William Clark Hale Gets His Name Officially

Because of Will's unique situation as he came into this world, his blessing was delayed somewhat and still it was medically advised to have his "day" in more of a protected atmosphere away from a lot of people. So Mike and Christina asked if they might bless him in our home yesterday. What an honor it was for us to have the Englands join with our family for this most sacred ordinance! Everyone dressed up in their Sunday best and we were urged to keep it as reverent as we possibly could. The kids were very quiet and the blessing was beautiful. We are sure that little Will has a very special purpose in this life. It was a nice day followed by a light breakfast.

"It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!"

Agreed! It has been a very busy month getting prepared for the big Christmas Season. It brings lots of work, especially for the female members of the family but can be the most rewarding and spiritual time of the year as well. I am thankful for this time of year to reflect on my Savior and what His birth and life means to me. We need to remember those things in our daily lives but the feelings at Christmas becomes so prevalent and it seems that opportunities to give and share become more evident.

The anticipation of the season was definitely in our household. As we realized that Grandpa and Grandma Fackrell would be with us this year, the planning intensified. It was fun to have many of the family plan to spend their Christmas with us as well. We met Lorna in Downey a week before Christmas to pick up Grandpa and Grandma. We spent a week in preparation for the holiday and I was able to be with them as we shopped, went to church, dined out and spent time with family members. The week seemed to fly by.

Marc, Gretchen & boys and Nicci, Chris and boys arrived on Christmas Eve afternoon, as well as Matt and Amanda, and Mike, Christina and kids. There was the sugar cookie decorating contest before food was served. The big winner was Mike S., with Brigham and Chris in 2nd and 3rd place. So much fun!

"1st Place" Cookie

And the winner is .....

2nd Place - Brigham

3rd Place - Chris

The traditional Christmas Eve Snack was spectacular as usual with the typical crab, shrimp, smoked turkey, ham, stuffed mushrooms, smoked oysters, rolls, vegetable plate, raspberry & tapioca pudding, and on and on! So good! But we found the leftover meals were even better!

The Christmas Eve Snack "Staple"
(So good. Thanks, Marc & Gretchen)

Cooking of the crab is "menfolks" job

Meanwhile, the women g0t the table set up for the rest of the "irresistible" goodies!

The table seemed a bit less congested this year and yet we had so many leftovers to eat all weekend plus more!

After eating everyone that had new Christmas pajamas changed into their night wear. It is always fun to watch the excitement of the night!

The Hale Boys

(Cooper, Kaden, Tucker, and Ivan)

Hiram was off to show everyone his "soft jammies"

Even Great-Grandma was ready for "a long winter's nap"!

And Christmas morning ....

The traditional wait on the stairs .... some seem to still be sleepy ...
(It's all about tradition ...)

Jake could have used a few more minutes of sleep!



The adults watch the morning activities.

It "makes" Christmas for us to have the kids around. I can't imagine having a Christmas without some of them around! We had a wonderful day sharing in their excitement and fun of the day. Thanks, everyone, for letting us be a part of Christmas with you! It really was fun for us!

Yet and always mindful of whom we truly celebrate. We enjoy being together with family and friends and yet we know that it is the birth of our Lord, Savior and brother, Jesus, that has brought us together on this occasion. We have so many blessings that come from His life and His sacrifice in our behalf.

It truly is "The most wonderful time of the year"!

Thanksgiving Blessings

It is hard to imagine that another year is nearly gone! It seems like we were just preparing for the turn of the century .... 2000! And we are now approaching the end of another decade! In today's world that is about 1/9 of a lifetime! WOW! It just reaffirms in my mind that we need to make each day count. There is so much out there to learn and do!!

That said, on to the holidays of 2009 .....

Niccole prepares the pie bar

... while Mike and Will take a little rest

The night before Thanksgiving we had our traditional "Pie Night" which, of course, included more pies than we would ever eat. Everyone was able to have any kind and as much as they wanted! Yummy!!! Chris, Niccole and boys were with us for the holiday and Matt, Amanda, Mike, Christina and kids came for the Thanksgiving Eve event. Before digging into the "dessert", we had soup in bread soup bowls (had to have some sign of healthy eating!). Delicious!

