Christmas Already?

Welcome to the Christmas edition of getting to know your friends! Change all the answers so that they apply to you, and post them on your blog!

1. Wrapping paper? The shiny kind, but I'm lazy..I like gift bags.

2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial.. It's easier that way.

3. When do you put up the tree? Whenever Jon gets it out and puts it together.

4. When do you take the tree down? Whenever Jon gets tired of the cat in it and takes it down.

5. Do you like eggnog? No! You should not have to chew a drink before you swallow it! Cody and Jon like it though!

6. Favorite gift received as a child? Probably my first Cabbage Patch Kid.

7. Hardest person to buy for? The Inlaws.. And my Mom!

8. Easiest person to buy for? Cody and Kellie Jo.

9. Do you have a nativity scene? Several.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail, if I get around to it.

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Um?? Clothes, if they don't fit!

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Anything except It's a Wonderful Life.. (I blame my mother!)

13. When do you start shopping? Way too late! When Jon gets his Christmas bonus. (Which is more of an "IF" this year!)

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Most Definitely!

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Grandma's Rolls, Turkey, Fudge.

16. Lights on the tree? Red and White lights only.

17. Favorite Christmas song? I HATE all Christmas music, unless my kids are singing the songs!

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Travel, we go to everyone else. When do we get to stay home and everyone come to us??

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? I can, but I'm not going to.

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Neither.. A bow and ribbons.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve? Only one, usually Pj's and slippers.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Christmas music and cranky shoppers.

23. Favorite ornament theme or color? Color: Red, Ornament: The Baby's First Christmas ones Theme: Peace

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Turkey!

25. What do you want for Christmas this year? Everyone to be happy and healthy!

Festival of Trees

Kelz and I went Saturday with my Mom and sister to help decorate a few trees that my Dad's work donates to the Festival of Trees. I think she was a little bored, but the rest of us had a pretty good time. They decorated three trees, a Lance Armstrong tree, a Harley Davidson tree, and a camping themed one for a friend of our family, Keith, who died a few years ago.
And I still think it's much to early to find my Christmas spirit.

Banquets!

I didn't realize just how busy we have been the past few weeks until I broke out all the pictures on my camera! November is always a busy month with several birthdays and football and cheer wrapping up it goes by in a flash!

Our first banquet this year was for our cheerleaders. It turned out pretty good, it was held at Ruby Tuesday's in West Valley and we had about 80 people show up. Jon made an amazing highlights DVD for all the girls and we handed out their pictures and awards and retired our old Cheer Board and introduced our new one.. Me!! Well not just me, I will have some very wonderful assistants but I can't wait to try some new things next year and see how they work! I love my girls and probably didn't give them all the time and attention they deserved this year with all the chaos that football brought. I think next year I just might have to retire my team mom hat and focus on being Cheer Prez! (Someone remind me of this come July!)

Banquet Number 2 for our football team was held last night at the Ruby Tuesdays in Jordan Landing. This banquet was a lot more work and a lot more stress for me. You would think with less people to keep happy that it would be easier, but it so isn't. The pressure to dazzle the boys (and mostly the parents) is so high that I think any team mom would struggle to live up to the expectations! That said.. I love these boys! For the most part they were well behaved and very appreciative of all their gifts.. And they got a ton of gifts!! It looked like Christmas. They were very spoiled this year and it showed. All the parents were on their best behavior and everyone told me how great they thought it all went.. and it did. I was surprisingly happy with the outcome and it almost makes me want to do it again..almost!

I told all the parents at the beginning of the year that it isn't a good season until I threaten to divorce Jon at least three or four times. (And my mom can so back me up on that) He can get so caught up in football that sometimes it seems like if you aren't wearing a helmet and cleats then he can't be bothered with you! It's not always a bad thing though, he is more devoted to his team and this league than anyone else I know. Jon puts his blood, sweat and tears into each and every one of the boys he has taught and they each leave us as part of our family. These boys are lucky to have him as their coach. And I am very proud to have him as my husband!On a final football note.. Jon introduced the team in a lineup last night, announcing all their individual stats and accomplishments.. Cody Fredrick's were as follows..
#13 Cody Elmen - Fullback, Linebacker. 2nd on the team in rushing yards with 336. 2nd in touchdowns with 7. And 1st in tackles with 44 total. Our team went 7-2 in the regular season scoring 189 points for and only 84 points against.

