Christmas with Garrett

Garrett is now the proud owner of a XBox and Kinect I have only played once but I can see why so many people enjoy this game system. It's FUN!  Now if I can only move a bit faster...
Gary got a camera that takes pictures of wildlife...motion activated. he can set it up and leave it for a few days and than go back and check out whether there is any wildlife action.  He thinks it's cool.

It was a great Christmas.

Counting down to Christmas

A few years ago I purchased a advent calendar garland from one of those fund raising brochures the children pass around in the grade school.  I had forgotten I had had it.  I opened a container in my decoration storage and viola, a garland with red velvet pockets with the numbers one through twenty four in gold on each.  I thought it would be fun to put a dollar bill in each one and hang it above the mirror in the bathroom for Garrett.  He goes to the store everyday to buy a soda for himself and I decided it would be a great daily gift for him.  Why the bathroom?  In years past I have always decorated each room in the house.  So this was a splash of Christmas spirit in the powder room.  Garrett did not even notice it for the first few days and we didn't point it out to him either.  We wanted to see how long it would be before he finally mentioned it. I generally decorate the day after Thanksgiving so this garland was hanging up for several days.  December 1st was approaching and still Garrett has not said anything.  FINALLY, one afternoon when I returned from work he says to me, "Mom, what is with the red pockets and the money?"  I said, "Oh my goodness Garrett that has been hanging there for almost a week, you are just now seeing it?  "No, he says, I've been wondering about it, but you guys haven't said anything so I thought I would ask.  Besides, he says, it hangs up above my head and I had to look up to see it.  Remember, I'm a shorty."

Canell's Soda Cabinet

Some families have cookie jars.  Some have a treat drawer.  And still others have  a soda cabinet.
When I was a child and  visited my grandma Nulliner, she always had cookies in the cookie jar.  We would walk in, give hugs and go straight for the jar.    If our visit lasted for more than  an hour of two, my grandfather would walk us over to Westdale Mall (a medium size strip mall) and we would go to the Thrifty Drug store and get an ice cream, but i'm getting off track because that's different even though it's kind of the same....now where was I, oh yes...the cookie jar.  When my children visited their grand parents, my parents the Nulliners, they would walk into the house, give hugs and head right for the family room refrigerator .  Grandpa Nulliner always had these little juice jars waiting for them filled with tampico orange drink.  Before we would leave, Granny Buns would take them to the kitchen where she had a drawer full of dum dum suckers and they would not leave til they got one. I'm pretty sure most families have a similar tradition.  As for Gary's  dad, grandpa Hebner, there was always plenty of Kraft Cheese Slices. Now his mother, Grandma Canell was a soda drinker and a believer in having a year supply of everything, soda included.  She always had a cabinet filled with soda, canned and bottled.  The ritual was the same, walk into the house, give hugs and head for the soda.

I tell this story because Gary's mother passed away a few years ago and Papa now lives alone.  Up until just recently he maintained the soda cabinet.  But when we made out last visit we witnessed something new.  The soda cabinet has been taken over by the cat.  Yes, the CAT.  See for yourself.

 What once held shelves of pepsi, dr. pepper, mountain dew, sprite, rootbeer, diet coke,  has now become a cat food storage facilty. Too bad, so sad!  There does remain a bit of soda, but just a little bit...a little tiny bit

 All good things come to an end.  There is no need to visit this cabinet anymore. Farewell
Thanks for the memories

p.s.  papa built himself a garage for his truck...looks nice doesn't it.

