Happy New Year!

I just wanted to make one last post in 2008. Today is a great day to reflect as the year comes to a close and to set some new goals for 2009. My goals are nothing new. I am hoping to lose 20 pounds so that I can get back to my weight before I had Eli 3 years ago. I want to eat healthy by eating more veggies & fruit. So far I have lost 3 pounds this month. I hope I can keep it up. I also want to get rid of the excess clutter in my home. I am realizing that simple is better & more peaceful. I just streamlined my Christmas decorations and freed myself of 2 boxes of stuff. Now I just need to tackle the rest of the house! I am also making some financial goals. I want to have money saved, especially in these times of uncertainty. What are your goals for 2009? Do you have any suggestions to help me accomplish mine? Here's hoping you have a great year ahead of you!

I'm Dreaming of a ...

White Christmas!

Eli enjoying his first real experience playing in the snow! He was so excited to have his own snow clothes!

Joe, in his usual style, getting ready to throw a snowball!

Young Woman's Medallion

Sarah recently earned her Young Woman's Medallion in church. Earning this necklace is comparable to a Young Man earning his Eagle Scout award. Sarah had to complete 42 goals in 7 different areas and 70 hours in projects. Some of her favorite projects were making an eye spy quilt, making a scrapbook for her journey to Black Belt, making a scrapbook that showed 1 year in her life, & also helping out every Monday to teach younger children Karate. Way to go Sarah!

My Little Artist...

This post is for my daughter Heather. I have noticed that each of my children are so different from each other & each one of them has different interests & talents. Heather loves art. It is her favorite class of the day. She actually mentioned that she would love to be an art teacher because her art teacher makes class so much fun. I just wanted to post a few of her drawings in honor of her & to let her know how proud I am of her & how much I Love her. She makes life so much more fun & interesting. One of Heather' favorite quotes..."If you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail."
It is a picture of a boy going to school.

Heather loves cats & this is a drawing of a Snow Leopard.

My Little Girl is Going to her First Dance

The Back of Sarah's Dress.

Mom showing Sarah how to pin on the boutonniere.


Sarah's got the hang of it now.

Sarah & her Preference date. She was brave enough to ask a young man to her first dance!

Collecting Christmas Ornaments

When I was a little girl, my Dad came home one night with some Hallmark ornaments. He told us that our family was starting a new tradition & that every year, the day after Christmas, we would each pick out an ornament at the after Christmas sale. Each year when the excitement of Christmas was over, we looked forward to picking out our new ornament that reflected something that we liked or that we had experienced during the year. This was my ornament that my Dad gave to me in 1977 from Hallmark that started the whole tradition. When I got married & left home, my collection came with me so that I already had special decorations for my tree.

Now that I have a family of my own, we have continued this tradition. The only thing that has changed is that we buy our ornaments before Christmas because each of our children have ornaments that are part of a collection. I love this tradition because each Christmas my children love to decorate the tree and reminisce about their special memories. Leave a comment & share one of your family traditions.

Sarah's ornament for 2008! She loves dogs. She was born in 1992 and started collecting these when she was a little girl. The first ornament from the puppy love series dates back to 1991. One year for Christmas, we went on Ebay & bought the remainder of the set so that her collection would be complete.

Heather's ornament for 2008! She loves cats and she has been collecting Hallmark's mischievous kittens since they first came out.

Joe's ornament for 2008! He always chooses the ornament that has flashing lights & sounds. That is Joe's style. This one has light sabers that light up & it repeats actual phrases from the fight.

Eli's ornament for 2008 because he loves trains!

Angelina's ornament for 2008. It represents her 1st Christmas.

Christmas Traditions

When I was a little girl, my Mom made Christmas stockings for my 2 brothers & I. I loved my Christmas stocking. Not only did my Mom make it, but it was different from any others that I had seen. Also, the center block of the stocking was from the same material as my brothers. So even though each one was unique, they were connected by a common thread. When I married my husband, he decided that he wanted one to match mine. So my Mom made him one. Each time a new child was added to our family she would make another one. My brother's families also have carried on the stocking tradition and each of their children have one. We all have a center block that is from the same original material. Please comment below & share what your Christmas stockings are like & why they are special in your family...

Kimball, Rochelle, & Sarah's stockings

Heather, Joe, & Eli's stockings

Angelina's stocking for her 1st Christmas
Thanks Mom! We love you!

A Great Man has Left our Midst

I want to pay tribute to a great man. The oldest LDS apostle Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin passed away in his sleep at the at the age of 91 Monday night. How many of us who witnessed his October 6, 2007 General Conference address will ever forget that moment of brotherhood and humanity at it's best? As he stood trembling uncontrollably at the pulpit trying to finish the remainder of his talk, his fellow apostle & dear friend Elder Russell M. Nelson came & stood at his side to steady him so that he could finish his address. Sarah, having just turned 16 & being able to date, fondly remembers his most recent address, "Come What May, & Love It". He talks about learning to laugh and he tells a story about one of his daughters going on a blind date. She was all dressed up & waiting for her date to arrive. A man came to the door that seemed rather old but she tried to be polite and introduced him to her family and grabbed her coat & headed out the door. Before the car pulled away she realized that the man was not her date, but that he had come to pick up her sister to babysit for him. Elder Wirthlin talks about how they all had such a good laugh over that story. Even his daughter who could have felt humiliated & embarrassed laughed with them. I just want to leave you with this bit of advice from his April 2005 address, "Who can tell what far-reaching impact we can have if we are only Kind?"

A Day of Thanks

We had a quiet Thanksgiving dinner here at home with our little family. Kimball cooked our turkey on the BBQ, which has been a long standing tradition in my family. It was nice having the turkey on the grill because then we had oven space for the pies & rolls that we made. Eli really wanted a pumpkin pie because he had seen one on an episode of Disney's Imagination Movers. So I made a pumpkin pie and Kimball made an apple pie. Eli is an extremely picky eater, so I was doubtful that he would like the pie. He was so excited all day to see the pumpkin pie. He kept asking if it was ready. However, one little taste and he decided that he didn't like pumpkin pie and that was the end of that conversation.

Our neighbor invited our family over to shoot some arrows. He had purchased this set up the year before at Cabela's. I was home making the mashed potatoes, so I missed the photo op. Here is Kimball & the kids having fun with some of their best friends, our neighbors across the street.

Kimball

Heather

Sarah

Joe

The intended target