Riding Family Christmas Card 2009!

If We Didn’t Have You…
From the Editor
As we look back on 2009 we feel immensely grateful for our dedicated families and faithful friends. From the staff at Riding Magazine we send you our love and wish you a Merry Christmas! May we all find peace in our Savior Jesus Christ as we celebrate His birth this year.

Watch Out, Ladies!
GQ Smalls
Guest Columnist
 
Emmett has managed to pull out every pot and pan in the kitchen for the third time today. Prior to this he was in the bathroom where he pulled all the toilet paper off the roll. He’s now standing on the table with a mischievous grin on his face.
“It’s like having a Precious Moments doll looking at you all the time” says Dad. The problem is that by changing his facial expression he is able to say more than if he could talk. “It’s hard to get upset with him when he smiles at you with those great big puppy dog eyes.”
Well girls, there’s no hope. It only takes a moment for him to have you wrapped around his finger. To make him even more charming, he’s not always running around the house tearing things up. Some of Emmett’s favorite things to do are blow kisses, wave bye-bye at any person or object, cuddle in the rocking chair and read books, give slobbery kisses, dance to any beat, make animal sounds and walk around humming!
He can’t get enough of his big sister, Lydia. These two play together so well that Mom and Dad are amazed. If Lydia isn’t giving Emmett the attention he deserves, he’ll get her attention by grabbing one of her favorite toys, waving it in front of her and running away. He giggles and squeals with delight as she chases him. So take a number, line up and get ready to chase after this irresistible little man!

Growing Pains
Daisy Gardner
Outdoor Editor
 

Picture this. There’s not a cloud in the sky, it’s well over 100 degrees outside, and there isn’t the slightest breeze. Most sane people would prefer sitting next to the pool, but Dan prefers putting on his brimmed hat, sunglasses, and work boots. He’s got a yard to landscape!
This year Dan has been on a mission to haul rocks, plant grass, trees and shrubs, and maintain a garden. In January he started with nothing more than a level piece of ground. Over sixty tons of rocks were hauled in, five thousand square feet of lawn planted from seed, and twelve new trees planted. In addition, he produced (excuse the pun) a garden that fed the family for months.
The project hasn’t come without challenges though. After installing the new sprinkler system, there were ten broken pipes to be repaired. Shortly after the grass started doing well it started to die from a fungus. Three of the trees caught a virus and died and to top that off the squash didn’t grow very well. But by the end of the summer everything was fixed and in perfect order. All Dan can say is “It’s not completely done, but right now it doesn’t get much better than pushing the kids in the swings, making s’mores in the firepit, eating corn that came from the back yard, or swinging in the hammock with Cassie and marveling at the stars.”

Excuse Me Mrs. Riding? Professor Riding? Cassie?
Marvin D. Hands
Senior Staff Writer
 
“She’s awesome!” says a student as she walks out of Cassie’s sign language class. “I’m honestly thinking about changing my major because of this class.”
These are just a couple of the comments that Cassie has received from her students at Dixie State College. Last semester her students paid her a tribute in the form of a You Tube video that highlighted her fun attitude towards learning and passion to teach.
How has this impacted her family? “To be honest, it’s been rather hectic. Dan’s been a good sport and the kids have loved spending more time with their daddy, but I think it’s time for me to step down.” While the faculty will miss her on campus, her family is grateful for her dedication to the “university” called Home. She will pick up the reigns sometime down the road, but right now family, church, interpreting and her own well being are more important.
Her preference lies in teaching her children through home preschool and helping them explore their growing world. In addition to raising two beautiful children she dedicates a lot of time as president of the young women organization at church. As she reflects on the past and looks forward to the upcoming year Cassie simply says “Although I may look back and miss teaching I know I would look back and regret not spending these most important years with my young children.”

And The Winner Is . . .
Stella Smiles
A&E Writer
 
Entertainer of the year is a prestigious award. This year it was a landslide win for Little Miss Lydia! She runs a tight schedule between getting herself dressed and ready every day, playing school, ballet class, entertaining her little brother, riding her tricycle, helping Mom cook in the kitchen, various arts and crafts, trips to the library, singing, and playing with friends. Somehow she managed to squeeze us into her busy schedule and we were fortunate enough to sit and chat with her. We’re including a few candid conversations demonstrating the caliber of this year’s winner!

After having watched her father install a new toilet:
“Daddy, our potties ROCK!”

In a home where okie dokie artichokie is a common phrase:
“Yeppy deppy artichokie.”

When noticing a trash can at the store (or any object) that is her same height: “Look, Mom, that trash can is the same age as me!”

After having received a compliment as Tinkerbell for Halloween:
“And I have wings, now I’m a real woman!”

In response to Dan saying, “Lydia, you’re a goof!”
“No, I’m just cute!”

When her baby doll was sick:
“Doctor says she needs lots of rest and 20 inches of Tylenol a day!"

Dan: “What was your favorite part of today?”
Lydia: “Hangin’ out with you!”
Dan: “Aww, you’re so sweet.”
Lydia: “Daddy, what’s hangin’ out?”

And her most sound wisdom came when she said:
“Christmas isn’t about presents. It’s about Jesus!”