Southern Lights

Friday, December 13, 2008

One of my favorite Lexington Christmas traditions is visiting the Kentucky Horse Park to see the Southern Lights. It is magical.I love all the horse themed displays I am sure were made just for them. Here the horses would dash out of the starting gate and race down the track.The Horse Park will be host to the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. This is a huge honor and it is a major event for all who are involved in horses. It is the first time it will be hosted in a non-European country.

Churchill Downs and the twin spires.There were fairytale lights. Here is Cinderella with her Fairy Godmother.The castle and the clock tower. The girls were yelling for us to slow down so they could properly enjoy the scene.Matt could not get enough of the Star Wars display.

Luke and Darth Vader

They had various arch ways lined up that had blinking snowflakes that gave the illusion they were falling. I loved it.Christmas scenes12 Day of ChristmasAnd of course Santa. After you drive through the lights there are various activities in the park.

Entering the petting zoo.

Matt loved this camel.Brynn loved getting close to the goats.

Trey and the cutest cow I have ever seen.Kaitlyn was content in Daddy's arms.There were llamas, porcupines, a kangaroo, and a donkey too.Next we took a ride on this Christmas train. Somehow the conductor got us all shoved (literally) into one car.

BrynnKaitlynTreyJoshMattWe said hello to Frosty.Then headed inside to get warm. You know you live in a humid place when you camera fogs up inside and takes five minutes to clear!

The girls loved the dollhouse display. They boys loved the model train sets. They were incredible and lifelike. This scene was a perfect copy of a place in Louisiana.This tree made my mind recall Christmas days as a child at the ZCMI Center in downtown Salt Lake City. They had a talking tree that looked just like this.Not quite the Santa the boys were hoping for. The real Santa near the gift shop had a mile long line.It was the perfect way to get a little of that 'Holly Jolly Christmas feeling' into our hearts!

Completed

Yes, I have been missing from the blogging world for a bit. And while I have uploaded photos for six posts, I haven't let myself take the time to arrange and think and write.

I have been a woman on a mission. A goal that was fast approaching was causing me to have a near panic attack and I had to deal with it. Now. I had put it off for far too long.

Every year at tithing settlement our bishop (president of a very huge company and very business minded) makes us set goals. He writes them down and then pulls them out 12 months later to see how you fared. You make family goals, couples goals and individual goals. Once I uttered my own person goal, it immediately ingrained into my brain, never letting me forget, nor allowing me to simply not get it done. How could I sit and tell the bishop one year later, with my children surrounding me that I had failed at a task I had selected and knew was important? That could not happen.

So this past week I have have been giving my all to achieve this goal- to read the entire Book of Mormon in 2008. Yes, for some this would have been an easy task and to be totally honest, I could have made this SO easy on myself and kept with the Hinckley Challenge or read a set amount every day and get it done early. But I didn't. And didn't. And didn't. And I didn't like how I was feeling. How can I read fiction and watch shows and chat on the phone and exercise and not stop and read the scriptures? I knew I needed change. I knew it was almost too late. So I read and read and read some more. The TV was turned off. Videos were put aside and blogging had to wait. Five days and 194 pages later- it is done. And what a fool I was to not do it sooner.

This past week, I have been touched as I read the stories of Alma, Helaman, Captain Moroni, Nephi and Lehi, the 3 Nephites, Mormon, Moroni, the brother of Jared and especially that of Jesus Christ. What beautiful words that can heal and change lives. That give hope and peace, joy and light. It is truth and knowledge and I was blessed as I read.

What a perfect time of year to slow down, put away the Christmas lists and chores and read. Read about Samuel the Lamanite as he fortold of Jesus Christ's birth. To read the words of our Savior as he visited the people in America. How my heart burned. To hear Him and know of His goodness and love- this is why we celebrate Christmas. This is the good news of the Gospel. He lives, He loves us and He is there for us every step of the way. I think reading the Book of Mormon was the best Christmas gift to myself. I think instead of putting it off like I did, I'll start a new tradition this year and make time from now on for the scriptures during the holiday season and every day after.

Wacky Weather

While my brothers and their wives in Wisconsin faced this today:(photo taken in Madison, WI this morning and posted on USAToday.com)

Our parents brace for a blizzard in Utah tonight.

And we got the pleasure of spending the day like this:High of 67 degrees and sunshine. Our snow day this week is a far distant memory when suddently you can toss off the hat and coats and roll down your windows to cool down while running errands. December 19 and we walked to get the boys from school sans jackets. Crazy!

