and it won't be the same, but they'll only be a short drive away.

The annual CAPE-NM home-school convention came and my parents attended that as usual.

But the same day as the convention and just within three days after we'd taken Grandma back home, she fell and broke her hip. Dad had to miss part of the convention because he and I drove up to Taos (on April 17) as Grandma was having hip surgery. They put three screws in and she came through fine, but sore and in pain, as expected. So far she seems to have healed nicely, but is still in rehab. I drove Grandma's car home, following behind my dad, so Aunt P could have a mode of transportation when she flew in. It was slushy-snowy all the way, three hours, and rainy part of the time, but the roads weren't too bad. Here's a short note that I wrote when I was in the hospital after Grandma's surgery. "I'm in the hospital now with Grandma. She had hip surgery this morning. So far so good! It's snowing again."

Oh and then on Sabbath I was helping to move the pulpit back into place (we'd had communion) and I set it on top of my toe and then slid it across. Now this is a very sturdy wood podium and it sliced the top layer of the skin on my toe off. OUCH! Not only that but my toenail had been cut extremely short and the skin was tender, and now the skin wasn't even there. It was a bloody mess, but now that it's all better you can't even tell. Just thought I'd share that gross story with you. If you only knew the gruesome details I kept to myself...

On April 19th our conference held a Pathfinder Fair in Corrales. My sister and her best friend were the Color Guards for the fair and led the opening procession. In the Marching and Drilling competition our club came in first! GO COUGARS! To celebrate we went out for pizza.

My best friend had a birthday and we've been friends for 14 years now! :)

My dad's truck has just under 205,000 miles on it now, with the original transmission and clutch. It still runs fairly well, except for the minor squeaky belts and rattling bumper, but he's been wanting a new vehicle. So he got himself a Volvo S60! Real nice car, very cute and fun to drive! Plus, we've decided to keep the truck, so basically it's mine now! Not that I have anywhere to go or do, but it's there if I need it. :)

For the Mother's Day Pancake Breakfast my sister and four of her friends, plus myself, were in charge of decorating. It was our duty to transform the sanctuary into a banquet hall. I planned out all the ideas and they all seemed 'ok,' but I was sure it wouldn't even turn out half decent. But boy, was I wrong! It looked really stunning; way better than I had anticipated or even imagined... So maybe I can be artistic and creative when I really put my mind to it. The breakfast was scrumptious! Pancakes, topped with delectable strawberries and bananas with a dollop of whipped cream, sausages, and a glass of icy orange juice. :) And for the afternoon we went to the zoo for the (35th annual?) Mother's Day concert performed by the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra. Wow! It was spectacular! We lied out in the grass, listening to the melodious strings in harmony! After it had ended with my all-time favorite, "Be Kind to Your Fine-Feathered Friends!," we took a walk through the park, enjoying the animals and for dinner we ate at Twisters.

Graduation season! Several of my friends have finished high school now and one finished college; ConGRADulations to them! Sad to say, I'm still not done with school for the year, nor for HS. But at the end of this week (by June 5th) I will be done with everything except for my Chemistry labs! Then summer will really begin! :D I'm hoping to graduate by THX'09, but we'll see how it goes. And at this point in time, I have no plans for college, but it's not out of the question either. I really have no clue what's in store after high school.

A friend of mine, who has been going to college in Keene, came home for a week and it was fun to see her! She took my sister to the New Believer's Treat on Sabbath and Nemo ended up staying there to help out through Sunday.

One of my dearest friends, Coby Berdahl, has Lyme disease. A few weeks ago she left in a wheel chair for a lifestyle center to seek treatment. It was so sad to see her immobilized, but we prayed for a miracle and just a few weeks later she returned, walking and in much better condition! She still has a long road ahead, so would you please pray for her recovery?!?!

