Poem 2013

I am finishing up 2013--getting ready to print.  I did our last books on blurb but I am in the market for a different publisher.  Any favorites?

Christmas this year
seemed quick as a wink. 

Time moves faster each year,

don't you think?!

Our highlight was Jackson

So fun and carefree

Our biggest achievement?

 wrapped presents under the tree!

His favorite gift 

was crawly and creepy

Hex bugs zip around

'til they make us all sleepy. 

A Christmas delivery

came from Paisley herself,

ten pups she delivered 

with no help from an elf! (only from me!)

The puppies are darling

they are already growing.

We think it's so fun

to see new life glowing!

The older's and younger's

all like the same things--

electronics and clothes

seem to make them all sing.

Jenna still likes dolls

Benson loves his new scooter

Austin schemes for new app's

on our new Mac computer. 

Dallin and Landon

are easy to please--

music, clothes and some money

cover all of their needs. 

Rustin and I are just happy 

to have everyone close.

Our kids bring us joy

more than anyone knows. 

Happy 2014!

2012 rhyme

It seems that 2012 came and went in a flash.  We are so grateful to know that each year just gets better!

Here's the Christmas rundown from the resident non-poet:


For Christmas this year,
our time flew right past.
Things never slow down--
We've learned from the past.


Jackson was fun--
the tree he destroyed,
We've learned to expect this
from cute little boys!

For sweet little Jenna,
a package with bows,
will tickle her fancy
right down to her toes!

Dal and Lan were injured--
it drives us insane.
ski trip's were desired
but their knees were a  'Pain!'

For Austin this year
Santa Clause had an 'inkling'
Each day on the computer
his wishlist was blinking.

The lists were all easy,
a new game or too,
is all that is needed
to make wishes come true.

Eleven straight years,
the requests are the same--
a new kind of weapon
will make a fun game.
(swords, bows and arrows, air soft, Bee-bee guns etc...)

Our Benson is kind,
he rarely complains,
He's happy at Christmas--
Even when it rains!

We spent our last Christmas
with dear Grandpa G--
The whole family together
at the Christmas party.

Our loved ones---their kindness
and help gets us through,
We all need each other--
alone just won't do.

2012 was a great year
we bid it adieu!
2013 will be busy
with good things to do!

We're grateful for love
and eternities of joy,
that surely will come
as Christ's help we employ.

Previous Christmas poems (for what it's worth...)--Here, Here, Here and Here

Look who's grown up!

I kind of think it's awesome to be forty.  I can't really explain it except that it feels like a new beginning.  Maybe I only say that because I still have another year in my 30's...

I called Rustin's office and got his Friday afternoon schedule cleared and I whisked him away to the Sun Valley lodge.

It was beautiful.  So nice to see some snow!

 The lodge wasn't busy so we sat by the fire...

 And remembered one of our first dates--almost eighteen years ago!  We skated and twirled and held hands and laughed and talked for hours and hours without ever running out of things to talk about.  We can still do that today.  Except we aren't so good at the skating and twirling part...

 We went window shopping at all the little shops in the Village.  I'm serious about the window shopping part... This lovely coat and handbag cost over $6000!  Whew.

 There were lots of cute toy stores and fun Christmas window displays and Christmas lights in the Village Square.

 We ate one of our most memorable meals ever at the Ram at the Inn.  Delicious. Food. 

We climbed under the covers and watched Sun Valley Serenade which plays continually on the TV's in the lodge rooms.

.

It was a great weekend and reminded me of how lucky Rustin and I  are to have found each other. And how lucky we are to be able to do all the great things in life together.  With many more still to come!

Happy Birthday.

My favorites for Christmas this year--

New stockings with our names embroidered on the front.  It seriously made me smile every day to see eight stockings on the mantle.

Jackson. We had so much fun watching a baby.  It made the year for us all.

The kids.  We asked them what they wanted for Christmas and they all wrote down "my cousins" and "everyone happy" with a couple of other things.  They are awesome.

