Family Pics

A few pictures from our family shoot - Jen did a great job!

Snowing

It’s snowing!  And Baby, it’s COLD outside!  (Jaydee told me I could only sing that song to Hyrum cuz himsa baby.)  I love the snow but hate coming to work, I want to sit at home with a book in front of a big crackling fire.  

Jaydee & Hyrum got to see Santa on Saturday.  Jaydee got a Little People Farm set & Hyrum got a finger puppet Noah’s ark (Jaydee has already added this to her stuff, most of Hyrum’s toys are in this category, lets hope she stops before he gets big enough to care.)  Jaydee has been playing with her little farm animals non stop and got mad at Sam because he gave her a choice she could take them to Deedra’s and leave them there all week or leave them at home.  We were not going to drag them back and forth all week.  Since Deedra just got a nativity of the Little People Jaydee was okay with leaving hers at home, but since Deedra marked all of her animals we had to put an F for Flake on all of our animals.  Jaydee brought them all too me, one at a time to write on this one too cuz its mine.  She makes me laugh and brings a smile to my face.  Pictures later. 

 

 

Disneyland

My friend Lydia took her daughter to Disneyland.  I want to go, it looks like they had fun.  

 

 

 

Jaydee Christmas Quotes

Jaydee is loving Christmas, she has spent hours literally 2-3 hours each day playing with her nativity set. We are missing the Mary, Joseph & Jesus. (I think she hid them somewhere last year.) So Jaydee saw the nativity set at her aunts house and hurryingly began to pick up the pieces because “I didn’t know I left these here.” I had to explain that these were not her set.

Some other fun quotes from Jaydee.

Christmas Lights are Amazing! (And it is Aaahhh –mmmaaazzing”)

Look at the Santa lights…

I want socks from Santa.

Today she was naming everything with snow on it (cars, buildings, houses, trees). Then she said, “The naked trees have snow on them.”

Eggnog is Christmas Milk

Oh and she already saw Santa so we don’t need to go again. (but Mommy needs a picture so we are going!)

Random Thots on Holiday Shopping

Yesterday in RS the lesson was on Good, Better, Best which the teacher quickly changed to ideas on how to apply this principle to the holidays. (Basically you don't have time to do all the good things in life, not even the better things so focus on what is best.) I read a great blog on simplifying Christmas shopping. First of all, I love to shop for Christmas and I love to do it early. I went to Walmart on Black Friday and I hated all the crowds, noise and people. It was fun to see a few people I knew in the PJ's pushing carts around. I love a good deal, but nothing on my list was on sale. Oh, well. I think I will stick to my previous years plan and shop ahead of time. It is much more fun and less stressful that way. Besides most of the sale items are still on sale this week...
So back to the suggestion from the blog on simplifying, pick 3 gifts for each child. Sounds great right? No, it is really hard on me! My kiddos won't care but I do... Isn't that silly? My dd wanted socks from Santa. She is 3 and she wants to give her baby brother baby spoons (I guess she doesn't want to share hers.) Anyway, I am going to try to stick to this simpler way.

Thanksgiving

I am thankful for

• Turkey dinner and mom’s turkey soup
• A thumb sucking baby
• A happy little girl who loves Santa
• And the conductor on the Polar Express
• Thanksgiving Break
• Veteran’s Day
• Holidays
• Good jobs (especially at this time)
• A turkey in our window (which we made)
• A scarecrow made of leaves (& Sam’s old clothes)
• Fall leaves (all over our lawn)
• A baby who sometimes sleeps 6 hours at night
• The Dog House (a new arcade, hot dog place and ice cream in Snowflake)
• Visits with family
• The pitter patter of little feet in the morning
• Family who will drive 9+ hours to come see us (we like the rest of you too)
• A rolly polly baby boy (15 lbs)
• We call him Chunky Monkey
• Jaydee wanted a ring ring (a bell) from Santa
• Getting into my pre pregnancy pants
• Dreyer’s Ice Cream (although I am still not sure about Aubrey’s bubble gum choice)
• Pizza from Bits (with Diana & Sylvia’s families)
• Mom for being a last minute babysitter
• Melissa for playing dress up with Jaydee
• The movie Fireproof – a good reminder for your marriage
• 5 Love Languages (a great book for communicating love to your spouse)
• A loving spouse and Jaydee hugs
• The movie “The Christmas Card” – great love story & Christmas movie (plus it is clean)
• Decorations and fun traditions (like a Little People Nativity Set – Thanks Janeen!)
• Smelly candles – especially Mulled Cider & Cranberry Orange Mmm!
• Banana Bread & Friendship Bread
• Pumpkin Pie (pumpkin rolls are too much effort but they are yummy)
• Dishwashers
• Blender Lemon Pie – why do we only make pies at Thanksgiving? They are great.

The good thing about thumbs is you can never lose them; the bad thing about thumbs is… you can never lose them.

Hope everyone has a very merry Christmas!

45 lessons

Written by a guy named Brett who writes columns for The Plain Dealer, a newspaper in Cleveland, Ohio To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I've ever written. My odometer rolls over to 70 in August, so here goes:

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry 13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, . Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness, except you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: 'In five years, will this matter?'
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time, time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of whom God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
36. Growing old beats the alternative--dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need. 42. The best is yet to come.
43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
44. Yield.
45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift