December

1. red and white

A red wooden garland and a large white wooden snowflake on the tree.

2. errand

I chose to feature errand of Angels, since this is the year of Angels at our house. Angels do good deeds, are kind, and watch over us.

Shaniel, our Angel in heaven, watches over us! We wanted to bring honor to her name by being earthly Angels. When the kids all came up for Thanksgiving and the Christmas party, I gave each person a stack of cardstock Angels. Each person needed to do a service, write a note of appreciation, or other kind deed to each member of the family and then leave the cardstock Angel where the service had been rendered. It was nice to see the love shown throughout the weekend by some members of the family.

On Thursday, Audrey's family and Dave and I went to dinner at Pizza Pie Cafe. Afterwards, I had the kiddos help me tape quarters to the bouncy ball and candy vending machine with a note You've been RAK'd (Random Act of Kindness). 

Friday I donated a dollar to Burger King who has chosen a family in need to help this Christmas. 

We'll be doing kind acts all month long. Can't wait to see what's next!

3. candle

Every night after dinner, Dave and I light a candle and read from the scriptures about our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It helps us keep the true meaning of Christmas in our heart and home. We follow an advent calendar so it makes it easy. 

4. silver

I love shiny silver balls. I especially love blue and silver together. I have silver balls hung on the Christmas trees and arranged in crystal bowls adding sparkle and glitter all around the house. 

5. ornament

In the show, It's a Wonderful Life", it ends with a ring of a bell and the old saying.... "every time you hear a bell ring, an Angel gets (her) wings!" This vintage bell goes perfectly with our theme of Angels this year. The bell is one of my favorite ornament's.

6. sparkly

Dozens of sparkly Whoville looking balls adorn my favorite Christmas tree. Audrey's kiddos came up and helped me decorate the heavily flocked tree with the colorful bright lights. Oh... so much fun! I left the balls and ornaments just where they hung them. I love it!

7. dinner time

8. new

Every year, starting December 1, we count the days down to Christmas. I try to change it up every year on how we do it. This year I found an old-fashioned fabric pocket garland at Deseret Book. I was thrilled to bring my new  advent garland home and hang on the upper balcony overlooking the front entry. Hung with twinkling lights and garland and draped low enough for the littlest ones to reach in has made it not only beautiful, but fun! Emmy and Ben came up and counted the pockets to today's date. Surprise! A candy cane and reading Christmas stories with grandma. Fun day!

9. weather

It has been unseasonably warm this year. Mid to upper 50's in the day time, and upper 30's at night. So... we have Christmas candles lining the sidewalk and green grass! I'm not complaining, but it's been crazy, weird weather this year.

10. cozy

Love my little Raggedy Ann and Snowman. I have her sitting on an old chair surrounded by cozy pillows.

11. blessings

Family is the best blessing of all! And that makes a lot of blessings!

12. stocking

I bought these comfy warm wool socks from Germany at a Christmas Market. I love the colors and pattern. I should have bought more.

13. tree

This is my favorite tree. It's so colorful and fun. I bought some new balls for it this year that come in funky patterns and bright colors. Audrey's kiddos came up and helped me decorate it. I left it how they did it and love it... most of the balls are on the bottom! Alia said the balls reminded her of Whoville on How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
 
14. handmade

Audrey's been getting ready for her little guy that will be coming in a few short weeks. She crocheted these cute little caps to match a couple of outfits. Audrey is very talented. She is always making something homemade and special. Cloth diapers, nursing pads, wipes, blankets, etc. She amazes me!

15. enjoy

What can I say! Who wouldn't enjoy treats of the season! For the treat exchange this year I made flavored butter. Garlic and herb, sweet pepper, cranberry, and orange marmalade. They were delicious and made quite the scene. I came away with a ton of goodies. My favorite - the mixture of oreos, pretzel sticks, m&m's, and sprinkles covered with white chocolate. The homemade peanut clusters were a close second. 

16. bundled

This year for our family service project, I made each family a bunch of Angels out of cardstock and bundled them together. Kindness Angels to do good deeds for each other and Random Acts of Kindness to friends and community. I hope they are doing good deeds!

17. gift

I've been wrapping gifts today!

18. happy

Makaela's Christmas orchestra concert was tonight. She is becoming really good at playing the violin. She is second chair and was chosen to perform in a quartet tonight for one of the numbers. It was beautiful! I love music. And I love the happy smile on Makaela's face!

