MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

No names are listed to protect the innocent. This year I really wanted to spare the land fills of one less Christmas card and decided to utilize my new favorite tool, my BLOG. (I'm really a slacker but I like the first excuse better!) My baby is 11 months old and is our JOY. This girl keeps our family laughing and smiling. She just learned how to wave by-by and say it too. She also loves patty- cake and claps her hands when we sing it to her. The other day she grabbed her sister's doll and clapped its hands. So cute!!!! Little Miss, our second youngest turned 3 in September and keeps the authors of parenting books in business. She is definitely a girl, packed to the brim with a roller coaster of emotions. Unfortunately, these emotions erupt at inconvenient times. I have to admit I need to work on my relationship with her. If anyone has ideas I'm open for suggestions! She is very helpful with the baby and loves to dance with me any chance she gets. She tells me frequently that I am her best "fwend". Mr. E is a crack up, very stubborn like me, but so fun loving and hilarious. Even when I may not deserve it, he frequently reminds me that I am "The Best Mom in the World". The other day I came upstairs and found him on the bing bag watching cartoons while hanging out with Shaggy, our pet corn snake. He had her slithering all over his face. He loves the Crocodile Hunter...who knows...maybe...naaaa. I don't need another adrenaline junky in my family. In case you're wondering who, just wait until I update on Jeff. My oldest, Mr. D, is in 1st grade. It's crazy that I have a child old enough to be in elementary school, when I myself feel like I was just learning how to read and figure how to make friends. D loves his new skills in reading and loves to decode our attempts at keeping the kids in the dark when we spell ice cream or bedtime. He has a special spirit and tries really hard to make good choices. A couple of months ago we had a family home evening about prayer. I taught the kids that after saying a prayer Heavenly Father wants us to be still and wait for answers. We role played a situation in which I asked him a question, but then I ran off out of ear shot before he could answer me. I told him I hadn't heard the answer, and asked him the question again. I wasn't sure he had got the point until the next week. I found out then that the lesson had sunk in. I was visiting a friend's enrichment meeting in another ward and brought the kids along. There was a nursery and after the meeting I went down to relieve the girls of my four kiddlets. I said down because the church had three levels and the nursery was in the basement. So, it was late, I was ready to get them home, and I wasn't my best self. Little miss, the one with the emotions, took off while I was thanking the saints in the nursery for free babysitting . With my baby in toll and my two boys by my side we headed toward the van. But little miss was nowhere in sight. D ran upstairs, and Mr. E took off somewhere else to look... No lil' miss. I was ticked and the frustration level in body was not having the best effect on me. I saw a door I hadn't checked yet and opened it to a coat room. Devon was on the floor and looked like he was playing in the coats. I snapped at him and asked "WHAT are you DOING?" He looked up at me innocently and said, "I was saying a prayer mom". OOPS!!! I felt like a big mean fool. Then he told me that he had asked Heavenly Father where lil' miss was and then listened for an answer. "The Holy Ghost whispered in my head to check upstairs again". So he took off upstairs and there she was. I am thankful for my children who humble me and teach me great lessons. I am overwhelmed with the awesome responsibility of raising children to want to love the Lord more than the world. I married a great partner that helps me in this pursuit and I am forever grateful for his presence in my life. Jeff continues to ride his bikes when he can and loves to sale stuff on eBay to get more components for his bikes. This year he taught me how to list stuff too. I'm hooked. This summer he was able to go down to Utah and rock climb with his big brother Darren. I'm afraid its going to be a yearly excursion, but I know he loves it. He has all the tools but no one to go with so it was great fun for him. He also had several chances to take our two boys out to the hills and ride their bikes through the sage brush. He got some great footage on video. I wish I could share that, its pretty hilarious. Jeff has also continued work on improving our home and just recently sheet rocked our bathroom downstairs. He is still working as an Electrician for Bechtel out at the VIT plant (HANFORD area) and does four 10's. I love having him home on Fridays. He is working with the Teachers at Church and has been going on monthly camp outs with his scouts. Although he is busy, he takes time to be the love of my life. He is a wonderful support and friend to me. I am a very lucky girl.
As for me, I am doing the hardest thing I've ever done. MOTHERHOOD. It is certainly not for wimps. Its not really that motherhood is difficult, its balancing everything that goes with it and being a happy, positive, person in the process. I have wonderful friends that support me, but sometimes, you all don't see me much... Thank goodness for Girls' Night Out. I continue to love interior decorating and turning junk into treasure. I picked up a more intense passion for dance and love to workout to a good dance tune. I've been able to lose most of the pounds put on from the baby but have a bit more to go. I got pumped again when I watched the finale of biggest loser!! It was so awesome!! It also got me fired up and got me thinking about really looking into being a personal trainer when I grow up. We'll see. I've gotta look the part before I get the part.
I Love my Savior and I want to include him in my life everyday. I am continually grateful that I can start over and I hope you will feel His presence in your life. May you be blessed this next year with love and peace.