Christmas Footage 3

This one makes me laugh because it shows how funny Bella is getting. She decides to forget the rules and shove the eggs into the hippos mouth on her own.

Christmas Footage 2

I love this one! She is so in love with horses and her reaction is priceless.

Christmas Footage for my Family...

She is very grateful, then notice how quickly she shifts to hunting for the next gift to open. Hmmm...maybe we need to work on that a little more. ?

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Christmas morning finally came and all the preparation, presents, and anticipation is all over! The girls woke us up around 7:30am, which was very generous since I can remember waking my parents up as early as 5:30am when I was a child. (sorry mom and dad) The girls were thrilled with what Santa brought them. Alyssa asked me last night on our way home from a family dinner if I thought she had been good enough to get some presents from Santa? I told her we'd have to wait and see? Yes, we do believe in Santa Clause in the Wallace house. I think it is a magical theory that bring extra excitment, surprise, and fun to our children. Why not let them ride that ride until they are old enough to wonder different. I don't believe that any harm is done by this, and I don't intend to use it as a disiplinary tool to make my children behave through the year. I have heard lots of parents chatting about this, and I think it is plain silly. Let the children have a little fun! I think you are overthinking it a little! Santa Clause has nothing to do with the Birth of Jesus or our belief in Jesus Christ. They are totally seperate things. One is spiritual and one is completely commercial. When older, your children will understand that. So enough said about that. In keeping with the Peterson/Busteed family tradition, we had a yummy breakfast of hot pancakes, eggs, bacon, and hot chocolate. I think we consumed all our calories for the day in meal, but it's Christmas! We are now relaxing and enjoying watching the girls play with their toys together. It is nice to not have anywhere to go or anything to do. To just be together and breathe. Here are some pictures of the this morning. To my family far away, I hope you know how much we love you and miss you on this day. Merry Christmas!


Alyssa is turning into quite the artist. She loves to draw and will sit for hours doing it. Which really says something if you know Alyssa. She doesn't sit still for much.

The girls playing hair salon together.

The girls building with blocks together.

Look! We got a White Christmas! It started snowing on Christmas Eve and we it was so nice to wake up on Christmas morning to this outside. It made me feel like I was in Wyoming again.

This is the snow dift off our back porch.

Bella was very excited about her new disney toothbrush. How nice to be able to bring such joy to them with so little at this age.

Alyssa very concentrated on opening her gift. She was more into than ever this year.

The girls playing hungry hippos together.

More pictures and video to follow...stay tuned family!

Thinking about Christmas

Just a few cute shots I took of the girls for our annual Christmas card. I am up to my neck addressing envelopes and trying to get them all mailed out in the next day or two. We have so much family that live so far away, and we want them to know we think of them often.
We are still in the middle of the the black abyss with Christmas preparations. I have felt overwhelmed with so much to do and so little extra time to squeeze it all in to an already busy schedule. I feel with all the hustle of getting cards out, candy making for my visiting teachers and neighbors, planning a Christmas family dinner, attending all the Christmas functions, getting every ones presents bought, wrapped, and sent out by a certain time or they won't get there by Christmas day is all overshadowing why we really celebrate Christmas.
This year will only be the 2nd Christmas that my family will be home alone on Christmas Day. We have always gone to Wyoming or to my sister's house when she lived close to us. With the girls getting older it gets more expensive and more tricky every year to travel on Christmas. So we are starting some traditions this year in an effort to bring in the more spiritual side of the Christmas season. I want my girls to know that Christmas is not just about getting a bunch of presents under the tree. We are celebrating the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Christmas Day is celebrated because it is such an important and vital day for every human being. Where would we all be if it weren't for the birth of our Savior?
The other night I attended a Relief Society Christmas dinner and program. They had three different women in our ward talk to us about the birth of Christ, the life and miracles of Christ, and about Jesus' mother Mary. I have been thinking about the things I heard talked about ever since. How scared and overwhelmed it must have been for Mary at about 15 years old to have such a thing asked of her? She didn't know where they were going to go, she was alone with no medical or help from family, and she was in a dirty old animal stable giving birth to the Jesus Christ. Another thing that struck me was how humble Christ's circumstances were starting from his birth and all through his life. You would think that someone as wonderful as the Son of God would get the best of everything, and yet he got everything but that. So what makes us think we are all so important that we have to have the best of everything?
I am so thankful for a selfless and loving Savior that came to this earth willingly and knowing how hard his life would be here. But did it out of love for all of us. That is the real meaning of Christmas. I am going to try to focus more on that this year.

IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK ALOT LIKE CHRISTMAS!

At least it sure does feel like it! Man it has been COLD outside the past two weeks! This kind of weather really isn't good for me. All I want to do is stay bundled up and warm inside and drink hot cocoa and bake cookies! Like I said...NOT GOOD!
So in an effort to get my butt up and moving we have been busy getting ready for Santa to come visit our house. We have been doing some shopping, baking, we have our tree up and our lights up outside. Oops, I don't have a picture of that yet. Probably because that would mean standing out on the street in the cold to take a picture. Too much work!
Here are some of the things we have been up to in December so far.

The girls in front of the our Christmas tree this year. They had just woke up from their naps and really weren't in the picture taking mood. Oh well!

Alyssa writing her wish list and letter to Santa Clause. It gets really tricky to keep the Santa thing going with Alyssa! First we have to put it out in the mailbox, with the flag up, with a stamp and everything. Then when she is napping I have to run out there fast to get it back before the postman comes to pick it up. Then hide it really good so "SANTA" can use it later for a reference.

Alyssa writing her letter to Santa. She was really laying the love on real thick, to make up for being a little naughty at times this year.

This is a group of ladies I have over for a little Chistmas get together every year. I used to work with them before I had Bella. We have stayed in touch over the years. They are great people. We are missing one of the ladies, so Bella graciously filled in for the picture. :)

Taking the girls to see the RHEMA bible lights display. No, we haven't converted to their church, but their lights are fun to walk around. They are quite a tacky sight to see!

The girls watching the ducks swim in the pond. Don't they know it is freezing outside?

We still have a couple more Christmas parties to attend, and a lot more shopping and wrapping before this month comes to an end. Check back with us later for more holiday fun!

Christmas Dancing...

Now that it is officially December we have been listening to Christmas music all day long in our house! I LOVE Christmas music! The other night my girls were dancing crazy to it. If this doesn't get you in the Christmas mood than you need a serious attitude adjustment.

Food for your Soul...

The following is a talk that my older and wiser sister gave in church last month. She sent this to me since I was referenced in her talk, and because I'm sure I need it just as much as anybody. I loved the things she taught me through her personal experiences and our loving prophets. I loved it so much that I thought I'd make it permanent in writing somewhere so that I can look back on it someday when I need it again. Maybe one day these words can also be comforting to my own girls, as they will need strength raising children during such trying times.

I know it is a little long, but when you have some time, I strongly suggest you read it too.
I love you Tam for being such a great example of a strong daughter of God and a great mother.



When the Bishop called me earlier this week and asked me to speak in church, I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. It has been a difficult couple of weeks. I have been a hunter’s widow, I have been sick, and my children have been sick. In my mind, caring for your own sick children is one of the most challenging aspects of being a parent. After relating the past two weeks to my sister over the phone along with my assignment to speak, ironically on having a positive attitude within the home, she said, “Well, at least we know that Heavenly Father has a sense of humor.” I am still not laughing, but the good news is that I have learned a few things in preparation to speak today, a blessing in disguise so to speak.
I made a list of some things that may cause us to have a negative attitude: illness, stress, discouragement, fatigue, chaos, disorder, confusion, disappointment, disapproval. We all have experienced situations in our life where it seems like the load is too much to bear. How do we overcome these challenges so we can have a positive attitude toward life and others, especially our families?
As most of you know my husband, Barry, has a time consuming and demanding career. In the beginning it was school and studying, then it was residency, and now it is practicing medicine. As a stay-at-home mom to four boys, it can be lonely and overwhelming at times. Our challenge as parents is to provide physical, emotional, and spiritual nourishment to our children. Like most of you, I find it difficult to do all three well. I often find myself exhausted, discouraged, or frustrated. Not a good breeding ground for a positive attitude.
An excerpt from a talk given by President Thomas S. Monson found in the February 2000 Ensign teaches us the importance of gratitude, it states: “A popular refrain from the 1940s captured the thought:
Accentuate the positive;
Eliminate the negative.
Latch on to the affirmative;
Don’t mess with Mr. In-between.”
He continues, “This is a wonderful time to be living here on earth. Our opportunities are limitless. While there are some things wrong in the world today, there are many things right, such as teachers who teach, ministers who minister, marriages that make it, parents who sacrifice, and friends who help.
We can lift ourselves, and others as well, when we refuse to remain in the realm of negative thought and cultivate within our hearts an attitude of gratitude. If ingratitude be numbered among the serious sins, then gratitude takes its place among the noblest of virtues.
A favorite hymn always lifts our spirits, kindles our faith, and inspires our thoughts:
When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed.
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings; name them one by one
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done…
So amid the conflict, whether great or small,
Do not be discouraged; God is over all.
Count your many blessing; angels will attend,
Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.”

