Happy New Years

It's New Years Eve, and I am sitting, enjoying a little bit of quiet time. Tyson is now asleep in bed (instead of crying), I have most of the trip remnants put back where they go, and a flute of bubbly next to me. The soundtrack to August Rush is on, and I am totally reliving the movie, which I loved. We've spent most of the day with family. This afternoon was the Maxwell family dinner, which is a great time to see everyone, and eat good food. I got to see some cousins I haven't seen for a couple of years, so that was a plus. Then we headed up to my grandma's and shared toasts to the New Year, and played Sequence (or if you're Dusty, connect 5). Tyson is still adjusting from the vacation. He doesn't like change very much, or strangers, so the Christmas break was very hard for him. But he was a trooper. It didn't help much that everyone was sick except for me and my Mom. And when I say everyone, I mean EVERYONE. Poor, poor people. Hopefully next Christmas will be better. :) Tyson was very ill on Christmas Day, so it was a bummer that he didn't want to open, look at, or play with his presents.

I am getting my list ready for my excursion to St. George tomorrow to spend some Gift Cards. I am looking forward to the trip because I am heading down by myself! Dusty and Tyson will stay home watching football, and I get to pick out fun stuff from my favorite stores, Target, Pier 1, and Tai Pan Trading. (thanks so so much to Mom, Kathi, and Sara). Up in Star Valley, my mom asked me if I had any Resolutions for the year. I honestly had not thought about it, but here is my belated list to her, and to all you folk out there.

Read at least 2 books a month (this shouldn't be too hard, but I thought I would start out easy)
Cook dinner from a pre-planned menu
Be more grateful
Plan a family reunion
Keep better track of the budget
Spend more time outside
Wake up earlier

In keeping with a Challis tradition, I will write these on a piece of paper, decorate it all cute, and post it where I can see it all year long. (time to refill the bubbly)

I hope everyone has had a good year. We have had a steady, constant year, with fun vacations, and memories. Some of my favorite memories are:

Swimming every week with Megan and Tyson
Taking pictures of my growing baby
Enjoying sister-moments with Allie and Becky
Welcoming Sara home from her mission
Driving around with Dusty and enjoying our little city
Spending time with my Mom this summer, cooking and watching swimming lessons
Attending the Greenshow
Sitting outside on a blanket with Tyson in the evening
Trying out new dishes to see what kind of Dusty-rating they would get!

Something Yummy

Here's a quick recipe we made for a dinner about a week ago. It's for caramel sauce on ice cream, or popcorn, if you're one of those. It's absolutely amazing, so I had to share it. We recieved the recipe from a family friend. Thanks Geri!

In a sauce pan, combine:

1 cup butter
1 cup heavy cream
2 cups white sugar
2 cups karo syrup

Heat on medium until soft-ball stage, stirring every once in a while. To check soft-ball stage, fill a small bowl with cold water and spoon a little of the sauce into it. If the sauce balls up, but doesn't harden, it is ready.

Next, add 1 more cup of cream and stir together. Cook for a few more minutes and voila! You have some yummy, spoon lickin' goodness. Enjoy!

As requested

Cardine, here are the pictures of my Christmas tree. I found that it's really hard to get good pictures of the tree in the spot we have it in. The lighting is pretty tricky. Here are the best ones.

A night one with the lights on.



Some new ornaments for this year. I really fell in love with the turquoise color.



Here are some day ones taken. But you really should come over for the full effect. (I'm totally saying this tongue in cheek)

Reasons to love winter

Afternoon lunch with hot drinks, yummy flavors, and good conversation with sisters, cousins, and a husband.



A baby's first time in the snow. (He loved it by the way. He learned how to throw a snowball.)

What I love most about Christmas is the music.

*Disclaimer: if you don't want to read one of my more rambling posts please stop now! :) *

I have been thinking so much lately about the music that surrounds this Christmas time. I believe that it is very special music, that some melodies were saved to celebrate the birth of Christ. One woman I spoke with recently said that all you need to celebrate Christmas was "the music and loved ones. You don't need presents, and all of the other glitter and glam." On Sunday after choir practice some of us were talking of how great it feels to make such wonderful music, and one lady mentioned how the choir is actually for the participants. If the congregation gets something from the music, great, but it is really for us, the ones singing. I agree very much.

I enjoy making this music so much that I pull out the piano music around October (much to Dusty's dismay). I simply cannot prevent myself from playing them no matter how hard I try. There's a good chance that if you walk by my house in the evening, you'll be serenaded to a Christmas song. There is something so much more meaningful about creating the music yourself. Pulling it out of your heart. I know that may sound cheesy, but it really is. I do not know how other's feel who cannot play a musical instrument, or sing, but I thank my Heavenly Father each day that I can.

So many of my favorite memories fall in this time period.

