Round Two

As I mentioned...part of our clan was unable to make it yesterday, so, here is Christmas round two! I seem to have gotten more pictures today. This is probably because I wasn't busy helping pass out presents this time. Here are a few...
Thanks family for making it such a great Christmas. Love you guys!

Christmas Day

We began with some gift opening. The aftermath...
One of the best parts of Christmas...the Danish Pudding Loaf (thanks Grandma M. for that!)
And the highlight of my day...the kids! I am soooooo thankful that my life has turned out the way it has. Being as I don't yet have a family of my own, I get to spend time cultivating my relationships with the family I do have. My family is my world you see. I spend a lot of time brainwashing the kids into believing I'm "favorite Aunt Juli". It works like a charm. They all learn my name pretty well (thanks mom and dad for a name kids can say and one that sounds so cute when they are little). It's also fun that they come over to grandma's and immediately start looking for me. "Where's Juli?" LOVE IT! Point of the story...so today my three year old niece got a little people family from my mom and dad. She was playing with them and saying this is the grandma, this is the dad, this is the baby sister, etc... Well, she stops and says "where's the Aunt Juli?" ha ha ha ha ha. It gets better. This set had a grandma, grandpa, mom, dad, teenage boy, teenage girl, little girl, and an ambiguous gender baby. She has a big brother and a baby sister...so...this worked perfect. I got to be the teenage girl, her brother the teenage boy, her the little girl, and her baby sister the ambiguous gender baby. Of course parents and grandparents worked out perfect as well, but that's a given. So...here's the family portrait...
I'm the one in the blue sweater in the middle. Fun how my nephew who is really six is taller than me...ha ha. As my brother pointed out, I'm so short that will be reality soon anyway. :)
Here is my niece and I with our "pretend" counterparts.
My other favorite was when she went to play in my parents room and came back out and said "someone is sleeping in there. I think real grandpa is taking a nap". Pretend grandpa was lined up with the others on the kitchen table while pretend daddy said "we're going to grandma's house" over and over and over again. LOVE IT!

I got spoiled with a plethora of fabulous gifts, as usual. Thanks friends, family, and of course Santa!

In my opinion Christmas is not just one or two days, but rather a "holiday season" that begins with Thanksgiving and ends with New Years. Although Christmas Day itself is a big day in my family (as is "The Eve"), our Christmas festivities are far from over (especially since six of us weren't able to come today due to the weather...they'll be here tomorrow). So...stay tuned for more Christmas with Juli.

The Eve

Today we did our usual Christmas Eve things. When I was a kid, we would go to my grandparents' house (on my dad's side) on Christmas Eve. However, grandpa died when I was in high school and grandma died during finals week my freshman year of college. So...we had to change the tradition. We began going to dinner on Christmas Eve after that. Well, four years ago the last of my siblings got married leaving me and my parents alone for our Christmas Eve celebrations. The day got long and boring with just me and the parentals...so we added a movie! That's the background info...here's the present day celebration...

Today we went to Maddox for lunch (yum!). My brother, sis-in-law, and niece all came with us.
Then we went to see Four Christmases...my brother came again, but my sis-in-law and niece went home to wrap and nap. Side note...not a movie you want to watch with your parents...too dirty...awkward. But...we had fun!

After the movie we came home, my brother went home, and another brother, sis-in-law, nephew, and two nieces came over. We "lit" the fire and watched Polar Express. It was really fun.

After they headed home to get the kids ready for bed, we opened presents. Traditionally, we got one present on Christmas Eve. This is Daisy opening hers.
And here is what she found inside...
Nothing like a giant rawhide wreath to make your Christmas grand!

Well, that's "The Eve" in a nutshell. Can't wait for tomorrow!

Winter Wonder Something

Some may call it a winter wonderland, others, winter wonder hell. Whatever the case may be...it sure has been wintry! Friday morning's commute was great, until the last two blocks! By then I was in the 20 mph school zone anyway, so it was no biggy. After a great day at school I headed to Logan for a night with the girls. Julie, Ginger, Mel, and I went to Hamilton's for dinner. As always, the food was really good and the company even better! Then we went back to the house (Julie's house, where I lived last year) and lit a fire. We opened presents and had fun chatting and laughing. Mel and I stayed the night and we had aebleskivers, bacon, and eggs for breakfast. It was delicious!
Then after I concluded that the roads were not going to improve any time in the near future, I headed home. The roads weren't too bad, aside from the canyon. I made it home without too much trouble.