Grandpa & Noah watch over the "dessert"

And the little ones show off their "turkey" hats which they made
(Caitlin, Brigham, Carter, and Hiram) ... wait .... where's Jake?

Tried to get a picture of Jake alone .... by the time the camera flashed, this is all that was left! Just feathers .....

Try again! There we go ..... and Jake!

Finally .... a group picture .... what a fine looking group it is!

We had a small group but a great Thanksgiving Day. It was so good to have Chris, Niccole and boys with us! Nicci and I got up early to get the turkey in the oven and the food preparation taken care of before everyone else got to moving. As soon as everyone was up and dressed we left to have breakfast out (a tradition started by Chris & Nicci a few years ago for their family) and then on to a mid-day movie. We went to see "Christmas Carol" in 3D. Grandpa thought it was a "great movie"; Grandad thought it was a "loud movie"; and the boys thought it was a "scary movie". I guess everyone will have to see it and judge for themselves! If any or all of those appeal to you .... then I suppose it is recommended.

By the time that the movie was over and we returned home, the turkey was done so we made the final preparations and we sat down to a BIG feast! So good!!! And lots of leftovers to enjoy for several days to come! There were only the 9 of us so it was pretty quiet but we had a great time, good food and all that goes with T-Day.

Of course, Nicci and I then rose early Friday morning ..... 3 a.m. !! Is that considered morning?? We had to get in on the Black Friday madness! It isn't just about the shopping or getting the great deals anymore ..... it is just as fun to see to what lengths people will go to literally get their hands on the "good deals". I didn't see the physical combat this year like we have other years but I'm sure I just wasn't in the wrong place at the wrong time. Christina joined us for part of the morning craziness. As always, it was fun to have a few of "my" girls together. And we ended up with some pretty good buys, too. We were home by about 10 o'clock and felt like we had done our part in that tradition, too. However, Christina and I DID venture back later in the day!

All in all it was a fun weekend. Thanks, family, for being who you are and sharing your time with us! I am so thankful for all of my kids and families. You are at the top of my "Thanksgiving Blessings" list .... and I have so many blessings to be thankful for .... not only at this season but each day.

AND

Thanks again, Chris, Nicci, Noah, Brig, Hiram and Jake for coming to be with us!

Christmas is on it's way!

I know that Christmas is just around the corner when I think about getting the lights ready to string outside and realize that the only way that is going to happen is if I get out the ladder and get them up there. It is also when I get the "bug" to do some creating! I finished making a wreath for the front door this morning. Still can't make myself hang it up on the door yet but it sits waiting for a few more days to pass! Meanwhile, I will try to find some more projects to help me get into the "holiday spirit"! Maybe pull out the Christmas music!! That always helps!

Winter Is On Its Way

I always know that with Halloween here, we better prepare for the coming of snow and cold weather. It is still too much for me! I hate knowing that the warm weather is behind us and accepting that we have 5 or 6 months of freezing temperatures and piles of snow ahead of us. I loved seeing a few flakes of the white stuff this morning but it only takes a few minutes of it for me to have enough. Can't we find a way to have it snow 3 weeks in December and then switch quickly to tropical weather for the rest of the year? Couldn't even get that in Hawaii. I guess I'm just never satisfied!! I guess I will look on the bright side .... they forecast several inches of white today ..... still nothing on the ground that has stayed.

Update

This picture is so great that I had to add it to my blog. Little Will is doing so much better! He is off oxygen and is eating about 6 ml at a time now. He still has a ways to go before he will be able to come home. We are hoping for about 5 days ..... maybe by the weekend or first part of next week .... if all goes well.

Little Will is Doing Much Better!

Will seems as happy as we are to have him free of the ventilator. Mom and Daddy get to hold him.

Things are looking much better for William today. No more ventilator and many of the other tubes that have been keeping him comfortable and out of the arms of his mom and dad. Yep, Christina and Mike were able to hold him today! What a relief to them and all of us that Will is doing so much better. So many of our prayers have been answered and we are so grateful to our Father in Heaven for his mercy and love. He truly has blessed us and watched over this sweet and special spirit! We are so happy that he is improving quickly and doing so well!

