My Uncle Ron

Ronald Farr McAllister
January 24, 1958 - January 8, 2012

My Uncle Ron passed away on January 8 this year. All of my cousins have been referring to him as a "gentle giant" and that is what he was. Quite honestly, I might have been afraid of him when I was little because of the "giant" part, but as an adult, I learned what a sweet man he was. I still didn't know him very well, but he always seemed genuinely happy to see me and that always made me feel special. We'll miss him.

Uncle Ron's Obituary:
Ronald Farr McAllister passed peacefully away on Jan. 8, 2012 in Vancouver, WA. Ron resided in an Assisted Living Facility with his 95-year-old mother, Louise Farr McAllister. They were mutual caregivers to each other. Ron was born and raised in Portland, OR, graduating from Cleveland High School in 1976.

He served a two year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Alabama Mission.

Ron attended BYU for two years.

He and his wife brought five children into the world, all of whom survive their father: Clarissa Fredrickson, Robert A., Stephen K., Daniel M. and Michael P. McAllister.

After suffering a stroke ten years ago, Ron was disabled and unable to work. However, he did not let his disability slow him down. Following his stroke and rehabilitation, he served as a volunteer at SW General Hospital, assisting other stroke patients through their physical therapy and offering encouragement. Ron was also a volunteer genealogist for his church, extracting names from old historical records and entering them into a computer so the names could be digitalized for researchers around the world. Over three year's time, he extracted and submitted thousands of names.

Ron is survived by his five children; his mother; three grandchildren: Mark H. and Phoebe L. Fredrickson and Hudson B. McAllister, sisters: Jeanette Anderson and Sandra Anderson, and brothers: David, Steven and Reed.

Funeral services will be held Sat., Jan. 14, 2012 at 11:30 a.m. in the LDS Fishers Landing Ward Chapel located at 13600 SE McGillivray Blvd., Vancouver, WA 98683.

McAllister/Anderson Christmas FHE

12/19/11 - This happened to be one of the busier days of the month starting with a doctor's appointment out in Peoria, taking the kids to Aunt Lindsay's so she could watch them while I went to Glendale to get my hair cut, coming back to Peoria to find Malcolm taking a 3-hour nap (Lindsay is a baby whisperer), hanging out at Lindsay's for several hours while she curled everyone's hair (she had already done Stella and was finishing Hannah) including mine which does not hold a curl and became very flat and ugly by the end of the day before we saw everyone, driving all the way back into Tempe to pick up dinner at Chick-fil-A and eat it before driving out to Mesa to Uncle David and Aunt Lora's for our annual McAllister/Anderson Family Home Evening (which we were an hour late for). The only thing we didn't do was what we had planned all day . . . Bass Pro Shop to visit Santa. We satisfied the kids by telling them that we'd take them the next day. And then we dashed their hopes again by not taking them the next day either. We eventually got around to it.

(Bailee, Mylee, Hannah, Stella, Brynlee . . . just missing the baby boys Malcolm and Stockton)

Anyway, a great time was had at the FHE, totally disappointed that I missed Martin's lesson, so happy I captured some serious chime playing, relieved that the kids didn't break anything, and stuffed to the gills with all of the delicious dessert and appetizers that were spread across the freshly polished countertops.

I missed his lesson, but I didn't miss this photo op. You can almost see his laser vision.

Happy Halloween

Our Halloween experience has been infinitely enhanced since my cousin started inviting us to their neighborhood Halloween Carnival/Trick-or-Treating. The neighbors play games, eat food, have a great time and then when it gets dark, they hop in their golf cart apparatus and drive their kids around to trick-or-treat. I usually sit with Stacy at their front door and pass out candy/eat candy and chat. Best time ever. On Halloween at least.

So this year, my cousin Scott decided to have an Italian soda table for the grown ups. All of the kids (and some adults) thought it was alcohol because it was only for the adults. Elliot usually takes Stella around the neighborhood to trick-or-treat, but he was busy in the Italian soda assembly line and had such a great time. Seriously, these guys missed their calling as bartenders. Maeser was all Tom Cruise in Cocktail-like (not that I saw that movie, even though I really wanted to because he makes out with The Adventures in Babysitting girl by a waterfall . . . I swoon . . . but not anymore, because Tom Cruise is crazy). Elliot had a great time.

So I took Willie & Nellie trick-or-treating.

Actually, Bailee and Stella took themselves while Savanna & Mylee and Malcolm & I chased them around.

This is the only picture I could find with Nellie & Willie Oleson together for a comparison . . .

So our Nellie had brown hair, but at least it was in ringlets this time. Our Willie didn't have any hair to speak of except for the sweet mullet he sports in the back.

Our Nellie is a lot nicer than the real Nellie.

