Most pics need no explanation – it’s just the kids… well, being our kids. But the sock picture is for Granny (or I should say the picture in Christmas pj’s with all the heads cut off!) And yes, we still do matching Christmas pj’s. I think I’m the only one who enjoys that at this point; but I think it’s fun to see us all matching on Christmas Eve and the big kids do indulge me and don’t complain…too much!

Enjoy great-grandparents (and aunts, uncles, and cousins) !! We missed you all!

We had a wonderful visit from Jen and Ethan in March – see pics below. Jeff and I celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary with a fun trip to Vegas in April. Alex finished his first semester back to college with an impressive 3.4 GPA. Emily was inducted into the National Junior Honor Society and again won several academic awards.

Our grandsons have been growing, growing, growing!! Jen and Mike stay busy in the Big Apple and Jeffrey and Chemenn safely avoided the floods in TN this spring. So all-in-all, things have been pretty normal. If you consider anything about this family “normal”.

We’ve only had one scorpion in the house so far, at least only one that we saw… which leads us to think that perhaps, Ollie Moe and Tink are helping us out in that area. (Got to remember to get the bug guy to come and spray.) But in reality Ollie is just a big baby cat afraid of everything and Tink is a crazy cat that just likes to play with his prey. (He is especially amused with moths!)

Pics below highlight the past few months (in no particular order – plus I borrowed some cute pics off of Jeffrey & Chemenn’s site too!)… from putt-putt golf to Iron Man; from Vegas to a galaxy far, far away; and from sleeping boys to academic awards… Enjoy kids!

Note – To see more fabulous pictures go to Jeffrey & Chemenn’s site and to Chemenn’s Photography site.

I must confess, I’ve started the new year out as a total bum, a major Scrooge, and a complete loser. Now I don’t plan on extending the laziness much further into the new 2010 year. But it is nice to have a day that you don’t have a long to-do list to complete. A day where you don’t have to keep track of the check marks and a day where you can do absolutely nothing. How many times does this happen in a year? Not many… so I’m taking full advantage of it. No housework, no shopping, no laundry, no cooking, no working, no email (work email that is), no makeup, no getting out of the sweats, and no fixing the hair.

Today has consisted of cycles of sleeping, eating junk, and watching football. I even slept through the Rose Parade! We did briefly start taking down the Christmas tree – but it was very brief. I thought about doing some laundry since the hamper is overflowing – but it was fleeting thought. I thought about catching a movie but decided I didn’t have the energy or patience to deal with the lines. So I sat in my chair, played solitaire, took naps, and watched college football all day. And now that the sun has gone down, I find myself continuing the days trend.

In my attempt to get into the “New Year” spirit, I contemplated coming up with some resolutions for the decade ahead, But then decided, it was too much trouble and too much stress. Then I thought about 2009 and the ups and down of the roller-coaster year. On one hand, it was a terrific year. Alex came home. I had all the kids and their families together in the same spot twice in the same year. And we welcomed in a new adorable grandson. So from that perspective, it was a wonderful year.

On the other hand, we’re still too far away from home. The economy has damped our savings plan and our travel plans. Work is crazier than and ever and I’m working way too many hours and still can’t get caught up. But now as I sit here and type, I can’t really think of any other negatives to say about 2009 (well I do have a lot to say about the current political climate, but that’s for another post!). Which brings me to the conclusion that the year wasn’t as really bad as everyone on TV  wants me to think it was.

And here’s why…

I have a wonderful family. They are healthy, strong-willed, and independent. They are carving out their place in this world and doing a magnificent job. I am so fortunate to have the best parents anyone could ever dream of. I have the world’s best little brothers and adore their families and grin at their antics posted on Facebook. I do have a roof over my head and don’t think I’ve ever really been hungry. I have the coolest and cutest husband who has more patience  than anyone I know. And unfortunately, he needs all the patience he can get to live with me. He’s my best friend! I have vehicle that gets me to work and back every day. I have pictures and memories of my life that I treasure so much. And maybe most importantly,  I have a testimony of Jesus Christ and realize that while I am sooooo imperfect, His Atonement gives me hope, gives me strength to keep going, and reminds me to try and be a better person every day.

So while I was determined to avoid any new year festivities today, I ended the day in humble gratitude for all the good things in my life and for all the blessings that I enjoy daily. So while 2009 was a very bumpy year, I am looking forward to 2010 with optimism and with a grateful heart for I truly do possess the greatest things this life has to offer. To my parents, my husband, my brothers, my children, my grandsons, and all my friends, I wish you continued happiness and peace in the new year and give thanks that each of you are in my life. I love you guys!!!!

Ale8 – The Chugg family drink of choice for special occasions!

Christmas PJ’s – sorry they’re not really matching this year. But if you put all the girls together (Em, Jen, & Chemenn) they would match and then put all the boys together (Alex, Jeffrey, & Mike) they would all match. So it just looks a little weird by ourselves!

Alex hangs an Ale8 can on the tree – Just for Fielding!

Our almost fully decoreated Christmas tree. But thanks to Emily we did get it up!

Tink plays with his toys. The catnip made him very weird!

Yes, Emily is standing on the cat toy so she can be taller than me!Ollie Mo was a little suspicious of the toys. But he looked marvelous in his Wildcat blue collar!

Emily reading by the Christmas tree – or she may have been loking at the pictures.

The crazy cats…

Had to finish the last drop before we could take a picture. Thanks to Granny for the Ales – they were the hit of the holiday!!

All pictures will be uploaded to Shutterfly at http://rrchugg.shutterfly.com/ and at our Family Post website http://www.thefamilypost.com/jchuggfamily/home.php, too.

Of course, I have tons of pictures. But believe it or not – I don’t have my laptop with me in KY so I’ll have to post the pictures when I get back to El Paso.

The other very cool thing is that I have all 4 of the kids, both spouses, & both adorable little grandsons here in KY with us! This has not happened in a long time! And it’s wonderful!

I guess the older you get – the more you realize how important family really is. We’ve been to Granny & Pa’s, Nana’s and out to eat with the whole gang. Aunts, uncles, cousins, great-Aunts and all are so special to us and we love them more and more every day. Being so far away from home, I’ve really grown to appreciate and love where I came from.  The drive to our humble little farm at Trapp is the most peaceful and relaxing drive. By the time we pull up to the back porch, all my worries and problems seem so far away. There’s really no place like home!

We’ll be heading to KY to pick Alex up! The big kids are meeting us there. Jeffrey, Chemenn & Lincoln will be driving from TN, Jennifer, Mike, & Ethan will be driving from Jersey. So we’ll have all 4 kids & their families all together for the first time in years!!! We’re so excited to see the grandsons, too. Boy, it’s no fun living so scattered around.

Here’s a few pics of Alex – just in case you’ve forgotten what he looks like!

But I admit it – I really, really hate homework. Now normally, I don’t use the Hate word – there are really very few things I actually “hate”. But in this case it’s totally true. I hate homework. And after raising 4 kids and spending countless hours stressing over spelling words, math tests, term papers, and pointless essay questions, I am ready to retire from the homework arena. While Emily is still only 12 and really can’t be considered “raised”, I try to pawn her off on her father or an older sibling to bug with homework questions. So Jeffrey & Jen – it’s payback time!!  Please answer the phone when Em calls!