Finally

For a very long time now Jonathan has wanted to learn to play the guitar. So last year for Christmas we got him an electric guitar. Who knew that trying to find a teacher would be such an adventure. Not ME!!!!

So someone gave us the name of a guy that lives in Riverside. I called a couple of people that I thought might have known who this guy was. I should have listened to Kathleen Hall when she said he was ok but her Chris didn't really learn anything from him and they moved on. That should have been my clue to just keep searching, just keep searching. So no. Well I call this guy, funny how his name escapes me, probably a good thing. He says how he loves to teach, that he's played in bands and is currently playing in a band. I of course think, cool, Jon will love this. NOT happening. We go out there for his first lesson, the walk up to the door was a little scary, the yappie ankle biting dogs were not impressive, yet the bells didn't start going off in my head until I realized the teacher was the oxygen sniffing old guy!!! I kid you not Jon just looked at me like this isn't for real is it? Sadly I just fake a smile and say "Have fun" and I leave. I should have been reported I know. So I wait and in 30 minutes go back in and get him, I tell you the guy talked our ear off for another 20 minutes and played me bluegrass!!!!! I could tell Jon was not the least bit impressed. When we get in the car and he starts TRYING hard to find nice things to say I know it's a lost cause. So I try to keep it positive and just say it will be better and I know he's hoping he doesn't have to go back. The next week the teacher calls and says there's snow on the road and he won't be doing lessons until it's gone!! I kid you not and I'm thinking we live in Idaho for crying out loud and it's January. Truly Jon was relieved and praising us when we said he didn't have to go back there. Ok maybe we thought we heard praises, probably not, but I have to find redemption for leaving him there somehow.

Fast forward a year.

He still really wants to play and has been trying on his own, with help from Frank to learn a few chords. So I decided to just call a place in Idaho Falls. Imagine Jonathan's surprise when we told him we had signed him up for lessons at the Violin Shop in Idaho Falls, hahahahahahahahaha. For real that's where they hold lessons for alot of instuments. His first lesson was last week and I was so impressed and better yet he didn't suck oxygen and Jon thought he rocked. There is a new rock star in the makings at the Paice house.

Christmas in February

We love our Christmas in February!!

Uncle Jimmy and Aunt Pat send us gift certificates to Texas Roadhouse for Christmas. It always seems like it takes us until February to get everyone's schedules to match up. Between Christopher's schedule at Convergys, Steve's schedule with the Police Dept., Sarah's schedule with the nursing home, Kelsey's schedule with school and Daniel's schedule with school, I really thought it would be April or May before we got to enjoy our family dinner. It's just a good thing that Frank, Jonathan, Grandma Elle and I are so stinkin flexable. I'm so glad that Chris decided to take a couple of days off at the beginning of the week. Steve and Sarah were trying to talk us into taking everyone in shifts, and then they so unselfishly agreed to go with each shift to help spread the love, but it turned out great for everyone because we all got to go together. The only thing that would be better was if Uncle Jimmy and Aunt Pat could join us.

SUPERBOWL

The comment was made today by Daniel, that one thing he loves about the superbowl is that we eat better than we do at Thanksgiving. Isn't that what superbowl is all about, food and commercials.
Ok well being with family and watching the game is number one but the others are a close second.

It was different this year that we didn't go to Hoges, like we have for the last umpteen years. I hope Sharon gets feeling better, being in the hospital is not fun.

The game was so good. At first I thought it wouldn't be a very close game but was I wrong. We really got into the game. So much so that the police arrived.

Ok well it was just Steve. He wanted to eat and watch the half time show. It was fun to have everyone here even the dogs enjoyed themselves.

All in all I think everyone had a good time. Kelsey and I especially, since the Steelers WON.

It's funny though, I hated football right up until the time that Daniel started playing. A new appreciation is formed when you have children involved in a sport you know absolutely nothing about. It seemed like with each season I gained new knowledge and appreciation. So when Chris and Jon played I could atleast cheer and jeer at the right times. Although I wouldn't be completely honest if I said I never cheered or jeered emphatically at the WRONG time, because I have. That is one mistake that is hard to cover up, so I just would look around and smile. Frank is so good to me when I do that, he just pats my leg, smiles and says, "Oh hon" Then he tries to explain it to me sometimes missing the next important play.

Christmas Pickle

One of our family traditions is the Christmas Pickle.
We have two glass pickle ornaments, one for the boys and one for the girls. On the afternoon of Christmas Day I hide the pickles one at a time in the tree. This year the boys went first.



The rule is no touching the tree, you can just look and then point to it if you find it.

Steve gets so into finding the pickle. He and Sarah are two of the most competitive people I know. Hum, I wonder where they or Sarah atleast gets it from.

Sometimes there is a little wrestling involved, but the winner remains victorious. Jon I think just wanted to win really bad, so he figured if he could wrestle it away from Daniel he might be declared the winner. Wrong.


This year it was Daniel. Most everyone was fine with that since he actually missed out on the pickle for the 2 years he was on his mission. He won Whoppers and gumballs. He was happy.

Sarah and Kelsey were next. I'm surprised neither of them actually got under the tree. They were pretty darn close to that this year. The older they get the funnier they are.

Obviously Sarah didn't win the pickle this year. Darn it and she picked out the prize because she was so sure she was going to win!!! Notice some of the ribbon has come off the tree, so much for no tree touching :)

Kelsey won!!! Her prize was a hot chocolate cone. Actually it was just hot chocolate with marshmallows wrapped in a clever way as to look like a cone. I think Steve was looking to make sure that Sarah was truly ok. She was.

And our two winners for the 2008 Christmas Pickle are Kelsey and Daniel. Sarah and Steve say they are winners too so sneak into the picture.

We have been doing our Christmas Pickle for as long as I can remember. It's something they all look forward to and I have to admit I love doing it too. They all just make me laugh. It's a crack up listening to them go over strategies, usually it's the Simpers that are doing the planning. I'm not too sure what will happen when little ones start showing up in the picture. We may have to get more pickles because I don't see the bigger ones abandoning this tradition for quite some time.

Christmas was alot of fun this year. We were fortunate that we had everyone home. I love it when that happens. I know that sometime down the road it won't be like that but I am so thankful for the times it does. There is nothing like having all your family around especially during the holidays.

2009

Thanks to our girls we have now entered the world of blogging. Thanks Sarah and Kelsey.
(Sarah helped me set this whole thing up today.)

I can't imagine that our life is that interesting but they assured me that it is. Well afterall though I love to read other people's blogs, it's actually fasinating to me. So this will be one more reason to not get those scrapbook pages done!!!

Christmas was great, it always seems to get here so fast and is over even faster :( We hunted all over for a Wii Fit for Christopher and finally found one AFTER Christmas. I had left him an IOU from Santa in a tiny little stocking, that seemed to suffice. I would really like to use that thing myself but I don't want to when people are around or have people see my stats or anything. Jonathan assured me today that I could password protect it, now I just have to think of a different password that I can remember. Frank got me a trip back east. We had such a great time last summer that we want to go again!!!! I'm so excited to go. The kids got me a glass wall hanging that says, Home, a refuge from the storm. I love it. Daniel got me a wall hanging that talks about Fullfillment. I love things like that. Especially since Frank and I, ok Frank, repainted our family room and our hallways.

I'm not much for New Years Resolutions because by January 7th I've broken almost everyone. So this year I thought I would try something new. My goal for this year is to just be a better me. I feel like that is a broad enough goal that I can accomplish. I let you know how the progress goes. Atleast it will be something to blog about.