Elephant Hair Jewelry

Since Kim asked, and others may wonder too...go to www.safarijewelry.com and you can see what Elephant Hair jewelry looks like, and find out about the legend of it. I have the bracelet, earrings, ring, and now the necklace!

I first saw it about 5 years ago when my brother-in-law gave a bracelet to his wife he got a the Safari Club International convention here in town, and I've been hooked, slowly getting each piece...ever since. It's very different, and it's not jewelry a lot of other people have. You know me, always have to be different.

Christmas 2006

I had a wonderful Christmas with family and friends this year.

Saturday, Jason and I and the kids every so often, made cookies and goodies. I worked on getting all the laundry for 5 people, and a small house clean. We heard that Santa only comes to clean houses, and only leaves presents for children with clean bedrooms.

Sunday, everyone put on new dresses or white shirts and ties (kids, not mom and dad) and headed off to church. The kids looked so good. Kylie had a beautiful red dress with a black sweater, black tights and shiny black shoes. Both boys had red and black ties on their necks, and their white shirts and black pants and shoes. They all looked so nice. Rhett's cowlick even laid down nicely. I wore a red, black and gold shirt, black skirt, tights and shoes. Jason had his white shirt, a red and black tie, and black pants and shoes. We were the Merry Red and Black family.

After church, we made up plates of goodies to take to some friends and to my in-laws. At the in-laws, we opened gifts from them. I'll list all the gifts we got later in this blog... We headed to Wing Stop to pick up Christmas Eve dinner of chicken wings and headed home. After dinner, we sat and watched A Year Without a Santa Claus, and sipped homemade apple cider. Kids were all in bed by 9, and Jason and I were in bed by 11.

Up the next morning at 7...to see that Santa had gone overboard. All the gifts were opened and the living room cleaned by 8. Anthony and I played Name That Tune 80's edition while Jason prepared the prime rib. That game is so fun, but kind of hard. I thought I knew my 80's music, but I guess not as well as I thought.

I made breakfast, and by the time we ate and got cleaned up, it was time to start lunch/dinner...we had to eat early for my dad...He and my sister-in-law, Jaclyn, came over for dinner at 1. The prime rib turned out great, and the best part is, we still have left overs! Opened more gifts, then took naps.

Went over to my brother-in-laws for a little while so we could see other family. Since we had dinner already, we didn't eat with them. We headed over to our buddy Johnnie's and opened gifts with him and his 2 kids, Brad and Jackie, and had pumpkin pie for dessert.

I am still full from all the food we ate. The Woodward family never lacks for food on holidays and get togethers!

So, gift list...
Jason...tools for his truck...power tool parts...hunting vest...tool for sharpening his hunting knives...socks for his shot guns...money...gift certificates...

Dove...picture printer for my camera..."PINK" perfume from Victoria's Secrets...gift cards...money...Trivial Pursuit 80's...i-pod...homemade gifts the two little kids made at school...gift certificates...elephant hair necklace...

Anthony...clothes...money...i-pod money...Name That Tune 80's...snowboard...bear tooth pendant (from the bear he shot in Canada)...necklace for pendant...dvd player...Nintendo DS games...X-box games...movies...gift cards...

Rhett...dvd player...snowboard...movies...Nintendo DS games...clothes...shoes...Pirates of the Carribean lego sets...gift cards...watch...Cars bedroom stuff...

Kylie...clothes...shoes...underware...art set...Princess diary and pen set...matching clothes for her and her American Girl doll...Game Boy game...movies...ear rings...jewelry box...lip gloss...purse...

Kodi, Sienna, Kirby...Scooby snacks, braided rawhide bones, Dingo bones...dog cookies...

Re-cap of the busy weekend

The weekend was TOTALLY busy, but even more fun than that. I left work early on Friday because I had to go home and wait for the satellite repair man that never showed up, to come fix one of our receivers that hasn't been working. While I was waiting, I pulled EVERYTHING out of my kitchen cupboards and cleaned and organized them. Jason was on the phone with the satellite company trying to find out what was going on, and I never really understood why the repair man never made it, but the final outcome was we are getting TiVo for free, and a bunch of other things like local and premium free and they aren't showing up until the 26th now. But whatever.

We went to my 2nd councilors house and as a presidency we made little Christmas ornaments for all the teachers and staff. It was fun and the ornaments turned out super cute.

Saturday we were up with the sun to get ready for our annual ward Christmas breakfast. The bishopric makes all the food and everyone eats and sits around and visits, and a man in a red suit shows up to find out what all the kids want for Christmas. Rhett was beside himself with excitement and asked for a new DVD player. Kylie was terrified and wouldn't go anywhere near Santa, so she isn't getting anything from him probably.

