Our Christmas Cutie

I know I already posted several photos of David in his quints outfit. But here are a few more recent ones that I love.

Deck the Halls

We haven't decorated for Christmas since 2005: two and a half years of house-sitting kind of squelched our ability to retrieve our decorations, much less feel like it was our house to bedeck with baubles, tinsel, and trees. So we're really loving the chance to set up our simple Christmas decorations and have a tree. In 2005, we pumped up the air mattress and slept under the tree several nights; Taylor and I are planning to do this again.








Is it obvious I'm sad to miss the Menlo Park Stake Christmas Creche exhibit this year? (My favorite part of Christmas in the Bay Area!) I put up every single creche we own. My favorite is the first shown, which comes from Palestine. I also love the wooden Holy Family from Krakow (in red) and the simple wooden set Anna gave me several years back.












Saturday we joined the shopping throngs to pick up a few more decorations: garlands, a little tree for David's room, and a few fancy ornaments. It was fun to come home and spruce things up even further.




On Sunday we put up the tree in David's room. Bribery: if he stays in bed during naptime and bedtime, he gets to keep the lights on. His tree mainly gets the old ornaments I collected as a child. But my parents had a tradition of giving us a new ornament every year...and I confiscated those, since they mean more to me.














Taylor and I both wish Christmas came in January. It follows so closely on the heels of Thanksgiving, that there isn't enough time to really enjoy the season. Lights on houses should stay up for 6-7 weeks at least, to ward off the winter-time blues. Many high schools don't wrap up their semesters till the middle of January anyway. Christmas in January would make for better semester breaks, free of homework.

Christmas Books for Children

For David's first Christmas, we gave him a book. I just reread the note I wrote him in December of 2007: I said that each year we would add another book to his Christmas collection. Uh oh! We missed that tradition last year!

Do you have a favorite Christmas book for children? If so, I'd love to compile a list of favorites here!

Thanksgiving

We hosted our first Thanksgiving this year. Taylor was amazing: after I fretted about never having cooked a turkey, he said (in the same voice used by the Mr. Wonderful toy that also uses this line), "Let me cook the turkey this year!"






But then the reality of it sunk in, and I know he felt overwhelmed. He worried that he would have to wake up at 6:30 a.m. (and that after taking me out to see New Moon the night before, getting home at 1 a.m.!). We did the math and realized we could start prepping our 11 pound turkey at 10:30 a.m. We made a chart, and I was supposed to help with a lot more than I did. While I took a bike ride and bubble bath, Taylor did a lot of my preparation! I did work for a couple of hours in the afternoon while he and TJ played games (during David's nap), but still, he carried the greatest weight on his shoulders, and really did the bulk of the planning.

And dinner was fabulous! Luckily we were helped by Anna, Jim, and Jim's parents: they all chipped in the yummiest butter rolls, pies, and a delicious ham. My cousin James Rampton, who I haven't seen for decades, brought his girlfriend, and they brought drinks and ice cream. I splurged and bought two Winder Farms pies -- the Chocolate French Silk was delish; the apple pie so-so (my mom's homemade apple pie has ruined me for anything store-bought). Afterward we all played games -- even me! (Why is it I most enjoy games where you kill people: Bang! Guillotine?)

Cousin James Rampton and his girlfriend Elena (sp??)

Uncle Bobby

Uncle TJ

Taylor and I reflected upon the evening later and wished we had spent just a few extra minutes talking with everyone about the things we are grateful for. Taylor and I feel so very grateful these days. We have a home -- something we appreciate all the more strongly after house-sitting for 2.5 years. We have David, someone we adore and know to be a true miracle. We have families we love, and jobs that are interesting and challenging. We have the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and the peace it brings each day. We feel so very blessed!










Thanks, Anna, for capturing all these photos!

On My Mind: All the Little Live Things

All the Little Live Things by Wallace Stegner


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is, I think, my third book by Stegner. I always find that it takes me a while to get into his books, but I end up loving them. I didn't like this one quite as much as Crossing to Safety and Angle of Repose, but it was still a great book.

In this book, his narrator, Joe Allston, is a retired literary agent who has moved to the countryside of California (what was countryside in the 60s, and is probably completely built-up today, though I never figured out exactly where it was set...but not far from San Jose). He and his wife Ruth are seeking some kind of escape, after the death of their 37-year-old son, with whom Joe especially had an antagonistic relationship. Onto their property comes Jim Peck, anti-establishment, pro-free-love, free-drugs, yoga, etc. He and Joe hate each other from the very beginning, but Joe can't help but see that Jim in many ways represents his son to him.

About the same time, John and Marian Caitlin, with their Debby, move into the property next to the Allstons. Joe falls for Marian -- but more in the sense of adoring a daughter than a physical attraction. He and Ruth dote on Marian and her family, but Marian is fighting recurring cancer, trying to buy time to give birth to her second child.

