CHRISTMAS DAY 2013

After enjoying a great breakfast of waffles, eggs, and turkey bacon, it was time to open gifts.  We started with the "stockings".  See Asher, he has his hand in his right now.  OK....so it's a Trader Joe's bag.  Would you rather have a little 'ol stocking or a grocery sack full of goodies?!?  Exactly!  After they inspected every item in the bag, it was time for presents.  They first opened the ties that Grandma and Grandpa sent from China.  They loved them and have worn them the last two Sundays!  They received mini stockings from Mita with some $$ and candy - Score!  Now, the 3 gifts they get from Mom and Dad.

 Number #1:

Colton and Asher: School sweater, school oxford, and a belt

Kyler: 2 superhero cars

 They love their preppy clothes!

 Number #2:

Colton and Asher: Harkins movie cup and t-shirt = inexpensive refills of soda and free popcorn for the whole year!

Kyler: TMNT Armored Vehicle with a side-kicking Leonardo!

and Finally Number #3:

Colton and Asher: Gym Membership!  They have been wanting to work out more ever since the soccer season ended.  Now they have a place to go and it's just south of our home........directly across the street!

Kyler: Disney Infinity with 3 extra characters.

I think the photo explains how he feels about this.

 After the gifts were done, Tony said he had a surprise gift for me.  He pulled it from one of our ottomans and handed it to me.  I tore the paper from one of the sides and exclaimed it was a blue-ray player.  Kyler grabbed some paper and tore it off the top.  That's when all the boys could see it was a PS4 (which is also a blue-ray player)!!!!!  We had three very surprised boys!

 Colton couldn't wait to set it up.  He's constantly dusting the console (maybe I should get him a cloth diaper for it?).  He also calls the color "sexy black"......Play Station just calls it "black". 

It was such a surprise because we had told the boys they would not be getting a PS4.  (We weren't kidding at all.....a Christmas miracle happened the week before and a PS4 was dropped in our lap....literally!  Maybe I'll share the story some day.)  I told Tony that it's pretty pathetic that these kids are so spoiled.  Christmas 2013 will go down in the books and the Christmas that they ALMOST didn't get everything they wanted.......ALMOST!!!!!!  Whew.....that was close!

A CHRISTMAS (short) STORY

I thought I might take a little time to rewrite a Christmas poem this year.  Unfortunately, I didn't get very far....

 

Twas the week before Christmas and all through the house

No one was cleaning, not even my spouse!

 

Maybe I'll finish it next year.  Until then enjoy Colton's Short Story.

 

A GIFT YOU CAN'T RECEIVE

Colton Stock

 

The first time I heard "Santa Baby" on the radio this year, I knew the Christmas season had officially begun.  I readied myself for the worst: the Black Friday shopping stampedes, the late night caroling drive-bys, the countless charities dressing up as Santa Claus and ringing their bells in my face as I walk into Target...it was all too much.  It only seemed to fuel my hate for the holidays.  I planned on ignoring everything as best I could and then taking my bounty on Christmas morning into my room and forgetting it all had ever happened.

 

That is, until my mom decided to volunteer our family as the ones who would act as Santa to an impoverished family from church, giving gifts every night to them anonymously until Christmas morning.  They had six little kids.  This "Secret Santa" seemed more like a liability to me than an act of service.  But, every night, we went out in my dad's pickup, my siblings and I clutching the six gifts in our hands, and waited to drop the loot at their door and run for the hills.  After a week or so, I'd gotten quite good at this covert ops stuff.

 

On Christmas Eve, we were getting ready for the massive family party we have every year.  Cooking, cleaning, decorating, and putting on fake smiles was part of the daily routine.  We'd almost forgotten the family to whom we had clandestinely given gifts.

 

"Hey, can you drive down to their house and deliver the last presents?" my mom asked.  I sighed, finishing my last bite of chocolate pecan pie (family recipe, mind you), and then begrudgingly nodded.  "Great! The presents are in the garage, just grab the last six and deliver them before it gets too late tonight."  She left to host the party, and I meandered toward the garage.  My cousins were throwing candy canes at each other, and as I looked back, I saw one of them crunching on a blueberry-flavored candy cane, wrapper and all, that he'd plucked off the heavily ornamented tree.

