Sledding

Will is a sledding monster!  The kid has no fear and will go up and down the hill all by himself a zillion times.  I have a feeling he's going to be an adrenaline junky like his Uncle Beau.  Will hiked to the top right off and went down with Abby.  They crashed and we were terrified the kid broke his back.  We all started running up to them and Will sits up and says, "That was awesome!!!"

This hill was intense; by far the steepest and longest sledding hill I've ever been on.  Picture Mt. Crumpit and you've got it about right.  We went up and down several times, and ate it at the bottom every. single. time.  I have a scraped up eye and a goose egg on my shin to prove it.

We loved it.  Sledding is becoming our new favorite activity.

Best Cousins

I have loved this girl since the moment she was born.  I'm certain of it!  One of my earliest memories was when my Mom took the older kids to go see Pinocchio in the theaters and I got to go hang out with my Aunt Elaine and my new cousin, Laura.  We love seeing Tyler and Laura!  It works out handsomely that our husbands get along so well.  I can't wait to visit them in Seattle next year.  (If I write it down it will happen- right?)

Christmas Morning

At 6:07 AM I heard my puppy come bounding up the stairs.  Scooter  was up!  That means one thing: the kids are awake.  The next moment I heard Will and Annie climb the top of the stairs and see our living room.  They started whispering to each other about all of the gifts, and the bean bags, and the stockings. 
Then I hear Will.

"Annie, we have to wake up Mom and Dad.  You go on Dad's side and I'll go on Mom's side," he says.  They tiptoe into our room.

"Mom, Dad, wake up!  It's Christmas!"

"Santa came!"

"The tree is overflowing with presents!"

"Our stockings are full!"

This was the first year that our kids woke us up, and it was the greatest!  Even after waking Paigey up from a deep sleep, she was so happy and playful and it was like she even knew what Christmas was.

This was my favorite Christmas yet.  I think it may have something to do with how we added more love to our home this year.  This season was magical.  My heart has been filled with so much love I feel like it could almost burst.  I found myself tearing up as I picked Paige up from her crib, and when I was on the floor looking at my nephew Beau; I don't know if there is anyone as blessed as I am.

Party like it's Christmastime.

Here's the deal- Christmas parties are THE BEST- all caps, bolded, italicized, and underlined.  Whether with the Wilson's, Kaiserman's or Nicoll's, we love talking of old memories and creating new ones.  Here are a few of our favorite moments from our parties this year.

Graduated

At the end of December 2007 I was sitting at my computer when Dallas said to me, "Amy I want to go to school."  I remember asking when, and he responded with January.  My eyes must have been huge because my mind immediately started racing- 'Will we get student loans and everything going in time?  Can he even enroll with only a little over a week before the new semester starts?  How are we going to work this out with work?  I'm going to school too!  Will our schedules mesh?'

Not knowing how anything was going to work out, I applied for school, grants, and loans and he started at Utah Valley University in January 2008.

Will was only 15 months.

2 schools, 2 houses, 2 beautiful daughters, countless hours of homework and studying, and six years later- Dallas has graduated from the University of Utah with a Bachelor of Science in Civil and Environmental Engineering.

I have been thinking about this day for so long.  Looking back on the past six years, it has definitely been the best of our lives.  We didn't know how everything would work out, but it always has.  We've seen countless miracles along the way and have seen how our Father in Heaven has blessed us so that Dallas could get an education.

I am so proud of Dallas.  When he started he was in Math 950.  He had to take 4 semesters of math before it even counted for anything on his transcripts!  He told me once that he is living proof that if you work at something hard enough, you can do it.  It doesn't matter how "smart" you are.  It's dedication and effort.

I know Paige and Annie probably won't remember this, but I hope Will does.  Dallas has set a wonderful example for them and I hope one day that all of our children choose to go to school, work hard, and contribute to this world.

Thank you, Dallas.  Thank you for all of your time.  Thank you for sacrificing for us so that we can provide a better life for our kids.  Thank you for doing this so that I can live my dream and be a stay at home mom.  Thank you for not giving up, even when we both wanted to.  Thank you for being the man of my dreams and the greatest father to our children.  I am so proud.  I love you.

