A Christmas too good to forget...

Christmas 2011 was quite spectacular, and lest I forget some of the great moments, I am following up on a resolution made many times over to chronicle our lives on this blog. These picture folders have been sitting on my desktop since the beginning of the year, and, motivated once more by a recent Relief Society meeting, I am blogging once more.

 First of all, a joke that circulated around our house this season: What do you call the day before Christmas Eve? Answer: Christmas Adam! (Get it...? Because Adam came before Eve.)

Christmas Eve morning found us in full preparations to move Christmas (presents, clothing, toiletries, air beds, sleeping bags, and children) from one Wride home to another. The entire Wride clan was joining together and Grandma and Grandpa's house, and we didn't want to miss out on the fun. True to tradition, we came with plans to spend one night and then ended up hanging out in the basement for many more so we could enjoy late night games, movies, and fun with Adam's family. Once we were finally loaded, we headed over meet up with all the cousins for the Polar Express Party, a recent Wride tradition.

The kids all boarded the Polar Express "train," each clutching their golden ticket and ready for adventure. After following Grandma around the kitchen, hallway, living, and dining room with the Polar Express music blasting and each kid taking a turn blowing the train whistle, they settled in for some fun.

But first, an expert conductor had to punch their tickets. Grandpa masterfully punched JOY in each ticket.

The cousins took turns throwing "coal" into the firebox of the Polar Express.

John was a little stressed at the sight of an entire clan of Wrides looping the house with train whistles sounding, but he was all smiles when it came time to throw a ball through a hole. Other unpictured activities: candy trains (think frosting and all the confections you could imagine carefully placed on paper plates), a mega gingerbread house for the adults to decorate, and hot cocoa so think it tastes like melted chocolate bars. Yup, this Polar Express party is a keeper! It's the perfect way to spend the day while waiting anxiously for Christmas Eve to arrive.

With the onset of evening, come the famous Cummings chimichangas. Melinda was frying up the good stuff this year.

There were lots of helpers in Grammy's beautiful new kitchen. Grandpa Bezzant comes out for Christmas, and I love getting to visit with him over an extended holiday. Grandpa always does enough loads of dishes to last him a year, and then comes back and does it again the following year. He is one hard worker, good conversationalist, and altogether lovely fellow. Sarah (also pictured) is such a spectacular aunt and pays special attention to John, which he loves. Those two are buddies.

Look how much table space there is in Grammy's new kitchen. Perfect for a Cummings family feast!

This is a magical music box purchased at the Kennedy Center that shows scenes from "The Nutcracker." The stage rotates to show the different scenes, and it kept John, Emma, and Trina engaged for an impressive amount of time. We love our Trina; she is one awesome aunt and playmate. Thank you, Aunt Janet, for sharing this very popular treasure.

Here are my three wise men, dressed up for the Nativity play. (John, Adam, Spencer). The beards, dug up from the catacombs of basement dress-up, cost Adam an allergy attack later that evening, but I think it was well worth it. They certainly looked the part.

And a cast photo: John, Adam, Sarah, Melinda, Dan, Heather, Spencer, Emma, Joel, Trina (back to front, left to right).

*Ok, family, help me out here. What did Dan say during the Nativity that had us all irreverently chuckling? Something about taxes...

 An action shot of wise man, Spencer.

The most angelic shepherd I have ever seen.

Happy Easter!

I couldn't let Easter Sunday pass by without taking the chance to document these 3 little blessings. Each of them is on the verge of a birthday, and I find that as I face the prospect of their being a year older, I just want to snuggle them a bit more. They are growing far too quickly, and while I am proud of the sweet, considerate, and confident people my children are becoming, I am not ready for them to be growing up quite so fast.

3 good-looking Wrides.


Spencer is one of my favorite people. He is kind and considerate. I often have other mothers at school approach me because he is the kind of kid they want their kids to be friends with. The great thing is that the kids agree. Spencer can fit in with any group. He will be playing football with the older neighborhood kids one day, and spend the next afternoon with John and Emma building Star Wars Lego creations. Spencer is a rule-keeper, and he genuinely tries to do what is right. He's got a bit of rascal in him, but I like that about him. He's fun, at-times hyper, a diligent student and an all-around good pal.