We helped a couple friends of ours move (on May 24-25). We spent almost the entire day packing boxes and loading up the truck. Coby brought us a delicious lunch that refueled our bodies and we continued on until the truck was full and they hit the road. The following morning a few of us went back to the house to clean it for the couple (since they had to leave and had run out of time). I love vacuuming, so I called that job. I got (I'm NOT kidding you) 15 cups of dirt out of the carpet. YUCK!

And finally, this past weekend! :) Oh, it was glorious! Our PFs had been scheduled to speak at the Taos Church. We got up early and met at our home church to drive the 2 1/2 hours up North. Grandma was able to make it too, which was an added blessing! :) I set up all my equipment -still and video cameras - and enjoyed recording their message. They did such a superb job! After a meager lunch and saying 'goodbye' to Grandma, the seven PFs plus myself piled into the van, headed towards Tres Piedras. My parents stayed behind to spend time with Grandma.

We took a minor lengthy detour when we came to the Taos Rio Grande Gorge Bridge. A steep 652' to the raging rapids below. We had lots of fun and overcame our fears of heights. Ned found a wood chip in the road and when he threw it we were able to follow it all the way till it splashed in the river. That was cool! :)

When we got to Tres Piedras, where Ned grew up, we eagerly got out of the stuffy car and the six of us girls went on a hike. On Ned's parents' property there are three ponds. Now, if you're from anywhere else you'd call them ponds or maybe even puddles, but since I've grown up in New Mexico and to stick with context I will call them lakes. Natural lakes of this size are hard to come by in the desert! It's up in the mountains, so though it may be summer in the city, up there spring has just arrived. The trees are a fresh green, the grass vibrant, the tadpoles just morphed, crickets hatched, and the water cool. It was so beautiful! I'm almost at a loss for words, knowing that I could never truly describe it for how it really is. We enjoyed our time out in nature, skipping along the shore, careful not to brush up against 'StingWeed,' which has similar repercussions as poison ivy. Dodging barbed-wire, exploring an abandoned campsite and old ruins, climbing on the rocks over the lake, and spending a moment of silence at the cemetery filled our afternoon. When our stomachs began to growl, we knew it was time for dinner. We walked back through the green field of oats.

We reached the house and found there was company. Some of their relatives with a new baby girl had stopped by for a visit. :) How cute! Shania is such a doll and so precious! We enjoyed visiting and when they left we went out into the lovely yard for a photo shoot.

The girls all laid out on the grass, creating a wagon wheel effect. Next the limbs of the aspen trees within the yard called their names! What merriment to swing upside down from sturdy white branches of wood. It was totally pleasurable! What I would give to return to such a jovial scene!

For dinner we ate burgers and watermelon; food perfect for summer picnic weather. We savored each bite as we sat out on the back deck, watching stormy clouds roll in. My parents drove up just in time to eat and afterwards the men-folk and the six of us girls went out for another hike.

The sun was setting lower in the sky and the reflections on the lake became so pronounced. Each detail perfectly copied in the water, only disrupted when a pebble splashed its surface. I managed to snag my sister's camera (I forgetfully left mine in the car) and took tons of pictures, not being able to capture enough of the simple beauty of the woods. I can't even explain how happy I was! But the time kept ticking away and the storm got closer so we had to move on, returning back to the house. Not only that, but we had a long three hour drive ahead of us, and it was already past 8:00 P.M. We ended up getting home a little before midnight. Though it was a terribly long day, it was so pleasant, so peacefully, so perfect! I really had a grand ol' time!

The next morning my Grandma called and seemed to be doing fine, just like when we'd seen her the day before. She went to O.T. a little while later - no problems, but then she went to P.T. and seemed very confused and un-responsive. They called my dad, alerting him that she may have had a stroke and was being moved to ER. They ran a Cat Scan, but it came back negative. An MRI on Monday showed the same. She has come out of it somewhat, but is still very confused. My thoughts are that she had a minor TIA that's not detectable and she snaps out of it quickly because it wasn't severe, but who knows. Anyway, my dad and his sisters are uncertain about her future - where she should go, when, and all that kind of stuff. If you could please pray for wisdom and guidance on their part, and of course a speedy recovery for my Grandma. I really appreciate it; thank you!