She's also a lot cuter than the real Nellie.

. . . but just as sassy.

Happy Halloween!

These guys are cute.

Pumpkin Patch, Trauma, and a Cute Cousin

. . . not that any of those go together, it just happened in the same night. :)

Elliot and I can't stand Halloween. It's a dumb, made-up holiday and it gives Stella nightmares. It could also be that I'm not a fun holiday Mom. We're working on a remedy for that one. If it weren't for the fact that we get to hang out with my cousins, I would probably be that mean lady in the neighborhood that yells at everyone who comes to the door or refuses to give candy to kids that look too old to trick-or-treat. So there you have it. I can't stand it.

As it turns out, Stella sort of likes it (even with the nightmares). So this year we decided to take her to a pumpkin patch. We really even had plans to carve a pumpkin this year (that didn't happen . . . baby steps folks).

We went on a hay ride, fed the stinky animals, jumped in a bounce house, posed behind funny animal cut-outs, . . .

. . . picked out a pumpkin, decorated said pumpkin with stickers . . . and then it all came to a screeching halt when Stella was stung by a bee.

Yes, that's right Malcolm, I said a BEE STING. The world nearly ended that night folks.

The concession stand lady gave us a cup of ice to put Stella's finger in, even though she refused to put it in there. She decided that crying as loud as she could was the best option. Malcolm was sympathetic. Chicken nuggets relieved some of the hysteria while the swelling set in. Stella decided to be brave by the time we got to my Uncle David & Aunt Lora's house to visit these cute people.

My cousin Michelle and her husband Ryan came to visit from Utah (Uncle Reed and Aunt Melissa came too, but I didn't get a picture of them). That's my baby she's holding. Ah, I remember the days when holding someone else's baby meant a barrage of comments or completely personal questions about when we were going to start "trying" to have children. Michelle and Ryan were bombarded. We have lots of favorite rebuttals that can usually stop people from asking such personal questions if the need should arise.

Always happy to see a cousin. Always happy when Stella's drama is over. Always happy to eat Halloween candy.

McAllister/Anderson Ping-Pong Tourney

A most serious ping-pong tournament busted out at Unka's and Aunt Liz's on Saturday afternoon. I heard some ruckus in the garage and had to snap some shots of this competitive sport.

First Bob and Martin had to be dethroned . . . it took a while, but it finally happened.

Bob and Martin

Tyler and Natalie

Lindsay and Ian

Brayden and Mart

Tyler and Keith

Mom Jeanette and Meredith

Uncle Steve and Tyler

Tyler and Rachelle

Tyler and Nate

Whitney and Lindsay

. . . and this cutie patootie Ava.

Before this we went to a cousin's lunch somewhere in the beautiful forest of Vancouver, Washington. Seriously, it was such beautiful weather and it was clear as could be and the roads are all completely tree-lined and green and beautiful. It's so much more comfortable to wear clothes in Washington than it is in Arizona.

After the Tourney, Lindsay, Keith and I went to visit Grandmother McAllister in the assisted living facility she lives at now. We had to hurry Mom along showing off pictures of her new house so that we could show pictures of real people, cute people, like Hannah and Brynlee. We got to visit for just a little while and one thing I got to tell Stella was that Grandmother keeps Stella's Kindergarten picture by her side along with a few other pictures because she said, "it just brings me joy."

After visiting with Grandmother, we headed to downtown Portland to Comedy Sports Club with all of the cousins that were still in town. I wish I had pictures of this activity because it was hilarious! Basically there are 8 people split into teams of 4 with a referee explaining games and such. BLUE team was hilarious, RED team not so much. That is until my cousin Michelle volunteered to go on stage with them and act out a game called 4-Square where she had to act out 4 different scenarios depending on the rotation of the people. I can only remember 2 of the scenarios (Shakespeare and Math) because the referee kept it mostly on those. Michelle totally brought the RED team out of their lame funk with her great impromptu acting and hilariously awkward arm gestures (she admits it's her go-to move when she's nervous and/or dancing . . . either way, very funny). My favorite quote of the night, "Get thee hence thou shrew!" The RED team was back in the game. However, the BLUE team was so incredibly hilarious with their fat-headed guy and the opera singing that they took the whole game.

We said goodbye to Michelle and her husband Ryan (whom I just met for the first time) and my cousin Rachel and her boyfriend Matt (whom I also just met for the first time) because they were driving back to Utah the next morning. We were all just going to church, so we went out to dinner at a buffalo wings restaurant and then stayed up late again until our eyes crossed playing the Name That Tune on Natalie's phone. Until that died and Keith was so good at the game that he downloaded it really quick so we could play more on his phone. I never knew he was so competitive.