Wonder if the rest of my family would rather be in Kentucky right now. I bet the answer would be a resounding YES!

This makes me think two things 1) The seasons are indeed in commotion and 2) I live stinkin' far away from family when our weather patterns can differ so greatly. Thank heavens for Christmas that will bring nearly all of us together.

VPE Winter Program

Tonight our family went to the Veterans Park Elementary School Chorus Winter Program to watch Trey's performance. The 3rd, 4th and 5th grade chorus students sang, danced and played instruments. We loved watching Trey and it was wonderful to have Rich there with us since he has always been on call or working during all the programs in the past. Trey did a great job and looked handsome in his uniform and Santa hat. The performance was short and sweet- thirty-five minutes. That's my kind of program, especially on a school night. I was impressed with the show and they were serious when they called it a winter program. They did not mention Christmas or Santa or Jesus in anyway, sticking to politically correct seasonal songs. They sang Winter Wonderland, Chim Chiminey, Reindeer Jive, Jingle Bell Rock, Let it Snow, Frosty the Snowman and Winter Fantasy. The quote on the program read, "Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or simply the beauty of winter, may the peace and joy of the season be with you and your family throughout the coming year!"

The program was action packed featuring dancers, flags, costumes, actions and an instrument section, but I missed hearing the old familiar Christmas carols that stir the soul and awaken the Christmas spirit within. So to add to the special night, we went home, sat around the tree and sang Christmas songs from the Primary Songbook and read The Christmas Orange, which makes me cry every time. Yes, I love Jingle Bells and Snowmen, but my hope this year, and every year, is to teach my children about Christmas- about Christ- and encourage them to find their own Christmas spirit in their hearts that can last long past December 25th. Chim ChimineyReindeer JiveFrosty the SnowmanWinter Fantasy

In love....

I saw these in the Pottery Barn Kids catalog a month ago and was smitten.

The only stockings we own are four inches high and purely for decoration.

I could picture these lovely ones on my own mantel for years to come.

BUT they were full price and I certainly was not going to pay for shipping.

A week went by and I noticed online they were selling out fast, so I put my dream aside.

A few days later I checked again and not only were the stockings on sale, they had restocked and shipping was free.

I knew what I wanted for Christmas- stockings.

I knew I had to act fast.

As I put them in my cart, the snowman sold out. Not good.

Then the reindeer was next- no longer available it read.

Drat. This wasn't working out at all.

So I called customer service. Twice.

And the PBK store in Louisville.

And Cincinnati.

And Columbus.

And Nashville.

And I found the snowman and reindeer there.

Perfect.

The rest I bought online.

Christmas came early yesterday and it did not disappoint.

I am totally in love.

They just need to be embroidered, but that can wait. I have my dream stockings.

I am one HAPPY girl.

Very happy indeed.
Matt- airplane, Brynn- ballerina, Trey- Santa, Rich- nutcracker, Kaitlyn- ballerina, Cheryl- snowman, Josh- reindeer

One SWEET day

I can't think of a better way to spend a morning in December- with great friends making homemade caramel. Yup, pretty sweet deal if you ask me. The girls and I headed over to Ashlee's for a little play date. Tiffany and her girls were there too. I can't say I learned how to make Ashlee's special recipe since all I did was stir the pot a time or two, but Ashlee knew what she was doing. The caramel was delicious. We dipped apples, pears and pretzels, then drizzled them with milk chocolate, white chocolate, toasted pecans and crushed candy canes. Like I said, it was good stuff. Thankfully our creations were a bit sticky and the wax paper held tight, helping us decided to bag the idea of making these treats as gifts and just keep them all for ourselves. Good plan. The kids played (and got in a push or two....) and the morning was gone before we knew it. Savannah, Kaitlyn, Mac and BrynnGotta love how moms can multi-task!We brought home way too much, but a few hours later nothing was left! Thanks Ashlee for the fun. My mind is already working on what yummy thing to make next!

One Hundred and Ninety-Nine

frustrated
[fruhs-treyt]
–verb

1.to make (plans, efforts, etc.) worthless or of no avail; defeat; nullify
2. to disappoint or thwart

One hundred and ninty-nine pictures were taken on Sunday in hopes of finding just ONE usable for a Christmas card. As you can see, we will be taking round two next week.