I have learned that this principal is true. When I concentrate on what I am thankful for versus what is missing at that moment, I am much happier; being happy makes me a better wife and mother. I am more patient and kind. I am not saying that it is easy, but I know that it works. There was a familiar saying in our house growing up that puts things in perspective, it is: “It could be worse.” It means that you can always find someone worse off than you no matter what your circumstances. I have remembered this saying and it has buoyed me up during difficult times.

At the time of Ethan’s diagnosis with Autism, we were living in Salt Lake City. He was three years old, and we were going to Primary Children’s Hospital at least once a week for speech, and physical therapy. There was one particular day that was hard. Barry was in medical school, and I was left alone to take Ethan and Carter to all of Ethan’s therapy and doctor appointments. We were running late causing me to feel angry and frustrated. We walked in the front doors and as we were waiting for an elevator I began to look outside myself and take in my surroundings. I was shocked and became tearful when I saw the number of children that were obviously very ill or had a severe physical handicap. It was at that moment that I became grateful for Ethan’s mere diagnosis of Autism.

In the June Ensign of this year there is a Question and Answer section where they posed the question, “How can I better align my day-to-day actions and attitudes with gospel truths about family?” There were some good points made. They were: 1. Focus on what you do well, 2. Do not run faster than you have strength, 3. Try to keep the big picture in sight, 4. Focus on the basics, and keep things simple, 5. Listen to hymns and Primary songs.

1. Focus on what you do well: With so much that we can do better, it is easy to lose sight of our strengths. We need to focus more on the good and less on the bad to avoid discouragement and frustration. These emotions do not invite the spirit into our hearts or homes. Without the spirit it is hard to experience true happiness.
2. Do not run faster than you have strength: It is hard to be happy when we are tired and overscheduled. Occasionally, it seems we are trying so hard to be good examples of diligence, hard work, and service that we forget to bless our children with an example of calm, happy peacefulness. We need to limit our to-do-list, and try not to multi-task. Spilled milk is a tragedy only if we have planned a million activities for the day and are trying to be too many places at once. I feel the most stress when I have more things to do than I have time to do them. I am constantly telling the boys, “I can only do one thing at a time.”
3. Try to keep the big picture in sight: There are good and bad parts to each stage of life. Children grow quickly. President Thomas S. Monson said, “If you are still in the process of raising children, be aware that the tiny fingerprints that show up on almost every newly cleaned surface, the toys scattered about the house, the piles and piles of laundry to be tackled will disappear all too soon and that you will—to your surprise—miss them profoundly. Stresses in our lives come regardless of our circumstances. We must deal with them the best we can. But we should not let them get in the way of what is most important—and what is most important almost always involves the people around us. Often we assume that they must know how much we love them. But we should never assume; we should let them know. Wrote William Shakespeare, ‘They do not love that do not show their love.’ We will never regret the kind words spoken or the affection shown. Rather, our regrets will come if such things are omitted from our relationships with those who mean the most to us.”
4. Focus on the basics, and keep things simple: Regular family prayer, scripture study, and Family Home Evening invite the spirit into our homes and will strengthen our families. I have learned that Family Home Evening does not have to be a big production. We are more apt to have Family Home Evening in our home when we keep it simple. We often just read and discuss an article from the Friend.
5. Listen to hymns and Primary songs: Listening to hymns and Primary songs at home will foster a sense of peace and love. I have heard several church leaders say that church music invites the spirit into our lives.
A positive attitude is contagious. Everyone has heard the old saying, “If mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy.” I have learned through experience that my attitude directly affects my family. I know that by being grateful, counting my blessings, and remembering and acting upon basic gospel principals my family will be blessed. By doing these things, the Spirit will be in our homes and this will reinforce our positive attitude. Our families will also benefit from feeling the spirit and will be happier by having its presence in their lives.