Right now my sister is at Texico camp-meeting for the week with her best friend. I'm sure she's thoroughly enjoying herself. I'll be up there with my family on Sabbath and on Sunday as well.

It's been cooler here lately, lots of clouds, and threats of rain, but not moisture, though the humidity is a little elevated. But the cooler weather is a welcome relief on my part, especially when you understand that for me, anything above 75F is HOT!!! No joke. The Northwest is definitely calling my name.

Now that I've practically caught you up to the current events in my life, I will share what my summer is going to consist of.

Next Thursday we're leaving for Colorado. We'll spend the day and evening with my CO family and then early Friday morning head to the first annual Restoration-International CO Family Camp! I'm super excited. Time with my beloved cousins, plus friends, good food, and a refreshing weekend. Also, my uncle has offered for my sister and I to stay with them for a week, which would be totally awesome. Things aren't for certain yet, but I can't wait. It's been two years since I've spent my summer up there and that's way too long.

We had plans of spending a week in Ouray/Durango with my CO family, but that may or may not happen. The summer has filled up and my dad doesn't have enough vacation leave. Maybe a short weekend would suffice. I really hope so.

In early July through the entire month I will be in Idaho! For a week we're going to Oregon for a camp meeting (one state I've never been to) and then the rest of the time we have a checklist of fun items to fill our time with. I'll be sure to keep you updated on my adventures.

Then in mid August our PF club will attend the International Pathfinder camporee in OshKosh, Wisconsin. I'm not fond of camping with no facilities, so I'm skipping out on this one. But at this point in time I don't know what I'll do when they're all gone. I think I'd go crazy if I just sat around and did nothing. I can't stand being alone; being by myself for two minutes is torture!

And then in September... The scariest event of the year - my 18th birthday. I absolutely cannot believe it. Where did the time go. How I loved being a little kid and just playing in the wading pool in Nana's garden. Wow! But that's a whole'nother story in itself.

Surprisingly, I'm done. This has been a near complete update on the events in my life and I must close this post before I bore you any longer. I'm sorry it has been so quiet around here for the past nine months. To think I put it off so long, but when I really put my mind to it, it only takes me a couple days to catch up. There shall be no more excuses. And I still have that post of OKFCM to write up. That should be lots of fun, no sarcasm involved.

Have a wonderful day in Jesus!

For now, from New Mexico everybody, bye bye!

(there is more to come... don't worry it won't be this long, at all!)

Ketchup Time

(written on .F.Mar.20.9. through .F.Ap.17.9.)

Wow, talk about procrastination.  Oh my goodness, I just counted the months on my fingers - one, two, three, ..., five, SIX!  That's two hair cuts ago; lol!  :)  How could I be so neglectful?  Writing seems to go in waves for me, but I've decided to sit down and force some words onto paper.  We're watching "Anne of Green Gables, The Continuing Story" for the umpteenth time, so I thought it fitting to accomplish something productive. 

It seems almost surreal how time has slipped through my fingers.  Without confabulating an extraordinary amount, I'll try to sift through my recollections and share selected ones with you.  Oh the nostalgia! Memories from years past flood my mind, but I must focus upon just the six months prior today.  When I last wrote, I had just turned 17 and now I'm more than halfway to 18.  Yikes!!! 

Following my last update, we watched three of my cousins (R, little N, and J) while my Aunt J and Uncle T went to Cabo San Lucas in Baja Mexico for a week.  (Big N stayed with the Williams).  They kicked back on the beach while I ran around, trying to keep up with the energetic boys - it was pure fun and joy.  I may share a video compilation one of these days when I finish it up.  They had me on my toes one minute and rolling on the floor laughing the next.  

