Christmas

So Christmas Eve was spent with Ken's parents. We ate Clam Chowder and Orange Rolls. We also watched A Christmas Carol, the new one with Jim Carry. We also talked to Shanna who is on a mission in Pohnpei. What Fun. They came over the next morning and opened presents with us. This is the Kids Christmas morning. They were so excited to wake up and see what Santa brought them. The looks on their faces just says it all.

Kirsten got PJs and a scarf and hat. She asked Santa for scarf and Angie heard her and that's was her present to Kirsten was. She was so excited to wear them.
Cheryl with her new Wii. She was so excited to get this from her dear husband Mike. She also got a Wii fit to go with it.
Christopher with his new Sunday shirt and tie. Just his size too.
Angela showing us her Christmas dress. I had so much fun picking these dresses out
Kirsten showing us her new Christmas dress. I am sure she will be just pretty wearing it to church.

Visiting Santa

So these are a little late being posted as they were taken on the 10 of December. Oh well better late then never right? Kirsten was a little better about sitting on Santa's lap this year then she was the last. My three Kids. Don't they look cute?
"Oh all I want for Christmas in my two front teeth"
Angela with Santa
Kirsten was just thrilled to get the candy cane full of chocolates.

Believe

No one can measure the effect of an unselfish act of kindness. By small simple things great things due indeed come to pass. Of course gifts given and gifts recived make Christmas speacial. For many children, Christmas eve is a very long night as they look forward with eager anticipation to the gifts Santa brings, which is why children love Santa Clause. Let me share what someone once said about Santa Clause. First of all, he's a joyous individual....Next Santa Clause is interested in making others happy. He increases the happy moments in the life of everyone he meets. He loves his work; he gets fun out of his job. He is childlike, simple, humble, sincere, and forgiving. Finally, he is a giver. His philosophy is to give himself away in service. He is a friend to everyone. He smiles. Perhaps you and I could attain greater happiness if we emulated Santa Clause a little more, for his way is the way of the infant Jesus.

President James E. Faust

First Presidency Christmas Devotional 1998

Santa and Sarah

Three years ago, a little boy and his grandmother came to see Santa
at Mayfair Mall in Wisconsin. The child climbed up on his lap, holding
a picture of a little girl. "Who is this?" asked Santa, smiling.

"Your friend?" Your sister?

"Yes, Santa," he replied. "My sister, Sarah, who is very sick," he
said sadly.

Santa glanced over at the grandmother who was waiting nearby, and saw her
dabbing her eyes with a tissue.

"She wanted to come with me to see you, oh, so very much, Santa!"
the child exclaimed. "She misses you," he added softly.

Santa tried to be cheerful and encouraged a smile to the boy's face,
asking him what he wanted Santa to bring him for Christmas.
When they finished their visit, the Grandmother came over to help the
child off his lap, and started to say something to Santa, but halted.

"What is it?" Santa asked warmly.

"Well, I know it's really too much to ask you, Santa, but ..." the
old woman began, shooing her grandson over to one of Santa's elves to
collect the little gift which Santa gave all his young visitors.

"The girl in the photograph .. my granddaughter . well, you see ....
she has leukemia and isn't expected to make it even through the
holidays," she said through tear-filled eyes. "Is there any way, Santa
... any possible way that you could come see Sarah? That's all she's
asked for, for Christmas, is to see Santa."

Santa blinked and swallowed hard and told the woman to leave
information with his elves as to where Sarah was, and he would see
what he could do. Santa thought of little else the rest of that afternoon.
He knew what he had to do. "What if it were MY child lying in that
hospital bed, dying," he thought with a sinking heart, "this is the
least I can do."

When Santa finished visiting with all the boys and girls that evening,
he retrieved from his helper the name of the hospital where Sarah was
staying. He asked the assistant location manager how to get to Children's
Hospital.

"Why?" Rick asked, with a puzzled look on his face.

Santa relayed to him the conversation with Sarah's grandmother earlier
that day. "C'mon .... I'll take you there," Rick said softly.

Rick drove them to the hospital and came inside with Santa.
They found out which room Sarah was in.

A pale Rick said he would wait out in the hall.