Christina (Mom) and Will spending some time together.

William Clark Hale

Will right after he was born at Logan Regional

Our newest grandson, William Clark Hale, was born Tuesday, September 29th, at 2:00 a.m. at the Logan Regional Hospital. He weighed 6 pounds 11 ounces and was 19 inches long. He began to have respiratory problems (pulmonary hypertension) and was put in NICU. He was only there about 22 hours and then was life-flighted to McKay Dee Hospital NICU for more intensive treatment. He has really struggled and has been listed as critical. Mike and Christina has been staying with him since he was admitted there. What a trial for them and the family. It has been so hard to see such a tiny, little boy hooked up to so many machines and tubes. But we saw great improvement yesterday after several "set-backs". He is strong and is such a fighter! We have certainly seen some miracles and we recognize our Heavenly Father's love and blessings for our sweet little one. We are grateful for those blessings and also for the many family members and friends of Mike and Christina. Everyone has rallied around them and shown so much love and support. We are so blessed!

Christina (Mom) touching and talking to her new son
in McKay Dee NICU

How Weird is This?

We planted, what we thought, was hubbard squash in a corner of our garden right next to the QWest substation. The phone station is surrounded by a chain link fence. After a spring hail storm, we thought we had lost our squash plants so I had a packet of "hubbard" squash and replanted a few of the seeds in the same hills as the pre-planted plants. It became the strangest squash crop that I have ever seen. Not only did it form "hubbard" squash but it also produced "banana" squash from the very same hill! The plants grew large and stretched out not only in our garden but to the neighboring pasture and also the substation. It climbed the chain link fence and this is what grew INTO and through the links of the fence. This one is a banana squash.

This is the outer part of the fence

The inside or side of the fence of the Qwest substation.

HOW WEIRD IS THAT???

Last Rose of Summer??

Could it be the last rose(s) of summer? They are so beautiful! These are the ones that Matt and Amanda brought me for Mother's Day this spring (yellow) and the pink one came from Chris, Niccole and April and Bart. The plants have done so well and still have lots of new buds. Sure hope the weather holds out so that we can continue to enjoy them. The yellow one grew so tall.

"Fruits of our Labor"

These are some of the rewards of all of the hard work in the garden this summer. Our crops were very abundant and we are thankful that things turned out so well after the slow start that we had this spring. The cantaloupe and corn were especially good this year. Note the big banana squash. It is hard to tell from the pictures just how big they really are. If you note the storage box beneath them it might give you some idea. The one that they are on is the largest bin that they make. The one behind is one of the totes that we use when we move. I need to weigh the squash. They are so heavy that it took both Mike and I to carry them from the garden!
We had to harvest all that we possibly could since there is a forecast for frost tonight. It sure would help if we had just a few more weeks for growth and ripening. Our watermellon still hasn't quite ripened off as of yet. And we still have tons of green tomatoes! Sure hate to see them freeze on the vine.

Nearing Fall

All of the signs are there! Canning is coming to a end (thank goodness!), kids are all back in school, and I noticed on my way through Wellsville (Sardine) Canyon yesterday that the leaves are starting to turn. In just a few more days, the calendar will also recognize the change of the season. So we will get the canning finished up and the "busy-ness" of all that will turn to planning Halloween, Thanksgiving dinners, and the "big one", Christmas!

Since my last post Mike, Dad Hale and I took a trip up to Bozeman, Montana to visit Brad. We were able to play some golf and eat at some great restaurants. We celebrated Mike's birthday there as well as Labor Day. We came home on Monday in time for me to pack up and get to Pleasant Grove in time for Jacob's second birthday on Tuesday. Dad H. went with me to spend an over-nighter with Max and Joyleen.

Jake really got into the birthday gift thing! But, most of all, I love the expressions on Niccole and Noah's faces in this photo.

We returned home to Logan on Wednesday. Thursday was Caitlin's birthday and I wanted to spend some time with her as well. Cait and Cart came to stay while their mom had a doctor appointment. We took advantage of the time and headed out for a "lunch with Grandma". It is always so much fun to spend time with the grandkids! Friday evening was spent in further celebration of Cait's birthday by all going out to dinner with her.

