Letters to Santa

While we watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, they said that for every letter to Santa delivered to their store's big red mailbox, they would donate $1 to Make a Wish foundation. One of Missy's friend's 3 siblings have all had a wish granted and it is something we wanted to support. I am not big on the letter to Santa thing. I have never sat down with my kids to do it. I still didn't this year. Alli and Scotty just did it on their own.

Alli putting her letter in

Scotty putting his in

It was a fun night. Corry was at young mens, Missy was at young womens, Fuzzy was at activity days, so it was just me and the little two. We started by getting a free pizza at Pizza Hut with Scotty's reading coupon, then we went to Jamba Juice to get a gift card where they gave us free smoothie for buying a gift card. We had a fun night together.

My greatest joy!

This is truly my greatest joy, as well as my greatest trials some days too.

I sure love this bunch of crazies!

Me and my best friend. I remember when I was a little girl, I always felt a little lonely. My sister was much older than I was and my brothers had each other. I am so lucky to get to live with my best friend now. It is just too bad he is gone so much and I still have days I feel lonely. But, I am truly blessed to have these people in my life.

Twas the week before Christmas

The last week before Christmas was totally crazy, but I loved it. Instead of a Christmas dance recital, our studio has each of the classes perform in class for their parents. Normally this is a better thing for us, but this year the girls are in so many classes that we lived at the studio!

We started on Monday night with Missy's ballet class. Her teacher is pretty tough, but the girls all love her! We were so impressed with all the things she has the girls do (part of why I like this week is because the teachers tell why they have the girls do the things they do). We found out why Missy has a hard as a rock stomach as we watched this class. If I could figure out how to load the videos, I will!

Tuesday night was 3 hours of dance for Fuzzy. A jazz class, a ballet class and then her company jazz class. Everyone watched the first hour and then Corry took the kids home so that I could stay and watch the next two hours .

Wednesday morning, I taught my classes, then Thursday was the big day. I taught my classes again starting with this cute little preballet class. (My cute little niece is in this one)

Then I taught Alli's class (kinderballet) and another niece. They did such a good job. They are such cute girls. I am amazed at the difference between these girls and the class before.

My last class was this cute class. One girl was gone, so Missy filled in for her. Doesn't she look cute in her little tutu! This is my favorite class to teach because these girls just get it. They really want to be there and you never have behavior problems. I love teaching with Missy too. We have a lot of fun together with these girls.

Next it was race off to Scotty's 1st grade Christmas concert. They sang the cutest songs! I love watching this show, but we missed Fuzzy's Thursday dance performance to do it. She went with a friend and they dropped her off at our next event for the night...

Missy's band concert. Missy started playing the flute this year and loves it. She did a really great job, but had to miss her 3 hours of dance to go to the concert and listen to the rest of the bands. Corry and I are really impressed with the band program at the school and we are so happy she loves it. She is always sight reading songs on her flute.

And finally the week of recitals and concerts came to an end! It was a crazy week, but I really enjoyed it. I was so pleased with all my kids to see how hard they have worked at the talents they have been given. It was one of those weeks that make everything you do on a day to day basis worth it. I love these kids!

White Elephants

One of my favorite things we do at Christmas time is having white elephant parties. This year there was as much laughter as in years past! People are so creative. So here are some of the best...

A giant Taz light

A Napoleon Clock (Corry had to go out and find one to give to his brother after)

Little girly shorts?

A mannequin head.. I was so sad this was frozen by the time it was my turn!!!

I think I should have a picture like this every year... Jamie smelling her petrified squash!

Superman boxers

A nice pair of doggies to rest your head on (I want to see Corry borrow those for his next airplane ride!)

The very coveted parrot hat

live fish, now really is that wise to give to Calvin?

The headlight hat - actually jim stole for it and was thrilled!

More underwear - batman this time

In my eyes, the hit of the show... The nose drip guard. It made it even better that Pete put it on and thinks it works great!

Thanks everyone for making me laugh again this year!

Hard Things... Blessings or Curses?

