New Year's Eve

We went low key for New Year's Eve this year. Stu and I got together with Hyrum and Emily for a night of good eating and playing games.

To make this New Year's special we decided to get dressed up to go out to dinner. Dinner was at Tokyo Sushi where we ate ourselves to death. The great thing about sushi is that you never have that "I am going to pop" feeling since it is so light.

After dinner we went to Emily's house to play games. We ended up playing Scene It till 1:30AM. We stopped playing for the traditional ball drop of course.

Overall we had a great night.

Christmas Time!!

I love Christmas. As I get older I think I love all the excitement building up to it more then the actual day, but love getting presents.

This year with Stu's surgery we were not sure how much traveling we would be doing, but Christmas fell 2 days after his surgery and everyday was better than the previous day and he felt ready to get out and see family.

We decided to hold our own Christmas at our house before heading off to see our parents. We got up around 7:30AM and started opening presents. I was excited to give Stu all his gifts. Since I had bought all my gifts the excitement of opening my own gifts was not as much fun. Stu and I traded off opening gifts. He got a lot of what he asked for. Video games, UofU stuff and movies. I got my Sex and City seasons and a glue gun. Even Blue got a toy for Christmas. Right before we were done opening gifts and getting ready for the stockings Stu told me to go look under the end table for 'something' hidden there. I went over there and there was a small box for me from Blue and Stu. I sat down and opened it up and much to my surprise there was a camera inside. I had wanted a camera so bad but knew we didn't have the money-plus we had a camera that worked just fine. But my cute husband listened and got me one anyways. I was so excited! In my stocking was all the accessories for it. No wonder he made me wait to open my stocking gifts. He also wrapped them over and over so I would not try and peek (He knows me too well)

Sarah opening up her camera

Blue playing with his Christmas toy

Stu opening gifts. Blue wishing they were for him ;)

After we got our Christmas done we headed to my parents house. Everyone but my mom was sleeping so we got them all up and opened gifts. We were spoiled at my parents house. Stu got more video games to play and I got some scrapbooking organizers. I got my Paris postcards professional framed (I have been waiting years for this) and Stu got a gaming ottoman. Blue even got Scooby Snacks.

Stu opening up his gaming ottoman. Now we can 'hide' all the games and our entertainment center will not be so cluttered.

Sarah with her Paris postcards. They are finally framed!!

After Stu took a nap at my parents house we headed to the Reeder house for presents. We were sad to know that everyone already opened their gifts and Stu and I were the only ones left to open gifts. Again we were spoiled. I got my much needed tank tops and some really cute gloves. Stu got another game (do you see a pattern here??) and a really nice puffy vest. We stayed for Christmas dinner and had some yummy food.

Sarah opening her gift from Melissa. Melissa put together a poem and pictures of me to hang in our room.

Stu and another video game. I think he will be good for awhile

Our Christmas was awesome! We are so blessed to have so much, I wish we were made of money so we could give more. I think giving is WAY more fun than receiving. Some day we will be in a position where we can give a lot more and see the smiles that always follow.

Stu's Gallbladder

Stu's gallbladder removal surgery was a success. We had to be to the hospital by 7AM on Tuesday to check in. Since Stu's surgery was going to be at the UofU hospital and I work there, I asked him if he would mind if I worked while he was in surgery. I might as well get some things done while he is under the knife. The surgery went well and there were zero complications. The worst part (for me) was waiting for Stu to feel good enough to go home. There was a snow storm coming and going all day and I wanted to get him home during the 'going' stage. We finally left the hospital around 1:30PM. Another difficult part was driving really carefully so I would not hit any bumps in the road. This turned out to be harder than I thought. You don't realize that the road you always drive is full of pot holes, till you are trying so hard not to hit them. We finally made it home just in time for Stu to loose whatever he had left in his stomach. We got him to bed and he slept the rest of the day.

On a more upbeat note: Karly Stu's sister got engaged yesterday the 23rd. It was quite the party at our house. Stu's mom and dad came out to see Stu and Karly and Mike came over to show off her ring. Everyone was in our room sitting on our bed (good thing we have a king). We are so excited for Karly and Mike

*The picture above is to illustrate just how small the gallbladder is compared to the liver. The gallbladder is really more of an 'accessory' that aids the liver in the moving of the bile- so not really a critical piece. Stu is grateful it is gone, although he wanted to keep the stone to make a necklace for me. Thankfully he forgot to ask the doctor before surgery and the stone was sent off with the gallbladder.

Christmas Tag!

1. Wrapping Paper of Gift Bags? Gift Bags all the way. I HATE wrapping gifts. They are pretty to look at, but they just get ripped open and discarded. Bags you can re-use.
2. Real Tree or Artificial? I love the smell of real trees, but artificial are a less of a fire hazard.
3. When do you put up the tree? This year the day after Thanksgiving. I am a firm believer to give Thanksgiving its time and then you can start on Christmas celebrations.
4. When do you take the tree down? Soon after Christmas-definitely before the New Year.
5. Do you like eggnog? NO WAY! Too thick and it has a funny taste
6. Favorite gift received as a child? Sweet Valley Twins series books
7. Hardest Person to buy for? My mother. When I ask her what she wants "I don't know". How do I buy "I don't know???"
8. Easiest Person to Buy For? Anyone that gives me a list
9. Do you have a nativity scene? I do, I have my eye on one that is about $300 for the whole set...someday maybe
10. Mail or Email Christmas Cards? It is way more fun to mail. I LOVE getting mail, especially at Christmas
11. Worst Christmas Gift you ever received? Honesty...I can't remember
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Christmas Vacation and White Christmas. My family watches White Christmas every year on Christmas Eve
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Black Friday
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas Present? I don't think so...
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Everything...that is the problem
16. Lights on the tree? Of course. I love the tree's with lights already on them so you don't have to worry about stringing them up each year.
17. Favorite Christmas Song? I love all the Christmas Songs
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Our family is close by so we only have to travel 10 min to spend Christmas with them
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? You know Dasher, and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen. Comet and Cupid and Donner and Blitson and Rudolph??? Now I can't remember the song since U2 is being played in the back ground...dang it.
20. Angel on the tree top or a Star? Star! Its my favorite shape
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? When I lived at home we always got to open one present on Christmas Eve, now that it is just Stu and I...we wait for Christmas morning.
22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? Parking
23. Favorite Ornament theme or color? I love all colors and ornaments-the colorful ones ;-)
24. Favorite for Christmas Dinner? Anything
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? Since I bought all my gifts this year I am excited to get my Sex and the City series.
26. Who is most likely to respond to this? Anyone
27. Who do you tag? Alison, Michelle, Sunny. And anyone that wants to! (Most people tell me they don't like tags...well ba humbug to that statement ;-) )

