Winter Woolies...

To all my German friends and relatives that have asked "how's the weather in Utah?"  Here is an answer to that question. 

That should answer the question.  And yes, it's cold!

Nothing But Net...

Tyson had his first Basketball game of 2013 today.  I took lots of pictures, but my shutter speed was not set fast enough and I wasn't quite sure how to change it.  The pictures that turned out better, had little to no action, while everything else was just a blurrrrrrr.  So I will post a few pictures and there is one I really liked!

Here's the team waiting to start the game.

Ty's on the right and ready to go.  I don't know for sure, but I think he was the highest scorer for the game with 5-6 baskets.

Going for the gold.

Yup, got some gold!

 

And yet again!  Gold Rush!  Can you see him on the far right?

Well blogger went on strike and won't let me upload the rest of the pictures I had planned on....so I will close for the moment.  Very frustrating!

Christmas Past

I didn't really post anything after or during my Christmas break, but I guess I will play a little catch-up ball today.  We had a very nice Christmas Eve together with my parents and Jamie's family.  We had the usual food menu....it never seems to change, but I guess I actually like it to stay this way.  So then that's a good thing.  We had Roladen, red cabbage, "almost cheesy potatoes", as they didn't get cooked in time, mashed potatoes, gravy, other vegies and rolls.

And then we "dressed up" in our Christmas attire:
(At least some of us did, that is)

Grayson had RSV and so he wasn't too excited to participate this year.  Logan always has that mischievous look on his face in every picture.  Don't you think?

Then a little family picture to torture the kids just a bit longer before they open their gifts.

Autographed Packer's football for Tyson

 Presents for everyone.

A Packer's Jersey for our little football player, with his own number and name.  It was a wonderful Christmas and we had a great time.

And a little musical numbers.  Sheesh I should have practiced, I'm getting so rusty!

 

Merry Christmas Eve!

There are three very excited kids waiting anxiously for the big moment when they can dig into the gifts.  We will be doing that this evening.  They are seen here bringing grandma and grandpa and Brian cookies that they just baked.  They (especially Logan and Brecklyn) have been trying to peek and such and it will be nice for them when the suspense is over.  Hopefully they won't be disappointed!

The weather man gave us a very white Christmas this year.  The snowflakes were just huge!

It looks like a Thomas Kincade picture, no?
And here are two of my munchkins doing the I want to get into the stockings right away dance!

And the other night we tended Grayson while the Hofheins clan went to a Christmas production at Salt Lake City.  Here is the cute little guy and a few of his famous signature moves:

He has a few that are his special signature moves, the above, hands on hips look, the 2 hands behind the back, which I wasn't able to capture and then another, also couldn't capture it...the lean on the wall, the fridge or some other stationary object and hand on his head against the stationary object and stands on one leg while crossing the other.  I will work on getting that one, it's my favorite one!  But by the time I run for the camera, it's history.

But this is cute, also.

And as I blog, the hairdresser is getting me ready....yikes, it hurts!

But does she care?  Absolutely not....

The Boys in the Hood!

Tyson, Logan and friends enjoying not being in school for a couple of weeks!

Christmas Decor!

On the way home from shopping I missed two great foto ops.  So I went back to get the one and the other "left".  The "other" was 4 of Santa's deer in my daughter's front yard.  They ran in front of my car, so I was glad I was going slowly!  I saw them all in Jamie's yard, and I had my camera, but they left before I was ready to "shoot" a picture or them.  But the other foto op was a highly decorated street not too far away.  Here  it is!

The photo does it no justice...

Is this the Griswold's Christmas street?  I always wondered where they lived!

Cars, Trax, Trains and Buses! OH MY!

Well, I have had a hard week, first with the transportation issue that I have had and with work assignments.  A little about getting to work.