When I got home, the whole stinkin' family was here...yay! So we just did what it is we do when we're all here. It's always nice to see all my favorite people. I was going to go to Salt Lake Saturday afternoon to see my friend Sarah who lives in California that I never get to see (thankfully she will be in Idaho all week, so we will catch each other before she goes back home). I also had a Christmas party to attend that evening. However, the roads were awful and I-15 was closed. So, I stayed here in town. I watched A Muppet Christmas Carol with my brother, sister-in-law, and niece instead. It was a really nice night.

Bittersweet

Tomorrow is the last day of school before Christmas...this is awesome! Unfortunately, it is also the last day I will be there until April...this is not awesome. I know that I have been planning and preparing for this "sabbatical leave" for almost a year now, but with it fast approaching I feel anything but ready! I am both excited and nervous for my demonstration teaching and know that it'll be one huge step closer to finishing my masters. The problem is that I will really miss my kids and my friends at school. I have had several students cry this week because I'm leaving (wow, who'd have thought?) including a student who had a complete meltdown today. To be honest, I shed some tears on the way home tonight myself...but I'm sure that lack of sleep and not feeling well contributed to that as well. I know that I go all summer each summer away from my job, but that's not quite as long and everyone is gone. This time they will all be there without me. :( Meanwhile, I'll be in a strange school doing things I don't normally do with not my kids.

On the bright side...I will only have to drive six blocks on the nasty winter roads. I will also not have to leave until 7:45 and be home before 4:00. That, my friends, is FABULOUS!

Just another note...this is my 50th post. Check out my blogginess! I'm so proud. :)

Congratulations to the Graduate!

My little brother graduated from USU with his MBA yesterday. I took the day off to attend his hooding ceremony and commencement. It was fabulous! I am really proud of him (so now I get to brag about him...ready?). He has both worked full time and gone to school full time since he came home from his mission 4 years ago. Meanwhile, he has an amazing wife, the coolest little girl ever, and a baby boy on the way. They have a really nice house and a hilarious dog that makes it a home! He has a great management job that he loves in a company that treats him well, as well as some great promotion opportunities on the horizon. All in all he has much to be proud of and he deserves every last bit of it! What now you ask? He will start (okay, continue...he started this a couple years ago) researching doctorate programs. Yeah, my family collects degrees, it's a disease for which we are receiving treatment. :)

He has truly always been one to take the bull by the horn!

Correspondence with the North Pole

Daisy and I wrote our letters to the North Pole tonight. Here are our letters as well as the responses we received...

Utah United States

Dear Rudolph,

My name is Daisy and I am a girl dog. I live in the great state of Utah with my owner. Of course, that's in United States, but I'll bet you knew that!!

Rudolph, I've been a good dog this year (honest!!) and the 3 presents I would like the most for Christmas are a squeaky toy, a rawhide and a treat. (Please put in a good word with Santa for my owner too!)

P.S. Rudolph, I also wanted to say that... I loved my presents last year. Also, my owner is really awesome and I hope you'll bring her a special surprise.

Love,
Daisy

		#1, Rudolph Way North Pole, Canada HO HO HO
Utah United States	Tuesday, December 09, 2008

