Alldredge Almanac

Thursday, December 24, 2015

Merry Christmas from our TEAM to Yours!

Alldredge Almanac 2015

Yes, we’ve been slackers the last few years,

And we are sure that lack has brought many tears,

But do not despair, this year we are doing much better..

As we bring to you, the Doug Alldredge family Christmas letter!!

Now we will jump right in with all of our family news,

Sit, back, relax, read it, then maybe take a snooze.

Carson: had a big year. He turned 8 and was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Carson LOVES sports, playing baseball, flag football and basketball. He especially loves baseball – studying stats, current and former players, and making his own teams. He also loves music, taking piano lessons and singing in the school choir, and loves being in cub scouts. Carson is in the 3^rd grade, an excellent student, and loves math!

Dani: had her sweet 16 in November! - and is in the 11^th grade. Can’t believe our baby girl is so old! Dani is a varsity cheerleader – for the 2^nd year - (as flyer, which makes mom and dad a little nervous), was in the school play in April as a principal dancer, was in choir, and loves to socialize. She is so happy to be able to date and to soon be learning to drive. (So you may want to watch out when you see her coming!)

Kristi: Is not a teenager any more, turning 20 in May. She is at BYU and loving every minute of it. She especially loves being in the marching band and going to the football games! She still hasn’t decided on a major (hopefully soon). She was able to come home for the summer, spend time with the family, and work to earn money for school, and go thru the temple for her endowments.

Jason: will be 23 in January. Amazing! Jason is driving school buses, and seems to really enjoy it. He moved out of the house and is sharing an apartment with friends. He still loves sports, loves to debate any issue he feels strongly about, loves to ride his motorcycle, and really loves having a beard!

Kendall: is a quarter of a century old (that would be 25 – WOW). Kendall is still outgoing, and loves to socialize. He loves to work - out, but then also loves to eat lots of ice cream! Kendall is becoming a jack of all trades, but now is working as a server at the Longhorn steakhouse and is starting to detail cars on the side.

Mikel & Kris: are now the happy parents of 3 boys! Brayden Parker Daves was born on July 3rd. He is a happy, well-loved little boy. Easton is 2 – and quite a handful, with a smile that melts your heart. Hunter is 4 and is a sports loving, competitive little boy. (takes after his dad). Kris is working with special needs kids at an elementary school and taking college classes in the evening. Mikel is still working for National Bank of Arizona (Zions) – and got a promotion this year. For church, Kris was released as Young Men’s president, and is now Sunday School president and Mikel works in the nursery. Kirstin – (Kris’s daughter) turned 12 this year.

Matt and Xyo: moved from Mesa to Laveen, which is too far away to see them very much (yea, it’s on the other side of Phoenix, about 45 minute drive, but we’ve been spoiled having them closer). Liam turned 6 and started kindergarten this year in the Montessori program. He loves it. He also loves anything to do with hunting and camping. Emi is 4, and still just as tiny as can be. She is in preschool at the same school as Liam. Emi LOVES anything to do with Ninja turtles – just like her Dad!! She also loves princesses. Xyo is working as a teacher assistant at Liam and Emi’s school. She loves art and is very creative. Matt is working for Zion’s – in a different department than Mikel. He loves woodworking – and made a wonderful bench for their home. He also started the BYU-I Pathway program.

Jeremy and Jo: are kept busy with 3 full-of life girls! EmmaLee turned 8 and was baptized (hard to believe she and Carson are getting so old!). She is in the 3^rd grade, taking dance lessons and is just as smart as can be. Katelyn is 6 and started kindergarten and loves every minute of it. She is also taking dance, and loves to sing. Becca is 3 and keeps everyone hoppin’, for she never stops! Jo is back to doing photography – just occasionally (love her work!) – and babysitting for some neighbors. Jeremy changed jobs and works at Shea Homes as a financial analyst and is really enjoying it. He and Jo teach the youth in Sunday School.

Micheline: feels like her body is falling apart. In the last two and a half years she has had 2 knee replacements, 1 thumb joint replacement, and needs to have the other thumb joint replaced. But knows she is blessed in so many other ways. She gets to spend a lot of time with grandkids and family. She teaches (on a rotation) a scripture class during the week, and for church is the Relief Society night chairman. One thing that makes her really happy – having gotten her kitchen completely remodeled, which makes hosting family dinners s0 much nicer!

