The Visit

Many of you are aware that this past week, I was not simply visiting family.  I was meeting my birth daughter for the first time and spending time with her family and her.  Recently, before the holidays, I had a friend tell me I should make sure I took lots of pictures.  Well, just so you know, I took plenty of pictures, but they are for me and her family only.  I hope you will respect their privacy.  It was an amazing time for us, and I am so grateful to be able to know them again.  It was especially wonderful to get to meet that beautiful girl I gave birth to over 18 years ago.  And wonderful to become re-acquainted with the people Heavenly Father chose to be her family.

Monday night, we arrived at the family's home, thirty minutes earlier than we had planned.  We had tried to give ourselves enough time to get there and to locate their home.  They welcomed us in.  My girls immediately latched onto "Cosette".  Her parents told me she is the neighborhood babysitter, because she is so good with kids.  She was very sweet and patient with Tyler, Rachel and Olivia.  Right away, she got out some of her favorite Christmas gifts, which included some fun hats like the one Tyler is wearing in the first picture.  She also introduced us to her cat.

The second picture shows Garrett playing with their cat.  According to Cosette, the cat doesn't like guys (including her brother), but it seemed to get along just fine with Garrett.  Her brother and his wife were unable to be there for our reunion.  They spent the holiday break with his wife's family in another state.

It was fun to see Cosette and her parents in their home, fun to watch them interact, nice to be able to recognize and enjoy the traditions and other things that bond them together.  It is also nice to know that they are active in the church and strong in the Gospel, as I hope seeing the faith of our family is comforting to them, as well.  After a delicious dinner, during which sweet Olivia could not get enough bread dipped in olive oil and balsamic vinegar (she considered it a special treat), we sat down at their table and looked through some old pictures and albums.

I really loved seeing pictures of that sweet little girl with her parents.  All the pictures I was allowed to receive were of her only.  I even have one of her with her father in which his head was cut out.  Being able to see the love and the joy in her childhood, the bond they shared as a family, was such a gift.  I also shared the album that I saved of the letters and pictures which they had sent to me.  Cosette had fun looking at happy pictures of herself, which she says they gave all to me, because she remembers seeing plenty of sad, sour-faced pictures, since she was always throwing up as a baby.  Of course, they have duplicates of the pictures they gave to me, so I am not the only one with the happy pictures.

All in all, it was a lovely evening.  Before we made this trip, several people who knew it was coming have asked me if I was nervous.  I would always tell them I wasn't really nervous; just excited.  But when the time finally came that we were coming to their home, going to meet her for the first time--yes, I realized I was nervous.  Would she like me?  Would her parents be okay with our whole family taking over their lives this week?  I just didn't know how it would go.  Would it be awkward?  Would we all sit around not knowing what to say?

But her family was so welcoming.  It was like greeting long-lost friends.  It was a really nice time to spend with good people we love.  I am so thankful for the good people that they are, and their willingness to love and accept me and my family.  Olivia has been telling everyone that her biggest Christmas present this year was that she was going to get to meet Cosette.  Yes.

BEST CHRISTMAS EVER!

Memories of Christmas Day

Christmas morning here was like any Sunday morning around here.  That is, it was like any Sunday morning around here that I had to sing a solo.  (In case you didn't know, I have never sung a solo in church before, so basically I was calmly, silently freaking out).  We made it to church early (which I suppose is also not typical).

the girls looked simply lovely in their new Christmas dresses 

Rachel was feeling sick, but she didn't want to miss seeing me sing (and she didn't want to miss wearing her new dress to church)

I heard our sacrament meeting was very nice, very spiritual.  It was all over in a little bit more than an hour, so for a Christmas morning program, it was perfect.  I don't really know.  I sang my solo, too slowly, started in the wrong key, and blundered through.  Basically, after practicing all week, I felt pretty awful about the way it sounded.  Cole said I was too close to the microphone, and it is a bad sound system.  Yeah, I guess we can blame the sound system.  Toward the end of the program, I also sang with the choir, and I felt a lot better about that performance.  All in all, I was really glad it was over.  I apologize if any of you were there and tried to compliment me.  I am afraid I was not very gracious; I just didn't feel like I had sung well at all.  I'm sorry.

But the rest of our Christmas day was very pleasant.  Papa Joe and Grandma Carol came over in the afternoon, and we had a nice visit with them.  They also received a special framed picture from us, and they told us how much they liked it.  We shared a delicious Christmas Brunch with them, consisting of buttermilk pancakes, buttermilk syrup, bacon, cheese souffle and fresh-squeazed orange julius.  When we have a little extra time, we love to make this meal to share with people we love.

Later in the day, we made it over to Grandma Gail and Grandpa Worthy's to visit and spend some time with Chrislynn and Richie's family while they were visiting, especially since they would be staying longer, but we were leaving to visit family up north on Monday.

 just chillin'

 do you think they are texting each other?

 Kd is enjoying her new iPad that she got for Christmas; Grandma is enjoying the company

 Tyler loved playing with Sophia and her presents

 Richie has a special superhero name, but I keep forgetting it--Oh, wait that's not Richie; that's . . . [insert superhero name]

 Back at our house, I thought I would show you some pictures of our newest family member

His name is Diesel and he is really adorable, and he seems to have a nice, mellow personality.  Thank you, Macdonald family for this special Christmas gift!

It was a good Christmas all the way around.  We kept it fairly simple, as far as presents go, but that helped us to keep the focus on enjoying being with family and those we love.  And maybe next year I can volunteer to be a narrator, so I can enjoy the spirit of the program without the stress of singing a solo.  I don't think I am ready for doing that again any time soon.

Christmas Eve Dinner at Our House

One of my favorite parts of the Christmas Holidays is spending time with family.  I also love that I live in an awesome home that is perfect for hosting large family gatherings.