Playing magnetic darts, Daisy's Garden, marbles, Old Maid, Go Fish, Imaginif, Monopoly, soccer, basketball, checkers, Feed the Kitty, Uno, airplanes, and flying saucers was what kept us busy.  Their short attentions spans kept my mind racing, but it was a welcomed change from the rituals of school work.  Spinning circles, blowing bubbles, kissing dogs, and running across Africa were some of the many other activities which occupied our time spent together.  So many smiles and laughter!  R turned a year older and we eagerly devoured a delectable cake that was vibrantly decorated and washed it down with some moose and caribou ice cream.  (I wonder if they make glow-in-the-dark cake?)  My dad was gone for most of the week, but we were glad to have him home for the weekend.  However we were sad when the week was concluded and we had to bid farewell, going our ways.  But not before a splash in the pool and a scrumptious meal at Scarpas, complete with salivating dessert.  What a full and splendid week! 

Also, while they were here with us I took the P.S.A.T. and scored a 178; Critical reading - 57, Math - 64, and Writing - 57. Overall it placed me in the 86th percentile Nationally. 

The week after they left, our life had somewhat returned to a dull normal.  I went to the MVD and took my driver's road test.  I passed!  The only thing I did wrong was stop after the stop sign because I couldn't see around the corner.  When I was taking the "test" it didn't dawn of me  until afterwards that I "should be" nervous and what was going on.  It just seemed as if I was going for a drive and I didn't notice my instructor!  Very weird, but maybe that's why I did so swell.  :)  It's nice to be able to drive where I want and for the most part when I want to, even if it is just to get out of the house and go grocery shopping for my mom.  Making it to church on time is a plus!  ha ha!  (We're typically late, but now that I can leave when I need to, I can make it on time to places).

Then the following Sunday I took the ACT (at Sandia View Academy) and made it to the 75th percentile in the nation and the 81st percentile for NM.  (25 Math, 28 English, 20 Writing (w/out essay), and 24 Science - composite of 24).  I completed almost the entire section(s) and felt pretty confident afterward.  Waiting till mid December (2 months) was the hard and torturous part.  After testing, Daddy and I ate lunch, went to work, and then went to a Harvest Festival for the church.  :)  What a day; filled with all sorts of emotions.

In mid November the Pathfinders performed the entire church service and we had a benefit dinner that evening, complete with a showing of "Facing the Giants."

The following weeks were uneventful - school, school, and not much besides.

Until...  The 7th Annual Springs Thanksgiving, the absolute best time of the year!  With no doubt or question about it what-so-ever.  Wow!  What a joyous time with loved ones.  Nana came a couple days early and travelled with us up to Colorado Springs.  Unfortunately, my Aunt A and Uncle B (from Arizona) and Uncle S, Aunt R, and little cousin T (from Virginia) weren't able to make it, nor Papa or Kyra.  So only 11 of us were there for the par-tay.  The sleeping arrangements were completely different - this time us girls got the entire basement to ourselves (I got the whole air mattress, which was very nice, I must say).  Wow!  When I let things go for so long, it is extremely hard to recall exactly what all we did.  That evening, after driving all afternoon, R, big N, my sister, and I sat down with a box FULL of family pictures circa 1990s.  Before the era of digital; you know, when people actually developed their film.  What fun it was to look back upon childhood memories and take notes so we can put together a "book" one day full of beloved stories!  :)  I'm all smiles right now!  The first full day was Thanksgiving.  We must have stayed up late, because we completely missed the entire Macy's Parade and the annual Thanksgiving Day Race.  I can't remember exactly how late we all slept, but I bet it was almost eleven. 

