Happy New Year!

At least here in Texas anyway...

Post 2000

This is post number 2000. Pretty sweet. Lets see if we can keep this thing going. We hope everyone is doing well and going to have a great New Year.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BROOKE!!!

Hey Brooke,

Wishing you a happy birthday and a wonderful baptsim day.

See you later.

Uncle Nathan, Aunt Amanda, and cousin Joshua

After Christmas

Well, I'm here at Trina and Adam's. I baby-sat the girls today. Summer was very unhappy when her parents left, but I calmed her down by showing her videos of Joshua. (I love Joshua! Even if I've never met him.)

This evening I walked down to the bookstore, but I left before I could talk myself into spending between $20 and $25 on a fantasy trilogy. (I'm still tempted to do it.)

I've also been sorting and naming all my pictures (including some I finally got from Trina and Adam). I've had great fun with my new toy -- my digital camera. I've run around the Smithsonian for a couple of days (Air and Space, Natural History), so I've got lots of pictures. And I took a lot of Summer too.

I want to redo my web page now that I've got some pictures that I might put on it (and the potential to get many more). There's just one problem.

I don't remember how to update my web page! Someone help me out here.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY EMILY!!!

Hey Emily,

From all the Palmers who are currently in Oregon...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

A nice long Christmas

We opened our first gifts at our Oregon Christmas on the 17th. Yesterday on Christmas we opened the gifts here from each other. Then this morning a package arrived from Maryland so we opened gifts from Trina and Adam and from Emily. I understand that there's another package waiting for us when we get home. Clarissa won't be home until January 4th so Christmas will last at least until then. That's the gift getting part - let's see if we can keep the Christmas spirit with us even longer.

This afternoon Frank, Clarissa, Michelle and I are going to the temple. Jared's staying home to watch the kids and finish getting his garage door opener installed. Tomorrow we'll go to some museums in Houston and on Friday we have tickets to NASA. We've been having lots of fun playing games with the kids. They really love games and are very good at them.

I'll get some pictures up when we get home. I'll have an extra day before I have to go back to work.

Thank you all for the beautiful gifts you've sent to us and to each other. Thank you for being the best kids and grandkids anyone could ask for.

Love ya,
MOM

Merry Christmas from the Caudles

Merry Christmas!

It's now 9:30 am Eastern ... Summer carried on the Palmer "tradition" of waking up uncharacteristically early on Christmas morning and refusing to go back to sleep. We kept her holed up in our room while I fed Rosemary, and we went out to the tree at about 7 am. Summer made out like a bandit - a rocking toy that's a bear instead of a horse (which we "inherited" from a family in the ward whose kids have outgrown it, and conveniently, it came just in time for Christmas when we wanted that kind of toy anyway!), a Little People farm with all those nifty animals, Mrs. Potato Head AND Mr. Potato Head, lots of books, and a nifty phone from Grandma and Grandpa. Thank you!

Thank you to Allison and Brooke for the books for Summer and Rosemary in the cousin book exchange (yes, Eric, it got here on time) - we like both books very much!

Rosemary slept through most of the festivities but she was awake while we opened her gifts. Thank you, Grandma and Grandpa for the neat rattle and the rubber duck! Summer of course immediately wanted to take her toys away from her, but fortunately was easily distracted away by her farm.

Summer, by the way, didn't know what to do with herself. She went back and forth between the farm and the rocking bear for awhile, and once the potato heads were open, I think she was a bit overwhelmed because then she just sat there and didn't play with anything. While I'm typing this, she's reading her new books with Emily. I am glad she got all of these toys because when I was cleaning her room recently, I went through her toys and realized she only had a couple of involved activity toys - it's all stuffed animals. (Hence the reason why I'm so opposed to them right now.) Now she has more toys that she can actually PLAY with.

Also thank you to Laurel for the cool CD - we're listening to the CD that Clarissa sent for Emily first, and then we'll put that one in. Thank you to Joshy for the cute picture - it's on the fridge with our other magnet frames. And thank you to Dad for the DVD of family movies ... we'll see about when I get up the guts to let Adam watch it - my high school years (which this mostly covers) were not what I'd call my finest on film. (See the note on my movie bio: www.insanityinc.net/purechaos/biotrina.htm )

We took a bunch of pictures, but Mindy will not be able to help me get them up on the webpage until she gets back to Oregon next week ... I'll email out a couple but you'll have to wait for the big spread. Sorry about that.

Merry Christmas, again, and we'll talk to you all later today!!

Merry Christmas from the Palmers

After many computer issues, we have a quick chance to write a big MERRY CHRISTMAS to everyone. Hope everyone remembers WHY we have Christmas, and has a good, up-lifting time. And I hope you all feel like Stevie, and want to be a sunBEAM.