After his last final Dallas took us on a little tour of the Warnock Engineering building where he spent the majority of his time in classes and studying over the last few years.

Cousins!!!

Some of my best memories growing up were playing with my cousins.  We would have sleepovers with Katie and Brandon and play board games, and we'd have sleep overs with Richie and Laura and play tag.  I loved being with cousins more than my friends, and my kids feel the same way about theirs!

The Robinson's came to visit, so we had a Christmas party!  Sleepovers, ornament making, cookie decorating, seeing Frozen together, and all of the giggles we could handle.  We're already counting down the days until we see them again.

You might look like this, too...

...on the night before your last college class EVER. 

Christmas Card

A Tree for Quincy

I've blogged before about Quincy.  She's our friend's daughter that was killed in an accident along with her grandparents when she was only 20 months old.  We think of Quincy often at our house; what she might be doing in Heaven, what her favorite treats are, if she has any toys- things like that. 

When I think of Quincy it's a little different.  My mother heart aches for our friends and how difficult life, and especially the holidays, must be missing their perfect daughter.  It's a pain I don't even want to imagine, let alone experience.  Thinking of Quincy makes me hug my children a little tighter each day, and be a better mother.

This year Brady and Angie did an Angel Tree at the Festival of Trees for Quincy.  It was decorated in babies as Angie always calls Quincy her "doll."  We miss Quincy and wish she could still be here, but I am still amazed at all of the good she does in the world, even while she's away.  She's a true angel.

8 Months

Paigey Paige!!!  She has been so much fun.

Lot's of ma ma ma ma ma's.
I will swear on my life that the girl says "hi" and I have video to prove it.
Rolling and lifting herself and even scooting a bit.
She likes real food- not purees.
Sits like a champ.
Stomps happily in her exersaucer.
Likes to hit things to make sound- she is always knocking on the wall, on the couch, or scratching something to make a sound.  Future musician???
Loves her "light stick."
Has two tiny teeth.

Waves and claps her hands. 
And loves yams- which we filled her full of during her first Thanksgiving!

Sweet Paige, I cannot say how much we all love you.  I wish more than anything that you could stay our baby forever.

Paige doesn't take a binky often, but when she does she shoves her thumb in there and it gets stuck!

Like Mary

On Sunday we put on a short program for YW about Christmas.  I was the narrator (which is what one does when they lack the vocal talent).  My president didn't get me the program until late Saturday night, which means I briefly gave it a once over before the program started.

I was not prepared for the emotion.

I'm always tender hearted during the Christmas season.  The focus is on those things that are most important to me- family and our Savior.  I wasn't expecting the burning chest when I started talking about Mary.  I think of her often and how she must have felt knowing that her perfect baby boy was the literal Son of God.  What I don't think about was how she felt before the babe was conceived; how she felt when the angel told her the plan.

Inadequate.  Doubt.  Fear.  Then the angel Gabriel told her to "Fear not."  Our Father in Heaven knew Mary just as He does us.  He chose her because He knew she was capable of handling this great responsibility.

My children were not sent to this earth with the task that my Savior had, but they are noble and great.  I often feel inadequate, and doubtful, and afraid of the task that I have to raise them.  I am not a perfect mother and I often think of where I lack, but on Sunday it was as if I was being told "Fear not."

Maybe I'm not so different from Mary.

1Timothy 1:7

"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."

Day 30- Best Kids Ever

Today I slept in until 8:15. When I got up I discovered that both of my big kids had gotten dressed and brushed their teeth, cleaned the basement, their room, and made their beds all on their own! I'm such a lucky mom and so blessed to have such great helpers. 

Day 29- Black Friday (aka Tradition)

Today I shopped with my Aunt Jenn until we literally ran out of stores that we wanted to shop at.  I loved spending the day with Jenn- no kids!- so that we could think about, talk about, and buy for those very same kids we were so happy to leave behind. 

Best break ever.

The white chocolate mints from See's didn't hurt either.

Day 28- Plenty

Plenty of family, plenty of food, plenty of laughs, plenty of love.  Plenty of blessings.