Favorite Ornament Stolen!

I sadly must report that my favorite ornament has been stolen. You might have seen it. It is a drummer boy made of wood, rather large, weighs about 12 lbs, and made in the seventies or eighties. Last seen at my parents house. I suppose in the meantime I will substitute the long lost drummer boy with the most gnarly Santa of all time. Check out my skiing Santa as he rips down a quadruple black diamond course. Indeed, he is one rad dude. These are magic skiis on which Santa now delivers all the presents to the young children. He got rid of those silly reindeer cause they cost too much and make lots of messes on rooftops. Max and GG say "Merry Christmas" as well.











We wish you all could all enjoy the brisk holiday weather in Las Cruces with us. Enjoy your presents brothers.......you may get them by Valentines day! Feliz Navidad!

Before and after

Dad and I have a wonderful day today, contrary to having to write talks for tomorrow at WNMU Branch. We have had carols playing all day and we have not left the house!!! Sometimes I like to be "grounded". It has been most pleasant to calmly get things done and enjoy a semi clean house.

So you wonder what the before after are..... the pics will tell the story. I tried to get a good picture of your least favorite item on the tree, but they won't show up well.

While I have been writing my talk I have been pondering what each of your favorite Christmas and life memories are.

Well, I see I need to practice doing this so I get the pics after the text and in chronological order!

Blogencense and Myrrh

The Wee Mullens have been preparing well for Christmas. We have a Seussian Christmas tree with a crooked star, a not-so-neutered puppy, and the interracial commitment that bolstered Mary and Black Joseph's strength of will in bringing us the Reason for the Season. All of which is featured in this delightful photo, soon to be featured in our outgoing Christmas letters.

Today, Summer came to the bedside, whereupon she began to sing the good news that a MullenBlog was born. She explained we need only follow the GoogleMailstar in the East. Lorekeepers of the sky that we are, I hopped out of bed with my usual morning cheer and logged on immediately. Lo and Behold, my two Wise Brothers had already made offerings to the babe MullenBlog. Summer, with patience and love, explained that I was fat and lazy and needed to keep up. And so I come, offering Blogencense and Myrrh.

Summer and I did not put up Christmas lights this year. But not to be outdone by my brothers, I too would like to share a story about the Christmas lights that I did not put up this year:

It was a cold, wintry morning in Hawaii. But Michael greeted the day the day with a smile, and was eager to not put up his favorite string of Christmas lights. So he didn't go outside, and lean his trusty ladder against the house. He didn't hum a gay assortment of tunes to himself while he spread bright bulbs of color across his house like a young god pleased with the toil of scattering stars. Nor did he suddenly fall off the ladder, breaking his collar bone in two different places! No, this Christmas, Michael didn't lay suffering in a front lawn powdered with fresh, Hawaiian snow. But Michael did do the one thing he might have if such a rain of catastrophe came down from a cruel Christmas sky. He did consume seven cartons of egg nog before 9 December, 2010. Merry Christmas!

Here we are

Are we becoming techno now????

Sorry to Be Such a Grinch

This was my first year stringing lights on a Christmas tree. We've used a small, pre-lit, artificial tree every other year except one since we got married. Marissa decorated the only other full-size tree we had, but it died when we went to Toronto for a whole week right before Christmas. So far our new tree has yet to wither, but putting up the lights almost killed me. First, I overestimated the effectiveness of a single string of lights. Then I found more lights but the plugs didn't match. Finally, I discovered that our bubble lights go all the way to both ends, so I had to run an extension cord up the tree trunk to make that look presentable. I could feel my heart shrinking to "two sizes too small." One tree, two adults, and three nights to get it right doesn't make much mathematical sense. The good news is it's done and I still have three weekends that should be an improvement over the last one. I eventually developed a rhythm and now I feel I could go toe to toe with anyone in a light-stringing contest.

Mullen Family Crest and Coat of Arms

So check out what I found when I googled the name Mullen family. A coat of arms and that a gang exists in south Boston called the Mullens (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mullen_Gang) Seems to be that our family colors are all about war. MULLEN FAMILY CREST The Mullen coat of arms came into existence centuries ago. The process of creating coats of arms (also often called family crests) began in the eight and ninth centuries. The new art of Heraldry made it possible for families and even individual family members to have their very own coat of arms.

This Months 'Meaning of Symbols' on Family Crests: COLORS
OR (Gold) = Generosity		Argent (Silver/White) = Sincerity, Peace		Gules (Red) = Warrior, Martyr, Military Strength		Azure (Blue) = Strength, Loyalty		Vert (Green) = Hope, loyalty in love		Sable (Black) = Constancy, Grief

Another Cool HTC Laser Effect

Sorry but I just can't help myself. The cool Christmas lights effect that I posted earlier made me think of this picture. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. This picture is worth several times that amount. Lazer beams: check, wild feral cat: check, totally rockin moses beard: check, fantabulous pony tail: check, negligible peripheral vision loss glasses: check, water supply: check, Air Supply: "I'm all out of love, I'm so lost without you, I know you were right, believing for so long, I'm all out of love, what am I without you? I can't be too late to say that I was so wrong": check, Ladies and gentlemen we are ready for blast off into the future of total awesomeness. Enjoy!

Festivus for the Rest of Us!

So we bought the heaviest, thickest Christmas tree this year. We were checking out at Lowe's with the tree in tow only to realize that it had approximately a trunk diameter of 57 inches. Which required the purchase of a new tree stand to accommodate such a tree. Behold the the mighty Christmas tree with unintended cool HTC incredible lighting effect. And yes as you can tell by the picture Bonnie has been getting lots of quality sleep as of late. Lots. Quality. Sleep.


Dad was also kind enough to be of service to help with the outside Christmas lights. Strike that, Dad was kind enough to be of slave labor to help with the outside Christmas lights. By the way Dad, they haven't fallen down yet! Enjoy the majestic scenery that is the Middle Mullen Casa!


Since the exact moment we moved into the house, Bonnie has always been saying, "we should get Christmas lights for the house" or "wouldn't the house look pretty with Christmas lights" or "I hope when Max comes home that we will have Christmas lights on the house" or perhaps my favorite one which is closest to the truth, "you should put lights on the house and I will pick them out." Behold what joy $18 Walmart dollars and zip ties can provide. Speaking of money things, all your Christmas presents may get an upgrade if this guy comes and pays for the truck. I think I have him talked into paying twice what I paid for it. The amazing thing is that he came to me wanting the truck, I didn't even advertise for it. Yet another Festivus miracle. He must have noticed the sweet new dubs I put on the truck. Ole' Beater drives like a Cadillac now, slightly out of balance Cadillac with a clogged fuel filter and possibly dying fuel pump but a Cadillac none the less.

God bless us everyone!

The First Post! More to Come!!

Ok, this is a new idea but it could be good for us ppl who don't like to spend all their free time on the phone providing updates to people but who have the occasional free moment at work.  Enjoy the first pic of Max in the world wide interweb with feeding tube included free of charge.  Enjoy