19. decorations

Christmas is the best holiday for decorating. I love mixing old decorations with new... but mostly old. Dave brought home some antique ice skates from Germany, which I love! I put a little greenry in an old wooden tool box, tied a new lime green ribbon to the skates and handle, and set out my trusty old black lantern and snowman bird feeder (front is all that's left), and set it on my favorite old gray bench. It makes a nice Welcome to our Home statement for the front porch.

20. mail

Hummm..... wonder what this could be? We are getting unusual packages in the mail!

21. front door

Inside front door... the jingle of the bell lets us know when we have company.

Last night I was coming home from Meriam's wedding and had just come to the stop sign on Hwy. 89. I was waiting on a long line of cars so I could cross the road to our lane, when all of a sudden all the lights went out. Spackman's house, all lit up, was suddenly dark. I looked up and down the highway and it was pitch black. Eerily pitch black. The only lights that could be seen were car head lights and some blue and red lights blinking, on either an emergency vehicle or a construction vehicle, that was a half mile down the highway.

When I could finally get across the highway, I went up our private road and the driveway in utter darkness. I parked the car outside the garage since the garage door opener couldn't work without power. I got out of the car in the cold wind and rain, and knocked on the door, hoping Dave would hear me. He soon came with a flashlight to let me in. With that as our only light source at the time, and no way to cook dinner, we decided to go out and eat. 

We mistakenly thought the power would be back on after 2 1/2 hours away from the house. It wasn't. And, when we got to the front door, it was wide open! We cautiously walked inside and yelled to make sure no one was in there. There was no sign of an intruder, at least not human. I was the last one to leave the house... I guess I didn't shut the door tight enough. The house was cold! We lit some candles, put some extra blankets on the bed and snuggled in for the night. The power didn't turn back on until 4:00 a.m. 

22. shopping

I went Christmas shopping today and bought the store out of finger nail clippers. Why? Because Dave can not seem to hang on to the dang things. He went to Las Vegas and took mine! And, I was not too happy about that. I do not like sharing my clippers! I bought him a clipper for every month of the year and put them in a jar and labeled them. Here's hoping he will hang on to these until next year!

23. baking

This is what I call easy Christmas baking! Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees. Place square pretzels on a baking sheet. Top each with Candy Cane Kisses and Rolo's. Add an M&M or pecan on top of each Rolo. Place in pre-heated oven for 5 minutes or until slightly melted. These Pretzel delights are delicious!

24. loved ones

We had Kelsey's family up for Christmas Eve. We ate our traditional Christmas Eve dinner. We had ham, funeral potatoes, green salad, green beans with onions and mushrooms, rolls, Christmas jello and Clam Chowder. This year we made homemade peppermint ice cream and had brownies with it. Kelsey also made home-made cranberry sprite. 

Audrey was sick with the flu and miserable with impending delivery so they came up and picked up dinner. 

After dinner we did Elf, a traditional gift giving activity and then finished the evening reading the Christmas story. 

Celebrating Christmas and the holiday season would not be the same without loved ones around us. I especially look forward to spending Christmas Eve with the family every year. I am thankful to have Kelsey and Audrey close by and often wish Amie and Steven lived a little closer. 

25. aftermath

We got the best Christmas gift ever... SNOW! And lots of it. We woke up to a winter wonderland. The fresh white powder was bright and beautiful! And Ben got his Christmas wish! 

Dave made himself busy cleaning up the aftermath of the snow storm. Oh... it's so nice to have him home!

26. busy

Audrey is going to be busy! Alia asked Santa for a knitting kit, and was she ever excited to get it. She wants to be just like mommy. Knit and sew and make beautiful and useful things! Her first project... make daddy a scarf for his birthday, which is only a few days away. Think you can make it happen mommy!

27. relax

When I want to relax I head to my office and turn the computer on to blog, edit pictures, journal, facebook, pinterest, and dabble in some family history. I keep my trusty day planner layed out in front of me to refer to important dates, appointments, write quotes and notes to myself. Oh... this is the life! I love it.

28. fresh

Fresh fallen snow is so beautiful! It is quiet. It is calm. I love it!

29. early morning

Just outside my bedroom door is the balcony that overlooks the front entrance. I love the early morning with the door ajar and the sight of miniature twinkling lights intertwined with the green garland. The old-fashioned advent fabric pockets add a touch of magic and fun. Early morning is quiet and calm. It's a good time for me to ponder and reflect on all my blessings.

