I have written missionaries and that pretty much sums up what's been going on so I am going to copay and paste by date what we have written the past month and catch up.
Dec 8th
Happy December! I bet its getting really cold there. It dropped quite a few degrees here and rained this week. I had a great birthday and Jay gave me a shopping spree, so Audrey helped me find a bunch of cute clothes.I got a great Mom got me some Nikkan insoles to try out so i am excited for that. I am so grateful for family, that they are close by and that they are my best friends. Alisha had a beautiful reception and looks so happy. Great week!
Dec 16th
Here at our house we just keep rollin and rollin. Here is a cute occurrence at our house that happens at least daily the boys will be playing and get jealous of the toys the other one and then the one that had the toy gets mad and hits his brother, when this happens then the one that gets hit gets sad and says hugs and they hug and make up its hilarious. The other day we were wondering how much the kids have grown in the last four months since we last measured them and all three have grown at least an inch and they are going through clothes like it nobodys business. We are looking forward to Christmas time and all there is to do at that time we went to the lights at the temple the other day and it is fun to be there and see the beauty of that place. We are excited for the new Gilbert temple to be dedicated and if anyone is coming for that you can crash at our house we would love to have you. That is about all we have for now just enjoying life and making the most of what we have It is a Wonderful Life.
Dec 22nd
Well this week we have been enjoying each other and seeing Christmas lgihts, the Temple, Christian Dance with Breanna and Kendall and good 'ol Christmas movies.
Sometimes its easy to get wrapped up the commercial aspects of things. We just have to re-focus each day and make what matters most count. Christ needs to be the center of our lives every day, not just at Christmas time. I was thinking the other day why Christmas seems magical and why it feels so different if I am already trying to make Christ the center of my life every other day. I realized that I think its because most of the world starts to feel that way too, but it doesn't last. People are a little nicer, serve more, give gifts, smile more during December and then the rest of the year it goes away. But for one month everyone is more united and everyone celebrates Christ, even if they don't completely realize it.
I am so grateful for my savior. I love Him. I watched some really good little video clips from lds.org. I will link them if you can watch those. Anyway, each year I reevaluate my heart and how much I really gave to Him. I can always do more, be kinder, more giving, find more ways to serve. That's the goal. To strive each day to do as He would and Give Him our hearts.
Jay-The week is already here it is crazy to think that already this week is Christmas when I was a kid it seemed like it would take forever and never get here this is already t-minus two days. We are ready for it though we have all our shopping done and Eden knows I think all of her gifts so that is a bummer but we told her to still act surprised. We have been able to watch a couple of good Christmas movies the usual ones Elf, White Christmas, last night we watched the Polar Express so I still want to watch Its a Wonderful Life and we will be good. We have gone to the temple to see the lights a couple of times so that has been fun. Yesterday at Breakfast Eden asked me what I wanted for Christmas and I said happiness, she said that is not a gift something like a soccer ball (that is what she wants) and then I said well is that the reason for Christmas is just to get presents? and she didnt really know what to say and so I talked to her about the celebration of Jesus birth and that is why we are celebrating this season and also the gift of His life. I just thought that was a cool little teaching opportunity that we had. We have been reading all month the passages in the New Testament about the birth of Christ and so she has been hearing about it all month.
Dec 31st
We dressedt the kids up in their new outfits today. They love singing at church and during one song both the boys were leaving the music and belting out the song even though they didn't know how to sing it. Eden is very excited for sending she gets to start that class next week. We are going to have a party with Laura and her kids and Dan for New Years Eve Eve . So that should be fun. I love you a whole bunch! Have a great week. here are pictures of the kids in their Sunday best, sporting their jammies, Eden getting hurt and Treyden giving her a hug, and then Treyden kissing her finger better.
Jan 6th
Its been a great day. I always like fast Sundays. I feel renewed, usually. And I needed it after all the sugar I have eaten this past month. Anyway, on to a new year, great goals, positive outlook, cleanse and work outs. Hurray for the new year!
We are so excited for the new Temple and we have reservations already. Although, I did get reservations the day after they started and most of the days were already gone! Except for the mornings only on weekdays. Wow they filled up fast. But we are excited to share with neighbors and friends.
We had a good week. Jay had his first Saturday off yesterday and it was so fun!. We got some good things done, he went to a meeting, did some homework, the kids got a nap, and then we were going to go to the desert to ride go-karts and an invention Preston made that we call a Go-quad(cause he used a quad and a Go-kart to make it). Anyway it ended up that the desert didn't work out so we took them to the inner-stake center and rode around the parking lot. It was so fun, and the Go-Quad is so fast. It shifts into gears and it was a blast. Eden loved riding on the go-carts, and I love the Go-quad. I think I love going fast and anything that gives me a little adrenaline rush. Pictures are attached. Also, Eden graduated nursery today and they had a little graduation. She LOVES Sunbeams, but misses nursery a little. She enjoyed playing with her brothers.