9th Annual Marshall Christmas Party

Every December since my best friend Kristie got married to her husband Sean, we have put on a Christmas Party. This year was the first year I took pictures at the party. Unfortunately the party was held on a day when a big snow storm came in. We were worried not a lot of people would be able to come, but as it turned out...a lot came. This year the party was a little more lay back. It was the 1st year we had the party in the Marshall's new house so we were all able to be in the same room. (At the Marshall's old house the kitchen was upstairs and the guest usually hung out downstairs). We decided the food would just be soups and everyone brought desserts. We held the annual $5.00 pass around gift exchange and of course the golf game. This years winner won an iPod Nano. After the golf game everyone had their name put into a hat for the remaining prizes. Stu won the Star Wars trilogy and I got a 20 lbs (okay maybe not that big) bag of Mike N Ikes. Over all this years party was a huge success.

Good fun, good food, good friends

Some of the gang

Friends at the party, having a good time

Cute Michelle Harden before her golf putting round

Sarah getting ready to putt

Aaron Emrazian was the golf winner

Kristie and Sarah

Virginia

We are back from our Virginia trip. A lot of people have asked me "What's in Virginia". "Family" I tell them. "Family????" Yes family. About 4 years ago I had a business trip to Virginia and on route I met Ron, Nancy and Randy Rodgers. I begain asking the Rodger family about the state and where I would be traveling that night. It was strongly recommend that I do not travel that night to Lexington since the area was through a switch back road through the mountains that were full of deer. So upon landing in Lynchburg VA, I went to get my rental car and... they were closed (The airport is really small) so I went to call the hotel in Lexington to move my reservation down to Lynchburg and all the hotels in town were full (due to a lot of conventions that weekend) so Nancy told me "There is always room at the Rodger house"- so I went home with them. This started my 'birth' into the Rodger house.

Stu and I had been back to see Ron and Nancy in August of 07 but with his last semster starting in 09 we knew if we didn't make it back in December on school break it would be late summer 2009 before we made it back.

December in Virginia was awesome. While it was snowing in Salt Lake we had about 50's everyday except for one. Stu and I were able to see Appomattox (the place where the treaty to end the Civil War took place) and go to a Christmas Program at a Baptist Church. Ron and Nancy took us to their house on the Greenbrier Estate in West Virginia. The Greenbrier has so much history. It was a beautiful hotel both inside and out and the Rodgers house was equally as beautiful. Ron and Nancy took Stu and I to many wonderful restaurants and spoiled us rotten. We were grateful they let us make them dinner one night. :) We were also blessed to get to know Lana more. Lana is Ron and Nancy only daughter. While at the Greenbrier we got to take a ride on a horse drawn carriage, tour the bunkers, go bowling in the private bowling alley, have tea during the daily "high tea" in the grand ball room, and eat a ton of good food.

Stu and Sarah in front of the McLean House where the treaty was signed to end the Civil War

Inside the McLean house- the parlor where the treaty was signed

Nancy, Sarah, Stu and Sheila at the Baptist Christmas concert

The front of the Greenbrier hotel. Isn't it beautiful??

Poinsettia trees are a signature tree during Christmas. Picture was taken in the front lobby at the Greenbrier hotel

Don't you love the colors?? Hot pink and black. Most places were hot pink and neon green

Stu and Sarah in the grand ballroom

Lana, Sarah and Stu after we went bowling

West Virginia- picture taken from the Rodgers front porch

Sarah, Stu, Nancy, Ron and Randy at the Boonsboro Country Club

Sarah with the Rodger dogs, I am holding Lucy, Baron is the brown Australia Sheepdog, and Maggie is the black dog

Quick Update on the Reeder's

Here is a quick update:

Stu has completed finals and passed all his classes. I finally get to see my husband! YEAH. To celebrate we are leaving tomorrow (December 11th) for Virginia. I have 'family' out there that adopted me a few years ago, so we are going to spend a week with them. We are really excited because we get to tour through some Civil War battle grounds and visit their house on the Greenbrier estate located in West Virginia. Blue is spending the week with Grandma and Grandpa Reeder and Aunt Karly. Should be an adventure for him

My sister in law (Karly) is getting married on May 15th to a really nice guy name Mike that just got back from him mission in Ireland. They are really cute and we are so happy for them.

Stu needs to have his gallbladder removed. He will be having that done over the Christmas break so he will be ready for his last semester at school. This means the removal will take place on December 23rd-- so Merry Christmas to the Reeders.

Just a few things that are happening. We will post again when we get back on the 19th!