| December 25, 2000 | Issue 24 | Lehi, Utah |
In this issue:
Breaking the Bank
Shannon has had a dog-shaped piggy bank for most of her life. And as parents do when their kids finally have a house, Walt and Charlayn shipped it off to us to worry about. It probably weighed something like 30 pounds with all the change inside it, and after tripping over it in the garage for a while, we thought, “Hey, if we crack this thing open, maybe we could afford a new house!”
The first hard part was getting the stopper out. It took two highly proficient demolition experts (with a little help from their dad) to mangle it into submission.
The Demolition Crew
December 14, 2000
But ripping out the stopper was nothing compared with the difficulty of trying to cash in the coins.
We had seen a Coin Star machine at the grocery store, which collects coins in exchange for a cash voucher (minus its commission), and figured this would be the perfect opportunity to put it to the test. Unfortunately, the machine was clearly designed to handle a handful of mint-condition coins — not the grimy mounds of pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters we shoved down it. I was getting tired of the messages of astonishment from the machine (“My, you have a lot of coins! Please wait for us to catch up”) when it finally buckled under the weight of the task, and refused to continue.
A very nice clerk named Jason apologized a lot while he tried to get the machine to work again. Honestly, though, we were a little embarrassed.
After a very long time, and two more Coin Star breakdowns, we decided to call it good with the cash we’d gotten so far.
We only made it through about a third of the bank, but we figured we might be able to cash in more before our first mortgage payment came due, so we got ready for the big move.
Moving Day
December 16, 2000
Due to days and days of packing, the bulk of transporting our stuff from one house to the other was finished in about two hours. That didn’t include some small odds and ends, like the “Fred’s Fort”, though. I have to credit Jason Sucher, our home teacher, for heading up that project. It didn’t seem really too bad to move. Of course maybe that was because I was waiting at the new house while everyone else loaded it onto the truck….
Where am I going to put all this?
December 16, 2000
But we got a lot of great help from family and friends, for which we are very grateful. There’s no way we could have done it all ourselves.
Now we’re just trying to make the house our home. It’s starting feel less like a hotel now. Except I keep thinking I need to find that yellow dog bank to tip the bellhop.
Christmas in Lehi
Before we moved, I didn’t think we really had that much stuff. I guess it’s all relative — I mean I’ve helped people move who really have a lot of stuff. But when everything is right in front of you, it does seem like a lot.
Stuff!
December 14, 2000
In a way, it makes it hard to want to get anything else when you’re looking for places for all that you already have. Still, I did manage to bring home a Christmas tree last week. Here’s a new tradition idea for any of you stressed-out mothers: Shannon went to a movie while the rest of us did the decorating. Actually next year Shannon and I both plan on going to a movie after we throw the tree and decorations box into the living room and make a run for it, while the demolition — er — decoration crew does their job.
This year Gerrit was pulling decorations off the tree almost as fast as Ethan and I were putting them on. We only gained the upper hand because some of the ornaments were out of his reach. I think eventually the only decorations still on the tree were higher than three feet. Gerrit also had to taste all of the candy canes he could get his hands on.
Crunch, crunch. OK, this one’s good.
Crunch, crunch. We can put it on the tree now.
December 20, 2000
But we finally made it to Christmas, and kept what little sanity we have remaining.
Waiting for the predicted white
Christmas to blow in (but it was just a little dusting).
December 24, 2000
A birthday cake for Jesus
December 24, 2000
Everything Fits and We Look Fabulous
I think we may have a genuine Christmas miracle. All of our gifts fit and, if I do say so myself, we look great. I don’t know if in recorded history this has ever happened. Thank you for the gifts they were just what we wanted.
Modelingnew clothes
December 25, 2000
As Eric and I went to bed on Christmas Eve, Eric said he was really worried Ethan would wake up at 4:30 and want to open presents. So we were pleasantly surprised that Christmas morning didn’t come to our house until 6:45 — Ethan’s usual wake up time. We thought Ethan showed amazing restraint for a 4 year old.
The kids really liked their gifts. We’ve been playing with toys and reading books all day. Ethan’s gift from Grandma and Grandpa Fearnley was very sensitive to movement and talked at the slightest touch. He’s been saying, “Hi, did you come to play with me?” for days. I wonder if the mail carrier was relieved to deliver that package because I imagine it was driving him nuts.
Saturday, December 23 came and, miraculously, we were finished with our shopping. But rather than relaxing and enjoying a quiet day at home I insisted we go to the mall for pictures with Santa. Eric kept asking me if I was sure I really wanted to go to the mall even though it wasn’t absolutely necessary. I think many of his sentences started with, “I can’t believe….” I admit when I saw the mall parking lot I had some serious doubts about my sanity. To make things worse, when we arrived at Santa’s seat he wasn’t even there. Santa was on break and wasn’t even due back for another 20 minutes. I persevered. We would stand in line, Santa or not, but all the while worried the boys would be scared of Santa and scream the entire time they’re on his lap. What if Santa’s break is a lot longer than 20 minutes? But it was worth it. Ethan and Gerrit’s picture, in my opinion, should be placed in the annals of great Christmas pictures.
Merry Christmas
Love Shannon
Boys with Santa
December 23, 2000