One of our Glover Family traditions is drawing names among the siblings and exchanging gifts (when possible) on Christmas Eve.  Chrislynn just got an awesome blender from Kd.  And I got a gorgeous scarf hand-knit by Chrislynn.  Worthy got a promise from me, because I had not completed his present in time for the exchange.

We are all having a ball. 

Worthy is talking about his favorite infomercial products 

This is my parents opening the present from our family (from me) 

There is a story on the back; that is why my parents are hiding behind it:

This is my story:

When I was a kid, I thought my Dad was a celebrity.  I always thought it was so cool when he showed up somewhere with his guitar.  Singing along with the songs he sang are some of my fondest memories.  The best was watching other people react as he sang, "I'm Going Lion Hunting" or The Ant Hill Song in Navajo.  I cannot remember when I first realized that my Dad and Dr. Lobotomy were the same person.  I do remember believing in his alter ego just like I believed in Santa.

The first time Britt met my Dad was at a Blanding Stake Young Women Campout, and it was also his first introduction to Dr. Lobotomy.  Britt and some friends got caught trying to sneak into camp.  All the young women were gathered for the evening entertainment.  That night, the entertainment included a bunch of Monticello High School Wrestlers wearing black sweats and Dr. Lobotomy masks (courtesy of my Dad), dancing to "Singing in the Rain. . .Tooty-tot, tooty-tot, tooty-tot-tot!" on the picnic tables.  That is an image I will never forget.

I love you, Dr. Lobotomy!

I think they like it.  That's me, by the way, with Dr. Lobotomy. 

The kids happily went straight to the kid table with their food 

 And proceded to get social at this social event

 good food--Mom always makes the best

 good company--so glad Chrislynn and Richie and family could make it, and Aunt Nancy, too

posing silly 

 having too much fun

We stayed and played for a little while after dinner.  Tyler entertained everyone with her karaoke machine, and Sophia entertained everyone with her dancing

Here is a picture of me in the gorgeous scarf Chrislynn made for me.  I promise Worthy's gift from me is almost as awesome, or at least it will be once I finish it.  Happy Birthday to Worthy tomorrow!  It is so fun celebrating my big brother Worthy's birthday on New Year's Day and my baby brother Tim's birthday the next day.  Both were the new year baby when they were born, Worthy in Provo and Tim in Monticello.

You think I am almost caught up, but no.  I am not even close.  Still, I am going to try to finish out the events from the holidays and then maybe work my way back to some other things that I missed.  We live a truly blessed life, but it can sometimes be kind of hard to document all those blessings.  Not that I am complaining.  I love it here!

Christmas Came Early to Our House!

Saturday morning last week, Britt and I were snuggled sound in our beds, with visions of Santa dancing in our heads.  We imagined the kids would be up eventually, but with their vacation from school officially begun, we figured we had time to enjoy the calm (unlike typical Christmas mornings, where the kids are up long before we are ready, and we usually have to make them wait to open presents).  Well, our youngest child had visions of a gift she wanted to make for a friend, so she popped up bright and early to head downstairs for supplies.  She didn't make it past the living room, though.  "What the . . .!" could be heard, and then little running feet and an exclamation, "Santa came!"  

Not long after that, she was in our room, asking if she could wake everyone up.  Just so you know, it wasn't terribly early; just a little sooner than we had expected.  Everyone was roused, situated and then the systematic present-opening began, youngest to oldest of course.

After the boys' late night X-Box adventures, they couldn't keep their eyes open, even for an early Christmas 

One of the first things the girls saw were the new hair bows, thanks to our sweet friend Amy Bartlett.  We miss you, Amy!  I hope Kyle is having tons of fun in boy scouts. 

Just not exciting enough 

stocking stuffer surprises 

Olivia got just what she wanted:  a laptop 

Rachel wanted a pink guitar 

Tyler didn't ask for anything, but she got a Karaoke machine (By the way, yes, that is California Girls on the screen.  I already didn't like the song, but now that I have seen all the lyrics, I hate it!  She will not be singing that one again)

new Christmas dresses 

 Rachel's hair bow matches hers

Tyler loves it!  It is a little more grown-up style

We were all done opening presents, and just enjoying our morning together when one more present showed up at our house.  This was the first time we met Diesel, our new puppy! 

Yay for early Christmas!

It was such a fun day.  I am so glad I didn't try to do all that Sunday morning--or force them to wait until after church.  That would have made for a miserable Christmas morning.  We just took the whole day easy, and then got ready for Christmas Eve dinner.  My family was coming, those who were able to come, anyway:  my mom and dad, Worthy and his family, Kd and her family, Chrislynn and her family, and my Aunt Nancy, who was coming down with Chrislynn's family.

We cleaned up the Christmas mess and gathered all the stockings, so we could put them back up with the other decorations.  I was gathering stockings, and I said, "Wait, which one am I missing?  Oh, it's mine."  So, I walked over to where my stocking was laid out and I noticed something in it that I was pretty sure "Santa" had not left for me.  Britt and I had already decided we weren't giving each other gifts, because he got his new snowmobile and I got a camera and an iPad already.  But there was a card in my stocking, describing airfare for two to Hawaii January 13.  Merry Christmas to me!

Poor Britt!  It was probably 2:00 in the afternoon before I even thought about my stocking.  It must have been driving him crazy all day, waiting for me to see that.

All in all, it was a good Christmas Eve day.  We really enjoyed a simple Christmas.  I think the highlight for me was getting to watch the kids open the presents they had gotten for each other.  This year we let the kids draw names, and then they decided they wanted to keep it a secret who they were buying for.  It was very cute to watch them try to figure out what to buy for the person whose name they drew.  I love it when a holiday brings us closer together.  Merry Christmas Eve!