Pictures.  I finally went through and found a bunch of the pictures from previous Christmases and put them in frames.  So Fun to look at!

The adorable tiny sled Grandpa Hatch made for the babies of the family. Jackson could not get enough!

Treats. We were completely and utterly spoiled this year.  The kids started calling the china hutch "the snack bar" because it was so full of yummy stuff.

Christmas on Sunday.  It was a beautiful and perfect day.

And of course the best--visiting with all our family. We always look forward to family. We would have every single one move in on our street if we could!

Can't wait for an awesome 2012!

Rhyme time

Christmas 2011

Our Christmas was warm
in so many ways,
Not snow, but fun
has brightened our days.

The wish lists for all
were short and sweet,
"Have our cousins come over!"
they each did repeat.

Parties and family and games and fun
We spent time with family-
every last one.

This New Year's Day
 brought such a big change-
Our new ward boundaries
 have switched all the names.

Our family's been loved
and blessed through three years
We've shared laughter and fun
and shed very few tears.

Twenty-twelve is exciting
great fun will be had,
driving (Dallin and Landon) baptism (Benson) and a deacon (Austin),
turning 40 for dad!

Most important of all
we surely will tell,
our dear friends and family
will stay safe and well.

We hope you all had a Merry Christmas!

Ho Ho Ho

So much to write about!
I have been busy with projects and kids and all kinds of good things.  Updating our activities is on my very long and ever-growing list of things to do before this month ends...

In the mean time here is the family member that is most enjoying this season!

The merriest of merry!

A poem in honor of 1/1/11...
Christmas brings feelings
so tender and sweet.
Time all together
makes bonds that run deep.


As 2010 ends
with so much that was good,
we know that this year 
went just as it should.


Thanksgiving was snowy 
and New Year's was too.
Our Christmas was brown 
so what do you do?


A house we saw moving 
across the back lawn...
With swings and a slide 
for the kids to play on.


Movies and games
were a part of the fun.
In December we saw all our siblings (10 out of 11!)
'cept one. 


Rustin was busy 
with tithing and more,
visits with good folks--
the favorite for sure!


My favorite was family 
and planning good food.
Why is it that chocolate
can cause a good mood?


MP3's and snowboards
took care of the teens.
Just shy of six feet,
those boys grow like beans!


Eleven years old 
is a fun age to be.
Austin discovered
that he sure can ski!


Jenna loves books,
and drawing and such.
Of pet shops and ponies,
she can't have too much!


Keep Benson supplied
with some legos and swords,
and it's a sure bet
that he'll never be bored.


This year the holidays 
brought so much cheer--
we know it will carry us through
to next year!


We hope you all had a great holiday!

Christmas thanks.

Things I am thankful for today...


Big laundry machines.
Rustin--home.
Presents that are wrapped.
A dog who is as soft as a rabbit.
Brothers and sisters that all like each other.
Kids that laugh.

Happy Eve of Christmas Eve's Eve!

We are loving Christmas break this year.  It has been sooo nice to have the kids out of school all week.  They have done a great job of doing their chores and they are only driving each other (and their mother) slightly insane with their impatience.  They keep counting down the days until Christmas wishing time would move faster but I wish I could slow everything down.  This is my favorite time of the Christmas season--once Christmas is here the best part is over!

Actually I have to admit--while I love this time of Christmas, I also feel really stressed out as the clock ticks.  I am sure I am forgetting something that I will regret.  I had to stop several times today and remind myself that my vague sense of anxiety is not based in reality...

Jen and Ben took the camera on a tour of the house. I always wish I had done more decorating sooner.  If I had my way I would have Christmas quilts on every bed and trees in every room.  I was slowed down this year by our forced smoke-damage-induced evacuation and a serious need for a nap every afternoon.   Rustin will be home tomorrow though so things are looking great!  Here are some of the favorites around the house...

