Category Archives: Holidays/Birthdays

Our 15th Year Wedding Anniversary

On January 1, 1997, Roy and I were married in the chapel on Camp Pendleton. Over the past fifteen years we have lived in the following places:

Vista, CA
Fallbrook, CA
Oceanside, CA
Roy, UT
Hill AFB, UT
Vista, CA
Oceanside, CA
Fredericksburg, VA
Twentynine Palms, CA (2 houses…and hopefully moving to a bigger house in a few months)

We also survived three deployments, including one that was for 345 days, and recruiting duty (Marine Corps wives will understand the significance of that one!).

Here we were on our way to dinner at 29 Palms Inn for our 15th anniversary.

Roy trying to avoid my camera. We both had steak and it was delicious!

So then of course Roy had to take one of me.

4th Annual New Year’s Eve Party

IT is hard to believe that we have lived enough years in Twentynine Palms to be able to say that we had our 4th Annual New Year’s Eve Party! As usual it was filled with friends, laughter, and games. My children always have such a great time too. We move the furniture around, make room in the garage to set up a huge train set, and put out lots of food.

Carla (having twins!!) with Leah – Leah was attached to her most of the night!

Across the dining room and into the kitchen.

And me. Except you can’t even see my cute ruffly shirt or the fun curls that Samantha put all over my head.

It was a fun night. Kids were all in bed by 1 a.m. and Shannan and I stayed up until 3 a.m. talking! Morning came very quickly.

Countdown to Christmas

I recently mentioned that I was hoping to make my own countdown to Christmas this year. I actually did it!! I came up with a list of 24 ~~amazing~~ very simple items that the kids and I will do the first 24 days of December. Amongst those things we will also be reading the books I mentioned previously.

I also got these neat Nativity scene sticker sheets to do this month.

My chain is rather thick and not real long but it fits on the wall perfectly next to the door and the little ones will be able to help tear one off each day. Hannah has asked about every hour if it is time yet.

My list of items with notes.

1. Get a tree.

I found out that our tree lot here in town will open on the 1st and so we’ll get our tree that day!

2. Play a Game.

We do play games often, but I don’t play much with the little girls.

3. Make an ornament.

I have already ordered a bunch of items from Oriental Trading Company.

4. Put together a stocking for dad and mail it to him.

5. Make a paper chain.

6. Learn some Christmas songs.

7. Drink cocoa while sitting by the tree.

8. Carol a family from church.

9. Make cards for Sunday School teachers.

10. Make magnet craft.

11. Draw pictures to send to dad.

12. Sign Christmas cards before mailing.

And now that I have this on the list I must get my cards ordered!!

13. Call Hannie (my mom) and sing her some Christmas songs.

14. Do a treasure hunt.

15. Bake Cookies.

16. Take cookies to gate guards.

17. Make another ornament.

18. Drive around looking at Christmas lights.

19. Give out candy canes at church.

20. Call Grandma Janis (Roy’s mom) and sing her some Christmas songs.

21. Watch a Christmas movie.

22. Write notes to each other for our stockings.

23. Read Christmas story from the Bible.

24. Make Christmas necklaces.

I would have included decorating the house but Samantha really wanted to get started this past weekend. Here’s our nativity set.

Let me know if you do anything similar! I’d love to hear about it!

Christmas Play

*Found this in my drafts also.

Last Christmas, the children did a Christmas play the week before Christmas. They did a great job! It was based around the story of the candy cane.

Hannah walked down the aisle to music and presented the big candy canes.

Alex was a shepherd boy and the cutest one at that!!

Matthew was the choir conductor who happened to be the husband of the woman that thought of the idea of the candy cane.

And Sam was that woman. The children did a really great job and my kids had a lot of fun doing it!

38th Birthday Bash

That would be me. Thirty-eight. It’s so close to FORTY! This happened in August so I’ve come to terms with it now, but at first I just could not fathom that I, me, Melissa, was in her late 30′s!

Roy was in the field at the time, so I had some friends and their children over and we had a lovely afternoon/evening. My friend Beth arranged for a lady to come and give us all pedicures. We drank wine, played games, had a yummy Mexican feast, and then ate The Best Cake Ever. I’m so thankful for the friends I’ve made here! They spoiled me rotten.

I did make my own cake. But my children wanted to help. I only got a picture of Leah!

And here is a very blurry picture of me before I blow out all 38 candles!