You can say this or you can say that

Redunkulous
                  Superflipindiculous
                                               Gonga


Isn't language fun.  I just read my daughter's Kerri blog and she described her experience living in two opposite weather locations by just using single words.  I think that is so cool. It was an usual and pleasant way for her to share.  WORDS...they have so much power.  Earlier I was watching a t.v. program and the invented word 'redunkulous' was used to describe an experience. In this instance it was used when the people playing Survivor South Pacific was rewarded with a table of pastries. 'Superflinindiculous' another invention was used to describe the uniqueness of a dance crew's talent.  A 'gonga' deal means you got something really expensive for very little money.  This colorful 
use of word combinations is fascinating to me.  I often hear one and wish I had written it down along with it's meaning so i can use it myself, but i more than often do not follow through.  If you are a language purist this is annoying and testify boldly that the english language is being slaughtered.  I for one feel it is creative and fun and I'm grateful for others who can think of it...  Fantabulous...Mucho Many...I know there are many more even ones I use regularly but for the life of me i can't think of them right now.  If you have any of these fun combinations, share them with me.  I want to make a list to include in my personal history. and include the meaning if you would please.


Have a Glori-a-gous Day.

Fluff vs. Stuff

One of the things I have noticed about people in general is that they are either a 'Fluff' or a 'Stuff' person.  There are times when I have come across someone who is equally  both.  I call them  "Fluff n Stuff." (that would be me)   I suppose I should explain.  These categories are applied to gift giving and receiving; birthdays in particular.  I mention this because I just recently was on the receiving end. 

Gifts in our home fall under these two categories.  Gary is the one who came up with them.  He is a Stuff not Fluff receiver.  When one of us (immediate family members) gives him a gift there is no need to give any attention to fluffiness.  Fluffiness means fancy packaging.  Just give me the "Stuff" is his request.  I like to get stuff, but I like the fluffiness...ribbons, cute paper, unique containers.  I think the fluff makes it more desirable.  Sometimes if you get a rotten gift...well let me rephrase that because no gift is 'rotten'...it is after all the thought that counts, if the gift is not quite your cup of tea and it is given  in a lovely, eye catching package  that in itself  makes getting it FUN.  But in Gary's opinion it's the gift itself that is fun and if you eliminate the fluff you have lots more money to spend on the stuff.  So this has become the Hebner Family gift giving philosophy.  It is not uncommon to receive a gift wrapped in a t-shirt, a towel, or store's plastic bag.

It is true, gift wrap and cards are costly and you can sometimes upgrade a gift if you go with a newspaper or brown paper bag cover-up.  I still like to make the gift look special.  It's the one thing my mother-in-law and I did agree upon. I enjoy unique cover-ups.  For me it is part of the gift-giving fun but in these tough economic times I have to admit it can easily be eliminated.  So I share below a photo of my birthday gift this  year.  Gary at least put it in a nice store clothing box and for a bit of color he added some skittles atop the package.  I really liked my gift and the fact that he made the effort to 'fluff' it up meant so much.  What was nice about this fluff was that I got a sweet treat as well.  Happy Birthday to me!

                                                Fluff, Stuff or Fluff n Stuff, which are you? 

feel the music? than do something about it!

After Halloween Krystal shared some footage of her friends dancing to a video game.  She said we would be doing the same when she comes home for Thanksgiving.  It should be a lot of fun.  In the past I have encouraged our family to do some type of dance together, video it, and share with others so we can all get a good laugh and make some memories.  We have some pretty funny videos.  Last year we did not make a video...so very sad.  I'm looking forward to our dancing antics this year.  The reason I mention this 'tradition; is because I was watching one of my favorite movies "Grind".  It's an oldie but a goodie.  In it is a dance scene .  It's just one of the many parts of this movie I enjoy.  Anywho, after watching it I thought I would track down some of my other favorite dance scenes in movies of the past.  I've downloaded some, there are only a few of them. There are too many to show.  I hope you take the time to watch and "feel the music". Maybe this will get the fam ready for our dance adventure this Thanksgiving.  Funny, of all the dancing in these clips i didn't see a single person doing the 'cyclone'...i wonder why?