Merry Christmas Daisy! Thank you Daisy for woof meow öink squeãl squeak baaaa your email squeak moo woof from Utah, United States! Meow purr roar rîbbit woof baaaa. It's always wonderful to get an email from you, Daisy! Öink baaa meow hiss roar squeãl!! So Daisy, have you been a good girl this year? (Of course, you won't mind if Santa and I do a little checking, will you? woof chirp? baaaa! neiiiiiighhh). Chirp, purr gurgle roar woof baaaa squeaky toy SNARF!!! Öink moo woof rawhide SNARF!! Squeak good dog squawk woof baaaa treat SNARF!! ARROOooooooo!! Purr blub tweet ribbit ¿¿warble?? Take good care of your owner Daisy and don't forget to listen for Santa and me Christmas Eve!! Squawk slither baaaa!! Just a reminder that the secret password this year will be Öink!! squeaks rîbbit SPLAT!! woof grrr chuuurrrrrp!! That way you'll know its us at your house so you can let Santa in and not make any noises to wake up your owners!! So thanks again for the email Daisy. Did you have a hard time typing with your paws? Keyboards weren't really designed for us critters were they?! Tikki-tikki squawk woof!! Of course, don't forget to get your owner to email Santa too so Santa knows what they want for Christmas. Otherwise, you might have to share that squeaky toy with them!! ARROOoooooo! ~sproing~ squeãl öink!! Hope you and your owner have a very Merry Christmas!! P.S. Attached is a special copy of your email so you can print this all off and put it on your owner's fridge (or use it for litter box liner SNARF!!). Utah United States Dear Santa Claus, My name is Juli. I am a girl and I am already 28 years old!! I live in the great state of Utah. Of course, that's in the United States, but I'll bet you knew that!! This year I've been so good that I should be the angel on top of the tree! Santa Claus, some things I might like for Christmas this year are: - a book; - Mamma Mia! on DVD; and, - a million dollars. Love, Juli #1, Rudolph Way North Pole, Canada HO HO HO Utah United States Tuesday, December 09, 2008 Dear Juli, Thank you for sending me your email all the way from Utah! HO!! Ho!! ho!! Did you know there are lots of elves in Utah? I hear they like visiting Utah because there's a special girl by the name of Juli that lives there! (*wink*). Well tickle my whiskers, Juli! Are you fibbing to ol' Santa Claus?!? You can't possibly be 28 years old already! Why it seems like only yesterday that I was leaving presents for a certain little girl and here you are now, practically one of Santa's elves! (*grin*) Sorry the presents the last little while probably haven't been quite as exciting as they were when you were a little girl but, well, you know how these things go (*wink*). Anyway, Santa's glad to see some of the 'older kids' (not to mention anyone in particular!) still take the time to write. I also hear you've been a REALLY REALLY good girl. (Of course, you won't mind if I do a little checking, will you? HO!! Ho!! ho!!). Let's see what you put in your letter for Christmas wishes: 1. a book; 2. Mamma Mia! on DVD and; 3. a million dollars. I think that's wonderful that you are interested in books. I love them too! Of course, the only book I ever seem to have time for is my BIG, BIG book of who's been Naughty & Nice. HO!! Ho!! ho!! Aha! You'd like a little extra spending money I see! Well, the elves had to stop printing money for me to give away when a nice police officer reminded me that is illegal! Lucky for me the police officer is a good friend but I don't give away money anymore! (Well, okay, I have been known to give some away out of my own pocket but don't tell Mrs. Claus! *wink*) Oh yes, before I forget Juli, the elves really want you to visit my new blog! It is called Santa Claus' Christmas Blog. My blog is all about Christmas, life at the North Pole, and me, Santa Claus ! You can even write messages to me and see what others have written. I can hardly wait to see what you write! Well, I better go feed the reindeer and polish Rudolph's nose with nose wax. Have to make sure everything's ready for the big day! Take care Juli and don't forget to come back and visit me here at EmailSanta.com on Christmas Eve!! And remember... only 16 more sleeps until Christmas!! BFF (Best Friends Forever :), P.S. Ahh! That nice cola you sent me sure was refreshing! Its thirsty work getting ready for Christmas so "Thank You" Juli! P.P.S. I've attached a special postmarked copy of your email below so you can print it off and show it to all your friends or put it on your fridge.

So nice!

With my term at an end and no homework or tests to worry about, I was able to relax and have fun this weekend...and it has been so nice!

Thursday night I had to work late (I teach an after school gifted and talented class on Thursdays), so I stopped in Logan to hang out with Ginger and Julie for a few hours. Ginger made me dinner (which was really good!) and then we watched Grey's Anatomy, talked, laughed, talked, laughed, well, you get the idea. It was nice to let my hair down and just chill with some good friends.

