Reflections

We didn't have any big plans so I have had a nice quiet night to reflect on my comings and goings of this year. This year has been a really great one for our family. We started the year by celebrating the longest in one place we have ever lived. That starts from the day Troy and I got married. We have moved every year except once we stayed for 2 years when we couldn't afford to go anywhere else and had to stay with my parents. This year marked year 3 for us and January makes 4!! I also have had some eye opening experiences that have taught me a lot about myself. I have realized that I love where we live. I love the people that I have been able to know here. I also realized that even though I was reluctant at first I am perfect for my nursery calling and I can now understand why I there. I realized that I am too hard on Mikayla and need to listen and not just talk. I also realized that I am not ready for a 13 year old! Everything that I have been scared that I was going to have to deal with, I am now having to deal with. I also didn't know that I was such an evil evil person! I thought I was pretty nice. Not you know like super star awesome but pretty ok. Mikayla has now taught me that I am the meanest person to ever exist. I also learned that I am not as smart as I thought I was. Oh and most of the time when I think I am speaking nothing is coming out. Or at least that is what kind of signals my kids are sending me. Another thing that happened this year is Troy has really excelled in his work. He is up for employee of the year this year. And he really has a shot at it. I am so proud of him. I am also extremely grateful of the company that he works for. We were told recently that because of Troy's hard work we have been chosen to receive a $2000 scholarship for each of our kids for college. They are an amazing company and we are so lucky that Troy gets to work there. They really do bring out his best. And since I was speaking of my husband I have learned this year how much I like having him around. You know the phrase you don't know what you have until its gone. Well with Troy out of town so much I really have realized how much I enjoy spending time with him and I tend to take advantage of it when I get a lot of it. I am also so grateful I have to opportunity to be the mother of 4 amazing, loving, hard headed, beautiful children. They try my patients daily but every night when I kiss them good night and hug and squeeze them it warm my heart and makes me happy I have them. I am excited to bring what next year brings but at the same time because being the person I am not know what next year brings always make me a little nervous. But I can't think of anyone else I would want to experience the up and downs with.

I hope that the new year brings you happiness and joy.

Happy New Year!!!!

Happy Birthday To Miss Mikayla

Well it happened the teens have finally hit our household. We have been preparing for this day for quite a few years now but as they say you can practice all you want but it only prepares you so much for the big game. Mikayla has decided to embrace 13 to its fullest. Eye rolls, a few "mmmmmooooooooommmmmm!" s here and there. A lot of "Get out of my room!" s. All the usual things. Since this is a big birthday I gave in and let Mikayla have a party with all her friends. I figured 13 year olds, you don't really have to worry about them right. You can get some pizza put on a movie and they will all be good right. WRONG! They were noisier then the noisiest day in the nursery. They made a bigger mess then my 2 boys combined and they ate 5 boxes of pizza, tons of drinks and almost all of the Christmas candy I had set out. And then they had cupcakes and ice cream when they were done. I was shocked! Here are a few pictures of the merriment.

I do want to say quickly how wonderful I think Mikayla is. She is a huge help to me and a great person to talk to. I think she is growing into a beautiful young woman and I love her so so much. I am so excited to watch her learn and grow during these what I can only guess will be very fun and interesting years.

This is a picture of Mikayla's family birthday cake. Mikayla getting ready to blow out the candles in all her 13 year old glory. Some of the girls at the party. you can see the craziness starting already!She wanted cup cakes for her friends birthday party. They were polka-dot (for the pj's they were wearing) and film strips (for the movie they watched). What is it you say that all the girls are crowded around looking at? Why that is the latest issue of Tiger Beat! I got Mikayla the magazine so that she could have some pictures of Justin Beiber and Taylor Swift. They loved it!! They all wanted to look at it and read it and I was shocked! I don' t know why I was shocked but I was.

Christmas Christmas All Around

We have a tradition in our house to decorate for Christmas on the day after Thanksgiving because Troy has the day off and I can almost guarantee that he is going to be in town. I don't have any other day I can say that about. I wait until after thanksgiving to do anything Christmas (except shopping of course!) so it is exciting to get to hear our favorite old Christmas music and finally listen to any new music we didn't have last year. Here is our living room before the Christmas makeover. I always take a couple of pictures of the process. Troy sets up the tree and the kids and I take over from there!

The Tree decorated in all its glory! I know that most people have the perfect Christmas tree with ornaments perfectly placed and all in matching and coordinated colors. I like to see the ornaments that the kids have made me over the years and let them see how they have grown. It is what we in my family like to call a memory tree.

The Piano

The side table/sewing machine. ;-]

This is mine and Troy's first ornament. It has been hanging on the Christmas tree at our house for 14 years now. (ahhhhh!)

