Foede Family Blog

We had a nice New Year celebration.  We did our tradition of picking our favorite foods, playing games, and watching the ball drop to ring in the year.  Zach went to a church dance, and Gabby went to a friends house.  She was excited about that, because her best friend drove in from Michigan and she was able to spend a lot of time with her.

Snow finally came that night, and I did worry as Zach was supposed to drive Gabby  to the friend’s house catch a ride in that area with buddy who was also going to the dance, and then drive home with Gabby at 1 AM. (It’s about a 25 minute drive.) Zach got there okay, but when he got back, I asked Gabby to get on the phone and stay on it while I talked them home.  I had never been so relieved for them to be home.

2011 was a tough year for many people.  We actually did okay. 2012 might be trickier, Boston Scientific is talking about outsourcing his department.  He isn’t as worried as I am.  So I’m hoping that 2012 isn’t OUR year to be rough.  I hope it’s a good year for all of you, too!

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It came way to fast.  Zach speculated that perhaps the reason behind that is that we don’t have any snow, so it doesn’t actually feel like Christmas should be here.  I think I concur!

Christmas fell on a Sunday this year, which meant that the Anderson family couldn’t reserve the church for our festivities that day.  So we moved that celebration to the 26th, and we had our own celebration at home.  For the first time EVER.  It was actually quite nice to not have to travel.  I insisted that we not open gifts until after church, and Gabby was not happy about that.  No one else seemed to mind at all.  Church services were short, just one hour, and we were back again.  We took a couple hours to unwrap, had a brunch of egg strata and monkey bread, and played and napped.  Then we had chicken wild rice soup and rolls.  (The carrots in the soup were from the garden, and very strong.  I think I ate too many, my fingers turned orange!)

For Christmas Eve., we spent the night before at Bonnie’s house.  Mark’s sister Ann and her boyfriend Daniel were also there.  Grandma Toots came on the 24th for dinner of pork loin, stuffing, and other yummy things.  With Bonnie’s beautiful decorations, and the peace of Christmas, it was a wonderful time.  This year we adopted a family, so we took what we would have spent and Bonnie purchased for a family.  It felt nice to give, and really we don’t need anything nearly as much as some of the families out there do.  I bet Bonnie could use help with the shopping if we ever do it again, she said she was exhausted afterwards!

The Anderson party on the 26th was also fun.  The menu was lasagna and rolls and fruit salad and broccoli salad. We do a white elephant exchange, which was fun.  The kids got some nice things.  They also opened up their gifts from Grandpa Bob there, and from Bunny.  We had a fun time.  The best part was that Mark has the whole week off!

Christmas Pics HERE

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We had our church party for the ladies of our congregation on Tuesday.  The lady who I directed the play with last year, Bev Orr, has had a tough year.  In the fall she was diagnosed with cancer, and it had already metastasized in 8 places.  Only a month or two later, they decided to quit chemotherapy because it wasn’t working.  She had been to church a couple of times, but was obviously in pain and on a lot of meds.  So I was very suprised and happy to see her at the gathering that night.  I was able to talk to her, and tell her we loved her, and that we were willing to do anything she needed.  She left at about 7:00 because she wasn’t felling well.  And died at 9:00 after collapsing at her home.  I am still in shock.  She was a wonderful lady, and will be missed.  Bev was born at 28 weeks, over 60 years ago, proving she was a fighter even then.  She was blind in one eye, and had to have it removed.  Her husband said, “Now she can see with both eyes again!”  But he’s struggling, and I am sad for him.  I dread the day I am alone like that.  I hope…well, it serves no purpose hoping for something that will (knock on wood) be 50 years away.  So instead, I just add them to my prayers, the prayers for all the people hurting right now.

Tonight we had a party for the whole congregation.  It was a potluck meal, and then talent show.  Zach did a fine job playing, “Mary, Did You Know” on the saxophone.  Gabby joined the youth in singing “Rocking around the Christmas Tree” which was really fun as well!

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Just a little one.  Yesterday was the end of the Trimester.  Gabby had art, and really found a talent there.  I didn’t do a lot of arts and crafts in my homeschooling, because I’m not good at it, and to be honest…don’t really like it that much.  But Gabby brought home project after project that blew me away!  This one is my favorite.  And for the record, she ended the class with a 99.5%.  Sorry, another brag!

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I love this blog.  I think it’s fabulous.  Mostly because this is a friend of mine.  She is lovely, kind, talented…and her husband cheated on her.  Now, I know there are two sides to every story, I do not dispute that.  And this shows just one of the sides.  But it’s well written and I like the progression I see in her as she evolves into her new normal.  Apparently the ex isn’t happy about her writing.  Maybe in the same vein that she wasn’t happy he stepped out on her, and then a few months later got divorced on a Tuesday and re-married on a Friday, hmm?  Sorry, I digress.  I am sure she’d be the first to say, “Hey, if you want to write your version of events, go for it!” and not blink an eye.  Perhaps it could be called, “I’m a cheater and here are the lousy reasons why I rationalized doing it” or something!

