Jonathan and Susie Sleep Over

Our "Sleeping Chamber"... Hannah's wish came true (even thought I won the wish from the wishbone pull on Turkey Day). She and Rebekah slept over at Grandpa and Grandma Clayton's cabin and so the two youngest were left home with Joe and I. Joe went in and snapped this picture of the cute two--beds made up by Jonathan on our bedroom floor. (It lasted two minutes and Susie was out of bed finding us on the computer and Jonathan, of course, was out of bed finding Susie).

THE Pecan Pie

What with all the preparation for Thanksgiving Day going on around here--we bought all the goods and then we skipped baking this year. Joe threw in the yams on Friday morning and I awoke to their roasting aroma.

Pecan Pie BY Julie Campbell and Marguerite Henderson

4 eggs, beaten

1 cup sugar

¼ tsp. salt

1 cup light corn syrup

2 tsp. flour

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup pecan pieces

1 cup pecan halves

9” pie shell (uncooked)

Bake at 350 for 45 to 50 minutes. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

**P.S. I have downloaded this picture several times and I don't know why it is flipping it...so turn your head to the side and enjoy this picture and then go and make your own super yummy pecan pie...unless you are like Rebekah who informed us this year,"I don;t care like pecan pie!" Then go and eat your pumpkin pie then!

Happy Thanksgiving

Well, the crusty remains of a feast remain in the kitchen...a testament of merrymaking and lots of rich food! What a Thanksgiving! We have so many blessings to be thankful for this year...family, health, Heavenly Father and his Son, our conversions (especially Mom Campbell's), scriptures, employment, new babies coming (Amy and Hyea Won), etc. We enjoyed the company of BOTH sides of the family today. Dinner involved making room for 28...yes, that's right 28 people to a sit down dinner! Grandma and Grandpa Campbell, Grandma and Grandpa Clayton, LavonAlise, Dave Campbell, Beth Perri and Mike Clayton, David and Hyea Won (Kaya, Sonya, and surprise news of a July baby), Lisa and Stuart (Lucy, Cami, and Andrew), Our family, Amy and Ryan (Alex and Andrew), and Elfi! We feasted on turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, fresh cranberry sauce, cheese stuffed celery, stuffing, corn, cranberry salad, green bean casserole, rolls, and pies! Pumpkin, Chocolate Meringue, Chocolate Oreo, Banana Cream (X2), Pecan, and Razzelberry, Pumpkin Cheesecake rolls... Grandchildren enjoyed a scavenger hunt planned by Grandpa. They found gifts containing card games, remote control cars, stuffed animals, foam puzzles, a ball shooter, etc. Amy brought a string the fruit loops necklace craft. Lisa had the children frosting leaf sugar cookies. I brought out our marbles game. Charlie Brown's Thanksgiving movie. Wii games from Mike (darts and Mario). Hannah and I broke the wishbone. She wished for a sleepover at Grandma Clayton's tonight. I wished for something too. I won. Hannah responded, "Well, I still hope my wish comes true!" Hannah and Bekah slept over at Grandma's house. Joe and Jonathan play lots of Wii Mario Brothers. Ryan plays World of Warcraft. Clayton's visit.

Kindergarter Thanksgiving

Jonathan had a true feast in his Kindergarten class: roasted turkey, carrots, olives, grape/cheese kabobs, cream of potato soup with cheese and bacon garnish, cornbread muffins and pumpkin pie with cream! Yum! Susannah and Jonathan play on the Kindergarten Playground after the feast.

Twilight Premiere

12:10 a.m. Joe and Julie watch Twilight Premiere. (Popcorn, Sprite, M&M's, no children, date...) 2:40 a.m. Wow! When will they come out with New Moon?

Rebekah's Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day!

Today was one of those days for daughter number two. Little brother tripped on the way into school and fell into her causing her to fall and sending her (15 day old) glasses flying. Broken! Then to top it off, all the trophies, certificates, and ribbons for the PTA Reflections Contest came back and she didn't get anything for her originally composed song, "Wow! Joy and Love." Rebekah informed me last night that since Jonathan's surgery we have not been treating all the children fairly--like we love them. (Hannah tried to shush her up on this one because of all the movies and fun food they have been allowed and little to no homework or piano but Rebekah still carried on crying all the same.) After school we drank extra rich hot cocoa, read stories, and danced crazy in the kitchen...She did get a reading coupon for a free pan pizza at Pizza Hut and free sherbet at Hogi Yogi. Yeah!

Finding JOY...bit by bit

Does life ever seem hard? Lately, life seems a little too real, too hard at times. Today, on less sleep, life seems funny. In glimpses of sunshine this morning--I am laughing and realizing that joys can be found, bit by bit. I found an old friend this morning. At least I consider him to be one. I have been watching the progress of Stephanie and Christian Nielsen who were burned in a private airplane crash in Arizona in August. Stephanie's sister has been keeping up NieNie Dialogues and also her own blog "C Jane." She mentioned that their brother also has had a blog since 2005--The Jolly Porter. For those of you who went on a mission to Finland, Veli Clark is Stephanie Nielsen's brother! He has a hilarious blog and it was so fun to laugh, and laugh, and laugh some more. Am I the only one who takes life a wee bit too seriously sometimes...okay, most of the time!?