Grind (2003)

Hitch Wedding Dance Scene - End of Movie

Napoleon Dynamite Dance Scene

Thriller - 13 Going on 30

Men in black dance

Oh what do you do when a Tornado hits? or What I dreamed last night

Last night I experienced the most awesome dream.  Yes EXPERIENCED.   We as a family, and I mean all the family, we were traveling somewhere in one of those 15 passangers vans, The Hebners, The Howards, The Calls and the Balls, and The Listers...for some reason the Listers are always with us, hmmm, wonder why? (if you are wondering who the Listers are that would be my sister's fam Marsha, Kevin, Jessica and Brooke) DISCLAIMER:  that makes more than 15 but hey, it's a dream, so 19 people  including 6 cars seats can fit comfortably into a fan.
 Anywho,  we are traveling down a very straight two lane highway with large field on either side and were visiting about whatever families talk about on long road trips and something lays on the front windshield.  It doesn't hit the window it just gently lands on it and slides slowly across from the middle to the driver's side.
No one notices except me of course because it's my dream.
Again something lands and I see that it is a humongous nut, you know the metal kind that go with bolts.  it is the size of my hand.  Something that would be used to put together a large piece of machinery.  It just glides across the window and falls off.  Than I noticed there were other things floating in the air ahead of us.  There were branches, two-by-fours, bushes, and fish.  Yep, fish a Rainbow trout to be exact.  They were coming at us at a very fast rate and when they reached the van they would not slam into us but gently lay on the windshield, glide over to the side and fall off, just like the nut.   I panic and say very loud, hey you guys here comes a tornado.  They all laugh.  I say again, really, look at all the stuff flying through the air.  I point and say, See, there's a rainbow trout...know how people have found frogs uimped in their yards after a tornado.  Well there must be a lake somewhere nearby becaue look at all the fish!  Now that I have everyone's attention and they are now getting a bit nervous I see the clouds whirling ahead of us miles down the road and I yell  "LOOK! THE TORNADO IS RIGHT THERE!  There it is beginning to form ito a funnel and we go  approaching  it, rapidly, because we are  traveling at 75 miles an hour. 

Garrett is the driver and he immediately says WE NEED TO SAY A PRAYER.  Everyone bows their head, even garrett, and he's driving and I begin praying out loud, but I don't bow my head, I keep watching what is going on around us.  As I say, Dear Heavenly Father Please protect our family and vehicle from this oncoming tornado....just at that moment everything pauses and goes into very  s  l   o w   m o ti o n.  Others take over  praying at this point and I sit and watch as the fish slowly fly by our van in a swimming motion no less,

 and the trees that are uprooted gently glide by and the air is swirly around and I can see it like it is a vibration.  It moves towards us and as we drive through it, (mind you Garrett is still in prayer mode, how we are in control of the vehicle puzzles me, but than again , it is a dream)   we can feel a very strong vibration as it passes through us much like trublance on an airplane and then it the vibration stops and it is very quiet.  I turn aroundin my seat to look out the back window and I can see the tornado continue on behind us  tearing up the fields and road as it travels.  I shake Garrett  so he can pull over and stop and everyone opens their eyes whipping their heads  back and forth to survey the damage which to all ou surprise there is none.. Matter of fact Rylee is sound asleep in her car seat.  We are completely unharmed.  There is not a thing out of place and the grand children can't wait to get out  to go see what the tornado leaves behind and there is not even a scratch on the van.  It's amazing  to us that all the area just around us is untouched. Everything ahead of us and behind us is in a mess!  We are all standing together in awe and  the silence is broken by Brad saying, "WOW, that was close!."  Garrett says, "it's a good thing I said we should say a prayer!"  Lili wants to know if we can do it again.  Rylee is still sleeping she doesn't even know what just happened. Jessica, Brooke, Nate and Krystal are immediately on their cell phones texting all their friends and taking pictures to document the event.  Kim and Kerri are out in the field with Lili, Nate, Mason, Kaci and Forrest looking at all the trout flopping around on the ground, Brad and Bruce are analyzing the whole situation, Garrett is getting into the ice chest because he needs a soda to calm him down and Gary completes it all  by saying, "WHO'S HUNGRY? LET'S EAT!"
and that ends it all...the whole family is now getting out the food packed in ice chests and containers preparing to eat a together right in the middle of the devastion just caused by a tornado that has carved it's way across the landscape,and we are all together unharmed, safe and sound thanking the  Lord for our blessings. AMEN!