I don't think I've ever written down my story about getting in trouble with the police.  You see, every year, for as long as I can remember, there is a benefit race that takes place behind my aunt and uncle's home.  Us "kids" usually go upstairs to one of the bedrooms, where we can see over the back fence, to watch and offer encouragement to the participants with a hearty "good job," "keep jogging," and and occasional "Happy Turkey Day."  People love it!  Well this one year (not sure which year though) big N and I got carried away.  It all started with a seemingly harmless "Hi, Happy Thanksgiving."  But it soon turned into "keep at it" and then "you can do better than that."  People didn't seem to appreciate it as much.  Also, they halt the traffic on a couple of the roads, for obvious safety reasons and station police officers for protection.  Well one of these lady guards was..., shall we say, more burly and had a short crew cut.  From behind, we mistook her for a policeMAN.  Big oops!  It wasn't until we'd greeted HER, "Hi Mr. PoliceMAN," that SHE did an about face and returned a displeased "Uh... Hi!" that we realized our mistake.  However we made light of it.  Then big N had this brilliant idea to get out the cap guns and shoot them off, imitating the start of the race.  Even bigger oops, especially when we made sound effects that brought us attention.  Unwanted attention from the policewoman.  And just as she looked at us, guess where the gun was pointing?  Yeah, at her!  Even bigger double oops!  That one glance in our direction was all it took.  "You're in trouble; I'm gonna come talk to your parents when I'm done."  Boy were we scared; we were shaking in our boots.  We quickly tried in vain to escape by wishing her a "Happy Thanksgiving!"  She replied, "Happy Thanksgiving to you TOO, but I'm still going to come talk to your parents."  We were doomed, doomed for life!  This was going on our records and we really didn't know what to think at the time.  We ran downstairs, frightened to tell our parents what we'd done.  We knew we'd be in for it.  So we quickly snuck out the back door, retreating to the swing-set.  Now if we swung just high enough we could see over the wicket fence.  We did this to make sure the lady was still there.  But that soon got old and we moved on.  The tire swing was more fun!  Until... we forgot all about the fun.  "Oh no, what about the police officer?"  We jumped back on those swings quick as quick could be and saw what we had hoped wouldn't be true.  She was gone!  Oh dear, what now?  We scurried inside, just in time to hear "ding, dong."  We slowed to a shuffle, waiting for Aunt J to open the front door.  I don't remember much more than that, but the lady was very nice, considering the situation and how much we desired reprimanding.  Big N and I owned up to our mistake.  Fortunately, it didn't go on our records!  She kindly instructed us to never point any gun at a person, real or fake, and that guns aren't toys.  That has stuck with me ever since!  

So this past year we never got a chance to get in trouble the way we were snoring away downstairs...  But Aunt J was already slaving away in the kitchen for our scrumptious banquet that afternoon!  Oh, and the wonderful aroma that filled the home!  Spinach, salad, French bread, mashed potatoes, onions, pomegranate 7-UP, cherry and apple sparkling ciders, asparagus and noodles, cranberry sauce, broccoli, gravy, ice water, sweet potatoes topped with marsh-mellows, spicy salad dressing, and not so tempting turkey - complete with miniature pumpkins and scented candles whose glowing ambiance filled the room.  Wow, sounds fattening, but ever so delectable; very mouth-watering.  And then all to be topped off with pumpkin, razzleberry, pecan, and apple streusel pies and lots of ice cream for birthday celebrations - Uncle T and little N.  You can't forget the THX cookies!  Oatmeal Chocolate Chip and Oatmeal Raisin; oh do they taste good frozen!  :)  They didn't last long either, not even four dozen of 'em. 

Since I had my provisional-license, it was nice to be able to run to the store and grocery shop with R and my sister!  Next Thanksgiving I'm hoping to have my full, un-restricted license. 

When we weren't doing anything, we were taking it easy, lounging around, enjoying each other's company.  I attempted some photography indoors too.  My Aunt J decorates their house so lovely, and I just love capturing it!  Oh, what joy of blessings spent with beloved family - these are the best times in my life!  Truly!  We watched "Elf" (on VHS!) before going to bed.  After all Christmas was just 4 weeks away and it had lightly snowed, making it a truly grand winter evening together.