Love,
Mindy, Tawnia, Eric, Laurel, Stevie, and Allie

PS And Eric wants to know if anyone else remembers when we'd all get up really really early on Christmas morning and Mom and Dad would tell us all to go back to bed.

A little time

I have a minute, when I'm not rushing around trying to get things done. I have almost everything packed for our trip to Texas. I hope I haven't forgotten anything.

I was just looking over the last few posts and I noticed that I hadn't answered Trina's. Yes, there is a package on the way. A few things weren't done when Mindy went out to see you in November, so they are now in the mail.

Yes Tawnia, we opened our gifts here at home on Monday night. Thank you for the beautiful gift. I won't say anything more, for the moment, in case you are giving one to someone else.

I have been very busy getting everything ready for Christmas. I finished my last project on Wednesday, just in time for Mindy to take it to Allison. I was also in the Messiah choir. Our stake does selections from the Messiah every other year. The program is just over an hour. We practiced Sunday afternoons from October on. Then we have four performances. This year there were 2 in McMinnville on the 9th and 2 in Newberg on the 16th. Between all those things and work and sharing the computer with Clarissa, Mindy and Dad, I haven't had much time to get on here. Maybe I'll do better in the coming year. I know I need to update my page. I was hoping to do that before Christmas but it's just not happening. Sorry.

I'm going to try to write a newsletter to send to our friends. I'll let you know if I manage to get that done in the next few hours. Otherwise, oh well...

Take care and give each of my grandbabies an extra kiss from Grandma. I love you all,

MOM

I believe

Not everyone reads my individual blog, so I'm posting this one on here too.

I have always believed in Santa Claus, but I want to write about my belief in Christmas elves. Everyone knows about the elves that work at the North Pole...the little ones that help make the toys and get everything ready for Christmas. I'm not sure everyone knows about the other elves, though, so I will share with you what I know.

Santa needs a lot of help to make Christmas a magical time all over the world, so he chooses special people to help him. These individuals need to go through a lot to get to be elf material. There are some requirements before you can be chosen. The first is a high degree of selflessness and joy in giving. The second is a twinkle in your eye. Third is an understanding that you may never be thanked for the hard work and love you put into creating those great big smiles and shining faces during the Christmas season. Fourth, you must enjoy a certain degree of mystery and a special secret. No one may know you have been selected by Santa to play such an important role, though some may guess. Often, these elves are moms and dads, and I hope to be an elf one day.

So thank you, special elf, who delivered a gift from Santa through the mail slot in our door sometime during the night. Though it is hard sometimes to humbly accept the charity of others, we are truly grateful.

Internet

So I'm switching to a new internet provider when I get back from Christmas break... so as of today I will no longer have internet at my apartment (until the day after I get back when it gets hooked up again.) Of course, I'll be at Eric's so I'll still get on the internet when I'm not busy playing with those two super cute babies.... which means I'll hardly ever get on the internet. So I just wanted to say Merry Christmas and I love you all.
Tawnia

Why Chemeketa?!?! Why?!?

Once Eric returned I wouldn't have to feel bad about moving to Africa. Now I have to continue to wait until one of my siblings moves back here. I just can't leave mom and dad alone. What if one of them gets dementia? Someone has to take care of them.

Chemeketa: No Go

Yesterday I got a letter in the mail from Chemeketa informing me that the position I applied for there "will not be filled at this time." Probably didn't have room in the budget. I know some of you, especially those of you named "Nathan" were wondering about the status of this job.

Sorry to be the sharer of bad news, especially so close to the winter holidays of many nations and peoples.

On the other hand, Stevie said "Where's Eric?" yesterday while I was at work, so... silver lining I guess.

Presents

Well, as far as presents from me go.... I left my one for the exchange at Mom and Dad's over Thanksgiving... I believe Nate and Manda should have received that last night?

For the nieces and nephews I only got TWO of the presents finished. The others will be coming sporadically throughout the next year. I can't say exactly when especially because this next semester is going to be my hardest in all of college... and I'm working part time and still have three callings. Anyway, so Allie and Bryan are getting their presents and Brooke will get hers not to long after Christmas. Then the plan is to get Stevie's done so I can give it to Eric and Laurel when they come out in February. After that I'm not sure who's I'll do.... we'll see.

Anyway, I fly out tomorrow afternoon. It looks like the weather is going to get bad at some point today... I'm hoping that it clears up by tomorrow afternoon when I leave for the airport. I'm giving myself TONS of time to get up there though.

Eric and Laurel- I called and left a message but you never called back. Do you have wrapping paper I can use or do I need to bring my own? I know that if I wrap things before flying they'll probably be opened. So I'd rather not do that.

