Dec. 24 - Christmas Eve

We tell secrets

We have Chinese food. (except Ryd who "apparently" hates it - weirdo)

We do Dog-Piles

We make the children play nice (aka take a nice pic)

And momma makes us play a lame (and I mean LAME) Christmas Eve Gift opening game (aka we pass the present around until it gets to the right person and a bell is rung.. like I said. Lame. And can I add stupid - its for the children apparently)

The only disappointment was the lack of our Christmas Eve presents involving PJs. We always get PJs on Christmas Eve. Or bed product presents like blankets.

Woman. Dont you know that traditions are great because they... keep going year after year. They're traditions. And PJs on Christmas Eve is tradition.

Pre-Christmas Update

Seriously being in Alberta has been insane. Because I feel like I'm constantly busy. Crazy busy. I just really dont want to miss a moment. Or turn down anything fun to do. Cause as much as I want to experience the fun in the moment, I know that when I get back to Boston, re-living the moments will be half the fun. And completely necessary. Some of my favorite moments:

1. Decorating Christmas Cookies
I dont know that I've ever really done it before. But it was alot of fun. Dallin and I got dessert first and then headed to Cathy's to help her fam jam decorate cookies.









Because Cathy's family hate to lose her. And so do we. So we combine forces. And it really was a great time.





They made fun of me because a couple of the cookies I decorated were ugly. Really ugly. Ugly enough that they gave them to a blind person. Bahahahha.. Yup a straight up real blind person.

2. Lindsay-a-special Dance Parties





















Ya, first song EVERY time is this one. It plays on repeat.
We kinda want to shoot ourselves
(well everyone except Linz and the kids).

But they love it. And we allow it.

3. Building a Fort

The children wake me up. And I decided that building a fort would be a good idea.

But I think the last time I made a fort was in Year Two with Julie and Bets. And I

didnt actual participate with the making. So I suppose not the same. Whateves.

Lindsay sucks at taking pics tho. Dang Lindsay.

This is a Fort.

It was made from two chairs tipped on their sides.

And blankets draped over top.

It was ghetto. But the children wanted a place to tell secrets.

And I wanted a dark place to lay and try to sleep more.

(They wake me up early - I'm a tired little girl)

The Fort was kinda uncomfortable.

Ok not so much the fort as the two children climbing on me. More than once I had to dodge the mag-lite they were dragging around.

4. Some Waterton Good Times

(separate post to come)

5. Pilates with the Children

They suck and I rock at it.

Ya I said it.

Mormon Fight Club.

Yes. You read that right folks. In Alberta, the land of amazingness, we do things like have a fight club night. Mormons gather together in someones basement. We all surround the walls as two people fight in the middle. It was surprisingly fun. I know... it sounds barbaric. And it was. But it was also really entertaining. And rather well controlled. We had refs to make sure it didnt get out of control, a time limit and more than enough people willing to either box or wrestle. Really, is there anything better on a Saturday night?

Scott Leishman and I arrived about halfway through the fights. We just barely missed the fight where the one kid got his nose broken. But we witnessed some really great fights. You cringe, but secretly love it. It took some major convincing to get Bonnie and Cathy to come. They were anti for sure. But once they arrived they realized that only in SoAB could something like this come to be. We tried our hardest to think who in Edmonton would willingly participate in such an event. The list was pretty short.

Eric Eklund vs. Jermaine Forbes

And yes. Your eyes are not decieving you. Eric Eklund is not wearing any pants. It was slightly inappropriate. But hilarious as well. And I'm totally busted being into my phone right at this moment.

For real tho. How ripped are these guys? Every guy there was like that. Even the ones I secretly would wish fatness onto.

"Kid whose name I should know but have forgotten" vs. Clayton Willoughby

Clearly its not turning out so hot for Clayton. He totally had a blood filled mouth. Luckily he didnt spit it all over Cathy this time around.








Tanner Tolman vs. Braden Hamilton and Alan Pavan

Tanner Tolman was one of Josh's closest friends. He won provincials for wrestling in highschool and I'm pretty sure continued with some sort of fighting since then. And as such people didnt think it would be fair for him to fight one on one with someone. And really, I dont blame em.