 

The six gifts in the garage were an assortment of action figures: Batman, Spider-man, an out of place Godzilla toy, and a few more.  It seemed blasphemous to pair Marvel, DC, and the kaiju genre together, but I wasn't going to complain.  I hopped into the pickup and drove off to the family's house.  Sadly, I'd forgotten their last name.  It was probably Smith.  Nah, that didn't sound right.

 

I pulled up to their apartment building, got out of the truck extra quietly, and grabbed the six toys.  There was a single light on in their apartment that faintly flickered like a candle or something.  I tip-toed up to the doorstep and laid the toys down on the mat, then promptly pressed the doorbell's button and dived (well, more like a graceful fall) into a nearby bush.  Immediately, the door swung open and a small child looked fervently around to see if he could spot the gift giver.  I pressed down onto the ground, held my breath, and hoped he would just grab the toys and run back into his home.

 

"Hey, Max, what did Santa bring this time?" a voice inside asked the kid.

 

"Toys, Dad!  Come look!" the kid was excited, and the rest of his siblings gathered around the door to see the gifts.  I didn't want to blow my cover, so I just laid still.

 

"Well, go ahead and take 'em inside guys," said the dad.  "Merry Christmas."  He and I watched the kids run inside with their presents, giggling and already planning which of the superheroes was going to fight Godzilla.  The dad waited at the doorstep for a moment and let a few tears fall down his cheeks, and then whispered, "Thank you," to no one in particular.  I then realized that he must've been praying.  I started to scoot away, not wanting to have to talk to him after just hiding in his bushes and creeping up on his family, but then something pretty special happened - he looked in my direction and smiled.  Then, just like that, he walked inside.

 

After that night, I had a new perspective on things.  As corny as it sounded, I'd found the true meaning of Christmas.  And it wasn't all about what new tech upgrade we were getting as a family.  It was simple.  To give, and to expect nothing in return.

 



CHRISTMAS EVE 2013

Christmas Eve....MY FAVORITE!!!

23 of the great-grandkids

(25 great-grands were there)

 Just what The House of Steve needed.....

Little Girls!

Alexis, Deborah, Julia

 Deborah

 Julia

 Addison

 Julia

Deborah 

 London

 Addison

 Braeden

 Drew

 Colton & London

 Noah

 William

 

Time to eat!

 Kyler and Cannon are so grown up next to Braeden.

 After everyone had eaten and pictures had been taken, it was time for the Nativity play.  While Emily and Jacquelen helped the children get ready, I shared part of an article from Colton and Asher's school paper.  The article showcased three different ways ACP students celebrate the Christmas.  One family goes cliff diving in Missouri, another visits Gambia, Africa and here's the third story.

 

"However, you don't have to engage in dare-devil recreation or fly to another country to have a unique holiday experience.  Senior Colton Stock has a pretty traditional holiday ritual - every Christmas Eve, Colton's entire 'Romney-sized extended family' comes in from Utah and reenacts the nativity scene.  With the help of a trunk-full of old sheets and clothes, cousins transform themselves into shepherds, wise men, and an angelic choir.  It seems pretty normal until the Stock family realizes they have way more nieces and nephews than they have roles to play.  In theses circumstances, extra roles are made to remedy the situation.  'We wrap the excess children in green tinsel and have them lie down on the floor - yeah, we even reenact the grass at baby Jesus' feet.'  Due to the fact that three babies were born in the last year alone, this year's Stock Nativity Scene will feature three baby Jesuses (Jesii?).

 

So with that intro.....Behold, our Nativity!

(our third baby Jesii had to leave early....bummer) 

I love that we even had 2 stars....I mean, really, each baby Jesus needed their own star!

 With two sets of nativities, we didn't need to "wrap the excess children in green tinsel" this year.

 I still can't believe he's almost 18!

 After all the extended family left we opened our traditional Christmas Eve gift, pajamas!  I'm so glad I let them be who they are and didn't care how they posed.

 

 Colton wanted to be the tallest in this shot.

 Asher thought he wasn't tall enough.....really, 6'3" isn't tall enough!

 Love these boys!!!!!

I wonder what Christmas will bring?!?

DECEMBER 2013 RECAP

Ah, December!  I always have high hopes and big plans, but it's a crazy month.  The kids are busy with lots of school work and finals.  Frankly, between school and church activities, we barely had time for anything else.  Here's a few highlights.

