30 AMAZING YEARS!

This is the most recent picture I have of this most amazing person. I can't believe he is 30. Meeting him at a party my sophomore year would change my life forever...but not for another 2 years.

John is one of thee smartest people I know. He amazes me with his wisdom. When he was a little boy his dad would refer to him as "John the Genius." He just has an amazing mind. I am blessed that thus far my children appear to have gotten his genes on that one. But how dumb could I be, I caught him didn't I?(I already know poeple, he married beneath him)

John is a perfectionist. Which can drive a gal crazy, but can also make you feel pretty special that he choose you. We learned a lot when Noah was young, and had inherited my energetic genes. We didn't always look like the perfect family, when Noah was spilling sacrament trays or peeing on the office sign outside our apartment. A little hard on a perfectionists ego. I have to hand it to him though, he enjoys our little ones personalities more than I do, and encourages them in whatever they want to try.

John is a very humble man. I love this about him. He is continually trying to be a better person. In a world where some people have the theory "love me as i am," John is a great giver and taker. If it is extremely important to me, he is willing to change whatever his opinion is for me. I need this, since I tend to be a more stubborn person then him.

John is an expert in perseverance. Number 1 example his chosen profession. Just after we were first married he told me he thought he might want to be a teacher instead of a doctor. The road looked a little long at the time. I was fine with whatever, but told him he might regret not having done it a few years down the road. Being on the end tail, I can tell you he has been very determined to balance family and school.

John is an introvert. He would prefer not to talk to people when at all possible. This caused some contention when his extrovert wife needed some input in conversations. I have to admit he has come out of his shell quite a bit more since we have been married...out of necessity. He encourages me to be the extrovert I am, even though it is not my favorite thing about myself. He tells me it's a gift from God, and he needs me to use it. I always thought silence was pretty powerful myself. But I appreciate his encouragement.

I love this man who Loves with all he's got, and hates no one. He is the kindest, most forgiving person I know. His desire to be a true disciple of Christ amazes me. I am so thankful to his parents for raising such a wonderful man to be my husband, to be our children's father, to be my eternal companion. I love you John Boy! Here is to 30 more!

My Whole Hyde Family!

This is my Family. We haven't been together for 6 years. So how was this picture accomplished? Well it was taken in two parts. I never thought I would actually get the two to come together...I had family doubters too. But Look, even though it took me 5 months, a Christmas miracle idea, and an amazing friend, Here it is! In just a few days it will be out dated. My second oldest brother will be having his 6 child join his family. At least it was up-to-date for a week!

There is one hole in the picture, which occurred because of time delay and lack of preparedness on my part. At first I tried to get it fixed, but after, I decided for sentimental reasons it was best left this way. My eldest brother's family, lost a son when he was just a new born, but he would be ten this year, and he would fit perfectly in that space. I like to think of him there making this a truly complete family picture.Love you Brett and Haydee!

I Love you family! I hope we might make it in the same space all at one time for at least an hour in the next six years...it's not to much to ask, right? HA!

Thank you so much Chelle for making this possible! I am so grateful.

It was a VERY Merry CHRISTmas!

It was such a new experience for our family to be in our own home on Christmas morning. Even though we have lived away from "HOME" for 5 years, we have always managed to make it home for Christmas. You can only imagine how we did not miss packing up all the presents to take them there, only to pack them up a few days later and bring them home. It was glorious! But if I were being honest, it didn't quite feel the same not being at my parents home. I have only spent one Christmas not in there home and that was when they were on a mission for our church. But if I wasn't going to spend Christmas in my parents home, there is no other place I would want it to be then in our own home...with my parents there. It was a lovely Christmas morning, but it is lucky my parents showed up or we might not have gotten up. My kids were so hyped up the night before, they zonked the next morning. But once they were awake, they could not be contained for long.

