December 13, 2009

Dear Family,
Well, here we are to Christmas time!—November’s been a flurry, esp. with the life jumbling event of our computer CRASHING, due to some lethal virus it caught. Thanks to our noble EQ President here, who is also a brilliant IT guy, we were able to salvage most of our files/pic’s, etc., and get set up for the purchase of a new computer (that we knew was inevitable soon, but which I wanted to put off for as long as possible). We’ve now been told what a good machine it is, but all I can see is the WORK it takes to relearn new and updated programs, and the time it will take to re-establish my email address book (my biggest loss that I know of). Computers have now replaced cars on my list of #1 Headache causes—and I was just getting onto friendly terms w/ automobiles again! Ah well, the timing was horrid, right here at the holidays, and getting ready for baby, but after four days of stewing over it, I realized this too shall pass, and one day, I’ll appreciate the chance to be so updated!
Otherwise, we had a GREAT Thanksgiving up in Idaho—except that I forgot my camera! We joined the WHOLE Duncan family of Dad & Kathy, and enjoyed a fun baby shower for sister in-law Donna’s first baby, swimming for the kids and dads Thanksgiving morning, an exciting (and hugely cumbersome) purchase of a pingpong table @ 5AM on Black Friday, a visit w/ G&G Stewart, and of course, more scrumptious food than we could ever eat! It was a warm and cozy time, and really fun to be together and get caught up w/ everyone.
The next weekend, our Emily turned 8!!! Her birthday was Friday, w/ Lucky Charms for breakfast and BLT’s for dinner. She was lucky enough to get to be baptized the very next day, and we had G&G Mildenhall, G&G Duncan, and Great G&G Mildenhall here, along w/ Nick & Laurie, & Nate & Stacey’s family. The Priday aunts organized a shower for Laurie that morning while Mom & Dad were in town, and though there was a bit of chaos in the Mildenhall tradition of transportation (Nick traveling to the wrong place on the way—by 45 miles, and my missing the exit home by ½ an hour!), it was SUCH a delightful day!! I was just brimming over w/ happiness—to get to be the one to hug that sweetie right out of the font, to be surrounded by so much wonderful family, and to just be so aware of our abundant life!
After a fairly hectic December last year, I was determined to do whatever was necessary to enjoy this great Christmas time of year this go-round, and so far, we are loving it! We’re reading A Christmas Carol at night, we’ve caught almost every Christmas program on TV so far, we’ve started our “Secret Santa”, have about 4 advent calendars (including the famous candy one!), didn’t miss the 1st Presidency Devotional, and are drinking plenty of cocoa. I even got to go the Mormon Tabernacle Christmas concert this last week—w/ Natalie Cole, and David McCullough!!! I was so excited—a counselor in our RS Pres. had tickets since her husband is in the choir, and we went as a presidency this last Thursday!! SUCH fun! Since Seaworld Tickets are the children’s gifts this year, our Christmas shopping has been SO simple, and I am really loving soaking all of this up!
Hope you’re all in the thick of enjoying the season, and staying warm! Love, The Duncan’s

 

While we were watching some neighbor kids, I noticed the children were playing a new "mummy game" where they'd wrap their faces up w/ a scarf like this, and then play a slightly warped version of "hide-and-go- seek" They are so funny!

November piano recital--trophies for most memorized pieces :)! (though Brent looks tortured, he plays more than all of us put together--have I mentioned I think he may be entering a "cool" stage?)

 

This was our Christmas tree from last year--we somehow missed the city pickup last year, and so we've been using it to give our yard a nice pine scent all year (or really, just waiting for enough room in our garbage can).  Ironic that we got rid of it about a week before we got our new tree!

Anne is BABY crazy!!!---hopefully she will be excited enough to give up a little of her Momaddiction when our baby gets here! She totes babies around most of the day, lines them all up to go "night-night", takes them on walks, lets us babysit (for about 10 seconds), and is priceless as she leans over to kiss them or soothe them.

The school Choir Concert--they thought they'd have about 50 kids this year, and they had 180!!! Emily's only complaint was that they could barely fit on the stands, let alone move their hands for the motions--Emily's old 1st grade teacher, Miss Hellewell, is the director, and one of our favorite people ever!

 

Emily's presents: birthday dress, scriptures, and some homemade goodies from Spencer :)

blowing out the candles! (her favorite--German Chocolate Cake!)

The happy couple (once they made it to the shower)

Laurie & Mom w/ their famous T-shirt quilt she made for them

Emily right before her baptism (which we made it to in the nick of time!--I still consider it a miracle I was able to enjoy it all and not be in my normal state of anxiety, despite a bit of chaos!) Grandma Duncan spoke, Gpa Duncan gave a prayer, G&G M did the music, and Brent and Maddie played a duet of her favorite song, "If the Savior Stood Beside Me"

Emily in her birthday dress! (she picked it out on a shopping trip I took w/ her and Maddie--not having any sisters, I've never been much of a shopper, but those two were SO much fun!-so positive, and loving every minute of finding cute things wherever we went, and since we were in no rush, and didn't have to buy anything, it was actually a blast!--maybe all these girls will teach me how to wear jewelry one day too!)

Emily w/ the grandparents

Nick & Laurie, hanging out at the kids table w/ all the cousins

(Tyler, Brent, Makaela, & Spencer)

As you can see, Nick was getting manicotti from all sides of the table :)

More cousins: (Masina, Emily, Anne, Makena, and Maddie)

visiting after dinner: Brian, Kathy, Nate, and Dad

Spencer, (the entertainer) teaching G&G how to play spin the dice--he will talk to ANYone that will listen, and if you listen, there's a good hope you'll play a game with him, and he has several to choose from!! His little Kindergarten friend across the street has been over quite a bit the past few weeks, and she is always saying, "Spencer, why do you have to talk so much?" and "Spencer, why do you ask so many questions?" He sure knows how to keep us excited about life!

Anne is like a little adult trapped in a toddling body--she really thinks she's capable of everything we do, and her Mom sometimes gets tired of trying to convince her otherwise.  She loves to help cook, and though she's tried her own concoctions a few times just this week (mixing up our BUCKETS of wheat and oats; putting grated cheese in her orange juice to stir around, and pouring salt and pepper on anything whenever she can), this is her helping me w/ a breakfast casserole, as though it was all her idea :)