MERRY CHRISTMAS

I hardly ever do family photos at Christmas. I don't know why, other than I just get too busy and never think of sending them. That is, until I get all of your cute christmas cards. My refrigerator is covered with them! So I started feeling slightly guilty and decided that since it was too late, I would just post a picture on my blog. That way, those of you who have sent me cards can have one in return.

So just imagine this picture coming to your mailbox. It's sort of the same, right?



MERRY CHRISTMAS!
love,

The Bassett Family








Here are some of our outakes I thought were cute:

I LOVE ME A GOOD FUNNY!

I got this a while ago in an email, but then Doug came across it the other day. It's called "Charlie bit my Finger." It's so incredibly funny!!! I don't know if it's the british accent, or how laid back the older brother is. Actually, what I think it is, is the baby. His timing is impeccable!!! If you haven't seen this, you have to watch it- it will brighten your day!!!
(For some reason this particular video doesn't post to Blogger, or I just can't figure out how to do it, so you'll have to just click on the link.)

Charlie bit my Finger

Journal Jar Prattle #3

I had an hour to do absolutely NOTHING (WOW- I know) and decided that I would write about something from my Journal Jar. So I took the jar off my dresser, dusted it off cause even the paper inside was dusty. (This tells you how long I haven't touched the thing). I look inside and see Starburst wrappers. Apparently someone thought it was a mini garbage can. Oh the wonder of a child's mind. Someday I'll write about it.
Maybe....Someday....

Here's the question: What regrets do you have about your life? Why?

Well, regrets are easy to write about. I'm not exactly sure why. Maybe because hindsight is 20/20. Or maybe because it's easier to see one's life with the should have/could have's. Either way, I have just a few, which I suppose is better than having too many. Though I'm not about to list them all for you. One has to have some anonymity. Full disclosure is only good at certain times. (wink)

In high school I was fairly quiet, at least to those who didn't know me. However,if you knew me and we hung out, you would never think this. I was too concerned with being perfect- acting perfect, looking perfect, that I think I missed out on a lot of great relationships. Especially one with myself. Maybe this is why I like the movie "Never Been Kissed" because she gets a second chance to go back to high school, but undercover. She gets to redo the awful experience that she had when she was actually IN high school. Granted, I never was picked on or had a bad experience, I just didn't live it to the fullest. I guess that's the regret- that I didn't live my life to its fullest in my youth.

If I could go back, I wouldn't be so concerned with what others thought and just had fun. The irony is, when you're being yourself, and not what you think others want you to be, people gravitate toward you. THAT'S when you come to learn about yourself. That's what makes people like you. When you're genuinely you. So to sum it up, I wish I could go back and be 'genuinely me.' Though now that I'm thinking about it, maybe those experiences that I've had since high school are the ones that have made me who I am today. I suppose that I would like to be the person I am now back when I was younger. I think I would have had so much more fun! But we can only be who we are at THAT particular time. All the experiences and happenings that we've had up to that time make us who we are, AT THAT TIME. Maybe it's a good thing we can't go back. I might be prone to kick a couple of butts! So kudos to those of you who were genuine yourselves in your youth. I bet you had lots of friends! And really, that's what it's all about.

I also wouldn't have left one of my dates on my doorstep stunned. He had leaned in to kiss me, but I SOOO didn't want him to and so I grabbed the door knob behind me with the hand that was behind my back and practically fell into my house! I bid him goodnight and shut the door. I peeked through the peephole to see if he was still there, and HE WAS. Staring at the door with this stunned look on his face like "I can't believe that just happened to me." Needless to say, he avoided me like the plague for WEEKS. I did feel really bad, but what could I say that would make it better? "Look dude, I just didn't feel like pressing my lips to yours, especially after you were so handsy during the haunted house?" Yeah, like that would've helped his ego heal! Anyway, he kept tabs on my via my sister, who came to be very annoyed after some time. In his defense though, he really was a great guy. There were a couple of other girls that wanted to date him, but there just wasn't any chemistry after the 2nd date on my part. A girl should never lead a guy on right? I was just doing him a favor right?

