Happy New Year

I just wanted to say really fast, how grateful I am for 2008. We have had a great (sometimes not so great) year. We have traveled as a family. Seen Grandpa and Cynthia get married. Welcomed 2 new babies into our extended family. We spent a lot of time with out Troy but more time with him this year then last year. We have made some wonderful new friends and connected again with old friends that I thought we would never see again. We had a baptism. And we had many fun birthdays, and holidays. We have seen some bad times globally but have been very blessed as a family. I am grateful that I have my sweet children and wonderful husband to share 2009 with. I don't know what it will bring but I am hoping and praying that it will be a wonderful year!!

Happy New Year Everybody!!!

What do you think happens when Daddy shovels the driveway?

After our what seemed like 100th snow storm in the last 2 weeks Troy was finally here to shovel the driveway. The kids had been begging him to go out and play with them in the snow. (mom is way to boring and there for not worth asking) He said that he would go out with them under the assumption that he would shovel the walks. He got the porch and the sidewalk up to the house done and then this. . .

I think the kids have learned what happens when you hit daddy with a snow ball. I am positive that they will try it again.

Just a side note this is how much snow we have in our back yard, also the driveway still has snow on it. But there have been fewer kids as happy as mine were that day.

Dear Old Washing Machine,

Thanks a lot for quiting on me 2 days after Christmas!!! Thanks for quiting on me in the middle of a full load of dark clothes. Thanks for making my sweet Home Teacher have to syphon out the soap filled water (thanks again Brent we owe you one!). Thanks for not making it until I could get the washer of my dreams and making me have to settle for a "it will do us for now" one again!!! I couldn't like you any less then I do right now!!! I hope you enjoy your home on the front porch in the freezing weather! Maybe a skunk will spray you!

P.S. I really do want to thank you for waiting until the roads were cleared off. See ya wouldn't want to be ya!!!

Happy Birthday Mikayla

When Troy and I got married we decided that no matter what we would wait a few years, get settled (get used to each other) before we had children. I have learned now that things never go as planned. My Dad had a heart attack at the age of 51, and immediately after that I knew that I had to have a baby so that my kids could know my dad. (It has now been 12 years and he is healthy as a horse, I totally could have waited! oh well) We decided to have our first baby and not 3 weeks later we (yeah right I was the only one!) were pregnant.

Mikayla was born in dramatic fashion as she does everything else. Broken water, Mess all over the place, and then nothing nothing nothing for hours and then almost faster then the Dr. could get there she was here.

She and I had a great bond from the start. She talked to me and sang with me from 18 months old.

She has taught me how to be a good mom and how to love unconditionally.

She has taught me patients and now math (again)

She is our brilliant (I know all parents say that) daughter who has the brightest future ahead of her.

She loves to sing and to babysit (I love that too)

She loves to give hugs and she is the only one that will sit next to me when everyone else is wrestling on the floor with Dad. I am so proud of her and everything that she has chosen to pursue. I know that someday she is going to be a wonderful adult with a very steady head on her shoulders. (she is very strict with rules, she never lets me forget it, unless it benefits her)

I personally think that she needs to go into sales or some sort of job that she can talk a lot. She has convinced her little bothers and sisters to give her all sorts of stuff with practically nothing in return.

I am extremely grateful that she is apart of our family and can't wait to see what happens next!!

Happy Birthday Mikayla

I love you!!!

Morgan's Tree

Before I switched the girls to a new school (I did ,by the way, if you were unaware of that, it was a great thing to do and they are doing great and loving it) Morgan's 2nd grade class made a tree to donate to the Festival of Trees. We as a family went to the Festival to try and find her tree. She was so cute wondering up and down the isle looking and looking. She kept turning to me and with those big sad eyes and kept asking me "Mommy are you sure we are going to find it?" And Low and behold!!! We did. . .

This is the tree it was called A Magical Christmas(Morgan took this picture herself)

This is Morgan with her tree.

This is the Tree in the classroom almost done.

She adopted and named and wrote a story about some of the ornaments/characters on the tree and she was so excited to see them on display.

Well done to all who worked so hard on the Tree. There is a blog attached to the tree called Magicalchristmastree.blogspot.com if you want to see the creatures and the class that made the tree.

Christmas Tag

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping Paper. (I stink at putting bags together, they always look terrible when I do it)
2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial. (I am too cheap to spend the money on a real one. I wish I could bottle the smell though)
3. When do you put up the tree? Day after Thanksgiving
4. When do you take the tree down? New Years Day
5. Do you like eggnog? Just the Ice Cream
6. Favorite gift received as a child? Umm Probably my first barbie car
7. Hardest person to buy for? Troy! (It wouldn't be if he would stop buying stuff for himself!)
8. Easiest person to buy for? Troy's Mom
9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yep 2 of them
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail (2nd time in 12 years! I am doing so well! )
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? A pink book bag that fell apart the next day
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Polar Express, It's a wonderful life, Charlie Brown Christmas, Christmas Vacation, ok pretty much all of them geesh!
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? October. I like to have it done and over with ASAP
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? I don't think so?
15 .Favorite thing to eat at Christmastime? Chocolate, Chocolate and more Chocolate! Also Wassail and Hot Chocolate
16. Lights on the tree? White
17. Favorite Christmas song? Veni Veni (Oh come Oh come Emanuel) and Still Still Still
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Home
19. Favorite Family Christmas Tradition? Singing Christmas songs with my family on Christmas eve, and making Christmas cookies!
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Star
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas morning!
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Crowds (can't stand crowds!)
23. Favorite ornament theme or color? Troy's dad gets us a hand painted ornament from Pier One every year and they are sooooooo beautiful!
24. What do you want for Christmas? That is an excellent question!
25. Favorite thing about Christmas? Watching the kids faces as the round the corner and see the presents. That is truly priceless. (And everything else that comes with Christmas!!!)

I tag Kelli, Cuca, Katie, and Tiff.

Very Proud

I wanted to say while I was thinking about it, that I am truly proud of my girls and the girls of the activity days in our ward tonight. I had the opportunity to go with them tonight on a service scavenger hunt. They were split up into 4 teams each with the name and description of a child who wouldn't have a Christmas this year. All of the kids had special needs of some kind. The girls embraced these kids and were so excited to get them something to make them smile. It was wonderful to watch them forget about what they wanted and only think about what these kids would like to have. What would make them smile. I am proud of their ability to put themselves aside even for just one night and think of others. Thank you Heather , Sharon and Melissa for putting this together. I think it has changed their minds as to what Christmas is truly all about.