Pet Sitting...

Our good friends in the ward, the Prices, went out to Utah for Christmas, and will be gone until January 3rd. They asked us to take care of their dog, Honey. She's a very sweet, calm, yellow lab. When I was over having Julie show me how to take care of her, she said she had another favor to ask of me. She had forgotten to ask someone to watch her kids' 2 Gerbils. I told her "of course, we will!! My boys will think they've died and gone to heaven!"
So I brought them home in their little cage. It has tunnels and compartments that remind me of the Mcdonald's play-place! My boys, of course, were elated to come home and see 2 little furry friends to watch and giggle at. They put them in their little plastic ball (we had to specify - not together!) and followed them around the house. I kept telling them not to kick it, or roll it. Then I walked down the hall and habitually, upon seeing a ball in my path, kicked it out of the way. "Mooom!! The Gerbils!!"
Well, today it got to be naptime, and we were all ready to crash for our Sunday afternoon nap. The little blonde Gerbil was running around the living room in the ball, and we took off and went to lay down, not even thinking about putting him back where he belonged. I woke up to Brettsky saying, "Mom! The Gerbil is gone out of his ball!!" He had escaped. We looked and looked everywhere, but couldn't find it. Right as I was ready to get in the car, and go let the Prices' dog back into their garage for the night, Trey noticed Junior was extra interested in something behind the TV. Adam tried to catch it, but it ran down the hall and disappeared...again!
I took off, and let Honey (the dog) into the garage. I went to look for a way to get her water since the outside faucet had frozen, and she ran out of the garage door! Julie had warned me that she loves to wander around the neighborhood, and may try to sneak out. I got in the car and drove up and down the street in the dark, calling her name. I figured the neighbors probably thought my husband had run away, and that explained why I was calling "Honey!!" out the window.
It is BEYOND bitterly cold here, so I couldn't spend too much time outside. I returned home in hopes that Honey would get cold and come back to her house. I came home, and the boys still hadn't found the delinquent Gerbil, but Adam offered to come help me find Honey. He even let me borrow some of his Long-Johns to wear under my pants to keep warm. I need to get me some, they are great!
We drove around and around the Prices' surrounding neighborhood, in search of the dog. Right before we were about to return home unsuccessful, I spied her down the street. She came running right up and jumped into the back of our 4-runner. We got her home safe and sound, and breathed a huge sigh of relief!
After we'd been home for a time, Junior started whining and scratching around in the office, and we knew the poor Gerbil must have made his way down the hall into there. We moved the couch away from the wall, and the trainset, and the storage totes. Adam gasped, and we all got excited....but he was only gasping in surprise and delight at finding the long lost "Han Solo" action figure behind the couch.
Finally, the Gerbil appeared, and we were able to corner it, eventually pick it up and return it to it's cage safe, and still alive! What a harrowing adventure this all has been! And it's only been 3 days!!!

Stewart Family Christmas Letter

When Adam and I married, I SWORE I would never send out an ‘e’ letter to all our friends and family for Christmas. There is just something special about receiving a real live Christmas card from a loved one via Snail Mail. Well, obviously, "special" does not buy 70 stamps and cards, address, and send them all!
Merry Christmas from Hutch!! I’m so excited for Christmas this year! I think it is for the simple fact that my boys have done amazingly well focusing on the real Reason for the Season. The first day it snowed (2 days after Thanksgiving), they insisted that we drag out the tree and all the other parafanalia. The constant din of Christmas music and smell of Candy-Cane-breathe has not stopped since! I love it!
I think our boys have grown up more this year than in any year past. This, of course, brings mixed emotions along with it. Treyton, at 8, will be as tall as me within a couple of years, and I’m hoping he still wants to shower me with sweet, rough hugs and stolen kisses. He is certainly his Daddy’s boy, and loves to find funny ways to surprise (and terrorize) me. If he spies me bent over, or not paying attention, he can’t resist poking me with something that will bring me upright at record speed, and get a good "aaaaoooowww!" Out of me. Luckily, I know that this (in boy language) is just a way of him expressing his deepest affections. I was surprised and impressed with Trey at his last Parent Teacher Conference! He is so intelligent and likeable, and precocious! Trey’s biggest highlight of the year was getting baptized. His grandparents were able to come for a rare visit, and it was a very special day. Trey is now a Cub Scout, and has a great Den. Pine Wood Derby is right around the corner!

Treyton’s Favorite Things About This Year:
1 - The blizzard during schoo

2 - scouts: learning about nutrition and writing with invisible ink
3 - Playing Playstation

It was difficult to send my little 6 year old Brettsky off to all-day Kindergarten this year! But he absolutely loves it! He thinks the best part is that the bus has no seat belts. His teacher is just perfect for him. She is another in the line of teachers to tell us that Brett is extremely advanced in his artistic abilities. He draws the greatest pictures! He has really been into creating.....whatever! He comes up with fantastic ideas, and works hard coloring, painting, cutting, glueing....until he has a real piece of work to show off! He made most of our Halloween decorations this year, and they were so good that I boxed them up to decorate for next year, as well! Brett sang his first solo in our Primary Children’s Program this year in October. He caught the performing bug, and now loves to perform whenever he has the chance. It’s fun to help him practice, and he has such a sweet little voice. He is still a male-version clone of me (*beam*), and has the laugh to prove it! He has the most adorable sprinkling of freckles across his nose and cheeks, and everyone still finds him as loveable as ever.