Friday it snowed about the same amount, but the whole time we were there it was so frigid that we never swung in the backyard.  Which means during the whole year of 2008 I missed out on swing-time with my cousins.  Not that I miss the memory of being bitten while swinging.

In THX'04 it was a lovely Thanksgiving Day.  Little N, J, Aunt A, her dog Chance, and I were out in the backyard.  Chance was part corgie - very short and stout, and had a disliking for our swinging legs.  He attempted to nip at my heels as they swung past him, but I was quick enough and avoided his bite.  Then he went for me again, but this time a little higher - right above and behind my left knee - making it harder for me to escape.  I felt his teeth through my blue jeans, sinking into my flesh.  "Ouch, he bit me!"  My aunt didn't believe me; she said he was only playing.  But I knew the pain was more than from an innocent nip.  I went inside to find a bloody gouge behind my pant leg.  I alerted my mom and soon everybody gathered around.  A search for antiseptic and bandages took place.  When Aunt A saw the injury she felt horrible and offered to get me band-aids, which we had failed to discover.  In the end it healed up, but not without leaving a temporary scar in the shape of an upside-down smiley face!  :(  :)

But anyway, the cold weather made for a nice day for staying indoors, especially considering how we all very unfortunately seemed to have come down with some sort of a cold, and boy did I feel miserable.  There wasn't any Black Friday shopping for us.  But we were saddened by the news that an employee of a department store had been trampled to death by the horrendously crazed crowds of shoppers.  That is so awful.  :'( 

That evening was still quite chilly outside, but we geared up and braved the weather - our annual trip to Old Colorado City, and this time to Manitou Springs.  Manitou is much more, shall I say..., unique (new age-e).  I much prefer the homey, calm, quiet, and laid-back atmosphere of Old Colorado City.  We walked the streets, stopping here or there occasionally to browse through many of the intriguing shops whose windows' caught our eyes.  We detoured to a "Build-A-Bear" type workshop.  You get to pick your animal, have it stuffed, place a heart inside, choose a collar, bow, and bag and then fill out a birth certificate for your precious little one.  Very cute process!  In the end they are oh, so lovable! 

Once we'd had our fill of Manitou and its weird spirituous attitude, we continued on to Old Colorado City.  It was kind of strange how we skipped right past the ice cream parlor and Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, but it was probably best considering our health.  The "TY Store," as it is called in our family, was one of our few stops.  But my all-time favorite would have to be !"The Soap Box"!  :)  The fragrance of French-milled soaps.  I was glad to have stopped myself from buying a "Colorado" hoodie and saved my money for this shop.  Pomegranate, Apple-Pear, Pineapple, Honey-Almond, and Tangerine - what lovely scents!  Aww!  Words cannot describe how pleasant it purely is.  :)  By the end of a brisk adventure down Main St., our stomachs were growling.  Oh!  Borriello Brothers Pizza, yum!  We're such traitors to the 'Red Sox,' but the food was well worth it.  Boo Yankees, go Sox - you rock! 

Towers of pillows, oodles of blankets, sleepy eyes, and a ton of Mitchells crowded the basement.  It was MOVIE NIGHT!  This year we watched "Kit Kitridge" - an American girl during the Great Depression.  Very cute movie!  She's a "reporter" for a "newspaper" and tries to solve a mystery.  I wonder what's in store for THX'09?  hmmm...  Finally we gave our weary bodies the rest they craved, but not before us girls had our midnight-chat.  :) 

As it flurried outside, we made gingerbread houses - again!  R's house had a wall slide down, so it looked more like a garage.  Mine had a minor similar catastrophe.  Of course there had to be a candy taste tester, but we had more than one willing volunteer.  Our houses were well decked and turned out marvelous, even if mine did look like I had to many resources to know what to do with.  After we'd used the very last of the skittles (or maybe they just "disappeared"), it was game night!  Apples to Apples!  Wow, all I can say is if you're not part of our family and you walked in on us playing, you'd send us all to the insane asylum.  We laugh our heads off to say the least. Rolling on the floor laughing would very accurately describe most of us -- well, at least me.  Oh and we had bruschetta (yum!) painted with olive oil, fresh basil, diced tomatoes, and ripe avocado.  We had left-over pie for dessert, topped with whipped cream [video of little N!].