It was crazy to see. There wasnt so much a winner persay, but Tanner was fighting two on one. Come on. Clearly we thought he should win.











But after the two on one, people thought that Alan Pavan looked like he gave a good showing and might be able to handle Tanner on his own.

 Jimbo did ok for a bit.

Until he wasnt.

I took secret pleasure out of watching this. He turned purple. And had to tap out because he was getting destroyed. It was great.

Dan Osmond vs. "Random Kid whose house this was at"



























Do you feel the power? Freaking day. Please zoom up and notice that every muscle in Dan's body is rippling. Sheila - am I going to zoom into this and make it into a poster for you? Yes. The answer is always yes.

Please love this with me. P'wned. I dont even care who won.


















Sometimes the fighting got close to us. In fact sometimes the fighting was on top of the people on the sidelines. Of course the ref stopped it - but not before a few punches were thrown on top of someone. The poor people behind me. I definitely would try to disappear into them if the fighting got too close.

The Final Fightdown.

You cant have a fight club without a guy with legit tattoos. I mean sure, a couple of the mormons had some nice chest tats. But this guy... oh - they were everywhere! He apparently is like a UFC fighter. He did pretty dece.

















That is until he got tired.
Garrett MacLeod. You are amazing PS.

Freak I love Alberta. And that things like this occur. Boston and its snootiness would never allow this. They'd want to talk about art or some other crap. And how they go to MIT (Harvard, BU, insert other high end, high status school). Oh Alberta. You're freaking awesome.

Dec. 19 - GA BDAY

So my Grandma Anderson turned 80. And there was a big family party. Its interesting how people start realizing that old people will eventually die and suddenly they start throwing parties and get-togethers, trying to enjoy and make up for the time they wasted over the years. Whatever tho. It kinda made me miss Matt and Josh. I spent fifteen minutes begging Ben to come with me to the family brunch. I needed a brother with me. Matt and Josh would of come with me. He did come but drew the line at getting in any pictures and promptly left immediately after arriving.

Whitney and JJ

It was an interesting day though. Seeing cousins I havent seen in years. I kept forgetting that some of the cousins I feel the closest to, are ones I didnt spend a lot of time in person with when we were younger. And its really only since we've become blogging friends that I've realized how hilarious, and so similar we all are. We have a lot in common. And I love knowing them and their lives and their thoughts. But I kept forgetting that their kids didnt actually know me at all.

Shelly, Carol and Greg

Judy and Doug

Mimi and Angie








After brunch, we went to Max Bell to go swimming.


Katie and Momma

Lindsay and Ryder being crazy faces.

Lindsay, JJ and Whitney

Alana, Erika and Angie.

These three are amazing.

Sure I love all my family but this last year, getting to feel a part of their lives

and letting them into mine has been really great. They're so amazing.

And it makes me really grateful.

Jenelle and Erika

Katie pretty much turned blue being in the pool.

It was hilarious. Poor cold girl.

Carla, Whitney and I

It was a good day. Busy and full of family gossip. My favorite kind of course.

But it was great to be together. And re-kindle the friendships that wane with the distance and separation.

They're my family. And nothing changes that.

Ryder 5.0

I went and babysat for Dave and Nat on the 22nd. Katie was insanity. But this is more about Ryder. That dear dear child. He is now old enough that we have chats. Real chats. About real things. Its the strangest thing to me. I love it but its strange that he's grown up so much. So I'm trying to convince Ryder to go to sleep cause its like 10 pm. And I tell him to lay on his bed and we'll snuggle and tell secrets. This he likes a lot. So we're chatting. I'm asking him about his married Aunts and Uncles. Asking if he has any girls. And I tell him that I'm not married. And this is the conversation that proceeded.

