HaPPy NeW yEAr!!!!!!

12:08am....in Spain!

photos on the way...

ME TOO! THANKS

love the blogs. thanks!!

Christmas 2009 - An uncle's view

SO as usual I spent Christmas with one of my siblings families and played camera man. I love the role, I always get the traditional white socks and some odd gifts from various random people in our family. Ive spent a couple of Chirstmas's with Nates family and lately have spent the majority with Bobby's. They are always memorable and fun. I do get jealous that they all have fun wives and kids... but when the screaming of children becomes the background music I sort of get all happy that I can just drive away to my lonely cave in LOgan anytime I want. For the most part... the Ginn kids are not screamers... wow, this is not where I was intending to venture.



OK So I arrived at Bobbys home Christmas eve, I gave them my new camera (my Christmas present from mom and dad). I told the kids to take lots of pictures of themselves.. so here they are taking photos of themselves...



We woke up Christmas morning to find a living room full of Christmas gifts. The kids got some killer new clothes, some fun stuff to share (sled, board games, etc) and some other individual items you can see in the pics below. And nobody rewrapped stuff the kids already had in the dresser (thanks bob and nate!).

Here are the pics from opening presents...


I want to just take this moment to give everyone props:

Cindi, you are a punk. You sent me an email the other day and nearly made me cry. You always have a way of touching the weapiest part of my inner soul. I wish we were kids again... I'd totally let you have the t.v. remote once in a while. But honestly, we had some killer good fights over that blasted thing. And I probably would have never let you ride a snowboard!

Bobby, you and I are so different its crazy. I am always jealous to see my brother with so much energy and vigor to be active. You and your family are sweet and I love them dearly. You and Gina provide a home away from home away from home ;) You don't have any idea how grateful I am to you and all the time you spend dealing with me and my carelessness. Thanks!

Nate, I am so grateful for your example. You are a goofball like me and a softy like me. Yet you know how to walk tall as a man and do the things the Lord requires of you at all times. You have a way of calmly letting me know that you are in charge of your daily life and that you are happy. You have a beautiful wife and children that in this chaotic world seem to have a maturity about them that is impressive and exciting. Thanks for being our older brother and leader.

Mommy, You are an angel because I don't know too many times you have been wrong ;) and you have put up with all of us that are never know what we are doing :) You are the matriarch that has always loved each and every one of us no matter what we have done. You are the one that has taught us the principles accountability, hard work and faith simply bay your own actions. You have dealt with a ton of crap and kept us all grounded as citizens. You have raised four oddly wonderful children that because of you have grown up to be servants in our communities. Each child serves and this is a refection of you and your willingness to teach us the "golden rule." You are loved and adored and although we may give you a hard time, just know that its because we are all jealous that we are not as angelic as you. Love you mom.

Daddy, The rock. The man has always gotten up every day and worked so that we can be happy. We all learned something more valuable than anything from you and that was to love doing what you do. I remember as a kid visiting your office and listening to how silly you were with your patients (both young and old). I was so emberased because I didn't know if anyone outside of our family got your humor. But every time you cracked a joke or said something most people wouldn't say to a stranger... they laughed, they smiled they left going... "dang that hurt but I'm laughing too!" You were the one that calmly punished us when we did something wrong and mom couldn't catch us as she chased (with a wooden spoon raised in full battle cry form) us in circles around the island in the kitchen. You were also the guy that when you came home and me and all of my friends were shooting hoops in the front yard, you would drive in full force in to the gutter clogged up by our leaves and try to spray us all with gross gutter water.

My family. The best present I could ever have... the support, love and care from my family! Even if it is bobby trying to sufficate me with the big yellow bean bag, cindi wanting to watch x - files when i was already watching something, my mom infamously yelling "gooooo Jeffers" from the sideline, I always smiled when she did that even if I made it seem like I hated it or if it is dad waking me up with a hand carved 2x4 on a beautiful Monday morning because I didn't take the trash cans to the curb... Sorry dad, the stupid thing didn't hurt... I remember laughing after you spanked me and how you just got more and more upset.

I love each of you, your kids and your spirits. Thank you for always supporting me and always loving one another.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas 2009 Colorado

The girls are showing the gifts they received from regular grandma and grandpa. They each received a watch. Natalie got a skirt and reindeer pjs. Brinley got some pj bottoms and pants (cords). Alexa also got princess DVD's. Ainsley - brandi bought some fabric to make a dress. We will post pictures when that project is complete. Merry, merry, ho ho!

The Hunt for their Final Presents!!!

A Ginn Tradition-- Thanks for the fun mom and dad:)

Here are a couple of pictures for mom... Today 12/24/2009 Natalie made snow angels in the backyard. Also, a picture of Ainsley.