Have Wine, Will Type

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There are people out there who defend a woman’s right to her own body.  That what she does in her bedroom and how she raises her family (*if* she chooses to carry to term instead of abort a child) is her own business, and that she should be free to have these choices.

And yet so many of those same people have no problem arguing over the choices that Michelle Duggar, who announced her 20th pregnancy, has made.  I find the hypocrisy interesting.

People will say, “They are public figures…they put themselves out there for debate!”  Sure, I get that.  Debate can be good and healthy.  But the hypocritical thinking, really?  Or the mean comments: “It’s a vagina, not a clown car!”  OK, yeah, because they are trying to put all the kids back in at the same time or something?

As a mom of 7 kids…heck there are places if you have more than a couple you are dooming our planet…wait, there are zero population people that will tell us that there are plenty of kids to adopt out there, some of the theories on why she should “close shop” hit home.  And some of the arguments are illogical.  So she can’t spend a lot of time with them…neither do the parents who send babies off to daycare at 6 weeks, or kids off to school, each for 8 or more hours a day.  So she had a medical emergency last time…plenty of women have medical emergencies with their first and go on to have a healthy second baby, and no one complains.  At any rate, I was thrilled to see that the Duggars defended themselves, and did it with grace.  Good for them.

Duggars Defend Decision

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How lovely are thy branches!

After we recovered from our late night of Black Friday, we had a busy day.  Last year we decided that it would be fun to switch the living room into the dining room, and utilize the vaulted ceilings of the LR to get a bigger tree.  (I actually would like to make that a permanent change, but not until we get rid of the ugly carpets and get tile and wood floors instead.)  So we spent time re-arranging furniture and cleaning, and bringing up the Christmas boxes full of decorations and tree trimmings.  Then Mark took the littles to the train show in town and then to Menards to get lights for the big tree, and the big kids and I put up the decorations.  (We bought a $30 Black Friday special tree for down stairs.  I’m trying to accept it’s pre-lit, spindly self just as it is.)

Then we met Mark at the tree farm where we walked around quite a bit looking for the perfect tree.  First we hit the blue spruces, because I like they way the needles are.  But Gabby didn’t like that it looked blue, so we headed to the balsams, which smell heavenly.  And there we found our 10 foot behemoth in all it’s glory. Mark cut it down and we took her home to decorate.

Day one we put the lights on, and I took the opportunity to take pictures of Kamea in her Christmas dress, from an idea I saw on Pinterest.  On day two, we put the ornaments, beads, and bows on.  And I took the opportunity to annoy the kids by taking photos, some real, some set up, some while shouting, “Do it again, I didn’t catch that!”  And some annoyingly cheesy.  You can see all the photos HERE.

*Note to Self*  A bigger tree requires a bigger tree stand.  Towards the end of decorating, it started to tip over, and is now happily tethered to the wall behind it!

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17 Years!  Where did the time go?  It’s hard to believe I have been married that long.  AND, that I love that man more than ever.  I’ve really been blessed with him in my life.  I acknowledge that every day to myself and in my prayers.  I hope I do to Mark too.

We went shopping and out for lunch.  And spend the rest of the day decorating our tree. (See the next entry!)

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We had a great Thanksgiving.  The kids and I left here on Wednesday and headed to Grandma Bonnie’s house.  Mark met us there after work.  It was a nice relaxing time, mostly because Bonnie said I didn’t need to bring anything.  And the kids just love going there.  For the days preceding our departure I heard a lot of “Is it time yet?”  :-)  We got the kids to bed late, and then stayed up even later, gorging ourselves in satellite tv.  We keep our house cold at night, and Bonnie’s house is warm and toasty.  So I tossed and turned, but Kamea slept the best sleep of her life! In the morning we watched the parade and then had dinner, and it was all lovely.  The only thing I missed was snow.  It was actually close to 60º here, almost a record breaker.

So why the title?  As we were watching the parade, the light fell on Gabby in such a way that I had to grab my camera.  She looked so grown-up, and the light caught her eyes so nicely.  I sat there stunned for a moment on how lovely a woman she is turning out to be.

We hung out at Grandma’s house until around 6:00 and then headed home.  Once we got there, we unpacked and put the kids in front of the TV for The Grinch while Mark and I planned our strategy for our Black Friday shopping.  After the zoo that is Kohls last year, we skipped that.  We do Black Friday out of tradition, not necessarily because we find great deals.  So we try to make it fun.  We went to Walmart at 10 and Target at midnight, and were home in our beds by 1:30.  I know people thought it horrid that shopping came on a holiday meant for families to gather, but I honestly preferred it to getting up at 3:00 AM, and our gathering was over at that point.

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