I went and did some visiting teaching after breakfast. One of my sisters just had a baby on the 12th, so we stopped by to visit her and meet little Oliver. I am taking dinner tomorrow. I can't forget.

It stated snowing around 3:00 Saturday afternoon, and as luck would have it, I had a massage scheduled at 4:00 clear across town, so I was able to drive in the crap and get all stressed out before my massage. I never let up while I was at the day spa, and got all stressed out driving back home. Have I mentioned before that I hate winter and snow?

I had to rush to get ready for our Christmas party. It was such fun. Jason's co-workers are great fun. We actually do a lot of stuff together, so even though he's only been there a year, we all really get along and have fun. The dinner was good, but unfortunately, Jason and I are like the only ones that don't drink, so we didn't stick around too long after people stated having too many drinks.

It never stopped snowing all evening, and was still snowing at 3 in the morning when I had to get up to go potty. They ended up canceling church, and I had to help call a bunch of members to get the word out. I think we ended up getting about 3 inches or so of snow.

The two little ones sled down the driveway (it's super steep) and got wet and then came in when it started to melt. Our elders quorum leader came over to shovel the snow at Andrea's house just as we were leaving to go pick up my sister, Elaine from the bus depot, and they shoveled our snow while we were gone.

It was great having my sister here for the weekend. We visited and enjoyed our selves until we had family dinner at PF Chang's with Jason's family. My dad ended up not coming in due to the weather. After dinner we drove around and looked at Christmas lights, then went home and hit the hay. We were tired and stuffed from dinner.

I have some pictures from dinner I have to post later when I am sitting at my home computer.

Photos of Anthony's concert

The weather

is cold, dark, windy, rain mixed with snow, and it makes me sad. I get depressed during the long cold winter months, so to help keep my spirits up on days like today, I have a picutre of Wild Island on my computer screen, and remind my self there are only 188 days until the first day of summer!

Tonight...

Anthony has his band concert.(He plays the alto and baritone sax) He has straight A's(even in math), he took out the garbage without being asked, he thought about picking up his friend for the YM/YW spaghetti feed dinner last night, and he picked out the white elephant gift everyone wanted and was fighting over. He got a hair cut, and now he has big ears and his bangs don't cover his zits. Who took my child and what have you done with him?

Happenings today

Today is my sister, Christy's 50th birthday. Happy Birthday to one of the greatest sisters ever! I'm so glad she is mine!

But on a sad note, a co-worker of mine had his wife passed away earlier this morning. Only in her late 40's, but she has been very sick. She had leukemia, and her kidney's failed when she was going thru the chemo and radiation, so she's been going to dialysis for years. My heart goes out to my co-worker at this time. My prayers are with him.

We didn't get the snow they thought we would. It hit the west side of the mountains, and my sister in Sacramento said it rained a lot all weekend, but all we got was wind. Come to think of it, that's all we ever seem to get. We're hoping for snow on or before Christmas at least. We'd like to go up in the hills on the quads and let the kids use their new Christmas gifts in the snow. There isn't enough snow up on Peavine to do that as of right now. Quads, yes, snowboards and sleds, no.

We Wish You a Merry Christmas!

A picture history of the Woodward Family

Rhett looses another tooth

Destruction of the living room...what a mess....!!!
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Rhett has put on a little weight...
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Several Halloween pictures
Little Miss Student of the Month

Oh, yeah,

and the heater here at work is not working, and it's only 15 degrees out side. I can't feel my toes, and my hands are starting to hurt.

I try not to complain....

but I have to get it off my chest...I work with this guys that is such a know-it-all and I am just about out of patience with him. This guy knows everything about everything. It's really annoying. He is in his late 40's, grew up an army brat, is the baby of 4, has never been married or had kids, and still lives at home with his mother. He does seem to have a good memory about stuff, but man, he has been there done that with just about everything in life. I'm sick of hearing about it. About 15,16 years ago, he dated Marta Larsen's oldest daughter, Shannon. He thinks that gives us a connection. He know everything about Dayton, and all the people that ever lived there.(he doesn't) Any time I mention my mother, he has to tell me all about Alzheimers and what my mom did wrong, and how I can prevent it in my own brain, and how to help my kids, and how to help fund it, and how to get the government to help fund it, what kinds of drugs to give her, and on and on and on. The man doesn't have a medical degree. He works for a stinking fish company. He needs to get over him self.

