Christmas plans....

Mom and I are wondering what everyone would prefer to do for Christmas.

There are a few non-negotiable:
1. Grandma Hazel's Christmas eve
2. A pinata (as per mom's request)
3. Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol
4. Lots of food
5. Lots of games
6. Presents
7. A Very Costner Christmas
8. It's A Wonderful Life (You call this a happy family? Why do we have to have all these kids?)

However....

We are wondering what everyone would like to do Christmas eve night and Christmas morning. Do we want to sleep at Huff's house Christmas Eve or sleep at mom's house Christmas eve?

Michael and I are more than happy to have people stay at our home for the duration of your stay, or if people want to stay over here just for Christmas eve....



We obviously have a few kids (& gifts) to worry about, but we would like to be involved in the Christmas morning festivities.

So, let us know by responding to this post about your opinion/thoughts/feelings etc. Thanks and we are so excited!



Michael and I bought a (almost) 9 footer fresh Christmas tree this year. It is pretty massive, so we are definitely in the Christmas spirit!

Secret Santa

I have picked names for everyone to exchange gifts. Here is the list

Jen - Riley
Ron- Melanie
Janelle- Mike
Michael-Ryan
Mike B. - Amy
Ryan - Jon
Melanie - Michael H.
Jon- Jen
Amy - Ron
Riley - Janelle


Here is who the kids will be giving gifts to:

Christian - Sadie
Claire-Reese
Joseph - Jane
Grace - Audrey
Anna - Evelyn

Audrey - Anna
Reese - Claire
Sadie - Joseph
Jane- Grace

Evelyn - Christian

Hope this works for the kids. Thanks, Amy

my confusion

When I go to the temple, i think and think and pray and pray that i can feel dad or be comforted by him. Is he actually there, or is it just my "wishful" thinking and hope? But i can honestly say, that i am unsure. Am i not in tune with the spirit enough? am i unrighteous? or is dad gone.
I always thought, especially in the temple, that i would have an overwhelming feeling of presence and comfort. when i am in holy places, i always think and hope and pray that dad is there too. but i am not having that SURE feeling of comfort or that SURE feeling that he IS there. I could not testify of any spiritual experiences where i felt him there. i have left the temple confused and feeling like the line between my hope and my reality is clouded.
i always wish i could have dad with me. but i am feeling the light dim. as everyone is scattered all over the states and busy with there lives, i am feeling very disconnected with my family and my "roots". i miss everyone everyday. any thoughts or advice for me on this??
love you all so much
janelle

great day

more pix on my blog: beautifultomebecause.blogspot.com

Random Pictures

This was taken on Evelyn's first birthday. Can you see the pigtails? When I held up the camera she actually saw that I was taking a picture and posed like this.

Future Weber State Students?

That is all.

Hi to all my family. I finally have mustered up enough strength to add something to the blog tonight. I am glad that you have been writing fun memories about Dad.

January 24, Friday I heard a knock at the door just as I was heading off to work to cover the evening shift and there was a woman with a huge beautiful bouquet of flowers. I was completely surprised because I also looked down on the porch and there was another pot of flowers sitting there. I opened the cards and found that Tom and Sherrie and Vivid and sent flowers in remembrance of Dad! I was so surprised that Vivid remembered and appreciated Tom and Sherrie's thoughtful gesture.
I often marvel at how blessed I am to have so many individuals that show their concern and kindness to me.
I am especially appreciative of my children, spouses and grandchildren. I can't tell you how many times your phone calls and encouraging words have helped me focus on the good in my life.
I still have moments that I expect to hear Dad driving up the driveway or trodding up the stairs after a long day at work. I, on occasion, think I catch a glimpse of him driving past in the Sentra headed home or on an errand. I was in the temple last week helping with youth baptisms and felt as tho he could be there checking in on me. I wanted to see him and hear his voice. I miss his strenth and his protective presence. I used to tell him he was my hero. I know that sounds weird but when I would get myself in a bind or was upset about something or in an unsafe situation , he would often step in and resolve the issue when it was beyond my ability. I would always feel a great sense of relief and rescue and grateful that he so willing interceded. I still struggle to want to go to church by myself. I feel that there is such a huge break in my heart as I try to step forward each moment of the day. It is a puzzle to me as to how I am suppose to proceed with my normal activities when things really are no longer normal.
I appreciate the strength and support that all of my family and friends continue to provide. It helps me to feel that I can move forward and handle the responsibilities of my life.
I love all of you and pray for each one of you. I pray for your successes and that your righteous desires will be met. You are all amazing to me and I am so grateful for the coaxing, direction and support each of you gave in helping Evan prepare for his mission. I could not have done as much.

