Christmas Eve 2009

Ever since we moved here five years ago Christmas Eve has been spent at Grandma Parkinson's Home.  It is too hard to travel for Christmas, so we are glad to have Seth's family to celebrate with us.  It usually consists of going out to Grantsville (about 45min. away), eating dinner, doing the nativity scene with all the grandkids, Grandma giving the kids pajamas, and other activities that come with celebrating the saviors birth with family.  Sometimes all the extended family is there and sometimes it is a smaller group depending if it is an in law year or not.  This year it was all the siblings coming together which is always fun.  One of Seth's brothers did get sick this year so at the last minute they weren't able to join us.  (Big Bummer).  Grandma didn't disappoint with a great meal and very cute pajamas for the grandkids.  We also exchanged cousin gifts and sibling gifts.  It was a great evening and we had a fun time.  It is always good to have a longer car ride home to try to get the kids nice and tired, but this year they were pretty hyped up.  Christmas Eve is probably one of my favorite parts of Christmas and it is always fun to spend it with family.

All the kids in their pajamas!

McKenna and cousin Jocelyn looking cute.  It is great for McKenna to get together with her cousins since the Bitner family (Seth's sister) has lots of girls and we are a little short in that area around her age.

Ella enjoying her gift from her cousin.  Ella has lots of cousins her age and all girls, so fun!

Micah opening his gift with Lauren peeking in.  How adorable is she?

Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving has come and gone and I haven't posted at all about all the things that I'm thankful for.  I think I hesitate because there are so many things.  I must right some down so that Heavenly Father knows that I am grateful for all the many things he has given to me and provided for me.  How blessed I am and through all the trials and disappointments I go through life, there are so many good things that I can't deny that make life so wonderful.  Here are a few...
Mckenna-her willingness to always help
Isaac- his intensity over sports
Micah-always smiling and lightening the mood
Elias- keeps life unpredictable
Ella- she is such a joy and I love that she totally needs me still
Seth- for everything
My home
My neighborhood
Good friends who replace my family since they aren't close
All my siblings- the example they are to me and the insight they give me towards life on a daily basis
My parents- who are the greatest example of charity in all things
BYU football and the bonding time it gives us with our children
The beauty of this world
Mountains
Fall in Utah
Our health-we have been so blessed
My children's friends-such great kids in our neighborhood
The savior
For service-opportunity to serve and be served.
I can't even begin to explain how grateful I am and I'm not very good with words, but we have been blessed in so many ways.  I'm glad for the trails that we face because if we turn towards the Lord I know that he is trying to make us better and stronger.  I am grateful for the examples of strong people all around me and my children because they make us better as well.  There is so much good around us that I am glad to step back and focus on that during this time of year.

Family Pictures were a success!

We got our family pictures back and I'm so pleased it all worked out.  You never know what you are going to get, but I was pretty confident because Heather was taking them.  I'm always amazed at how many good ones she can get.  Here is just a few to show off my cute little kids.  I love them and during this Thanksgiving time I just hope they know how Thankful I am for them and all the joy that they bring to Seth and I. They always keep things interesting and they are at such a fun age where we really enjoy just being together as a family.  I love to watch them grow and develop and take whatever challenge is placed before them.  I love my family!

The girls of the Family

The Boys of the Family

I sure love this guy and am thankful for all that he does for me and our children.  I know that Seth rather be hanging at home with us than anywhere else and there is no bigger compliment than that.  He is never thinking about where he will go next or what he should be doing, it is always about our family.  I appreciate that so much from him.  He is a hard worker and tries so hard to do the right thing every day.  He is a great example to our boys (and girls) of how a husband should be. He is my best friend and I love him dearly.

