Christmas Letter

Hello Everyone: I wanted to let you know about the Fey Family Christmas Letter for 2008 - I try to write one every year, and this year is no exception. I got a little "behind" with my timing, therefore, the letter just got completed. Through my burgeoning technological savvy, I have uploaded the letter and you can access it through the link on the top right of this page - ENJOY!

Check out the 2008 Year-in-Review - the link is below:

http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=ff4c890d32ceda89d2db6fb9a8902bda

Snow 'Madness' is a Legitimate Disorder

So any of you who have lived in Washington for some time realize that many of us have acquired a certain 'hubris', if you will, about our ability to drive in inclement weather. And while our skills do help us navigate the various treacheries associated with the frequent rain, they do not, despite the over-confident guy flying past you at 50 mph, extend to snow-driving, as evidenced by the past few days. Large parts of Washington, including Puyallup, received unprecedented levels of snow fall starting last Wednesday, but didn't really increase until late Thursday afternoon.

I just happened to be finishing with a work Christmas party in downtown Puyallup, as the snow began to fall in earnest. I decided to jump on the freeway and head home, but once on the freeway realized it was gridlocked. Attempting to maneuver my way around the backpack, I exited and began to weave my way through back roads....all was well, until I got behind a line-up of cars attempting to crest a hill. I became impatient, called Scott, pulled out the Tom-Tom and we began to look for an alternate route home. Scott found a side street for me to take that would help me avoid my current back-up, so I turned around and headed for my new path. Unfortunately, Tom-Tom does not provide you with any topography, so we were unaware that my route now included a steep descending hill. As I made my way down the hill, Scott listening through my cell-phone ear buds, my car began to slip, and I ended-up sliding backwards toward a ditch. The whole while I was screaming at Scott, "I'm going in to the ditch, I'm going in to ditch!" Miraculously, my car stopped a few inches short of the ditch, but still facing backwards. I managed to pull away from the ditch, only to lose traction again, and began to slide horizontally toward a parked car, this time sobbing and screaming at Scott to "help me - help me!" What I didn't know at this point, was that Scott was frantically running around the living room, unsure of how to help, picturing me and my vehicle careening over a cliff. When the car stopped 6 inches from the bumper of the car, I just sat sobbing for a few minutes, while Scott offered nonsensical suggestions. My final effort to right myself sent me drifting toward a cropping of trees - foot aimlessly pumping the brake. Again, the car stopped inches away from disaster. My nerves frayed, I inched my way down the hill and around the corner and......in to a line-up of cars waiting to ascend another hill!!!

I called Scott again and demanded he find me help - good man! He called back minutes later to say he had enlisted the help of our neighbor to drive him to the top of the hill to retrieve me (she's from Montana, by the way, and actually knows how to drive in the snow). When Scott and Jackie got to me, I was trapped behind a teenage driver who had attempted to mount the hill, only to slide back down and become a literal target for all of the "hotshots" who thought they could make it up the hill themselves (she had already been hit three times). For over an hour and a half we tried to decide if we could make it up the hill, how to move the other driver, or whether to abandon the car for the night. The whole time the snow was dumping, and we were freezing. Occasionally, a driver would pass the line-up of vehicles, and a "good Samaritan" would explain the treachery of the hill....the driver would quietly listen and then, brainlessly, attempt to "storm" the hill. We watched at least 6 vehicles lose control and come rocketing back down the hill, people jumping out of the way, others screaming to "watch out!". One car slammed in to a gate, busting it open; four went in to a ditch; and another gave up and turned around. Our favorite "hill-challenger" was a young guy smoking a cigarette, talking on his cell phone, and driving a Geo Metro, who made it about a third of the way up the hill before sliding in to a ditch - the sledders at the top of the hill cheered when he lost control. Eventually, Scott and I decided to ask a nearby resident if we could leave our car in their driveway, and we hiked out to Jackie's waiting car. The moral of this story? Hubris is the downfall of many a driver....and Geo Metros have no chance in the snow.

Enjoy a few snow pics from the past few days:

Ode to our Vacuum

Today Scott and I treated ourselves to an elaborate purchase.....a vacuum. And not just any vacuum, a very "special" vacuum. 'What makes this vacuum so special, Sara?' - Well, folks, this vacuum......actually works......a fact that in our household is real cause for celebration. It means that the pine needles are no longer winning the war; it signals the end of my discomfort over lying on the carpet to watch a movie for fear I might get cooties; it represents the dawning of a new era at Chateau Ennui - after six months of living in this townhome, our carpets have finally been thoroughly cleaned.