30. smiles

Why does this picture make me smile? Because I love watching my daughter be a mother and a homemaker. And I love watching the smile and anticipation on Ben's face as she prepares the bowl for her little munchkins to stir the cookie batter. 

And.. see the kitchen towel Audrey has flung over her shoulder? She always does this and that makes me smile, too. Mom did the same thing, too. She always had a kitchen towel hung over her shoulder. That's a sign of a very good homemaker! 

Audrey made each of the kids their own reversible aprons and put together a cookie making kit complete with bowls, measuring cups and spoons, whisks, and six different jars of pre-made cookie ingredients. The kiddos all put their aprons on Christmas day and made Reese's Chocolate cookies. They were yummy!  Christmas day was full of smiles all day long.

31. celebrate

Today, we had a celebration! In a big way. Audrey's little one decided he was going to enter the world today! At 4:30 a.m. Audrey called and said she was in labor and was getting ready to go to the hospital. I quickly got dressed and drove to stay with the kids. 

James Michael Mecham was born at 7:36 a.m. A big, bouncing, healthy baby boy that shares his birthday with his daddy. Mike turned 32 years old today. What a birthday gift!  A birthday to share with your child is quite remarkable and unusual. 

The kids made cards for baby brother, daddy, and mommy today. Alia wrote her baby brother a letter. It is funny and clever, just like her.

Click HERE to see the new baby and get all the stats.  

Happy birthday James and Mike!

November

1. aftermath

The Mecham grandkiddos and I love to make cookies together. They help me pour the ingredients into the bowl and they really like watching the cookie dough spin around and around in the mixer. After the dough is ready to work, we roll it out on the floured table top and then the fun begins! Roll, cut, put on pan. Repeat. I love the aftermath of making cookies with the kiddos. It's one of my favorite sights! I know they had lots and lots of fun! Oh... the mess! But isn't that what it's all about!

2. old

I have some old blankets stacked in the closet. The top one is a beautiful crochet afghan that grandma Ida Bates made for Shaniel when she was a baby (1980).The middle quilt is a tied quilt I made for Shaniel when she was a toddler (1982). I made another one just like it for Amie. The bottom quilt was made by grandmother Edna Richardson. It was a beautiful pieced quilt presented to my mother and dad as a wedding gift (1952). I love these old treasures.

3. painted

Brayden is an aspiring young artist. He painted these pictures, as well as others. He and I take oil painting lessons from a local old western artist, Kelly Donovan. Brayden wants to sell his paintings. I picked these two pictures out and bought them for $50.00 each. I can't wait to hang them on my wall!

4. silly

My little Emma Goo! She is silly. It is not hard to tell what her personality is. She has always been such a happy baby and child. She is always smiling, happy, full of energy and optimism. She is pure joy in every sense of the word. I love my little Emmy!

5. favorite place

I love my bedroom. It is a favorite place in the house. It is so big, roomy, and cozy. A sunroom on the east of the bedroom allows the early morning light to filter in. A fireplace connecting the bedroom to the bathroom gives us warmth on chilly winter evenings. But what I like most is sitting in my armchair next to the bed reading a book. Or having the grandkiddos climb upon the bed and snuggle up, in a blanket, all together with grandma to watch a movie. Or, just watching the kids run and play and laugh and just do whatever makes them happy. It's a good place to visit with my children. My bedroom is such a wonderful place to be. It has a good spirit!

6. reflection

There's nothing better than sitting next to one of several reflection pools on Temple Square. I love to get lost in the calm and peace of the water and think about things that matter most in life. 

7. in the past

I remember when I lived in Spring Glen, many years ago. Every year in July we would make the trek over the mountain to Utah County where fresh fruit was plentiful and in season. One of the first orchards we saw was at the mouth of Spanish Fork Canyon. A little white shack and a cherry sign drew us in every time. Oh... what delicious cherries! The orchard finally gave way to progress, like so many others in Utah County. But... the little white shack and the cherry sign stayed. Over time they slowly deteriorated, giving way to the elements. I have lived in Box Elder County for many years and pass this place every time I make the trip to Carbon County. I stopped by to take a picture before it was gone for good. The cherry orchard is well in the past, but the fond memories of stopping by for cherries will forever stay with me.

8. tonight I am...

..sitting in my arm chair reading a book. A very good book. The message is clear and hopeful and inspiring. Following the light of Christ into His Presence.