Irregardless, I do still feel bad about that. I suppose I could've ended the date better, but really..I was seventeen. I wasn't all that with it then. See, that's why I would love to go back now! What perspective I would have! What incisiveness I would exhibit! Of course, the guys would all avoid me like the plague as I would most likely be lecturing them that they really should not kiss a girl on the second date. I know my girls will NEVER do such a thing. NEVER.

Potatoes, Potatoes, Potatoes!

Last Friday was the Single Adult Jingle Bell Ball, in which I delivered 10 large pans of Au Gratin potatoes. As I was loading them in the car, I was trying to be so careful how I placed them because I didn't want spillage. What I should've done was lay something on the floor of my car IN CASE of spillage.

Duh.

After I dropped it all off I noticed that there was some spills, but nothing major, due to my cursory inspection. If you've read the last post, this was the night Doug and I were doing our christmas shopping, so needless to say, I wanted to get home! Thus the quick perusal of any spillage in my car. Plus it was dark. One just can't see a whole heck of a lot in the dark. (Yes I said heck. Yes, I grew up in Utah.)

Doug and I did our shopping till late at night (thanks Meems and Tucker!!!)and then the following day we had plans to get our Christmas tree. As we loaded into the car, excited about our christmas tree prospects, the assaulting aroma of Au Gratin potatoes hit our noses. Whewww! It was like I'd just baked potatoes in my car! It was that strong. I thought, "oh, don't worry about it. The smell will be gone by the end of the day." I did try to clean up the few spills that I caught before we left. However, I may have missed some. We took Archie along with us. For some reason he was fascinated with the undercarriage of the driver's seat. Apparently there was more of a spillage than I thought. (grimace)

So now, everytime I get in my car, the Au Gratin smell is as strong as ever. It hasn't even dissapated. AT ALL. I'm now afraid that the Au Gratin is going to turn into the AU ROTTEN. Doesn't food spoil? Even if it is just a spill? Okay, a rather LARGE spill?

I have taken to rolling my windows down while my car is parked in the garage cause it's just too overwhelming to climb in with the smell so strong.

Years ago, and I mean YEARS AGO, when I was a teenager, my family took a vacation down to Southern California. We visited Mexico and brought back some vanilla. En route home, one of the bottles cracked and the vanilla slowly seeped into the upholstery of the car. Sort of like a built in air freshener. It smelled like vanilla for years! I kid you not. I think if I was to smell the car now, cause they still have it, it would still smell like vanilla. The reason I tell this tiny little story is that I'm afraid of the same thing happening to my car. Unfortunately it won't be the nice smell of vanilla but the rotten smell of Au Gratin potatoes. The dehydrated kind no less!

I suppose I'll just have to get it professionally cleaned. But even then I'm not real hopeful.

Oh the woes of a Relief Society President.

The "Funny Farm"

The "Funny Farm" has been a long used term in my family growing up. My mother would often use this expression when she was stressed, overworked, and just plain tired. I never really understood the FULL measure of this expression until lately. The Funny Farm has a new resident, and that resident is me, and I may be taking up permanent residence for the next couple of weeks. Well, maybe more like months. Or really, maybe more like until the day that I've officially "exited" this calling. Yah, maybe more like the latter.

Luckily, tonight Doug and I are FINALLY going to do some much needed Christmas shopping for our little family. So after I run 12 pans of potatoes to the stake center tonight (don't ask me how I'm going to get 12, count them...12, BIG OLE pans of potatoes in my car, let alone just getting them into the building) Doug and I will be off to shop. One of my absolute favorite things to do. Shop with my hubby! I love it because he HAS to do it, it is christmas you know. And he HAS to spend money on things that he normally wouldn't. Not that he's a tight wad, though some days I wish one of us was, but he's frugal. Plus it's just plain fun to shop for your kids and other family members! It's just FUN!!!!
And then tomorrow we're getting our christmas tree and complete the christmas decorations that I put up on Monday because I didn't want to wait for the tree.

So for today I think I will vacate the Funny Farm and return to it later tonight. The craziness will resume as normal. But later. Much later.