Cake and Ice Cream (Jonathan's Second Surgery)

Couldn't sleep. Nervous! Hope everything would go well. Awoke early to take Jonathan to the hospital. Joe got up briefly--only to be sick and go back to bed and sleep near Susie. (He had a temporary crown put on yesterday over a new root canal). Jonathan whispered,"Mom, it isn't morning yet!" 6:20 a.m. still looks a lot like night, I agreed. Check-in at the hospital, Jonathan crouches next to me and complains about the cold morning air. I move him (in rock position) closer to my right ankle. Two minutes later, he is GONE! A kind elderly couple behind points down the curved marble hallway. Eighty yards down the formal entryway of marble and pillars and as yet closed counters, a nurse is pointing quietly. I creep around a pillar, behind a fake ficus tree, and under a closed counter ledge--Jonathan? "I don't want to be here, Mom" he whispers up at me. "I know." I scoop him up and carry him with me. "I don't want to be here (alone) either!" After accepting the inevitable, sweet nurses guided our way through. 19 kg. No fever. Groovy pajamas. Card making kit with stickers, paper, crayons, a wooden truck and "Slither" the stuffed snake--lucky boy! Medicine to swallow, no "I can't breathe!" mask to wear to fall asleep. This surgery removed a triangle of bone and then two pins (which look like crossed metal chop sticks) hold the newly straightened thumb in place. Recovery was longer. I await my boy. Joe comes with Susie. Susie thinks waiting quietly and sitting is too long. We go for a walk. Yeah! Jonathan is wheeled back by two guys laughing because "I am going to eat cake and Ice-cream!"Jonathan has told. (Huh!? We don't have cake or ice-cream at home, uh-oh.) "Take it off! Please, nurse, take this off!" Jonathan pleads with the discharge nurse, ignoring the removal of the sticky heplock and I.V. and motioning to his right bandaged hand. We negotiate a deal--the bandages come off around Christmas..."And Christmas is in two days so that isn't long..." Jonathan tells Susie in the car. **Jonathan was born with a double thumb jointed on his right hand--his "lucky thumb." He was indeed a "six fingered man" if you are familiar with A Princess Bride. His first operation was January 27, 2008. (The plan was to have both surgeries before he started school). If interested, Joe blogged about it and showed before and after pictures.

Dad's Annual Meeting

Once a year, Dad has a special meeting on a Saturday and this year he invited us all to his workplace, Educator's Mutual Insurance Association in Murray. (I don't think Jonathan actually knows Joe "works" at anything but computer games). He was able to show us his new office (with white walls, redwood furniture, and round conference table). The wall art he got for his birthday was very handsome...He needs more plants. The children were especially drawn to him clear glass container of gummy bears. Hannah to his desk with two flat screen computer monitors on it. The older girls went with Dad to the UEA Building where the meeting was being held...with a catered breakfast and lunch provided! Joe was running the presentation and so the girls sat quietly on the front row. Hannah was excited because she won THE best door prize an Ipod docking station/stereo/alarm clock. Rebekah was given a $25.oo Visa gift card from Andy Galano (the generous president of the company). At first, she didn't understand what a prize this was and now that she does, it has been burning a hole in her pocket ever since! Mom and the younger billies went shopping (post Halloween) at Wally's (Wal-Mart). We looked at "toys" per Jonathan's request...and down the Halloween Clearance isle (because like Hyea Won, "we love Clarence!") and we bought cousin Lolly a cute Pink Winged Princess Pony you wear for $5. for her birthday. Hannah Montana candy bracelets and Pop Rocks were .50 a bag and movies for Thanksgiving and Josh Groban's Christmas CD was on sale. We joined Joe after for some lunch leftovers and brought them to Murray park where it still had snow...Lots of snow! We ate a fun picnic lunch there, fed popcorn to some (fat) ducks, and as we walked around the Vida Park we heard an amazing thing. In the far distance over the fir tree tops, there was a loud honking noise--almost like a siren of various sorts. The sound increased in volume and we stopped with our necks craned to the sky. Four Canadian Geese flew over the trees and swooped low right over our family and hung a "U" and landed in the river behind us! Apparently, they did not want to miss out on all the old movie popcorn the fat, shy ducks were getting. It was an awe inspiring experience. I was too slow with the video or camera of, course! When we ran out of popcorn, Jonathan began feeding the ducks and geese gummy bears! Yummy! Do you think they like them?

Colnial Hannah

At Hannah's school, the Fifth Grade Celebrates Colonial Days where the children learn to carve soap, make candles, experience a one-room schoolhouse, ate ginger snaps and apple cider, played marbles, learned Cat's Craddle, to quilt, etc. Look at our little colonialist...Isn't she prim?

New Glasses for Another Little Lady!

Miss R got new glasses! She loves the new glasses she picked out and poses here with "Nana."

Oh, Oh, The Sweetest Thing

The last couple of days as Joe, the children or I have said prayers, we will hear a little whisper at the same time. As we look down, toddler Susie in a hushed voice is saying,"Dahee (daddy), Bekah, Jonanan, Momma, Hannah..." and sometimes things like "happy" or "spagehee (spaghetti)" in her own little prayer. It is very sweet to see her kneel and pray with us at night...short but very sweet. Also, she has an affinity to a "pooh-brus" (toothbrush)that the Great Pumpkin delivered. It flashes to show how long one should brush.

Harvest Party

Harvest Party with the Campbell's, Clayton's, Ashton's, and Bonham's Even thought Halloween was really yesterday, the spookiness continues today at our house with the annual Halloween Party. Ashley and Bethany Clayton were not able to make it this year. Katy celebrated her eleventh birthday at the cabin before and the party continued for a fun dinner and photos and doughnuts. Amy sewed this creative (pregnancy) costume, Mike from Monster's Inc. Hannah and Katy slipped away (they were "divas" in wigs) and did each others makeup. We enjoyed playing the train game after dinner, Mom and Dad caught up on blogs, and Dave watched children. A fun family get together.