My mom insists on calling this the Charlie Brown tree but I love it.  It has all the little school decorations the kids have made over the years.

This mound on the counter top is what a four batches of sweet chex mix looks like while drying. I really should make at least four more (this filled 20 quarts!) if we have any hope of thanking all the people who have helped and supported us this last year.

And to be realistic this is what the mound of laundry looks like that I swore would not still be lying on the floor tonight.  I only have four loads left in the entire house so tomorrow my Christmas present to myself will be clean and organized laundry then Christmas can come and I can watch Little Women and While you were sleeping all day guilt free!

Scrooge??

We have lots of fun things going on this Christmas season that I really intend to write about.  But I have a lot of distractions that are blocking my writing ability such as...the yucky cough attempting to rip my lungs out, class Christmas parties, rain a.k.a slushy snow, the lingering, lovely smell of a Burned (BURNED) pot of roast beef burned (did I mention?) (did I also mention that I can't smell anything?)  completely to charcoal that is making me compulsively spray Febreese and wash the cupboard doors in the kitchen (honest to goodness smoke damage--which required yet another visit from Summit Restoration; this time they brought an Ozone machine...I can't really talk about it yet--my eyes threaten to let the floods loose every time the stinkin' subject comes up...).  There have been some great things that I am determined to write about so they can be included when I print this blog out into our own family book!  For now I am just going to share a video that made all five kids laugh last night. (Thanks sis.)

Hallelujah Chorus Flash Mob

Year end tribute (in poetry!)

Christmas was awesome

we all had a blast!

It took merely hours 

for the house to be trashed...

Snowboards and petshops

Wii wished for more snow,

then off to Sam's wedding

in Utah did go.

New Year's parties are fun

but we stayed home instead.

Sick with the flu 

Dad and I stayed in bed.

A new year has started

we all set some goals.

Gratitude, organize--

keep up with the clothes!

One thing is for sure

as two thousand nine ends,

We have surely been blessed;

Thank You family and friends.

Random Christmas pictures 2009

 

So I can remember--

Christmas morning hot chocolate.

3/4 gallon whole milk scalded

1 entire jar mint truffle hot chocolate mix

2 cups fresh heavy cream softly whipped with 1/4 cup sugar

4 loaves freshly baked  bread toasted with real butter

 

Gifts from each other aren't opened until after breakfast.  The Favorite part of the entire morning (the kids all say...)

This year we had a progressive dinner, Kendra's house for appetizers (yummy mushroom tarts!), our house for salads and dinner entertainment (thanks to Ethan, Jenna and Benson) and then steak and shrimp at Mom and Dad Patterson's.  Yum!  We missed the Kendricks this year for the first time I can remember... and we really missed the Hatch party this year (but we got to add Ariel to the family--not a bad trade off!!).  Next year we will cut down trees and make wreaths and trade presents and have a talent show...  
P.S. to my house.  I am sorry you didn't get to put on anything pretty this year.  Thanks for sheltering us from the storms anyway.   I have fun plans for you next year.  I promise!

Home for the holidays

The kids got out of school early today for Christmas and I met them at the door with warm cookies and a living room that looks perfect.  I mean since all the shopping is done, the gifts are wrapped and the holiday menu is totally planned what else do I have to do?  Oh, and did I mention that because I budgeted and planned so carefully all year I had cash saved for every purchase so I don't have to redo the budget to fit our holiday gifts.  And my kids are all completely happy to sit and play board games and no one has complained that there isn't enough time to play video games or computer.

 

Okay--here's what we're really doing.

This is Dallin "trying" to get his chores done with Jenna and Benson helping.

Landon is supposed to be putting all the toys away.  In this picture he's playing catch with everything he can find including Jenna's ponies and Benson's bear. And of course he had no intention of making them squeal...

And Austin.  Need I explain more?  His mother is so mean.  Chores!?! This is Christmas break!  (of course I use my mother's line--"this is a break from school not life.")