I would like to close with another quote from President Monson. He says, “Let us relish life as we live it, find joy in the journey, and share our love with friends and family. One day each of us will run out of tomorrows.”

Day at the Zoo...

Yes, for those of you who have been in full throttle Winter weather for a long time now, I SAID DAY AT THE ZOO! The first of November me and a couple of my girlfriends took our kiddos to spend the morning at the Tulsa Zoo. They had a few new animals there since we went there in the summertime. It was a week day so it wasn't crowded at all, which made it so nice. The kiddos had a blast looking at the animals, taking a ride on the carisole, and riding the train.
I am a loser mom and forgot my camera, however my friend Kali, who is a good mom, brought hers. She was kind enough to take a few snap shots of Bella looking at the lizards. This guy had it sitting on his lap and was letting all the kids pet it like it was a little puppy. Gross, but the kids thought is was fun! I love Bella's face in the pictures. She just isn't quite sure about it?

NEW MOON...THE WAIT IS OVER!

Yes, I know that I am not a little silly teenager, but I can't help but love this series!
When this all came out, I didn't want to read the books, I actually hadn't ever heard of the Twighlight series until people started asking me if my daughter Isabella was named after Bella in the books. What!?
So then I was a little interested. I did read the first book before watching the first movie. I liked them, but still wasn't hooked. Then over this past summer, while the girls and I were in Wyoming, I had time alone in the evenings. So I decided to pick up a book and read. I ended up reading the rest of the series in my spare time. I was offically hooked! I have been dying to see the New Moon movie for months. I can't wait to see what they have done with it. New director, higher budget, new actors, Dakota Fanning for instance, I enjoy her. There is a lot going on in this book, so it should be fun!
If you are not a fan yet, check this trailer out. Then pick the books up and read them.

Oh yah, and a fellow stay at home LDS mommy of three children wrote this series. I LOVE THAT!

'The Twilight Saga: New Moon' trailer

Desperate Housewives?

A good friend of mine emailed me this cartoon this morning. At first I got a really good hard laugh from it. Then I got to thinking on it some more. This can be true of us women at times, and that made me feel kind of sad for the good men out there that are trying so hard to provide for their families and please their wives.
Maybe I feel this way because it is the Thanksgiving season and I am feeling extra thankful that I have one of the good ones. Thanks babe for always doing your best for us!


Have you said thank you to your husband today for being the man that he is?

Calling in the troops from Wyoming...

So we all know that my mom and my sister Tamara came to Oklahoma for a week. While they were here we did a lot of shopping, because let's face it, Wyoming has nowhere to shop. Sorry my fellow Wyoming loving people. We made it our mission to eat at all the fun and yummy places to eat. We hung out and watched movies, and played with the girls. We celebrated Bella's 2nd birthday, and we did a lot of decorative things around our house. It was so nice to have them here to help me put some finishing touches on our house. It made it so much fun!
As always, I was so sad to see them leave. My sister called me after they landed back home and said that my mom and her had a bet whether or not I cried when I saw them leave into the airport. They know me well! I have to say, I am getting better because I held it together during the hugging and goodbyes. Then as we were driving away Alyssa started to cry and said, "I'm gonna miss grammy and aunt Tamara." Of course after that I cried all the way home. What a baby!
It has already been two weeks since they were here, and now that I'm back into the regular day to day grind, my time with my family is a distant memory. I'm so glad that I have all these fun things around my house we did together because they remind me of them. Thank you for coming, we can't wait to see you in February!