Doug: is one very busy guy! Still loves his job as CFO at the credit union, working with some great people. But with work and being a Bishop, he didn’t get out fishing or camping like he wanted to. He was able to spend a few days out elk hunting with Jeremy though – and he has a great fish story from this summer! He is a great dad and the grandkids all adore “papa”.

A few family highlights: having the youngest child (Carson) and oldest grandchild (EmmaLee) get baptized in the same year!

Another grandson born – which gives us 9 – 5 girls, 4 boys.

Doug, Micheline, Kristi, Dani and Carson visiting Denver – and going to the Denver Mint, zoo, aquarium, Rockies game – and tour a gold mine! Mich and Doug were also able to meet up with an old high school classmate and catch up.

Going up to BYU homecoming, spending time with Kristi and watching her perform in the parade and football game.

Family dinners with us all every month. Love them!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of you! We want each of you to know that we know our Savior Lives and that he was born in that little town of Bethlehem, the Son of God. We know he loves us. May each of you feel of his love and his peace this holiday season!

Love,

The Doug & Micheline Alldredge family

Ps. Photo taken Dec. 27^th, 2014.

If you aren’t already a friend with us on Facebook, but would like to be…..we are there, just ask. We will be your friend! It’s a great way to stay in contact with each other!

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Christmas Card and Letter

Alldredge Almanac 2011
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from our clan to yours!
Here’s a little bit of what’s been happening in our family.

Carson: 4 years old, Sunbeam, loves sports, happy, loving little boy!
Danielle: 12 years old in November, 7th grade, student council,
chorus, drama (was in the fall play), glad to be in Young Women!
Kristi: 16 years old, Junior, IB program (4.5 gpa), marching band,
Library volunteer, plays organ in church, driving (needs license)
Jason: 18 years old, graduated high honors, working to save for his
mission, enjoying life right now!
Kendall: 21 years old, just enjoying the life of a young single adult!
Mikel & Kris: new parents to Hunter Chase Daves born October 23,
Buying a home and will be in it by Christmas!
Mikel: (23) new job, antlerless elk hunt (got her elk and had baby 6 days later) Kris:school fulltime, softball part-time Hunter: loved by all!
Matt & Xyo: Bought their 1st home, had a baby girl, Emi Ella, August 22.
Matt: (25)working full-time Xyo: nursing school
Liam: 2 years old and full of mischief! Loves Toy Story! Emi: cute as can be.
Jeremy & Jo: Still living in Rexburg (mostly), celebrated 5th Anniversary
Jeremy: (27) Idaho Moose hunt – and got one! Internship in SLC, one more
semester at BYU-I and graduates in April.
Jo: going to school part-time, photography part-time, mom- full-time
EmmaLee: 4 years old, sunbeam, loves anything Tangled!
Katelyn: 1 year old, quiet mischief maker! Loves her big sister.
???? – coming June 2012
Mich: taxi driver, chef, housekeeper, babysitter, secretary,…….primary teacher.
Doug: same job, Ward mission leader, got to go Moose hunting with Jeremy in
Idaho (Loved it!), elk hunting with Mikel, and Deer hunting.
Family: Doug, Mich, Jason, Kristi, Dani and Carson had a great opportunity to
visit Lisa (Milwaukee)and Jana (Omaha) and their families this summer – also visiting Chicago (with a cubs game), Nauvoo, Independence, Far West, and Winter’s Quarters. What a great experience that was. We loved it!
May the spirit of “Christ”mas be in your home all year!

Saturday, February 20, 2010

Santa Came!

Oh Christmas morning - the excitement and the anticipation of both the kids and the parents.

Did I get what I wanted? (kids) Will they like what we got them? (parents)

Let the fun begin!

****Reader Beware - super long posts - only 20 pictures or more****

Here's our tree before the fun did begin! The presents in red are the ones Santa brought.

The stockings were hung.....well, they were before they got filled! (the bowl is the combined food/items for Matt/Xyo/Liam. They didn't have stockings yet) And yes - I do need to get some more stockings so we all match. We used too...but then added a couple of kids.