Santa quietly peeked into the room through the half-closed door and
saw little Sarah on the bed. The room was full of what appeared to be
her family; there was the Grandmother an d the girl's brother he had
met earlier that day.

A woman whom he guessed was Sarah's mother stood
by the bed, gently pushing Sarah's thin hair off her forehead.

And another woman who he discovered later was Sarah's aunt, sat in a
chair near the bed with weary, sad look on her face. They were talking
quietly, and Santa could sense the warmth and closeness of the family,
and their love and concern for Sarah. Taking a deep breath, and
forcing a smile on his face, Santa entered the room, bellowing a hearty,
"Ho, ho, ho!"

"Santa!" shrieked little Sarah weakly, as she tried to escape her bed
to run to him, IV tubes in tact.

Santa rushed to her side and gave her a warm hug. A child the tender
age of his own son -- 9 years old -- gazed up at him with wonder and
excitement. Her skin was pale and her short tresses bore telltale bald
patches from the effects of chemotherapy. But all he saw when he
looked at her was a pair of huge, blue eyes. His heart melted, and he
had to force himself to choke back tears. Though his eyes were riveted
upon Sarah's face, he could hear the gasps and quiet sobbing of the
women in the room. As he and Sarah began talking, the family crept
quietly to the bedside one by one, squeezing Santa's shoulder or his
hand gratefully, whispering "thank you" as they gazed sincerely at him
with shining eyes. Santa and Sarah talked and talked, and she told him
excitedly all the toys she wanted for Christmas, assuring him she'd
been a very good girl that year. As their time together dwindled,
Santa felt led in his spirit to pray for Sarah, and asked for
permission from the girl's mother. She nodded in agreement and the
entire family circled around Sarah's bed, holding hands. Santa looked
intensely at Sarah and asked her if she believed in angels.

"Oh , yes, Santa ... I do!" she exclaimed.

"Well, I'm going to ask that angels watch over you, "he said.

Laying one hand on the child's head, Santa closed his eyes and prayed.

He asked that God touch little Sarah, and heal her body from this disease.

He asked that angels minister to her, watch and keep her. And when he
finished praying, still with eyes closed, he started singing softly,

"Silent Night, Holy Night - all is calm, all is bright."

The family joined in, still holding hands, smiling at Sarah, and
crying tears of hope, tears of joy for this moment, as Sarah beamed
at them all. When the song ended, Santa sat on the side of the bed
again and held Sarah's frail, small hands in his own.

"Now, Sarah," he said authoritatively, "you have a job to do, and
that is to concentrate on getting well. I want you to have fun playing
with your friends this summer, and I expect to see you at my house at
Mayfair Mall this time next year!" He knew it was risky proclaiming
that, to this little girl who had terminal cancer, but he "had" to.

He had to give her the greatest gift he could -- not dolls or games or
toys -- but the gift of HOPE.

"Yes, Santa!" Sarah exclaimed, her eyes bright.

He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead and left the room.

Out in the hall, the minute Santa's eyes met Rick's, a look passed
between them and they wept unashamed. Sarah's mother and
grandmother slipped out of the room quickly and rushed to Santa's
side to thank him.

"My only child is the same age as Sarah," he explained quietly.

"This is the least I could do." They nodded with understanding
and hugged him.

One year later, Santa Mark was again back on the set in Milwaukee for
his six-week, seasonal job which he so loves to do. Several weeks went
by and then one day a child came up to sit on his lap.

"Hi, Santa! Remember me?!"

"Of course, I do," Santa proclaimed (as he always does), smiling down at
her.

After all, the secret to being a "good" Santa is to always make each
child feel as if they are the "only" child in the world at that moment.

"You came to see me in the hospital last year!" Santa's jaw dropped.

Tears immediately sprang in his eyes, and he grabbed this little
miracle and held her to his chest. "Sarah!" he exclaimed. He scarcely
recognized her, for her hair was long and silky and her cheeks were
rosy -- much different from the little girl he had visited just a year
before. He looked over and saw Sarah's mother and grandmother in the
sidelines smiling and waving and wiping their eyes.

That was the best Christmas ever for Santa Claus.

He had witnessed --and been blessed to be instrumental in bringing
about -- this miracle of hope. This precious little child was healed.
Cancer-free. Alive and well.