Emma is my Lovie. When she was little, she had a lovie bear that she would snuggle, and I loved to snuggle her, so she became my "lovie" bear. She is very imaginative and loves to make up stories for her dolls to act out. She will also "read" books in bed for hours. She can sound out many words, but I think she finds the books she can read are nowhere near as interesting as the plots she creates while looking through more complicated texts. Emma has a bedtime routine posted on her wall, and she loves her "ra-tine." We have to stick to that or bedtime stretches into a marathon event of just one more drink, story, etc. Emma likes to know the limits and will help you to figure out what your limits are if you don't know already. She is an awesome big sister to Johnny, who shadows her much of the day, and a great playmate for Spencer as well. Emma had a sick day today and while the morning was rough, when her symptoms subsided we spent a lovely afternoon snuggled on the couch watching shows and reading. I needed my Lovie time today.


John is my Snicker Doodle. He is the snuggliest little fellow I have ever seen. He is the strong, silent type but can sure work his charm on people nonetheless. Everywhere we go...doctor's offices, grocery stores, Disney World...strangers stop me to tell me how adorable my little boy is. I couldn't agree more! John has a ready smile, and this little man is doing his part to make the world a happier place. When he says "chee!" (for "cheese") and squishes up that cute face for the camera, you better believe everyone else around him is smiling too. He is doing great staying at Nursery (the drop off is still a little emotional, but the recovery is quick). Today when he woke up from his nap, Adam retrieved him from his crib, and he came down all smiles, running to give me a great big hug as he exclaimed "Mama! Mama!." Cue heart melting. John loves his Grammy, Papa, Grandma, Grandpa, and all of his aunts and uncles. He is learning to say prayers and tries oh, so hard to be reverent. Love you, Bubby!


This pose was the idea of Spencer and Emma. John was a willing participant. He wants to do whatever they do. I do, too, when it turns out this cute.

Marie's half marathon

Yesterday, I ran 13.1 miles. Never thought I'd be typing that. I initially intended to run the National Half Marathon on March 17th, but when I went to register for the race, the slots had all been taken. I investigated other half marathons in the area, but most are held on Sundays, and I was unwilling to drive for hours, only to run for hours and drive more hours back home. Thus, Marie's half marathon was born and the date set for Saturday, March 3rd. My dad ran with me, and it turned out to be a perfect day for running: mid 50's and overcast. I planned a route along the W&OD bike trail that had a convenience store where we could refill on Gatorade and take a quick bathroom break. Other than that stop and walking to drink fluids or swallow goo, I jogged the whole way and came in with a pace of 10'47" per mile. Nothing fast or fancy, but perfectly acceptable for me, especially since 8 miles is the longest I had ever run until yesterday.

Major thanks need to go out to a few individuals who played a major role in helping me meet (and even make) this goal.

First thanks go to ADAM. He is the ultimate husband, encouraging me to go running and watching the kiddos while I put in some time pounding the pavement. He celebrated the success of every run, short or long, and found me the Nike+GPS app for my iPhone that enabled me to track miles, times, and accumulated distance. Love that app and love the man who installed it for me. We celebrated when I hit the 100 mile mark in my training records (not including any time on the treadmill, elliptical, or the deleted runs where I forgot to turn the app off before I got in the car and recorded supersonic speeds), and Adam arranged a really great surprise group of cheering friends and family at the finish line. (The pie has nothing to do with the post; I just really like this picture of Adam).

More thanks to go KIMBERLY, my running buddy. She helped me realize I could run long distances because of her determination to do so herself. She also helped me realize that running can be fun. It's amazing how quickly time passes when one is conjugating Spanish verbs or swapping life stories with a friend. I had set a tentative goal to maybe, someday run a half marathon. Kimberly held me to my word and gave me the jumpstart I needed when she invited me to go for a 5 mile run on Christmas Eve morning. I could barely walk the rest of the day, but I was hooked on the process. She was also the first one to get me to run 8 miles, breaking through a major mental block since had only ever done a 10k before hitting that distance. Props go to Jerry too, who provided transportation for that monumental run and encouragement all through this process.