I went to church with Rachelle the next day and witnessed their missionary completely plagiarizing a talk that Elder Holland gave in the MTC recently. Seriously, it was awesome. I know of this talk because our Stake President just showed it to us in Stake Conference last month. I'm positive that this stupid Elder thought that surely no one would have seen it. Well you idiot, I did. I so wish that Elliot would have been there with me because he totally would have said something to him. If Elliot's brother had been there, he would have stood up and booed.

I leaned over and told Rachelle what this guy was doing and I think it ruined her day. I wanted to say something to the rest of the ward so badly because the rest of the day everyone kept saying what a wonderful missionary they had and how powerful his testimony was. What the crap! It was Elder Holland's exact testimony! Elliot said it's priestcraft. I almost want to write a letter for Rachelle to give to the missionary just so he'll stop being a moron and never do that again. I can't get it out of my head. He had all the inflections and side comments and powerful statements that Elder Holland made in his talk. I should write the letter. I dare myself. Moron.

Rachie took me over to Steve & Liz's to wait with Mart until our flight (same flight) and he watched Robin Hood while I slept and probably made my weird noises with my mouth gaping open. I'm adorable, I'm sure.

I made it safely home with only 4 comments about how enormous and pregnant I am, including someone questioning if I had 3 (yes, three) babies in there. Good grief.

I love my family!

Mr. & Mrs. Ted Yeager

My cousin Christine "Teener" and Ted got married in the Portland Oregon Temple on Friday, July 8, 2011. It was a beautiful day, an absolutely gorgeous bride, and such a fun time with family!

Almost all of the cousins thought they were the photographer, including me, and wouldn't stop taking pictures. It was borderline hilarious. But what was actually hilarious was that my brother Adam got ahold of Natalie's iPhone and was secretly taking pictures of people and distorting them with some special app. He was cracking himself up! I'm excited to see those pictures.

FYI - The proper pronunciation of 'photographer' is actually 'fer-tah-grapher' . . . just thought you'd like to know. Also on the list of mis-pronounced words is 'miker-wave' and 'chester drawers.' Consensus among the Anderson/McAllister cousins.

Uncle Ron, Uncle Steve, my Mom Jeanette, Uncle Reed, Uncle David, and Grandmother Louise McAllister

Keith and Lindsay taking more perfect pictures.

Keith & Lindsay, me . . . apparently smuggling something out of the temple (yes, someone actually asked me), Daddy-O Marc, Mumma Jeanette, Jenny & Adam, Natalie & Ian

Whitney Dibble, Louise McAllister, Jeanette Anderson - 3 generation (that's one reason I wish Stella was there!)

Lindsay Bangart, Louise McAllister, Jeanette Anderson - 3 generation

Lindsay being generally weird with her new BFF Emily, Ted's sister-in-law . . . I think they're both equally and admittedly high maintenance which is why they hit it off so well.

I totally and completely regret Elliot not coming with me to Portland (he would have had a great time) and sort of wish that Stella would have been able to come too :( . . . but honestly it was really nice not to have to worry about getting a babysitter while I was playing with my cousins. She was totally fine though because she got to extend her play time with cousins while she was at home with Aunt Xan!

We went out to lunch with cousins after the wedding, I took a little nap at Rachelle's, then we headed to the reception for the evening, then stayed up really, really late again playing Name That Tune on Natalie's phone. One thing I told Teener that isn't quite fair about your own wedding is that you don't really get to participate with in the fun with the family because you're off doing other new fun things. Somehow I don't think she minded.

DECEMBER: Christmas Eve & Sneaky Elves

Yes, we go swimming on Christmas Eve in Arizona.

Stella thinks she's an Olympic diver.

I don't think Tatem's expression changes even when she's under the water.

Blurry, but so worth it.

We had delicious Christmas Eve feast at Uncle David's and Aunt Lora's after the swimming. I didn't swim, it's still freezing out there. It's like 70 degrees! Plus, I got wet enough when I gave Tatem and Stella a bath. Good gracious! Two wild girls in the same tub = near flooding (hence why my hair looks like that).

I didn't have an extra assignment, so I got to participate in the Christmas Eve chimes.

Some people really enjoyed them . . .

. . . others might be a little bored of them. :)

Stella's highlight of the night came when the doorbell rang and there was a gift for her and Tatem that was left at the front door! New Christmas Jammies from Santa's Elves! Stella was thrilled and also confused that they knew she was at Uncle David's! She stood out on the front porch and yelled, "Thank you Santa's Elves and come again next Christmas!"

Tatem couldn't have cared less about her new jammies.

We had to leave before I got to sit and listen to this deliciousness play the piano. I'm sad I missed it. I could listen to him play for hours.

Happy Christmas Eve!