I have included a picture of the flowers Vivid gave me because I took them over to the cemetery.
I am enjoying the beautiful flowers Tom and Sherrie gave me at home.
love from mom

memories from janelle

the previous posts and comments made me really laugh out loud!
All the car posts got me thinking about the time dad, me, & amy went to spy on jon. jon was going to be attending a party of some sort and we thought we knew the name of the friend who was hosting the party. we found this friend's address in the church directory, got in the sebring and drove over to said friend's house. they lived over behind the temple in a nice neighborhood. when we got to the house, me and amy snuck out trying to peer into the windows to spot jon. we couldnt see him, but we saw some people. we then decided to go down the slight slope into the backyard and see if we could spot him from the back. as me and amy descended to the back, dad began reving the engine and rocking the car forward and back. the driveway was a downward slope and he was trying to reverse up. he couldn't do it. he kept putting the car in reverse, grinding the gears, and stepping on the gas. it was making a LOUD sound. me and amy panicked b/c of all the ruckus being caused by dad....we would surely be discovered. after we realized that dad would not be able to reverse the car up hill in a stick shift, we made a brake for the car. luckily no one came out. it turned out to be the completely wrong house as well. jon's party was elsewhere...but dad's complete lack of stealth was so comical to me and amy. hi

More memories...

I have a memory to share about dad on Father's day. I was thinking about this while I was running the other day.

He use to follow me in the car all the time in the high school.

On Saturday mornings in the summer my team would meet to go for a run. I left the house and dad was still out cold in the bedroom upstairs. I didn't think he was aware of my practice. I got to the designated meeting place with my team which was Desert Hills Middle school usually. We would decide where to run when we got there. We started and sure enough about 20 minutes into the run dad would drive by with the window rolled down and yell," Amy Blodgett!" He was trying to embarass me. My teammates thought it was hilarious. He would then proceed to drive ahead about 100 meters park on the side of the road and wait for us to pass. I would yell, "go home!" He continued with this routine for awhile. Then he left, probably to go get breakfast.
The only explaination I can come up with, for how he found me every time was that he would've had to have driven down different streets in search of us until he found us.

Another time in the summer, it was about 10 at night and I decided to go for a run. Since it was late and dark dad said he was going to follow me in the car. I ran a route around the rancho reata area and dad continued to pass by and watch over me enjoying the cool summer breeze in the sentra. I was almost to the bottom of reata road when a man emerged from one the streets. He stopped me and said, "there is a car that keeps turning around and following you." I told him that it was my dad. Dad noticed that a strange man was talking to me and as I passed by dad again he said, "who was that freak talking to you?" And I told him it was another man wondering who he was. Dad was protective and always watched out for his kids.

Please share any memories you might have. I enjoy reading them.

Love, Amy

Off she goes...

Evelyn isn't walking yet. But she likes to push this stroller. She just started doing this the other day. We thought it was cute. She took off really fast. Hopefully the video will work.

Amy

Easter and game

Ryan and Melanie, we've been thinking about you today.

I hope you are feeling peace and comfort.

Hope everyone had a great Easter!

We got tickets to the Yankees game last Saturday. They were close to the field, right behind home plate. It was raining on and off but there was a box behind the seats we could go behind glass that was warm. We were sitting there watching the game and a New Yorker who'd had a few yelled to Joseph, "You're tough kid!" in his New York accent. He also told me to "Get him a real Yankees hat." It was kids day inside the box and the kids got to be entertained by a balloon man and got their portraits done by a cartoonist. We had a lot of fun!

The rest of these were taken today.

HAPPY birthday AMY!!