When Scott and I were married, nearly five years ago, we needed to buy a vacuum, but our funds were limited. We ended up having a ridiculous amount of cash on a gift card from Macy's and that effectively limited our options to buying a vacuum at, well, Macy's. At the time, Macy's was actually the Bon Marche and they did not carry any brand of vacuum but the Shark-brand. Our lack of knowledge about the brand and our limited funding options were not the only reasons we fell prey to the Shark. In fact, at the time, bagless vacuums were just starting to emerge as the "must-have", and wouldn't you know it, the Shark was bagless, so Scott and I assumed we were getting a sleek, top of the line product. However, we quickly learned that we had been duped. This vacuum literally mocks our efforts to keep a clean floor, taunting us with it's deceptive vacuum-noises, all the while ignorning every pine needle, string, and speck of dust. Scott has decided that the Shark simply gives our carpet a relaxing "massage" every time we attempt to vacuum, and stinks up the joint, at the same time. Buyer beware the catchy name: "Shark Pursuit," and flee for the saftey of your hard earned cash.

Scott teaches the Shark a lesson and now it knows where it stands (or lays, literally).

So, we did a great deal of research and decided to invest in a vacuum that would literally do the job and keep doing it for a looooonnnggg time. In the end, I'm embarrassed to admit to all our blogger friends how much we paid for Penny, but she has proven to be worth every penny (no pun intended). She has a six year warranty, a kevlar belt, and all metal engine parts.... so she doesn't mess around. She may not look as sleek as say, the Dyson, but she is German-engineered and highly rated. Introducing the Riccar SL5, copper vaccum (thus her name, "Penny"):

She's "old-school" in the sense that she looks like a 50's model upright, and has no fancy new-fangled attachments. But...she only weighs nine pounds, and we got a small canister vac with tools and attachments to use in our car, on the stairs, and on our upholstery, as a bonus - whoo-hoo!

Scott shows the Shark who his new master is....the Riccar.

And now a haiku written by Scott in appreciation for our Christmas-vacuum:

Coppery vacuum,

Sent from on high; now you are

One of our family.

This is the Coolest Blog Site EVER!

So Scott and I have to thank Amy, my brother Matt's wife, for introducing us to this site through her Facebook account. I just spent several minutes literally laughing my head off with Scott, while we looked at picture after picture of the most mind-blowing cake disasters....even though it was 1:30 am. You must know that when I am willing to forego sleep for something, it has to be incredibly special....and I guarantee you all.....this IS special. Check it out and be amazed:

http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/

Here's just one example to whet your appetite for the hilarity that will ensue:

Sara's making me blog again. That's right. MAKING me.

Well, according to Sara, I have a monthly blog quota of one a month. So here it is 11:50pm on the 30th of November. Met my quota, sucka! She says it doesn't have to be anything lengthy, but it should cover my brother's wedding, his reception, my stay in Utah, the reception here in Washington, the time I spent with my nieces and nephews, and Thanksgiving. So here's my recap, Scott-style.

David and Erin's wedding was beautiful. Erin and her family are truly wonderful. All I can say is: you lucked out, bro. :) For a much better blog on the wedding visit The Waldron Clan's blog: http://thewaldronclan.blogspot.com/

Here's Mr. Fugly with the much-better-looking Happy Couple.

...seriously. How great of a brother am I? I passed up the good genes so my siblings could have them all. I know. I know. I'm a giver.

And now for some super-cute niece/nephew pictures from the temple:

As for our stay in Utah, we came.

We ate.We conquered.Also, Joel is cool.
The reception in Washington was also very nice. Again, for a far superior blog on our trip,the WA reception, and Thanksgiving simply look below this sorry excuse for a blog and check out Sara's pro-style commentary.

And now, for your viewing pleasure, Dallin!

Claire! Aaaaaannnddd....GIRL VS. BEAST!!!

That's all for now folks! Blog finished, Sara appeased, Scott somewhat fulfilled.

FaceBook is a Sign of the Coming Apocalypse

So, I became an uber-junkie, Facebook-freak officially on 11/29/08 at 9:04 pm, when my semi-annoyed husband said, "Why don't you just create your own account," instead of contacting my friends through his account. 'Why not?' I thought - it would be a fun way to keep in contact with old mission companions, long-lost friends, and new friends. What I did not know....could not anticipate....is the addictive nature of the medium. I have literally spent the past hour and a half IM-ing an old mission companion, a friend from elementary school, and a pal from my ward all at the same time, and....wait for it.....I have never IM-ed before tonight. Earlier this evening I swapped emails with a guy from junior/high school who used to 'gleek' on me, and tracked down old friends from Federal Way - oh my gosh, Emily Wade is friends with Tami Hineman who has a connection to Inger Bjorn and she has a connection to Kacie Thiess and she has a connection to.....you get the point.....it's sheer madness. I have resolved to make my Facebook "stops" throughout the day a reward for getting something else done, otherwise there is no hope for me, or for Scott. Also, just a thought, am I wrong or does it seem that having the most "friends" is somehow a status symbol, much like having a bigger car, a bigger house, a bigger stick, etc. Just a thought....but I have already found myself teasing Scott about my rising number of friends - a number that started low from my effort to be discerning, but was quickly swayed and opened ot any-and-all by my own ego (that's right, I'll admit it). Plus, I have noticed that as soon as you join, all these people start 'climbing out of the woodworks', so to speak - I don't know whether to be flattered or frightened - quite a conundrum! But it is fun, I must admit!

http://www.facebook.com/

I feel that you should all join Facebook so that I don't feel so guilty about my guilty-pleasure.