Micah's Baptism Day

Micah was baptized this past week and I can't believe how fast time goes.  It was a great day, with its moments, but it turned out beautifully and with some things that will keep the memories fresh.  He was getting baptized with another boy in our ward, but separate from our stake, because the other stake was too big.  The morning of the baptism the other boy got sick and so it was just going to be Micah.  We thought that would be pretty great.  His was scheduled to be baptized at 5p.m.  As we were walking out the door to head to the church we got a call that the previous ward had drained the font.  If you know about filling the font it takes a long time (3 hours).  I was really worried at this point.  They said they would fill it as fast as they could and they thought it would only take an hour.  We headed to the church.  We waited for everyone, talked a little, took pictures, and just hung our for a minute.  About 40 minutes later the font was filled.  We thought this was a great miracle and we preceded with the baptism.  It was wonderful.  The last minute speaker we had, did a great job and I was so proud of Micah for making this decision.  I had tears in my eyes for most of the meeting because really, where does the time go?  After the baptism was over I asked Micah how he felt and he said he was freezing.  Apparently in order to fill the font really fast it has to be cold water.  He told me he didn't want to go under.  I was proud of him for being brave and going through it anyways.  I guess he got a little taste of how the pioneers felt getting baptized in cold lakes and rivers.  We are so proud of this boy and it was a special day.  Thanks to all the family who attended and I was sad that my family couldn't be there.

Seth's mom sewed his baptism outfit.  All her grandsons will, or have been baptized in this same outfit.  She has also made a different for the granddaughters. Pretty neat to have that tie.

I am  thankful for a husband that carries the priesthood and can perform this special ordinance.  Not something to take lightly and I'm glad Seth doesn't.

The family lending their support.

I love this guy!

We were able to share the day with grandparents and that always makes the day seem better.

Here is the extended family that came to support Micah.  We are so fortunate to have the support and love that we do.  It's a pretty large group and I only had my parents and one sister there.  We sure did miss all of those that couldn't come, but know that they were there in spirit.

Micah's Birthday!

I am not in a habit of giving birthday parties to my kids.  It just seems like there is always so much family to  celebrate with that it seems like a party all the time.  I have given parties when they turn 5 and 8, so Micah was excited to have a party this year.  We had the party at an indoor swimming facility, and it was a blast.  There were 15 boys, 1 girl cousin and his siblings.  What great fun!

Every few minutes waves would come and so the boys would take their tubes right up against the wall and wait for them to come.  They also played football in the more shallow part of the pool, but they had to use an imaginary football since the lifeguards wouldn't let them use a real one.

My pretty bad attempt at different kind of ball cupcakes.  I would love to be good at baking things like this, but I'm not.

Micah's birthday present from us is throwing him a party, but I was so shocked about how generous people are.  He got some great stuff and the boys really knew Micah and what he likes.

The night of his birthday we did sing him happy birthday and celebrate with an ice cream cake his Pops brought him.  What a great kid he is.  He loves to laugh, the Charges (NFL football team), playing with his friends, any sport that is in season, laugh, teasing his younger (and older) siblings, always has a smile on his face, gets tired at night like his mother, and again is always laughing/smiling.  We are so lucky to have his spirit in our home.

Halloween 2009!

Halloween came and went and once again I managed to spend only $10 on all the costumes because I am very good at borrowing and just throwing things together that we already have.  It wasn't that hard since McKenna wanted to get candy, but didn't want to really dress up.  I think Halloween is a great holiday!  It doesn't cost much money and the kids (and adults) love dressing up,  you get a ton of candy, and you don't have to spend a lot of time on it.  How can it get any better than that?  We had a great time carving pumpkins and eating pumpkins seeds.

Here are all the kids ready to go out and get the candy!

McKenna a soccer player.  I know not original.

I loved Isaac's costume of being a 70's basketball player, but he kept pulling his shorts down.

Micah loves the Charges, so this costume is very fitting

Elias is our little ninja, sneaky and deadly!

And of course our little princess, who has the high maintainance thing down.

Seth even got into the game and roamed the neighborhood in his Elliot (from E.T.) costume.

Isaac and his buddies getting ready to trick o treat.  I love the Michael Jackson costume.

Football players of the neighborhood.

My favorite part of Halloween is when the baby of the family truly figures it out.  The realization that when they go up to a house and say "trick o treat" they get candy!  Do you think Ella got it?

Family Pictures

We took family pictures today and Really, why does it have to be so hard? It is not like I'm taking them for a root canal, a shot, or to get stitches, but you wouldn't know that by the way they whine and complain about it. The older kids they don't do so bad, but I'm all for not taking a kids picture until they are 5 because there is really no point. A two year old and pictures do not mix. Heather Gibb who takes our pictures does a wonderful job and she doesn't waste time and I know I will get some good ones because she is so good, but between stressing about what to wear and when to do them and then going through the whole process, there is no wonder why I don't do pictures that often. I will share with you the web site when I get them done, but I just hope it was all worth it!!