He silently looked up to Heaven and humbly whispered, "Thank you,
Father. ' Tis a very, Merry Christmas!"

This was sent to me as an e-mail from a friend Heather Sanchez. I loved it so much I had to share it here on my blog. Thanks Heather.

The "W" in Christmas

Each December, I vowed to make Christmas a calm and peaceful experience. I had cut back on nonessential obligations - extensive card writing, endless baking, decorating, and even overspending.

Yet still, I found myself exhausted, unable to appreciate the precious family moments, and of course, the true meaning of Christmas.

My son, Nicholas, was in kindergarten that year. It was an exciting season for a six-year old. For weeks, he'd been memorizing songs for his school's "Winter Pageant."

I didn't have the heart to tell him I'd be working the night of the production. Unwilling to miss his shining moment, I spoke with his teacher

She assured me there would be a dress rehearsal the morning of the presentation. All parents unable to attend that evening were welcome to come then.

Fortunately, Nicholas seemed happy with the compromise. So, the morning of the dress rehearsal, I filed in ten minutes early, found a spot on the cafeteria floor and sat down.

Around the room, I saw several other parents quietly scampering to their seats. As I waited, the students were led into the room.

Each class, accompanied by their teacher, sat cross-legged on the floor. Then, each group, one by one, rose to perform their song.

Because the public school system had long stopped referring to the holiday as "Christmas," I didn't expect anything other than fun, commercial entertainment - songs of reindeer, Santa Claus, snowflakes and good cheer.

So, when my son's class rose to sing, "Christmas Love," I was slightly taken aback by its bold title.

Nicholas was aglow, as were all of his classmates, adorned in fuzzy mittens, red sweaters, and bright snow caps upon their heads.

Those in the front row- center stage - held up large letters, one by one, to spell out the title of the song. As the class would sing "C is for Christmas," a child would hold up the letter C.

Then, "H is for Happy," and on and on, until each child holding up his portion had presented the complete message, "CHRISTMAS LOVE".

The performance was going smoothly, until suddenly, we noticed her; a small, quiet, girl in the front row holding the letter "M" upside down - totally unaware her letter "M" appeared as a "W".

The audience of 1st through 6th graders snickered at this little one's mistake. But she had no idea they were laughing at her, so she stood tall, proudly holding her "W".

Although many teachers tried to shush the children, the laughter continued until the last letter was raised, and we all saw it together.

A hush came over the audience and eyes began to widen.

In that instant, we understood the reason we were there, why we celebrated the holiday in the first place, why even in the chaos, there was a purpose for our festivities.

For when the last letter was held high, the message read loud and clear:

"CHRISTWAS LOVE"

And, I believe, He still is.

By: LDS General Conference

I found this on a friends'(Elizabeth Burk) face book wall and thought I'd share it here.

Naomi's Heaven Day

I have thought a lot about what I would post on this day. I know I need to post something since this can never again be a normal day to me anymore. This is after all the day my baby Naomi Ruth Tennant left this life and graduated into the eternities. I wonder what life would have been like if she had lived. I know I wouldn't know what I know now if she had, but I still wonder. Wondering this doesn't keep me from being happy now. I do know that I wouldn't be normal if I didn't wonder this. Some times I do wonder though, if those who have passed on miss those they have left behind. Does Naomi miss me, her siblings her daddy? Does she wonder about the life she didn't have here with us? Maybe, maybe not. I know she has an eternal view on these things way beyond my understanding here on earth. But it doesn't stop me from wondering just the same if she misses us here. I guess if she does, she can always come and visit. We just don't always know she's here. I like to think of her as our guardian Angel, always watching over us. She there, she's alway there.

I also think of this time of year, being the Christmas season and all. Without the birth of Christ, there would be no way for us to return to our Heavenly Father and in turn, no way to see our loved ones again like Naomi. I am extremely grateful for Christ's birth and atonement, making it possible to see Naomi again. This alone gives me reason to go on living and to be happy. One day I will have my time with her. To raise her and see her grow. Though it seems like a long time in some ways, I know in other ways, the time will go quickly. After all to God, time is very short. So what is years to us, is only minutes to God. So while I will miss Naomi for all time, I know I won't have to miss her for eternity. For in the eternity, I will be with her again.