Okay, I think that's all I have to say.
Tawnia

package inventory

Clarissa's gift for Emily arrived here - thanks for sending that! Please let me know if anything else is en route so we know to watch for it.

Boxes being sent from this end on Wednesday. -
To Eric: Allie's blanket and a card to go with Tawnia's exchange gift to explain it.
To Jared: the "stuff" we've been discussing on email, Emily's exchange gift for Jared and Michelle, as well as a couple of things for Mom and Dad from Emily and me.

The book exchange gifts for Brooke and Stevie went to Oregon with Mindy last month. So Brooke's book will be coming in Mom's luggage, and Stevie's book will be coming in Mindy's luggage. Also, Tawnia's exchange gift from me will be coming with Mindy.

Our Christmas cards will also be sent this week, and I regret to inform you that there will be no wallet-size pictures included. We still have not managed to get Summer to cooperate for Christmas dress pictures, either with Rosemary or by herself. We'll keep trying.

Now that Adam is finished with his finals and just wrapping up work on his paper (to verify all his citations), we can finally do our DC Christmas stuff - going to the lights at the temple and the White House, and to see all the miniature trains at the botanical garden. We're also going to do a session at the temple in a couple of days - we got a friend to watch the girls so Emily can go with us (instead of her watching them and going to a different session). We hope everyone has a good week - 7 days until Christmas!!

Things I Would Like To Do...

While I'm in California.
Well, I would love to go and see Wicked and spend a day or two at Disneyland or some of those theme park places... (like I haven't been to the SanDiego Zoo ever and I haven't been to Sea World since I was REALLY little.) But since those things cost money, something I don't have, these are the things I would like to do.

1. Visit Uncle Gary
2. Visit Aunt Cheryl
3. Visit Uncle Speedy
4. Babysit Stevie and Allie so Eric and Laurel can go out on a DATE
5. Babysit Stevie and Allie so Eric and Laurel can go to the temple
6. Play with Stevie
7. Hold Allie
8. Change dirty diapers
9. Babysit Stevie while Laurel goes to the doctor
10. Sleep in every day that I can... noting that with a two year old around, that will probably be not at all.
11. Have a wonderful Christmas day watching a cute little boy open his Christmas presents.
12. Talk, laugh, and have a wonderful time.
13. Help out however I can
14. Umm.... read a good book... hopefully I get one of those for Christmas, but I'll probably also bring one with me.

Eric and Laurel - I pretty much am yours to do with as you please while there. I will have NOTHING hanging over my head... classes are done, and I'm off work the whole time, so please just know that I plan on being very easy to please.
Love,
Tawnia
PS And I'm pretty sure Mindy feels the same way, and if she doesn't I'll beat her up. =)

Posting and pictures

First off -Eric - if I remember right you said something about bugging you if you didn't get pictures up soon... my post was just meant as a friendly reminder. I get to SEE Stevie and Allie in less than a week now so I am okay if I don't see pictures.... but I'm sure everyone else would like to see them.

Trina - I try to post on all the blogs equally. Usually if you see a post from me on one blog there will be a post from me on all three blogs. FYI.

In other news I have completed all of my finals and I believe I will have a 4.0 for the semester. One of my grades might be an A- so that might bring it down slightly, but still I have all A's WAHOO! In celebration I splurged and went to dinner at the Olive Garden with some friends (all female) last night.

Love, Tawnia

other blogs

A bunch of friends have recently started blogs for pictures of their kids, and I've been asked when I'm going to start one. At first, I thought that I wouldn't because I have THIS blog and the sisters blog ... but pretty much only our family reads them because otherwise my friends would have to sift through your posts, and your friends would have to skip over my posts, etc. So I will probably succumb soon and start my own blog to write about the girls, so friends and the Caudle side have something they can go to. (But I won't use the blog for pictures, because that's what the webpage is for - I will link to it from the blog.)

And yes, I have noticed that siblings here have their own blogs ... I would just like to point out that having your own blog does NOT mean that you can STOP posting on THIS one. Hardly anyone has been posting here lately. Yes, I check the personal blogs, but honestly, it's a lot easier for me to check just ONE instead of 5 or 10 or 20 or however many we'll end up with. I do have some comments for the personal blogs that I thought I'd stick here so the comments don't get missed, and so there's some traffic here.

JARED: On your goals, you said you wanted to be a Scouter, and you accomplished that this month. Congratulations, but what's a Scouter? And yes, I noticed which goal items you lifted from my list.

