CHRISTMAS EVE 2009

This was a different year for Ed and Cyndy. For most of the day, Cyndy was in a frenzy tying up all the loose ends of Christmas--last minute shopping and exchanging gifts opened from the previous day for the right sizes, delivering a few goodies to neighbors, getting end of month bills paid, tidying up the house, etc. At the end of the day she dashed to the hospital. There, the two of them spent a quiet Christmas Eve together singing carols and telling Christmas stories. There were only two other surgical patients left in the entire hospital, most had gone home that day, so there was an extra meal left over that the nurses gave to a hungry and grateful Cyndy. The day before she had brought a small lighted tree into Ed's room to brighten things up and bring some Christmas cheer. After all was said and done, the evening turned out to be a rather nice one.

CHRISTMAS DAY 2009

Cyndy spent the morning at Bryce and Kate's home watching Kimball get his "big" presents from Santa, Mom, and Dad. The parents had fun helping Kimball play with his new toys.

This one's from Santa:

From Dad (who else?) (Hint: if these videos don't play right away, click on the gray arrow on the bar in the center and move it slightly to the right and the movie will begin.)

Truck loaded with blocks from Mom.

One more gift from Mom and Dad for Bryce, a new pair of shoes, arrived in the mail Christmas Eve, so he got to have one more present to open.

After eating Breakfast burritos that Kate made, Cyndy left for a visit to her sister, Mary, and then the hospital. It was a very quiet afternoon at the hospital until about 5:30 p.m. when everything happened all at once--Bryce, Kate, Kimball and Derek came to visit and Kim and family called from Texas. The hospital went lax on the rules because it's not the "traditional kind of hospital, it's a specially hospital. So, they allowed more than two visitors and children.

Christmas Eve (for us) arrived December 22, 2009, the night before Ed's surgery. Bryce, Kate, and Kimball joined us for dinner and the traditional Home Evening with reading of the Christmas Story.

Then we opened our presents. Kimball was interested in the big one for Him from his grandparents.

When he saw it coming out of the box, he was very pleased.

The Pooh airplane is a push toy with "buttons" (Kimball loves anything with buttons), and these buttons play music!

He can also ride his new toy, if Dad pushes him.

He also had fun climbing through grandma's new mirror....

...climbing round and round, over and over.

The Real Christmas Eve, December 24, the day after the surgery, we spent together. We performed a Christmas program for ourselves that we had put together years ago with duets, solos, and Christmas readings.

Christmas morning found Grandma Cyndy at Kimball's house. Santa brought him a new car stroller. He loved it and when they visited Grandpa at the hospital later that day, they brought the stroller and everyone took turns taking him round and round the 3rd floor. No one minded because there were only two other patients at TOSH over Christmas.

In true form, Kimball's dad bought him a basketball hoop so they can practice together.

Although Christmas was really different this year, it will be worth if if Ed's new hip works out, and that will be the best present of all.

It's been awhile. Thanksgiving was a nice holiday for us. Bryce, Kate, and Kimball came and spent two nights at our house. Their prescence brought that "Over the river and through the Woods...." feeling into our home. With two hands cooking the meal, it made for easy work. We forgot to take pictures.

On Friday, Kate began our Christmas cooking. We had previously purchased chocolate and mints chips, and she melted them and poured them into molds. We had bought colored frosting paints that made them look really good. I was suffering from a head cold and sinus infection, so I didn't participate. We will get together later in the month to make toffee, peanut brittle, and sugar cookies. The men watched ball games on TV while we hung out in the kitchen.

On the day after Thanksgiving, we watched a video between games and made rice krispie treats with chocoloate chips added. Kimball thought they were pretty good.

We have now got ourselves on track for Christmas. Ed did a really great job on the outdoor lights. He started on a warmer day and finished in the cold on the first big snowfall of the season. But they sure do look pretty.