9. upside down

Alia is showing me her skills of climbing a tree and hanging upside down. She is such a little monkey! Oh... to be a kid again!

10. it's ________  outside

a beautiful fall day! I wonder how many more days we can have of this beautiful fall weather. Luck is on our side!

11. movement

The Mecham family loves to hang out together in the driveway... riding bikes, pushing strollers (Emmy), skateboarding, running, and showing off their skills. Alia got on the skateboard without any help from daddy and pushed herself into motion! Awesome!

12. opposites

Even though Dave and I have a lot in common, we definitely have our differences. So I guess it is true... opposites do attract.

13. junk

Everyone has a junk drawer, right? I like where I have mine. It is in a drawer in the island in my kitchen. So easy to get to whenever I need something to hammer, tape, pin, or glue.

14. something new

I have two new Utah State University hoodies. I love them! This one is lighter in weight and color than the other one. Dave let me pick out a couple for my birthday. Such a perfect gift for me as I have been wanting one for a long time.

15. I wish....

I had my Shanielly back. I miss her so much. I still can't believe she is gone. I really can't. Sometimes I just want to pick up the phone and call her. To hear her voice, her laughter. To smell her and touch her. To feel her warmth up next to me. To feel her spirit. I'd give anything! I just want her back so bad sometimes. I wonder what it will be like in heaven when I see her again. I just want to hug her so tight and never let her go again. I wish... I wish...

16. colorful

Today is mom's birthday. She would have been 82 years old today. I love her and miss her every day. She was such a colorful person. You could see it in her character, her flower garden, her lipstick, her clothes. The flower bouquets at her funeral represented her colorful spirit. This one was made up in her sewing basket. When I brought it home, I put her angel pendent (we bought at the floral shop) in her basket of colorful flowers and set it on a table in my sunroom. It brought me great comfort for many many weeks. Mother, sending you birthday wishes to heaven today. I love you!

17. watching...

I've been listening to this wood pecker for months, wondering what in the world he's pecking on. I knew he was outside my bedroom window but I could never get him in action, until.... today! I carefully and ever so quietly opened up the door to the balcony and caught him in action. I was able to watch him for a second or two before he noticed me and flew away.

18. a landscape

Here's a landscape of the orchard, barns in the background... looking northwest. We have had a hard freeze; the leaves are brown and dead. Soon the trees will be lifeless and bare.

19. I feel...

Happy! That's my Ali Bear. Running up the hill. It makes me happy to watch the kiddos have fun playing. They are so full of energy! 

20. work

Dave is back to work after an extended time in Germany. He got his old office back at the Brigham City Court House. He just finished setting up his computer. It won't be long until he feels back at home.

21. play

Ben and Emilee had preschool with grandma today. We made Thanksgiving turkeys our of paper lunch bags. They traced their hand prints on colored paper and glued them on for feathers. Then, we made Indian vests and headbands with feathers out of paper bags. Then, it was running around the house like wild little Indians. It's always fun to play at grandma's house.

22. my home

I filled the fruit bowls with oranges and fresh Utah grown apples. I'm getting ready for the Amie and the kids. They are coming up for Thanksgiving and a Christmas party. I love to share my home. Every inch of it! 

23. a treat

Mint cookies are my favorite treat! I hide them from everyone. They are just for me!

24. technology

My personal technology includes a Kindle Fire, a PC, and a flip phone I've had for several years. Nothing fancy. I only use my kindle and phone when I travel. But, I use my computer every single day. I would have a hard time living without it.

25. currently reading

A short Christmas book, "Carving Angels", is a good deed story about two elves. A granddaughter inspires her grandfather to start carving again, in spite of his blindness. It's a heart-warming story that has me in the Christmas spirit!

26. starts with "S"

Yes, that's SNOW! We have snow in November. Not a lot, but enough to stick to the ground.

27. in the distance

That's Willard Bay in the distance. I love the view from the back deck. You can see for miles in every direction.

28. dark

Amie, Kelsey, Chad, Dave, I, and the kiddos went to a play at the Perry City Heritage Theater. It started at 7:30 p.m. It was dark. I took this picture of some of the family around the sign.

29. warmth

There's nothing better to warm the tummy than hot cocoa. And, I love my Cocoa Motion. It takes only minutes to warm the cocoa up. 

30. I went...

This was the Christmas play at the Heritage Theater in Perry. Fun night!