Way to go Matthew!!

As part of Matthew's apprenticeship he has to attend classes through WWCC. I got this certificate in the mail the other day and just had to show off how hard Matt has been working- on the job and at school. Way to go Matthew!!

Brit's Christmas Surprise

Britnee has wanted a dog since she could talk and ask for one. Matt loves cow dogs and I knew that if I were going to have a dog that it would have to be something I could really love. (And I've never felt a great attachment for cow dogs.) So in October when Bret and Heidi got a dog I started thinking that if Heidi could have a dog in her house, then maybe I could have one in mine. Matt and I talked and decided to get her a small house dog, we agreed on a Pomeranian and I found the perfect one on KSL.
We picked her up on the Monday before Christmas and hid her at my mom's house. It was pretty crazy but somehow we kept her a secret from Brit.
On Christmas morning Britnee found dog bowls at the end of her string. She looked at them for a minute then went to show grandma, walking right past her dad.
Grandma had her turn around and for a second she just stood and stared, not quite sure what to think. The pictures aren't even enough to describe how thrilled she was when she realized exactly what she was looking at.
After a minute, she took her and has pretty much held her since then. She told me as we went back out that this was the Christmas that her dreams came true.
Having a puppy has been fun. We're all being somewhat trained together as we figure out how to take care of her but she learns quickly and has a fun little personality.

Christmas Cheer

Christmas this year was good. We stayed home but still tried to have a little family tradition. The kids have said that their favorite part of Christmas morning is to follow the string from the tree to their present. I let Matt do the yarn and the kids had so much fun winding their way through the house (and in Jaycee's case, out of the house :)
Because Matt did such a good job, the kids were winding their way through each others string too.
Cody's string led him to a set of air soft guns that he has wanted "forever."

Even though they are older, Jaycee and Britnee were pretty excited about their gifts too. Jaycee got a new cowboy outfit and a manikin doll head to do hair on.

The Sounds of our Season

I love music. I know that comes as a shock, but to me, music provides ambiance and should be somehow orchestrated throughout life. Christmas time is no exception and though I'm pretty picky about what I listen to, Christmas music plays in our house from Thanksgiving to the new year. Here are a few of our families favorites.
Voice Male- Jingles 2. Can I say any more about how much we love these guys. Awesome CD!!
Mannheim Steamroller. My mom bought two of his "tapes" when we were little and the music brings back memories every time I hear it.
Enya- And Winter Came. Has Enya ever put out a bad song? I love the relaxing tone of her music and the beautiful sound of her voice. And, she's from Ireland!!!!
SheDaisy- Brand New Year. I bought this album when it first came out in 2000. It's hard to find now days but it will always be one of my favorite Christmas albums.
So, if you come to visit at our house this season, and we hope you will, beautiful holiday background music will happily be provided.

Paris Elementary Presents Santa's Workshop

I love the program that the elementary puts on for Christmas every year. The kids put so much into it.
Britnee got to introduce the program with the other two members of the student council. Cody was an elf at the workshop. His whole class was dressed up as elves and they looked adorable. The whole school sang Where Are You Christmas? at the very first and then each class sang a song as a group of kids tried to find the Spirit of Christmas. The program ended with the children finding the Christmas spirit and the whole school singing I'll Be Home For Christmas. It was completely delightful. I loved it.
The only regret being that because of where we sat, I wasn't able to get more pictures than the top one. And before I could get any afterward, the kids had all gone back to their classes and changed clothes. Luckily, Jaycee ran out and snapped this picture of Brit just before she went out to start. Good memories anyway!!

Wonderful Weekend

I love birthdays. Every year I try and do something special for whoever is having a birthday. This year for my birthday, I bought tickets for Matt, the kids and I to go to The Voice Male Christmas Concert in Logan.
We drove over early and ate lunch at Fredrico's Pizza, then braved the blizzard and the traffic to get to the theater. It was plenty worth it though. The concert was wonderful. I spent almost as much time watching my children laugh as I did watching Voice Male sing. Their delight was priceless to me.
At the end of the concert, they threw rubber duckies to the crowd. One of the first came to Cody who let another little girl have his. The guy throwing saw this and gave Cody another one. It was great.
After the concert we took the kids shopping so that they could buy gifts for each other and for a few friends at school. I love to see the thought that goes into this shopping trip. Each child tries so hard to pick just the right gift.
Sunday was my actual birthday. I spent it at home with my family, the best place in the world to be. I got several phone calls and lots of wishes from my facebook friends.
It was a wonderful weekend and a wonderful birthday.

Deck The Halls

( Disclaimer: This is an attempt to kind of copy Aunt Tracy's post. But I'm not even almost the decorator that she is.)
Okay, that being said, this is a little of what my home looks like all dressed up for Christmas.
We put up a small tree in the front room. Matt helped me and we decorated it western. The spurs on it are from Matt's great grandpa. The rope belongs to Cody.