TAWNIA: I meant to mention this before - I did a 3-in-1 date when I lived in Monmouth. 6 of us had dinner and went to Les Miserables in Portland. It was one of the first dates that Aaron and April (Ward) Brewster went on, but at the time, Aaron and I were trying to get April set up with his roommate Joseph. And look what happened - HA! And who is the guy who asked YOU out last weekend? Woo hoo!!

NATHAN: Yes, you do need to make sure to keep track of what Joshua does, whether it's on a blog or in a journal or whatever. I did pretty well the first year about Summer in a journal, but I'm behind now. And I haven't really started Rosemary's. Oops. One of my projects for the new year - get their journals caught up, and then maintain them at least monthly. It's the Sunday project that I haven't gotten really off the ground yet.

AMANDA: Nathan does the laundry? Really? Lucky! Adam does the laundry when I ask him, but he's never home to ask. (Besides, if I had to choose, I'd rather that he help in the kitchen, which he does.) I would have to agree that Joshua "wears the pants in the family" as far as controlling the schedule. Summer and Rosemary do around here, that's for sure.

And speaking of their schedule controlling my life ... naptime is over.

Bargain shopping and musical numbers

This last weekend was pretty . . . interesting. I did some shopping, some Christmas presents, toilet paper, candy canes -- things like that. So I had $11 worth of merchandise. But I had a ten percent discount. And a $10 gift certificate. So, all I paid for that was 31 cents.

Afterwards, I went to the ice cream parlor to see a performance by the show choir, Encore. My roommate Rachel was playing the piano to accompany them. It was pretty fun. And right after that, I went to the orchestra concert. Rebecca had a solo piece on the English horn. It was really good.

Afterwards, my roommates and pseudo-roommates (there are a couple of girls that frequently come over, Isolde and Krista) were practicing playing "Ring Out, Wild Bells." Two bassoons, an oboe, and a flute. They suggested that I sing along with them, even join them the next day at church. So I did. I had to sing very loudly and clearly, or I doubt anyone would have heard me.

Well, today I've got to study my German and Am Civ, since I have those finals tomorrow, and then there's biology on Friday. Considering my previous weeks, this one is fairly relaxing.

a new post for a new generation of postal workers

As the French say, it's late, but I took a nap this afternoon so I'm still up. Stevie is sick (sad to note) and is sleeping. Laurel is cleaning up as is her way. Allie is in bed and she is sleeping there. Christmas is coming. I did post new pictures of Stevie and Allie (before you even asked Tawnia!) but no, I haven't finished getting Thanksgiving pics put together. Sorry. I hope you'll forgive me. The tree is up, Christmas music is on the hi-fi, and I'm excited for the impending holiday. I don't really know what we'll be doing, but it will be fun and full of Christmas cheer whatever it is. We learned today (at church) that to give is better than to receive which is important to remember when you "receive" presents from me this year. Just keep that in mind and stop your griping. GOT IT? Speaking of griping, sometimes Allie drinks gripe water which helps her tender little tummy. She's got to be the cutest little baby girl in the world. I wonder how I can verify that...

Happy birthday, Dad!

Hi, Dad.

Happy birthday. I hope this year is great for you.

I'm done with classes; actually, I finished yesterday, and then I turned in my senior paper -- and then I had to go to work. Today is "reading day," and I've got two finals on Tuesday and one on Friday. I've been reading . . . novels count, right?

Anyway, happy birthday, Dad.

-- Emily

Pictures

Okay, so I'm not sure what Nathan and Eric are waiting for... but Nathan hasn't posted pictures since before Thanksgiving, and Eric said something about posting pictures just after Thanksgiving and yet we still haven't seen those... and I look! Oh and Mom's "what's new" is still from August. And thank you Jared for posting pictures.
Love,
Tawnia

Happy Birthday DAD!!!

Hey Dad! Happy Birthday! I don't know how to make it big or colorful or fancy like everyone else, oh wait, there are little buttons up there to do it for me.... so...
Happy Birthday Dad! I hope this year is great for you!

Love,
Tawnia

Brooke's Teeth

Hooray! Brooke lost a tooth on Friday during lunch. I'll get these pictures posted on my webpage eventually, but for right now they can go here. I had to get pictures of her laughing, because she didn't want to smile for the camera.

more [EDITTED]

"Summer Singing" is now up - here

Clarissa and I are heading out to the temple, and I'm going to start uploading the last video before I go. So that'll probably be available later tonight or tomorrow .. keep checking up on it.

[EDIT] The 3rd and final Summer video is up on YouTube. Please go check it out and tell Trina what a great family she has. here!

While I'm at it, I want to say thank you to everyone (my brothers!) who have added videos of all my wonderful nieces and nephews. I watch them all quite often, although I don't usually say anything. But they always make me smile.