Christmas

We love Christmas and had such a great time. It strikes me as funny as Mom's we spend months planing, searching, buying, making,sewing, and wrapping for the big day and in the matter of a couple hours the whole thing is over. Someone is always a little disappointed that they did not get something that they were really hoping for. But we all love Christmas. Like always we got several games which enabled us to play games every night or day for the 10 days. This is a favorite tradition of everyone. The children all got to open up one present on Christmas eve, we all had matching pj's for Christmas morning. This was a lot of fun, and creates such wonderful memories. I think the little kids favorite present was a new toy kitchen. plus Katie, Brandon and Jason received dress up. Princess for Kat, Prince/knight for Brandon and Cowboy/Sheriff for Jason. There has been so much joy out of these it is unbelievable. We took the time each night to read Christmas stories, and thought we would share one we loved.

A Brother Like That
Paul received a car from his brother as a Christmas present. On Christmas eve when Paul came out of his office a street urchin was admiring his car.
"Is this your car Mister?" he asked.
Paul nodded and said"My brother gave it to me for Christmas."
The boy was astonished and remarked "your brother gave it it to you and it did not cost you anything? Boy I wish.."
Paul though he knew what the boy was going to say "I wish I had a brother like that" But what the young lad said surprised Paul more than anything else.
"I wish I could be a brother like that."
Paul looked at the boy in astonishment, then impulsively added would you like a ride?
"Oh' yes I would love one"
After a short ride the boy looked at Paul with Glee in his eyes and said, "Mister would you mind driving passed my house?"
Paul smiled ad thought he knew what this boy wanted to show off to his neighbors and friends, but once again Paul was wrong.
The Boy asked Paul to stop right in front of his door then asked him to weight just a moment. The boy ran inside and came back a few minutes latter carrying a small crippled boy.
He set the little boy on the step and said there she is Buddy, his brother gave it ti him and it did not cost him a cent, and one day I will give one to you so you can ride a round town and sell all the sights I have been telling you about."
With a tear i his eye Paul got out of the car and went around and lifted the small boy into his car ad the three of them went for a drive all around town.
That Christmas Paul learned what the Savior meant when he said, "it is more blessed to give then to receive"
I hope we can all be a little more Christlike and give through out the year and not just at Christmas time.

Alex's Birthday

December flew by. Alex's big and log awaited birthday came o December 24Th she turned 12 years old. This was very exciting for her as she got to now start young women's. This was so hard on mom. I look at her and see my little baby that would fit in daddy's had and for arm. She was so energetic she was crawling around at 5 months when she discovered chocolate and needed to get to more of it. She started talking at 6 months and by the time she turned one she could say well over 300 words, She would talk in three word sentences. We should have know we were in trouble then because she has never stopped talking. She also Got to start wearing makeup. Not allot I don't want her to look like a street walker. just some natural colors in light shades. A little blush eyeshadow and mascara and some pink lip gloss. Alex has been dieing to wear makeup sense she was 17 months old and got into Mommy's makeup and fixed her self up. To go along with her new found maturity she also gets to start wearing earring that dangle up to 1/2 inch off her earlobe. I really want her to be able to enjoy being young and feel if she wears to dongle of earring she will get them caught in something (probably her hair) and rip them out of her ear lobe. Besides even though Alex is convinced that 12 is very old I know it still is a little girl, even though she is very mature for her age. To celebrate her birthday Alex got braces. It was very cute because she walked out of the orthodontist and the first thing she did was give me a big smile and say,"Don't I look cute?" I gave her the honest answer, " Yes honey you look absolutely beautiful." (I hope to have pictures posted with this tomorrow but I have to do that off of the other computer.)

My heart is full of Thanksgiving

November is a time to give thanks. As I sit here each day I have tried to think of at least one thing I am grateful for. This has gotten easier as the days go on; there are always things to be grateful for. For my blog, I decided that I would give a list of things I am grateful for. There could never be a finite list because as each day goes on I know you can find more things to add.