Happy Birthday amy! Some examples of amy's awesome-ness: she was a division 1 athlete in her prime... she is very sweet and forgiving... she is pretty and looks like mom.... she is calm and dignified... she is very thoughtful and sends cards on birthdays.... she is able to run marathons she is an avid disney aficiando... she is an exceptional mother with a beautiful baby................. she answers her phone (for the most part).................. she has a strong faith and is very righteous i always enjoy talking to amy, she is a great example to me, and i know that i can rely on her. Hope you had a wonderful day! and all your dreams come true. love you the huff's

WOW! THANK YOU FOR ALL THE NICE THINGS YOU SAID ABOUT ME! Thanks for the calls and cards! I did have a great day thanks to you guys!!:)

Janelle Lee

Here's some reasons why we love Janelle:

She's fun. ex: She had the idea to build a fort in mom's backyard.

She always makes interesting comments on facebook (i.e. "Can I describe myself as staccato?")

She's an involved parent.

She loves her family and takes great care of them

She's hilarious!

She likes to watch reality shows about people who hunt ghosts or other unexplained creatures. (i.e. ghost adventures and Destination truth)

She has an amazing jewlery collection

She teaches her children the gospel

She is VERY organized

I know when I go to her house she will introduce me to a delicious new snack. (i.e. turkey wraps from costco.)

She is a thoughtful person.

WE love you janelle! We hope you have a great birthday.

Love, Amy, Riley, and Evelyn.

Can you tell what this is?

Claire thinks it looks like a demented polar bear.

First meeting

Riley told me this today. I think he's told this to me before but I forgot. But we were talking about dad and Riley recalled the first thing dad said to him.

"Hi, don't worry Amy's mom doesn't look like me. I'm ugly. Amy's mom is beautiful, elegant, and graceful. Luckily, Amy looks like her mom."

Anyway, this was a short story but I thought it was funny. This was a typical comment dad made about his apperance. He always thought he was ugly. He wasn't ugly. But then he always commented on mom's good looks.

Amy

Gloria takes care of the dog

Riley and I watch this show, "Modern Family." When I saw this clip I thought of many of you and your hatred for rodents.

Bar is done and The King's Speech

I finished the bar exam yesterday. It feels very nice to be done with it. Two days: the first was all writing; the second was all multiple choice. I hear the results on May 5 and then, assuming I pass, I will be sworn in as an attorney a few weeks after that. Melanie did a great job supporting me leading up to the exam and I feel like it went well.

Also, I got tired of my beard after letting it go for 3.5 weeks. It wasn't improving so I shaved it--but not before I checked to see what I would look like with this...

I shaved the stache after fifteen minutes when Melanie was repulsed by my appearance.



Also, today we went to see a movie in the middle of the day, on a weekday. It felt weird to be at a movie theater in the middle of a day on a weekday. We saw a great movie, which I recommend to all of you: The King's Speech. I love WWII history and the movie tells a tremendous, true story of the era. Compelling acting and dialogue. Though rated R, it is cleaner than most PG movies I have seen. R rating due to a thirty-second scene where King George learns that his stutter does not exist when he swears.

Congratulations Ryan!

Ryan finished the bar exam yesterday and is confident that he passed so I think a congratulatory note is appropriate. Good job Ryan! We have another lawyer in the family! All of those hours of studying will now begin to pay off! Good Job!

2.5 weeks growth

Keep in mind that I spend my days holed up in our apartment, studying for the bar. So when I took this picture tonight, it had been the first time I looked in a mirror for a while.

The Cougs in Colorado Springs

Melanie got us tickets to both of the BYU basketball games that took place in Colorado this year. A perfect present. We showed up to the most recent game about two hours early so I could watch the teams warm up.

Also, I am not shaving until I am done with bar just to see what I look like with facial hair.

Happy Birthday Jen!

Happy Birthday JON!

Happy Birthday Jon!

Here's my top 10 things I love about Jonny:

10. He's energetic.

9. He's funny.

8. He has wild, curly hair.

7. He sings beautifully.

6. He knows a lot about politics and history.

5. He has owned some interesting types of vehicles.

4. He's had some interesting experiences with his vehicles and various police officers.

3. He speaks Norwegian and was a great missionary.

2. I've seen him be very kind and thoughtful to Mom in many ways since Dad passed away.

1. My kids love him because he's a SUPER FUN uncle, my husband loves him because he's a NICE brother-in-law, and I love him because he's a GREAT brother.

Have a great day Jon!

Love,

Jen