Angela won 2nd place in the Ginger Bread Contest.

I give you the winners of the the 2010 Idaho Virtual Academy Gingerbread wonderland contest. The 1st place winner in to the far left, Angela is our 2nd place winner here in the middle, and the 3rd place winner is to the far right. They all look pleased to have won, don't you think? I'm so proud of Angela.

Kirsten going Potty

What more is there to say. I didn't plan to potty train her until she got closer to age 3. However Kirsten had other ideas. She came to me two days ago after her bath and insisted on going potty. I thought I would just humor her and let her sit on it anyway. Much to my surprise, she peed. I was thrilled beyond words. This kid keeps on growing up before my eyes. So for the last two day I have been gently suggeting that she sit on the potty. She was always so wiling to do so. Now she has had a few accidents, which is quite normal. The big deal I am happy about is she is doing it on her own. While we were watching a movie this afternoon, she out right told me "I got to go potty." I took her into the bathroom, she climbed onto the toilet and peed. I'll gladly take a few accidents if it means I will have more success like she has had today. And of course with time, accidents will gradually decrease. I am so happy that her diaper days are history. Yea for Kirsten.

Symbols of Christmas

Just a week before Christmas, I had a visitor. This is how it happened. I had just finished the household chores for the night and was preparing to go to bed when I heard a noise in the front of the house. I opened the door of the front room, and to my surpriced, Santa Clause himself stepped out from behind the Christmas Tree. He placed his fingers over his mouth so I would not cry out.

"What are you doing..." I started to ask but the words choked in my throat as I saw he had tears in his eyes. His usual jolly manner was gone-gone was the eager, boisterous soul we all know.

He then answered me with a simple statement of "teach the children." I was puzzled. What did he mean? He anticipated my question and with one quick movement brought forth a miniature toy boy from behind the tree. "Teach them the old meaning of Christmas-the meanings that Christmas now has forgotten."

I started to say, "How can I..... " When Santa reached into the toy bag and pulled out a brilliant star.

"Teach the children the star was the heavenly sign of promise long ages ago. God promised a savior for the world and the star was a sign of the fullfillment of that promise. The countless shinning stars at night-one for each man-now showthe burning hope of all mankind." Santa gently laid the star upon the fireplace mantle and drew forth from the bag a glittering red Christmas tree ornament.

"Teach the children red is the first color of Christmas. It was first used by the faithful people to remind them of the blood which was shed for all the people by the Savior. Christ gave His life and shed his blood that every man might have God's gift of Eternal Life. Red is deep, intence, vevid- it is the greastest color of all. It is the symbol of the gift of God."

"Teach the children," he said as he dislodged a small Christmas tree from the depths of the toy bag. He placed it before the mantle and gently hung the red ornament on it. The deep green of the fir tree was a perfect background for the ornament. Here was the second color of Christmas.

"The pure green color of the stately fir tree remains green all year round," he said. "This depicts the everlasting hope of all mankind. Green is the youthful, hopeful, abundant color of nature. All the needles point heavenward-symbols of Man's returning thoughts toward heaven. The great green tree has been man's best friend. It has sheltered him, warmed him, made beauty for him." Suddenly I heard a soft tinkling sound.

"Teach the children that as the lost sheep are found by the sound of the bell, it should ring for man to return to the fold-it means guidance and return, it further signifies that all are precious in the eyes of the Lord." As the soft sound of the bell faded into the night, Santa drew forth a candle. He placed it on the mantle and the soft glow from its tiny flame cast a glow about the darkened room. Odd shapes in shadows slowly danced and weaved upon the walls.

"Teach the children," whispered, Santa, " That the candle shows man's thanks for the star of long ago. Its small light is the mirror of starlight. At first candles were placed on the trees- they were like many glowing stars shining against the dark green. The color lights have now taken over in remembrance."

Santa turned the small Christmas tree lights on and picked up a gift from under the tree. He pointed to the large bow and said, "A bow is placed on a present to remind us of the spirit of the brotherhood of man. We should remember that the bow is tied as men should be tied, all of us together, with the bonds of good will toward each other. Good will forever is the message of the bow."

Santa slung his bag over his shoulder and began to reach for the candy cane placed high on the tree. He unfastened it and reached out toward me with it.

