New Year's Eve 2008-2009

We went to Linda and Steve's house for New Year's Eve. We ate so much, and actually spent way too much of our time waiting for some loser to jump over some casinos in Las Vegas with his motorcycle. Fun times!

The guys. Trying to watch a football game in the midst of the chaos. The girls. Trying to get the guys to stop watching football.

A party isn't a party at the Lundell house until Jen and I are asked to do some Abba dancing.

This is what we thought the Charlie's Angels pose looked like. We're a little off, but Linda is hot enough to be Farrah Fawcett. That counts for something, right?

The girls. Trying to be gangsters. I really like my face in this one. The boys. Wondering how in the world they could possibly be related to those chicks.

Hot mama and daughter. Hot mama and papa.
This is how Amy stays so skinny. She brings this treadmill everywhere she goes.

Thanks in 2009

I started running to lose weight over 4 years ago. I hated it at first. I would run as long as I could and then walk and then run in another short burst. The bursts got longer and longer and I was finally able to run 3 miles without it killing me. The distance I could run got longer and the ease with which I could run increased. I ran more, but I still hated it.

Then, lots of things fell apart for me, and I found that running became more than exercise. If I ran really hard, there was no way I could think about anything else except making sure one foot kept going in front of the other. It was the only way to turn my mind off from worrying, so every day I spent an hour or so running it out, and when I finished, even though my life was still there waiting for me, the break that running had given me was enough to help me keep going. I found, too, that sometimes, my mind would become really clear, and I could seem to get some perspective. I love those times when I'm running and I get so involved in what I'm thinking that it seems like there is nothing around me, and that this idea that I've got is all there is to life.

I just got back from a run in the beautiful weather we're having here, and had one of those great introspective experiences. These last few weeks have seemed to be a cumulation of several months' worth of worry, frustration, and anxiety. I started thinking about it all while I was running up a pretty big hill, and suddenly I was aware that I felt pretty good even though I was running up a hill. Nothing really new, but I had this unexpected gratitude for being able to do it. That idea started a chain of thoughts that led me to realize that I have plenty to be grateful for, and it changes everything when I am. Not too long ago, Tom told me that gratitude was the answer, and I think he was right.

I love making resolutions, and I find that if I tell everyone about them, I am held accountable for them. I want to be grateful this year. The end of my run had me making a long list of the things I'm grateful for.

• healthy body.


• healthy and well behaved child.


• good friends.


• good family.


• good music.


• the gospel.


• prayer.


• forgiveness.

And I spent a good amount of time being grateful for the fact that even though I couldn't, just couldn't, bring myself to cook all this week and last (and several other nights before that), and haven't wanted to clean, grocery shop, or run errands, none of it has gone undone. Tom has cooked us healthy and delicious meals. He has gone to the grocery store, picked up library books, and cleaned up my messes. I called him at work this morning and told him that I was thankful for him picking up my slack. That doesn't quite cover it. I'm thankful that someone wants to carry what I think is too heavy.

Christmas 2008

We spent Christmas in Utah and had a wonderfully white one. Christmas Eve was lots of fun at Grandma's house with lots of food, presents, entertainment, and good company.

Eric and Addison - cousins and best buds. I should have gotten a picture of the "hug of torture" as Addison calls it. That's when they first see each other and have to hug REALLY tight.

Braden is joining the ranks of the big boys.

Linda reading a Christmas story.
Emma playing a Christmas song.
The rapt audience.
And, of course, presents from aunts, uncles, and cousins. Thanks!

Linda, Steve, and Brei gave us these crazy hair wire things that are so cool, if I can figure out how to use them. This was my first attempt and I think it's pretty cool.
I only took 2 pictures Christmas morning. I'm getting lazy as Addison gets older.

Addison with his new bike, which is the "fastest that Santa makes," or so we hear.

Candy Cane Lane

There is a cute little neighborhood in Pacific Grove where each house decorates for Christmas and the big park in the middle is all decked out. Our friends Cheryl and Micah with us, and we walked through Candy Cane Lane. (By the way, I thought that was the real street name, and was really confused when trying to look it up on Googlemaps.)

Most of the houses had themes, like "Hawaiin Christmas," or "Disney Princess Christmas." This was "Where the Wild Things Are," and I thought it was an appropriate background for Jaden and Addison!

Jaden, Beckam, and Addison as cute little gingerbread men.
This was in the park in the middle of the neighborhood. The kids played here for a long time.

Cute baby Asher chasing all of the crazy big boys around.
Beckam, Asher, Addison, Jaden, and Cheryl.

Addison found somebody's abandoned glasses on the ground and put them on (I know, gross) for an authentic Santa picture.

He's So Wise...

Addison was a wise man in a Christmas play this year. He has loved doing these little plays so much. I hope he keeps it up. This play was put on by a woman in my ward who works as the youth activities leader in the church (multi-denominational) on the military base. Her son is Addison's age. Addison sang "We Three Kings" in a trio and did such a great job. He's always a little nervous before these things, but does awesome when he gets on stage.

Addison actually played 2 parts. He was a villager at first and then a wise man. This is before the play in his villager costume with his friend Seth (the chicken), and his sisters, the angels (they really are).

Shepherds and villagers.These pictures didn't turn out very well. This is before he changes into his wise man role.

Talking to King Herod.

More with the king.

Our friends Meridth and Edward came to support the star, and get in on the action.

Let it Snow!

This is why I live in the coolest place in the world...

Within one hour I can be either here...


Or here...
Tom called today and said that it was snowing at his house. It rained really hard at my house last night and I guess it turned into to snow in the higher elevations. Jaden was coming home with us today, so when I picked him and Addison up at school, I brought hats, gloves, coats, and boots for a trip to see some snow. When I told them where we were going, they were so excited! I thought we would find a skiff of snow that they could make some snowballs with. I had no idea what to expect of snow in Monterey. We drove up past Tom's about 8 miles (about 45 minutes from my house) and found this! I never liked snow when I was in Utah, but I will admit... I miss it!!!

Christmas Decorating Au Naturale

I haven't really felt all that Christmasy for the last few years. Last year, I finally decided that Christmas music was still fun, but I didn't put up any decorations. I told Addison that since we were only going to be here for a couple weeks before going to Utah, it wouldn't really be worth it. Plus, I still have boxes and boxes of Christmas decorations in Utah, and nothing here.
This year, even though, again, we will only be here for a few weeks before going to Utah, I really wanted to get a Christmas tree and I wanted to decorate it only with things that we made at home. I also wanted to get a real tree as I, ever since having my own tree in my own house, have only had fake trees (much easier with lights that are already attached!). We started at about 4:30 on Friday night and finished at about 10:00, working nonstop. We turned the tv to the Christmas music station and had so much fun.

Here's our ornament list:

• Dried oranges. I have an orange tree in my backyard that grows green oranges which will never ripen. Addison picked a bunch of them and I sliced them and dried them (almost) in the oven. Then we added red yarn to hang them with.
• Cranberries and popcorn. I bought some cranberries and Orville Redenbacher Tender White popcorn and we strung them together for our garland.
• Candy canes. Ok. I didn't make these, but Addison wanted to buy them at Safeway.
• Pine cones.
• Dried pomegranates from our tree.
• Paper snowflakes. These didn't end up on the tree, but we hung them from the window.

We haven't done the pine cones or pomegranates yet (those pomegranates take forever to dry), but I really like the tree, and hope to keep this as a tradition for the future. If lights weren't such a pain, I would add them, but this really was done with no frustration or irritation, and I want to keep it that way.