Happy Valentine’s Day!

Hopefully your day was as special as heart-shaped marshmallows in your hot cocoa!

The kids woke up to candle-lit breakfast of donuts.  It’s was nice that we were off school this week so it was a relaxing breakfast and a new surprise as each child decided to get out of bed.

Cami was first up, as usual, and was pleasantly surprised with her gifts.  Each of the kids got a book, as per tradition.  Nothing like adding new books to our home library!  Exciting!

I also got an early morning delivery at our door from Chris.  I saw this necklace earlier and commented how much I loved it – simple, but beautiful . . and it showed up on my doorstep.

I took advantage of the kids being out of school (and public schools being in) to go to the mall for a movie.  We had also missed having a family outing for Caleb’s birthday so I let him choose  -  we ended up seeing Wreck It, Ralph in 3D.  It was a fun day with my sweethearts!

We have just finished up two weeks of having my parents with us.  That’s right – 2 weeks!!  I don’t know that we’ve ever had a visit that long, but it was very nice and relaxing.  Because there were many days of their trip ahead of them, neither Mom nor Dad felt they needed to get out to see anything right away.  They kind of relaxed for the first few days, got on a good sleeping schedule, and took some walks to the High Street to explore.

Cami even had a special tutor for one day.  It only lasted for that one day, but it was nice (for me) while it lasted!

Cami and Grandpop Reading

Last time my parents were here, we drove down to see his cousins and his last living uncle, Uncle Ron.  They were hoping they’d get a chance to meet up with Uncle Ron again on this trip, but he passed away in January.  Because Dad had been in continual contact with the family who watched over Uncle Ron, they knew he was coming to the UK soon.  They asked if they postponed the memorial service, would Mom and Dad like to attend.  So, they scheduled the memorial service for the week after Mom and Dad arrived.  They were able to spend a couple days down with the family and came back with some great finds from Uncle Ron’s home . . . like original pictures and newspaper clippings.

Uncle Bert, Grandmom, and Uncle Ron

It was fun to personalize some of these old family photos.  No matter how often you hear stories, sometimes it just takes the right timing for all the dots to fit together.  My grandma was one of 3 children, but her father had been married before and had 3 children from that marriage.  This was their family . . . quite a gap in age!

(front row:  Uncle Bert, Grandmom, Uncle Ron; back row:  Uncle Norman, Uncle Stanley, Aunt Madge, Great-Grandpop Dyer, Great-Grandmom Dyer)

It was also amazing to see how much my grandmom resembled her mother.

Great-Grandmom Dyer

I think the coolest find of all was a newspaper clipping from Uncle Stanley’s death in 1938.  He was Grandmom’s half-brother who died of stomach cancer when he was fairly young.  [It is also interesting that is also what she passed away from later in life, as well as her father.]  But, on the back side of the clipping was an article about how Hitler took control of his army and announced a new secret cabinet.  1938 – when it all began.  I wonder if anyone knew the significance of that article at the time.

My parents enjoyed the rest of their stay with us.  They did a few things in the city, took a couple day trips out of the city, and just hung out at home.  Most of the kids had knot-tying lessons with Grandpop.  Caleb got a lot of things passed off in his Scout book already.  One day Grandpop even taught the kids how to burn the ends of a nylon rope so it won’t fray.  An excuse to play with fire – definitely a fun event for them!

All of the knot-tying lessons were put to good use.  They all decided to take turns hog-tying each other, doors have been tied shut, and they have pulled each other around the house tied together.

Hannah Hog-tied

Grandmom and Grandpop’s last full day with us was also the beginning of the girls’ week-long school break so we took the opportunity and all went into Central London to meet up with Chris for lunch.

Grandmom, Cami, and Grandpop on the Tube

Walking the Streets of London

We had a great lunch at Hawksmoor with Chris.  It was great eating before the business crowds came.  We had the restaurant entirely to ourselves until the end of our meal.

Lunch with Chris

It was a great two-week visit!  We have lots of great memories from our time together!

We love you, Grandmom & Grandpop!

There is something about Caleb turning 12 that makes me feel old.  But, he is maturing and becoming a great young man, there is no doubt in that!

One of the first things Caleb wanted to do on his birthday was watch a Rated 12 movie (in the UK, that is the equivalent to PG-13).  Since I gave him the day off of school for his big day, he hid away in my room and watched “The Avengers”.  He wasn’t disappointed!  He commented there is a lot more action in 12 movies!

The Avengers

Caleb chose his favorite dinner – shish kabobs.  It is always a great treat for dinner, but we ate too much of it and needed to rest before dessert.  It was the perfect time for opening presents.

Caleb got some fun gifts – books, model cars, a phone, shirts, and a Boy Scout book.