I have been thinking a lot lately about the hard things I have been through in my life. I just read my journal (all 20 pages of it over the last 14 years). I can't help but feel blessed for the hard things in my life. My hard things have been different from other people's hard things. That doesn't diminish mine or their hard things from being truly HARD!!! There are things in life that are hard to deal with, but here is what I have learned...

1. You can still be happy. Corry is always telling my that happiness is a choice. I can honestly say that some of my happiest days were the days I spent in the hospital with Scotty when he was so sick as a baby. There are so many good people out there (in this case countless hospital workers) that are there to lift you up. We received letters and phone calls of encouragement and hope. Looking back, I could have brushed off all this outpouring of love and wished instead for others to wallow with me in self pity, after all my baby boy was laying in a hospital bed on a ventilator, but instead I was overcome with joy on a daily basis at the many blessings God had given me. God sent his angels to me in the form of friends, family and hospital staff and doctors.
2. Sometimes I am strong and sometimes Corry is strong. Through all our hardships, sometimes one or the other of us is the strong one. There are so many times, I have leaned on his strength when I was weak and others where he has leaned on me. Sadly there have been a few times where I wanted to wallow is self pity and chose not to lean on his strong arm and other times when he has been too proud to lean on me. Thankfully those times are few and far between. I have learned that we are strong together when we rely on each other. When we are selfish with our own wants, desires or hurts, we do not see the many blessings we have been given.
3. God's will. There are many times when I have sought for God's will to be done in my life. I turn it over to him. On those occasions, I have been blessed to have great faith in Him. If it is His will, then I can accomplish hard things. I have a very simple faith. If I feel something is right, it is not very hard for me to follow. When hard things have come into my life and I have sought out my Father in heaven in prayer for strength and help, I always know that things will be OK. When I have had life changing decisions to make and have sought His will, it has always been easier to accept even if it wasn't the choice I wanted it to be. Too often I make decisions on my own and they never turn out as well, but when I make those tough decisions based on faith and then follow with faith, I feel a burden lifted.
4. I guess the only other thing that I have been thinking about this has already been mentioned a bit. I am never alone. Even when I have cried in my bedroom alone at night, I have never really been alone. Sometimes I see that, other times I don't, but when I look for those blessings, they are always there. Sometimes they are obviously there like my friend showing up on my doorstep with a pizza one day when I REALLY needed it. Sometimes it is a phone call from a friend. Sometimes it is someone who always answers the phone rudely when I call, answering kindly. Sometimes it is a friend calling or emailing. Sometimes it is Corry calling for no reason, just to say he loves me. Sometimes it is in the form of sticky little hands wrapping around my neck for the best hug ever. Many times it is getting on my knees and praying to my Heavenly Father, reading a scripture at just the right time or listening to a talk that was meant just for me. Sometimes it is in seeing my children make right choices. Sometimes it is remembering why I am here and where I am going. Always in recognizing that God's love is all around me, when I choose to see it.

Corry

So, since this is a journal, I thought I would add what has been going on at our house for the last few months...

SICK, SICK, SICK!!!!!!

I mentioned before that Scotty had swine flu, well, Corry probably had it too and that led to pneumonia. He spent some time at home and has felt pretty awful this fall. He is thankfully much better, but on one of his trips to the doctor, Scotty was there and wanted to take pictures and these are some of the images he captured!!! I think it is hilarious! I love you Corry. You were a good sport!

Scotty was fascinated with the shots Corry was given. This was one of many over the course of his illness!

Anyway, luckily we are all doing much better and Corry was able to just stay home a few days and never had to go to the hospital while he was sick. We feel very blessed that he wasn't worse.

Christmas time

I have really been trying to focus more on the true meaning of Christmas the last few years. I have tried to curb the spending and focus on giving our kids experiences rather than stuff. We want to build family memories, not clutter our home with more things. Corry's job has helped a lot with that in being able to fly where we want for little cost and being able to stay at hotels for little cost as well. (There are some perks to him traveling all the time, but overall, I would rather not have the perks and have him here.) This year we were not able to do any big trip experience with the way things at the office have been. We have wanted to travel to Florida to visit Corry's sister for a long time and have never been able to work it out. His brother will be moving to Kentucky soon and we would love to go there too.

