Tom and Jewel's Reception

Monday night was the long-awaited wedding reception for my brother Tom and Jewel, his bride of six months, in Brownsville. They got married in Indiana (where they live) in June. Jewel's family all came to share this momentous occasion. It's not every day that a confirmed old bachelor like Tom finds a wife, so a lot of celebration is in order! Tom and Jewel are both very cute, but none of the pictures I took of them can compare to the cuteness of the children in attendance that evening. Like my nieces in new dresses made by their mother that are almost as beautiful as they are. Ladies, do you remember the excitement of a beautiful new dress when you were a little girl?

And what is more wonderful than a little boy who loves to help? My nephew Cody was having a great time putting away chairs.


And then of course, there are always a few goof-offs in every crowd!

A Letter from Tyler

Last night we received an incredible, unexpected gift. Terri and Brittany came over with a very special delivery after going through a box of Tyler's belongings from Iraq. They brought me some Moto-mail letters I had sent him and a letter in an envelope addressed to the McAnulty Family. It had been sealed and ready to send, dated November 19, so he didn't get to come back and mail it. It made me laugh, it made me cry. I so appreciate Terri giving it to me. I offered it back to her but she said she really wanted me to have it. It is so precious I want to share it with all of you. Here it is, one and a half pages hand-written on a piece of lined notebook paper, typed it just as he wrote it, mis-spellings and all!

"November 19, 05
The McAnulty Family,
Well, first I would like to say sorry for not writting sooner. The time to write is minimal (sorry I can't spell) so I will just use the word small. We don't even get to much time to sleep or just rest. Right now I feel 100 years old. We are always doing something and its hard. Every day my legs feel like there going to give out and my back feels like its going to break. But we all keep going. Other than that I'm doing great.
The people here for the most part are nice, except for the ones that are trying to kill us. There happy to see us and are glad we're here. The way of living here is very different from ours. There is so much they do thats different I can't even write it all down in this letter. I'll tell you when I get home.
The weather here has changed a lot since July. It went from 130 degrees during the day to now a freezing 60-70. At night it gets really cold. I think around 40 or less. All I know is you can see your breath. I never thought it could get that cold here.
Oh yeah. I wanted to thank you for writing. I love getting those newsletters. I like hearing about what goes on back home. Please keep them coming.
Well I have a lot of stories to tell when I get home. I would write them but there isn't enough time. Thank you again for the letters.
I miss you all and can't wait to see you."














My keyboard doesn't do Iraqi so I couldn't type his signature line! Don't we all wish that we could sit down with him and he could tell us his stories?

Merry Christmas to all of you. Sharing this letter is my gift to you. I hope you enjoyed it. Hold your families close, listen to their stories, and keep praying for all the families who are missing loved ones this year.

Sturdy Chairs Needed

Tonight we had another incident that illustrates why the man of the house insists that all seating purchases must be heavy, sturdy items. Many years ago, 13 or so, we needed extra chairs for guests. Most people would have picked up some folding chairs, but Will thought these stacking chairs would be more durable and comfortable. (Comfort ranks right up there next to durable.) So we purchased at least five of them. The last remaining one was being used in the computer room at the boys' computer. You can see that the back had already been skillfully repaired by the indispensible, all-purpose one-inch plywood. Tonight when Eric plopped down on it, the front legs just gave out. Apparently he shouldn't have had that carrot cake for dessert!

We have wooden kitchen chairs, upholstered dining room chairs, and ancient folding chairs that Will used to sit on at his grandparent's home during holiday meals. The only chairs that have stood the test of time and never broken down are those old folding chairs. They aren't handsome, and Will had to recover them years ago, but they were built to last!

Just Sittin' Around Waitin'

Friday afternoon I received one of the most exciting phone calls ever from my husband. "What are you doing tonight?" he asked. "I don't know, what do you want to do?" was my reply. I thought my heart would soar through the roof when I heard his answer. "How about we go furniture shopping?"