Our amazing friend made Caleb’s birthday cake this year.  She did an amazing job!  It was the perfect cake for Caleb . . . and so delicious!

Caleb’s Cake

Contemplating His 12th Year

On top of all the fun festivities, Caleb even had Grandmom and Grandpop Nevin come for the big event.  It’s not very often that we have family in town for our birthdays so it was a great treat!

Kids with Grandmom and Grandpop

Part of the big deal of turning 12, is that Caleb was able to be ordained a deacon in the priesthood.  Thus, the reason Grandmom and Grandpop flew all the way from Illinois to be here.  It’s a big event in a young man’s life and we were so glad they were here for it.

Caleb has only been a deacon for a week, but has already matured and shown more confidence.  He enjoyed his first mutual activity and has already invited a friend to his second activity.  One of his biggest worries was of passing the sacrament for the first time last Sunday.  He and Chris talked about how everything worked beforehand, and Caleb did a good job.  He even got a thumbs up from Cami as he walked by our pew.

Going Over the Chapel Diagram for Passing the Sacrament

Happy 12th Birthday, Caleb!

The 2012 Stephensons

After Christmas, the remainder of the Stephenson family arrived so we could have our annual Stephenson Reunion.  This year we were coming from London, Singapore, Utah, and California.  It’s always so fun when we can all be together in one spot!

We have kind of outgrown Chris’s parents’ house . . . and wanted to be away from everyone’s normal lives, so that no one would be tempted to leave to take care of things at work, etc. . . . so we drove 45 minutes north and rented a house in Grass Valley.

It was the perfect size – one room per family and a big bonus room for the grandkids to sleep in.  This was our first winter reunion so it was a little different with no pool to swim in or outdoor activities, but it was perfect!

Grandma spent weeks making BYU quilts for all the grandkids.  All of their parents and Grandma & Grandpa had met at BYU!

The quilts made the Cousin Slumber Party that much more cozy!  Every night the kids would get tucked in and Uncle Joseph would settle in for his nighttime story-telling.  He has a way of weaving stories so they all have a great moral in the end.

Cousin Slumber Party

One of the parts of the reunion that I love, is seeing the cousins pick up where they left off, and for the adults to have quality niece/nephew time.

Marianne and Uncle Chris

Uncle Jed & Hannah

Every year we get a shirt to commemorate that reunion year.  This year we even had different colors for the boys and girls!  Of course, this always comes with the obligatory pictures . . . of all groupings possible.

The Cousins

Chris’s Family

Haley’s Family

Heidi’s Family

Jed’s Family

And the ones who are the glue that stick us all together . . . and are our examples . . .

Chris’s Parents

Chris’s parents had lots of great ideas for the reunion this year.  We’ve been having reunions for a long time with many traditional events during them, but one tradition that they started at this reunion was to have a Reunion Tablecloth.  This year we decorated it and for future reunions, it will be the tablecloth that is used during that time.

Decorating the Reunion Tablecloth

It will be a great memory of this reunion.  It will also be fun for the kids to look back on as they grow and see how their artwork has changed and developed!

Reunion Tablecloth

The kids had a great time with all the games, movies, and activities that came with the rental house.  One of the highlights was the pool table.

Caleb Playing Pool

The siblings and spouses stole away for an afternoon to go to the shooting range, while the grandkids spent time with Grandma & Grandpa.

Shooting Range

It was a first for a few of us so we had detailed instructions and were off.  Some took to it and others didn’t, but it was fun to experience it.

Haley Showing Heather How It’s Done

The girls finished at the shooting range before the boys so we set off for some shopping/site-seeing in Nevada City.  The boys met us there when they were done and we had fun walking around.

Shopping in Nevada City

Other highlights of the reunion –

Watching Uncle Chris at the Popcorn Maker

Bella Enjoying the Popcorn

Each night after the kids were in bed, and Joseph rejoined us after his storytelling, we had an adult fireside.  These covered anything from bucket lists, politics, spiritual matters, or preparedness.  So much thought is always put into these conversations and discussions beforehand.  We usually come away with a book (many times searched out because they are out-of-print) or some other item to help us research and discover things on our own.

Nightly Fireside/Tableside

The kids spent the duration of the reunion learning new tricks for a competition on New Year’s Eve.

Yo-Yo Competition

Hula-Hoop Competition

Egg-in-Cup Competition

After the kids were in bed on New Year’s Eve, we sat down to our last fireside and broke out the treats – sparkling cider and other sweets!

Cheers!

We weren’t sure we could stay up to ring in the New Year so we decided to toast each time zone as they hit midnight.  At one of these cheering sessions, there was a funny noise and with all the extra sugar, it set us off laughing.  I admit I laughed the hardest and longest.  I think I surprised everyone.  It’s a good thing we don’t drink alcohol, sugar is enough for me!

