Christmas Week Celebration

Christmas week was a nonstop party!! Nick had the whole and I mean WHOLE week off and we loved every second with him. The first half of the week we took just our little family and went up to the cabin. It was a blizzard the first day and the second was still super cold but the kids managed to play outside. They were out in snow clothes before we even got all our bags out of the car! Unfortunately, the snow was too fresh ad fluffy to make a snowman. The girls were a bit frustrated but the super long icicles distracted them. We drove home the day before Christmas Eve and had time to do some last minute shopping. We spent Christmas Eve at Tiffanys house with the Strobelts. IT was extremely peaceful and the kids loved playing with cousins. My favorite part was watching my two cute girls sing "picture of christmas" all by themselves. They new all the words by heart and it was so sweet. 

We spent Christmas morning at our little house with just our kiddos. Scarlett was so excited she snuck down before everyone else to play with her Santa presents. I even put streamers across the stairs to stop her. She just untaped them and walked on down. OF course she felt bad and promised to never do it again. Still, I am sure she loved every second of seeing all those toys by herself! The girls each got a doll house and a doll bunk bed. It has been 4 days since Christmas and they have been playing nonstop!! We headed over to the Camps for Christmas dinner and then later int he evening walked across the street to open presents with the Strobelts. It was a nonstop day of fun and presents! My favorite moment of the day was when Nick had me open a huge package. I thought it was initially a new high chair but turned out to be a guitar!! I have been secretly wanting one for months and how he new will be a mystery. It has been so enjoyable to play for the girls each night and make up funny songs with them. I hope I learn to play primary songs and play for FHE every week. Lets call it my goal for 2016.

 

Happy 6th Birthday Scarlett

This girls was SOOO excited for her birthday and turning 6 (like her two cousins Wesley and Centri). She started talking about what she wanted and counting down days back in September. I love her enthusiasm for life! She a very special day and at bed time told me it was the best day of her life. I believe her...she was smiles all day! I decorated her bedroom and kitchen with balloons and streamers (as she reminded me 10x to do), made her eggs on toast, had a treasure hunt for presents before school, let her make cupcakes all by herself after school, picked up Centri and spent the night at Build-A-Bear and Outback. This girl loved every second and I feel so blessed to be able to give her the birthday she dreams of!

Scarlett is a complete joy to raise and I thank my Heavenly Father I get to be her mother. She is too young to understand how wonderful, kind, gentle, forgiving, patient, silly, quirky, and strong she is. But I my constant hope is that she will understand what gift she is to her family!  She is my greatest support and constant cheerleader. My sweet Scarlett makes me a better mother and I am forever grateful she was born to me first!! I love watching her testimony grow and just last week caught her reading her scriptures all by herself. She has the light of Christ in her eyes and I know she carries that with her to school. She understands so much more about the gospel than I think. While making cupcakes she told me that she knows the Holy Ghost helps her choose the right and helps her at kindergarten. How sweet is that?! Scarlett is a treasure seeker and is constantly on the look out for something shiny and pretty. I find all sorts of stuff in my car that she finds at the park, on the ground, and at grandmas house. She is the first the help me with Jack and can always get him to giggle. I love that she helps me clean and can organize our toy room better than anyone in the house. At the end of a busy day she is right there by my said to offer her support and is a life saver! As always, my favorite part of Scarlett is her constant concern for others. She is very intune with those around her knows just what to do to make their day brighter. Every morning I drop her off  at school and she has to give me a kiss and hug before she jumps out of the car. Those kisses and hugs mean the world to me! Scarlett you are so, so loved 

6 year old interview

Favorite food- eggs and cereal

Favorite restaurant- Cafe Rio

Favorite friend- Centri and Alice

Favorite color- "beautiful red because that is what my name means"

Favorite book- Christmas books ("the one where the boys goes on the train and gets a bell") and anything with secret flaps. 

Favorite song- I'm a child of God

Favorite TV show- My Little Pony

Favorite activity- coloring and matching games

Favorite toy- "small treasures", dress up, and art supplies

What she wants to do- go to BYU and be a missionary

If she could anywhere in the world....she would go to her grandmas' houses!

Christmas time happenings...

                                                         

We have had such a wonderful and busy Christmas time! But in true form to me, we have had many, many simple days filled with just staying home and enjoying each other.  I am such a fan of keeping things simple and peaceful and my favorite winter evenings are spend at home reading Christmas books, listening to carols, and sitting by the tree. Still, we have done just about every fun activity this time of year brings...Santa, dance recitals at the mall, gingerbread houses, cousins, making candy, reading books, drinking hot chocolate, and listening to lots and lots of christmas music!

So far my favorite evening has been doing our nativity FHE. We read the story of Christ's birth from Luke and put together our felt nativity. I loved bearing my testimony that our Savior lives, loves us, and that because of his birth and life we can be together forever. I love knowing that my Savior makes up the difference where I fall short. That thought I far from perfect he still loves me and needs me to serve my mission on this earth. I know that his birth and life are the greatest of all gifts!