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!)

Thankful Thanksgiving Thursday

This has been a great day, and I'm getting my post in just before it's Friday! Where to begin on a day like this? Family, food, friends, faith, freedom & the knowledge that they are all blessings not to be taken for granted. I took some fun pictures today of the great family & friends we got to share the day with, and the delicious food we were so fortunate to eat, but I loved taking pictures of everyone singing while playing Rockband. I don't think anyone can carry a tune in my family, but that's what makes it so entertaining!

The big game...BYU vs. Utah

Today is the day for the big rivalry. Kolby is going to the game dressed in Utah attire, so I had to put Maddax in BYU stuff so we could accurately represent the fan base in our house!

Thankful Thursday: 5 YEARS!

This Thursday is our 5 year anniversary, and looking back in the last 5 years, our lives have changed tremendously! I can't really pinpoint one thingI'm thankful for, but today goes to Kolby. I'm so thankful for such a great husband and father to our children!
Here we are 5 years ago, don't we look SO much younger?! (and now that I'm looking, Kolby doesn't look all that happy does he?! Hmmm, well, he's stuck with me now!)

Thursday already?!

Wow, I can't believe it is Thursday already, this week went by WAY too fast. (probably because I had to go back to work, it makes time fly.) Maddax is 3 months old today, I just can't even believe my little prince is growing up so fast! Ugh-anyway, back to Thankful Thursday....(I'm thinking)...(yup, still thinking, but only because I have SO much to be thankful for)...um, OK, I'm thankful for forgiveness/second chances/grace, whatever you want to call it. I think kids are the best at this, and it's a good thing or I'd feel like a failure as a mother. Whenever I over reacte to something or get upset with Hannah, she'll forgive me two minutes later. The Savior offers forgiveness if I just ask, and my husband easily forgives as well. It's so nice to look back and see my mistakes in life and then look at my life today and know it's because of the grace of those I love who continue to forgive and love me!

Thankful Thursday

Oh man, I just typed my post and it got deleted...don't you hate that. Well, what I said was, I am thankful I have a job to go back to next week when my maternity leave ends. Even though I'm dreading leaving my kids, I'm thankful to have a decent paying, flexible job where opportunities and a solid future await me, and in this economy, that is TRULY something to cherish!

SnOw!

I can't believe the amount of snow we got yesterday, I'm guessing it was around 4-6", it hardly quit all day long! Given that everything was coated in the fluffy stuff, Hannah begged to go play outside. I put on her new snow coat and pants (which I bought too big thinking she will grow into them, and she probably will...) But they are HUGE on her right now. So she waddled outside, played for a few minutes then called it good. I'm glad somebody enjoys it!

Costumes

I haven't uploaded my Halloween pictures yet, but here are the kids in their costumes when we visited my parents house late that night. Hannah's witch doesn't exactly look like a witch, but she refused to wear the hat and wanted pink hair...oh well, she was happy with it. Maddax actually outgrew his costume, he couldn't put his legs straight in it! This kid is getting SO long!