Incriminating Picture – Too Much Sugar!

Before we knew it, the reunion was over and it was time to load into the cars and head home.

Uncle Joseph and His ‘Groupies”

But, thankfully, the reunion kept going.  Even at Grandma and Grandpa’s there was plenty to do to hang out as cousins.

Playing “Clue”

Treehouse Fun

We are so thankful for our family and the times that we get to strengthen our relationships!  Family reunions are the best!

We were so looking forward to our Christmas in California with family!  We calculated that it had been about 10 years since we’d spent Christmas with our extended family and we were excited for the opportunity.

It was a long trip from London to California, but the excitement never ceased the entire way.  And then we got to Grandma and Grandpa’s . . . . our room was stocked with all the gifts that were waiting for us to wrap.  Thank goodness for Amazon!

Of course, crossing all those time zones in one day isn’t an easy feat.  A few of us gave in to the urge to sleep whenever or wherever it hit us.

Hannah at the Dining Room Table

There were a few things on our ‘to do’ list before things got too hectic . . .

Number one – a visit to Target!

I can’t tell you enough how many times I wish we had a Target in London!  But, it makes it all the more enjoyable to visit one when we are in the states.

Number Two - a lunch out at In-n-Out.  So worth it!

We had a couple days of grandparents to ourselves and then our newest cousin arrived from Utah.  He isn’t very ‘new’ anymore, but he was still new to us as it was the first time meeting him.  The kids loved playing with ‘Little’ Chris.

Hannah and ‘Little’ Chris

With all the fun family excitement, Grandma treated all the girls to a night out at The Nutcracker.  A few of us may or may not have fallen asleep during the performance (that darn jet lag), but it was a fun night out!

The Nutcracker

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve finally arrived and we had a busy day lined up!  After a morning of last minute errands, we made sure to be back to Grandma & Grandpa’s in time for a visitor, delivered by the local fire truck.

Firetruck Coming to Us

Cami was the only brave one to go up to Santa for a little talk . . . of course, she was also first in line!  Sometimes it is nice when Grandma and Grandpa live right next to the neighborhood park!

Cami with Santa

After our fun visit with Santa, it was time to get to work!  We had hundreds of luminaries to get set out before dusk.  It had been years since we helped with luminaries, so Grandpa was very patient in giving detailed instructions at each step.

Filling the Bags with Sand

Demonstrating How to Place the Candles Inside Bags

I think the kids’ favorite part of the whole process was getting to walk around with fire to light the candles in the bags.

Caleb

Emma

It was a long process, but seeing all the luminaries lining the streets and driveways throughout the subdivision, made it all worth it!

Once it was sufficiently dark, we all piled in the car and drove around the subdivision to see the light displays.  There is always one light display that tops all the others.  You can always tell you are getting close because of the backlog of cars slowing to a crawl to see all the fun lights and cartoon cutouts they have displayed.

Christmas Light Displays

Our fun evening was far from over.  Grandma had a fun line-up for us.  We started with the Nativity story.  It was great to have more people to participate so that we didn’t have to double up on roles, as we normally do.

The Nativity Cast

Our next activity was learning how to play pipe chimes.  The boys had cut all the chimes earlier in the week and Grandma had found the music for them.  It took us a couple songs to get it down, but by the end, I think our chime choir was quite good!

Homemade Chime Choir

To finish the evening off, we sang carols in the library.  It was a fun evening spending time with family and concentrating on the real reason for Christmas.

Singing Carols

Before the kids went to bed, they made a plate for Santa as well as a letter.  However, their letter was more of a questionnaire.  They asked for his autograph, what it was like in the North Pole, how he got up and down the chimneys, what his favorite color was, and what vegetable his reindeers like . . . . I guess it gave him something to do while he was nibbling on his treats.

Santa’s Cookies and Note

Christmas Day

Christmas morning came with excitement.  Thankfully it didn’t come too early as the kids were still trying to get their sleep pattern down to the right time-zone.

Christmas Morning Stockings

I love that Santa wraps our stocking gifts so that the surprises are drawn out.  We each took turns unwrapping one stocking gift and then going to the next person.

After stockings were done, it was time to eat some breakfast and clean up the luminaries from the night before.  Once that was all done, it was time to continue the festivities with the tree and the gifts under it.

The Tree

The kids came in cautiously, not knowing what they would find.  But, the excitement they had when they saw what they received was so much fun!

Cami with her PhotoBarbie

Caleb with his iPad Mini

It was so great to spend time with family for the holidays.  Being far away makes us appreciate these special times even more.