Friday night I had a few options of fun events to attend, but I really wanted to stay home and do nothing...so...I did! My parents were gone so I was able to just have some alone time (just me and my dog). I sometimes miss living alone because I love my "me time". I much prefer living with family or good friends though, as long as I get nights like this to myself. Anyway, it was amazing and I loved every minute of it.
Today was such a good day! I went to lunch with some of my family, then we headed to the movie theater to see "Australia". It was really good...I recommend it. It reminded me of how interesting it was when Dave and Leis took me to the Australian National War Memorial. It was interesting to see the wars I've learned about my whole life from a slightly different perspective, being as they fought in a different theater than we did.

After the movie we headed home and more of my family came over to make Christmas candy. Now we have homemade suckers, fudge, cashew brittle, and possibly more (I don't actually know because I left part way through). We always made homemade candy every Christmas growing up. We would help my mom dip chocolates too. Good times.

I left during the candy making extravaganza to go to a Christmas party. Hailey was my roommate last year and I was a bridesmaid at her wedding last summer. Her and Tracy (her hubby) are two of my favorite people. Her family is one of those families that make you feel like you are one of them. Anyway, they invited me to a party and I went. We had a really good dinner, a pinata, a gift exchange, and a visit from Santa. Santa brought me season two of The Office and I told him what I wanted most for Christmas. It is a secret though, just between me, all the people at the party, Santa, and Mrs. Claus (and my mom, because I told her when I got home). It was definitely fun to see Hailey and Tracy (and their family of course)...I miss them.
Anyhow, there is my weekend in a nutshell. My holiday season is off to a fabulous start!

Photo Tag

My sistapants tagged me, but I had already answered that tag awhile back...so...I found another tag I thought looked fun that I hadn't yet done and figured I'd answer that one instead. Fairynuff?

Okay, so I'm supposed to open my photo folder and open the fourth folder and upload the fourth photo and explain it. Here goes...
This is one of my most favorite people...Leisa. She is more commonly referred to as "Leisa, my best friend who lives in Australia". I miss her like crazy! Anyway, this is her sitting in front of the heater looking for a song to play for me. This was "tease Jewels with music" day if I remember correctly. It began with Dave (her husband, my other favorite Aussie) commenting on my gorgeous eyes (I know right!). Then he began to sing "she has her eyes, my Lily's hazel eyes" from the Secret Garden. Well, I've never seen the musical, but I had lived through a similar moment before. A previous boyfriend was always telling me how beautiful my eyes were, but in the cheesy line kind of way rather than the "ah, that was sweet" kind of way. He was king of the cheesy lines, not joking, but that's a story for another day. He constantly sang that song to me and it drove me nuts! Anyway, Dave didn't know this when he began his serenade, but I quickly clued him in to my hatred of that song. As you can imagine, this was stupid because now I'll never live it down. So then Leisa decided to continue this musical mockery of yours truly. Here we get to the photo... she was looking for some song called "Pash". I don't remember much about the song except that it was called "Pash" and since pash is Aussie slang for french kissing, similar to "snog" for the British types, it was about making out. So there is your Aussie slang lesson for the day. Pashing is the same as snogging, which is like our making out. Do you feel educated?

Happy Thanksgiving!

Since it's the day of thanks, I figured I should list some of the things I'm most grateful for...so as to not make it too long, I'll limit it to 10 things.

1. The gospel and all the blessings that come with it
2. My family
3. My friends
4. Daisy
5. My job
6. The opportunity to get an education
7. Modern conveniences
8. Good entertainment (books, music, movies, etc...)
9. My comfy bed
10. Holidays (they are so much fun!)

Rugby ramblings

Tonight my brother and I went to see Forever Strong. We didn't know anything about the movie, it just sounded good (I remembered that Brian and Michelle liked it, so I figured it was good). Well...my review? Not too shabby. A bit cheesy and predictable...but good. I recommend it. And it's always nice to see familiar places and faces in a movie. Aside from Big Budah, I think the best character to see on the screen was the guy in the KFC commercial that also plays Laman in a church movie. Mostly because my brother borrowed his cell phone to call us from the airport on his way home from his mission to tell us his flight was canceled. It's his claim to fame, so we were excited about it.

Okay, so with this movie comes my rugby memories. Rugby is HUGE in Australia. I have even been to a live game which was so much fun...let's take a look...
This is the Cronulla Sharks (my team of choice) playing Newcastle, I think but I can't remember exactly. Anyway, good game...Sharks won. There is a guy in Leisa's (my Aussie friend) ward that plays for them (at least at the time this was all true). He took a good hit that night and wasn't in church the next day. But anyway, the game was super fun.