"Teach the children that the candy cane represents the Shepard's crook. The crook on the staff helps bring back the strayed sheep to the flock. The candy cane represents the helping hand we should show at Christmas Time. The candy cane is the symbol that we are our brother's keepers."

As Santa looked about the room a feeling of satisfaction shone on his face. He read wonderment in my eyes, and I am sure he sends my admiration for this night.

He reached into his bag and brought forth a large holly wreath. He placed it on the door and said. "Please teach the children the wreath symbolizes the eternal nature of love; it never ceases, stops, or ends. It is one continuous round of affection. The wreath does double duty. It is made of many things and in many colors. It should remind us of all the things of Christmas. Please teach the children."

I pondered and wondered and thrilled at all those symbols. To give, to help, to love and to serve. And Santa, he's the sign of giving, that jolly old elf, and yes, I shall teach the children.

Sherry Dillehey

A Legend

When I was in Primary a long time ago, they put together a book of stories about 24 to count down the days until Christmas. I will share some of them in the coming weeks. My mom would read them to us every year starting the 1st of December. I am thrilled to continue this tradition with my family.

A Legend

There's a beautiful legend

that's never been told

It may been known

To the Wise Men of Old

How three little children

came early at dawn

With hearts that were sad,

To where Jesus was born

One could not see,

One was too lame to play

While the other, a mute

Not a word could he say.

Yet, led by His star,

They came there to peep

At the little Lord Jesus

With eyes closed in sleep.

But how could the Christ Child

So lovely and fair,

Not waken and smile

When He heard their glad prayer

Of hope at his coming,

Of faith in His birth,

Of the praise at His bringing

God's Peace to the earth?

And, then, as the light

Softly came through the door,

The lad that was lame

Stood upright once more.

The boy that was mute

Started sweetly to sing,

While the child that was blind,

Looked with joy on the king.

Author Unknown

Ginger Bread House Decorating

So this afternoon Angela and Maridian( I babysit Maridian when she's not in Kindergarten) decided they wanted to decorate the Ginger Bread House. They had so much fun doing it. I put the base frosting on and they did the rest. I think they did and awesome job.

Our finished work of art. I love the green Ginger Bread men don't you?
Both girls were so pleased with their work of art. Now we just need to keep Kirsten from licking the frosting.

A New Look for Kirsten

During the Thanksgiving day events I asked my mom if she would be willing to cut Kirsten's hair. It was three different lengths before, her shoulder, her chin and she had some uneven bangs. The different lengths made her hair look so thin and it made it such a challenge to fix. So I thought a change was in order. Above is Kirsten before her hair cut.
And here is the after picture. Doesn't she look cute? I think her hair will grow back thicker and be much easier to fix from now on. We curled her hair and she looked just adorable.

Fun in the Snow

Our good friends Aaron and Angela Park invited us to play in the snow at their house this past Saturday. It was so much fun. Ken and Aaron helped the kids build a snow fort. Yes a snowball fight was sure to follow. Everyone had fun. We will being doing this again I'm sure.

Bundled up Kirsten. So cute. She was so excited to go play in the snow.
Angela and Christopher posing for a picture in the fort they helped build.
Aaron joined in the fun. He had a good aim. He even would catch his wife Angela's snowballs she threw at him and he would throw them back at her. He made her so mad when he did that.
Ken got so busy making snowballs, he got hot and took off his coat. Funny man.
The kids hard at work making snow balls. Make a lot. You'll need them.

Our Anniversary trip to Lava Hot springs

We had planned for weeks to take a trip to Lava Hot Springs to celebrate our 11th weddinganniversary. We asked one of the young women from our ward to babysit, and left at 3:30. It was so relaxing to just soak in the steamy hot pools. Ken and I talked to a few people there. One of whom thought I was still in my early twenties. I'll gladly take that as a compliment thank you. Overall we had such a fun time there. After about a 1 1/2 soak we went to a local pizza place called the Royal for dinner. It was a great way to top off the evening.

Christopher He's a good kid

I have come to realize after 1 1/2 years of schooling Christopher through the Idaho Virtual Academy that it just isn't working anymore. Not the school it's self, but me teaching Christopher. I gave it my all. I have no regrets. He has made great progress in reading and comprehension. There are just issues with the mother teacher relationship that I just can't fix while he's here at home. I have had a lot to work through as far as this issue goes. Most people in my position would have given up after only a few weeks. Let's face it I'm not a quitter. It has taken me weeks to realize that putting Christopher in a public school does not make me in any way a quitter. I have just come to realize that some kids are not good at being schooled by their parent. It's hard for me to come to this. I wanted so much to help him. I've also realized that I can still help him in a public school. Their is after all, homework. It's not like Christopher is a bad kid. Putting him in the public school in no way reflects that with me. It just means maybe for him he just needed a year of one on one help at home. He will most likely do just fine away from home in the public school. I guess in some ways I am feeling a little anxious about this whole ordeal. It's funny though. I picked up the papers to get him register in Tendoy and I felt completely calm. Quite unlike the feeling I got when I enrolled him in Kindergarten two years ago. So I have not failed. He has learned a lot at home. I just have to realize now that he can also learn a lot at Tendoy. So it's the end of Christopher being schooled by me. The beginning of his education at Tendoy. Good luck Christopher. I'm sure you'll do fine now. I have to admit, I'll miss you.

Reflection on Naomi's birthday

This would have been Naomi Ruth Tennant's 4th birthday. As I reflect on the meaning of this day, I decided to write what I have learned from the experience of her life and Death.

1. Life is too short to take anything or anyone for granted. You never know how long they will be here.
2. One baby can touch so many lives in just 5 weeks time. There wasn't a family member or friend I know that wasn't touched in a positive way by her, both before and after she died. In that way to me, she was missed by all that knew her or should have known her.
3. Smiles are worth a thousand words. I learned through Naomi, smiles mean I love you.
4. The Atonement is real. It is not just for the sinner or the sinned against but for those that morn for any reason. In my case, it was for morning the lose of Naomi. I know if it wasn't for Christ's atonement their would be no resurrection and no eternal families. Because of Christ's atonement, I will have the chance to raise my baby. For this I am forever Grateful.
5. Through her life I learned what true love is. That love between a mother and child is very strong. I learned it is strong on the part of the baby as well as the mother.
6. I learned after her passing how many friends and family truly know what it means to morn with those that morn. Even now, I feel them wrap their arms around me in my time or sorrow and morning.
7. Grief doesn't just come and then go. It is more like an onion in which we are constantly peeling back the layers. It evolves with time.
8. I have also learned that time alone doesn't heal all wounds. To me it took Time, God and Love to heal this wound.
9. With both Naomi's life and Death, I learned that God is in control. She was born at the right time and place. Whether I want to admit it or not the same is true of her passing.
10. Children are still ours whether in this life in the here and now, or in the next life in the world to come. This has been my biggest comfort. She is forever mine. This means to me, I have 4 children.
11. All experiences are for our understanding and growth. Even if that means I still don't completely understand, someday I will. And not understanding all the reasons for the passing of Naomi is fine. Not understanding in some ways makes my faith grow stronger. I want to go on in faith knowing that someday all will be put right again.
12. I also learned to hug and kiss the children I still have here with me. You can never hug and kiss loved ones too much. Regret comes from not doing it enough. For me this would be the worst kind of regret.
13. There will never come a time until I die, that I won't miss her. I have finally come to realize that is OK. Like I said earlier, Grief never ends in this life.
14. Happiness can come again even in times of Grief. I learned that happiness was up to me. It was OK to be happy again, even with her gone. It is not the same kind of happiness as it was before her passing. It has evolved into something entirely different. Like a butterfly evolves from a Caterpillar. And yes I am happy now.
15. God never leaves us comfort less. I learned this before and after she died. One of the times I learned this is shortly after she was born Melissa Curtis offered to take my oldest kids for a while. I so enjoyed being alone with Naomi and rocking her to sleep. I also found comfort after her death from Naomi herself. I felt her near during my hardest times.
16. I feel each trial gives us empathy to help others. Through my experience, I was able to help other mothers in their time of grief. I helped form a Infant loss support group. I learned the real meaning behind the phase "A joy shared increases, a sorrow shared divides." Morning with those that morn is so needed in this world.

