Wonderful Alone Time!

This past weekend something amazing happened - I had the whole weekend alone with my hubby! Jared is really into bird hunting, and since we've moved he hasn't had many chances to hunt. He just doesn't know where to hunt on this side of the mountains yet, and it's quite a drive to hunt on the other side of the mountains. Well, the end of the hunting season is quickly approaching, and I wanted to make sure that he had another chance to hunt this year. So I made sure he could have the time off work, asked his parents to watch the kids, and booked a hotel room for this past weekend. I was going to surprise him, but I ended up telling him about it. We drove over on Friday night, hunted Saturday and Sunday, and came home Sunday evening. It was so nice having that time together, just the two of us! I used to go hunting with Jared pretty often when we were first married, and I don't think I had gone with him at all since having kids. We sat and waited for geese to fly in the mornings, and then hiked around and hunted ducks and quail in the afternoons. The weather was really cold, but it didn't rain or snow on us. What a blessing is was to spend a whole weekend together! It is so important to take that time for our marriage, but all too often we don't take the time. One of our newest goals is to take more time for each other!

Jared and me waiting for some of the geese to fly

A porcupine we came across - he was in a tree and Jared got nice and close for a picture (with his gun in hand just in case).

New Year's Eve

We had a very fun New Year's Eve this year. Actually, we had 2 very fun New Year's Eves! A few days before New Year's Eve, the kids and I went with a friend of ours to a local mall where they have a celebration every night for about a month before Christmas and then after Christmas until New Year's Eve. For the week before New Year's Eve, they have a "New Year's Eve" party every night. It takes place along the sidewalk, and there is music; drummers all dressed up playing drums; dancing bears, mice, etc.; people on stilts; confetti. They pass out noisemakers, and everyone blows them. Of course, this party goes from 7-7:30pm, not until midnight, but it was very fun, and I think both of the kids really enjoyed it!

Then came the real New Year's Eve. Jared had to work, so the kids and I decided to have our own little New Year's Eve party, and they both stayed up until midnight. We had special snacks, strawberry soda in special glasses, played games, danced, watched movies, and then blow our noisemakers and yelled, "Happy New Year!" It was a lot of fun, and thankfully the kids both slept in the next morning:)

Christmas 2010

I realized that I have yet to blog about our recent Christmas celebrations, so here I am, a couple weeks late. The weekend before Christmas, we had our own little family Christmas morning here at our house, since we would be gone on Christmas morning. I made our traditional Christmas breakfast, biscuits and gravy. The kids received one gift from Jared and I - a children's table and chairs set that we thought would be too large to take over the mountains and back - and we all opened our gifts from my side of the family (they had sent them with us when we came home from Thanksgiving). The rest of our day was just a normal Saturday.

The night before Christmas Eve, we packed into our car and drove over the mountains to stay with Jared's family. Jared's sister and her family were staying there, too, and it was lots of fun for Ellie and Parker to play with their cousin, Kya. We were also able to see Jared's other sister every day while we were there. On Christmas Eve Jared went hunting then came back and joined the rest of us at the Christmas Eve service. Then was the living nativity - Ellie and I were angels this year. Then we went back to the house for a late dinner and the opening of most of the gifts. It was a great time, and the kids were all so excited and entertaining!

Christmas morning we woke up and opened stockings, and our family opened the rest of our presents. Then we got ready for a Christmas dinner up at Jared's grandma's house, with extended family. We were able to stay one more day after Christmas (Jared hunted again that day), and then we made the drive back home the next morning. It was such a fun Christmas! It was wonderful to see family, to play in the snow, to enjoy time spent together!

Ellie and me before the living nativity

Parker and Ellie in their new Christmas p.j.s on Christmas Eve

The kids looking for the "pickle" on Christmas morning

Ellie and Parker in their Christmas best!

The kids had a blast tubing down the snowy hill!

A Year Full of Blessings

As 2010 comes to an end, I am reminded of what a wonderful year this has been. It has been a year full of changes. And a year that I am so thankful for. I am thankful for the good health of my family and myself. I am thankful for the provisions and mercy of a loving God. I am thankful for extended family, for time spent and memories made. I am thankful for wonderful friends, both old and new. I am thankful for a loving church family. I am thankful for good neighbors. I am thankful for Jared's job. I am thankful for our house. I am thankful for time with my family. I am thankful that for another year that I was able to stay home and raise my children. I am thankful for the most amazing husband, who I can see becoming more like Christ with each passing year. I am thankful for two beautiful children, who challenge me and teach me, who make me laugh and sometimes make me cry, who bring so much joy to my life. Wow! I don't know what 2011 has in store, but I am excited to see the blessings to come. I hope you have had a wonderful year, and know that you are one of the blessings in my life!

My Little Lamb!

This past Sunday Ellie was in the Christmas program at church. She, with all the other preschoolers, was an animal in Bethlehem. She was a sheep, and was so cute! When she came into the sanctuary and saw Jared and me, she ran up to us and gave us a big hug. Then she ran up on stage. She sang and baa-ed, and even danced around the stage (not in the script, but she's GREAT at improv)! At first she seemed a little shy and nervous, but once she was up there for a few minutes I think she learned to really enjoy the spotlight! It was so much fun to watch her, and Jared and I were so proud of her!

Parker and Ellie, all dressed up for Christmas Sunday

Ellie is the little blue one with sheep ears!

This was her face when she saw us in the sanctuary! Such excitement!

The reason!

Christmas is my favorite holiday! I love the fun traditions that our family holds dear. I love baking cookies, making homemade candy, making crafts, giving gifts, eating yummy food, decorating our house, making gingerbread houses with the kids, and so much more. But the thing I love the most is remembering why we celebrate this day. And teaching that to my kids. I love reading them stories of Christ's birth, and teaching them why Jesus was born - to save us from our sins so that one day we can be with Him in Heaven. I love teaching them Bible verses about the birth of our Savior. I love quizzing them each day and seeing just how much they know about Christ, and then letting them open their advent door for the day. I love teaching them that although we are blessed with so many great gifts, our most wonderful gift is Jesus. I love that they have such giving hearts, and love to give gifts and make things for people. I love how thankful my kids are for all their many gifts and that they enjoy thanking God for all He's done for us and given us. I have so many wonderful memories of Christmases past, and I know that my children are building memories now that will stay with them for the rest of their lives. And the biggest thing I want them to remember is how very much their Savior loves them, that He would send His only son down to earth as a baby, to grow and then die on the cross as the sacrifice for a world of sin. And THAT'S a reason to celebrate this season!

The kids with our Christmas tree

The kids had a great time making gingerbread houses!

This was Parker's first year making one, and of course he ate LOTS of the candy!

The finished product!

"Yay, Mom! I did it!"

Wow! She's 4 years old!

This past week we celebrated Ellie's 4th birthday. On Wednesday (her actual birthday) we went to Olive Garden for dinner (Ellie's favorite restaurant). Then we had her birthday party on Sunday. Ellie's really into Hello Kitty right now, and that's the theme she wanted for her party. It was a lot of fun! It was our first birthday party in our new house. I made and decorated her cake on Saturday. Then we decorated the house. It turned out really cute! At her party the kids made Hello Kitty Christmas ornaments, ate cake and ice cream, opened goody bags, did a pinata, and then Ellie opened her presents. She was super blessed with great friends and lots of fun gifts!

We've had a fun and busy past few days, and I plan on writing all about them in the next couple days. For now, I'm going to go snuggle with my handsome hubby and watch a movie!

Ellie and her good friend, Ciara.