What a great end to an amazing season.. Thanks to all!

Alta Must Die!

We went and froze our butts off at the High School Championships last Friday. Bingham vs Alta. I'm a lot more willing to go to these games than I used to be since I know a few boys on the team, but that also makes it harder to watch them lose! I thought for sure Bingham had it in the bag but a couple penalties near the end of the game cost them big and they lost, 21-17 It was so sad to watch how hard some of those boys took it. It was almost like watching my own boys lose to Alta all over again. I really hope Cody is able to play football for Bingham one day. Their program is amazing and they produce some great athletes!

Keep your heads up Miners! You'll bag a Hawk next year!

Cody Fredrick Carter Elmen's Birthday

Cody's birthday lasted several days this year. First with a dinner with the Elmens at Chef Tom's, Cody's favorite place to eat. We had to wait almost 2 hours to be seated and our service was less than steller but the boy seemed pretty happy.. Thanks to all who came!
Then we celebrated on Sunday with my family (I have no pics!) We had ribs, also Cody's favorite and red cupcakes shaped in the letter A for Alabama.. Cody's favorite present was the one he got early, so he could wear it for Halloween... His Bear Bryant houndstooth fedora hat! It makes me laugh when he wears it, but he loves it!!

We got him suite tickets to a Jazz game that we went to on the 19th. Kelz and I are not what you would consider huge basketball fans, but we went along anyway and suffered through.

Finally, on Saturday we had a friends party for him. I had no idea what to do for teenage boys, so I sort of stole an idea. We held Elmen Olympics at our house (Thanks Jaime!) We split the boys into teams of two and since we had an odd number, Jon got to play too! The events were Pool, Wii Bowling, Foosball, and Darts. The gave themselves team names and we had a blast! I think Jon was yelling and getting into it just as much, if not more than the rest of the boys. (What a kid he is!) I guess this party was a hit because I have heard from a few parents that their boys haven't stopped talking about it!

So there you go Cody! I hope your thirteenth birthday is one you will always remember!

Thirteen!

Born November 8, 1995, Cody Garret Elmen turns 13 today! I can't even believe how old he is. My little guy is now taller than me, his voice is changing, and he isn't so little anymore. Everyone says teenagers are hard work, but so far he has made things easy for us. (Let's hope it stays that way!)
Cody,

You are such an example to the rest of us, you are strong, funny, easygoing, determined and such a joy to have in our home. Who would have thought that the baby they handed me 13 years ago would turn out to be such a good kid!

FYI, you were not a good baby!! :)

I admire your talents and abilities, especially your athletic ones. (You did not get those from your mother!) I loved watching you play football this year. You are so talented and so hardworking, you led that team in every way and you deserved a championship as much as any kid out there. I can always see and get told how much you look like your Dad, and you do, you always have. I have to look hard to see something in your face that might come from me. But inside..inside I can see it! There is something so special between me and you, something no one other than a mom and her son can ever have.

You have been everything in my life since the day I found out

I was going to have you..

Cody, everyone who knows you, loves you! I have people approach me all the time to tell me how much they love your smile, how respectful you are, how contagious your laugh is and how great of an example you are. As first born son and grandson, you have so

many adoring fans that love you and will be there for you if

ever you need it! You make us proud!

Love ya!

The Mom

I Voted!

So thanks to Jon's persistance I voted yesterday.. It was kinda cool.. I just might do it again!
I have to say I'm pretty happy with how the election turned out. I'm not too much of one to follow politics or talk too much about my views in this very Red state but the status of our country right now makes me very ready for a change.. No matter which way you voted, I think the fact that you did is one giant leap in the right direction!!