Oh and what a delight to wake just before the sun and find 2 feet of sparkly snow dazzled on the ground.  The sunrise was spectacular; I sat at the kitchen table while all of my family slept, just quietly watching the sun making its glorious red appearance before a beautiful blue, yellow, and pink morning sky, reflected off the bright ground.  Oh, how beautiful!  Not only was it pretty, but the amount of snow was so significant that it caused a 24-hour delay getting home!  Yeah, more time with my absolute favorite people in one of my favorite places on earth in my favorite kind of weather!  Luckily I had brought some snow gear.  We bundled up and Uncle T took the six of us "kids" sledding at the high school - down one big hill, perfect for snow sports.  What splendor!  We played for two hours - until we couldn't feel our toes any longer.  I had thought my ski pants were water-proof.  Ha ha!  Yeah, they're water-resistant...  unless you sit in the snow bank.  Big mistake!  Up 'til that point, the cold hadn't phased me, but once my pants were soaked in ice water my whole body seemed to be chilled.  We girls had fun making snow angels, staring up into the blinding sky and watching flakes blow over us in the brisk breeze.  It seemed so majestic, as if time couldn't pass slow enough!  But I didn't complain when we had to leave, knowing steamy hot chocolate awaited us.  The driveway was so slick that the XL7 had mysteriously slid 10 feet down the driveway...  Very weird! 

How hard it was to pull our bodies out of bed Monday morning.  We had to return home and see our cousins off to school.  Even with all the snow, my cousins still had to attend school.  No school-day for them.  We were hesitant to bid farewell, so we extended our visitation.  We hopped into the car with them for their drive to school.  Big N had a Christmas elf hat on and I was barefoot - what a sight!  But just as we were pulling out of the driveway Nana rushed me some slippers.  So I stuck my snowy feet in the slippers, only to ice them some more.  We dropped R and big N off at their school and then little N had "the cousins" all to himself, until it came his turn to spend yet another day of his young life in a classroom.  It was hard separating, but we held onto the hope of this coming summer's family trip together.  I'm actually in the process of planning out ideas for this summer right now!  :)

Nana left to go back home Tuesday morning and our life went back to consisting of school work. 

But with Christmas just a couple of weeks away, we began to shop, trying to get things out on time.  For once, our year had been interesting enough to write a letter about and we had pictures printed to send out as well. 

On Christmas Eve we drove up to Taos.  Aunt P, Uncle G, and young-er cousin J were visiting Grandma for the holidays too.  It was lots of fun!  We had an easy Christmas dinner, but it was tasty!  Aunt P, Uncle G, Dad, Risa, and I went on a 3-mile walk to town and back.  It had snowed a foot or so and the roads were icy; I had fun sliding on them with my sled dog pulling me!  It was a quiet and relaxed Christmas, a nice way to end a busy year! 

I had traveled to almost 12 states, excluding my home state.  Four of the states I had never been to previously. 

And another plus at the close of the year, was that I'd finished my Junior year of high school and was now equivalent to a Senior at the beginning of the school year (though for me it was the middle of the school year.)  Being a semester ahead was super exciting.

For New Year's Eve we showed "Flywheel" at the church and then I slept right through midnight.  My best friend called at midnight her time, but I only mustered enough energy to say I'd call her back in the late morning.  And while I was painting/decorating my room a light peach color, she was diving into the frigid waters of Lake Coeur d'Alene for the Polar Plunge in 34F temperatures.  Crazy, eh?  I'd say so.