2010... in with a BANG! It's all over now... the beds are changed... Christmas decor is boxed and away for another year... bathrooms are back in order... floors are cleaned and/or vacuumed... the kidletts with their kidletts are safely home and life in the new year has resumed. It is now safe to report the events of the last couple of weeks... only words and a few pics... nothing can describe the feeling of joy and love (and noise) with which we have been enveloped since the middle of last month. We started early... Julie organized the other siblings and showed up Wednesday evening before Christmas to take Mom caroling in a wheelchair (details to follow). We did the neighborhood... reviving a tradition that was one of our favorites our many years in California. It was a lovely evening and snowing and we were in fine form. Pam and Brian and their four would just miss the caroling but were the first to arrive from afar before Christmas Day... and were here for the big day rising just before 8 a.m. Others of the clan opened gifts at home and then came up as their schedules allowed... and with each wave we opened their portions and thusly enjoyed Christmas during much of the day. Jan had "suggested" a hunt was in order so the final gift from us (Blong Ball sets crafted from local Home Depot supplies and golf balls provided by Dallas) was found after some considerable effort on the part of the hunters. The other portion of our offerings to the kids were canning jars Jan was lucky enough to cash in on down south of here... and portioned out to the kids. Most got a couple of dozen except David and Melissa who are still in "let's get school out of the way" mode and renting, so Jan gave them a dozen pint jars filled with various preserves. The rest just got air! The kids outdid themselves for us even though their gift for us each year is supposed to be "Memories" that are written about a certain topic selected and collected by whichever child is in charge for the year. This year it was David and the subject was "Favorite dinnertime Memory!" We enjoyed the memories twice... once on Christmas Day and then again after the new year while Gary/Liesl etal, and our Jeffrey were in town. They were all delightful. Besides that effort... a USB turntable to old records can be converted to disc, a multifunctional power tool that cutting or sanding in tight spots, moccasins for the both of us, new family photos and magnets for the Brag Board (still in production from last year), a cozy blanket, yummy grated coconut, and a handprint in porcelain of Jane from Serra/Rich. Not to mention dropping everything and taking the time to come up nearly every day or evening during the holidays for meals or special gatherings. December 10
 
This is the definition of "down and dirty"... Evelyn and Livvy get into decorating Sugar Cookies of the Cousins' Party
My brother, Dallas, from Bear Lake (St. Charles) had invited me up to help him put on the entertainment for the St. Charles Ward Christmas Party on December 11 so we drove up for that and came right back. It is really the first time Dallas and I have sung together and with little practice time we kept it very simple. While one of Santa's helpers entertained the troops, we slipped out and back home.
 
St. Charles Ward Christmas Party... stars on stage
 
Out greatest fans front and center... Mom, Baby Lillian, and Julie... ... Santa's helper, Patricia Keetch, with Lillian Jane December 12
Temple Ordinance Workers Christmas Dinner entertainment... Melissa accompanied for "Christmas Wishes" and "Joseph"... at the Coppermill
We held an Arnell's Cousins' party before Christmas on December 12. We spent the morning in the temple, enjoyed a luncheon with the temple workers at the Coppermill, and then came home to make final preparations and to enjoy the evening with the lots of good folk who came to share the evening with us and each other.
 
 
Steph chats with Mom A and Livvy... Lillian and Julie  
The expectant Melissa and David chillin... our guest entertaining Christmas requests from the next generation
 
The price of admission was canned food for the Food Pantry downtown... Santa's helper had a captive audience  
Kidlins wait in line to sit with Santa... one of the LE's (Daryl/Angie's) gets her morsel from Old Saint Nick  
Lexie ponders the appropriate request... will it be a pony or another tractor? ... Jamie with the other LE and Tanner  
Buddie... Lindsey
 
Meagan... Holden... the Little Rich White Boy continues very entertained!
 
Breanna... Taylor
 
Jane smiles at this special Santa... Rich and Serra and Jane with G-ma White and "Santa" 
... and a special parting kiss for Mrs. Santa as the old man leaves...
 
Santa leaves... and kids checking out the roof where surely he was parked!  
Oh well... must have missed him... on to better things... Cody turns 15 and shares his cake with fans!
Meanwhile, practices for our Christmas Concert... the American Festival Chorus and Orchestra continued each Wednesday evening through November and December, and then again Thursday evening the week of the performance... the performances were Friday evening, Saturday afternoon and evening. It was a glorious experience and went very well. The decorations were fabulous... the guest performers were in fine form. 
Thursday evening dress rehearsal shot... AFC and orchestra
Jan had scheduled surgery for Friday morning so she attended the Thursday evening dress rehearsal (which is really the first time the orchestra sees the music... the brass section was missing the second half of their music so they saw it for the first time during the performance! There is something to be said for paid professionals). We took her in the following morning at 6 a.m. and by 9:30 she was through and we were on our way home. She had work done on both feet... a genetic condition where the toe ligaments crowd the nerves and cause numbing and eventually pain. Both her sister and mother have had the same procedure done. Jan chose to have it done before it became more serious... and with the year end closing in there was no good time to have it done so we just did the best we could. She is recovering nicely but overdid it several times in the fray of the holidays. 
Several days after the fact... the rainbow of healing! December 24th-25th
 
