It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas . . .

SO here are my photos--Tim putting the star on our living room tree--the only decorations on this tree but the lights. Our basement tree finished and Gwen and Micah decorating the tree. The photo of Gwen alone is when she was so excited to get the ornaments on the tree but Tim hadn't finished the lights yet! The photo overlapping the tree is of our mantle in our basement.

It's Beginning to Sound and Look A Lot Like Christmas . . .

So I can finally play Christmas music without getting a crusty from my teenagers! YEAH! You see my husband is a Christmas music fiend and well, I've joined in. He'd start playing Christmas music as soon as the leaves turn in the fall but the kids, humbug! We did dabble in it during October. Then a little more in November. I couldn't resist once we got a few new Christmas CDs. Well, we bought the new MOTAB with the King's Singers--it is AMAZING!!!! It's a must have! Then we got onto Wal Mart--Tim prefers since he doesn't have an Ipod. We listened to Josh Groban and the New Harry Connick and we liked about 10 songs between us so we just bought the whole albums! So, anyway it's cool though because you can listen and buy just what you like if you are picky about your Christmas music! If you are needing more music ideas we also love: Jewel, Amy Grant (all), Harry Connick Jr. (all), Eclipse, Voice Male (both), BNL--they have a few Jewish songs that are cute even though we aren't Jewish, Kenny G, Take 6, Peter, Paul and Mary and Kurt Bestor. I actually had Tim make me a playlist for my blog but our new internet filter won't let it work! If you have any favorites share them!

Tim put up our lights on the house this week and the trees today! Poor Tim spent probably 4 hours fixing burned out lights!!! The kids lost interest in decorating the tree after a bit, Gwen of course, has been enthusiastic about the whole thing this week! She helped put decorations on the bottom of the tree! We usually put up a little tree in each of the kids bedrooms but I decided not this year. Last year we spent keeping Gwen out of them all. We have a tree in our living room but I didn't want to have to deal with her undecorating it. So Tim suggested just having it up with the lights only--it's prelit. So we have the basement tree decorated. It's my fun whimsical tree. Tim has the lights flashing this year so the photos will be interesting! (Tim has my camera or I would post a photo).

We went to my brother Charl's yesterday to watch Trapped in Paradise. The little kids watched Space Chimps in the basement while the adults watched it. Tim did his best to edit it with the mute button--lots of swearing. It is really a hilarious movie otherwise with a great feel good ending! We love Christmas shows too so if you have any favorites pass those along too! We enjoy The Preacher's Wife, While You Were Sleeping, Christmas Vacation (edited) and the Miracle on 34th Street (newest version). Our kids enjoy all those old Rudolph etc. movies and the new Grinch with Jim Carrey--I like it too.

We had a gathering tonight at Tim's sister Amy's house since our nieces Anna and Erin are down from Idaho. As we arrived Gwen threw up, so Tim drove us home helped me clean her up and the car seat and then he went back--Superman, I tell you! I just love this time of year to spend extra time with family. Owell, Gwen is doing better. I only let her have ice chips, so far so good! Hopefully, we'll get over this quick!!! I know it's been going around so it's our turn!!!

So I hope you are enjoying the sights and sounds of the holiday season! There is so much to enjoy, we are so blessed!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I just took these photos of our day so far. Gwen is watching the parade and Tim and the big boys just got back from the annual Turkey Bowl. It's a tradition Tim started in this neighborhood when we first moved up here. The men and kids get together and play football. It can be rough at times but they seem to have a good time! My other kids are at my sister-in-law Amy's--we haven't heard from them so we think they are having fun still! I am going to pop my smoked turkey in the oven soon (it's already cooked) and maybe get dressed now that it's almost noon! Later we'll head to my mom's and Tim's parents will join us there. We are looking forward to a yummy, fun and relaxing dinner! We'll see how relaxing with kids! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Say Thanks to Our Troops!

Hey fellow Americans! A friend of mine sent me this link. It's fast, easy and it's the right thing to do! Spread the word!!!! http://www.LetsSayThanks.com.

