Slice of Life # 32 ~ Winter Fun

This weeks Slice of Life is Winter fun.

I had a really cool picture that I wanted to share, but I can't find it on the computer.    I found the picture of us when we lived in Minnesota/Wisconsin we would go to the Winter Carnival.  We had a great picture of Dan and I sitting in chairs in front of an ice airplane.  We enjoyed going and seeing the different things that were made.

The first time we went I was so excited as I saw landmarks from the movie "Might Ducks" and it's sequal.  I loved that movie as a teenager (still love it).  It was great living in the land of the "frozen"!  I didn't mind the winters there, but the summer's humidity is too much for me!

Other than that, I am not much of a winter person.  I would rather curl  up with a book or movie and drink some hot chocolate.  I enjoyed living in Arizona and Southern California because it was a lot warmer in the winter.  But my husband says he will not give up his winters to go live in someplace warmer.

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A Year in Review with the Burke's & Our Christmas Card

Wow, the year has flown by!  I can't believe it is already December and we are counting down the days until we go to Nana and Papa's house! (Annette's parents).

Here is the Year in Review for us!

January~ We celebrated the twins 1st Birthday with a party and lots of cake!

February ~ The Ruth took off walking and Irene was walking around on her knees!

March~ We celebrated Dan's 37th Birthday.  Dillon and Jennilyn started to Potty Train! Yea for Mommy now this next year hopefully we will see the twins also Potty Train! And Annette and the kids went to Ashton, ID to visit Dan's sister Marsha and her family over Spring Break, ended up driving in a Blizzard coming back home, thanks to her cousin Beau and his wife Joanne for housing us for a couple of hours while we waited out the storm.

April~ Dan took his first business trip to Kentucky, and there is at least two more scheduled for this next year!  Irene took off walking, now with all 4 kids walking you would think I could walk to the van without carrying a child, but 9 times out of 10 the twins still want to be carried to the van!

May~Annette turned 32 in May and we had fun getting out for walks with the kids!

June~ Found us going to back to Ashton, Idaho for a quick trip to see Dan's parents and younger brother and play with the cousins.  We also got to go to the Aquarium with Papa Jack and all of our cousins on mommy's side.

July~ Found us going on our first Airplane ride as a family!  Dillon hadn't been on an airplane since he was 11 months old.  And none of the girls had ever been on one.  We flew to Minnesota for a special Family Reunion and for Dan's cousin Beckie's wedding.  What fun we had spending time with the Great-Grandma's and letting Dan's grandma's and sisters who had never meet the twins meet them for the first time! Dan had to fly back early so Grandma Burke flew back with us!

August ~ Jennilyn turned 3.  Dillon started his 2nd year of pre-school. We also went to the Church History Museum to see the "I am a child of God" exhibit, before it was taken down for good.  We road TRAX for the first time.  The kids seem to enjoy it.

September~ Just found us busy with Dillon in school and going to the park.

October~ Found us with our 1st annual membership to Thanksgiving Point.  We went to the Dinosaur museum, the Children's Garden and to the Farm Country.  We also enjoyed going Trick or Treating with our cousins.  Dan and Annette celebrated 6 years of marriage.

November~ Dillon turned 5 and then the kids went and spent a week with Nana and Papa Jack.  Dan and Annette got to go see their 1st movie in the IMAX, they saw Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 of course.  Then Annette went down to spend the week with the kids and Dan came down the night before Thanksgiving.  We had a great Thanksgiving at Nana and Papa Jack's house with Uncle Nick, Aunt Alysha, Uncle Josh, Aunt Wendy and cousins Leo, Cole, and Jack.  We even went out with Nana and Papa Jack and Uncle Nick and Aunt Alysha hikeing in the woods looking for a Christmas Tree.  We are thinking next year we want to do this for ourselves.  It was so much fun!

