Book it

With my Spanish tutoring dollars, I bought an ipod. I still don't know how to use it very well and regularly ask my kids advice on how to do what I want to do . . . there's a learning curve.

I wanted it primarily to listen to audio books while I move around the house. My sister Laura has done this for years and was influential in my decision. (It's particularly nice when I am washing dishes, but I've found it to be useful in many settings around the home & around town). I finished my second one this morning:

Do you listen to audiobooks? Have any recommendations?

Nathan & I are listening to Seabiscuit, and I've also listened to Shannon Hale's Palace of Stone.

About Katie Couric's book, I loved it. I recommend it. As you would expect, there are some swear words, but the majority is clean. It is successful people (most are well-known), sharing advice that was usually pivotal to them. They are grouped by main idea, so it's easy to understand. I love Katie Couric and really enjoyed listening to this book. It was inspiring in many ways. It may be the summer reading book at our home . . . the one I pay my children to read, unless I find one I like better. One of the things I liked is that she had people in many fields--art, drama, education, medicine, entertainment, etc. Well done.

Dinner tonight

Baked Chicken Fajitas

We've had a little lull in after school activities in December and January which is over this Friday. That adds to the stress of what to make for dinner . . . being out of the house and not able to cook in a hands on way.

I found this recipe & it seemed great because I don't have to do that much after school. (Having children who can preheat the oven & put things in helps, as well).

This was really good and we're planning on repeating this one. We served with leftover rice, black beans, tortillas and guac. I substituted Ro-tel tomatoes for the tomatoes and green chiles and left out the chili powder. It was spicy enough but not too overpowering for the littles who don't appreciate heat.

Puzzling

10 days for 1000 pieces . . . I guess we are a 100 piece/day fam

Just finished this puzzle that James & Jolynn's family gave us for Christmas. It was fun. We weren't very fast at it, and we slowed WAY down once the bird was complete--the background pieces are challenging.

Today I recycled 3 years of planner--2008, 2011, and 2013. It was amazing to look back and see what my goals were for 2008--finish nursing Diana, get ready to move to TX (although when I set it we didn't know it would be TX), and help Bryn finish her 100's collection. Shocking how quickly the time between then and now seems to have passed. Puzzling, even. And fast-forwarding into the future five years will bring our oldest leaving the nest.

In 2008, I wrote that I wanted scrapbooking to be a part of my life--to record the history of my family. That hasn't happened, but blogging has perhaps taken its place. I still feel the need for a private journal, but I don't write in it nearly as often as I used to. I like writing here, sharing photos & snippets. They are only snippets--never will this be a complete picture of all that's going on. 

Nathan and I wrote a letter for our Christmas card but then did not send it . . . not quite sure why. It was a great year in many ways & hard in others--nothing out of the ordinary, just the ups and downs of the everyday. This year we traveled lots of miles. In general, in 2014, we plan to stay closer to home. We have lots to look forward to, here are some things coming up:

Teaching the Old Testament in Sunday School
Being in charge of scout camp
Two teenagers by the end of the year
Going to Women's Conference at the end of March in SLC
Hunt family reunion
And many, many more.

Bring it on!

Merry Christmas

From our house to yours!!!

Modeling Grandpa & Grandma Hunt's Christmas PJ's  (taken around 1:30 p.m.)

Gone (downhill) skiing in CO

This weekend 4/7 of us took care of that "I live in CO, but I've never been skiing" problem we had.
These 3 plus dad.

The first two Saturdays of the month Copper Mountain hosts a family ski day. Lift tickets are $32, which compared to their Christmas Break price is a bargain. Some of the sporting goods stores offer $10 ski rental, so it's a reasonable time to take care of the above mentioned problem.

Pretty sure I had the easier day since they are beginners.

I attended Tuba Christmas with D & E. My favorite.

Thankful tree 2013

Breaking bread together

If any of my siblings who read this have a better photo--please share.

Last Tuesday (Nov26) was the second installment of the 40th b-day party bashes.

Two years ago my SIL Sarah organized a surprise b-day party for my brother's 40th. We decided it would be fun to meet again in November this year when my sister turned 40. We reserved a room at a Cheyenne restaurant and met tonight for dinner to celebrate 40 years of Jennifer.

It was nice to be together as a family--we don't get it done very often, so it's a big deal when we do. We succeeded in surprising Jennifer and her kids, which was a lot of fun. Our cousin and his wife live in Cheyenne, so they were able to join us as well.

My dad wrote a song for Danny when it was his turn (On Top of Old Danny--sung to the tune of "On Top of Old Smoky" so he was assigned to write one for Jennifer. We enjoyed singing together.

He wrote to the tune of "O Christmas Tree" and the song was titled "O Jennifer."

O Jennifer, athletic Jenifer, the hurdles thou didst fly o’er.

O Jennifer, athletic Jenifer, the hurdles thou didst fly o’er.

Run like the wind, jump like a deer,

Dive with such grace, year after year.

O Jennifer, athletic Jenifer, the hurdles thou didst fly o’er.

O Jennifer, sweet-singing Jennifer, mu-sic be always with thee

O Jennifer, sweet-singing Jennifer, mu-sic be always with thee

From western hills to New York hall,

Play, lead or sing, you do them all

O Jennifer, sweet-singing Jennifer, mu-sic be always with thee

O Jennifer, hard-working Jennifer, for toil none can match thee.

O Jennifer, hard-working Jennifer, for toil none can match thee.

You drive the bus, you taught in school,

You’re always in the labor pool.

O Jennifer, hard-working Jennifer, for toil none can match thee.

(Final – Slower, with emphasis)

O Jennifer, dear Jennifer

This special day we honor thee.