Christmas Day in Pictures

Christmas Day in Pictures

Christmas Day in Pictures

Christmas Eve

This year we were so blessed to be able to share our Christmas Eve traditions with Uncle Logan and Aunt Becca. Grandma and Grandpa Black bought the girls' Christmas Eve pajamas this year (which are adorable) and then Cory bought both his and mine. After we were snuggled up in our pajamas and blankets, Cory read our traditional Christmas Eve story.."That Thine Alms May Be in Secret". Over the last 12 years that I have heard this story on Christmas Eve, I have not once been able to do it without sobbing my eyes out. The funny thing is that neither has Cory, and he has heard it every year since he was a little boy. Then, Uncle Logan read our next Christmas Eve story, "The Polar Express". Although he doesn't quite have the animation in his reading as Cory does, he still did a great job. :) Then I made hot chocolate as we turned the lights off, the fire on, and all watched Polar Express (the girls all fall asleep to this movie every single year...it's perfect). Then Cory, Logan, Becca, and I stayed up laughing, talking, and wrapping presents. It was perfect.

Trying to Capture a Perfect Sunset

Last week, I went on a youth temple trip. As we were driving in downtown Dallas, I could hardly keep my eyes on the road because of the sunset that I desperately tried to capture in the photo above. It was seriously amazing and the picture doesn't even do it justice. I am SO grateful for the gift of sight. I can't imagine living my life without experiencing the majesty and beauty of a perfect sunset. But, then as the sun set my eyes were not disappointed as I was able to witness one of the most beautiful sights ever...worthy strong youth performing baptismal ordinances. Free from the fashions of the world and the make-up on their faces, once more, I was able to see the purity, radiance, and joy that is captured on their countenances as they step out of a baptismal font. Wet, pure, and dressed simply in white...they never look more beautiful as they do in that moment. Amazingly, even more beautiful than a perfect sunset.

I was R.A.K.ed!!!

[Notice what is on the seat NOT how dirty my van seats are! YUCK!] After the girls' Christmas parties at school, we were all walking out to the van to drive home and I had someone randomly pull up next to me in their car and ask if they could talk to me for a second. I hesitantly walked over to these two women who were all decked out in Christmas attire. They handed me a candy cane with a Sonic gift card attached to it and said that I had been R.A.K.ed (a Random Act of Kindness). I don't even know how much is on the gift card, but every time I open up my wallet and see it, I smile. There is so many bad things going on in the world in which we live. Shootings in schools, corruption in politics, murders, theft, etc, etc, but when I look at that gift card I remember that there is also good....a lot of good. All though the bad seems to have overtaken the good because it is always in our face with the media, I believe that there is even more good going on in the world. For me, this random act of kindness couldn't have come at a better time. The last week I had really been struggling. As I sent my children off to school each day, I was desperately praying that they would be safe. The lingering sadness of the recent school shootings weighed heavily on my mind. But as I look at that gift card, I am reminded that all is not lost. There are still really good people out there who are trying their best to change the world, one act of kindness at a time. It has reminded me that I shouldn't crawl under a rock and hide my children, I need to be doing my part. I truly believe that this random act of kindness was not random at all. It was the Lord's way of using some very good people to remind me that there is still hope in humanity. And also, that there is so much good that needs to be done...in our homes, neighborhoods, and communities. When multiplied, one random act of kindness done by hundreds of people each day could change the world in which we live. I may not be able to stop a tragedy from occurring, but I can take cookies to my neighbors. I don't think I will ever spend the money on that Sonic card, or even find out how much is on there, because it doesn't matter. You can't put a price on lesson like the one I received. Thank you stranger for being an instrument in the Lord's hand and restoring my hope in mankind.

Santa Run

In the month of October, I taught lesson after lesson to my laurels about taking care of their physical bodies. So, I decided to take it a step farther. I asked them if any of them would be interested in training and running a 5k (none of them had ever ran one before). They were all really excited about it and committed to it right away. For our next class activity, we officially started the "Couch Potato to 5k" training program. For the next six weeks, the girls trained on their own. The morning of the race, we all met at 6 am and carpooled over. One of the girls had trained with her dad, so he ran the race with us, and another girl had her mom and sister run as well. It was such a great experience. We had SO MUCH FUN!!! I was so proud of all the girls! Everyone finished the race and had a blast doing it. Goal accomplished. :)

Here we go....Christmas 2012

Wow, I don't even know where to begin. We had such a great Christmas season because we spent it with so many friends and family. The week before Christmas my parents flew out here from Idaho to attend Andrea's graduation (more on that later). So we took full advantage of having them here. We all met one night at a place in between all of us (since we all live on different ends of the metroplex) for pizza and to play on the best indoor jungle gym I have ever seen. Then the next day we went to Andrea's graduation and celebrated with her afterwards. On Sunday, everyone came to our house for a big Christmas dinner, Christmas minute-to-win-it games, a Grandma's team vs Grandpa's team gingerbread house decorating contest, and the kids acted out the nativity while Grandpa read the scriptures. It was so wonderful to all be together. Unfortunately, I didn't get very many pictures except for the following I took on my phone. Here are a few of my favorite memories from our pre-Christmas celebrations with my family....1. going down the slides at the indoor jungle gym with Hailey. 2. watching my kids having the time of their life playing with their cousins (even if they were all smelly and sweaty afterwards) 3. watching Dad laughing and talking with his son-in-laws 4. the moment that Andrea crossed the stage to receive her diploma. (I'm pretty sure that I have never felt prouder of anyone finishing their schooling as I was of her). 5. experiencing "guacamole live" for my first time. 6. listening to Abby and Ryan perform (Abby sings while Ryan plays on his guitar) 7. spending time alone with my Daddy (aka "Ron") on a Walmart run and then giving away a pass along card to the cashier as she poured her 17 or 18 yr old soul to me about just finding out the "worst news ever"...she was pregnant. 8. all of us laughing hysterically as all three little girls (Hailey, Makayla, and Callie) fought and cried over who got to hold the baby Jesus during the nativity. 9. watching Dad so excited to eat his canned boiled BBQ peanuts (YUCKY!!) 10. knowing that there was no where else I'd rather be than right there, surrounded by my favorite people in the whole world.

Dress Up

My girls spend a lot of time playing dress up in our home, especially Cloey. She LOVES to get her little sisters all dressed up, and of course they love it too.

I did it!

Last Friday I did something that I have never done before. I entered an essay contest for the Ladies' Home Journal Magazine. The topic was to write about a memorable moment in your life -- the day, or the hour, or the second that changed everything. I spent many, MANY hours on it and made all my family read it and give me suggestions. I seriously doubt anything will come of it (the winner isn't announced until February), but I am so glad that I did it. It was a great experience and over the last six years of blogging of I have discovered something new about myself...I LOVE to write. One of my very favorite things to do is to read journal entries that others have written (from my family history). Writing is such a powerful tool and such an incredible way to express emotions and feelings. I am so grateful for a sister, Grandma, and good friends who have encouraged me in my writing efforts. Someday, I dream of writing a children's book. I have actually even started it but it is going to be a very SLOW process. One that may just have to wait until my little ones are in school. It's hard enough to get a blog post in these days. In fact, I'm pretty sure Hailey is doing something naughty right now as I type. It is way to quiet. Yep, she's changing Makayla's poopy diaper....time to go be a mother. :)

My version of a favorite song

I'm so glad when Cory gets home, glad as I can be. Clap my hands and shout for joy and claim insanity. Grab my keys to run out quick, then turn to blow a kiss. All four girls around his neck, and I'm out the door.

Somedays, this is the song I sing.