I can't close this post without thanking my DAD. He is aptly nicknamed by many family members as "The Energizer Bunny." At his physical last year, Dad asked his doctor if the knee pain he was struggling with would prevent him from running a marathon. The doctor told him if he ran a marathon, he'd be back in for knee replacement surgery. Dad saw that as a challenge. He decided to run to work one day (13 miles), and with that accomplished, he signed up for a marathon, which he ran a few weeks later. His will and determination amaze and elude me. I haven't figured how to channel that level of commitment, but having Dad run this with me made it loads of fun and, the whole while, it felt very doable. He was nice enough to hang with me at my pace, and he saw me through to the finish line. He also helped manage my energy level with expert advice about when to take salt pills, Aleve, swallow runner's goo, and drink Gatorade. I have a picture of my dad and me that was taken after we ran the New Year's Resolution Run 10k a few years ago. I keep it by my jewelry and look at it daily. Dad - you inspire me to exercise and to try hard things. Thank you for that.


Final thanks to my ENTOURAGE. It was so fun to have Adam, Spencer, Emma, John, Valerie (Mom W), Jerry, and Kimberly meet Dad and me at the finish line with Gatorade, a balloon, my very own 13.1 sticker to slap on the back of the van, a bit of juggling (Jester Jerry!) and lots of cheers as I ran in. It was the best finale a girl could ask for. Somehow I didn't end up with the big group photo, so this will have to do for now. Thank you, all, for seeing me through to the close of this crazy adventure.

December 2011

December got off to a great start. Aunt Janet had invited me to attend an Andrea Bocelli concert. We metroed in, perused an outdoor market right by the Verizon Center, purchased some Peruvian wares, and then settled in to listen to some beautiful music. Bocelli is a very engaging performer, though he spends little time talking to the audience since he is hesitant to speak in English. Some fantastic female vocalists on tour with him as well. I thoroughly enjoyed the evening (and the company). It was marvelous to sit, basking in the glorious music, undisturbed by pleas for lollipops or sippy cups. I love attending community cultural events with my 3 little ones, but it was marvelous to let my thoughts wander uninterrupted. I even came away with some much-needed inspiration regarding Girls Camp and other obligations of my current calling. During intermission, Janet and I talked about operas, speech therapy, etc. (John has long been able to communicate effectively with grunts and points. Janet suggested that acting confused about what he is wanting and encouraging him to try words instead would help him develop his speech. It's working beautifully. Success breeds success, and once he mastered his "mama" and "dada" he is off and running, trying new words daily). So grateful to have Aunt Janet in my life!


The ward Christmas party was next on the list of holiday events. The YW organization was in charge of decorating, so on a Friday morning my counselors and I gathered with our wee ones to transform the gym into something festive. Adam and his basketball friends had set up some tables for us the night before, and Brother Baldwin, one of my heroes, had come in early the next morning to set up all the chairs. The decorations were a success, as was the party! At last year's ward Christmas party, we were babysitting a friend's 5 children while they were out of town. My kids had the stomach flu, so Adam and I had divided in hopes of conquering. I took John and the 5 kids at our friend's house; Adam had Spencer, Emma, and the ramifications of their having the stomach flu at our house. Despite our best efforts at quarantining, germs were swapped and in the middle of the night after the Christmas party, red jello was making its reappearance. Two of our friends' kids had caught the stomach flu. I called for back-up, and Adam came immediately to my rescue with our two recently recovered kiddos in tow. Love that man!
This year's party was delightfully uneventful. Spencer and Emma loved talking to Santa. John didn't think it was such a good idea. Hence the binkie.


We did some Christmas baking together.


The Christmas cactus bloomed right on time to make the corner by the kitchen table quite festive.


I got to attend Spencer's class party. (Love that kid!)


