Snow days!

This week we had the first SNOW day I can ever remember, so we did what any responsible family would do to make up for a missed day at school...

Got buried alive

Made snow caves

Played Rummi Cube

Made Christmas cookies

And let uncle John pull us on sleds with the 4 wheeler!

HAPPY SNOW DAY!!

My Merry Mitchell

My little Mitchell just had a very merry 4 year old birthday! After he was born, he came home from the hospital in a stocking and has been a precious gift to our family ever since. 

When he was given a name and a blessing, Dallan blessed him that he would be a JOY to his mother.  And  a JOY he is. 

Mitchell lights up the room with his big brown eyes and twinkly smile.  He has a delightful personality and always has a lot to say. 

He loves to use his imagination and can usually be found with a cape on and a sword in hand. 

He has a fascination with my "squishy arms" and loves to squeeze them whenever he can.  He even has a little song he likes to sing called "I love my mommy's squishies." 

Mitchell can be a tease.  He likes to catch the primary chorister with her eyes open during the prayer.  (don't ask me how he knows, he must have X ray vision)  Whenever we go somewhere, he'll joke by saying "Mom, I forgot my shoes!!  Just kidding."

Mitchell has a sweet soul.  He loves the stories of Jesus and he tries hard to choose the right.

One night after he had been tucked in, he told me he was nervous to go to sleep because he was afraid the Lord might talk to him.  I reassured him that usually the Lord talks to people with a peaceful feeling in their heart.  That seemed to do the trick, until Dallan came walking out of Caleb's room next door. Mitchell screamed bloody murder until he realized it was Dallan.  He sighed and said, "Whew Dad, I thought you were the Lord!

 

I feel so blessed to be the Mother to such a wonderful little boy. A Christmas time birthday is fitting for my merry little Mitchell.

I love you to pieces my Mitchie Mitch.

To read Mitchell's birthday story from Granny B visit her blog.

The Christmas Spirit

"What will you and I give for Christmas this year? Let us in our lives give to our Lord and Savior the gift of gratitude by living His teachings and following in His footsteps. It was said of Him that He 'went about doing good.' As we do likewise, the Christmas spirit will be ours."

Thomas S Monson

Cousins

Cousins are friends that will love you forever.

One of my favorite things about living close to family is watching Mitchell become best friends with his cousin Emma.

A cousin is a little bit of childhood that can never be lost.

Wrapped Up

On Monday we had the cutest family over for Family Home evening.  We started our evening talking about how the shepherds and the wise men wanted to find Jesus and be close to him.  Then we had a little lesson about how we can be close to Jesus.   I ended by teaching that the temple is a place where we can be near Jesus and gave the children their own copy of the Temple edition of the Ensign wrapped up neatly with a red bow.

Sounds like a great idea, right?

Well,

I have to admit, sometimes I have a vision of Family Home Evening being all wrapped up neatly with a bow- picture perfect.  Needless to say, after confiscating dart guns, reminding my 9 year old to stop rolling around on the floor with his rear in the air,  trying to ignore random comments by my 11 year old and watching my wiggly 3 year old jump from couch to couch- I was wondering if our cute friends would ever want to come over again.  Luckily, they are great sports and they brought a the most scrumptious Christmas cookies  to munch with candy cane hot chocolate- and no evening can be a bust with a treat like that, right?

So,

I went to bed wondering if my little boys heard anything I said during our lesson.  

Guess what?  

They did. 

For the past several days I have walked into Mitchell's room to find a blanket covered with all of his stuffed animals while he shows them all of the temples in his magazine.  I've gone upstairs to tuck in my older boys, and have found them reading passages about the temple in their Ensign as part of their scripture time.

Wow.

I guess Family Home Evening isn't always going to be wrapped up neatly with a bow.  It's not really supposed to be "wrapped up" at all, but an ongoing effort to teach gospel principles and to give our children the opportunity to keep learning- 

perfect or not.

 

Kids and Christmas

Are you thinking what I'm thinking?

The other night Mitchell came running out of his room crying.  He said "I just can't stop thinking about that scary Goose Bump song."  I tucked him back in and told him that if he had something scary in his mind, he could make it go away by thinking about Jesus.  Then I sang to him for a few minutes.

Mitchell sat up with a big smile and said, "Mom, when you sing me songs about Jesus my brain says "Thank you Mitchell's mom, you helped that spooky song go away!"  Then he laid back down and said "Are you thinking what I'm thinking...  I think I want to kiss you!"

How did he know I was thinking the same thing?!  :)

(Mitchell singing one of the songs I sang to him)

Weekend

Festival of Lights....

BYU vs. Arizona...

Lights at Temple Square...

Camera.... battery dead.

This year...

"This year, mend a quarrel. 

Seek out a forgotten friend. 

Dismiss suspicion and replace it with trust. 

Write a letter. 

Give a soft answer. 

Encourage youth. 

Manifest your loyalty in word and deed. 

Keep a promise. 

Forgo a grudge. 

Forgigve an enemy. 

Apologize. 

Try to understand. 

Examine your demands on others. 

Think first of someone else. 

Be kind. 

Be gentle. 

Laugh a little more. 

Express your gratitude. 

Welcome a stranger. 

Gladden the heart of a child. 

Take pleasure in the beauty and wonder of the earth.

Speak your love and then speak it again."  

Howard W Hunter

My Matthew

My Matthew turned nine this past week.

Nine

My little boy who was born on a snowy winter day

is nine

Matthew is one special kid.

He has a gentle heart and a passionate spirit.

He shares a heavenly bond with his little brother Caleb.

I think it was forged long before they came to earth.

Matthew has a zest for life and a twinkle in his eye.

He's a savvy fellow and is always cooking up plans to earn money and have adventures

His loves this year:

goose bump books

Legos

beanie babies

frozen lemonade at BYU games

Our make a wish play ground

the "sand pit" that was in the empty lot next to us

Things I'm especially proud of:

He's had a personal goal to read his scriptures every single night and rarely misses

He takes a special interest in his little brothers

He is an excellent student 

He earned his BEAR in cub scouts!

He's playing basketball for the first time ever.

I love that we have a special hand shake when I drop him off for school, and I'm so glad that he still wants me to give him a "tuck" at night.

He is my very first gift of Winter... 

You have my heart forever Matty.

To read his birthday story written by my mom, visit her blog here.

Creating Christmas

My favorite Christmas decorations are the ones being created by my little boys... 

Oh I just LOVE this season!

Happy creating!

To eternity and beyond

Where is heaven?

Is it very far?

When you're with the ones you love

It's right where you are!

Bradley Joel was sealed to his wonderful parents last weekend!

He belongs to a forever family!

We love you Joel...

to eternity, and beyond!!

True Gifts

We all enjoy giving and receiving presents.  But there is a difference between presents and gifts.  The true gifts may be part of ourselves-giving of the riches of heart and mind- and therefore more enduring and of far greater worth than presents bought at the store."
James E Faust

Decked!

We're counting down the days...

And we're decking the halls!

Our Stockings are hung

and our tree is trimmed!

We've Sprinkled Christmas Magic throughout the house

But I hope we'll remember the real miracle of Christmas...

That love was born on Christmas morn.