Here is the thing.  First you take the car to the bus stop.  Then you take the bus to the train station.  But it isn't a direct route, so it takes long...and wastes time... Then you get on the train and then you get off the train and take a bus or the blue trax to work.  And then at the end of the day you do it all again.  It hasn't worked too well for me.  But today it was better, and it took only about 66 minutes, instead of 120-125 minutes.  I was ready to bag the whole thing but maybe now I have learned a few things:
1. Don't take the bus to the train, unless you want the scenic route and have nothing better to do.
2. The blue trax is really "green" not blue so don't miss it, or you miss the train.  There is no evidence of blue anywhere, so don't be tricked into thinking it's the green trax.
3.  In the middle of the day when you are inebriated, do take the trax.  You won't get a DUI when you fall off the seat into the middle of the aisle.  Just some stares and laughs!
4.  You don't need to tap on and off at every "tap" machine.  There are just extras out there, in case of a crowd or if you missed a few along the way!
5.  There's a bathroom in the first car, in case you wondered about that.  Use at your own risk.
6.  The luxury leather seats are in the last car.  The wifi is there, but I read my books.
7.  There are no arm rests on the aisle seats, so don't fall asleep, or someone will think you are the inebriated guy from the trax...
8.  There is a station called "Old Greek Town" for the Trax.  I keep looking for an old Greek person or two, but as luck would have it...
9. The city buses have interesting clientele...Oh Yes, they do!
10.  It is good to find a friend from the 807 bus.  Like old home week, sort of!
11.  And last but not least, if you miss your connection, there is no meal or lodging paid by UTA so I guess you have to keep on waiting ....Good luck my commuter friends!

A view of the Lehi Thanksgiving point train station platform.

You can buy tickets here, but I have a pass.  One less worry for me.

Here are the buses waiting for the commuters.

An old friend, the 807...

What Did Santa Bring ME?

Grayson came over the other day with Tyson.  He was sooo interested in all the new "Stuff" at my house.  He is looking at the gifts.   I wonder how much of the "gift" idea has caught on with him?  But even more fascinating that wrapped gifts were the ornaments.  So he didn't waste a minute in checking the all out.



 

 

Now it's time to drive!

Obviously we have to start the motor...

Woo-hoo, it works!  We're driving, round and round...

Boy are these spinning things fun, gramma!

Boy, these cars drive well up here!!!!

Well enough of that, what's next??

There's always something to entertain me at gramma's house!

I had meant to post this last week, but blogger kept telling me I had run out of storage space.  I had just paid it up not even a month ago, and it said, I had plenty so it has been an uphill battle trying to post on my blog.  So, today everything seemed to work again.  I will keep my fingers crossed that it stays that way.  I have been a bit tired the last days, due to my adventures in commuting on the train.  I hope that it won't always be so bad.  3-4 hours worth of commuting daily is no FUN!

 

German Concert

Here we are getting ready for the German Concert.  It should be nice to get in the Christmas Spirit with a little German Christmas!  See ya there!

The 3rd Ward Breakfast

I have been trying to upload again from my camera card but the problem that was resolved yesterday is back and I can't do pictures again.  I hope that by tomorrow it will be fixed yet again.  I have used 34% of my paid for space, yet it says I have no gigabytes remaining and I need to pay again.  So I hope to update tomorrow. 
I was able to update my other blog for some reason, but this one...no luck!  I will keep trying, so check back later!

Goodbye bus 807

I got on my bus today and looked and it was pretty empty still as you can see.  By the time it had mades it's rounds of the city, it was filled completely up.  Tomorrow is the last trip this bus will make to the city.  Monday we start to ride the Frontrunner, the train that is a new addition to the southern route transportation.  I am not excited about it.  This is what I will now have to do.  Get on the shuttle bus at the church, where I usually park my car and wait for this bus.  The shuttle takes us to Micron, Adobe, and then to Thanksgiving point train station.  There we wait about 10 minutes and then the train arrives.  It takes us to the Salt Lake stations, of which there are currently 2 of them.  I probably will get off at the central station and the I have to wait for trax which takes me to work.  Boy, will I be exhausted by the time I get to work, ha ha!  Then when I get home I reverse everything.  Word on the bus says it will be 30 minutes extra each way, a total of 3 hours commuting daily.  I will see how long I last...