Happy Anniversary to Us!

12 years


6 births

1 funeral

2 houses

1 apartment

3 jobs

6 cars

3 couches

many trials

COUNTLESS blessings

ENDLESS love

The first video is Reagan opening his gift from Brad Christmas morning.  (It is a Donald Duck Pez) Reagan's mouth is full of gum from his stocking.
The second video is fearless Aubryn skiing December 23rd.

Random Tid Bits

Reagan "helped" Rylan say the prayer at dinner last night.  It went like this,
"Please bless that we will have fun tomorrow.  Please bless we can do whatever we want.  Please bless Santa will come and bring us presents."

During dinner Reagan sat tall and let out a big burp followed by, "I have BAD MANNERS!"

Reagan has been known to throw up when he eats to much junk food.  It happened again recently after the neighborhood cookie exchange.  A couple days ago he asked me to open a wrapper from a piece of candy.  While I peeled the wrapper he told me with a big grin (what other kind does he have?), "I like to puke!!"
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Rylan was terrified of Santa.
When Reagan sat on Santa's lap he asked him for a candy cane.  Last year he asked him for an orange.
Aubryn wants a pillow pet. And a bunny Zhu Zhu.  And a Zhu Zhu car.
Brad wants Home Alone 3, which Brian and Brad found at our friend Garth's house when they stopped in for a visit.  He has the whole collection Brad can borrow!
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Rylan's new favorite word is WHY? and, of course, NO! and he screams way to much.
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When Reagan says, "I'm gunna beat you up!" he means, "I'm going to beat you!"
When he says, "I don't want to be ice cubed."  he means, "I don't want to get really cold."
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One last thing worth remembering.  Last Sunday the children sang a song on the stand at church.  Reagan whispered to Brian that he didn't want to sing.  Brian told him to just go up there and smile.  He did.  He stood right in front with his huge teethy grin and didn't sing one word.  He smiled big the whole time and waved at a few people too.

Christmas In Heaven

I see the countless Christmas trees around the world below

With tiny lights, like heaven’s stars. Reflecting on the Snow.

The sight is so spectacular, please wipe away that tear

For I am spending Christmas with Jesus Christ this year.

I hear the many Christmas songs that people hold so dear

but the sounds of Christmas can’t compare with the Christmas choir up here.

I have no words to tell you the joy their voices bring.

For it is beyond compare to hear the angels sing.



I know how much you miss me. I see the pain inside your heart.

But I am not so far away. We really aren’t apart.

So be happy for me dear ones. You know I hold you dear.

And be glad I’m spending Christmas with Jesus Christ this year.



I send you special gifts more precious than pure gold.

I send you each a memory of my undying love.

After all “LOVE” is the gift, more precious than pure gold.

It was the most important in the stories Jesus told.

Please love and keep each other, as my Father said to do.

For I can’t count the blessings and love he has for each of you.

So, have a Merry Christmas, and wipe away that tear.

Remember, I am spending Christmas with Jesus Christ this year.

Just so you know...

Brian is an insurance "smellman" and James sucks on a "firepacer."  So says Reagan.
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It is 30 degrees outside today and Aubryn asked me if she could sell lemonade.  I said no.  She said, "but it will make me feel warm."

I asked Aubryn, "Did you bring home your homework?"

"Uhhh, the teacher hides it."
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Reagan was very interested at lunch today about where his food goes when he eats it.  I got out a book about the human body and showed him the esophagus and the stomach and so on.  He asked, "Where does the apple land?"  as in, after he swallows it.

Then

Jeffery R. Holland stated, "It is the plain and very sobering truth that before great moments, certainly before great spiritual moments, there can come adversity, opposition, and darkness."


Today I was looking closely at a nativity set. Mary had a flower in her curled hair. She had make-up on and looked poised and ready for her picture to be taken. I thought how strange that was. Then I imagined what Mary must have really looked like just after giving birth to the Christ child. I imagine her hair was a bit messy. Her face probably was not fancy. She was most likely exhausted after a long journey and then labor and delivery. She was not dressed in her best clothes. She was most likely looking weak.

So, because of who I am, my mind turned to my labors. Moments before the births of my children, I looked and sounded at my worst. I cried. I had let it all go. I had completely surrendered and succumbed to what was happening to my body. I didn’t care how I looked. Society tells me, as a woman, to look beautiful by their standards is when I should feel my best. When I am dressed in cute clothes and my hair lays just right, then I should feel happy. Yet, it was after these moments of complete fragility and tenderness that I then experienced the most empowering experences of my life. I felt strong and confident. I felt of the power of God. I felt like a truly beautiful and capable woman.

I have felt this in the spiritual realm of my life as well. At the times that are the hardest, times that I do not think I can handle what I have been given, or think that I cannot move on, that is when I surrender to God and feel His peace. I then feel strong, through Him, and know that I will be okay and all will be well. It has happened time and time again.

There are moments in our lives that make us weak and frail and then we truly experience great strength. Who has ever thought a runner was weak minutes before he crossed the finish line?

"Dad, did you know some people don't believe in Santa!?"  said Aubryn.

  

  

Reagan wanted to call his Dad at work.  He never has before.  I dialed the number and handed him the phone with the instructions to ask for Brian.  The phone rang.

"Thank you for calling Allstate, this is Val."

"No!  This is Reagan.  When are you coming home!?"

"Mom."  Reagan whispered, "Can I tell you a secret?"

"Sure. "  I said.

"Eyeballs are yuck."

I had to have him whisper it to me three times before I understood what he said.

"Mom, I had the baddest, baddest dream.  I got lost and somebody found me and I pushed their button and they got mad at me." said Reagan.

These Videos Make Me Happy

Good Question, Wondering that Myself.

Yesterday we took our kids to a Pioneer Christmas play in Salt Lake.  Reagan and Rylan were really having a hard time behaving.  I took them out in the hall about half way through the show.  I was wondering why in the heck we drove down to Salt Lake for this, when a reporter from the Deseret News came up and asked me, "Why did you bring your children to this?"   READ HERE

Out Takes

Sneeze!

Wondering why Mom is acting so silly.

James at 2 1/2 months

"Mom!  I had the yucky stuff in my mouth and I sounded like anudder guy!"  Reagan said.
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"Mom, look, his nose is movey."  Reagan said refering to a wiggley nose on a snowman decoration.
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"That was kind of hard."  Said Aubryn after getting James out of his bassinett, almost tipping it over and then tripping onto the floor.