Ryder: OH! I have a great idea!
Me: Ok? What is it?
Ryder: You and I should get married. We're not part of the same family.
Me: Well there's a couple things wrong with that. First off, you are much younger than me...
Ryder: Well, we can wait till I'm older and get married.
Me: Umm, ok? Fair enough. But you know how you have Katie and she's your sister? Well, thats like your dad and I. I'm like Katie and you are like your Dad. Your dad is my brother. Which means that you are my nephew and therefore part of my family.
Ryder: But we dont live in the same house. Families live in the same house.
Me: Well when you become an adult you live in a different house.
Ryder: Cause your parents kick you out? 
Me: No. Just when you become an adult thats what you do. You go live on your own. Your parents dont live with grandma and grandpa anymore. Cause they're adults now. And thats like me. 
Ryder: Oh. Ok.
Me: Plus you should marry someone your own age. After you go on a mission and are older.
Ryder: Ok then. 


Cathy, Trent and Dallin Orr were downstairs. I immediately went down to tell them the story once Ryder went to sleep. They laughed and so did I. That is the kinda story you hear about from other people. But would never expect to happen to you. I killed myself laughing. They commented on the fact that Ryder's logic was very sound. And they were impressed he didnt convince me to marry him. He was very convincing. And at least I'd know he loves me. But I'm very happy to be his Aunt. I love that kid. He's so grown up now. And I love that we've been having little sessions where we lay and tell secrets to each other. It makes me very happy.

Tonite, Katie joined in on our secret sesh. I love these kids.

Timeline

Friday Dec. 18 

9:36 am

Ryder and Katie arrive and wake me up. Times have changed. Katie loves me now. Both children have grown. Both children are darling (which doesnt negate their insanity). Both children make me supremely happy to be home.

9:37 am

Ryder is a big kid.

He shows off his jumping skills.

9:42 am

Grandma suggested playing with

Grandpa's birthday present. Teeth

have not been brushed. But the

children are excited and ready to

play. There is no denying them.

10:03 am

I realize that I now have a stock with Katie.

She calls my name. And smiles at me.

And she likes me better than other people.

Times have changed.

10:39 am

Katie begs me to play cards with her.

I teach her and Ryder to play war.

I love them.

12:14 pm

The children are hungry.

Their father makes them ichiban.

They want me to eat with them.

Ryder asks his Dad to make me ichiban.

He refuses.

The children share their ichiban with me.

1:23 pm

Ben and I need to leave to run errands. The children

want to come. I tell them they need to clean up cards
in order to be allowed to come. They do so easily. It
is darling to be so adored. They are not allowed to
come. But are promised they will play with me again.
I cant believe we have been playing since 9:30 am this
morning. They are are more fun to play with now that
they are older.

I love them. The End.

Are you weak?

I hate feeling weak. I hate showing my weaknesses. And as such I really try hard to give the appearance of strength. Obviously I am not always strong. And anyone who reads this blog probably knows that to be true. But I dont want to be the weak one. My brother brought up an interesting point though. He said to me that relationships are not based on the strengths but the weaknesses. People become endeared to us through their weaknesses. And it the weaknesses and not the strengths that make us human to each other. And therefore someone real. And I know thats true. When I can only see the public face people put up, I like them so much less than when they let me in and show me their vulnerability, their weaknesses. Their humanity binds me to them. But I dont know that my vulnerability does the same. I know I'm a trustworthy person with other people's vulnerabilities, but not everyone is. And I dont think I can assume that everyone else finds people's vulnerabilities endearing. And I dont want to be the person to take the leap of faith. Because doing so leaves me wide open. I dont want to care when someone else doesnt. And I dont want to show I care (even if I do) when someone else doesnt. Doing so would show weakness. A weakness of feeling.


I know I'm not brave. I know I love the comfort and safety that are my closest friends and family. The trust we have is solid. I know that they would never purposefully hurt me. But showing others that I am weak is dangerous. And I just dont know that I can risk it. 

Proof Of Life

Dear Sheila.

I'm sorry I didnt call to let you know I arrived safely. As such I'm including this proof of life with a Dec. 17/09 newspaper. 

Keep in contact and I promise I'll be returned safely to you in two months.
Love Melissa