Brett’s Favorite Things About This Year:
1 - playing games and making crafts during "Center Time" at school
2 - Potluck Sunday every 3rd Week!!
3 - Building with blocks

My "baby", Cameron is 5 now!! Good thing he is of quite a compact build, so I can still pick him up and give him embarrassing hugs and kisses! We have become quite special little buds since the older 2 boys have gone to school this year. He comes with me to the gym, and we have picnics on the lawn of his school before class time. He never misses a morning of climbing onto the kitchen counter and saying, "Well, hello Johnson!" Johnson is his goldfish. Cam still absolutely cracks all of us up! Dinner time is his shining moment to make us all laugh and howl over his antics. He acts out and makes faces while he tells stories of things that happened that day. He is quite athletic, and can run REALLY fast! He is less shy than our other boys, and VERY social! I’m sure he has divulged more than one guarded family secret during the school year. His teacher had all sorts of funny admissions to speak of at PTC!

Cam’s Favorite Things About This Year:
1 -Playing Soccer with Trevor
2 - Going to the "Candy Man" at church
3 - Cuddling with Mommy

Well, I’ll be a short blurb! I haven’t done ANYTHING this year! Or so it feels. It has been a new experience juggling the bus schedule, scout meetings, sports practices, church events...the list goes on. I know it will only continue to grow throughout the years, and it’s scary! I have had many good opportunities come my way this year, though. I’ve been given the chance to pull my flute out and use my musical talents again. I’ve also been asked to sing in church several times, which is something I’ve always avoided like the plague. I LOVE my calling as Primary Chorister, and the creativity it allows. I’m so glad that after all these years in the primary, they haven’t kicked me out! I recently completed training as a Turbo Kick instructor, and teach two nights a week at the YMCA. It is SO much fun!! Talk about stress relief! It’s something that I truly enjoy, and look forward to my classes more and more.

My Favorite Things About This Year:
1 - Our trip to Hawaii
2 - Zumba Day at the Gym
3 - Visiting my family in Utah

Adam has had a busy year working. No really - he has worked SO hard! He has done all sorts of contracting jobs from roofing, to framing, to painting in between his hours at the Fire Department. He continues to love Firefighting, and enjoys a good fire! He also frequents the YMCA, where he works out with a buddy or two. He has some very good friends on the department, and is liking where he is stationed (downtown at station 1). This week, Adam finally had the Hemanginoma (it’s some sort of blood vessel tumor thingy) on his forehead removed. It began to be bothersome, fitting just below the band of his FF helmet. So the birth mark on his forehead is no longer. :( sort of sad, huh! He basically got a forehead tightening along with it - all covered by insurance! I was a little disheartened at the fact that he didn’t develop black eyes like 9 years ago when it was previously operated on. I wanted to take pictures! He is doing well, and healing just fine.

Adam’s Favorite Things About This Year:
1 - Hawaii
2 - Going to Aruba with Trav
3 - Getting my new "bad" truck!

It will be interesting to see what the year ahead brings, as our boys are growing like weeds! We look forward to sharing it with each of you, far and near! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! (That rhymed!)
With Love - the Stewart Family

The End of an Era...

Most of you who've known Adam for a time may have noticed the birthmark above his left eyebrow. It is blackish-blue in color, and often mistaken for a grease smear by strangers. People often try to help him out by bringing his attention to this "smear", and he has to inform them that it's not really a smear - he was born with it. The people generally feel bad and beg for unreasonable forgiveness.

This particular birthmark is a Hemangioma. It's a raised birthmark created by a group of blood vessels that did not develop properly. It continues to grow throughout one's life, and can occur either on top of the skin, or deeper inside the body. Adam's was under the skin, which made it appear to also be a large goose-egg on his head. Some little old women often commented that he looked like he'd been "bonked" on the head.

Adam claims his birthmark never bothered him growin up, but started to annoy him a year or 2 ago. It's also located just beneath where his FF helmet fits, so it became uncomfortable. He had surgery on it about 9 years ago while we were dating. The doctor removed a calcified lump, and cauterized the vessels, thinking this would solve the swelling. Within a few years' time, it grew back again. So...he decided to have it removed once and for all!

Adam went into surgery at 9:00am, Tuesday, December 9 (Cameron's B-day) and emerged a few hours later, groggy, and in a great deal of pain. The doctor informed us that she had not only removed the skin with the dark mark on it, but also a "bag" of blood from under the skin. Yum! I fed him pudding like a baby so he could take a pain pill, and then helped him dress like a 3 year old. It was all somewhat entertaining...for me!

He has been healing fine, and just had his 2nd checkup appointment today to have the stitches removed. His scar is becoming a little less "Bride-of-Chucky"-ish, and looks like in the end, the scar may not be half bad. He keeps it covered with an enormous bandaid most of the time so as not to scare our fellow citizens.

Adam's been off work since a few days before his surgery, and will probably stay home until early next week. He was finally cleared today to start lifting things (which means he can go to the gym as well). The break has been really good for him, and the boys are loving seeing him in the morning, afternoon, and evening!

While an era has ended, we shall never forget...."Adam's Birthmark."