For some reason, he feels it is his duty in life to make me drive 55 mph on all Nevada roads. Who the #*%& cares? If the sign says 65, I'm going to drive 65. My brother-in-law is a Reno PD. He says the limit is what the sign says, or what the conditions warrant. Obviously, if the jerks in front of me are only doing 55, I will also, but if everyone else is doing 65, you have to keep up with the speed of traffic.

And don't even get me started on how to raise a child and own a Scottish Terrier. Two things he has never done.

I just hate know it alls, and this guy takes the cake. It is next to impossible for me to tell him to just go *&$# himself and the know-it-all horse he rode in on. But it may just come to that if he can't learn to keep all his unwanted knowledge to him self!!!!

A moment to update

So, since I wasn't felling well last week, my posts were sort of sad, so I have to fill you in.

Last Friday, December 1, was my 16th wedding anniversary. I can't believe Jason and I have been married for so long. I keep saying "old" people have been married for this long. Remember, I'm not old, as I am still only 25, so I must have gotten married when I was like 9. Yeah, right. We agreed before hand to not do anything, save the money for Christmas, and celebrate when Jason has his work Christmas party on the 16th. I was going to go get him a card, just to let him know I love him, but Rhett wasn't feeling good and feel asleep while I was fixing dinner, and Anthony was on a scout camp out so I didn't have a babysitter. But Jason got me one. 16 wasn't anything big. I figure 20 will be though. I have already told Jason I want to go on a cruise to the Caribbean.

As I said, Anthony was on a scout camp-out in winning Friday night for his order of the arrow brotherhood. Whatever that is. They stayed in-doors at the convention center, and cleaned it up as their service project. They had more fun than work.

Jason, the little ones, and I spent all day Saturday putting up the out-door Christmas decorations. Somehow, I cut the palm of my hand pretty deep. It got infected, and keep getting bigger when I opened my hand, so I poured rubbing alcohol on it, globbed neosporin on it, and wrapped it up with gauze and tape, since I couldn't keep a band-aid on my palm. By Monday is was much better, and I put super glue on it to keep it from tearing more. It is almost gone now.

I took pictures of the house and all the lights. It looks like Griswold Family Christmas, almost. Someone at church asked me if I thought I lived in Hidden Valley, a posh community that is know for their Christmas decorations where they compete against their neighbors and the Country Club or homeowner association gives out awards east of town here. I said not, but almost. We are the only house on our street with lights and decorations out. The old people don't decorate, the Korean family doesn't celebrate Christmas, and the college kids probably can't afford to decorate. My friend isn't putting up decorations because she is going to Utah for Christmas next week, and will be gone until after the new year.

Anthony had a temple trip last night. Did baptisms for French men. The names were so hard to pronounce, they spelled several of them he said. I guess our temple likes to have the foreign names. Last time he went he did work for Mexican brothers. Couldn't pronounce those names too well, either.

Now the crazy time begins. I seem to have something going on every night for like the next two weeks. I am not looking forward to it. There is a court of honor tonight. I have a presidency meeting tomorrow. Friday, a lady in our ward is getting baptized, her daughters are in Primary. Saturday, I'm going to Yerington, weather permitting. Sunday, church and a meeting. Monday and Tuesday, visit teaching and being visit taught. Wednesday, YM/YW Christmas spaghetti dinner/gift exchange I have to take Anthony to. Thursday, 12/14, Anthony's band concert. Friday, another baptism for 3 boys, 2 are Anthony's age, 1 is in Primary. Saturday is our Ward Christmas breakfast, and Jason's Christmas party. Sunday, the 17th, I am in charge of sharing time, and my father in law is taking the ENTIRE family (all his kids, their spouses, their spouses parents, grandkids, etc) to dinner at PF Chang's. As of this moment, the 18th looks wide open. May the stars stay aligned to keep it that way!

I don't do well with going, going all the time. I like staying home on my evenings. Especially around Christmas time. And after being sick last week, I know my resistance is down, and I don't want to get sick again. I had the flu last Christmas, I don't need a repeat!

Out of the mouth of babes

My daughter gave us a good laugh last night.

I was at the church sitting in on a Board of Review for 2 of our 11 year old scouts, and while there, my monthly "friend" arrived, early and heavy. I rushed home to clean up, and Rhett saw all the blood and was concerned, so he was asking me about it. Kylie then came in and asked if there was a mess because I didn't have my "crouton" in.

I haven't laughed so hard in a while. And needless to say, feminine products will now be called croutons by my family. We can discuss them freely without others knowing what the heck we're talking about.

Jason says he dreads when Kylie and I both need croutons. Luckily we have a few years for Kylie.

Aren't kids cute?