"Happy Birthday, Caitlin!" I can't believe she is 6 years old!

On Saturday we were headed to Blackfoot to go to the Eastern Idaho State Fair. Matt and Amanda went with us. The fair was not up to the memories that I have of it. The exhibits seem to be the same as they were back when and the food was not the same either ... although we ate enough of it! We spent about 4 hours wandering and eating and then we went out to Grandma and Grandpa's to visit. Matt spent time there working on Grandpa's computer which needs a lot of "help". Matt got it up and running and changed it over to wireless so that Grandpa could use Richard and Lorna's "fast-speed internet". Grandpa says it is still "slow" but I think it is more about his computer than his ISP. Thanks, Matt, for all you do to help him out!! Now we just have to try to teach Grandpa how to use it!

Grandpa Fackrell and Matt

Then on Sunday I traveled back to Pleasant Grove to spend the week at Chris and Niccole's while the two of them went to Las Vegas. It was good for me to remember how much work it is to care for small children and keep up with their schedules! I appreciate "all"
of my girls for the super great moms that they are and all that they do for their families!!!

Of course, it wouldn't be a stay with the grandkids if we didn't do some of the traditional things .... Starbucks for hot chocolate, lunch at McDonald's and I even managed to talk Hiram and Jacob into a stop at Zuppa's for lunch one afternoon (my Salt Lake favorite restaurant.)

Hiram likes Zuppa's cheese sandwiches.

But for Jake it is all about chicken nuggets!

While in Utah County, I was able to spend a small amount of time with Marc, Gretchen and boys as well. What a group of 8 little boys! We took the 8 of them to Olive Garden one evening. It might be a challenge, Marc and Gretchen, but they grow up so quickly and it is times like an hour at the restaurant together that will build special memories for them.... and for Grandma! I loved having them all together!! (Sure wish I had remembered my camera for this one! Can you imagine me without my camera?) What good looking grandkids I have! I glanced around the dinner table and was once more reminded of the contribution we are making to the future of the missionary program!! (And this was only half of the grandsons ... not to mention those 4 sweet grandaughters of mine, who very well could be counted among those who could serve as missionaries.) As parents, it may seem overwhelming but I can promise you that the rewards of having those kids come when you get to be our age! Can you tell that I enjoy being with my family??

So it has been a busy few weeks but some "great" times as well! So now back to the canning in preparation for the long, cold winter!! It never ceases to amaze me how quickly the seasons come and go!

Canning, Canning and More Canning!!

Am I glad we planted a garden??? I think so! It certainly is a lot of work. Ask me if I'm glad when the snow is piling up and we're eating all of the good garden "stuff"!

Salsa

Kosher Dill Pickles

"Yummy" Cinnamon Pickles

In the past week I have canned cinnamon pickles, Kosher dill pickles, salsa (thanks, Christina, for the recipe!), frozen corn, bell peppers and rhubarb. Still have more corn, squash, more cucumbers (which will go into sweet pickles) and tomatoes. I'd still like to do some jams, peaches and maybe pears. I will be looking forward to the first frost! I can't believe I really said that! I hate winter, snow and cold!!!

40-Year Anniversary

No big cruise. No romantic vacation. But a very nice day! We have had 40 great years together ..... and we still LIKE each other! Since our anniversary came on a Sunday this year, we went to dinner at Maddox and a movie the night before. It was fun to spend some time together and it felt like a REAL date.

Our anniversary flowers. Thanks, family!!

On Sunday, we spent the day with family. Marc and Gretchen came up for the weekend and Mike, Christina & kids, and Matt and Amanda came to spend the day. Late afternoon we all were invited to dinner at Phil & Kristen's. Thanks so much for the good eats!! It made the day complete. Wish Nicci and Chris & boys could have joined us but they, too, had their own celebrating! We love sharing the anniversary day with them!


We were even blessed with a magnificent rainbow after a much needed rain! What a beautiful gift. Hopefully, it holds promises for 40 more years of wedded bliss! (Well, maybe not 40! .... We'd be 100+!) Wouldn't want to wish that on our kids!

Thanks, Mike, for 40 wonderful years!!