To understand the thrill this brought me, you need to know that we have had our current couch and loveseat since our youngest child was born - 14 years. And it wasn'texactly heirloom quality priced furniture. So for the past several years I have been hinting, suggesting, and finally begging and pleading for new furniture. When the springs on the sleeper sofa gave out, he fixed that with a sheet of plywood under the cushions. When that eventually broke in half, he replaced it with a very thick sheet of plywood - maybe two inches? I had to not only complain about the discomfort, though it was certainly very durable, but insist on a change, so he put in a thinner sheet. After I got him to cut it down a bit more so it didn't stick out beyond the cushions, I just gave up. The cushions sink right down to the wood, so we don't use the couch. The kids get that one. The loveseat has held up a little better, although it too is quite saggy, so that's the one Will and I sit on. The couch developed some springs that poked out the back and occasionally reached out and grab a person as you walk by. No problem, get a wire cutter. The cushions have become extremely frayed, to the point that there are obvious holes. But NO! We are not getting new furniture until all these big lumoxes are out of the house. As long as they're here rolling over the back of the couch, eating, drinking, wrestling, it would be a waste of money.

So when I heard those magic words, I wasted no time. We arranged to meet the moment I got off work. We searched Friday evening and a good portion of Saturday. So what if I didn't have a Christmas tree, my house wasn't decorated, my shopping is barely started and my Christmas cards weren't addressed? Will wanted to go furniture shopping! I asked him, "Sweetheart, what finally made you ready?" His answer made perfect sense. "I finally got tired of only having one place that's comfortable enough to sit, and whenever anyone else sits there you both lean toward the middle." So we found a very basic, sturdy, durable, practical couch and loveseat. It will be delivered sometime very soon we hope. We also got a coffee table and end table.

So in the meantime, we are just sittin' around here, waitin' for the new stuff. You'll notice how our spoiled baby of the family gets as much room as he wants on the couch. The middle child is used to making do with what's left over. We really appreciate his easy going personality.

We just had to share our "Before" pictures. Watch for the "After" pictures coming soon!

People Magazine Tribute

Today there were no teachers or students where I work, just one secretary and a few custodians. "Winter Break", you know. When I sorted the mail, I noticed the library had received the "Best and Worst of 2005" edition of People magazine. So when it was time for lunch, there was no lunch available, but I got myself a cup of tea and sat at my desk to peruse the People magazine. It soon became apparent that I am still not a part of the "in" crowd, something I first realized about fourth grade and has constantly been confirmed ever since. Now that I'm the ripe old age that I am, it doesn't bother me anymore! I learned that I've heard none of the year's top selling CDs, read one of the Top 10 Bestselling books, watched two of the top 10 movies, and watched none of the 10 most watched TV shows. The magazine was full of movie stars I've never heard of and and I'm just not that interested in the ones I am familiar with.

So I was feeling pretty out of touch with today's culture when I got to the end of the magazine to the Tributes section. At the very end of it, I turned the page and there was the headline "Fallen Heroes". Suddenly it became intensely personal. There were pictures and short stories about three of them, and a list of the 903 men and women who gave their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan this past year, in chronological order. When saw the name "Tyler J. Troyer" near the top of the last column, I was really glad I was alone in that office. Through my tears, I looked over that long list of names. It is unbelieveable to me that there are 50 names after Tyler, 50 soldiers who have died in Iraq in the past month.

I don't want Tyler's name to be in People magazine. I don't want any of those 903 soldiers names to be on that list. I want an end to pain and death and war and suffering. How's that for a Christmas wish. Some day it will happen, but while we still live on this earth we just have to keep praying, crying out to God daily for help, comfort, strength, peace and everything else we need. He is the only true and lasting Giver of all those things.

I stopped at the store to get some magazines on my way home to give to both sets of Tyler's parents. As I was walking through the store, I saw some teenage boys I know but I just kept walking hoping they wouldn't notice me because I cried most of the way to the store and didn't really feel like talking to anyone. But sure enough they spot me and yell, "Hi, Mrs. McAnulty." So I talked with them a bit and I walked away realizing how wrong it was for me to try to isolate myself because I was feeling pain. These kids need to be encouraged and cared for every chance I have to do so.

