Continue the Journey

I have exceeded my "upload quota" on this blog for pictures!  So, it is now time to start a new blog:)  You can continue to follow our family's adventures at www.randydirksfamily.blogspot.com.

  Hope to see you there!

Eternal Bliss

On Wednesday, I was privileged to be able to attend the Sealing of Ale & Jayson Newsome to their adopted baby boy, Jasiah.  It was such a beautiful ceremony that produced a beautiful Eternal Family.  How grateful I am to be Sealed to my own family and know that I'll be with them for Eternity.  Families Are Forever.  As I was heading home to my own babies, I was struck once more how amazingly stunning the Salt Lake City Temple is.  I wish I had a better camera, however, I don't think this picture is too bad.  I know the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the true church!!!

Prunies

A fun day of swimming!  I LOVE Brennon's prunie piggies:)

Manger 2011 Update

Our "bed" for baby Jesus!

Gingerbread Train

 Side 1

Side 2

And possibly the Crazy Side!

Pain Reliever

I started Thursday with a pretty big headache.  I usually don't take medicine for headaches unless it's pretty bad, mostly because the neurologist said I shouldn't.  So, I looked in my parent's medicine cabinet for anything that would help.  They usually don't ever buy name-brand meds, so I took the first "Pain Reliever" I could find.  An hour later, it still hadn't lessened, so I decided to take one more just in case.  My family was leaving for other activities, so I took the kids to drop off gifts at the Dirks'.  The 30 minute drive left me thinking that I hadn't gotten enough sleep the night before.  I was slowly getting more and more tired.  Leaving the Dirks' I realized that my tired feelings no longer felt as if I'd simply not gotten enough sleep, but more drugged in nature.  It hit me like a ton of bricks- those pills might have been PM.  I called my mom asking if she'd ever bought any.  She had.  It was!  So, the rest of the day was spent in a drug induced stupor!  I can take one at night, sleep peacefully through the night, and wake without the slightest groggy day.  And at 11:00 I took THREE!!  I still can't believe it happened!  That night we signed papers for our new car.  I was so tired, that pen felt like a 50 pound weight.  I'm just glad Randy was there to make sure I wasn't signing my life away:)    What a joke!

Singer

We got a new car while in Utah this last week (pictures and post coming later!) so all of the kids wanted to ride home in it today.  This left me in the Trailblazer ALL. A. LONE!  Heaven, I tell you!  HEAVEN!!  So, as the kids were watching a movie on their new DVD, Randy was singing along to his iPod.  Shelby piped up from the back, "Dad.  There's already a singer.  Stop singing, please."  I'm wondering if it's mostly because he sings so out of key.  Did I say that out loud?  (Just kidding.  He really is a good singer!)

Back Flop

Caden has been getting more and more adventurous in the pool.  He took the super-high dive the last time we went, and has steadily been doing more and more diving.  He loves to do Cannonballs, and attempts to do just about anything he can in the pool.  Some are pretty impressive.  Some cause him to have a headache for the rest of the night!  Like when he thought it would be fun to see if a back flop hurt as much as a belly flop.  So, he stood spread eagle next to the pool and simply jumped onto his back.  SLAP!  He came up with his head bobbing and had a headache the rest of the day.  We've now impressed upon his mind how dangerous things can be.  Hopefully he won't be trying that one again:)  However, with his recent "head injury" he may not even remember our conversation at all!

The Pool

We've had two incidents with the pool this last week while we've been in Utah.  One is funny.  The other, not so funny.  Thursday, Shelby was sitting on the stairs just kind of wading.  She stands up, screams she's got to go to the bathroom, and starts high-tailing it for the bathrooms.  She exits the bathroom about two seconds later and starts getting back in the pool.  I asked her if she'd gone, to which her reply was, "It's OK mom.  This is water.  We pee in water."  I had to laugh.  She did get out and went like a big girl:)  Since we've had such a packed schedule, the kids haven't had the time they'd like to stay and swim.  This morning I was content to let them swim until checkout if necessary.  Ty had different plans.  We were all having such a good time... until we saw floaties!  We got out, ran straight to the front desk and hosed him off in the tub.  One bullet dodged, the other completely backfired!!!  I think I'll have to take them to the rec center to make it up to them.  And maybe put two swim diapers on Ty next time!  Swimming can be so relaxing.  And stressful:)

Santa

While Randy was in college, he attended a lecture about Santa and how he detracts from the true meaning of Christmas.  As a couple, we decided that we wouldn't encourage Santa in our home.  We were discouraged by many for this choice.  Some said we'd look like freaks.  Some said our kids would be made fun of for being different.  Some said we would ruin the "spirit" of Christmas for our kids.  An incident that happened on Saturday proves that none of this is the case.  We've been asked "how" we keep Santa out of our Christmas.  We've been asked "why."  We've had our share of disgusted looks, and belittling comments.  However, it works for us.  Here's what happened.  We went to our Ward's Christmas party.  We ate some yummy food with even better desserts, and took part in the Nativity where Caden was Joseph, Keilie was the Angel that proclaimed Christ's birth to the shepherds, and Shelby was a cow.  After the sweet nativity, we thought the party was over.  Nope.  Out came Santa.  Randy was super surprised to see Santa in a church building since we've never seen one at a Christmas party in the 12 Christmases we've been married.  As the other kids were racing to get in line for Santa, we loaded up our own kids and left.  Not once did they kids cry.  Not once did they ask why they didn't get to see him.  The only thing we heard from the back seat was the kids talking about their parts in the nativity.  We didn't hear one complaint.  Not one!  From the very beginning we haven't discouraged our kids from learning about Santa at school, or even believing in him, however, we just don't encourage him at home.  We don't talk about him.  We don't have any decorations with Santa.  We don't purchase wrapping paper with Santa.  We don't put "From: Santa" on their gifts.  If the kids ask about him, we turn the questions around to Christ.  "When is Santa coming?"  "Well, there's 5 more days until we get to celebrate Christ's birth."  We never talk about him.  He's just not apart of our Christmas.  So, as we were walking with our kids out of the church, we couldn't help but think that our kids remember the true meaning of Christmas.  Santa has never been apart of it, and he never will.  We knew it could be done.  To those looking at us from the outside, they wouldn't see any less excitement from our kids.  You'd never know that our kids don't hear about Santa from us.  In our home, Jesus Christ is the only person we celebrate "coming" on December 25th.  And that's just the way we like it!