Smith Photos

I took the Smith's photos on Saturday. They're kids are SO CUTE and SO energetic! Kim, I hope you like the pictures. (I'm crossing my fingers here) I just wanted to share a couple of my favorites, cause unfortunately I can't share ALL of them. I hope you don't mind. (smile)

Saturday Morning

This morning we awoke to some intense fog. I happen to love fog, how it's sort of surreal looking, how it gives a soft glow to everything it touches. There's just something so sweet about "being in the clouds." I was getting geared up to take The Smith's photos and was somewhat dismayed to see the fog, because I wasn't sure we were going to be able to get pictures, but as the morning ticked by and the sun tried to come through, I realized that it might make for some great photos. So I grabbed my camera, jumped in the car, and drove out to where I wanted to shoot some pictures. It was GORGEOUS! Some curious stares coming from the motorists passing by. I suppose one doesn't see someone in their pj's, socks and flip-flops often enough! Fashion no-no I suppose.

I need to figure out how to blow these up larger than blogger allows. It's in my new photoshop software but I have neither the time nor inclination to try to figure it out at the moment. Hopefully you can see how absolutely gorgeous it was this morning. AND I didn't doctor anything!

I just love mother nature!

Play Photo Shoot

This post is primarily for Kim, but you can still look if you want to. I was just going to email them but the attachments were just too big so I am using my blog. Kim asked me to do her family christmas photos and I have a location in mind, but I wanted to see if she would be happy with it, or if she is looking for more color. Anyway, I just took the boys and Brittnee out in whatever they were wearing, so pardon the outfits. (Though I'm not much for spending loads of money on one time outfits. Would if I could however!!!) So these are just little quickie photos I took so you could get the general idea of which direction I would go with your pictures.
So here they are Kim. Let me know what you think. Either email me or leave me a comment. If you want we could do more than one location, if you're looking for more color.
(Just a small side note: I think the fourth picture in of Andon looks so much like the character Lincoln on Prison Break.)

Bishops Farm

For the last couple of years we've been going to Bishop's Farm. We just LOVE IT! Obviously this was a couple of weeks ago, but I am just getting around to posting them. Some of these turned out cute that I think I may frame a couple of them.

Zakry loves all things that make noise, are huge, and move. Tractors being no exception to the rule. Granted it's not a motorcycle, but it was fun to sit on nonetheless.


I couldn't help but get photos of the girls on the tractor too.



Andon is very into moving vehicles as well.




The train is one of our favorite things to do together. We usually ride soon after we arrive at the farm because the line can get VERRRY long. It just occurred to me that I am actually in the photo. Huh. Well..somewhat. One of the employees there offered to take our picture. This started an entire conversation on how he had bought his wife the same camera not too long ago. Go figure. I guess everyone is getting better cameras and better photos. I mean really, who doesn't want better photos?



Was it just me, or were the pumpkins EXTRA HUGE this year?! I'm kindof bummed I didn't get a bigger pumpkin, but I fell in love with the cinderella pumpkins this year, so I got one of those. Oops, no picture however.





I don't know why I like pictures of just legs and feet, or just arms and such. We won't delve too far into a theory.




Brittnee wanted to pose for everything. Finally, someone who will let me experiment!!



Look at that goose just stare at me while I take his picture! Obviously he has "small man" complex. Hence the sign. (shiver)


The kids loved petting the animals. I wanted to follow them around with hand sanitizer. Really, this section of the farm just reminds me that I would not have been a good pioneer. They would have left me somewhere along the Oregon trail.




Do you SEE where Zak's hand is??!! I bless the name of the people who invented hand sanitizer.


The boys were sitting in this cute little mini produce truck while we paid for our pumpkins. As I pulled out my camera and focused them in the view finder, I was instantly hit with a bit of nostalgia for the simpler times, the "Mayberry" life. Sometimes I long for good old traditional living that existed years ago.




All in all, Bishop's Farm is something to look forward when Fall arrives. Hopefully soon we'll actually be able to find a Saturday free to get to Apple Hill. I'm dying to cook up a Sour Cream Apple Pie. (sigh)