This is a dress we bought Alyssa for the holidays to match the one Bella got for her birthday. Of course Alyssa was happy to model it for us!

This is the most fun room in the house. It is so girly and cute. Alyssa wanted pink poka dots on the walls and grammy delivered them!

It was a group effort to hunt down the perfect drapes for the living room and get them to hang just right. After they were all up, I was very happy with the way they turned out. BONUS: they were a steal of a deal!

For a house warming gift, my mom brought me some vinyl lettering for my walls. One for my black and white collage I was working on, and one for my pictures of the Big Horn Mountains. I took them this summer while I was there and I blew them up to put in my office. Now while I work, I get to look at them. I love it!

I won these letters one night at my Bunco group. My mom, sister, and I stayed up until like 1:00am one night painting and putting decopache on them. I think we did pretty good for our first time.

My mom's birthday was the week after she left us, so the morning they were leaving, we made a pancake and fresh fruit breakfast for us all. We stuck a birthday candle in her pancake and sang to her.

Mom and Tam at Pei Wei. This is one of my favorite places to eat here in Tulsa and they loved it a lot! We sat at the bar and watched the cooks fling around food while we ate. It was fun!

My momma working her crafty magic!

My baby turned 2!!

What a week we had last week! Isabella is now a full out 2 year old toddler, with little tantrums and everything! She is definately making her presence know around our home now. She is a lot different, but still a lot of the same, from when she was born.
She is still more reserved and more shy than her sister. She still doesn't want to talk much, and my family and friends assure me that it is because she can't seem to get a word in with Alyssa around. Maybe they have a point there? She is smart though. She understands so much now, and knows how to get her point across to us when she needs to. She lets us know exactly what she wants now, and when she wants it. Sounds like a normal 2 year old to me!
She is such a sweet little thing. She is a lot more tender hearted than Alyssa. With Alyssa, I could swat her butt when needed and it wouldn't even phase her. With Bella, if I just look at her with my mean mommy look her lip starts to poke out and quiver.
It is one of my most precious joys in life to see Alyssa and Bella interact and play together. I enjoy watching them pretend play together in their kitchen, and with their dollies. They love each other so much, and I'm so happy that they will have each other through out their lives.
Bella has developed a love for music and dancing just like her sister. Bella has turned into quite the little mover and shaker. We will have to get her into dance classes pretty soon!
We celebrated Bella's birthday by having her family members over for dinner, gifts, and cupcakes. She got some great gifts and she loved being the center of attention for the day. It was so nice to have my mother and my older sister here for Bella's big day, and they were such a great help.
We love you baby girl and we are so happy you are apart of our family!

You didn't have to ask her twice to eat her cupcake!

Grammy Wallace got her this cozy cupe and she LOVED it! She likes to "park" it in her room at night.

She really got into opening her gifts this year.

My sister Tamara, my momma, and my girls. I love this shot!

This is one of Bella and me trick or treating this year. Rob just snapped it really quickly and I thought it was pretty cute. Notice the beautiful Oklahoma sunset in the background.

Halloween...a little late I know.

We had a great Halloween weekend that was filled with lots of candy! I just threw out the last of the halloween candy so that we (me) would stop eating it. Here are some pictures of our halloween highlights.



Daddy and his little monkey trick or treating in our neighborhood.

Alyssa was Snow White and her friend Daxton was a Transformer. They got a kick out of this guy's decoration in his yard.

Alyssa saying hello to Shrek's donkey at our ward trunk or treat.

Bishop Anderson and his wife dressed as Shrek and Princess Feona at our ward trunk or treat. It was one the cutest ideas I've seen. At first Alyssa was afraid of them, but once she realized who they were, they couldn't get rid of her.

Me and my girls at the trunk or treat. It was so windy that evening. Alyssa was insisting that she didn't need her jacket on, because it would cover her costume. A few seconds after this picture was taken, she asked for her jacket. Funny.

What makes it last?