When I got home, I went next door and took a magazine and a prayer shawl that someone had made and left for Terri at our church. Today is the one month anniversary of his death, and it was good to share some time with his family. I still don't want Tyler's name to be in that magazine.

Today's Theology Lesson

Last night Will and I were out driving around looking at Christmas lights with Eric and Molly. Somehow we got to talking about how God works in our lives, and I said something about how when we get off track, God may not have us swallowed by a whale like Jonah, but he will definitely nudge us to get back on the right path. Will said, "But you have to remember, he's a really big God, and a nudge from him could knock you halfway to the moon!" How's that for an incentive to obey God!

Birthday Gifts

So who really cares about birthday gifts? I'm not much of a gift person, sure they're fun, but it's no big deal to me one way or the other. My husband and boys were gone quite awhile shopping on Saturday. My birthday was Monday. After school Nick asked me for a dollar to buy a soda. I asked him how his allowance could be gone already. "I can't tell you Mom." Why not? He told me to think about what day it was. So of course I gave him a dollar. We stopped by Will's office on our way home and I gave him a little greenery arrangement in a mug to bring some Christmas cheer to his office. He had a piece of birthday cake waiting for me and tried to convince me that they had a cake there just for me. Yep, I believed that one. Their volunteer coordinator was there and she decided it was time to give Nick an official volunteer shirt. (He helps out as a techie.) She told him she would have his name embroidered on it - "Lil Will". Nick was a bit concerned about that. The next day he was talking to his dad about it and Will told him not to worry, he fixed it. He ordered it to say "Turd." (Please excused the offensive language. It's just that Will is sometimes a bit jealous of Nick's knowledge and abilities with computers and reacts a bit immaturely!)

We had kind of a busy evening, and a little after 9:00, Nick decided to go to bed. He's really good about saying good night, and after I got my hug and he started to go up the stairs, I said reluctantly, "I really hate to bring this up, but did you maybe have something you wanted to give me before you go to bed?" Oh, no! Consternation ensued as all the males in this house realized that although they had recognized and "celebrated" my birthday, they had all completely forgotten about presenting their gifts to me. In fact, their gifts were still out in the Durango or the garage, unwrapped. So they scurried about, arguing about whether or not it was necessary to wrap them since they would immediately get unwrapped. They managed to find my stash of gift bags and made the gifts quite presentable. If you want any chocolate truffles or gourmet coffee drinks, stop by. Since they shopped at Costco, I'm set for awhile! I got some jewelry from Will, so I will keep that for myself. Also when we went to my parents house last night, Mom presented me with my completed quilt and I got to bring it home! Ain't birthdays great! This was definitely one to remember!

The Dominant Male

Last night we were enjoying some quality family time, quietly watching a movie, when suddenly a wrestling match erupted between the oldest and youngest males in the house. I was able to capture a bit of this event on camera. For some reason Nicholas refuses to give up ((big strong guy that he is) long after it is evident that he is not yet capable of overpowering his much larger father. Notice my shoe as I continue to sit quietly on the couch watching the movie. This particular match was over when Will gave Nick the worst wedgie I’ve ever seen, ending with the waistband of his underwear being tied in a knot, proving once again that Will is still the dominant male in this household!

I completely understand why God did not bless us with any girls.

Christmas Lights

Yesterday we got our Christmas lights up. I was too scared to stay out there and watch. I would just dart out occasionally to take a picture because if I would stand around and observe I would soon be screaming at Nick to come down right this instant! Nick claims to be afraid of heights but he seems to get a bit of a thrill from being up there. Will does a good job of standing in just the right spot and supervising. He was a bit envious of the way Michael and Terri’s lights look next door. I think we’ll be buying some of the bigger lights for next year.

While Nick was on the roof, it seemed only wise to go ahead and pound down some loose shingles.