Noah's wish list

1. Rip stick

2. DS game

3. Clue board game

Micah wish list

1. Nintendo DS

2. MP3 player

3. 3 musketeers singing barbie

Deeken wish list

1. Stuffed Santa Clause

2. Batman and Joker set(?)

Josie's wish

1. To stay in bed

They were pretty good kids this year, so they got a lot of what they wanted and probably some not so wanted things too. Let's face it, they were spoiled. They loved it, and we loved watching them open it, but I hope to turn it down a little bit next year. It's hard when your kids are opening a bunch of presents, to remember the true meaning of Christmas. I felt like we did a great job focusing on it right up until that morning. We said a prayer, and thanked our Father for thee best Present of all, His son. After that, it seems to get lost in the unwrapping moments. How can I change that... well at least I have a whole year to think about it.

HIGHLIGHTS!

• Talking about Christ and His Birth everyday for a whole month
• Noah learning Jolly Old St. Nicolas on the Piano
• Micah learning a Hymn on the guitar
• Josie saying "WOW" everytime she opened a present. (It was adorable)
• Watching my parents cry when they opened a picture of my whole family. (We haven't all been together in 6 years...I'll explain later)
• Getting a HOME for Christmas...and Valentines, and my Birthday, and my anniversary...you get the point. It was all I wanted.
• Getting two beautiful mini quilts for my daughters room to go on their wall...they were made by my wonderful mother.
• Being done with too many projects to name!!!

  It was a wonderful CHRISTmas!

  PS we did see my wonderful in-laws on the 26th at their Christmas party, but I was in no mood to take picture. If you want to know the details, ask John. On second thought, don't ask,...don't ask, don't question, when your wife has told you she has planned an over nighter for the two of you for your 30th birthday, just go. Oh nevermind, please don't ask!

Merry CHRISTmas!

Merry CHRISTmas to ALL and to ALL a GOOD NIGHT!

The-Christmas-Spirit

Josie's first snip-snip!

I like this beginning picture. I am fully aware most of her head is cut off, but I was trying to video tape and take pictures at the same time. This can be very frustrating!!! I love that her shoulder is up and that she is turning away from JOHN in this picture. Yes people, John is the one who cut Josie's hair. and this is why...

Since I was multi-tasking at the beginning of the hair cut, I forgot to get a great picture, so I went back to Halloween. Josie basically had a mullet with an under shave. Not the cutest thing.

It was getting kind of nappy and stringy, and we decided it was time to give the rest of her hair a chance to grow out with it.

Josie did pretty well, I gotta say....her parents not so well. John and I had a few colorful words to say to each other. See John cuts my boys hair...they have never had anyone else cut their hair. He does an AMAZING job I might add. I know he gave Micah her first hair cut, but I can't remember it specifically. Let's just say we should have gone in with a better game plan.

She is still a beauty, but looks a lot more like a boy. Maybe it is the buzzing he did. Maybe the hair line trim on her neck that occurred. Or maybe the cutting over the ears. John is a WIZ with my boys hair...I think I'll let him stick to my boys hair.

Jo kept giving me this funny look. Maybe she was mirring the look that all the people who saw us out that day gave her. They were trying hard to figure out, boy or girl. Most lost the guess. Sorry Jo...it will grow. My new montra!

PS Josie's nose was hurt in a minor accident while her cousins were here the day before. I am not sure what happened. I was very worried her nose was broken, but it was fine...I was informed by doctor John. It was just swollen and had scratch like marks on either side. Oh well, at least she looks like a tough boy!

A friend. A thought. An Answer.

I have a friend from Oregon, who is not the same religion as me. I love her and her husband. John and I have always thought of them as a super amazing couple. I was on her blog today, and at the top it said,

Be filled with wonder

Be touched with peace

BELIEVE in the MIRACLE

May the splendor of this season remind you of Him who is worthy of all our praise.

I have no idea what she specifically meant by it in her own blog...perhaps talking about how we get too caught up in Christmas, that we give more praise and honor to the things of the world than Him. I am only saying that is perhaps what it meant. To me, it took me back two years to when I was in the Relief Society Presidency in our Oregon ward. They brought out the new teaching manual for the next two years. It was teachings from the prophet Joseph Smith. I warned my teachers that I felt strongly that we needed to emphasize Christ, that we needed to make sure that we named him by name at least a few times through out the lesson. It wasn't so much that I didn't believe that Joseph Smith's teaching wouldn't talk of Christ, how could they not, when he is His chosen servant. It was that I worried visitors to our church, would come in, see the book, and believe what the world thinks about Mormons. That being, that we are not Christians that we worship a man named Joseph Smith.