The outside looks the same as it always does. Matt said that he would be glad to put lights up in the yard if Christmas was in July but there's no way he's going out in this weather to decorate.
I love the holiday season. I just can't wait for the kids to get home each night so we can turn on the lights and read Christmas stories. It is indeed a wonderful time of the year.

Murder in Sin City

Our annual Murder dinner was a little later than usual but every bit as much fun. The theme this time was "Murder in Sin City". I played the part of Fannie Mae, a Vegas Showgirl. (I had to improvise on the costume a little as it was hard to find a feather head dress. ) Matt played Charlie Marr, a depressed screen writer.
We ate buffet style and had Pina Coladas, Strawberry Daquaris, and Banana Cream pie for dessert. (All alcohol Free, of course;)
Part of Matt's part had him asking for Teddi's hand in marriage. Everyone made him get on his knee to ask her. She said no, that she was in love with Bud Waters. Then Bud came up dead. And the plot thickens...
Rich played Bud Waters, a not very bright bouncer for the casino. Amy played the part of Sundance Sue, daughter of the casino owner and as it turned out, a cold blooded killer.
Scott was Anthony Capezio, the ruthless casino owner who wasn't afraid to so a little killing of his own. Ashley was Swoozie Waters, a high priced escort and the sister to Bud Waters.
Candice was the beautiful Teddi Baxter who was a Marilyn Monroe impersonator. And Greg played the part of Stevie Marino, aka Elvis, aka, the dead guy. Yeah, those side burns are electrical tape. Classic costume!!

We all had a great time. Thanks guys for always coming and making every party great.
Looking forward to the next one!!!

Thanksgiving '09

This year for Thanksgiving we went to Dondee and CJ's house in Basin. It was a wonderful weekend. Since all of Dondee's family was there we ate in the garage.
It was beautiful and the kids were able to play outside most of the day.
Matt, CJ, and Erik deep fried a turkey. Matt swears that is the only way to do one. I have to say, it was pretty yummy.
After we ate, everybody gathered around and played rock band.
The kids took turns on the Wii playing tennis and bowling.
Thanksgiving was great this year. We visited with family that we don't get to see as much as we'd like to and enjoyed every minute of it.

Giving Thanks- Good Weather

My cousin Dondee has invited us to have Thanksgiving with her family this year. I'm really excited because I've never got to have Thanksgiving with her before. Matt got some time off and we've been anxiously watching the weather for good reports as we have to travel over South Pass, Wyoming to get there. (Not somewhere you want to be driving in snow and wind.) Today I'm thankful that there are no storms in the next few days and we can travel on what looks like dry roads.
Happy Thanksgiving!

Giving Thanks- Life's Hard Lessons

A couple of weeks ago some dogs got a hold of the cat that we've had for almost five years. It was a sad day, not only had we lost our cat but she had 6 small kittens in the barn. Britnee took this pretty hard as she loves the cats. So over the past couple of weeks my mom, Britnee, and I have taken turns feeding these kittens and trying to keep them alive. One got sick and after a few days she stopped coming to eat, another one fell in the horse trough trying to get a drink and drowned. We lost another one on Sunday and didn't know what happened. Luckily, my moms dog heard her crying and we found her locked in our neighbors garage.
It has been quite a lesson for our kids, learning about life and death. Today I'm thankful that we have been able to save 4 of the kittens, I'm thankful for the lessons we're learning about caring for others, and that the hard lessons (although still sad) are being learned through animals and not our loved ones.

Gving Thanks- My Church Calling

Today I 'm thankful for my church calling. Each Sunday as Sacrament meeting ends, I race to the nursery room. There Sister Tina and I entertain 10-15 small children for two hours. Since my call in January I've been hugged, kissed, slapped, bitten, and tackled. I've wiped noses and tears, laughed and nearly screamed. Each week at noon, Sister Tina and I each take a big breath knowing we've made it through another week. I can honestly say that this is a calling like no other I've ever had.
But, today I'm thankful that the Lord is teaching me through this. I'm thankful for the times when a child will bring his mom to point me out as "my teacher". I'm very grateful for Sister Tina and her continuing patience with me as well as with the children. And I'm thankful that once in awhile, when all the children fold their arms at once, and say thank you for the treat I hand out, that maybe I'm teaching them a little about the gospel and helping to get them to remember how much the Lord loves them.

Giving Thanks- Overtime

This is kind of a bittersweet thank you. Matt had to go back to work at 3 today and work through the night. It is a little sad because I miss him so much when he's gone, but then I thought for a minute and decided to be thankful that Matt has a good job. He's willing and able to work to provide for our family. I'm so thankful for all he sacrifices for us. And today, I'm thankful for overtime- it's helping out with Christmas.

Giving Thanks- My brothers & their wives

Bret and Heidi and Bart and Michelle came down this weekend. They were only here a couple of days but it was so great to see them. I got to meet Bart's baby Brooklyn for the first time. She is a beautiful happy baby. Today I'm thankful that I got to see some of my family. (And a little sad that Kelly and Tia weren't here.) It's been a great couple of days.

Giving Thanks- Water

Today I'm thankful for water. I'm especially blessed to live in a place where the water comes directly from a spring in the mountain above our home. It's clear, cold, and could be mistaken for Evian.
I'm thankful that it runs right in through my faucets, without disease or parasites. And that I've never had to be without it for very long.

Giving Thanks- Spending Time with Matthew

I love my family. More than anything else. And when I get to spend time with my husband and kids, it is definitely time well spent. But for the last 6 weeks Matt has had Monday's off. Since the kids are in school all day, it's given him and I some time alone that we don't usually have.
So today I'm thankful for Matt and the fun that we've had these past few weeks. Yesterday was his last Monday off for a while but I'm glad for them, and for the friendship I get to have with this great guy I married.

Giving Thanks-The Sacrament

Today I'm thankful for the sacrament. I'm thankful that I can go the church each week and renew my baptismal covenants. I don't pretend to know the entire meaning of what the sacrament means, but I'm glad it's there anyway.
Our family isn't the most reverent during the sacrament, but I've been noticing that each week we are all a little quieter and the kids don't argue quite as much as they used to. Thanks something to be thankful for too. :)

Giving Thanks- Our Wii

Today was pretty cold. The wind blew around us as our family helped Uncle Jim move some stuff out of his barn. After that was done we came home, started a fire, and turned on the Wii. I'm not really a video game fan but this has been fun to have at our house. Tonight the kids challenged Matthew to some kind of Mario game. We had a great time laughing and playing together.
I think that either it or the hard work wore everyone out because it's not quite 8 and I'm the only one still awake. :)

Giving Thanks- Sunshine

Today I'm thankful for sunshine. That amazing little ball of light, warmth, and vitamin D has been shining all day, despite the frigid temps outside. How healing it is to me to have a beautiful cloudless day with the sun shining through my windows.

Giving Thanks- My 4x4 Tahoe

Today my friend Amy and I went to Logan Christmas shopping. By the time we were done and headed home it was snowing. The canyon wasn't too bad but it was slick and the snow was starting to stick. At the touch of the 4 wheel drive button on the Tahoe we were able to get home without visiting any ditches.
So today I'm thankful that I drive a vehicle that will get us where we need to be safely.

Giving Thanks- My Kids

Okay, so if I were putting these in order of priority, this would've been a lot further up the list. But today, I had a good mom day and I'm just really thankful for my kids. I got to watch Jaycee cheer at her basketball game. Then I went and watched Britnee at gymnastics practice. Cody was all smiles and didn't fight me at all getting ready this morning because he got to go play with his friend after school.
I have great kids and there's nothing I'd rather be doing today than being their mom.

Giving Thanks- My Home

Today I'm thankful for where I've been blessed to live. In a land that is free, in a little valley that is safe and sheltered, and in a home that I love. It's not big or grand, but I love to be here more than just about anywhere else.
I'm thankful for the feeling of peace and comfort that I feel when I come home, and tonight, I'm thankful for the fire that is keeping us warm and cozy.

Giving Thanks- Music

Today I'm thankful for music, it's one of my very favorite things. I love beautiful church hymns on Sunday morning, loud bass pounding rock while I'm in the shower, and slow soothing yoga music at the end of a hectic day. Basically, anything with a good sound, I love it. I can't carry a tune in a bucket but I'm grateful that I have ears to hear, and a voice that belts out the lyrics to all my favorite songs.

Giving Thanks- Sunday Dinner

Today I'm thankful for Sunday dinners. Growing up, we always had big yummy dinners on Sunday. Usually roast and potatoes or something like that. When I started going to visit Matt's family on Sunday's his mom also had yummy dinner's. So I've tried to keep the tradition going since we've been married. It's been very handy for us to live by my mom because she still likes to make a roast most Sunday's. Today was no exception and everything tasted so good.
I'm so grateful that I have enough to eat, that I've never had to know what it's like to go hungry, or worse, not to have enough to feed my kids.
And as for today, thanks mom for dinner.

Giving Thanks- Friends

Today I'm thankful for my friends. I spent the afternoon with some of them at the County Library for our semi-annual scrapbook day. We went to lunch at the local Mexican restaurant, then worked on our various scrappy projects.(Of course I didn't stop to take a picture.) But I love the friends I've been blessed with. I'm thankful for the help, advice, and patience that you've all given me. Know that you're loved and appreciated, even if I don't say so as often as I should.