Eric helped out (with his feet firmly on the ground) once he was done with his mocha. We got out our espresso maker after Galen made us lattes at his house last week.

Now if only my Christmas tree was up and decorated! I was too busy going out to lunch with my December birthday girlfriends today to take care of that.

Nieces and nephews

Aunt LeAnn wants to share a few pictures of some of the precious nieces and nephews who visited during the past couple of weeks.

Tavin was visiting from the Hermiston area. She enjoyed a trip with Eric and Molly to Grandpa Troyer's house one evening to return Faith's forgotten jacket.

Niece Jewel's daughter EmmeLee was quite excited about pulling her Uncle Steven's hair!



On Thanksgiving day, nephew Duane enjoyed his cousin's children, Lucy and Simon!


My niece Brittany thinks her cousin Dawn's little girl Lucy is pretty special!

Family

Two weeks ago on an ordinary Saturday morning, I went down to my parent’s house to put a few stitches on my sister-in-law Carol’s quilt. We had a good time together, and I made sure to have a picture taken of me wearing my beautiful black glasses, since all my blog fans were clamoring to see them. I returned home, picked up Nick and went to Albany to do a little shopping. We were at Ross’s looking for a jacket for Nick, laughing and having a good time, when my cell phone rang. I saw it was my brother Dave calling. I answered cheerfully, and thought I was hearing wrong when he told me his son Tyler had been killed that day in Iraq. I guess I was blindly optimistic, but I truly believed that with all the prayers going up for Tyler, he just had to coming home safely. Nick looked at me in concern as my legs gave out and I sank to my knees on the floor. I still can hardly believe it’s true.

Two weeks later, all the relatives have flown back home and it’s time to go back to work and get back in the routine of life. We have celebrated Tyler’s life and will continue to honor his memory as we miss his presence. I have been amazed at the strength and courage shown by both sets of Tyler’s parents, and the love and caring through all the layers of family.

All of Dave’s brothers and sisters were together for the first time in several years. John came from the Yukon, meeting his son Steven in Vancouver and traveling down together. His daughter Jewel and her baby from Alaska came, as did his daughter Faith and her family from California. Brother Mark flew in from Alabama, and Brother Tom and his wife Jewel from Indiana. Our mother’s brother Ves and his wife Jan came from Missouri (and got to stay with us), and Dad’s sister Lela and her daughter Tammy came from Nebraska. My parents had a house full and we had some wonderful family time together, with aunts, uncles, cousins etc. playing ping pong, Dutch Blitz, dominoes, looking at scrapbooks and pictures and of course, talking. Eric came up with a new game to play with 4 -year-old Simon, the "Old People taking a Sunday Drive" game. Whoever drives their car the slowest wins!



I fast forwarded through more than 60 hours of video for a couple of days to find some of Tyler’s stunts so I could get them on a DVD. We came up with some excellent footage of Tyler on his blades jumping over the four mailboxes, jumping over one and then two garbage carts and doing a 180 or 360 turn before landing, then measuring them for the camera so we knew he was jumping off a one-foot ramp over nearly four-foot garbage carts. He also jumped over his friend Danny who was sitting on a box, and with great determination attempted some skateboard stunts while wearing his Uncle Will’s flippers. Craig said he remembers when Tyler was skateboarding with the flippers, kids were lined up sitting in the front yard watching. He and Craig also had a wonderful "fake wrestling" match, with Tyler the victorious "Giant". Lots of other good stuff as well, including a commercial for what all the good roller bladers drink (apple cider) and an impromptu version of "I’m a little teapot". My niece Jody’s husband Kevin made the DVD for me and did a great job. Thank you Kevin. We will enjoy the great memories of Tyler forever.

I have nine siblings, 25 nieces and nephews, and 20 great-nieces and nephews. (Hopefully I counted right.) With those numbers, you can’t be equally close to everyone, especially when they live so far away. I’ve always loved them all, but after the past two weeks, I value them and the relationships we have even more than I did before.