This year I have probably struggled most with not giving the kids stuff. Missy lost her ipod a few months ago (actually I think it was stolen from our condo in Park City) and she really wants a digital camera. I just can't justify those kind of expensive items this year although I really want to give them to her. She has worked really hard this year keeping up her grades, dancing on a company, being in her YW class presidency, helping out at home and teaching dance. It also has been a great reminder that things don't matter, people do. So, I am sticking to my budget and she is not getting those things from us. (I have been working on something for her that I can't post yet, but I will after Christmas. I am so excited about it!

Fuzzy and I were talking about what the best parts of Christmas are. We love doing the Christmas play on Christmas eve; reading Christmas stories, singing a Christmas hymn and reading scripture versus about Christ every night through December; and getting a perfect gift for someone that lights up their face. I love taking the time every day to think about my Savior and what His birth means to me. I love to see the joy in my children's faces as they countdown to Christmas. I love visiting family and friends that we rarely see. This year I am excited to go to temple square to see the lights and Nativities with my brother, sister and their families. I love singing in Christmas in the Grove, our stake choir celebration. Probably if I had to name just one favorite Christmas tradition or celebration, it would have to be reading Christmas stories every night. It makes me laugh every night because as soon as the story is over, someone in the family says, "I love that one" or "that is a good one" or "that one makes me feel good" or "I want to be like that person." I love singing the hymns of Christmas along with the stories and reading scriptures that tell of his birth or foretell of it. Every night during December, I go to bed feeling the love my Savior has for me and desiring to be a better person by living the spirit of Christmas all year. All the gifts and the shopping and the parties don't compare to the way I feel every night, sitting around with my husband and children, praying, singing and reading those scriptures and stories.

Decorating the Christmas Tree

One of the best traditions there is... Decorating the Christmas tree. I love turning on the Christmas songs and watching the kids get all excited about the ornaments they have collected through the years and the ones they have made themselves. I love having two trees. This one is the kid tree in the family room. I think I might need to get a bigger one to hold all their ornaments. In the living room we have the pretty tree and I love that one too. (This year Missy and Fuzzy decorated that one.) I love Christmas decorations, although I hate to take them down. I truly do LOVE Christmas!

Thanksgiving

We spent a nice quiet morning watching the parade and being quite lazy. Good thing since I wasn't feeling well and Corry had pneumonia! Later that afternoon, we went up to Cassie's to spend Thanksgiving. We had a wonderful time with the Seeley family. Missy was in charge of the camera and this is what she found interesting to take pictures of...

Crochetting

This summer my mom taught Missy how to crochet and she made this scarf. I never got a really good picture of it until this winter when she started wearing it. I think she did a great job! I might even have to borrow it!

She used this as her Knowledge project in Young Women's. She already has one seal, will have another one on Sunday and is close to a third and she has only been in the program for 8 months. Each Young Woman has values she is working to obtain: Faith, Divine nature, Individual Worth, Knowledge, Choice and Accountability, Good Works, Integrity and Virtue. For each value she works on goals to learn about it and work on becoming a young woman possessing that value. After she works on several experiences, she completes a 10 hour project in each area then earns a seal to show is has completed it. When she has received all her seals, she receives a necklace and pendant. Missy is such a great kid! I sure hope she realizes how wonderful she is!

Lessons learned

Last Sunday my friend taught a beautiful lesson on Humility. We have been focusing our first Sunday Relief Society lessons on attributes of Christ (I know last Sunday was the 5th). The thing that struck me was that humility is not an absence of confidence. It is more the understanding that with God all things are possible and as human beings, we are nothing without Him. So, I can be confident in who I am as a daughter of my Heavenly Father. It was a wonderful way to start getting ready for today.

