Monday, December 29, 2008
Christmas 2008
We had a great Christmas season. Any time we were not sleeping and going to bed early, we watched some Christmas movies and read stories and just did things together as a family. What we thought was going to be a very simple Christmas turned out to be very nice. Our family was blessed to have experianced several Christmas miricles this season and really emphazised the true meaning of Christmas.
The gift Tyler was most excited for was a mummy sleeping bag so that he could go camping in the winter.
Brieanna's was the Cheata's One World movie We have also had the most fun with a couple of wii games that we all got.
And then we can't forget Kynleigh who was just happy to be there.
Here are the two boys in their new PJ's
Our family Christmas party was held at Travis's home this year and was a blast as usual anytime the Doman's get together. Just a side note, this is a picture of a gift that Becky made for Wendy using all the grandchildren. I thought it turned out so cute.
Brieanna's Choir Concert
At our elementary school if you are in 4th thru 6th grades, you are welcome to join the school choir. Brieanna was extremely excited and immediately signed up. I am not sure where she gets her enthusiasm for singing as Troy and I can't sing if our lives depended on it. Although I always teas that I can't wait till the Resurrection and then I will be able to sing on key because I really do like to sing, it is just that no one around me wants me to sing. She had practice before school a couple times a week and didn't even mind having to get up a little earlier. I would often times catch her directing music from the radio imitating her music teacher. She also practiced non stop at home. She had a CD of songs that she even downloaded onto her iPod and then played on the CD player in the kitchen any chance she could. I am proud of her for really giving it her all. She is a sweet little girl who is quickly growing into a young lady. 
Grandpa Doman's Bday Party
On December 6th, we drove up to Idaho Falls to meet at Chuck-a-Rama for a birthday party for Grandpa Doman. Pretty much all of the Doman side of the family was there and it was fun to visit as we have not made the trip up there for quite some time. This is the first time that they have seen Kynleigh and it is kind of sad that grandpa may not even remember her. Alan had everyone stand up and share a memory that they had with Grandpa. It was very touching to hear and be reminded what an amazing man and example he is to us all. He truly exemplified the Savior in all he did in his life.
On the slide show below I intrusted my camera to Collin and he was quite the photographer (you will notice that most of the pictures are of the little cousins)
Here is what Troy wrote and shared.
Some of my most favorite memories with Grandpa Doman are the many different opportunities I had to sit next to him out in his shop and hand him tools or put more firewood in the stove or other various tasks. Sometimes I would just sit there want watch. I liked it when he was welding, that was my most favorite thing.
I also remember getting in his truck and just driving down the road and talking. We would talk about tractors and other farm equipment. He would always tell me that "they don't make them like they used too" In fact I remember one time Grandpa and Grandma Doman were in the van with dad and mom and all the kids. We were just driving down an old country road when all of a sudden Grandpa Doman told my dad to stop the Van....he thought he saw something. We stopped the van and Grandpa walked out into this field about 25 yards off the road and stopped in front of this really old truck that had a big flat bed. He looked at it for about 5 minutes and then he turned to the rest of the family (we followed him out of the van) and said " I used to own this and I sold it about 30 years ago to old such and such" I can't believe I recognized it.....we all couldn't believe he recognized it. It was really cool to see Grandpas eyes light up and we took a bunch of pictures of him standing on the running boards.
Another memory I have of Grandpa is when Caryn and I were just married we used to try and find any reason we could to drive up to Idaho Falls and just hang out with family and visit. One time we went up to see him and grandma just right after Tyler had burned his hands. Tyler’s hands were wrapped really well in gauze and so you couldn't see what his hands looked like. We had lots of pictures though and so we all gathered around the kitchen table and pulled out the pictures. Grandpa took Tyler and held him in his lap and started to look at the pictures. He could see the scared hands and the horrible blisters that had to be cut off and all the skin that had been burned so badly it was a pure white color. He then just took Tyler’s hands and put then next to his face and wept. I'll never forget how he seemed to communicate to Tyler how sorry he was that Tyler had that happen to him. You got the feeling that Grandpa would have done anything in his power to have taken that pain away. It is the greatest showing of compassion I have ever seen someone show.