Playing in the Messiah Community Orchestra. What better music on EARTH is there than that? If you don't know the story of Handel writing the Messiah, you must read it. (skip down to the part of Handel). I believe I got to play each year in High School. I still hear the cello part better than all of the others.

Dancing in the Nutcracker and getting to hear that gorgeous music for hours everyday. Everybody recognizes music from it, even if they don't know it. A little off the subject, but I must mention how funny it was that I was a senior girl dancing with a 7th grade boy who was a foot shorter. But he was a fabulous dancer for his age. And I was so impressed that he could do lifts with me!

A mini music group with my family playing to our hearts content. Sara on the piano, Lauren on the violin, me on the cello, and my mom singing. I hope that we have the chance to do it this holiday. (and I am looking forward to playing my sister Bronwyn's new cello from the school. I guess it pays to be first chair!)

When I was a Senior (in HS), I was a in a music group that six of us formed. We sang for Christmas parties and things. The vocal talents of these kids was amazing and it was so much fun to add my part with them. It was also fun to spend nights with others who loved the music as much as me and could be surrounded by Christmas lights and trees. Remember, Katie?

I suppose what I really am trying to say is that the music of this season means so much to me. I have been blessed with so many opportunities to learn the music and share it with others. I am thankful to be able to be part of it in my own small, simple way. I suppose it's no surprise that all of the experiences have left me with special feelings.

I really must also thank my parents for paying for years of piano, cello, voice, and ballet lessons. They have given me something no one else could.

P.S. if any of you want some beautiful music from a very generous woman, go here. It's free downloads of instrumental, SATB, and vocal solos. Enjoy!

A few recommendations

for this Christmas season.

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir has a new Christmas CD out called The Spirit of the Season which is absolutely amazing. It's probably one of the best albums I have heard for quite a few years. I remember listening to the Choir singing last year during their Christmas Eve broadcast and they did most of the songs on this album. I was completely stunned by the voice of Sissel, and the musical selections. I think my Mom would really like this CD because it features many of the same songs used in a certain Julie Andrews Christmas Special we love.

If you want a really yummy holiday smell drifting throughout your home, try this. In a saucepan, add, a few sliced oranges, some cinnamon sticks, and a few whole cloves. Add water till about half way full and simmer away. You can continue to add water as it evaporates. After awhile (the next day) the other ingredients need to be replaced. It's such a great fragrance.

If smelling the above gets you in the mood for some homemade cider, purchase some apple juice and mulling spices. Using a tea infuser, you can simmer up some hot goodness.

If it's available to you, go to a store that sells Christmas stuff and marvel at their decorated Christmas trees. Or, stop by friends houses and check out their trees. Last night I was in Lisa's home for Book Club, and her tree is a stunner. We also discussed the book "Socks for Christmas", and ways that we can be more charitable during this time.

I am now trying to think of ways that we can do something service oriented for another family.

All of these things have really helped me get into the moods of Christmas.

What do you like to do at Christmas time?

Home again

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. We sure did. Spent lots of good moments with my family and good moments finding fantastic deals. Thanks to people who let us sleep over, fed us yummy food, and let us enjoy them. I'm hoping to get all of the fall decorations out, and the Christmas tree up in the next few days. But since we're in the recuperation mode, and I'm feeling slightly under the weather (whatever that means), it might be awhile. Have a great day!

Seven random things

I was tagged by my fabulous relation, Eliza (who we really should see more of), to do this little write-up of seven random things of my life. Why stop at seven I ask myself? My life is completely random. But I suppose seven feels like a good number. So, I'll just stick with it.

1. I have a major fetish for kitchen bowls. Stainless? Porcelain? Ceramic? Plastic? Neon? well maybe not neon, but I have have far too many fantastic bowls. The thing about it is, is that you never know when you're going to need a certain bowl. One for bread, or maybe to hold some yummy decorations for sugar cookies, or any kind of salad. My line of reasoning is that it is better to be prepared.

2. One of my feet is significantly longer than the other. Which made it tricky to fit for toe (pointe) shoes for ballet, and is terrible now if I want to wear high heels. I have pull off the whole stuffing with toilet paper trick, and it's hard. So, if you notice, I am most likely to be wearing flip flops or sandals. Shoes that don't matter if one foot is an inch longer.

3. I can easily fall in love with a fictional character. I repeat, just in case you were doing a cyber double take, FICTIONAL. Don't get me started on Edward Cullen, and Luke Brandon. Maybe some days it's the strong and silent Mr. Darcy.

4. I have a thing for online shopping. Okay, okay, maybe "thing" is too tame of a word. But let's just say I like it. Nough said about that.

5. I have this spot on my stomach that is constantly itching. It's too wierd. I could scratch all day long and never be relieved. I've heard that my grandpa has the same thing, so future grandkids, watch out.