As I was preparing my lesson about Charity - the pure love of Christ - for today, I came across a talk that I really loved. It is by Elder Caldwell given in October of 1992 entitled Love of Christ. He talked about obtaining charity through 3 different ways.

• Love for Christ
• Love from Christ
• Love like Christ

1. First we need to love Christ. We need to recognize what He did for us and love Him despite any negative that comes into our lives. Elder Caldwell said, "How deeply do we love him? Does our love depend on favorable environments? Is it diminished or strengthened by our experiences? Is our love for him evident by our behavior and our attitude? Charity, or love for Christ, sustains us in every need and influences us in every decision."
2. Next we need to realize how much love Christ has for us. Elder Caldwell said, "This gift of charity is to be received. The Savior's act of redemption for our sins is of no effect without our willingness to comply with the conditions of his atonement."
3. Lastly we need to act and Love like Christ. Again quoting from Elder Caldwell, "Is it a coincidence that missionaries give a portion of their lives in behalf of others, then come home and testify of their great love for the people they have served? Is it any wonder that bishops and other priesthood and auxiliary leaders who sacrifice for others are filled with love for those who are recipients of their labors? Is there a greater love among mortals than that of a mother, who offers all for her child? Many who desire to have charity like Jesus attain it as he did."

He concludes by saying,

"Charity is not just a precept or a principle, nor is it just a word to describe actions or attitudes. Rather, it is an internal condition that must be developed and experienced in order to be understood. We are possessors of charity when it is a part of our nature. People who have charity have a love for the Savior, have received of his love, and love others as he does."

As I gave this lesson, I thought many times about the lessons I have learned in my life with regards to these principles. In particular, I remembered the times in my life that I have felt how much my Savior and Heavenly Father love me, how much I love them and how I have felt when I have tried to love like them. Recently I have experienced the later when I have struggled with feeling unloved and unaccepted by someone I love dearly. I will keep trying to show love to her, but I can't help but be grateful as I realize I have been blessed with many "sisters" in my life. Women who love me, watch over me and care for me. I love them as if they were blood related. I not only have been blessed to love and to be loved by my Savior, but I have been blessed to love and be loved by His angels on earth striving to have charity. Thank you to all my beautiful sisters. I love you all!

Scotty Turns 7!

We have a tradition on birthdays of opening presents very first. I don't know if Corry was more excited to give it, or Scotty was more excited to get his present this year. We gave him a BMX bike. His old bike was in a bit of a sorry state. He was so excited and gets on it every chance he can.

Bring on the breakfast! We have a birthday table cloth, a you are special plate and the birthday fork (a great steal from a white elephant party!). This year I lucked out because Scotty wanted Missy to make him and omelet.

Nothing like using the birthday fork to steal mom's muffin when she is taking photos!

As always, Grammy and Grandpa gave him $ for his missionary fund and something to go along with missionary work (this year much needed new church socks)!

That night we had a family party for him

Grandma and Grandpa came for dinner and brought him a ramp to go with his bike. He loves it!

He wanted ice cream cake, no I didn't make another carmel bomb in the process - I bought the carmel at the store like a normal person!

Aunts, uncles and cousins everywhere!

Gotta love family!

The next day was the party with his friends. We went old school and played all the games I loved as a kid. The first one was drop the clothes pin in the jar. Lots of fun!

Then we had a relay race to put on a cowboy hat, PJ pants, Hawaiian shirt, and big slippers, run to the other end of the room and back and then take them off for the next person. They loved it as much as I used to. The roar of the crowd watching was hilarious as they cheered on their team.

We finished up with the limbo. Some of those kids are pretty flexible!

We had rice crispy treats instead of cake to end the party. It was a wild hour, but tons of fun.

Corry is so well loved!

Scotty after everyone left. Yes those are Corry's pants and his arm is through where you think it is!

After the party, it was time to try out the new ramp. After a few runs on the sidewalk, he decided to put it in the road so he could build up more speed. I wonder when (not if) we will be going to the hospital with a broken bone?

Happy birthday my Scotty! I love you! You are such a great kid and a joy to be around!