Christmas EVE - Colorado

Hi everyone,

Tonight, we had our traditional Christmas Eve dinner. We prepared cookies, milk and carrots for Santa, et al. and the girls opened up their first presents, pajamas. Thought you might enjoy a couple of pictures.

The girls were so antsy they were bouncing around the pay station cheering Chris to get on the ball and get the parking payed so they could get to the beach. It was about 11:30 AM and bright and sunny about 65 degrees and no breeze so it felt very warm. Julie is a great mom getting a big bag of sandwiches and stuff ready as well as the kids, Oh! as a side note Gracie got sick in the middle of morning preperations and Julie was in the bathroom with the fan on and she couldn't hear Chris yelling for her at the top of his lungs as he picked up Gracie and got her over the kitchen sink as she hurled over him and into the sink. When it was over she walked into the kitchen as Chris was cleaning up and said I did't hear a thing the fan was going. Chris and I just looked at each other with that um I don't think so look. The first part of the day at the beach the girls just played chicken with the waves while Chris took pictures and Julie read and worked on her tan. It was a delightful day. I slept a while. Slept some more when I got home. My blood sugar would not come down and now we are ready to eat homemade pizza. I'll probably sleep through Christmas.

The Hillmans are getting out lunch now that we have settled in. After lunch Chris and the girls spent the afternoon building sand castles. They had a couple of starts that got washed away but the last one was far enough up the sand that it lasted until just before we left around 3:3o pm.

The last picture reminds me of the poem where the guy was complaining that the Lord deserted him during a time of trial and the Lord replied that the reaason there was only one set of prints was because the Lord was carrying him. Something to think about this Christmas season!
Love to all and MERRY CHRISTMAS.

12:36 am - 25th of December 2009...in Spain!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!

Lots of love from David and Cindi

The Hillmans are coming. The Hillmans are coming. The Hillmans are HERE!
Pictures later.

Again...another lame post, but hey, it´s something!!

hugs!

Remembrances of the years from 1943-1945.

Since my dad was older and didn’t want to be drafted in to the war he left Virginia, me, grandma Marion and Jimmy in Bozeman Montana and went to Salt Lake City to get work on the Railroads.

I don’t know when he left exactly but it must have been late 1942 or early 1943. He chose the railroads not only because he liked railroads but it was considered a vital war effort industry and men working on it were exempt from the draft. Dad worked as a fireman shoveling coal into the furnace to make steam to run the steam locomotives. He wanted to become an engineer but never had the chance. His trains ran from Thistle to Helper and up to Vernal Utah and back it was cold hard wet work and dad was sick a lot of the time but he worked anyway. Virginia was the main reason he avoided the war. She was not very good at living without dad. So instead of taking care of the beautiful home he had built with his own hands she left it to be with dad. He loved her for wanting to be with him but I don’t think he ever really forgave her for leaving that home. They lived in two towns near Salt Lake City Bountiful and Woods Cross. Both were very much rural communities. Mom got a job with the Federal Housing Administration hereafter referred as the FHA. Dad was always looking for a way to make an extra buck. A trait he practiced all of his life. So they raised chickens, turkeys and mink. They had a milk cow. Mom the city gal loved collecting the eggs but her arms and hands became almost paralyzed when she was first learning to milk the cow. She was amazed how far a chicken could run without a head and blood spurting out of the neck.

She learned to pluck the feathers off of the chicken a very hard and smelly task and then cook it so it was edible.

Dad only raised mink for a little while because they are very mean and very hungry. He would have to buy old horses scheduled for the glue factory bring them home and shoot them in the head in the side yard and then butcher them to feed the mink. Dad had a real soft heart and finally looking those old horses in the eye before he killed them got the best of him and he gave up raising mink.

During this time there are two stories about me that where handed down from my mom. During this time there was a cough syrup called CHERYCOLE It was a very potent cough syrup. I think that it contained chloroform, alcohol, and an opiate derivative and cherry flavoring.

(Label reads:
4 Ounces Chericol ® With Codine
(UpJohn)
ALCAHOL 3%
Each Fluid ounce Contains:
Chloroform 2mins.
Codeine Phosphate, 1 gr.
Potassium guaiacol Sulphonate , 8 grs.
Ammonium Chloride 8 grs.
Antimony and Potassium Tartrate, 1 ½ gr.
in a cooling vehicle of
White Pine and Wild Cherry Bark
Dose-Adults, 1 to 3 teaspoonfuls. Repeat every 2 to 4
hours pro re nata (Chericol with codine is also
adapted for administration to small children) Infants,
1 month, 2 to 3 drops; 3 months, 4 to 6 drops; 6 months,
6 to 10 drops; children over 1 year, ½ to t teaspoonful
according to age.
Exempt Narcotic, Record Required )