December~ Has found us down to one car.  We decided after Dan's car didn't pass the state Safety Test to sell his car.  We sold it in 2 hours.  It was sad for Dan to see it gone after having it for 17 years, but now he is getting his exercise in walking a mile to work and a mile back each day.

We have had a great year and are Thankful for all of our blessings.  We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Slice of Life # 31 ~ Traditions

Growing up we always went caroling to the families in our neighborhood and to some of my parents close friends, who sometimes this was the only time of year they saw them.  One of my favorites was the "Coca~Cola" House.  This was a friend of my parents who had worked for Coca Cola and had quite the collection of memorabilia.

Growing up I remember between Christmas Eve and New Years Day we would have a Japanese Dinner. As I got older it became a Christmas Eve Tradition.  I love this tradition.  My Dad served his mission in Japan and this is the one time a year that he makes a Japanese dinner of some of his favorite meals when he was there.

When I went away to college I was a 12 hour drive to home and a 2 hour flight home.  I made the chose to only come home for Christmas while I lived away.  I did come home 2 of my three summers for a week or two, but never for Thanksgiving, or anything like that.  When I went on my mission I left in Aug and came home in Jan, so that meant I missed two Christmas's away from home.  That first Christmas was hard as I had never been away from home for Christmas.  When my company Sister Wadley and I arrived at the Bishop's home for dinner on Christmas Eve, I was pleasantly surprised that we were having a Japanese dinner, just like I would have if I had been home.  The Bishop was of Japanese descent and this was one of their family traditions too.  They didn't know that it was a tradition in my home to have this meal, so it really made my being gone for my 1st Christmas that much more easier for me.

It has been 11 years since that Christmas, as in Jan I will have been home from my mission for 10 years.  Boy the time sure flies.  I have missed a few of these dinners in the last 6 years as I have not lived close enough to come home for Christmas, but I am looking forward to it again this year!

I hope you all have a great Christmas and enjoy doing your own traditions!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

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Attitude

My mother sent me this poem, and I really liked it.  I know there are times when my attitude needs an adjustment.  Thanks Mom!

Attitude

by Charles Swindoll

The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.

Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than success, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company—a church—a home.

The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past. We cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable.

The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. ..I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you. ..we are in charge of our attitudes.

Slice of Life # 30 ~ Kitchen Disasters

You think doing something like this would be easy right?  Well, I haven't made pies or anything like that in a few years so going to spend Thanksgiving with my parents I brought this along to make as my "desseret".  We were each to bring our favorite pie or dessert with us.  I made it the day before Thanksgiving as Thanksgiving Day is so busy, and I screwed it up!  I put the crust into the pan and then instead of putting the milk in a bowel to make the filling, I poured the milk in on top the crest.  It was still good to eat, but not as good as it would have been if I had done it right.  At least my Rainbow Jello  came out pretty good!

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Slice of Life # 29 ~ Toys

This apple is going to be 40 years old in just a couple of years.  My husband has had this apple since he was a baby (he will be 38 in March).  I didn't take a picture of the back of this apple but it is warped a little there.  But the thing still works great!  There is a story behind this.  When Dan was 2 his dad was away with the Air Force and his mom was staying with Grandma Rene (her mom) and she was about ready to give birth to his little brother Brian.  His parents had a really bright light for their camera, and Dan found it and plugged it in.  He started the bedroom on fire.  This was the only toy of his that survived.  Everything else in the room was gone.  They went and stayed with Grandma and Grandpa Burke until after Brian was born.  When Brain and Sarah had their first child Nathan, Mom Burke gave this to them and told them when Dan finally gets married and starts having kids, it belongs to him.  Brian and Sarah passed it on to Marsha when she had John and gave her the same instructions.  When we went out to Minnesota for Grandpa Burke's funereal, I was only 7 weeks pregnant with Dillon, but Marsha brought it with her and gave it to us.  The kids have had a ball with it.  Mom Burke even found another one for at her house too!  Thanks Mom for saving it for Dan to pass on to his kids!


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2010 Christmas Card