Living Room--We opted not to put up the larger white ceramic manger scene this year. We would rather have Kimball visit and not have to worry about breakage, than have the display to look at, even though it is really beautiful and becomes the focal point in the room. I decorated the tree simply, once again, for Kimball's sake. I used the sets of triple ornaments from other countries that Ed's parents gave us over the years, and the hand-painted wooden ornaments that I painstakingly made that were all the rage in 1978.

Kitchen--The Fritz and Lloyd cookie jar and candy dish my sister, Deanna, has given me over the years make the room very festive.
Basement Family Room. The theme for the tree is Teddy bears. My brother, Richard, and his wife, Nancy, sent us 12 darling bear ornaments when they were on their mission in Michigan. The winter "bear" globe scene came from my sister, Lydia, and husband, Ted, one Christmas, and the bear tree skirt was made by Ed's sister, Donice. Someday we will bequeath them to our grandson, Brayden Baer, the BEAR! (lovingly dubbed him as a baby that growled)
We still hang up the kids stockings. We used to put a new decoration on them each year. We started the tradition when Kim, our oldest, was two. As the kids left home, we stopped adding decorations to their stockings.

Today, Saturday, November 7, I went on my first hike with the Davis County Hiking Group. There were about 15 people on the hike today. We hiked up Millcreek Canyon. Richard on the left is the organizer of the group. Sophia on the right hiked with me and we visited all the way up and back. The day was sunny, a little cool, but good for hiking. The round trip was about 3 hours duration. It was a great day and I made some new friends.

Posing by a bridge about 3/4 of the way to top.

View of Bountiful City from the top.

Trip to Marysvale and Southern Utah

We finally got to go on a real vacation. We left October 15 and came home October 25.

First Stop was Marysvale and fourwheeling. We went on two trips. These three pictures show a cool mountain trail we traveled.

Ed rides.

Cyndy's on the trail.

The scenery is great, but we were too late for the best autumn colors.

Next stop was Cedar City. We stopped at Cedar Breaks on the way.

It's smaller than Zion's, but beautiful just the same.

We spent a day at my brother, Richard's, in Cedar City. He took us to Kolob Canyon.

Next stop was St. George. We went on two rides. The first was Indian Spring Trail. There were lots of Joshua Trees, named by the Mormon Pioneers because they thought they had armed outstretched like Joshua in the Bible.

Cool scenery and lots of up and down hills on the road.

Second ride was the Silver Reef trail by Leeds. Desert Cactus can be very pretty.

We loved this ride. It took us into a canyon much like those in the northern mountains of Utah. This spot was on a little hike off the trail.

Awesome views!

Lunch at the end of the trail.

The ride into the canyon.

A stream on the way.

Yesterday Kimball came over. Grandma and Grandpa had already had a "sneak preview" of Kimball in his Halloween costume when they visited Kimball's mom and dad a few days ago. They didn't have their camera, so they asked Kate to bring it along when she came to lunch so that they could take pictures.

Grandma and Grandpa thought it was hysterical. His little face looks very round without his blond hair protruding. It sure seems to fit him. (Notice the banana sticking out of his right pocket.)

Climbing the "Monkey" Bars! The Monkey goes for a walk.
What a boy! He loves to come over and go for a ride with Grandpa on his 4 wheeler!

Baer Gutsman Race last Summer

August 1, 2009

This was a unique day for our family. Our Three sons, Eddie, Derek, and Bryce came together and hiked/ran the 11 mile Baer Gutsman Race in the Mountain above the city we live in. Ten years ago, Ed and I completed this same race. We ran it twice. Bryce and Derek are wearing the race shirts from last year's event. They ran this race together while Ed and I were on our mission. This was Eddie's first year to run the race.The boys enjoyed the race and have decided to make this an annual event.

Bryce, Derek, and Eddie pose with their "Conquer Thyself" shirts that are awarded only if the race is completed in five hours or less.

Derek came in first.

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Eddie was next,

Followed by Bryce.

After the race, we all headed for Bear Lake to celebrate Garden City's Raspberry Days with fireworks over the water that night.