Happy Christmas

Provo's Night in Bethlehem was wonderful. Even the rain could not take away from the Spirit of the story of how the Savior humbly came to earth. We truly felt the message - Peace on Earth, goodwill to men.

Happy Birthday, Mooder

Chere Mere,

Happy Birthday. I love you so much. I'm grateful that I am a piece of you. I'm proud of that. I'm happy for my childhood. You worked so hard to make birthday breakfasts happen with the cousins and a reverent home on the Sabbath and early morning scripture study and cheer for me at all of my games and Joyschool and you still were a balanced and developing person. You made wedding mints for your friends and hand crafted hearts checkers sets for Christmas gifts and SuzanneWear and inviting a young girl to live in your home while she went to nursing school. You are a good example to me to have projects on the side that keep me engaged and involved. I think often of you and what your life must have been like when me and callie and millie were running around your ankles. Because I have Johnny and Evelyn and Davie running around mine. I honor your strength and your commitment to creating a powerful life where you can do whatever you set your mind to. Thank you for setting your mind to my character and development. I appreciate it. I love you and I'm proud to be your daughter.

Thank you for teaching me about music. You really were my music leader in primary and I know how to enunciate my words. And you took me to see Reba and we took you to see Wynonna. Naomi really didn't sing much, but she is the mother worth mentioning. And every day I'm learning that we can do Anything. anything. Anything. anything. Keep believin' in the power. Of. Love.

Christine

Thanksgiving

These boys melt my heart. Thanksgiving was a wonderful gathering of family at Beal and Micah's beautiful home. We got to hang out and eat and eat and eat. We decided we made too much food, but those leftovers got vacuum sealed and someone will get to enjoy them as a tasty freezer meal. I. love. my. family.

Peek-a-boo

Party People

Happy Birthday, Johnny boy! Happy Birthday to me!

Johnny boy is turning 3

His mother's turning 30

He's a rootin' tootin' cowboy

And she is looking purty

Come celebrate their births with us

We really want you there

Dinner and shooting at 6 o'clock

And we'll have guns to share

We celebrated at a local hunting club. The kids stayed in the lodge while the adults went skeet shooting outside. It was so fun! Johnny and I won the partners' piece contest - where you hit the skeet and break it for a point and then your partner hits the piece to break it for another point. We both did both. Wahoo!

Johnny did sleep through half the party. But he woke up for the presents! Evelyn looks like a sassy cowgirl that needs a nap, but she was happy during the party. Thanks to everyone for coming!

Blessings so you don't even have room to receive them

He was blessed that he will have an amazing life. He was reminded that he has an amazing family and support system. And he was very happy to be blessed, not to have pictures taken. He was blessed with the blanket my grandmother's mother started making and my grandmother finished it. And many grandchildren have had it wrapped around them while they received a name and a blessing.

Davis' middle name comes from my great-great-great grandfather, Alexander Matheson, who helped save the town of Panguitch in the spring of 1864. The crops had failed and families did not have enough food to survive the winter. So Alexander and 6 other men walked through the deep snow over the mountains to Parowan. Today, it is 50 miles to drive from Panguitch to Parowan, but these brave men walked the 20 miles over the mountains. Their wagons sank in the snow, so they walked on the quilts they brought with them. Parowan settlers drove them as far back as they could, but these men had to quilt walk back home carrying the flour they brought.

I appreciate the sacrifice of those who have gone before and honor those who were willing to do the hard things. Likewise, I try to be willing to do hard things today.

Dog Tired

Meaning you fell asleep on the dining room floor in a matter of seconds. Meaning you haven't had a nap for days. Meaning staying up late because your parents can't refuse cuddling with you. Woof, woof, johnny boy.

Happy Thanksmas 2010

We finished Thanksmas at Joe's Cafe in Orem today for breakfast. Tasty food and a very charismatic chef named Joe. Thanksmas started with take-out Thai on Friday from a yummy restaurant in Lehi that I would endorse and hanging out time and sleepovers at Beal & Micah's and brunch on Saturday and Jon Canlas generously watching our kids so we could have Korean food at a restaurant that I choose not to endorse. Then more hanging out and Temple Square Christmas lights and home to put kids to bed. Sunday was Davis' baby blessing which was so incredible. I love being with my family and our home teacher bore his testimony and recognized the love that he watched our family show each other. Then people continued to bear testimony of families and the Spirit was incredible. I want to share my testimony of the love of God. It is manifest in many ways in my life - most often through my family, immediate and extended. I bear witness of the miracle it is that Heavenly Father allows us to be bound to Him through covenants. We get to make and keep sacred covenants. And through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, those covenants are given power and effect to return us to the God that made us. Miraculous.

Speaking of miracles, it was amazing how many people could fit into our tiny home for the after blessing party. Then, later that Sunday night we went to Callie's for shepherd's pie and the traditional expression of gratitude round the dinner table. I love my family. We sat together and watched the Christmas devotional and ate tasty key lime pie. And today brings us full-circle to Joe's Cafe.

Serious shout out to Callie, the sister matriarch (satriarch) of our family who invented thanksmas through inspiration as a way to celebrate the holidays with our dad. Why fight over who gets to be with who on what holiday? Make your own holiday, people. It means more food and more together time.

And now again, in pictures.

New Babies

Cosette was born just 2 weeks ago and yet the comparison is astonishing. Here are the darlings at Nana's 50th birthday party, which was a smashing success.