I loved it. It tasted good and knocked you on your butt. Remember I was only 2-3 years old at this time. Anyway, there was some Cherycole syrup on top of a dressed and I wanted some so I stealthy pulled the drawers out of the dresser and made a stairway to heaven. No one knows how much I drank but I was home and grandma Marion was watching me as I stumbled around the rooms like a drunk and then she found the bottle on the dresser and being concerned called the doctor and he said no matter what you have to keep that baby awake because if he goes to sleep he may never wake up. Terrified she called mom at FHA and mom being likewise terrified left in a rush to get home. They took turns walking me for the next 24 hours. So at that time I didn’t make it to heaven.

In the forties it was not, really not, appropriate to take your children to the office.
The FHA office was in a big building in downtown Salt Lake City. I was only maybe four years old at this time. For some reason mom needed to take care of me at work, maybe I had been with Marion shopping I don’t really know, but I remember being greeted by mom in a waiting area that had a long hard wooden bench and I was wearing a white Eaton suit. I felt very grown up on one side and very much in awe of this big building on the other. I knew this was a special occasion and that I wanted to please my mom. So when she lovingly sat me on that bench and looked straight into my eyes and said “Now Champy you mustn’t move off this bench until I come back in awhile to get you and we can then go home together. OK?” and I said yes! I knew I wouldn’t move and I didn’t. I just sat there and took in the massive building and the people coming and going and was completely entertained. That is not to say that my butt didn’t get tired. And that I didn’t wiggle a little and maybe scoot side to side on the bench but I never got off of that bench. It seemed like hours to me and my mom said it was almost an hour but it was more likely a half an hour at the most. A lot of people say a kid that age would not do that but I swear I did.

Last night the 15th of Dec. 2009 the house on the corner of Calle Del Campo was lit up as always but this year they not only had Santa for pictures but 6 Marines in their Dress blues accepting gifts for the Marines annual toys for tots Christmas drive. There was quite a crowd of neighbors in line to give gifts and see Santa and show the Marines their appreciation for the work they do. My silent prayer was that all of these young men will come home in the future to celebrate Christmas with their families. God bless them!

I am so glad to see you got it. You look adorable in the hat.
Love dad

First and probably only Christmas present arrived today!!

Thanks Santa!

I was just about to walk out the door when the mailman buzzed (that´s why I´m wearing a hat), glad I didn´t miss him!!

Bobby was here yesterday. He is going to donate bone marrow to an unknown cancer victim. We went out to eat last night and went window shopping. It was fun just bouncing around looking at stuff. A car picked him up at the airport and drove him to our place and this morning it was back to pick him up and take him to St. Josephs hospital for more tests of his blood. He will then fly home. They are scheduled to take the bone marrow from him December 30 th. He will be able to bring Gina with him on that trip so she can help take care of him if he needs it. They plan on staying here a couple of days and we look forward to having them around. Too bad they can't sneak Lauren or Millie in their bags.
Sorry Cindi no more Christmas lights yet.
Later Dad

Just looked out my kitchen window (that looks out to the same big street as the photo in the blog before) and saw that there are two more balcony´s with lights!!

And on your street...are there lots of lights??

Told you all....lame blogs!!

Since nobody else seems very into blogging, I´m blogging totally lame stuff to see if you all get sick of it and start blogging something worth seeing!!

This picture is taken from my living room. You can see my lights on the balcony, but the important things to see are the lights on the building in front of my place (I circled them so it would be easier to see...it´s not the best picture!!). Our balcony is no longer alone! I was hoping that by now there would be more lights...it would make for a better picture, but maybe in another week?!

Hugs to you all!

Jeff was down for soccer tournaments last week and stayed over a few days. It was nice to have him around. He was nice and put up the lights and outside tree for us. That is all that is done so far but I think next weekend mom and I will have to do a little on the inside since Chris and Jullie and the kids are coming down for the BYU -? bowl and staying for a couple of days. TJ and Christy may make it down also but don't know for sure yet. Cassy just informed me that Sister Weech died yesterday she was 92.
Well here is our picture to respond to Cindi's request. Will send more when the inside gets done!
Love ya'll have a happy season and throw in some service to others cause it will brighten up your day/ DAD

DAD, LOVED THE STORY!!

Would love to hear (read) more!!!

hugs.

Ready for Christmas in Spain

It´s beginning to look a lot like Christmas....

Our balcony.

Our bulding.

In our building no one else has their lights up, but there are a few others that do in the building in front of ours.

Mom and dad, I put some other pics on my blog if you want to check it out.

I would love to see what everyone else´s Christmas decor looks like!!