1. I am grateful for my Husband. I love him so much he is my best friend and he is there for me when I need him. He tries so hard to make me happy.
2. I am grateful that I am able to stay home and take care of my children.
3. I am grateful for my Alexandra, She is such a great help. She is wonderful with her younger brothers and sisters and she is growing to be a wonderful young lady.
4. I am grateful for Emily. She is a sweat girl who is so loving and kind she has made my life better. I am truly blessed to have her as a daughter.
5. I am grateful for David. He is often a challenge and I don’t always know what to do with him, but he is also very loving. He has a lot of potential and insight into things. He is very intelligent and I know he is a wonderful person and son.
6. I am grateful for my Jason. Jason has always been a joy in my life. He is a sweat little boy who is as cute as can be. He can have so much love to share I am glad that he to is apart of my family.
7. I am grateful for my Brandon. Brandon has always been so full of life and enthusiasm. He finds joy in everything he does. He is always willing to give a hug to those in need.
8. I am grateful for my Katie. Katie has always been my little princess and angel. I love everything about her. I love to sit and give her loves and to have her comb out mommy’s hair. I am grateful for her and all the joy she has brought into my life.
9. I am grateful for my Sammy He is my little bug who comes to great me every time I walk in the room. His loves are enough to make me any person feel special. He has always been so good natured and been a very easy going child.
10. I am grateful for my Ryan. My little Ry-Ry bread. I could never have asked for an easier baby. He has been a joy beyond belief. I am so grateful that God knew we needed him even when we did not. I can not imagine him in my life. His little grins and sweet kisses. The smells of his sweat little head. His hugs and his tears. I Love everything about Ryan and my family.
11. I am grateful for my house. I have enjoyed our house and all that it holds it is truly a home to us.
12. I am grateful, that I have the gospel of Jesus Christ in my life. I don’t know where I would be with out it.
13. I am grateful that I was able to marry in God temple. That my family is able to be sealed together forever.
14. I am grateful that Eric has a job that pays our bills and supports our family.
15. I am grateful for my friends who have been there in my life when ever I need them weather it is just to have a long chat about nothing or to share and help me when I am down.
16. I am grateful for vehicles s that run and are in god condition to take me and my family were we need to go.
17. I am grateful for a wonderful school that my children attuned. I love tat they are getting a good education and that they get to enjoy so many extras in life. I feel they are getting the best possible education.
18. I am grateful that my husband and I both went to school and worked hard for our degrees. That we have the knowledge that comes with those degrees that will help us be better people and better providers and caregivers for our family.
19. I am grateful for date nights; the opportunity to get out even for just a while with the man that I love, and to rekindle that love.
20. I am grateful for my food storage and to know that we have worked hard to put away food so that if anything happened we would be able to feed our family for and extended period of time.
21. I am grateful for family vacations and the great memories the give us.
22. I am grateful for cameras and the opportunity we have to take pictures to capture that sweat moment in time and be able to go back and relive it over and over.
23. I am grateful for the medical technology we have today that can help us with all our medical needs. We no longer have to watch loved ones die as easily as they did even 100 years ago.
24. I am grateful that when I was in my scariest time, faced with the reality of leaving this life that God gave me the opportunity to talk with my father. I may never remember what was said to me for those 5 hours but the knowledge that I was with him, the knowledge that when I was so scared God let my father come back to care for me is one that I will always be truly grateful for.
25. I am grateful for my family of origin. I may be quit different then they are but I do love them all deeply. I have always felt like I was the white sheep of a black sheep family, but the love that I have for them will never end. None of us would be who we are today if we had not been born into the family we were born into.
26. I am grateful for the Christmas season. I love Christmas I can hardly wait to start putting up the lights. I love to listen to the music and sometimes listen to it in July. I love the memories that come from thinking about the holidays. I love to listen to Christmas stories and feel the spirit of the Lord touch my life.
27. I am grateful for bubble baths and candle lights that can take away all the stress of our life.
28. I am grateful for the ability to open a good book and take an adventure to any new place and time. I love to read. I love to read with my children, I love to read with the man of my dreams. Where would we be in this world with out the ability to read?
29. I am grateful for the change in the seasons. I love that things change there are different things to enjoy from each season and it is a wonderful thing to never get board.
30. I am grateful for me. I am grateful for the ability I have to love all that I have been given. I am grateful for my life and my family. I am grateful for my eyes that see, my body that feels, my ears that hears, and my nose that smells. I am grateful that I can taste so many wonderful things. Yes I am grateful for me.

Ryan 2009 what a great year it has been.

Ryan loves to eat pasta, he is very happy to eat as long as he feeds himself. The only one who can otherwise feed him is Mommy, and Sammy as recently showed Ryan how to open his mouth big and wide for chocolate. He loves to play with the big kids weather it is at the park or at home. But in the end when you get tiered you just have to fall asleep.

Happy Birthday my Sweat little gut! You are mommy's favorite Ry-Ry bread. I will always love you and and always be hear to eat you up. I hope you have got as much enjoyment out of Ryan in 2009 as we have.

Ryan and Sammy are wonderful friends and playmates. Sammy loves teaching Ryan how to do new things like drive his firetruck.

More of Ryan in 2009

Ryan has even had to play a girl a few times a dress up with bows. In the picture with him and the cat he is in a little dress. We were going to an all girl tea party so we decided that Ryan was are little Sara and off we went.

But as you can see he is always a very happy baby.

More pictures remembering the first year of Ryan's life.