Dogsitting.  We're always happy to have these two come over.

 Too bad Roscoe and Cocolette don't always feel that way! 

 My Wondertwin, Juliet brought Kit to visit. 

(yes, this photo is from the summer)

A new Krispy Kreme opened up right by the older boys school.  Kyler was so happy - which you can't really tell from the photo since he was posing as a Krispy Kreme employee. 

At least that's what he said ;-)

 Everyone was happy for this treat!

 An Arizona Snowman....

 trying to cover up the neighbors broken hot water heater.  Genius!

Although we didn't pose for a Christmas card, make gingerbread houses or even trim our tree this year, I was happy to find lots of opportunities to serve in December.  One of those opportunities was to help set up my cousins reception.  Aren't they a beautiful couple!

 

Rachael's niece, Summer drew this

 They showed their video in this corner.

 Yummy treats!

Fruit, veggies, hummus and pitas and DESSERTS.

 Megan did a great job on the banner!

 

 Congratulations to the happy couple!

 



YWIE - Week 12

I miscounted the weeks and we only had 12 Sundays.  But I had promised 13 parts...what was I to do?!?  HAVE TWO SONGS on the last week!

(Optimistic Voices)

 

I played this song from this link on YouTube.

 

While the song played, I went through these signs:

 

3 More Days to YWIE!!!

You've Done It!!!!!!

 

You are all AWESOME!!!!!

 

(then the music turns sad)

OK....you still need to decorate your table

 

You can do it!  We can help!!!

 

(music turns happy again and I finish with these two signs)

3 short days until MAJOR TREATS!!!!!!

 

We love you and are so PROUD of YOU!!!!!!!!

 

 

(Somewhere Over the Rainbow)

 

Someday in the near future

3 days hence

Young Women's in Excellence

will finally commence

 

Someday in the near future

We'll stand in awe

At your talents and hard work

Success is what I foresaw

 

You picked a value out of eight

Now think of how to decorate

Your table

 

Your name and value I'll provide

for all the rest you must decide

I can't wait to see

 

Stand Ye in Holy Places

in our theme

Serving in this Young Women's is living my favorite dream

(immediately hit this song at the 4:01 mark)

 

I then held up the sign THE END

 

followed by the credits

 

Cast in order of Appearance

Dorothy - Sister Stock

Glinda - Sister Stock

Mayor of Munchkinland - Sister Stock

Lullaby League - Sister Stock

Lollypop Guild - Sister Stock

The Munchkins - Sister Stock

Scarecrow - Sister Stock

Tin Man - Sister Stock

Cowardly Lion - Sister Stock

Townspeople of the Emerald  City - Sister Stock

Sign Holder - Sister Stock

LINK BACK TO ALL 13 SONGS

YWIE - Week 11

(Merry Old Land of Oz)

 

Read, read here, read, read there

Put your thoughts in your journal

That's how we work to pass off goals

The blessings are eternal

 

Work, work here, work, work there

As you're finishing up your goal

That's how success will soon be yours

It's really in your control

 

So be diligent the battles almost won

One more week of this

and then my songs are done.

 

JOLLY GOOD FUN!

 

Serve, serve here, serve, serve there

Till you 10 hour project's through

And when you're done, now don't you stop

There's plenty for you to do.

 

Tick, tock here, tick, tock there

Your time is running out

Just 10 more days to work real hard

You'll succeed, I have no doubt!

 

(Fast Sunday - No Treat)

LINK BACK TO ALL 13 SONGS

YWIE - Week 10

(If I Only Had the Nerve)

 

In this world it isn't easy

Staying clean and pure - (I whispered) not sleazy

to peer pressure don't you cave

 

And bad choices say adieu!

Oh, the Lord has plans for you

Let's be fierce and bold and brave!

 

Stand up for what's good and true

Even when it's hard to do

Lots of sadness this can save

 

In your choices be courageous

You will find that it's contagious

and with all your might, be brave!

 

When we make - a mistake

It leaves our hearts to ache

Repentance is not something we can fake

Be true to you - Simply Partake

 

The Lord - He loves you dearly

His Path - He marked it clearly

It's up to you - Behave!

 

So remember what to say

As we walk through everyday

We will stand up and be brave!

 

(TREAT: Circus Animal Cookies)

LINK BACK TO ALL 13 SONGS