Other things I found interesting about the movie. They do the Haka, which is really a traditional Maori dance and sometimes used as a Maori war chant. They stole it from the New Zealand All Blacks who do it before every game...it's pretty cool. See for yourselves...


Anyway...there was my reminiscing/random tangent for the day.

My best friend

This is Daisy...
She was a gift from my parents for my 27th birthday.

She loves me, even though I made her wear this on Christmas!
She had a great first birthday in April. (I know I am a big nerd...but I don't have kids, cut me some slack here!) She's been to the Oregon Coast with me twice, and let me tell you, she LOVES long walks on the beach!
She makes every day brighter from the moment I wake up with her warm little body next to me, to when I come home and she greets me at the door as excited as if she hadn't seen me for weeks. She's always making me laugh with her cute little personality. I couldn't have created a better fuzzy companion for myself if I had tried!

Happy Birthday Dad!

Okay, since today is my Dad's birthday, it's time to play 10 things I love about my dad!

1. He is an incredibly giving person. My dad does not carry money, just a gas card. This is because he would give anybody whatever they claim to need. Even the gas card has been used to provide tanks of gas to random people who beg him for help. One time, he was going to buy gas for someone who said they were stranded and needed a tank to get back to Oregon. Thankfully he had left his card home, because when he asked which car was theirs they pointed to a huge RV.
2. He will drop anything to help his kids. My brother was moving across the country with his wife and a week old baby when his car broke down in the middle of nowhere, several states away. He called my dad to tell him what had happened. My dad grabbed his keys and insisted that he was leaving right that minute and would be there as quickly as one could drive (a couple of days at least). My brother had to convince him that they would be fine it and that by the time he could get there, the car would be fixed and they would be back on their way.
3. He cleans his plate like nobody I have ever seen. Honestly, it appears as though the plate was never used when my dad finishes a meal. He doesn't lick it or anything like that either, oh no, this is done with just a fork! It's a rare talent.
4. He loves my mom and treats her the way she deserves to be treated.
5. He loves dogs, and they must have a sense about it because every dog that's ever met my dad worships him.
6. He buys toys and says "the grandkids will love this" or "it's for the grandkids", but really? It's for him! :) But he does get really excited to show it to the grandkids and play with it with them.
7. When I hit a huge dip in the road on my 16th birthday (my first chance to drive by myself) and the rearview mirror flew off and shattered, I thought he would kill me. I came home bawling and terrified, but all he said was, "oh, okay, I'll get a new one tomorrow". Like my mother, people are important, not things.
8. His favorite shows are the kid shows like the Suite Life of Zach and Cody, because they are clean (and he is really a kid at heart).
9. He taught me to love stupid humor. Can you say "Ernest Goes to Camp"?
10. When we were kids, we used to paint ceramics with my dad on Sunday afternoons. Here's an example of my work.
I know right? Really complex project, all one color except for the eyes and nose. You should see some of the ones I did when I was younger than I was when I did this one. Man, they are awesome!

And...an example of his work...
Yeah, I know! Amazing! It's a functioning lamp that's in our family room. Cool huh??


I love you Daddy! Happy Birthday!!

Books Galore

Today I was writing a paper on children's literature and wondered what the difference was between a Caldecott Honor and a Caldecott Medal award was. Well, I looked it up of course. Turns out the Caldecott Honor citation means they were basically one of the few "runners-up", but the Medal is given only to one picture book each year. It was first awarded in 1938. Now the Newbery award is similar. The Newbery Honor citation is again, to a few of the "runners-up" and the Medal is the top one, of which there is only one a year. It was first awarded in 1922.