Giving Thanks- Friday's

Today I'm thankful for Friday's. Friday's are always great for me, I get to sleep in because there's no school; I get to hang out with my kids and kinda be lazy; and best of all, Matthew comes home and I get to see my honey. :)

Giving Thanks- Good Photography

We just got our family pictures back. I'm so thankful today for modern photography. And of course, my friend Holly for her amazing talent.

Giving Thanks-Ancestors

Each Wednesday afternoon since school started, I have worked as a consultant at the Family History Center in Montpelier. I have a deep love for learning about these wonderful people who have gone before me. Those who have suffered, struggled, and made difficult choices in their lives so that my life could be better. I truly love learning everything I can find about each one. I know that they are more interested our lives than we would ever suspect, and I can't wait to hug each one, and put a face to the many names that I share a familial bond with.

Giving Thanks- Health

I'm just headed out to work out with my friends and later teach a yoga class. I'm thankful today that I have a body that works, that is healthy, and sometimes feels the desire to exercise.

Giving Thanks- Family Home Evening

This is a hard one for me. Something that is more of a hit and miss than an every week occurrence at our house. But I am so thankful for Family Home Evening. I am amazed at the level of knowledge my kids have about the gospel. I'm also thankful that for the most part, Jaycee, Britnee, and Cody all listen and even ask questions throughout the lessons.
This past couple of months we've taken turns giving the lesson. The girls take this very seriously and present a well planned lesson.
Family Home Evening is a wonderful time in our home and I'm so thankful that each Monday, I get to share in learning the gospel with the most important people in my life.

Giving Thanks-My Testimony

I have been blessed beyond measure in my life and have so many things to be thankful for. So this Thanksgiving season, I'm going to post several things that I'm most grateful for in my life.
This being Fast Sunday, I thought I'd start with my testimony. I don't bear as often as I should, but I do have a strong testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I know that my Savior lives, that He suffered and died for me. I know that families are forever that I can be with those I love in the eternities. I'm so grateful for the great plan of happiness, for the strong foundation that it's given me in my life, and for the guidance that we receive from the Lord's living prophet.
I'm thankful for and have a strong testimony of temple work. The blessings that are promised in the House of the Lord continue to amaze me.
Most of all, I'm so grateful to be able to know all of this. There are so many who don't have the blessing of knowing. This knowledge brings me peace, knowing that nothing will ever go permanently wrong, if I can only remember to look with eternal perspective.
There is no doubt in my mind that when I pass through the veil that I will see my Savior, whose face I'll remember and whose robe I will soak with my tears.
These things I know and testify of in the name of my Savior and Redeemer, even Jesus Christ, Amen.

Happy Halloween

This years Halloween was fun. We went to the church for our annual Trick or Treat night. The kids got to do a ring toss, make ghosts out of suckers, compete in a donut eating contest, and do all their trick or treating in one warm place.
The kids got to make their own trick or treat bags with pillow cases with their cousins. On a side note, Jaycee got to go to Logan to an EFY with John Bytheway in the morning. She said it was great and hard to describe.

On Friday night Matthew and I went to a party in Montpelier. I dressed up as a saloon girl and Matt dressed up as a cowboy. :) I didn't know too many people there but the games were fun and the food was great.
Well, there you have it. Another Halloween in the books. Sometimes Halloween wears me out worse than Christmas-Crazy huh!

Playing the Glad Game

Last night I was sitting waiting for a meeting to start at the church. A man walked in and was visiting with the folks already there when someone mentioned how cold it was outside. The man just casually said, " Yes, but we have have a warm building to meet in. Just playing the glad game."
I thought about what he said all the way home. It was so simple and yet I'm thinking that if I could work on playing the glad game a lot more, and grumble a little less, (okay, a lot less) that it could only be a good thing. Right?

Jaycee's 1st Standard's Night

Some of favorite memories growing up are the activities we did as a ward youth: Standards Night, New Beginnings, Youth Conference, etc. So I was really excited to go with Jaycee tonight to her very first big Young Women activity.
The theme was "Weddings." They showed slide show pictures of several of our stake young adults who have just gotten married in the temple, then a couple who have been married just a few years talked about things the girls need to be working on now, to go to the temple later.
We had refreshments after and each girl in the stake got take home a flower with a quote attached: "We believe in chastity before marriage and total fidelity after marriage. That sums it up. That is the way to happiness in living. That is the way to satisfaction. It brings peace to the heart and peace to the home." Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley
It was a wonderful night. I pray that Jaycee has as many good memories of her Young Women days as I do. Love you Jaycee!!