Turkey Day!

I'm sure that many of you can relate to the stress associated wtih preparing a kickin' Thanksgiving feast. This year, I knew that we would have a small group over to our house, but that didn't decrease the pressure at all. I suppose that when I have been exposed to a certain "standard" for Thanksgiving day meals all of my life; seconded by the fact that when I only make the food for Thanksgiving once a year and in between Thanksgivings my mind tends to imagine the "legendary" taste of each dish; and thirdly, my kitchen skills have become rusty from lack of use - I was understandably anxious. That did not stop Scott and I from trying a few additions to our meal - Scott and I love to try knew recipes that we find on the Food Network website, and we love trying them out on our visitors. We found an amazing caramel apple pie recipe that we tried, and it was a huge success - Scott's mom said about the pie: "these apples are perfect, cooked to the right consistency of soft, but firm". If you are feeling up to the challenge, check out the link for the recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-challenge/caramel-apple-pie-2003-1st-place-apple-recipe/index.html

In the morning, I knew we needed to get the stuffing started early, but it was difficult getting out of bed. I kept remembering the years of living at home with my parents, when my sister and I were recruited to help my mom in the kitchen while my brothers played games or slept in - the very "50's house-wife" mentality of it used to drive me nuts. But while Scott and I peeled onions and cooked sausage for the stuffing, I pointed to a picture of my mom and told Scott - "it's thanks to my mom that I can even wield a knife and attack these recipes." I really am grateful to my mom that she "insisted" on my Thanksgiving-day-help. This was also the first year that I have ever been fully in charge of cooking the turkey, and I knew the pressure was on. However....Scott and I hit it out of the park with the turkey. My father-in-law stated: "this is the best turkey I have ever eaten - it's practically melting in my mouth." Knowing that turkey has the potential to be disastrously dry, Scott and I did our turkey-research. I credit the turkey-success to several factors: 1) we got our turkey from Trader Joe's (we love that store) and it was an 'already brined turkey'; 2) we decided to brine the turkey again, overnight, and found a great brine at Safeway, of all places; 3) we followed the simple cooking instructions from Alton Brown on the food network website: Check out his video from the link: http://www.foodnetwork.com/10-thanksgiving-turkey-tips/video/index.html (look for the video called "Cooking the Perfect Turkey"). Scott and I jokingly referred to our foil shield, recommended by Alton Brown, as the "Breast Plate of Righteousness" - it really did guarantee the successful even-cooking of the bird.

In all, we had a lovely dinner, ate way too much, reminisced about past Thanksgivings, and enjoyed the company of family. Scott and I frequently stopped to acknowledge how grateful we are for each other, and for our numerous blessings. I hope that all of you family and friends had an equally enjoyable day of thanks!A very satisfied bunch: Sara, Mom Hinckley, Scott (in the mirror), Dad Hinckley, Grandma Ruby

After the eating was done, Scott and I "bested" his parents in a hilarious game of 'Turbo' Cranium. Top Left/Right: Mom and Dad Hinckley put their heads together on how to answer a question. Middle: Scott uses his 'mad' drawing skills to help me come up with the answer - and he did it with his eyes closed. Bottom Left/Right: Dad Hinckley had to 'sculpt' Mom Hinckley - the bottom left picture was "Frankenstein" - they not only got the answers before the timer went off, they were good sports about it too!

To cap-off our Thanksgiving weekend, Scott and I got together with our good friends, Brandon and Katie Whitley. I met Katie my first year teaching when we were assigned to be team teachers, and when we introduced our then-boyfriends for the first time, they realized that they knew each other. We have enjoyed their friendship for many years now, through moves, changes in jobs/school, and weddings - just one more thing that Scott and I are grateful for this Thanksgiving season.

Just in Case You Were Wondering...