Grateful For Our Country

I remember as a child feeling choked up as the flag would pass in a parade, or singing the Star Spangled Banner. I am not sure how my love for this land came about, I don't really remember any special lessons on patriotism in our home. Maybe it was just that my parents knew this land was set apart for a great purpose. And that underlying principle was taught in how they spoke and the respect they showed to law enforcement and military. My father is a naturalized citizen from South Africa. He can tell you first hand how different this country is from his homeland. He grew up thinking he could aspire to be what his father was: a worker on the mine. When he immigrated to Canada and then was able to attend BYU he began to feel for the first time he could be whatever it was he wanted if he worked hard enough. He had no money; someone helped him get to BYU. He worked as a janitor at BYU for years and in the summer he worked in Canada. Just before he graduated he met my mom and they were married just after graduation. He became a citizen a few years later. I remember how happy he felt then. I did not get to go since it was during school and a couple hours away where he was sworn in. But I went to my brother-in-law, Juan's, ceremony. It was very moving.

I know we are not perfect, I especially feel we take for granted what we have. But I know that a lot of good has come from this country to help others throughout the world be free or have a better chance at it.

We must be worthy of this freedom and we must teach our children what it means to be free. It means we are responsible, we work hard, we help others in need and we follow basic principles of goodness taught from the Bible, from God. Yes we have freedom of religion but that does not mean freedom from religion. What do I mean? I mean that our nation is based on the premise that we will be faithful to God whatever way we worship Him. Because He is the protector of our freedom. He is the reason we live and breathe. When we take His eternal truths out of our lives we invite chaos, anarchy and hedonism. He is the way the truth and the life, and when we give our lives to live as He would have us we really are free! So God Bless America, my home sweet home.

This is a photo I took shortly after 9/11. My daughter Emily is four in the photo. I love this photo because it depicts the hope I have for her future and our country. I found this photo the other day when I was looking for some other photos. That was a difficult time, a different time in history. As we face sobering times now we must remember we can do this--TOGETHER. Especially if one of us is God.

Happy 5th Birthday Zane!!

So it's late but the computer has been busy by others all day. Zane is boy number 5 and child number 6. His birth story wasn't quite as crazy as Timo's but he ended up staying an extra day because they thought he had an infection. We came home on Thanksgiving Day, such a blessing. It was a difficult experience because he was always hooked up to stuff and it made it hard to nurse him which made him fussy. I remember a nurse saying,"He's such a fussy baby." And I thought, but didn't say until I was fed up, "maybe if I could hold him more and stuff he wouldn't be that way." Whenever Tim or I held him his monitors were fine. HMMMMM. I remember my sister visiting me every night which was so nice because I was lonely without a baby to hold all the time and Tim gone to take care of our other kids. My parents were on their mission so they weren't around. Tim's parents helped us out a lot too.

But maybe he was grumpy not fussy because we call him our grumpy old man! But he can be so very sweet as well. It took me a year to recover from his birth, I was weak and got every illness that came around. But he has endured my physical ailments well and he call me Mama. So Gwen calls me Mama. No one else calls me mama. I find it very tender--it probably would have bugged me had my older kids called me that when they were little. So now he's 5 and he loves so many things. Superheroes, Cars, Dinosaurs, Stuffed Animals, Riding Bikes, Sports, Drawing and spelling. He can spell pretty good. Writing is another story.

So today he had crepes for breakfast(thanks Tim), preschool, he dressed like a Native American and they had a feast. He took Zingers to share and his assigned cranberry jelly. He had fun. He played with his friends Katie and Sarah (twins) for awhile. Then later Tim and I took him and Izak, Micah and Gwen to the Dinosaur Museum. They had a blast. We had pizza for dinner, cake and ice cream then played (his choice) Sardines for family night. It was a fun day!

Photo 2008 Year in Review

Mind you I realized I missed some days! It's been quite the thing! And it's not really fancy. Of course the last part of November and all of December aren't on this but I thought I'd try it. I hope it's not too long to enjoy!
PS There wasn't a good free choice for music so there is none--turn your own on!

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