6. I really love to paint my nails. Both hands and feet. I always find pretty colors at the store and bring them home to find that they look basically the same as all of my other colors. I have a hard time branching out. No green, or blue, or orange (ick). Mostly reds, pinks, you get the idea.

7. I can watch the same movie or listen to the same song over and over. It takes me a LONG time to get sick of something. This drives Dusty NUTS. Sorry baby, you get to listen to Mika's Grace Kelly for the next year. Or until my new fave comes along.

PS. I tag.... Lacey, Bonnie, and Katie.

not quite Thanksgiving dinner, or regular dinner,

it was a Harvest Dinner! We had a rompin' good time. Grandma Challis came, along with Sara, Lauren, and Megan. Dinner was served from a pumpkin (which was my first time, and it actually worked out very well) along with harvesty type sides. We love to entertain, but it's been awhile since we are lacking significantly on dining room space. So, we moved the table into the living room. It worked very well. Should have thought of it sooner actually.





We like to break out the Martinellis whenever possible.





Tyson was a good boy during the dinner. Mainly he just walked around pointing at people's food or played on the couches. Later, he helped Megan load the dishwasher... (yeah right)

Last Night was Craft Night

My sister Sara came over (and after a trip to Roberts for supplies) we settled down for some craftiness. I got the idea from this girl's website, and she got her idea from here. You should look at these sites for great ideas in tons of different areas. After my brainstorming of colors and shapes had sunk in for awhile, I finished my first tree. It's about a foot high and I used white sewing pins to attach the buttons.





As those who know me know, I have a serious OCD problems when it comes to creativity. Why make one when you can make eight? Okay, I didn't make eight, but I made two more. Imagine it my way: all of the different color possibilities, so many buttons to choose, different pins... after I am finished choosing, making three doesn't seem so bad after thinking up twenty good combinations.
(I just had to add this little bit, because Sara and Dusty were teasing me about it)

I DO like how the other two turned out. The second one is about 2 feet tall, and has a white cone underneath. I chose some sparkly buttons that would match my new Christmas tree ornaments. For these I used tiny silver pins. These don't keep the buttons on as well, however, so I had to double them up per button.





This last one is still in progress. I ran out of red buttons. I've added some gold buttons for a little punch. I think these would be a fun gift for somebody. We'll have to see.

Some more of my boy

So cute, it almost breaks my heart. He has quite the little personality. He already has a funny sense of humor with us, but is shy around everyone else. He loves cars. Loves them. Who knew? He has found that he likes to dance and has this little high stepping trot he does to music. And we dance around the kitchen all of the time. He tries to snap too. (I didn't realize I snapped so much until I realized he was copying me) Like lots of children, Tyson brings me his shoes to put on, because then he knows we can go outside.

X-mas project

I know it's early, but I wanted to get it done while I had the idear fresh in my mind. I found the little pictures, believe it or not, in the Deseret Book ad. They felt so emotional to me. So I cut them out and put my own ideas with them. The actual album is about 5x5.

Our "real selves"

For Halloween we went as who we truly are. That's not meant to be profound or anything. Actually, the costumes should probably be reversed. :) The pictures of Tyson turned out badly, but you can get the idea of his costume from them. Can you tell who Dusty borrowed his hat from? You can't see them, but Dusty has the wings pinned onto his back too.

Saturday Afternoon

Last Saturday we met up with Sara, Megan, and Lauren to do some picture taking. It was a fun way to spend a fall afternoon. These were taken on the SUU campus, which has some very pretty spots nestled into it.

What I want

before I totally forget how to play.

Some of my best memories include the cello. My favorite high school teacher was my orchestra teacher, Mr. Foxley. Honestly, the best group of kids always seemed to be in the orchestra. We had good times creating beautiful music together. My day always seemed better after this class. Who doesn't forget all of the bad things when they get to play such a beautiful instrument?

I remember being scared stiff at All-state tryouts, and then making it, and feeling oh-so-lucky to be able to play the amazing music we did there. I stand by my opinion that the cello is the most gorgeous string instrument. It is mello and soulful, strong enough to build a good foundation, and independent enough to sing a melody line that brings tears. I only get to play now when I go to my parent's house for the holidays. I really need one. Before my fingers become sloppy and lost. I would love a dark, chocolate brown instrument with a strong, stable sound.



Keep wishing for me. Someday my dream may come true.

A pictoral view of our trip

The wading pools at the San Antonio Zoo


Grandpa Hoopes proudly showing off his grandsons, Tyson, Brecon, and Cael


Sea World around sunset time


It's been a long day visiting Shamu.


Remember the Alamo?


Downtown San An, taken from the River Walk


The Petting Zoo at the Snake Farm (yeah, we went to one.... don't ask)


Deep inside the Cascade Caverns. We have drops of "cave kisses" all over us that are supposed to be good luck, but are mostly very cold.