New Years Eve-Saying Goodbye to 2009

It's New Years Eve and this just happens to be my 100th post for the year!  The turkey is in the oven, Trey(my awesome grandson) turned 5 today, we are going to Crystal and Spencer's for a combination dinner, birthday party and game playing fun filled time.  Spencer's family will be there too!  I LOVE his family they truly are awesome people.

The best part about today is that this year, 2009, is almost OVER!  It has been a difficult year for my family but we have had some good things too.

Like our new grandaughter- Isabelle

Royal and Charlee's engagement 

This new year we look forward to the birth of Jessica's baby boy in March.  Royal's wedding on March 6th.  The birth of Crystal's baby the first of September.  Then Amanda and John start the fertility process in a couple of weeks so we very well could get THREE new grandbabies in 2010!  We are praying Amanda gets a BOGO!  That's "buy one get one free"!  She has a good chance of having multiples with fertility treatments and we think twins would be awesome!  But we will be happy with one healthy sibling for Izzy.

2009 brought a lot of tears and gray hair.  It was also a year of growth, learning and faith.  I'm so thankful for my family and especially for the Gospel and the promise of eternal families.  No matter how bad things may get it is that promise that out shines all the bad and makes life good again.  The Lord truly does love us!

I hope all of you have a wonderful new year!

Christmas Pearls

When my mom and dad were married my mother was just 15 years old.  Dad was 21 and just home from the Korean War.  Mom was expecting me and with her parents permission they went to Las Vegas, Nevada and were married on January 27, 1960.  They did not have a fancy wedding and they received only one wedding gift.  That gift was from my mother's paternal grandmother, Christina Jane Mortensen.

This is Christina Jane, right, with her sister Abby Perkins.  They were newly married and living in Nebraska in 1903.

Jane and Abby with their husbands...Christina is on the left.

Christina gave my mother a necklace for her wedding gift.  It was a two-strand pearl necklace.  Dad said mom wore it all the time until 1964.  My little brother, Mike just 18 months old, reached up and gave the necklace a tug and pearls scattered everywhere.  They were picked up and placed in a bag where they remained until this Christmas.

The night before my mom passed away she asked me for one last favor.  "Promise me that you will remind your daddy when RaLee and Randi turn 16.  He needs to get them something special like I got the other grandaughters.  Something like a jewelry armoire or a hope chest."  So this September I called dad and fulfilled the promise I made to mom and reminded him that the girls were turning 16.

The day after Christmas dad presented each of the girls with a special gift from their Grandma Francine.  He had taken the necklace to the jewelry store and had the pearls made into three pairs of ear rings and two necklaces. The jeweler said the pearls dated back to the mid 1800's.  I'm assuming the pearls were passed down to Christina at one time.  There was a pair of ear rings for me, and a necklace and ear ring set for each of the girls!  I was so happy for the girls and I'm certain my mother was very happy with dad's choice of gift!

RaLee and Randi wearing their pearls-Ray's is hidden by her blouse :(

Dad and the girls.

Jordan Christmas Party

We had a Christmas party the day after Christmas with my side of the family.  There aren't too many of us Jordan's but we have fun when we get together.  Dad and Momma Mary with my brother Mike, his wife Kathy and Mikes two children came to the house.  We exchanged gifts and ate home baked goodies and enjoyed the afternoon.

Charlee and Jayden

My brother Mike, nephew Pat, niece Randi and SIL Kathy.  Pat and Randi are the only niece and nephew I have on my side of the family.  I have dozens on Teele's side but just these two on my side.  They live in Spokane, Washington with their mom and I don't get to see them very often.  They are growing up so fast and they are both awesome young adults!  Randi, like her mother, is an amazing volleyball player and Pat is into his dirt bike and his new truck.  He is a senior this year.  I love these two kids!

We ALMOST got a picture of all of my parents 8 grandchildren together but DJ was with his friend Nate helping him compete at a bull riding...I guess someone has to tie them on to their bull. 

Royal and Charlee

Mike, Pat Jordan II, Pat Jordan I, and Randi.

Christmas Morning

We opened gifts at Crystal and Spencer's house Christmas morning.  The kids open their gifts first...

Jayden's Bear is always with her

Jayden's mountain of gifts!

Royal lets take it again...your eyes were closed

"How's that mom?"  Perfect it will go on the blog as is!

William wanted..."A SNUGGIE"...we laughed all Christmas season over this.  He was so excited when he unwrapped it!

RaLee

I was so relieved that she liked her jacket...she had very specific instructions about her likes and dislikes when it comes to a jacket...oh the pressure!

She Loved her Kippys Belt!

Payten was so proud of her dolly

Haven

Kaitlens Christmas

Trey

Wayne and his drums!

Izzy

The paper mess!

The parents fell asleep one by one from exhaustion

The kids played hard all day

William stayed cozy in his Snuggie

The kids came over Christmas evening where we enjoyed a nice dinner of Ham, mashed potatoes and gravy, and all the fixings complete with pies and Christmas fudge.  We had a wonderful day with everyone happy with Santa.  I couldn't believe it was over...so much preparation and it was over so quickly.  I always VOW to start preparing for Christmas immediately...that it will never sneak up on me again...blah blah blah.  But this year I mean it!

Christmas Eve

We celebrated Christmas Eve at our home with the kids opening their traditional gift of "Christmas Jammies" and a gift from Grandma and Grandpa.  We had a dinner and lots of baked goodies!  Then we have the kids re-enact the Christmas Story.  All of the kids were home with the exception of Royal and Charlee.  They spent the evening in Flagstaff with Charlee's family. 

Crystal and Spencer's children- Will, Jayden, Wayne and Trey

John and Jessica's -Haven, Payten & Kaitlen

John & Amanda's little Isabelle- "Izzy"  She is learning to wave Hello

Grandaughters

Grandsons

Group shot- Notice Jayden's new trick?  She now thinks it's funny to cross her eyes everytime I take her picture!

Miss Ra`Lee

Present Time!

Cute in her Christmas Jammies

Then I went to Crystal and Spencer's to see what Santa brought.

Will's Santa

Wayne's

Trey's

Jayden's

All of us took our gifts over to Crystal's house where we planned to open gifts Christmas morning as a family.  We watch the children open their gifts first.  Then clean up and while they are busy with their new things the adults open their gifts.  We love this system!

This is the "Kids Tree"

Adult Tree

I loved their "alarm" system...just in case the kids woke up before Santa was finished

Crystal took all of the video clips and photos of Sage and put them on a single DVD for Spencer's Christmas Eve gift.  They played Santa then watched Sage's video.  They decided to make it a Christmas Eve tradition.

Sage's Ornament

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Then Teele and I went home and we discover Haven is still awake...she's waiting for Santa

A few minutes later I saw this...so much for catching Santa.

About 5 years ago RaLee asked for a tree in her bedroom.  This year we put it in the living room.  Her tree is white, with bright colors...this next ornament describes RaLee perfectly!

RaLee's "Santa"

The last picture of Christmas Eve...Payten, Kaitlen and Haven's Santa under the tree.

Everything was bought, baked, wrapped, made and cleaned! Christmas Eve was over and I went to bed around 3am!  So much for going to bed early.