Here's Carson with the unwrapped present Santa left for him. He is so happy. He finally got his Handy Manny flashlight he had asked Santa for the 1st time he saw him, and Santa didn't give him the 2nd time he saw him. Finally, Santa got him his present. (and yes - those are not the pj's he opened the night before. He decided he didn't like the feel of those pj's at the time)

Dani with a DS game she got.

Kristi with her present: Wii Mario Cart

Jason's present left out was some IBC rootbeer - but he did open up this Xbox 360. Yea, he was happy! (his old one had gotten the ring of death and couldn't be fixed)

Kendall also had IBC rootbeer. He was excited about getting this CD though.

His main gift was some really nice binoculars.

Kris even drove all the way in from Queen Creek to be there Christmas morning with Mikel - and I guess the rest of us too.

He got a case for his laptop from Santa

Matt with his new shaver (does he look like he needs a shave?)

Xyo with a rice cooker. She was happy with it!

Dani was really excited when she opened up a new camera!

Oscar really liked his present.

Carson with his new fishing pole that Kendall got him. (he decided he didn't like the other pj's either)

Does Doug look happy with his present I got him? He really is.

Here's Mikel with a really pretty necklace that Kris got her.

(She also got nice binoculars. Surprised? Shouldn't be - she loves to hunt too!)

Carson can't decide which present to play with now.

Jason enjoying some time with Liam

Carson playing with his new "laptop". He loves it!

Mikel and Kris fixed breakfast burritos for all of us Christmas morning.

Don't you wish you could have been here for them!

Matt getting out one of the game chairs the family got.

Here's Dani trying out MY new computer. Spoiled wasn't I! I absolutely LOVE having my own computer - and a laptop at that.

So there you have it. Christmas at the Alldredge household.

We did have a great Christmas and I loved spending the time with my kids.

Again - I really missed Jeremy and his family.

Just a few more things to catch up on - and then I will do the individual updates on each of the family members. Aren't you excited!! It just keeps on coming.

Friday, February 19, 2010

Christmas Eve

Finally almost end of the posts for 2009. Just a few more to go!

We really enjoy Christmas Eve at our home. We are all together as a family (but we did miss Jeremy, Jo, and EmmaLee) and we usually invite some good friends over to share it with us. We have lots of good food to eat (no pictures of the table, but it did look good!) - with some of our favorite appetizers galore and much more.

We then have a fun time singing and opening up the obligatory present of pj's (at least for our family).

Enjoy a few of the pictures from the night.

Kristi is becoming quite good on the piano while we all sing!

part of the choir

Dani and I playing our duet "Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer"

We had a few other piano pieces played too by other people.

more of the choir!

and more.......

Liam all decked out in his Christmas sweater
(don't I have the cutest grandson!)

and even a few more singing - well, some of them were singing!

Doug reading the Christmas Story to all the kids - big and small!

Helping Liam open up his present.

Carson with his pj's. Love that wink!

Here's Liam in his pj's

We wore Kris out. Too much of a good thing I guess.

So there you have just a glimpse of our Christmas Eve.

We sure enjoy having people over and sharing with them this special time.

I had so many pictures to choose from, it was hard to get these few - and it was still a long post!

(not that the pictures are great - but they brought back some great memories looking at them)

Coming up - The Alldredge 2009 Christmas Day.

It's about time I got it posted!

Saturday, February 13, 2010

Before Christmas

It just doesn't seem like Christmas if we don't go see the lights at the Mesa Temple.

They have a wonderful display.

This is just one of their displays - of Mary and Joseph on their way to Bethlehem.

In front of the shepherds - out in their fields.

(when I used a flash-the lights don't show up very good - sorry!)

Inside the visitor's center they have an amazing collection of nativities from around the world. Each year it seems like they have some different ones too.

Beautiful - aren't they!

This whole room was filled with them. I just posted a few of my pictures of them.

Mikel helping the kids make their gingerbread house.

Sitting on Santa's lap at the ward party.

Carson LOVED Santa.

We had told him he needed to tell Santa what he wanted for Christmas so he could bring it to him. Well...he first saw Santa at Bass Pro Shop and told him what he wanted.

When he sat on Santa's lap at the ward party, he came into the kitchen where I was getting things ready and he was a little upset. He said, "Santa didn't give me my present. I told him what I wanted before and he didn't give it to me." Oops - I guess we didn't explain how Santa works to him very well. He finally figured it out though.