Moral of the story,  as Garrett suggested...  We Need To Say our Prayers.

Happy Halloween

It's that time of year, Fall is here...

Just sharing...

Lots of new posts

I've fallen behind in posting...so there are several to view today.

New seasonal items

I've added two new items to my Halloween decor.  Witchie boots and a stuffed black cat.  The Relief Society had some freebie items one Sunday and I picked up a string of lights in Halloween colors.  I've never  put up lights for Halloween before.  I lit up the cyprus tree at the front door and put some white lights in my ceramic jack-o-lantern.  This year Woody will only wear a hat, it's been a bit  too warm to dress up....

Marsha and Me

A couple of weeks ago we made a visit to the LIsters.  Gary and I have not been to the temple for a long time and we decided to take the whole weekend and visit family too.   Marsha and i just happen to wear a similar color and recently both had our hair colored.  So I wanted it documented.
We finally got to see the "new" member of the Lister family, Jessica's new car... BONUS

                                                      Marsha and Verda new hair color

                                                     Brooke offered to model for us

                                                                     the inside

                                                                     the outside

National Service Day 2012

Each year my ward participates in the National Service Day.  This year we painted a house.  I refused to believe that we could paint the whole house in one day. I was certain we would be spending the three weekends working on this home.  Well, we not only did it in one day, we did it in less than 4 hours.  I'm a believer.  Young and old scrapped, taped and painted and we only had one mishap...a bee sting.  It's amazing what can be done when people come together to help others.

Halloween with the Howards

Just want to share the pictures Kim sent me of my darling grandchildren getting ready to celebrate Halloween...

                                                             Nate AKA Optimus Prime

                                                              Mason AKA Bumblebee

                                                               Lilian AKA Rapunsel

"The Best Fest" Arizona is gonna be !00

Arizona will be 100 next year.  The state is sponsoring events all over the state until February 2012.  The kick-off celebration was held in downtown Prescott.  Prescott was the first capital of Arizona.  All kind of things were going on during this three day fun fest.  i only had my telephone to take pictures because this was the same weekend Gary was in Alaska.  There were a lot of displays  ' that were set up to showcase the state.  I especially enjoyed the 'old west" town that was set up on "Whiskey Row." There were people dressed in periond appropriate clothing teaching how to make a horse shoes, pan for gold, telling the story of the people who lived here at the time of statehood.  .  There is a charity group here in Prescott that  dedicate themselves to re-enacting the old west. They dress in the coolest clothes and do shows.  The one I watched while I was there was the "shoot out at the OK Corral" which is a true story that happened in the Tombstone area in Tucson, Arizona.  The Indiana village had on-going demonstrations everything from grinding corn to building hogans made from the brush gathered from desert. They showed how they made pottery, weaved baskets, carved bows and arrows, really cool painting and carving the way it was done back then with the tools they used in the late 1800's. I tease Gary  when we watch hunting videos and see all the new fan-dangled equipment hunters use today to bag their game.  I say to him....hmmm, i wonder how the Indians hunted all those years without out all this special stuff. It's a wonder they were able to keep themselves alive.  And they hunted for the whole tribe, that was their meat for the season.  They didn't just hunt for the trophy and bragging rights. I felt like a little kid on a school field trip while I went from one demo to the other.  i learned a lot and have a new appreciation for the people who founded this state.  If the BEST FEST comes to your area, you really should go check it out.

