Merry Christmas Everyone!

Shopping is done. Food is ready to be prepared.  Gifts are wrapped.  For the most part, we are ready.  As the snow continues to fall outside, we gather inside and prepare for our Christmas celebration.  This evening we will gather as a family and read the centuries old story of our Savior’s birth.  Our thoughts turn heavenward as we consider the greatest gift ever given.  I often wonder how our Heavenly Father could love a sinner like me.  Although that answer is beyond my comprehension, I know he does and tonight I will bask in the light of His love.  What better place to do that than in a home surrounded by family!

May each of you out there have a Merry Christmas and join us in celebrating the birth of our Savior.  I am aware that not all will have the blessing to join with family or even be in a warm place this season.  However, our Savior’s love is available to all, regardless of status.  He invites all to come to Him and none will He turn away.  I know He lived and died for us.  Through Him we can all find joy!

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EMMA!!!!

This is a scream heard frequently around our house when Emma finds some way to torment her older brother.  She knows just which buttons to push.  Today was no different than any other day.

Yesterday, I went to the store and picked up a few blankets and some other supplies in preparation for the blizzard coming through.  Apparently, a similar storm raged through the area a couple years ago and knocked out power for five days.  We didn’t want to get caught with our pants down.

Just a few minutes ago, Emma took the blanket Josh picked out and had set on his bed.  She wrapped up in it and walked out to the living room and said, “Hey, Josh, look at my blanket.”  She proceeded to walk over to him and sit down.

Joshua grabbed the blanket and they started a wrestling match.  Emma somehow ended up on top of Josh and there was lots of yelling and screaming.  In the midst of this we hear, “EMMA …”, a short pause, “… knocked out my tooth!”

He had a loose tooth and it just took some sisterly love to get it out.  More fun at the Pulsipher’s!

For those wondering, the storm did come through.  In fact, it is still blowing and snowing outside.  We only had an hour of church, but most people showed up.  It was nice and now we are all hanging out around the fire enjoying a white Christmas.

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Uhhh…yes, the snow came

It was a day late, but the snow came.  Yesterday they canceled school due to the imminent snowstorm, and it didn’t snow.  This morning I woke up early to go and pick up Chrissy and Kim from the airport, and it was snowing … a lot.  Luckily, I made it to the auto parts store last night and secured a nice set of chains for the van.

After a half hour of putting on the “easy” to put on chains, Josh and I headed on our way.  The beginning wasn’t smooth.  We got on the freeway only to see cars driving the wrong way.  There weren’t too many cars and they were going very slow, but we couldn’t go the way we wanted too.  Thanks to technology (cell phone to call Genni who had Live Maps), we navigated our way to a less steep hill with fewer cars blocking the way.  After that it was slow, but we made it to the airport.

On the way home there was only one scary moment.  I had taken  off the chains closer to the airport because the roads were clearer, but it had come time to put them back on.  The van was parked at a slight incline and I was at the downhill tire when it started moving.  The van slid and I hopped up to see what was going on.  I opened the door and the emergency brake was on, but that didn’t matter.  The van slid, but thankfully stopped at the stop sign.  Actually, the stop sign stopped the van.  No damage done, but I had a nervous moment.

Our 1.5 hour trip turned into a 5 hour trip, but we made it.  The girls are here safe and we are getting ready to play in the snow.

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Could the snow be coming?

Although it snowed once while we were in Arizona, it has been a while since we lived anywhere where it gets cold for an extended period of time.  This weekend the snow might be coming, but the cold is definitely coming.  I feel unprepared.  We live on a plateau and, therefore, drive up a pretty steep hill to get to our neighborhood.  This could be a problem if it snows or even if it is wet and gets really cold.   It will be slippery and slidery roads out there.

That reminds me of a time I went snowboarding with my Uncle Jim, Aunt Sue and family while in college.  They were on skis and I chose a snowboard.  It was probably the 5th or 6th time snowboarding for me so my confidence was growing, but probably was higher than it should have been.  As I remember it, after you get off the lift on this particular run it was necessary to go around a few trees.

I tried to navigate my way around the far tree, but didn’t quite make it.  No, I didn’t run into the tree.  However, apparently the snow closer to the tree isn’t nearly as packed as the main trail.  Because it was so close to the end of the lift my speed was slow and I sunk right into the snow.  That sucked.  And, of course, being on a snowboard it was necessary to dig down and get my feet out of the bindings or whatever they are called before any movement was possible.  Everyone else went ahead while Jim waited for me to dig myself out.

My memories for the rest of the day were pretty positive, but that inauspicious beginning was a little embarrassing.  At least it makes for a good story.

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Basketball Jones

A few weeks ago Joshua began his second season of an organized sport. He tried out soccer in Sahuarita, but this time decided to try basketball. He knew that I like to play and he enjoyed playing NBA Live on the Wii. When we showed up to the first practice he could barely dribble the ball and all he really had to offer was desire. He ended up on a team with four or five kids that could play pretty well and another 5 or so that were just learning. In the beginning he really struggled and was discouraged because it was all so complicated. His coach really wanted to teach them plays, but Josh didn't even know the really basic fundamentals (passing, dribbling, shooting, etc.)

This post is really about the last game, played yesterday. In the second to last game Joshua finished up the game really bummed about basketball. His teammates didn't pass him the ball and he had trouble getting to it. We had a discussion about it and Genni and I encouraged him to keep working hard. He chose to play in his last game and it was his best all around effort. He didn't make any baskets, but he probably shot more this game than in all the others combined. He fought for some rebounds and even picked up some loose balls. In other games he would be oh-so-close, but the ball would slip away before he got it. Most important to me, he kept working hard, even when the ball wasn't coming his way. I was proud of him and his efforts. It was very satisfying to see his efforts pay off in a great all around game for him.

Who knows what my childrens' long term interests will be?  However, at this point, I don't see Joshua being too involved in athletics. He just doesn't seem interested enough. However, this has been a good experience where he had to work hard at something that didn't come easy to him.

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She’s at it again

This morning, immediately prior to my departure for work, Genni and I were standing by the front door talking.  Joshua inched up to us looking like he had something to say.  When he finally got there he said, “Ummm….the girls are in the kitchen throwing Trix all over the place.”

For a little background information, about a week ago we had slept in while we thought the kids were out watching TV.  When I finally walked out there were Lucky Charms all over the living room, including all over the new rug the kids were supposed to avoid eating on.  The girls did that one and I told Josh to let us know if it ever happens again, preferably before the whole box had been dispersed.

Today he did as he was asked and informed me of the issue.  After quickly hurrying to the kitchen, I was relieved to see only a few Trix on the floor.  We caught them in time, but Mary was pulling the denial thing again.  However, this time she was actually prancing around the kitchen with the Trix box in her arms, but still saying, “Not me.  Emma did it.”

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