My sink is literally piled with every cup we own because everyone has determined that hot chocolate is the only acceptable beverage choice in the week before Christmas.  There is literally not one single clean cup in the entire house.  It's been this way all week.  
The laundry--oh the laundry.  


Other than that we are doing well.  Jenna has the placement of every ornament on the tree memorized.  I added a couple of new ones the other day and she pointed out exactly which ones they were.

I am going to have to get out my creative and patient mothering handbook out for this next week.  I'm sure it will be fun! 

 

The 10th day--Healing

We almost forgot our devotional tonight.  Tuesday is always the busiest night for Rustin.  Tonight was stake meetings night so I knew he wouldn't be home until after 10:30.  As I put the boys in bed they reminded me that we hadn't had our 10th night of Christ.

Matthew 9:18-26

A father came to the Savior in sorrow over the death of his daughter.  He knew that Jesus could bring her back to life if He would but lay his hand on her.  As Jesus arose to go to the girl he felt someone touch the hem of his robe.  

When he turned he found that a woman had touched his robe seeking to be healed.  The savior said,

Daughter, be of good comfort, thy faith hath made thee whole.

 He then continued to the home where the maid lay dead.  He took her by the hand and she arose--dead no more.

I love that the savior called both the young and old (or at least older) women "daughter."  He healed and loved the people he lived with. I don't think his feelings are limited to physical proximity.  The Savior loves us and He really will help us through our trials in the way that is best.  We have to trust that the Lord will do what is best and be at peace.

We listened to two of the songs from the Women at the Well program, Daughter arise, and Close enough to touch.   

Then we had a great discussion about what happened to the church after Christ died.  (It fell into Roman control, a council of men voted on which doctrines would be most uniting and excepted in their country and "Christianity" was changed forever.)  Or at least for hundreds and hundreds of years until some very inspired people began again to read the Bible and ask the Lord for direction.  Those questions of course eventually led to the story of Joseph Smith.  Which we will save for another day.

On the 11th day...Blessed are the peacemakers

We decided to start with the early days of the ministry of Christ.  The sermon on the mount was the subject matter for the entire year of talks when Rustin was on the high council.  He and I both learned a lot from studying these simple teachings.  

Matthew 5:1-12

What it really comes down to is learning to live and teach and treat others the way that Christ does. It is really very simple and beautiful.  When we do things that help us feel the spirit of the Savior, our actions will follow.  

That is part of the reason we give each other gifts at Christmas time.  We are striving to make the life of those we love a little more pleasant and in return our own lives are blessed because we invite the spirit of the Savior.  

We took the kids shopping for each other.  They traded names a couple of weeks ago. I had nothing to do with that--Dallin tore the tiniest pieces of paper and they drew our of Landon's camping hat. They each got to come in my room one at a time and wrap the gift.  I had to talk Jenna out of wrapping Austin's present in pink paper.  Dallin wrapped Jenna's gift in the pink paper instead.  She was thrilled.  

Benson has told me at least a dozen times since then that he is most excited for Christmas so he can see what his brother got him and so he can watch Landon open his present ("He's going to LOVE it.").   I think it's a good thing.

On the 12th day of Christmas--light

We talk of Christ, we rejoice of Christ, we preach of Christ and we write...that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins. 2Nephi 25:26

We are going to take the next twelve days before Christmas and talk and teach about something from the life of Christ.  It is my hope that our family will better remember the beauty and hope that Christ brought to the earth.  It is because of the life and death of Christ that we celebrate His birth.


For tonight our scriptures were from Doctrine and Covenants  6:21 and 50:24 and 84:46 


Christ came to the world as our Savior.  When we follow the path that he laid we will not be lost in the darkness of confusion, selfishness or sorrow.  Everyone upon the earth has the light of Christ available to them.  We just have to learn to watch and follow the path.

Each child got a flashlight (with a ribbon to hang around their necks--finally no lost flashlights!) and lots of smiles.