So to summarize, even though I miss my baby Naomi so much, and wish in some ways she had lived, I wouldn't trade the lessons I learned through her life and death for anything. It has truly edified me in ways nothing else could. I Still love my Angel Baby Naomi Ruth Tennant.

Kirsten the Mess Maker

So every morning we eat breakfast and then Angie and Christopher do their History and science lesson while I clean the kitchen and fix my hair. Well when I walked into my bathroom this is who I saw standing on the counter pleased as can be. She took everything out of the shelves, and rubbed Vaseline all over the mirror and her hair. I had one of two choices. I could either cry or laugh. I chose to laugh and then took this picture.

And this is how she did it. I am frankly shocked that she thought this through enough to turn the garbage upside down in order to climb on top of the counter. This kid is a trouble maker that is for sure.

Ward Party

They took picture at the ward Halloween party. Not too bad. Ken was a Geek from the Geek squad, Angela a princess, Christopher wolverine, Kirsten a little witch, and me as a ER nurse. Don't we look great?

My Kids. They looked so cute. You just gotta get a picture of them in costume.
We just had to capture this on picture. The kids each got a bag of candy. Kirsten just couldn't wait to eat it. Down she sat on the floor eating away at her candy. What a cutie.

Halloween Fun

So our good friends Angela and Aaron Park invited us to their Halloween party at their home this year. They invited us and two other couples, Amber and Matt Grayson, and Lacey and Isaac Jensen and their kids. The kids played downstairs and watched a few cartoons. All the adults played Apples to Apples. We all had a blast.
What Party is complete without food. We had mini corn dogs, chili cheese dip with chips, zucchini bread pretzel sticks, and pop with dry ice in it to add the spooky affect.
Amber and Matt cheesing it up for a picture. We loved the chips and chili dip.
Ken showing us his love of the food. Now Ken we don't need to see the food once it's in your mouth.
And of course Angela's 2 month old baby had to be part of the party. She is so cute.
We had the kids eat a donut tied to a string without using their hand. Amber in the striped red and blue shirt wanted to be in on the fun with the kids.
And of course I had to wear my ER scrubs again. Angela didn't want me to be in the picture alone.
Angela and Aaron Park the hosts of the party sitting back and loving the game playing.

Lacy and her husband Isaac Jensen came later in the evening and enjoyed a few games with us.

The powers out in our House.

At about 6:30 this evening the power went out in our neighborhood. Angela quickly went to the garage to get the 72 hour kits. We got out the flashlight so we could have some light as it was getting dark. So the question went through Ken's mind. What should we do with no power? Watch a movie on Mommy and Daddy's bed using the fully charged lab top. The kids chose Ghost Rider.

What happens when Kirsten doesn't get her nap

Kirsten is at that in between stage where she is too young to go with out a nap, but if she has one, she is up until 10:00pm. So the only thing I have done is not give her a nap at all. Most of the time, she does just fine with out her nap. However when she has a long day playing this is what happens. She falls asleep where ever she is at. In this case in the living room chair in this position. It's amazing to me that she can even sleep at all hunched over like this. But I guess when she is tired enough, she will sleep any where in any position. It was so cute to see her asleep like this, I just had to get a picture of her. Funny kid. Fortunately this only happens when she plays for hours on end.

Fall Pictures

These pictures were taken Conference weekend Oct 3 2010. We went on a walk in the hills.


Fall is one of my favorite times of year. I just love these walks in the hills. It is a walk down memory lane for me. Angie Christopher and Kirsten just loved going on a hike with their cousin Griffen, Laurelin and Nessa.

Christopher's 7th Birthday

It has been a very long time since the last posting...not nearly as long as others that I know of, but still a long time for me and my family. Since the last post, we have had holidays, birthdays, family vacations, and other things take place that if I was to really talk about them all, I would be here all day and this posting would be huge.

So, in an attempt to get up to date, I will only talk about and post things related to the families latest event, mainly Christopher's birthday. It took place about two weeks ago and our daughters, Kirsten, will be happening in a few days. Since his party, he has had another exciting event in which he lost both of his top front teeth at the same time. Well, actually it took place over the space of a few days, but it still happened and now he has a cute smile showing the empty space.

I hope that you enjoy the pictures and that I will do better about doing posts more often than once every six months....