Christmas with the Cousins

It’s been a fun holiday season thus far.  Lots of yummy treats . . .

and a visit to Father Christmas at the church Christmas party.

May you have a wonderful Christmas filled with love and family!

Hannah has now lived for an entire decade!  Time has flown!

For her birthday, Hannah wanted to see a family movie so we went to see “Rise of the Guardians” before coming home to open gifts.

Gifts

That night we had a Christmas party at church so we opted to wait for her cake and ice cream until the following day.  That worked out better than planned as we went to a friend’s house for dinner and supplied the dessert.  Birthdays are always more fun celebrated with family AND friends!

Happy 10th Birthday, Hannah!

Last year for Christmas my parents gifted us with a voucher for theatre tickets.  Not wanting them to go to waste, we kept waiting for the special time to use them.  It seemed Christmas fit the bill so I got tickets for the whole family to go see Scrooge, basically a retelling of The Christmas Carol.

Scrooge

The show was amazing and we’re still trying to figure out some of the stage tricks they used to create some of the effects.  How did the woman get through the mirror?  How did the ghost get on the bed with all his bounteous food items in one split second?  It would be fun to get a behind-the-scenes tour for that one.  To top it all off, the headlining name for Scrooge was Tommy Steele.  We had no idea who he was beforehand, but from the reaction of everyone else in the theatre, we assumed he was a big deal.  When we got home, we googled him and sure enough, he’s a British legend.  Who would have known?!

Riding the Tube to the Show

It was a great night out in London as a family!

What do you say to a weekend away, with just the girls, to go to some European Christmas Markets?!  That was definitely a no-brainer!  Three countries in three days?  We were up for it!

We started on a Friday and flew to Luxembourg, a country I probably would never have gotten to if it weren’t for this trip.  It was a great hub for the rest of our little day trips out and could claim it’s own cute Christmas Market.

My Favorite Stall in Luxembourg

The city itself had it’s own charm as well.

But, nothing beats the Christmas Markets at night.  They become their own little place of magic.

Our first night away and we found an English speaking version of Breaking Dawn to see at the movie theatre on the other side of Luxembourg City.  It was a great way to top off our first night away.  The following morning we were up and off to Germany.

Trier, Germany quickly became a highlight for us on our limited Christmas Markets experiences.

There was something different about its atmosphere, compared to what we experienced in Luxembourg City.

Then, of course, at night, it only got more magical.

After walking around the entire Christmas Market, we came back to a cute little glass ornament stall.

They were such cute representations of our trip that we each got one.  Then the stall owners offered to engrave our names for free.  It was amazing to watch the gentleman sit down and engrave with such skill, beauty, and patience.

We then took the train back to Luxembourg for the night.  The next morning we woke up to a light snow covering, which just added to the excitement of it all.

View from our Hotel Room

Then we were off to catch a train to Metz, France for another Market, before having to catch our flight back to London.

Walk to the Train Station

After being in Trier, Metz was a bit of a let-down.  After walking for awhile we came across a sleepy market that was just starting to open up.  We had to keep asking if there were more areas with stalls, as it just seemed unimpressive.

A few hours was all we needed to walk around, make a few purchases, and head back to Luxembourg in plenty of time for our flight.

It was a great weekend.  European Christmas Markets are definitely an experience worth having . . .

All the yummy treats . . .

All the festive stalls . . .

No matter how worldly the stalls or markets seemed, I loved that there was always a reminder of the real reason for Christmas at each Market.

It was a great weekend away with friends, to kick off a wonderful Christmas Season.

Thanksgiving in the UK is definitely different than being in the states.  As Thanksgiving is just another day here . . . a normal work and school day . . . we waited to celebrate on Saturday.  We were able to invite some friends from church, not all Americans, which made it fun.  Outside of America, there were representatives from Korea, Mexico, and England.

The Spread

Of course before eating, everyone needs to ‘earn’ their dinner by helping us create our Thankful Tree.

Thankful Tree

We definitely have many things to be grateful for.  One of those was to be spending the holiday celebration with friends, even though we were far away from any family.

Feasting with Friends

Since we decided to have everyone sit at a long table this year, rather than eating on the couches, etc., I tried to think of some festive centerpieces.  A quick search on the internet for some cute and easy Thanksgiving centerpieces and I came upon the floating candles.

Table Centerpiece

A few of these centerpieces all the way down the table and it definitely felt a bit more festive, especially with American candy corn treats.

To cap off our Thanksgiving festivities, the following day we had a get-together with many Americans from church for ‘Pie Night.’  We were able to enjoy all the Thanksgiving sweetness that you never have room for at the end of the big meal, with an occasional savory dish, if you were in the mood.

It’s always so great to get together with friends for yummy food.