Then, John and I were both able to attend Emma's class party. She made tons of darling crafts and got to spend a little more time with the big man. I was really proud of how patiently she waited her turn. One cute little note: when Emma saw Santa the first time, he remarked that her socks (red) were his favorite color. You can see she took that to heart. For her next Christmas party, she was all in red, right down to her shoes.


One of Emma's "teachers" (high schoolers) is her special pal. This teacher, Katie, got Emma a bunch of Hello Kitty gifts for Christmas. Emma was one happy gal that day.


I hosted the annual Christmas recital and was astounded with how full the room was this year! My cute violin students played so well. Spencer played the piano during the recital; I tried to upload a video, but that always seems to frustrate blogger. He was all business in his Norwegian sweater (his wardrobe choice when I asked him to put on something "nice," which just made me happy).
I also got to play some violin this Christmas season. The Mormon Orchestra of Washington, D.C. performed at the Festival of Lights. Adam is a trooper to bring all 3 kiddos while I saw away on stage with Valerie and Celeste (both on cello). Thankfully, Grandpa, Laura, and Aunt Katie were there to help. The Cummings clan was there in force too! I loved seeing all the returned college kids and Grandpa Bezzant in the audience. The report is that John was absolutely mesmerized by the concert, which you know this music-loving mama was happy to hear.

In the latter part of December, Adam and I decided we needed to spend some special time with each of our sweet kiddos.


We took Emma to see a local production of "The Nutcracker" ballet. A friend from church was playing the part of an angel in the production, and Emma got her autograph after the show. My lovie loves all things having to do with dance.


John got to come with us to Chick-fil-A. Adam was treating his Sunday school class (12 - 13 year olds) to lunch at Chick-fil-A, and John was happy to bask in the attention of the youth and consume a chocolate shake.


Adam is pretty much the best Sunday school teacher ever. I think these kids would agree.


Spencer got to come on an outing to the Udvar-Hazy Smithsonian Museum. For Christmas, we gave Gpa Bezzant some IMAX tickets and decided to go see our film on the 23rd, before the full craziness of Christmas was upon us. The film we chose ("Legends of Flight") was just okay, but the museum never fails to impress. Thanks, Melinda and Joel, for coming with us!


Adam and his PATH filters managed to snap some fantastic pictures.



One last picture...just too sweet not to include. My kids are so lucky in that when my siblings come home from college, each dedicates special time and attention to the nieces and nephews. Love and miss you all!

November 2011

November was a big month for Johnny. He reached the 18 month mark, and what an adorable 18-month boy he is! It should be noted that he loves hats, especially ones he sneakers from someone else. (This one is Emma's Indian headdress from preschool).


This boy LOVES plah-doh. He also loves throwing plah-doh utensils, which sometimes means he doesn't get to play with the play-doh as long as he would wish. John has a little bit of rascal in him.


18 months also marks the start of nursery at church. The first week or so went okay. I stayed while he adjusted, having explained that I would be going to class and come back after Young Women's. He did great until he saw other parents come to pick their children up before Adam and I could make it back to the classroom. Ever since, it's no dice. He screams as soon as we leave. It doesn't help that nursery is right during what would normally be his nap time, but isn't that always the case? We'll figure it out eventually...

Since we are hanging out in nursery for now, it does mean we can snap cute photos of him playing with all his little buddies. Props go to Adam for being the family photographer this holiday season. He is a memory maker and documenter. Love that fella!


Another November memory came with the completion of the addition at my parents' house. They extended their dining/kitchen area so that it could accommodate their 11 children, spouses, grandchildren, and anyone else who might stop by at dinnertime. We spent some fun afternoons watching the ongoing construction, and Adam stayed late one night to help lay the new floor just in time for Thanksgiving.


For Thanksgiving, Adam and I decided to make a pie together. We used a recipe from my brother Dan, and Adam had the idea to sprinkle cinnamon sugar over the crust of this apple-caramel concoction. Never would have occurred to me, but it made the top crust absolutely GORGEOUS. I am generally not a crust lover when it comes to pie, but I had no trouble devouring this cinnamony deliciousness.