Joe and Marian see the natural world differently. Joe wants to eradicate the pests -- gopher, snake -- from his garden, and sees a continual fight between good and evil. Marian wants to let all the little live things live, and believes that chaos is gradually evolving toward good. She is bright and innocent, willing to endure pain as part of the life cycle, even when those around her would shield her from it. Her openness make Ruth and especially Joe vulnerable.

You end up asking yourself what is more dangerous: a self-centered, egotistical, rule-breaker like Jim Peck, or the loving Marian. Which one makes Joe examine himself more? Which one leaves a bigger wound in their hearts when gone?

View all my reviews >>

Uncle Stud

We went to see Bobby's ultimate frisbee game tonight. We only stayed through half-time (it was freezing outside and we weren't layered enough), but it was really fun to see him play. He made several assists, and David loved seeing his tall uncle jump for that disc!

His team won too. Way to go!

My brother Marcus was the first Rampton to get into ultimate. Pretty much everyone thereafter has been great at the game. Sara married another ultimate freak. I love the idea of the game, but am horrid at throwing or catching the darn thing!

David's Robot

David announced that this was his robot. Cool!

On My Mind: The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I loved this book, and can't wait to listen to the next in the series. I enjoyed the book-on-tape's reader, so that was a plus, and makes me willing to wait longer to get the CDs for the second. (I do have several other books I'm reading in print, so that makes the wait bearable.)

The story is set in a future, dystopian America, where each year each province must send 2 of its youth to participate in "the hunger games" -- a brutal competition of 24 teenagers, with only one survivor. The book centers around Katniss, a 16-year-old girl who volunteers to go when her 12-year-old sister's name is drawn. Katniss is skilled with a bow and arrow, always having had to hunt (illegally) to provide her family with enough food. The boy chosen is Peeta, the baker's son, who has always had his eye on Katniss. She can never trust his love, however, because she feels it may just be a ruse to win the audience to his side. She also had a close guy friend at home, Gale, and can't fully give her heart because of her connection to him.

There's definitely some gore and brutality here, though less than I expected having heard others mention in. It is YA lit, after all, so I'm glad it wasn't worse. But the story isn't only about the fight to the end. It also goes through the whole ceremonial procedure -- part talent show, part beauty pageant -- lots and lots of drama and showmanship to please the audience. You think of Bradbury's societies, where drama and media have overtaken reality.

The story also made me think of "The Lottery", a short story by Shirley Jackson. And Lord of the Flies, for the characters' quick devolution to murder. I thought about making it an independent reading option, along with The Giver, Fahrenheit 451, and Ella Minnow Pea, since all have to do with dystopian societies where individual rights are subsumed to the society's wishes.

But I also liked the romance. I wanted Katniss to trust Peeta!! I hear that she doesn't do much better in the next book. But I've also read that the next book is a fantastic sequel -- at least as good as the first. I hope so!

View all my reviews >>

More Photos of the Quints

We ended up taking more photos of David, so that he could have a wall rather than the couch as a backdrop. Here are a few of my favorites:












Here is Marcus and Becca's cutie, Eliza:






And Sara and Rob's Jasper:







Anna has some great ones of Johnny, too:






Sara is working on photoshopping the quints into one photo. She's not done yet, but here was her joke to us all:

Headed to the Big Easy

Taylor has a conference in New Orleans next weekend, and I'll be tagging along. I'm fortunate that I can work from there as easily as I can work from home. (I will have to make up office hours lost during travel times.) Anna is watching David, so he'll have major cousin time. Hopefully Anna won't have major headache time, with three boys, two of them two year olds!

Any insights about what to see and do? Don't suggest anything for Friday night, though: we're headed to see New Moon on opening night. The books were fine, fun -- but I want to see the crazy obsessed girls and women shrieking every time Edward or Jacob show their faces!

Added 11/17: We will hold off on New Moon. Seems better to see more of "Nawlins" while we're there. Plus the round-trip taxi ride was going to cost $40!

Photos from the Halverson Reunion

Super belated. Kathy sent us this link months ago; I just kept intending to photoshop a smile onto David's face!! But since I still haven't done that (don't know how, myself), I should just share them.

http://www.nwaphoto.com/reunion2009

Who is the Great Photographer?

Just wanted to point out the Taylor is the one who takes 95% of the photographs around here. He's a great photographer, and I love the moments and images he has captured. Thank you, Love!

Volley of Blogs

Sorry I haven't been more consistent about blogging. Then when I finally get to it, I have a dozen entries to make up and it takes me hours and hours. So that was yesterday!

The most post-dated of all the blogs is one dated to the 10th of October, about a trip to Manti to participate in a reunion for descendants of Robert & Elizabeth Johnson, some of the earliest settlers of the city, and Taylor's great-great-great grandparents. So don't miss that one!

Inside the Cresent Valley Villa

My mom and dad's architect asked if he could have some professional photographs taken of their home. I delight in how beautiful it is, and want to showcase them here:












Last week I bought tickets for David and I to fly to Oregon in mid-December. It's great -- I can leave earlier than vacation begins for my students, since I work online and can do that from Oregon as easily as from here. I'm looking forward to being in my parents' beautiful home again!