I thought this was a cute picture because you can see me and Owen in the ornament. I have the camera in my hand (obviously!) and Owen is holding a red ornament in his.

Morgan's Birthday Party

This year for Morgan's birthday I went bigger then I usually do but I was so excited! We had my sister Kara and her family, Troy's sister Pepper and her family and Troy's Dad Mike and his wife Cynthia over for dinner. We started with my eatable center piece. I made these chocolates. They were bats and witches and ghosts and vampires etc. I made mummy dogs for the kids to eat and Potato chowder that I served in pumpkin bread bowls. We had slimey lime slush with spiders already making them selves at home. We made candy necklaces and the kids loved them! The cake Morgan designed herself and we ordered special for her. (I am no longer cool enough to make the cake :-[ ) Everyone left with a goody bag of homemade chocolates. The perfect ending!

I think she had a blast and enjoyed her birthday party. I just love having her. I thank my heavenly father everyday that I am lucky enough to have her as my daughter.

I love you Morgan!!! Happy Birthday!!!!

Family Pictures and Trick or Treating

This year Halloween fell on a Sunday and if you live in Utah you know that means that trick or treating happens the day before. Well that year that included a lot more then trick or treating that day!

We started the day with family pictures with Troy's family. They turned out so cute! I am so thankful to Kelli for making sure that we all looked fabulous! Also Kelli and I made all the skirts for the girls and I think they turned out amazing! This is my new favorite picture of my kids!

After family pictures we all met at Chick Fil A to celebrate Morgan and Grandpa Beardall's Birthdays.

Then it was time for Trick or Treating. We started out with Grandma and Grandpa Beardall it was rainy and wet but it didn't phase the kids one bit.We ended with Grandpa Mike. The kids got enough candy to feed a small army!

Collective Soul Concert

Last weekend we went to yet another Collective Soul Concert. I know we have done it a lot but they really do put on a fantastic show! This year though we had our fabulous new camera! And they threw out the "no camera" rules and we got to take some great pictures. We went with Edda and Jenni, Dave and Brandi, and Quinn and Kelli. We had a blast. Oooo and I even got to ride in a super fancy Cadillac (ok it belonged to Edda's grandpa before he passed away and it was a grandpa car through and through!) Super smooth ride though!This picture is of the bassist and drummer. He was banning his head and flipping his hair the entire show. We really aren't sure how he didn't have a huge headache after 3 minutes!

Our Own Toothless Owen

About a week ago we discovered that Owen had a loose tooth. Shortly after that we discovered that his new tooth was quickly growing in. Far faster then Owen was getting the baby one loose. After talking with some friends I decided to call the dentist and see if it was ok to wait until if falls out of if he needed to have it pulled. They said that if we didn't pull it the his other tooth would probably grow in crooked and need to be fixed later. So today we took him in to have it pulled. He was so brave especially when the dentist said that it would probably happen to the other bottom one too and asked if we wanted to just pull it now or wait and see. I picked now. (might as well, we were there and all) So Owen had 2 teeth pulled. What a great kid!!!

Labor Day Weekend

We got really lucky this labor day because Troy was given the entire week off from work! If we had a little more notice we would have planned something better but it didn't really matter we were just excited to have him to ourselves for a whole week! On Friday, Mikayla had a Dr.'s appointment down town so we decided since we would already be down there we should take the kids to temple square and the church history museum. It had been a while since we had been there and it is free so we went. The kids loved it! They have a lot of interactive stuff for the kids to do and see. This is Sam trying out the "beds" on the boats that some of the pioneers came across the ocean on. They told us that each family had one bed for the whole family. The parents would sleep sitting up against the wall. None of my kids thought they were comfortable at all! I had to agree with them! Here are the kids in front of Moroni. They thought it was cool to see one up close. This was actually on top of a building back east before it was torn down and Moroni moved here. This is everybody practicing for when they have to speak in conference some day. I say better them then me! I would never ever want to speak in conference. They had fun puzzles to do and pictures to color. Sam liked the puzzles and Owen loved to color. I am learning he is quite the little artist. The kids (minus Owen who didn't want to stop coloring) decided to put on a show about Lehi's dream from the book of Mormon. Troy was the narrator, Mikayla was the angel, Morgan played Lehi and Sam was everybody else. Sam was so stinkin' cute!

I took this picture of the temple. It is such a beautiful building! Inside and out!

On Monday we took the kids to the Bee's game with our friends Dave and Brandy. Thanks for the tickets Dave!!! They had a great time. Owen loved it when they actually hit the ball but was a little bored. I tried to get him to cheer for the pitcher to strike them out but he couldn't really see what was happening because it happened so fast.

We had such a good time that we stayed for the whole game! I loved spending the time as a family. I think next summer we will have to do this more often!