A White Christmas!

Christmas Eve day little flakes started flying around. The kids ran around talking about "the snow, the snow, the snow."  I just smiled and shook my head, cynically popping any bubbles of hope, "It won't stick."  But it did!  YAY!  X-man ran out and plopped himself in the snow to make a snow angel. When he realized, it's a bit cold making angels, he stuck to throwing snow at the girls. We had a family snow fight: girls against boys. I think the girls won--mostly.

For Christmas Eve, we turned off all the lights, except for the candles we lit and the tree lights. T read in Luke 2 about the birth of our Savior. We spread out a blanket and ate our shepherds' dinner of crackers (no one really cares for pitas--they aren't like the ones in Israel anyway), beef stick, hummus, carrots, pears, persimmon, oranges, and different types of cheeses. We watched "The Nativity" and spoke quietly. Such a reverent feeling came in. It really set the tone for the night. After our meal, we drove around looking at lights. This year we just went a few streets over since we had snow!  When we came home, the kids looked for the green pickle ornament on the tree (we read about this tradition some where and it stuck). The child who finds the green pickle first, gets to open the first present. L found the pickle first this year. Family presents were passed out and we opened them all! No waiting for us!

Christmas day found that Santa had visited with a bike, an IPOD, a Leapster, some Legos and lots of other goodies. We must have behaved this year!  Once the excitement settled down, and everyone had their breakfast of candy from the stockings (what kind of mom am I?? Hey, it's Christmas!), everyone bundled up and headed out to play in the snow. We made Frosty, our tall snowman. T made a really solid base. Frosty is still there today, though a little lop-sided.

Then L made Tiny, Frosty's cousin. Tiny's nose and head kept falling off, so L would plunk them back together again.

 

Here's the snow fort L made. Don't know how much protection it offered from snow balls, but he sure had fun making it.

Happy Birthday 12 Year Old!

Twelve years ago yesterday we celebrated the birth of our very own angel.  She came to us at the beginning of our Christmas celebration and was and is a gift from God to our family. Looking back on the last dozen years we have traveled a road that has been filled with lots of happiness, surgeries, doctors, set-backs, and triumphs. Would we have it any other way?

When B was born doctors and nurses alike scurried around trying to figure out the reason the bones in her little hands, feet, and head were fused together. They found only outdated information that was less than hopeful of the life she would be able to lead. As we sorted out and adjusted to the curve in life that had been sent out way, we turned to our Father in Heaven in prayer and were comforted in so many ways. We were led to doctors that would be best for B. We had amazing family support. Grandparents, aunts, uncles all became B's very best supporters, showering her with love.

B and her daddy have always had a very special bond. She is his little B-doll.  She adores him and still runs to greet him when he comes home from work. He understands her and wants the very best for her. When the doctors ran test after test after her birth to see what was going on with her, the only thing that soothed her was her Daddy's voice. He'd talk with her, and she would calm immediately.

So tiny!!  And now so BIG!  Couldn't do this now!

Monday we went to see our very amazing doctor. He looked at the MRI and then had to re-look to make sure he was seeing things correctly. B's skull is continuing to grow amazingly well. He doesn't need to do a thing with her right now unless she's just hankering for a surgery. NO!  I was again reminded of that day 12 years ago when we were given a not-so-bright outlook. Then I remembered all the prayers that were said on B's behalf.  Yes, there IS a caring Father in Heaven who watches the little angels He sends to earth and takes care of them.  We have been blessed with one of His choicest.

To celebrate 12 year old style, B and a friend went to have a manicure. They chose a sparkly pink color and had fun sipping a soda while getting their nails done. Then yesterday, she and another friend went to see "Alvin and the Chipmunks, The Squeakuel" movie.  An hour and a half of chipmunk talk does something to one's brain, but they loved it.

The party continued with B's fav--chocolate molten cake. Yum!!  Happy B-day B! We LOVE you!!

 Here are some of those aunts and uncles that have been an amazing support to our family. C & B with their dog, Lily,  were driving through this week and stopped by to play with us. We had such a great time.

Party Time

Today was the last day of school for this year, so it was full of class Christmas parties. Here's X-man's cute and zany class of first graders.

They made ornaments, ate bunches of goodies, played games, and had fun. They also did a Reader's Theater of "The Polar Express" which we had practiced so much that even I had it memorized. Unfortunately, I put it in the back of my mind that it was being performed at the class party. We got to the party a little late and then it came to the front of my mind. We missed the performance! I felt so bummed, but X didn't seem to care at all.

The cool fifth graders played pictionary and then ate pizza. Here's A. with a couple of friends. They gave each other stuffed animals (we need a zoo for all the stuffed animals we have!). L. was happy to go to each party; he always gets bunches of food. Miss B. didn't have an official party being the big middle schooler that she is. A little sad.

We also had another picture with Santa at the annual CCA party. (No one has commented on how that man seems to be everywhere.  L. did comment about the Santa that visited story hour at the library. "He's not very Santa Claus."  Was it the crooked, cotton ball beard?  The black eye brows? Or the unconvincing "Ho, ho, ho?")  We had a great time making crafts, decorating cookies, dancing to Radio Disney, and being with each other.

Surrounded and Uplifted

I've been reading about amazing Captain Moroni in the Book of Mormon. It was said of him, "if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto ^aMoroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever." Alma 53:2  Wow! What a man! What would it have been to know him?  Then I got to thinking. Hey, wait a second!  I am surrounded by women who are right up there with Moroni in my book. They are stalwart and noble, humble and strong, talented and steadfast, quietly going about doing good whether it be cleaning up a messy child, cleaning a dirty sink, teaching a child, sending a "thinking of you" email, being an example of cheerfulness, sticking with sticky situations, and on and on.  I am so truly blessed to rub shoulders with so many women who quietly go about doing what needs to be done without the glamour, glitz, or recognition of the world. They are my mom, my sister, my friends--new and old, my sisters-in-laws, my mom-in-laws, my teachers, my leaders, my aunts. They are YOU!  Thank you for blessing my life with your goodness.

All I Want for Christmas is my Two Front Teeth!

Santa Claus is Coming to Town!

We had our ward (church congregation) Christmas party this weekend.  The program had a nice variety of jolly Christmas songs and uplifting Christmas carols, though X. didn't care about jolly or uplifting; he was all about the man in red and white coming. He wanted to make sure and get in his request for Christmas!

The Storm of '09!

The news always seems to need to name storms and make it all dramatic. It always makes me laugh, especially here where snow is a novelty.  A few inches of the white stuff has the news anchors doing news flashes every few minutes about "The Blizzard" or "The Storm of '09!"  Anyway, we woke up to white stuff falling from the sky. Since we don't have it much, I let the kids go out and play for a little bit before school. L. was so excited, "Let's make snow things and throw them at each other!" Yes, I taught him that we call those "snow things" snow balls, and then he had no problem chucking them at his sisters.  Snow lingo. 

X. has the start of a snow ball.

Now here's a snow ball!

Yay for snow!

Thanksgiving is for...Family!

My parents came out for Thanksgiving week.  We played hard and had fun.  Some of the things we did:

play Twister,

go on a hike and picnic,

make a ginger bread house,

have a movie night, go on a date!!! (T & I), go to Cabelas (kids and grandparents), go on a temple date!!! (T& I AGAIN!), play games, play Wii, watch football (Dad and T), eat yummy food together, AND just be together!!