Out with the old and in with the new

So, 2009 is outta here... its bitter/sweet for me. Looking back I have to admit it wasn't the best of years for me. But in saying that I don't want to sound un-grateful for all the blessings that I have felt and witnessed over this passed year. So I am trying to find that balance of, "what really was this year for me?" In doing a lot of contemplating I have decided that hopefully one day I will be totally grateful for the trials gone through because I will be able to look back and have said that I faced the challenge head on, I went through the refiners fire, and I let the Lord mold and teach me. But as of right now I can only say that I am walking through them with a positive attitude and looking forward to coming out on top. Boy, its times like these where I wish blogging wasn't so public because I would really like to get more specific here but I know its not appropriate in this setting. At the same time, with this being my first year of blogging, I have really enjoyed the outlet, the journal experience of my thoughts and my family's experience and really look forward to continue this year. I also love hearing the comments and encouragement from others who now and again peak in on our lives, and the vice versa, I like peaking in on those who otherwise I wouldn't be able to hear about.
So this year was one that challenged me, my kids and my marriage. One of the things that I am most grateful for is the relationship and foundation that Ry and I built our marriage on. The trials have shown me that we are strong and can endure hard times, that we do cherish each other, and want this for eternity. We are a team and are better when we are together. We have in the past sailed through these past 8 years and this year was one where we had to role with punches, work and understand each other, and realize that anything worth having is something that you have to work at and for. I love and adore him and need him and our kids, desperately! Truly they are my biggest blessing! I am most thankful for that!
So on a more worldly aspect I was trying to think of some of the "big news" that happened this year... here are a few things I was able to remember... President Monson became the President of the Church, the economy sucks and there were soooo many bail outs and mis-used tax payer money that I don't have room to record all of it, Lady Gaga takes the music world by storm in her own weird way, a plane successfully lands/crashes in the Hudson River, The Twilight saga continues to grow and drive grown women crazy, Barack Obama became our President, Yankees, Steelers, and Lakers all won their championships, Michael Jackson, Patrick Swayze, and Farrah Faucet died, Brett Favre came back out of retirement to the Vikings and is actually doing great, Tiger Woods is a man slut and is now "in hiding" from the press, and we are in a recession. I am sure there are many many more things that happened and I will update as I think of them or am reminded of them, I am just totally blankin'.
Gratefully, my kids are all doing great, learning, growing, developing terrifically. Going through all the major milestones with smiles and fun. All are healthy and happy, a little spoiled, and definitely unconditionally loved. They are perfect and bring me more joy than any other thing or person could. I love being a mom, and I know that love is deep, its what I want to do even at the end of the most awful of days I can say at the end of the day that I want to do it again tomorrow and try to be better at it! We did have a lot of laughs and fun times this last year and can only hope and pray that we build on those and continue to be so blessed this next year.
So here's to the new year, 2010. Its gonna be a great one!

Christmas Day

Fun, Festive, Busy, Spoiled, Family, Food, Presents, Clean-UP.. all words to describe this crazy day. Lets just say that Santa, among many others, was very good to us, especially my kids! And I better not hear, "Mom... I'm bored" for a very long time!
Christmas morning we spent at home chilling and playing with our toys... It started early when Mason showed up in our room at 5am! He could hardly stand it as we made him wait until Ella woke up at 7am... I don't think he ever went back to sleep in between that time! It was so cute to see him so excited that he could hardly stand it! The kids were great opening their gifts and were excited for all! But lets let the pictures do most of the talking for the day!!!!
















Then we were off to my parents to see Grandma and Grandpa and Uncle Craig...












Next up... Ryans family, Nana and Papa, Aunt Val and Nana Jan












MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Here comes Santa Claus....

Merry Christmas EVE!!! Lots of fun today and everything worked out just right! The past couple of years it has snowed on Christmas EVE and on Christmas day which makes for a "white Christmas" but for a working daddy plowing snow, YUCK!! This year the snow came a day or two early so Ry was available all holiday! YEAH!! We started off the day going to a movie with the kids, Alvin and the Chipmunks squeakual. Really funny and cute show. It was my favorite to hear Mason bust up in the giggles! That night we went to my moms for our traditional EVE party with my family. I look forward to this every year, I just have so much fun! We have a great dinner followed by the sibling and cousin gift exchange as well as the the opening of the Christmas jammies! This year I got a warm and cozy blanket, you can never have too many of those! The kids loved their jammies, Ella wore hers for 4 days straight I think. After that we play our traditional BINGO game!!! Sounds weird but so fun! We have played this on Christmas EVE for as long as I can remember. Some of the prizes are a little more high stakes as of the recent years with a few white elephant gifts thrown in there for good measure and we play with those like a white elephant party where it can be stolen a couple of times... This year it seemed like all the right people got the "Perfect gift" for them:) My mom chose the gift my dad had secretly wrapped up of one of her decorations that she didn't know about, Easton won the Jenga blocks, which kept him busy all night long, my dad picked the T-shirt that was a gag gift which was perfect because he is always putting lame shirts in the mix in the years past, Ryan won the fake golf balls from Mexico, Mason won the pink Snuggie which he could seriously not be happier about! He loves that thing! Tiff won the Cafe Rio gift card (her most hated restaurant), and Dallas won the beer boxers, of which no one can pull it off better than him! Among those funny gifts were great gift card and treat prizes! It was a lot fun fun and put us in a wonderful mood for the day to come.
I worked on a book this year for my dad of our cabin for Christmas and was able to persuade him to open that up Christmas EVE... It was a hit! I was so glad that he liked it! I pulled all the pics from when we were little up until now and put together a scrapbook which turned out really good. I was so happy that he and my mom loved it! I hope it helps preserve the memories we have of all the past years and helps to promote futures memories! I think that was my favorite gift to give this year!
After we got home the kids were great to go to bed soon after drawing their pictures and writing their letters to Santa and Ryan and I strated the process of getting ready for the next morning. I always make the same breakfast casserole and pull apart rolls ahead of time for the next morning and then we watch Christmas story and finishing wrapping and then off to bed to wait for Santa to come! IT was a wonderful day!
THE JAMMIES





BINGO




THE FAMILY