looking back

The end of a year always makes me feel contemplative. The end of a decade is taking me on an even longer retrospective.

My memories of Y2K seem so fresh -- can that really have been 10 years ago? It was so strange to realize that my boys were too young to remember that (Lucas was an infant and Max was only 4!). I briefly explained what all the hullabaloo was like at the end of 1999, but they didn't get it. Max just said, "but why would anyone think that would be a problem?" I don't know, but they sure did. I never felt terribly worried about it, though.

Remember how weird it was when we first started writing dates that started with a zero? 00 -- I had the hardest time getting used to that. Do you write the wrong year for a week or two?


Anyway, here are some of the major events in our family during the last decade:

* It encompassed all but 4 1/2 months of Lucas's life.

* I joined the best book club!

* Creative Friday became an institution.

* Jessie got married.

* We got a dog. (And then I learned that I like other people's dogs more than ones that live in my house.)

* Lola died, a most painful occurrence for our whole family.

* I had a difficult last pregnancy, including being hospitalized for kidney stones.

{Photo by Jill}

* Eva was born and changed our family forever.

* Jessie had two more sweet girls.

* Marc's museum exhibit -- only 6 years in the making!

* I started blogging.

* I got my first digital camera.

* Marc got tenure at BYU.

* Jessie and Timm moved to North Carolina.

* We lived in Paris three times (2002, 2007, 2009).

* We had some great family vacations -- Charleston, the Oregon coast, California, St. George, Denver, Vail, London.

* Marc and I went to New Orleans and to San Francisco by ourselves.

* We got season passes to Seven Peaks for 5 years! (Shouldn't we get some kind of award?)

* Marc started attending the Sundance Film Festival.

* Lucas discovered he was a reader -- hallelujah!

* We got new carpet.

* We replaced many, many appliances.

* We had a mouse infestation.

* Marc got a new car to replace the old Civic he had had for 18 years... (we fondly referred to it as "the hot car" or "the cold car", depending on the season).

* I had two knee surgeries, Lucas had two sets of tubes put in his ears, Eva and Lucas had dental surgery.

* Max and Lucas were baptized.

* We had a major flood, which necessitated a week's hotel stay and basement remodeling.

* I went to Girls' Camp three times.

* Max was ordained to the Aaronic Priesthood.

* Max became a Scout, went fishing, and discovered that fish is his favorite food. His eating has become ever more adventurous since!

* Max started Junior High and started playing the cello.

* I learned some fundamental Photoshop skills and started creating email ads for my mom's store.

* I learned to knit.

* I became a bread baker.

* I read a lot of books.

* We were the recipients of countless acts of service.


I can't wait to see what the next decade brings!

where were you?

All day, I've been remembering this day seven years ago.

I was teaching early-morning piano lessons, I used to have some students who would come before school. My phone was ringing off the hook. I couldn't imagine who would be calling me so insistently at that time of day.

When I finished with my lessons, I sent my last student upstairs to wait for his mom, and I checked my messages. It was my s-i-l Michelle, telling me to turn on the tv.

I walked upstairs, and my student was already watching it, live. I sank down onto the couch next to him and we just sat together in stunned silence. It didn't seem real -- I was in shock, I guess. So hard to believe that something that terrible was happening in America, to America.

That student moved away and I haven't seen him in years, but today his face and his voice were before me, inexorably tied with the memories of September 11, 2001. Is that strange?

Max commented to me tonight that the History channel had been broadcasting programs about 9/11 all day. I asked him if he remembered it -- he was only 6 at the time. He said he remembered seeing in on TV a lot, and a broadcast from the governor of Utah that they saw at school, but he didn't remember being really frightened.

I remember. I was frightened.

So where were you?

Christmas timeline

No, I'm not planning already for next Christmas. (well, I guess in a way I am...)

After Christmas, I started working on this timeline for the 2008 Christmas season. Christmas 2007 was an enormous improvement for me over Christmas 2006 (the worst ever), but I still felt like there were things I would like to change, ways I can do it better next time. Because my memory is notoriously bad, I knew I had to make a record of my intentions, and thus the Christmas timeline was born.

I am keeping it in the Christmas book that Collette made and gave to us at a book club in the Fall, so very useful. But just in case I misplace it, I am recording it here as well.

Here's the plan:

beginning of October:

-- decide on handmade gifts (although sooner would be even better!)

end of October:

-- start shopping

beginning of November:

-- start making handmade gifts (again, sooner would be even better)

mid-November:

-- make book club gifts
-- decide on Christmas card photo plan

end of November:

-- take Christmas card photo!
-- prepare advent calendar (possibly make new one)

December:

-- first Family Home Evening of the month -- discuss how we can help someone during the holiday season and make plans

-- make cards (or buy, it's better than not sending them like I did this year...)

-- finish, wrap, and ship gifts to family by the 12th

-- send cards

-- finish shopping by the 18th so there is plenty of time for relaxing!

Obviously, I haven't planned out every detail, but I'm hoping that if I stick to this timeline I will have an even less stressful, more enjoyable holiday season this year. (fingers crossed)

** Does anyone else need to give themselves instructions on how to enjoy Christmastime??**