Conferemce Weekend

I always look forward to Conference.  Today I wrote down some phrases and key words that will help me to remember what was shared in the Saturday Sessions.  I'll be using them to quiz my class on Monday to see if they really listened or not.  Some of them are as follows:

The right thing to do at the right time        Jose L. Alonzo   (service)

Young crow, Old crow   IF                     Boyd K Packer  (message to the youth)

You Matter To HIM                               Dieter F. Uchtodorf   (self worth)

It's better to Look Up                             Carl B. Cook

The Joy of Forgiveness                           D. Todd Christofferson  (repentance)

Speak up about the Church                     L. Tom Perry

Of course I will mostly refer to talks given on Sunday.   I have  come to learn that most members do not watch all four sessions.  That's really too bad.  I know the talks are recorded and we can listen to them at a later time, but I feel you miss something special when you don't hear them as they are presented on the given day.  And if you only read the Ensign you miss all the inflections in the person's voice.  For example, today President Monson spoke briefly in the morning session and his greeting was so cute and his smile radiated.  You don't see or hear that when you read the magazine.  Sometimes a speaker will tell a joke and it's impromptu. those are little gems of personality  are not included in the magazine version.

I know people are very busy these days and there is only so much time to get everything done that is required of us.  I'm grateful I have generally been able to take the time to listen to all of conference.  I like the Relief Society meeting the week prior.  I have never listened to conference and not received an answer to my prayers.  I know the leaders of the church are inspired and thank goodness for their valiant service.  I appreciate all they do for us.

Sewing therapy

It's Friday afternoon and I'm FREEEEE!  I get to spend time with my sewing machine.  I didn't realize how much time I spent sewing until I got a job and can't do it except on Saturdays.  It is Halloween costume season and I have one more to make.  Rylee needs a basketball costume.  I wish I had taken pictures of the other kids costumes.  They were so much fun to make.  Oh well, hopefully we will get pictures as they wear them when they go 'trick or treating'. 

Gary is home, Thank goodness.  He came home sick, but he is home.  He had a great time and below are a few of the pictures that were taken while he was in Alaska.  Many thanks to the Call Family for showing him a good time and for having such adorable children.  Oh and thank you Heavenly Father for providing a grizzly bear for all to see.  It truly was a wonderful gift and an experience that will never be forgotten.

Gary goes to visit the Calls in Alaska

It's another Friday evening and I am sitting here all alone.  Reminds me of the days when I was a teenager and I didn't have a date for the weekend, which was most of the time.   Gary is in Alaska visiting Kerri and meeting Forrest for the first time.  He called today to fill me in on the weekend plans.  They get to go to Denali tomorrow.  I'm so glad he gets this opportunity.  I hope someday I will get to go sight seeing.  My trips usually consists of homemaking  things cause I'm the Mom.  Which is all good.  At least I'm needed once in a while.  But it would be nice to travel for fun.  Maybe when I grow up.

Thank goodness for Seminary.  I get to do something I absolutely enjoy.  Now that I have a job I can afford to buy fun treats for the kids on game day and not feel guilty about it.  It's great to learn so much about the Old Testament. 

I really don't think anyone reads this blog anymore.  But I need to keep track of my daily life so I will continue to make notes each week.  I'm feeling a bit lonely so I don't want to write anymore today because it will just sound negative. This is suppose to be my Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy time, a time to reflect on everything that is so wonderful in my life.  I did, however, have alot of fun sewing costumes for Kaci and Forrest.  This year Kaci wanted to be a Butterfly.  Forrest will be by her side as a caterpillar.  I have a blast conjuring up costumes for my grand children.  Right now I am preparing to make a dress for Lilan, She will be Repunzel (Tangled version) this year. Nate and Mason requested Optimus Prime and BumbleBee...those costumes will  be purchased this year...my skills are limited when it comes to  Transformers.  So much fun...And with that I will close....til next time.

sunshine lollipops

I was on my way to pick up Gary from work last Tuesday afternoon and I saw this most amazing rainbow. 

There is a look out  at Watson Lake and I pulled over to take a photo.  All I had with me that day was my cell phone and I tried to get as much of it as I could.  It was a complete arch and it was so brillant that there were two of them.    Many other people had the same idea as I because cars were pulling over two and three at a time to take in this beautiful scene.  This is one of those times when you just take the time to enjoy nature and all it's beauty.  Wish I had one of those fancy cameras....my phone just did not capture this magnificent beauty.

 Looks like I can drive right to the rainbow

The Dells/Watson Lake Look Out, Prescott Arizona