Oh me, oh my, would you look at that pie?!!!


We were too busy eating dinner at my parents' house and dessert at Adam's parents' to take any photos of our actual Thanksgiving. However, here is a candid shot of Lefse Day, a family tradition wherein we wrap all the Turkey Day leftovers into a potato tortilla of sorts in honor of our Norwegian heritage. Grammy and Papa hosted a crowd of 20-something in this initial extended family gathering in the kitchen. Three long tables fit easily, and no one had to climb under the table to get to his or her seat.


As must be expected at any post-Thanksgiving gathering (especially one involving the Younce family bakers), pie was to be found in abundance. Hard to pick a favorite, but I really loved the taste of Kari's cranberry pie and, of course, Adam's apple masterpiece.


Some of the pie makers: Kari, Mom, me, John, Celeste, and Janet
*Major props to Celeste who cooked a most magnificent Thanksgiving feast with the most delicious brussel sprouts I have ever tasted. Everything was seriously delectable.


I am putting this picture last, but truth be told we knew we would be so busy with celebrating Thanksgiving with various family members that we put the tree up before the festivities. Adam's cousin Michelle was on hand to hang out and help while we assembled the Christmas tree.

Baked Hot Chocolate

Looking for a decadent chocolate dessert to serve your honey on Valentines' Day? Do I have a treat for you!!

Adam sent me this recipe from the Wall Street Journal. We made it for dessert this evening, and it's a good thing our stomachs were on empty (thanks to Fast Sunday) because these are rich and filling. I'm putting this in the running for our next Polar Express party because it's as close to melted chocolate bars as I've ever tasted. It took several servings of whipped cream to even out the chocolately goodness, but none who consumed this deliciousness were found to complain about that minor detail.



Total Time: 40 Minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients
9 ounces high-quality semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes

4 large eggs

1/4 cup granulated sugar

Lightly sweetened whipped cream, to taste (optional)

What To Do
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange four 1-cup ovenproof coffee cups, mugs or 8-ounce ramekins in a baking or roasting pan.

2. Melt chocolate and butter together in a double boiler set over barely simmering water. Whisk occasionally until smooth. Remove from heat and set aside.

3. Stir eggs and sugar together in a mixing bowl, then set bowl over simmering water. Stir until warm to the touch.

4. Remove from heat. Beat egg mixture with an electric beater until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes. Gently fold egg mixture into chocolate mixture.

5. Spoon batter into cups. Add enough very hot water to baking pan to come halfway up sides of cups. Bake until the tops lose their glossy finish, 15-20 minutes. Carefully remove cups from pan.

6. Serve warm or at room temperature with a generous dollop of whipped cream, if desired. Puddings may be refrigerated for up to one day. To reheat, bring them to room temperature and then set in a 350-degree oven until warm, about 5 minutes.

Thanks to Spencer for modeling dessert. Look closely and you can see his scarred eyebrow from his latest round of stitches (3 and counting). He's going to look like a war hero when he emerges from the battlefield of childhood.

First Grade Field Trip

In November, I chaperoned Spencer's 1st Grade Field Trip. We visited Morven Park, former home of Westmoreland Davis, who was the governor of VA starting in 1918. He grew up in VA, had a successful career as a lawyer in NYC, then returned to his boyhood home to pursue his passion for farming. With him, he brought treasures he and his wife had collected from their world travels.

Half of the first graders went on a nature hike around the property. The assigned day for Spencer's class was cold, wet, and windy, so instead of traipsing the trails, we got to tour the mansion, carriage house, and some of the outbuildings. It's something I've wanted to do as long as I have lived here. Every few years I run the New Year's Resolution Run (a 10k) around the grounds of Morven Park, and I am always struck by the beauty of the place. However, I have never followed up on my resolve to explore more formally. This was the chance I needed.

I loved exploring Morven Park with this fellow and his friends.

Spencer on the school bus.


Our little group.


Spence and me in front of the mansion.