Of course I have a million more memories I could share but these are the ones that stick out.
I also remember getting in his truck and just driving down the road and talking. We would talk about tractors and other farm equipment. He would always tell me that "they don't make them like they used too" In fact I remember one time Grandpa and Grandma Doman were in the van with dad and mom and all the kids. We were just driving down an old country road when all of a sudden Grandpa Doman told my dad to stop the Van....he thought he saw something. We stopped the van and Grandpa walked out into this field about 25 yards off the road and stopped in front of this really old truck that had a big flat bed. He looked at it for about 5 minutes and then he turned to the rest of the family (we followed him out of the van) and said " I used to own this and I sold it about 30 years ago to old such and such" I can't believe I recognized it.....we all couldn't believe he recognized it. It was really cool to see Grandpas eyes light up and we took a bunch of pictures of him standing on the running boards.
Another memory I have of Grandpa is when Caryn and I were just married we used to try and find any reason we could to drive up to Idaho Falls and just hang out with family and visit. One time we went up to see him and grandma just right after Tyler had burned his hands. Tyler’s hands were wrapped really well in gauze and so you couldn't see what his hands looked like. We had lots of pictures though and so we all gathered around the kitchen table and pulled out the pictures. Grandpa took Tyler and held him in his lap and started to look at the pictures. He could see the scared hands and the horrible blisters that had to be cut off and all the skin that had been burned so badly it was a pure white color. He then just took Tyler’s hands and put then next to his face and wept. I'll never forget how he seemed to communicate to Tyler how sorry he was that Tyler had that happen to him. You got the feeling that Grandpa would have done anything in his power to have taken that pain away. It is the greatest showing of compassion I have ever seen someone show.
Of course I have a million more memories I could share but these are the ones that stick out.
This year we had Thanksgiving at Emma’s house. Emma had this game thing that was the hit of the day. It is 2 paddles that you try to hold onto without letting go as it shocks you harder and harder till you beat the game. To me it was not that much fun playing the game, but I had a blast watching it done.
I will put some various photos of some of the guys doing it on a slide show and then a couple videos. I hope you enjoy.
The turkey was beyond delicious. Emma soaked it in apple juice the night before and then stuffed it with oranges, lemons and grapefruit. (I could really have my fruit mixed up but the point is that it was great) The turkey was SO MOIST that you could not even transfer it to do the carving without it falling apart off the bones. 
At the table, we all went around and said what we are grateful for and it was a tender moment and some tears were shed, might I add by others besides me, but including me. I am grateful to have married into such a wonderful family and one that is so CRAZY!
I will put some various photos of some of the guys doing it on a slide show and then a couple videos. I hope you enjoy.
The turkey was beyond delicious. Emma soaked it in apple juice the night before and then stuffed it with oranges, lemons and grapefruit. (I could really have my fruit mixed up but the point is that it was great) The turkey was SO MOIST that you could not even transfer it to do the carving without it falling apart off the bones.
Here is a picture of Brian’s masterpiece.
At the table, we all went around and said what we are grateful for and it was a tender moment and some tears were shed, might I add by others besides me, but including me. I am grateful to have married into such a wonderful family and one that is so CRAZY!
Sunday, December 28, 2008
South Carolina Trip
My sister Jeanne just moved back to the states from Puerto Rico and Laura and her family is moving from Georgia to Germany a couple days after Thanksgiving. We thought it would be nice if we could all get together one last time before Laura moves. My brother Jeremy lives on the border of North Carolina and South Carolina and is the only one out there with a big enough house to accommodate all of us and he and his wife Courtney were kind enough to have ALL of us at their house for 2 nights. (On a side note, if I could ever have my dream kitchen, it would he pretty much like Jeremy’s kitchen)
My mom bought me a plane ticket and Kynleigh flew into Atlanta. I was a little worried about the flight with Kynleigh. So many people stopped me at the airport and told me how beautiful and cute and adorable etc she was. I just smiled and said lets just hope you still think so AFTER the flight is over. (Troy said I had karma on my side as he sat by a screaming child on our red eye to Atlanta the year before when we when out to pick up 2 cars for his work.) Well Kynleigh was an angel and ate as we took off and then slept the WHOLE flight and then I woke her up to eat as we landed. This happened both ways so I am truly grateful for such a good baby.