It was kind of a needless worry, when like I said before, of course the prophet Joseph Smith would be teaching about Christ. He saw him in the flesh, he knew he was here to do Christ's work, and even though times were terribly hard for this man, He never denied what he knew. He knew that a restoration of Christ's church had to come forward...he couldn't deny it. In his words, "I have actually seen a vision; and who am I that I can withstand God, or why does the world think to make me deny what I have actually seen? For I had seen a vision; I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and I could not deny it, neither dared I do it; at least I knew that by so doing I would offend God and come under condemnation."

I know that to people not of my faith, it may seem like we speak of Joseph Smith a lot. The way I look at it, it is partially because it is what makes us different from other Christians. I remember talking to a woman about the church and she said, "It sounds like you believe exactly what I believe." I then reminded her of the Book of Mormon and of living prophets. It does make us different and I believe we are supposed to be different.

I was looking at mormon.org a few weeks back and saw a clip of a woman speaking about how we honor Joseph Smith, it made a lot of sense to me. In essence, she says that we honor Joseph Smith like the early Christians honored Paul. Both were given the responsibility to carry on Christ's Church. Not in their way, but in His. They were men chosen by God and therefore we should reverence their names. You can see the clip here if you would like to.

I am grateful for my friend, who makes me think often about Christ. She is a great exampler of a follower of Christ. Always bearing witness of His divine mission here on earth. He is a WONDER. He is PEACE. He is a MIRACLE yesterday, today and forever. His hand is still in His work. He is still working many wonders, giving peace and performing miracles. I believe it with all my heart. He has not forgotten us, we are written on His heart.

Oh come let us adore and give praise to the One who deserves and is worthy of ALL of our praise.

Time keeps on slipping into the future...

I hadn't posted in a while, and not that I have anything profound to say, but i just wanted to write a few things down for journal sake? So I can get them out of my head sake? To entertain the ever bored blog stalkers sake? I don't know, just want to...it's my blog so I am going to do it.

I watched "My Sister's Keeper." Man am I ever so glad I did not see it in the theater. Let me tell you there were some major water works going on at my house. I had to go and give all of my sleeping children very tight hugs, and thank my Father in Heaven I have them...that they are all healthy...that they love one another...that they have survived my mothering...and so on and so forth. It made me wonder with all the bad things that could happen to them in this world, should I really think that my family should be exempt from ALL of them? and Yes, that is what I hope for.

I have so often thought about one of my children leaving me too early in this life in a horrible accident or kidnapping....I don't want that trial. I have thought of having one of them getting cancer, or some other horrific disease...I don't want that trial. Other things too, like drugs, alcohol, pornography, homosexuality (yes I said it), turning away from the gospel of Christ...I do not want these trials. Even the seemingly little things like lack of friends for my kids, or even bad friends...I know it is silly but I don't want those trials. But with knowing what the world is like, knowing that we are here to have trials so we can learn, am I really naive in thinking I will be able to skip out on all or even any of them?

I find I am really enjoying being a mother right now, my kids are in hard but fun stages. Josie is just barely getting the walking thing down. She can tell you NO! She gives amazingly tight and wonderful hugs around the neck. She loves playing a baby style of hide and go seek with me. Deeken is hitting the terrible twos late. He loves his little sister, but enjoys pushing her down when he thinks no one is looking. He is impish and funny. He can talk back very well and doesn't like time outs at all. Micah is beautiful. She amazes me sometimes how beautiful she is. I catch myself just looking at her and staring, like I remember my mom doing when I was little. She says she doesn't have any friends at school...that no one likes her, well, except Quinton(thank you Q!) It breaks my heart. I want to shield her from all the hurt that I know is still coming from friends and relationships of all kinds, but I know that wouldn't be right. She is strong and amazing, and I know she will do amazing things. Noah is becoming quite the young man. He went and shoveled our neighbors drive this afternoon just cause he wanted to. He has always been a kind hearted soul in his wants to serve. I love that about him. I think he is doing better with friends and learning to control his emotions. I really am proud of him. I don't think it would be easy on any kid to change schools 3 times in 3 years. I am sure that has effected him even more than I know.

