grandma

Dear Dallan Jan 8th 2010 (Happy Birthday Crystal!)
Happy new Year! Oay Oay I am a bit late in my letter writing. And Yes My letter K is broken on my key board and so It only works some of the time. We shall see how important the letter K is to the English language. And don’t be surprised if the H stops showing up as well. It is official I have worn out the Key board on Jon’s laptop computer writing to my Missionary Brother. Well to bring you up to speed. Christmas came and went and we now have a new mouth to feed. A miniature Horse named Rebel. My children are ecstatic and Jon seems to be pretty tickled too. The kids have fallen off of their new friend a number of times but they are getting better and better at staying on. When ever the horse starts to run the kids get scared and ditch. It is kind of funny to watch. Hunter is the most fun to watch- total grins from ear to ear.
We had a big BRISCOE Christmas Party here at our place out in the Barn. It was attended by all who could possibly make it and Jon’s Mom and Uncle Nolan worked hard to set it up and take it down. The kids had a ball the adults loved the visiting and the food and the grandma’s and pa’s were usually stuck holding one of the many many many children who were running a muck back in forth in the upper reaches of the barn. We hope to hold it again. But maybe with a larger committee to help in the set up and take down so that it won’t be such a huge job.
We also attended a Christmas Party with Jon’s Siblings and their Children. It is affectionately called “the Piñata party”. Why Jon’s family break a Piñata at Christmas is still beyond me, but the tradition is strong and a total blast. In fact we broke our own piñata at our house with just our kids. Anyway as part of the Woodin party we ended up with a visit from SANTA. It was so cute. Hunter literally Jumped up in Santa’s lap with out hesitation when it was his turn and laughed a giggled the whole time. (a far cry different than all my other kids who thought I was torturing them to go see Santa) Santa even called up the adults and gave them a prize. Santa was so good he knew that I had been bad and grouchy and mean all year. And He told me I had better shape up if I wanted any presents. My kids where laughing so hard that Santa knew that their Mommy had been a grouch this year. In my defense it is all Wyatt’s fault.
I took just the kids and went to the farm for an over-nighter during the holiday break. I gave Mom and Dad “His and Her’s” drills for Christmas. And the best part was that they opened them apart from each other and Dad said something like “I really needed this, and now nobody will steal this” and so did Mom! I was laughing pretty hard. It was a fun trip and the Kids even threw them selves down the sledding hill a time or two.
For the new year we spent the night in Aberdeen with Jason and Nanette’s family. We celebrated the new year first at midnight then again with their Sisters Cindy and Becky who live in Washington and then again when the new year came in on the Island State of HAWAII! And then at 4:15 am we finally went to bed. Then it snowed and snowed and we got up and played in the snow and I made the cutest snow bunny. No not figuratively ..I did it literally. The project started out as a snow man and I morphed it into a bunny, Nanette even found a basket for my bunny to hold. It was fun and the kids thought it was awesome. And then we were having so much fun in the snow we decided to spend another night in Aberdeen so that Jon could go ice fishing with his brother and Father and brother in law. I think they had fun and they actually caught some fish.
Some crazy things we have done with the kids include moving Stiles out of the basement and back into the bedroom with Marcus. We also set up Hunter’s new twin size bed in this room and moved William in with Erica. Stiles and Marcus are usually in a power struggle over who is in charge of their room. It hasn’t come to blows yet but there is usually lots of crying , screaming and gnashing of teeth. Hunter is having a hard time going to bed. Before he snuck out of his bed and would crawl into one of his older brothers beds and sleep with them. Stiles and Marcus didn’t seem to mind. But now that they are all in the same room together the big boys don’t think that sharing their bed with Hunter is such a cool idea. Every night it is getting a bit better… usually Hunter comes into my room and falls asleep in my bed and then Jon and I move him to his bed . William has been taking the switch pretty hard. Not only did he switch rooms but went from the crib to the toddler bed. Let us just say that it is like a Chinese fire drill in Jon and I’s bed at night. Between Jon and Hunter and William and Wyatt, I end up sleeping with at least two Woodin boys every night. Sometimes all 4 of them. A few times all at once! The other night William did sleep in his own bed for the whole night. That was nice.
Erica received some dress up clothes for Christmas and changes into them almost as soon as she comes in the door from School. I think that they are a hit. She has always loved to dress up and usually goes though several outfit’s a day. Now they don’t just all fill up her laundry basket, after trying them on and then discarding them 10 minutes later for something “more” beautiful. She still is sure that I am chopped liver and that she loves her dad the best. “Dad is cool, Mom is just pretty” but I do have to say that since she Loves pretty things perhaps she does have a place in her heart for me.
William is learning how to drink out of a cup and entered the world of Nursery this week. I am so excited that the Lord said that Nursery should be a part of the gospel. Because if he hadn’t I don’t know that Jon and I would have continued to keep going to church when our children were between the ages of 16months to 3yrs old. Those little guys are big handfuls. All those who are nursery leaders earn big points toward eternal salvation in my book.
Speaking of my book. There is a class being offered through the relief Society Program in my ward about how to write and publish a book. I signed up to take the class. I am curious as to what I will learn from such a class. Now I just need a topic and some direction.. Everyone knows that my MUSES are constantly MESSING up the place, and giving me great material.
Jon has been working very hard. HE is trying to catch up from all the time off for the Holidays , cold weather and short days. We continue to have work and know that the Lord is blessing us in this. We are back up to having 3 guys working for us. Considerably less than the 10 we had 2 years ago! But we were down to just Jon and one other guy who Jon really couldn’t lay off because he lives in our other house. So things look a bit promising. We hope we will be able to continue to work on houses. Most of our work right now is on remodel stuff and it is cool to see the before and after pictures of the homes they have been working on.
I am still on a diet. The big butt fairy did not lay off this holiday season and many treats were indulged in. In truth I just wanted to get my kitchen cleaned up so I just kept on eating everything until I there was nothing left. It was not the best way to clean up my Kitchen but I do like the way the Kitchen looks when it is cleaned up. But my backside in a mirror is not looking so great.
I did get Christmas decorations down this week. It always makes me sad to take then down. But at the same time it is liberating to have it all down and out of the way. I still have a beautiful poinsettia plant that I have not yet managed to Kill and that is a nice reminder that it was just Christmas and that it was a beautiful Christmas season.
On Sunday when Dad called and told me that Grandma was not doing well I felt sad and was then immediately filled with Joy that Grandma would have the wish of her Heart be with Grandpa again. It is wonderful that we have the plan of Salvation because it really is the plan of happiness. That night when Camille and I went to the hospital to see Grandma for the last time there was so much love and Joy and happiness in that room. Seth described it as peaceful and that is the correct word. Even though we knew that grandma’s life was at an end There was so much peace in the knowledge of what was to come for her and her life. And right now she is probably eating buckets and buckets of white fluffy bread! I am so grateful that I got to be one of her grand daughters and feel of her love and concern for me. She was a great grandmother and I will dearly miss her phone calls and birthday cards.
We will miss you with us this Saturday as we attend the funeral but we will see you soon . Work hard, you have so little time left. I know that your efforts these last few days of your mission will bless many lives. You have been such a great example to me and my children and my husband I can not thank you enough for the influence you have had on my family by serving a mission. The blessing we have received have already been great and far reaching.
We Love you much and pray for you always and with all our faith.
Love the Woodin Nickels.