I wish I had a picture of me and my mom trying to get all of our things into her car at the airport. She has a 2 door (yes a 2 door car) and we had all of her things for the 4 day trip, all of mine and Kynleigh’s things, the car seat, stroller and then gifts and so forth from Laura. We had to put everything in and out several times before we finally got it all to fit it was ridiculously funny (NOT, although we did laugh a lot at ourselves).
I had such a great time with everyone and enjoyed getting to know Courtney as the only time I have met her is at my stepdads funeral. My poor brother Jeremy was so sick most of the time but he was a trooper and stayed up playing cops and robbers with us till about 1 or 2 in the morning.
Kynleigh decided to puke on my night shirt the first night at Jeanne’s (because she never pukes) The next day we were leaving to go to Jeremy’s house so I asked Jeanne to bring an extra t-shirt. Being the jokester that she is, she thought it would be funny to bring a Florida Gators shirt for me to wear. Yes you heard me right, my number one enemy team. Somehow Chris has brainwashed her into liking the GATORS instead of Florida State Seminoles (Go Noles) why she gave in I will never understand, she even lived in Tallahassee for a couple of years. Well when I came out of the bathroom that night everyone was laughing but me, they thought it was just so funny, well it kind of was, I even laughed because even I thought that was a good joke.
My mom bought me a plane ticket and Kynleigh flew into Atlanta. I was a little worried about the flight with Kynleigh. So many people stopped me at the airport and told me how beautiful and cute and adorable etc she was. I just smiled and said lets just hope you still think so AFTER the flight is over. (Troy said I had karma on my side as he sat by a screaming child on our red eye to Atlanta the year before when we when out to pick up 2 cars for his work.) Well Kynleigh was an angel and ate as we took off and then slept the WHOLE flight and then I woke her up to eat as we landed. This happened both ways so I am truly grateful for such a good baby.
I wish I had a picture of me and my mom trying to get all of our things into her car at the airport. She has a 2 door (yes a 2 door car) and we had all of her things for the 4 day trip, all of mine and Kynleigh’s things, the car seat, stroller and then gifts and so forth from Laura. We had to put everything in and out several times before we finally got it all to fit it was ridiculously funny (NOT, although we did laugh a lot at ourselves).
I had such a great time with everyone and enjoyed getting to know Courtney as the only time I have met her is at my stepdads funeral. My poor brother Jeremy was so sick most of the time but he was a trooper and stayed up playing cops and robbers with us till about 1 or 2 in the morning.
Kynleigh decided to puke on my night shirt the first night at Jeanne’s (because she never pukes) The next day we were leaving to go to Jeremy’s house so I asked Jeanne to bring an extra t-shirt. Being the jokester that she is, she thought it would be funny to bring a Florida Gators shirt for me to wear. Yes you heard me right, my number one enemy team. Somehow Chris has brainwashed her into liking the GATORS instead of Florida State Seminoles (Go Noles) why she gave in I will never understand, she even lived in Tallahassee for a couple of years. Well when I came out of the bathroom that night everyone was laughing but me, they thought it was just so funny, well it kind of was, I even laughed because even I thought that was a good joke.
One thing about being with family is that you never get any sleep. We stayed up so late every night and the later we stayed up the sillier we all got. Here is a video of us when we were playing Cops and Robbers and everyone started doing these funny dances. I think we thought they were sillier than they are just because we were so tired.
Jeanne was always at the center of all the fun. Here is a video of most of the cousins chasing their Aunt Jeanne.
Picture of all us siblings with my mom
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)