Our life has been a crazy and hectic blur this past year. It has been just one thing after another. Trying to sell the house, moving in with the in-laws, building our new house, me and the girls being gone to Wyoming for 2 months, moving back with the in-laws, moving into the new house, and finally unpacking and settling in. I felt like these things just kind of took over our lives this year. The day to day wasn't always pretty or easy, but the end result made it all worth it.

I was thinking today that Robert and I have been married almost 7 years. He has been in my life for 8 years. That is close to a decade of being with one person everyday, day in and day out, and with that comes all the good and all the bad. Lets face it, being married is not one big fairytale all the time. If somebody tells you their marriage is, they are lying a little. Don't get me wrong, my life with my husband so far has had its fairytale moments, but I will also be the first to say that there are other times when things are so much less than a fairytale! Life gets hard, messy, we have been thrown many trials and changes in our life together, and I often wonder what is it that makes us last? I know that I am not THAT attractive all the time, and I know that I'm not THAT pleasant all the time, for my husband to say, "Yeah she is SO worth all this!"
I don't know what makes everyone elses marriages last, but after thinking a lot about it, I think I know what makes my marriage last. We have a love that isn't defined by attraction alone. Are love is much deeper than that. He knows my soul and I know his. Of course we know all about and agree opon religion, our beliefs, life goals, and political views. But aside from those kinds of things, we really know each other down deep in the soul. I know what makes him really tick. Most of the time I know what he is thinking or what he is going to say or do, or why he is really doing it before he admits it. I know he can do the same for me. That can be annoying sometimes, but how wonderful to know someone that well that you can be your complete self with and know they will love for it not in spite of it. We both know that when things get ugly and hard, neither one of us is going to throw up our hands and say, "I quit!" It is not an option for us. We went into our marriage with this mind set.
My husband and I have an eternal marriage. Those are not just words to us. We have made sacred covenant to each other and to God. We don't always live up to them, meaning we are not a perfect couple. But I think that the important part is not the we aren't perfect, but that we wake up every morning striving to do a little better, and try a little harder to perfect our marriage so that we will one day live eternally together. The goal is to live with our family in the presence of God.
After 8 years I can honestly say there is no other person on the earth that I would rather walk through this life with. For good or bad, richer or poorer, sickness and health, and whatever comes our way. I love you babe!




These are a couple of pictures of our wedding that just make me laugh and smile. Obviously I was a lot bigger and Rob was a lot smaller when we were married, but aside from the obvious, when I looked at these today I noticed a couple others things.
For instance, the way Rob is looking at me when we are dancing. The smiles on our faces after we had just come out of the temple from getting married, you can't fake that kind of happines. I remember that day and have nothing but a full heart and graditude for God putting us in each other's paths.

In the day to day grind and the business of life together, I think it is important for us to ask ourselves: Do we stop to really look at our spouses, to notice them, to hold them, and to cherish them?

I love the fall

As many of you, we have been gearing up for Halloween weekend. Alyssa is going to be Snow White and Bella is going to be a monkey.
We have been so lucky to have such nice fall weather the past few weeks. 60-70 degrees, sunny, with a cool breeze. The best kind of weather any girl could ask for in my book! I love the fall. I love everything about it. The change in the colors of trees and leaves, the smell in the air, being able to cozy up with a blanket and watch a good movie, hot chocolate, being able to wear layers, (lets face it- it more fun to cover my body these days than bear it) football season, (I know, but I have to say, I do enjoy a little football on the TV) and knowing that the BIG holidays are just around the corner, just puts a smile on my face.
We have been taking full advantage of the fall weather by doing some fun things outdoors. We went to a local pumkin patch and picked out a couple of pumkins for the girls, and I got a couple of beautiful potted mums. (which I haven't killed yet, thank you very much) We have been enjoying hot chocolate in the mornings. Every morning Alyssa asks me, "Momma can we make hot chocolatte'?" She says it all fancy and it is so dang cute I have to give in.
We have been taking some outings to our neighborhood park and the girls LOVE "their" park. The other day we were driving by to leave the neighborhood and somebody was there with their kids and Alyssa said, "Uhhhh...who are those people at our park? Who let them in?" It is a gated park that has a code, so Alyssa had it in her head that it was just for us. We got a good laugh out of that.

Here are a few pictures of the girls this Fall -