I LOVE MY KIDS SOOOO MUCH!

Life is to good right now. Where are the trials? What is coming my way that I can not see? Lord, give me strength. I am so glad I have Him... so glad I have Him

Natasha

I get the priviledge of working with the Young Woman in our ward in the Sports program. Natasha is one of the amazing girls in our ward and she asked me to take a few senior pictures for her. I think they turned out pretty good. We were only out in the cold weather about 20 minutes, but we got some good ones.

PS I swore I would never use this place to take picture, it is overly used here...but I needed something to fit her outfit, so I gave in.

Christmas time at Temple Square

I took my kids to down to temple square to get a picture I was imagining for our Christmas card. I think it turned out pretty well, but I am not going to post it till I get my cards sent out. In the meantime, I also got some really fun pics of my kids. They are so fun and beautiful. Who needs a picture perfect picture of them staring at the camera? How boring would that be? I love there little personalities in these picture.

Hope you enjoyed. I will post our Christmas card in a week or so. Don't feel bad if you don't get one. I am not very good at getting them put together, so I mostly just do it for family, but we still love all of you! Merry CHRISTmas!

Primary Program

Last Sunday, Micah and Noah participated in the primary program. Believe me, pulling off a program with just under 300 kids is nothing short of a miracle. You can also take my word, that you will hardly ever feel the spirit as strongly as when that many kids are singing songs and bearing testimonies about Christ, Families, Temples, the scriptures and going to church. Their little spirits are so tender. I was so proud of Micah and Noah for being brave enough to stand up in front of the whole congregation and say their parts, sing, and do some sign language. Micah especially loved learning some signs and we would continually catch her singing songs. One of hers and our favorites was "For the family is of God." The words are as follows:

Our Father has a family.

It's me, it's you, all others too.

We are his Children.

He sent each one of us to earth through birth,

to live and learn here in families.

Chorus: God gave us families

to help us become what He wants us to be.

This is how he shares His Love,

For the Family is of God.

A Father's place is to preside, provide,

to love and teach the Gospel to his Children.

A Father leads in family prayer to share

their love for father in heaven.

Chorus:

A Mother's purpose is to care, prepare,

to nurture and to strengthen all her children.

She teaches children to obey, to pray,

to love and serve in the family.

Chorus:

I'll love and serve my family

and be a good example to each family member.

and when I am a mom or dad, so glad

I'll help my family remember.

Chorus:

It is such a beautiful song. I truly believe that the spirit touches everyone who hears it. I remember the first time I heard it in Primary. I looked over at John and both of us had tears in our eyes. We still get them almost every time. It is so powerful because it is the truth.

The LDS church has taken a lot of flack for standing behinds it's beliefs that marriage is to take place only between a man and a woman. As a church, we don't step out into the spot light often to give any views that might be pro strewed as taking a way rights from anyone. I know it is important that they took this stand. I believe the IDEAL unit is one man and one woman, who are married in the temple, raising their family. I believe that their are other good types of families out there, but that they were created by man to make the best out of hard situations. I echo the Words of that beautiful song...

God gave us families

to help us become what He wants us to be.

This is how he shares His Love,

For the Family is of God.

PS Haydee....I just wanted you to know my girls are still making good use of their dresses, although they will be retired here soon. Josie's is just barely under her bum still. Thanks again you wonderful woman.

UMMM HMMM! Be Grateful!

It's a good reminder. I am sure it brightened the day of everyone they asked that question, it can brighten your day. Count your many blessings. Name them one by one, and it will Surprise you what the Lord has done.

We are all so BLESSED!

The Handersen Family

(If your LDS) You know how in YW you look up to one girl who is older than you? Think she can do no wrong, is amazing, confident, and beautiful? For me, that would be the Mother of this little beauty. She recently moved close to us, with her little beauties. Not much has changed for me...I still think she is strong, kind, generous, but added to the list would have to be an amazing mom who is committed to what is best for her and her kids! Hope you enjoy Robyn!

Good Bye Beautiful Leaves!

In the event of losing our beautiful leaves,we gained 3 horses. Go figure. We probably won't be able to enjoy a good ride until spring. Here's wishing it was going to be spring soon. Brrr...I can feel that snow coming already.