Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

I'm finally getting a moment to update my blog. I'm hoping that I will have more time to keep up with it, now that the holidays are over. I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Our holidays were very busy. My Grandma, who I've always been very close to, passed away right before Christmas. I packed up Christmas and the kids and headed to CA. David had to stay and work, but he grabbed the Grey Hound Bus (which was an experience he will never forget) and made it in time for Christmas Eve. We stayed for two weeks, David stayed for almost 1 week. My whole family ended up coming out for the funeral and it was wonderful to see everyone. David's whole family was already planning on getting together, so we had a very fun time visiting with everyone, playing games, and laughing. Having such large families are so much fun, very loud, and at time hectic, but worth it. Here are a few pictures of our adventurous Christmas.

Sadie and her cousin Jacee. Sadie is going to Preschool 3 days a week. She needed it so very bad because she starts all day Kindergarten in July. She cried the first week and still shows some resistance each morning before school, but once she is there she is fine. She is a bright girl, she just needs some practice being away from mommy.

Alison and Jayden.

This year we had the girls make some goals for 2008. Alison, after much encouragment, choose to read 5 verses of the Book of Mormon each day. After all of the other kids are in bed, David or I sit with her at the kitchen table and read. 5 verses isn't very much, but we just want her to form a habit of individual scripture study. This time with her has been really special. I look forward to it each night and it has been a sweet experience spending time with her and just talking and answering questions. She is also very proud of herself as she marks each day off on her calander.

My siblings and others at my parents. This was taken just before my brother Darren (the guy in the white shirt to the left) through his head back when laughing and put his head through a frame which was on the window sill. We all thought he had put his head through the window. We just about died laughing.

We visited the snow in the local mountains. My girls had been asking to see snow. Since we were in CA, we went to find some. Sadie and I built a minuature snowman. There was very little snow and what was there was almost as hard as a rock, but it had to do.

Alison and Emma built three on their own.

Sadie, Alison, and Emma.

Emma is really growing up. She has become Jayden's best buddy. She enjoys spending time with him and teaching him new things. After christmas we took a toy back to Target and she got to pick something out to replace it. She choose a Hot Wheel Race Way. Four Hot Wheels race down a track to see who wins. That's Emma for you. I'm afraid that she takes after her own mother in the desire for more tomboy activities. She still loves to study nature and always brings non-fiction books about animals home from the school library.

Christmas morning at the Rich's. We shared christmas morning with David's sister, Christine and her family and Grandma and Grandpa Rich.

David still continues to try and build Arizona Milkman. He has picked up a second job while he continues to do so. He stays very busy and is enjoying his new calling of Webelos leader to the 10 year old boys at church.

We went to the park with all of the Rich cousins. They had a blast running from Uncle Aaron as he chased them all over the play structure.

Jayden is so much fun. I love his very talkative stage. He repeats anything you say and surprises me with phrases like, "Oh my Heavens!" The other day he gave me a hug and said, "I'm so glad you are here." It is fun to see him enjoy the "boy" things around him. He yells out "Football" everytime he sees a game being played on TV. You will find him holding or driving his small hand held motorcycle and "motorcycle man" around the house. We are thoroughly enjoying having a boy.

When David was a boy his uncle made him and his siblings stilts. His dad pulled them out of the garage and we were all determined to try. The kids had a lot of fun, including the adults. Kelli, my sister-in-law won the chicken fights among the adult girls. She's brutal :).

Lessons Learned

My blog should have been named "My journey and lessons learned," because it is me that is needing to learn so many lessons. This past year of 2007 has been a very hard one for me. Moving twice and having a husband start his own business has had me feeling completely out of control at times. I would have to say that it has been the hardest year of my life. I have had to learn some pretty important lessons and I am still trying to learn all that I am suppose to. I am a very independant person who likes to take care of myself and help others around me. This year I have had to learn how to allow others to help me and to stop trying to do everything myself. I have had to turn it all over to the Lord and plead with Him to give me strength. That has been my biggest lesson. I found out that no matter how hard I try, I can't do it myself. I have formed some very important scripture study habits this year. I have learned that I can't survive without those words of counsel each day. I just received a new calling at church as the Activity Day Leader for the 8 year girls. I am so excited because I now get to attend Relief Society and Gosphel Doctrine class each Sunday. I have never been able to attend due to callings that I have had. I feel like I need to be in those classes more than ever. They are helping me see and learn things that are very important lessons. I am determined to keep up with and study the class material before each class so that I can get as much out of them as I can. So don't be surprised when you find "My lessons learned" on my blog along with other fun stuff. It is very theraputic for me to write them down and ponder them (yes, I take after my father). If you don't want to read my babble, then just skipp it and move on. I will never know:). This is more for me than for you anyways:). I hope that 2008 is a great year for everyone. We start off ours by baptizing Emma on Feb. 23. We are very excited.