Thankful Thursday (on Monday)

I've been a slacker...I could go down the list of things that have otherwise torn me from the computer, but I'll spare you. Either way, I've missed a few Thursdays, Christmas being one of them, and what other day of the year do I have more to be Thankful for than Christmas!!
Gratitude has filled me this season, I honestly couldn't ask for more. My immediate family is healthy, happy and provided for. We have numerous extended family nearby, and we are lucky enough to frequently enjoy their company. We have the gospel of Christ in our lives and have been blessed with His example and knowledge of the Plan of Salvation. We've experienced hope, joy, love, disappointment, regret, sadness and peace this year, and at this moment I wouldn't take any of it back. Experience and time have been our teachers and we are the wiser for it.

Thank you to everyone for your love, patience, friendship and words of encouragement, we have you to be thankful for this year especially.

And alas...Christmas pictures...well, apparently my camera can take pictures without a memory card in it, but that means I have to find the cable to connect it to the computer. Just know we had a great Christmas, spoiled as always and smiles on all our faces! (Even though Hannah didn't get the Barbie Jeep she wanted, she has quickly forgotten all about it-PHEW!)

Did you see the tornado??

I am utterly amazed...there was a tornado that hit my house and completely missed everyone else's. It has left every room a complete disaster, nothing is where it should be, you can barely find anything. What other reason could there be for my house being torn apart from top to bottom?! I can't believe that I can spend 2 solid days tidying my house, and 1 or 2 days later it looks like a natural disaster...

...(I'm just taking deep breaths)....

Anyway, on a better note. I got the pictures back that we had taken the day after Thanksgiving, Kolby's cousin did an AMAZING job!!! (Thank you Nichole!) We are putting some of them on our Christmas cards.

Yumm-O!

Rice cereal...I don't remember it being so messy, but then again I've heard that boys tend to be messier than girls. Maddax didn't really like his first taste of cereal, but he liked playing with the spoon! (As if he needed another excuse for a bath, this kid seems to get lint in every crevice, just WHERE does it come from??)

The Most Wonderful Time of Year...

I love and hate this season...I'm not a grinch, but I have this talent/curse that I see the very best and very worst in everything, I think it is a by-product of debate in high school that I have yet to shake. Anyway, I love the anticipation, the decorating, the beautiful scenery, the worldwide recognition of Christ and the general buzz of kindness and charity in the air. However, I also do not enjoy the work it takes to decorate and take it down, to bake the yummy stuff then do all the dishes.

Oh well, I do it over and over again every year, because you can't have anything good or worthwhile without putting work into it.

Yesterday I made homemade fudge and today I tried cupcake bites. Both required a dishwasher full of dishes, but Hannah and I are creating a tradition, I guess that is ultimately something to cherish. Here are some pictures of our work tonight for Family Home Evening:


(I totally stole the idea from Candace who made them for Thanksgiving, so no credit is due here, plus she did a MUCH better job! Don't know if you can tell, but they are like 1" square, just tiny little bites!)