It's a wonderful life !!!!!!!!!!!!

Merry Christmas everyone! I will have my whole family home this year. I am so very happy about that. This alone is the best gift of all. I woke up at 4:00 am this morning with this one thought on my mind. It is really a wonderful life! It is one of my favorite movies too. I have seen this movie countless times and I still cry at the end of it. No fail, TEARS. Lots! I am tearing up just thinking about it. I love this movie because it reminds us of the countless things we should always be thankful for in spite of the trials in our lives. All to often we tend to focus on the temporal aspect of our lives too much! It reminds me to focus on how important it is that my family know that I love them by giving them love, hugs, reassurance and my time. I need to focus on the things that are most important in this life,  my family, my relationship with my Heavenly Father and my Savior Jesus Christ. It is a wonderful life!

“Respect is love in plain clothes.”
―Frankie Byrne

“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.”

―Victor Frankl

I really love Christmas

Christmas is a very special time of year for my family. Not only is it a time for us to remember our savior it is a time for family memories. While I was putting up the tree I started to reflect on all of our past Christmases. I thought about how the kids would fight the whole time they decorated the tree but the only thing they remember was the fun we had. I thought about our first Christmas and how broke we were. All we had was $100 for presents for three kids. We went to the dollar store and spent it all on the kids. They had so much fun opening all the presents. I thought about how well the kids decorated the tree. They placed every ornament so well. I only had to rearrange the ornaments a little. We had to have a special dinner the night we decorated too. Steve planned dinner. Clod cuts platter, rolls, egg nog and something sweet. It was not always perfect but it was what our family tried to do and we succeeded enough times to make a lasting memories in the lives of our children.

I love our Christmas tree. Every ornament holds a special meaning or memory.

The Angel. I made her our first year as a family

Steve and I found these antique ornaments our first year as a family

I made this ornament when I was in the 2nd or 3rd grade.

My sisters, brother and I painted these ornaments one year. Mom bought a kit and we worked on these for several days. Mom always had an art project for us to work on.

 

 

My favorite ones were the wise men. I painted them too.

 

My grandma Scott made these just before she passed away. She always kept busy doing something.

My kids gave this one to me one year. I loved getting stuff like this. I collect snow men and Santa's. Made me cry.

Some of the other gifts I have received from friends and family.

Every year the kids got a new ornament. I had them choose what type of ornament and I would search every year for the perfect one. MyKelle chose an Angel. Raini chose a Reindeer and Colter chose Santa. When they move(d) out they took all of their ornaments with them and that way they have ornaments for their first tree. MyKelle and Raini no longer live at home so I put an ornament on the tree so I can have them near my heart this time of year.

 

 

We have a lot of ornaments on the tree but each and every one of them represent a lot of love. This brings so much joy to my heart.

Volunteering

I had my volunteering  interview at Thunderbird Banner.  It was just like a job interview. I walked out of the hospital thinking to myself that if I cant even get this I am going into therapy.  When I got home their was a message on the phone. I got a position working in one of the offices at the hospital. I am excited. I have to go through all of the health screening and background checks and so on and I will have my orientation in January. I am really looking forward to this. YEAHHH!!!!

50 miles

 Colter did a 50 mile bike ride for his "Duty to God" It was a really nice day too......

Testing the equipment

Halloween had to come and supervise.......

Erica and Erin came along for the fun too...

The starting line

Warming up

 

We had a little rain and we were blessed with a rainbow

Half way

 

 

 

Ready to be done

The finish....

It was a good ride.

Made this for my Mom

Just a little runner I made for my mom.....

 Actually it is 8 feet long. She has a long table and it is hard to find a runner that long. This runner is a copy of one I bought a while ago. It turned out pretty good.

 

I am a little behind on my postings. 

Good Day

Today was a very nice day. We slept in. Called MyKelle and Raini called us, to wish a Happy Thanksgiving and remind them to listen to "Alice's Restaurant" by Arlo Guthrie. It is a family tradition that started on our first thanksgiving as a family. It is a fun little song. It is played every thanksgiving and it has been something that we can share on this holiday even though we are so far apart..  We went to dinner at Steve cousins and came home and took a 2 hour nap. Now I will be up most of the night because of the nap but it was a wonderful nap. No actually I am yawning at the moment. We watched a really bad movie and that is pretty much it. Really nice day.

Im just............................

I'm just bum founded.  It happened again. I'm just going to have to stop talking freely around certain individual. I'm just amazed that people survive this world as well as they do. Oh well! I just have to move on. I'm just baffled.

Bloggity, Blog Blog Blog..................................................

This post is dedicated to my loving husband who loves to tease me about Blogging. He just does not get it. It is a creative outlet. He is very much an "in the moment kind of guy". Not much thinking ahead, a little foresight. He is a GUY. He see's a pile of sticks, I see a beautiful swag. I see a block building, he see's a work of art. Just the differences that make us individuals. No biggie.

So anyway he teases me about my Blogging and tells every one that I spend all day on the computer blogging. Then he says this in a girlie kind of voice with lots of girlie expression, "Oh and it's BLOG about this and BLOG about that and blog, blog, blog, blog, blog,........" Those of you who know him can get a real good visual on what he looks like doing this.

So Honey this is for you................................
As you read, put as much expression into it as you can.


Blog, Blog, Blog. Bloggity Blog Blog. Blog Bloggity, Blog blog blog. Blogger Blog-in,blog bloggin, blogged, blog blog blog. Blogging, blogging, blogger blog blog. 

Blog, Blog, Blog. Bloggity Blog Blog. Blog Bloggity, Blog blog blog. Blog blogger Blog-in, blog bloggin, blogged, blog blog blog. Blog, Blog, Blog. Bloggity Blog Blog. Blog blog Bloggity, Blog blog blog. Blogger Blog-in, blog bloggin, blogged, blog blog blog.

Blog, Blog, Blog. Bloggity Blog Blog. Blog Bloggity, Blog blog blog. Blogger Blog-in,blog bloggin, blogged, blog blog blog. Blogging, blogging, blogger blog blog. 

Blog, Blog, Blog. Bloggity Blog Blog. Blog Bloggity, Blog blog blog. Blog blogger Blog-in, blog bloggin, blogged, blog blog blog. Blog, Blog, Blog. Bloggity Blog Blog. Blog blog Bloggity, Blog blog blog. Blogger Blog-in, blog bloggin, blogged, blog blog blog.

I love you honey! You are so much fun and I wouldn't have it any other way. You are a wonderful man!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!