So, now I have a goal. I am going to purchase and read each of the books on the list of winners. This of course will take a few years, since it is both a time consuming and expensive project, but I think it will be awesome. Why not just borrow them from the library? Because what a great beginning of a library to have in my home for my children someday. I mean, I already have quite a few books, but this would really give me a great foundation on which to build a library for my future family. And, in the meantime, it'll give me something to read. :)

Tagged by Becky :)

8 Favorite TV shows:
- Grey's Anatomy
- The Office
- Private Practice
- Gilmore Girls
- Friends
- American Idol
- House Hunters
- Unwrapped

8 Things I did yesterday:
- Played xylophones with my first graders
- wrote a paper
- went to mutual
- played with Daisy
- read the news on ksl.com
- ate tacos (thanks mom!)
- picked up Daisy's toys (it is a daily routine)
- went to bed early :)

8 Things I look forward to:
- Going to Nashville this summer
- My Birthday...and Disneyland!
- Graduation
- The Holiday Season
- My future
- Leisa, Dave, and the girls coming to visit from Australia
- Meeting my new niece and nephew
- The next life (but not for a long while yet)

8 Favorite Restaurants:
- Hamilton's
- Olive Garden
- Kamin
- Iron Gate Grill
- Red Robin
- Maddox
- Wingers
- Oporto's

8 Things on my wish list:
- Grey's Anatomy Season 4 on DVD
- Mamma Mia! on DVD
- an iHome for my room
- new clothes (always on my list)
- Made of Honor on DVD
- a husband
- a house
- some kids

8 people to tag:
I'm gonna be lame and tag everyone!

Veterans Day

In honor of Veterans Day, we had a program at school. My students sang America The Beautiful, The Armed Forces Medley, and God Bless The USA. There were quite a few (one student said he counted 40??) veterans who came. The students were really quiet and respectful during the assembly and they sang amazingly! I must say, I can hear them sing these patriotic songs thousands of times, but to hear all 600 of them sing together still sends shivers down my spine. It reminds me that these are the future of our country...and trust me, our future is bright!

Ya know what I remember most from the day? After the assembly, I was standing next to one of the veterans. He was the cutest little old man and he was sitting there with tear filled eyes, a look of pure humility and gratitude on his face. No description I can give could come near to doing this picture justice, but it was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen...and it is etched in my memory. I am so thankful for all the men and women who have served and continue to serve our country. Thanks to you and your loved ones for the sacrifices you have made for this great country!

Tonight our Relief Society had a gratitude dinner. The food was really good, the company was wonderful, and the entertainment spectacular! Emily and Juanita (I have no doubt you'll read this!) I absolutely loved your musical numbers!!!!!

So...in short...it was a fabulous day. :)

It's a boy!

A few weeks ago I posted that my oldest brother's wife was having a baby girl. Well, this just in... My youngest brother's wife is having a baby boy! This will bring the numbers up to 6 nieces and 4 nephews. I am so excited...I can't wait to meet the little goobers!

My secret shame

Okay, please love me, even after you know this about me...

I love LDS romance novels.

There, I've said it. The secret is out and I don't have to hide it anymore. Mock me if you will, but remember that I am the same Juli you have always known. :)

Okay, now that I got that off my chest I can get on with my post. I have been listening to books on CD in my car to and from work. It seemed like a good use of 2 hours a day spent in a car. Well, it turns out the public library in the town where I work has quite the collection of LDS romance novels on CD. I know right...how good is this? So, they were kind enough to give me a library card since I work there, WAY TO GO, IDAHO! So...now I am in LDS romance novel bliss. I am currently working through one of Anita Stansfield's series, the Barrington Family Saga. It's really good and I am now on book 3 of 4. Love it!

Well, the other day, I was listening to it and it made me cry (not the first time mind you). I looked over at the car next to me and this guy was looking at me all concerned because I was bawling! It was so embarassing, but also really funny.

This reminds me of another experience. There is an episode of Full House where Jesse's grandpa, also known as Papouli, dies. My friend Jason used to tease me incessantly because that episode makes me cry like a baby. Well, when I was in the hospital a couple years ago with pancreatitis, there was NOTHING on TV except constant episodes of Full House and an occassional Cosby Show. So guess which episode came on? Sure enough, Papouli! Well, I'm sitting there crying and in comes the nurse. She was like "oh my gosh, are you okay, are you in pain?" I had been on a morphine pump for days, so pain was not so much a problem anymore at this point, so I had to admit that I was crying because of Full House. SO EMBARASSING! She laughed and laughed and laughed. When I called to tell Jason about it, he had a fairly similar reaction.

Anyway, enough rambling. Night y'all!