Just in case any of you were desperately wondering what "marrieds without kids" do late on a Saturday night, the answer is revealed below:

That's right folks - Scott and I got our 'craft' on. I can't really take credit for the idea of the Turkey Cookie cuteness - we actually received some similiar-looking cookies from our home teachers this week and we decided it would be a fun idea as treats to give out to friends and co-workers. Usually Scott works on Saturday nights, but he was 'let go' from his job early this week because there was a shooting at the mall where his salon his located. Is it so wrong that I was just glad he was home early? Scott usually poo-poos his ability to do 'crafty' projects for one reason or another: "my hands are clumsy", "I'm not creative", "I don't have the patience". And while I don't consider myself to be 'in-to' crafts, I do like projects and trying to do something I never have. In an effort to appeal to this interest, Scott once took me to a paint-your-own-pottery store and we chose items and then designed and painted them. Scott's by-product of that evening has earned a special place in our home - one that Scott is convinced comes from a place of mockery. You be the judge of Scott's efforts:

Scott's spoon-holder with orange-tree motif. If we all give him props for his efforts, I may be able to wrangle him in to more craft-oriented projects. Tonight he got off to a self-proclaimed "rocky start":But soon he was able to master the subtle skills required of the Turkey Cookie:

And loving it.....

S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y-Night!

Low-Cost, Not Low-Class

Many of you out there in blogger-land have never known the "joys" of being involved in a traditional LDS (Mormon) reception. While they are not wholly different than the receptions you might attend for a non-Mormon family member or friend, they are frequently held in the Cultural Hall of LDS chapel buildings; most LDS families who hold their receptions in the Cultural Hall do so because it is free to LDS families. It occurred to me this weekend while helping with my brother-in-law wedding activities, that it is ironic how one can find help to "Cook on a Dime" or "Shop on a Shoestring", but when it comes to frugal LDS families who want to host a lovely event for their freidns and family, on behalf of their son or daughter, the resources are scarce. Last night my in-laws hosted one such event for their son, David, who married Erin Taylor in Utah last Friday. This event was not the actual reception, which was held in Utah, but rather an Open House for David's family and friends. Mom Hinckley was obviously "stressed" about the whole affair, as it can be a tremendous amount of work to carry out such a large task in a short period of time. My sister-in-law, Missi, and I agree that even when someone says, "I don't want you to get carried away," or "don't do much," it's a nice thought, but rarely realistic. When you are preparing an Open House on a budget, it unfortunately often means more work for the family. My brother-in-law, Pete, noted that it would be beneficial to every LDS family for someone to begin compiling a resource book full of examples of "classy" Cultural Receptions. After last night's shenanigans to pull-off a beautiful event, however, I am recusing myself from such a task. What I learned about myself and my extended family yesterday, is that when faced with an all-day, mind-scrambling, stress-inducing, overwhelming job, it is the overwhelming love and desire to help that allows you to pull-through, keep pushing, and work magic. I think the Hinckley clan did themselves proud last night and as far as Cultural Hall receptions go....this one was beautiful, and the guests enjoyed themselves, which is always a sign that you have succeeded. Please enjoy the pictures of our event:

Mom Hinckley made the beautiful runners for the tables. Missi and I designed the table decorations - I felt inspired by Ballard Designs or Pottery Barn - a mix of sophisticated elements and organic elements (see: Cranberries floating in water).

The Hinckley-grandmas didn't want to stand and receive guests for 2 hours, so we created a comfy seating area for them to relax in while guests made their way past them to the receiving line.

Dave and Erin made out like bandits! We borrowed the beautiful linens from my friends in Federal Way - the Duecks.

The cake table - sorry the focus is fuzzy.

The refreshment table looked awesome - more eclectic decorations, but with a common theme: chunky black candlesticks, framed pictures, red flowers, and greenery. The white lights glowing under the gauzy tulle created a nice touch. Plus, Mom Hinckley made all the food - what a champ!

Drinks and Sweets!

The family table was angled after the receiving line so guests could easily recognize and then chat with extended family.

The sign-in table set the tone for the whole reception.

This backdrop, in front of which the receiving line stood, was borrowed from my old stake in Federal Way - it was been passed around to many families there - but it was new to the families here in Puyallup. It added a nice feeling of being inside someone's home. The screen above the backdrop displayed a "loop" of pictures from the actual wedding/reception in Utah and distracted the guests who had to stand in line for a while.

The receiving line from the left: Brother Taylor, Sister Taylor, Erin, David, Mom Hinckley, and Dad Hinckley.

Strings of white lights helped to lower the effect of the ceiling and it seemed as it their were twinkling stars.

We would have only given our entire Saturday to produce these "smiling" faces.

It took nearly 8 hours to create the Open House, and little more than an hour and a half to tear the whole thing down. My mother-in-law queried whether it was all "worth it," but I guess I'm the kind of 'freak' who likes to take something from nothing and create a beautiful result. Plus, I think I inherited my "like" of developing these events from my own beautiful mom; she worked so hard to create a beautiful reception for me and I suppose I just want the same result for everyone else. Congrats Dave and Erin!