Serra~V and Livvy helping to get ready for Christmas Eve dinner... three of the six g-sons sequestered in the corner for dinner!  
Let's eat and then act out "The Christmas Story!"  
Jane makes a perfect angel... Ethan can be Joseph... or was it a shepherd?
Weston cons Jane into defining "kissin cousins" without the benefit of the mistletoe nearby!  
Christmas just before the kids come in... Andersons and Mom Arnell join us for the grand opening!  
The dinosaur with a personality was a favorite... but Weston enjoyed the Princess wrapping nearly as much!
 
Rosie with her princess... Serra~V with her Razor
 
Kirbys joined us after opening most things at home... Evy and Livvy each get a box!
 
Jared, a long board... Weston, a traditional Raggedy Andy from G-ma Arnell  
Let's read a new story book... David and Melissa joined us about mid-morning and opened their loot!
 
Jane got her own "blanky... Doug/Darci/Ethan/Landon join us and open their "bottled air!" from the g-parents  
Dallas and Melinda dropped in... showing off a gift from Kirbys... Serra reads to Jane and Evy  
We finally get around to the annual hunt... the task... to pick the old man's brain via hidden clues!
 
This year the loot was a homecrafted Blong Ball set for each family... monogrammed bags courtesy of Mom Let the games begin!
December 26  
Left... a Christmas favorite... the reading of memories... David was in charge this year... "Favorite mealtime Memory!" Landon to Jane..."You kiss my nose... I'll eat your chin... it should all work out!"  
Ethan and Weston entertained by the personable dinosaur December 29 
We tripped to SLC to join with our good friends, Dana and Naomi McClure... sealed for time and all eternity.
December 30  
Our yard looked like a herd of elk wandered through and back!
Gary/Liesl/etal and Jeffrey joined us just before New Years and Jan put together a Brower's Cousins' Party for New Years Eve. It was a very busy time of year and this event was sparsely attended but all of our kids were here (save David/Melissa and spouses Maren and Brian), and Bruce and Janet came, and David and Barbara's kids and Kaitlyn's fiance, Ben Austin, came to represent them. We had a great time and at the appointed hour our neighbors up on the hill, Stan Checketts and guests, lit up the sky with a wonderful display of fireworks and explosions.  
G-pa entertains #15 g-child... Charlotte Kaye... Jeffrey shows up mid week and entertains the rest of the 16!  
Gary plays with the youngins... Kaitlyn brought Ben up for closer inspection
 
Jane... Lillian... Charlotte... among our 2008-2009 additions... ... Wii entertains the young and the restless
Saturday evening, January 2, at Jan's request, we gathered for a rerun of a program I had prepared for her 40th birthday celebration. None of the kids had been invited that time so they humored us during the presentation in song and script the story of our courtship and marriage. Little Georgiana was especially enamored. January 1  
Allison... one of our snow bunnies contemplating a victim... Gary Logan taking a snooze 
...Celebrating Liesl's birthday
 
Lizzy on the hill out back... Jessica, Serra and Allison buy Katrina... just for fun January 2  
Gary took all the kids sledding on the hill above Lamplighter
Snow bunnies in training! 
Dear friends from CA...Lisa, Mike and Brady Hanson stop for a visit on their way to deliver Brady to BYU-I
Family White Elephant gift exchange... Jeffrey demonstrating a mirror from the Grandma Brower Collection while Doug exclaims, "It's just the ticket"
 
Jeffrey demonstrating the proper way to wear a snuggle or snuglet or whatever they are called
  Baby Jane enamored with a box... Jacob got "the clown" this year! Brian was loath to give it up!
 
Former state champ takes on former nearly state champ... looks like an illegal hold to me!  
Great Grandma Arnell with little Gary Logan (almost 3 months old)... Brent entertaining the family with a rerun from 1991
And then to top it all off... family and friends gathered from hither and yon on Sunday, January 3... in sacrament meeting to support the blessing of Gary/Liesl's young newborn, Gary Logan, and then gathered afterward for breakfast casserole with all the fixens and good company. The weather cooperated... pics to follow!  
Lizzy, Liesl, Gary Logan, Gary, Georgianna, Jacob, Joseph, Katrina... and then 4 generations   Grandparents with all 16 grand children... 30 of the 34 family members gathered after Gary Logan's blessing
 
Breakfast Casserole and trimmings... lets eat!  
Uncle Jeffrey easily wins over Jane
 
 
Jan and siblings... Bruce, Jan, David, Karen (Teresa missing)  
Katie and Helen... Catherine Brower Dean and youngest of three sons and expecting a daughter in May  
Angie, Helen, Mom A, Julie, Donny and Catherine Dean, Bruce, Karen... Could this be Livvy?  
"76 Trombones!" via Ethan... Weston heads outside in G-G-ma Arnell's boots
| 
True
Premium
